《VRMMO: Am I The Strongest Yet?》


 Chapter 1: Retirement

    "Even before the abyss of a ck hole... we still have a choice."


    Hmmm¡­


    A little more.


    "Humanity never conceals its desire to control the heavens, and I am no exception."


    Good. And, toplete it all¡­


    "Rules, are made to be broken."


    And with this, he was done.


    ''It was a long journey.''


    He worked since the early ages of his life.


    He learned, he applied, he failed, and he learned from his failures.


    There were setbacks, there were times when he just couldn''t get up and start working again, he had faced difficulties throughout thest decade of his life, however, finally, on this day, he was done.


    "Finally¡­"


    An attractive apartment room, a bed on the left, a window on the other side. He sat on his desk with a holographic clock present beside him, facing hisputer screen, listening to (Crow), a new song he identally stumbled upon and fell in love with, a warm smile of relief present on his face.


    "Finally."


    On his 360Hz screen, along with some quotes, some descriptions, and some epic narrations, the final page of hisst book had ended with a happy ending.


    His hand left the three-piece keyboard, the pencil and his tablet were turned off, and, he also stopped the timer ying on his simple holographic clock.


    "Finally, I can retire now."


    Money wasn''t really a problem for him but he valued his independence above anything else.


    He loved his freedom, he loved what he could do by being unrestricted, and he loved the way he concluded hisst project.


    "Haaa¡­"


    He still remembered why he started working even though he had the option to just live a life offort.


    "I can finally rest as much as I want, mom."


    He remembered why he got a part time food delivering job at the young age of fourteen. Or why he endured all the trouble, curses, pain, and pressure in all the jobs he had worked at.


    He had no need to endure all the shit those pig bosses put him through. He was a worker at first, but he learned, he earned, he experienced the lives themon children experience, and with his own efforts, he first freed himself from the grunt life.


    Then he earned more and got to higher positions.


    He paid his school fees, he paid for his graduation, and he also paid for his diplomas.


    He got away from the life of corporate very. Started a small business, expanded it, made it into something that brought profits, and then, with time, effort, and good decisions, he was able to be a business owner at the age of twenty.


    And then, he found people that he trusted. Gave them the reins of his business, and went off to the creative side, and started following his passion.


    He had always been more of a creative person than a technical one.


    The things that he liked doing in his free time, since a young age, had included photography, videography, a little bit of drawing and a little bit of everything that was rted to art.


    He liked doing many things, actually.


    "Now that I think about it, ain''t I kinda amazing?"


    He was twenty four now. And, he was done ''working''.


    "Not many retire at such an age, hun? I''m definitely pretty amazing then."


    Young people at his age mostly run around in search of jobs or finish their higher studies. But after all that hard work of so many years¡­ he was ready to retire now.


    "I can stay in my room all day, y whatever game I want, order whatever I want, and finally, after all these years¡­ I can finally just chill without doing anything, and there will be no one to tell me what to do.


    Not even you, mom."


    He liked games, but ever since he started working, he swore to abstain from the games until he had achieved his goal.


    He wasn''t able to do many things in these past few years. But that will end today.


    "Alright then, first of all¡­"


    ============


    (Search: ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª.)


    ============


    -Tap. Tap. Tap.


    -Click. Click.


    -Tak.


    He brought up the universal search bar and typed in the name of the website he had built over the past three years.


    [Wee, Master Elio.]


    As soon as he logged in, a little white kitten greeted him with a heartwarming yawn. It was an adorable greeting.


    His girlfriend made this cute AI for him¡ª right, his girlfriend.


    -Knock. Knock!


    "Coming in~."


    He heard the knock on the door and the one knocking barged in without receiving any permission with a cheerful smile.


    "What''s my gummy bear up to today~?"


    He had natural light brown hair and pretty green eyes. His looks were attractive but they weren''t extraordinary or anything.


    He was wearing a normal oversized shirt, sitting on his throne-like chair, staring at his screen when two slender yet muscr hands wrapped around him from behind.


    "Good timing, Twinkle. Look at this."


    "Hmm? What does that- oh! Is that what I think it is?!"


    He had three monitors if they added his tab, and two side by side without it.


    So, while the screen with the novel ending was still present on the right one, both of them stared at the screen showing the website both of them had worked on for so long.


    "Yup¡­ I''m done."


    She had longed to hear those words.


    "Yesssssssss~! Finally! Fkin finally!"


    She was happier by this news than him for some reason¡­


    Her long ck hair shining under the afternoon lighting from the window tied behind her back, herfortable white shirt that was twice her size, the ck leggings covering her attractive legs, and her deep blue eyes covered by her round sses gave her a simple yet elegant look.


    She looked simr to him¡­ not by physical appearance but by their vibes.


    Both of them were quite simple, approachable people that by the looks, seemed more introverted but simple individuals.


    And, it was a fact that they looked good as they smiled at one another while looking at this particr PC screen.


    "Twinkle¡­"


    Grabbing her hand to calm her down, he gently pulled her closer to him, and even though no strength was used, she followed his lead, and sat down on hisp.


    "Will you do the honors?"


    This was as important to them as their friendship.


    This website was what brought them together, it was what gave him all the fame he had today as well, and now that it was time to close it down, he was giving her the chance to do it with him.


    "Are you sure?"


    She didn''t mind doing it for him since she had dreamed of this day for months, even years. But she had to confirm just in case.


    "I am. I''m sure that the one who wrote the first codes for this ''house'' of ours, should also be the one to lock it down for good."


    Yes this is a VRMMO novel and there will be aplete, full dive VR game, however, this moment was one of the most important moments of their journey.


    "Alright then~!"


    -Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!


    -Tap!


    "MewMew~! Initiate master control~! Executemand XII-0~."


    [Mew!]


    [Master control initiated! Requesting execution keys!]


    The kitten that had been sleepy all this time opened its red eyes and a special pink sphere was summoned right above its little head.


    "Huuuu. I''ve been waiting for so long, man¡­"


    She took out the ne around her neck that contained a very small pendant. While he removed his bracelet that had a matching pendant that seemed like it would fit into the one she had.


    "I''m sorry for being such a bad boyfriend, dear Twinkling star."


    "I''ll fucking choke you if you call me that one more time."


    Sparkle was not a nickname or pet name. It was an embarrassing memory that he reminded her of every single fucking day¡­


    "Ahem."


    There was a unique mechanism attached to his monitor.


    "Let''s do the hot thingster."


    He gave her his part, and shebined both the key pieces before giving him a death re.


    "Naughty bastard."


    It was a big day for them and here he was, ying jokes on her like this.


    "Ughhh."


    She questioned herself how the hell did she even fall for this guy.


    But then she remembered the reason when she looked back at the screen that contained a record of all the things he had created in the past few years¡­


    "You''ve worked hard."


    "Thanks for waiting."


    "It was worth it."


    The moment she turned the key, the pink portal that had appeared above the cute white kitten spread all across the Home Screen and, in a matter of seconds, it devoured everything they could see on that website.


    [Mew~!]


    [Archiving is sessful.]


    Finally, only their white sleepy kitten remained in the corner of a nk screen on a single white sentence.


    [The Rank-12 creator: Acheron#1233 has officially Retired!]


    "It''s done."


    "You''re free now."


    She smiled at him, warmly.


    "I''m free¡­"


    And he smiled back.


    "Then."


    He already knew what her next words were going to be.


    She wasn''t an easy person to read generally, however for him, she was as transparent as the clear waters of oblivion.


    "Shall we finally y, darling?"


    He loved games but he hadn''t yed any games in a long, long time.


    In thest decade, the VR technology had advanced considerably and there was a certain game- an otherworld- that had been the leading virtual reality game for the rest of the world.


    "Yes¡­"


    She was also a yer. Someone that loved that world much more than this reality.


    And she had wanted to y along with him for as long as she could remember¡­


    "Let''s finally y. Together."


    He had achieved all that he wanted.


    He was done ving, he was done working, he was done with everything one needed to do to earn money¡ª one of the most important resources in this modern era.


    He was done¡­


    So, now, it was time to chill and y around in the ''second world''¡ª in the <New Origin>.

 Chapter 2: New Origin

    "Hmmm¡­ I will never understand your obsession with my hands."


    There were three kinds of men.


    One that liked the Body, one that enjoyed lips, and then there were ones like this Child.


    "What''s wrong with hands?"


    It was early morning now as theyy beside one another, with him ying with her hand, her fingers, holding them, caressing them.


    "I mean¡­ you have aplete package and you''re nuts about my hands? If it were feet, it would be more understandable-."


    "Shut up." cing a finger on her lips, he looked into her deep blue eyes.


    Her hands weren''t the only thing he loved about her. Those pretty eyes full of wisdom were something he couldn''t help loving.


    She was the smarter one among them, but she was still a dumb one to him.


    -Swiiiiiiiiiiiiiish¡­


    A fine morning sunlight filled the spacious room along with calm winds.


    The holographic clock''s rm had just rang, so both of them were awake now.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    Well, he was only half awake, stillying with his eyes open, looking at the pretty person beside him with a nk face as always.


    "What?" The way he was looking at her though, seemed somehow different to her.


    She didn''t want to, but she had to ask why he was doing it to quench her curiosity.


    "You''re sexy," heplimented out of the blue while kissing her ring finger.


    "Hmm? You just realized that? After all these years?"


    She wasn''t being sarcastic here.


    The way he said it sounded so genuine she couldn''t help but be surprised at his silly question.


    "Yup. I just realized how stupid I was to not admire a hot art piece like this." Saying that, he bit her finger, kissed it again, and intertwined their fingers.


    "Did you just be a boomer after a few hours of retirement? Will I have to marry a geezer or what?"


    A smile bloomed on her face at his rare, cute behavior.


    He was more¡­ crazy, usually. But, he was being all lovey dovey for some reason.


    "Since when do you hate old people? I thought you were into-."


    "Shut up and get up now."


    She knew now that he was in this yful mood, he would waste their entire morning with dumb, cute and useless things.


    "We have to do a lot of things today¡­ you''re gonna start games again and starting with the best one among them.


    You might know all that you need to know about it all, but you still need an expert like-."


    "Oh, that''s right."


    He suddenly realized something and was awakenedpletely with his eyes wide open.


    "Aren''t you a big deal in that game? How are we going to y together if there''s arge level difference between us?"


    The best Virtual Reality Massive Multiyer Online of the current day, <New Origin>.


    It had only been around three years since this game came to life however, the self-operating ecosystem of this game, the highest degree of freedom it provides, and the near infinite world it offers made it earn the title of the ''Second world'' in the short time it had existed in this world.


    Run by the best artificial intelligence of the era, this virtual world was the same as the many fantasy games that existed today, however, different from them, the kind of experience this world provided was The best.


    And, she was one of the yers who had yed it ever since its open beta testing. Some of the few who had been part of this second world''s history even before the ''yers'' had arrived on it.


    She was obviously a high level even though she only yed it casually and loved ying it as a hobby. So, he knew it would be difficult for them to y on the same level together with one another like they wanted.


    "It''s a perfect VR so your game ID is bound by your core credentials, right? And since you''re high level, you also can''t just delete your ount and create another one."


    It wasn''t possible in the first ce as to ess this ''second world'' one needed their unique biometric identifications that could not be deleted or reced as one wanted.


    He had not thought about it since there had never been any need to until now, but now that he was thinking about it, he was confused why she had always wanted to y along with him so badly.


    She knew him well so she knew he didn''t like getting a free ride or having power disparity between them.


    She might be stronger and smarter than him, but he was still better than her. He wasn''t going to y with her unless he was on the same level as her¡­ or was at least good enough to stand alongside her.


    "Hehe, you don''t have to worry about that~!"


    She loved that other world.


    And she had always known he would love it as well¡­


    "This great and amazing Lady of yours has a way to create an Alt~."


    "Heh?"


    Those proud words she said with her nose lifted high confused him.


    "In <NO>? You can do that?"


    Creating an alternative ount in this game was thought to be impossible but she was saying she can do that?


    "Yup~. You know how amazing I am~. This is nothing big~."


    The way she was confidently saying those things made him look at her with a suspicious expression for a moment.


    However, even after observing her with squinted eyes, he could not find anything wrong with her.


    "¡­you''re acting sus."


    He knew there was no way to actually create an Alternate ount in this game. Of course unless someone can change their fingerprints, retinas, and DNA code, it is not possible.


    So, whatever trick she was going to pull was not going to be from outside.


    Even a genius like her couldn''t do something like that.


    "Hump. Sussy bastard calling others sus." She pouted her cheeks like a little girl and got out of their soft nket.


    "If you don''t believe me, why don''t you see for yourself?"


    He was stillying on the bed and she wanted to just pick him up alongside that nket and smash him on the ground, but since today was a good looking day, she spared him.


    "We have to wash up and eat breakfast-."


    They had just woken up so there were many things that they needed to do before they get to their gaming room that only she had used until now¡ª but she didn''t want to waste any more time so, when he got out of that nket, she pulled him, took a quick shower alongside him, reheated some leftovers fromst night and shoved them down his throat.


    And then she dragged him to their gaming room he had never used himself.


    "Sunday, boot the system! Your other master is finally starting games!"


    -Oooooooooooooong!


    The room situated across their hall room they entered was dark at first, however as soon as she said that, first a green light blinked on the ceiling, and then, with a blue sh of light, the RGB lights throughout the rooms were turned on.


    [Wee back masters. And a very good morning to both of you.]


    A male mechanical voice brimming with a unique intelligence replied to her voice and greeted both of them.


    "Sunday, tell your creator not to drag me around. I can walk on my own, eat on my own- oh, I don''t mind the bath- I can do all the other things by myself."


    [Creator master. The other master wants you to not drag him around. He says he can walk on his own, eat on his own, and do all the other things by himself.


    He does not mind taking baths with you, though, the tone recognition detects he wouldn''t mind doing any of the previously mentioned things if it is with you.]


    Even though the technology had advanced tremendously in thest three decades, it was still surprising to see such a fluent reply from an artificial intelligence.


    "You programmed him to be like this, didn''t you?"


    He never liked how he always took her side and how he made anything he said about her into something positive.


    It might be a good artificial intelligence, but it was still not something that he, as a person of arts, could tolerate for long.


    "Hehe, he only says the truth and facts~. Don''t me him for saying what you don''t~."


    As the room was now illuminated, one could see a wall covered with screens at the end of the room, a good lot of mechanical instruments, and three unique VR capsules that were modified from inside out.


    "Well, fk the small things. Let''s jump right in~."


    Someone with the knowledge of Virtual Reality capsules or [Chariots] could tell these were the best modals avable on the market that not just anyone could purchase.


    "I''ll need a day or so in system time to prepare so you should firstplete your tutorial and choose [Moongold town] as your starter town.


    I''lle to you by the end of today, alright?"


    She wasn''t usually as pushy as she was right now.


    She also wasn''t that cheerful and smiley.


    But, today, the thought of being able to y with him was making her heart racing.


    He had worked hard all this time.


    She had only been with him for thest three years, and still she knew how hardworking he was.


    "Come,y down." She helped him get inside his VR chariot for the first time with a warm smile present on her face.


    He was a selfish and mean person. A little arrogant and stubborn as well. But those qualities of his only came out when he was working¡­


    "Just follow the instructions of the system and you should be fine¡­ you know the basics and stuff already so, see ya~."


    He was done working now so, they could finally y the game together like she had always wanted.


    "Sunday, initiate protocol: Game."


    -Ooooooooooong.


    [Initiating protocol.]


    [Preparing optimal game environment¡­]


    She was happy.


    And, inside the Chariot, there was a smile present on his face as well.

 Chapter 3: Free world

    [Scanning Bio-data¡­]


    [Confirming Bio-data.]


    [Ding.]


    [Confirm registration into the <New Origin>.]


    "Confirm."


    [Ding.]


    [Bio-ID registration has been confirmed.]


    [Registering new ID. Please proceed with the Metabody creation process.]


    "Why can''t you just call it a character creation process instead?"


    There was a simple way but they chose something different instead¡­ he liked their style.


    "Cool."


    Sitting inside his chariot, he was ready to log into the second world for the first time.


    Everything was ready, he was done remembering his previous efforts, his partner was excited to y with him, so, he couldn''t possibly disappoint her.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    He closed his eyes, the inside systems of the chariot finished their scans and safety protocols, and the next moment he knew, he was feeling his mind leaving his body¡­


    [Wee to the junction of origin.]


    His mind was transported in a strange white space where he found himself floating in an endless room with no bottom or ceiling.


    "Is this what they call the character creation space? Where''s that thing-, oh."


    [Ding.]


    A gray holographic screen popped up before him, asking him to start the creation process.


    "Let''s see."


    It was a realistic game so there was no option to change the original appearance, however, in this space, one could create their game body which would possess their original physical characteristics.


    [Please enter your Immortal name.]


    Instead of saying character ID name, they were calling it an immortal name for some reason.


    "Aren''t you people creative, hun?"


    [Do you want to set your immortal name as (Aren''t you people creative, hun?)? Please confirm.]


    "No, lol. Haha, of course not." The game system was funnier than he had expected as well.


    He liked this.


    "Change it to Elio."


    There was no need to make his game name something fancy or different. He liked the name his mom gave him, so he was going to use it in this ''second world'' as well.


    [Changing the immortal name¡­]


    [Do you want to set your immortal name as (Elio)? Please confirm.]


    "Yes. Confirm."


    [Ding.]


    The first part of the Metabody creation process, the immortal name creation, wasplete. So, he was moved to the second part where he had to choose a dress and some starting equipment for his character.


    "Alright, let''s see."


    This was an important part.


    He had seen many videos of this on YT and he had worked for many videos that exined this important process.


    "First of all, I''ll take the light clothes and some good shoes."


    Many people made some grave mistakes in this part.


    In <NO>, the yers were given an {Inventory} skill that had a limited space which could be expanded with a special kind of money.


    It was an innate skill of the ''ones enved by destiny'' or the [yers] of this game. Something most natives of that other world could not use.


    And along with this eternally useful skill, they were given a pouch of rations, a wooden weapon of their choice, and nine stat points that they can distribute freely.


    "Alex once said I should choose a shield at the start since the tutorial quests tend to be more about survival or hunting."


    Everyone was given a random tutorial quest by the system that''s mostly about surviving against some strong opponent, or about hunting a set number of monsters, or sometimes, it''s all about reaching a certain point on the map.


    ''The difficulty varies, but the system does not give quests that cannot bepleted by the yers.''


    Though, if a yer dies during tutorial quest by any chance, there is arge possibility that their tutorial quests are changed.


    "ording to the popr guides, the hunting quests are the most profitable for the beginner yers since they can receive hunting rewards on top of the quest rewards in it."


    But, Alexandra, his pretty girlfriend who was a high level yer in this game, had told him how there are very rare ''scenario'' quests in these tutorials that give the best rewards to the beginners.


    And, since he knew this lesser known fact, he was hoping toe across this ''rare'' kind of quest as well.


    "I don''t wanna kill those things with my own hands anyway. They are alive and they deserve their freedom as well."


    <NO> was a kind of game that rewarded the yers with EXP points for all kinds of mundane tasks.


    ''There was an exp reward for cutting wood, making food, painting, and even just for exploring.''


    Unlike other games, this was ''experience'' points in their true meaning.


    This system was one of the main reasons he also wanted to y this game for such a long time¡­


    "Alright then, we will go with the shield."


    After the weapon choice and clothing choice, it was time to link the game ount with the other ounts connected with the biometrics.


    [Ding.]


    This game was certainly free to y however, as the currencies that were used in this game world was a limited resource in itself, the money of the real world and the money inside the game were closely connected.


    [Confirm linking process of bank IDs associated with the Bio-ID.]


    One can connect their game ounts with their bank ounts and directly trade the money they had inside the game within the real-world market.


    They can trade the money with other people as well, and just like shares or e-currencies, the in-game currencies of <NO> had a deep impact on the real world.


    ''This whole thing was one of the reasons people yed this game.''


    ying <NO> and being good at it was now more profitable than doing a part time job¡­ but he''d still stick to the job system rather than this game.


    ''The investment costs of a Chariot was astronomical for a regr person so People generally used head gears or capsule rooms to enter the virtual world.''


    The money one might have to spend to make some good usable cash was not generally small. So, even though people preferred to take the risk and try this new world, if it were up to him¡­ he would choose the safer method.


    Being logical was the better choice sometimes.


    Though¡­ he didn''t really have to care about the others anymore. He was retired, so thinking about those stressful things was useless.


    "Alright then¡­"


    After the linking process, it was time for the stat distribution.


    [Ding.]


    ============


    ID: Elio (Level-0)


    Race: Human (Commoner)


    T-T (Physical stats)


    Strength: 1


    Agility: 1


    Endurance: 1


    T-T (System stats)


    Intelligence: 1


    Luck: 1


    Charm: 1


    T-T (Functional stats)


    Energy: 10/10


    Stamina: 10/10


    Fatigue: 0/10


    (Stat points: 9)


    {Skills: ¡ª .}


    [Titles: ¡ª .]


    ============


    The only stats he could increase with free stat points were the physical stats. The system stats, on the other hand, were awarded by the system. The functional stats were three status bars that stayed on the corner of one''s vision.


    They disyed the current state the yer was in through the numbers and a colored bar that increased or decreased with the yer''s status.


    "Strength stat will increase my physical abilities, agility will increase my mental and physical abilities simultaneously, while endurance ispletely a mental stat."


    yers usually assigned these stat points based on what kind of characters they wanted to build, but as an advice from an expert, he just skipped the stat assignment process for now.


    "There''s no need to do it right now."


    If he just assigned his stats based on what he wanted to do right now, he might not be able to do well in the tutorial orter when he really needed them.


    ''The game replicated the physical capabilities of the body of the yers anyway so, I''m not going to be particrly weak during the tutorial.''


    It was the better choice to not use them from the start anyway. So, skipping this process and finishing up his basic yer settings, he moved on to the main thing.


    [Ding.]


    [You will now be transported to the tutorial zone.]


    [The junction of origin wees you, Sir Elio.]


    [{( May the Intertwined destiny be your strength, keeping your journey eternally pulsing. May your energies be forever illuminated, and your ambitions forever trailzing. )}]


    With that unique voice encouraging him like every single new hope of this world, the eternal white space around him vanished along with the invisible tform supporting his body.


    He started falling into a dark space covered in dots of light that seemed like lines to his moving eyes.


    He wasn''t feeling the wind pressure yet, and he couldn''t feel the certain pull of gravity that he should have felt while falling down, so it was more like the space around him was the one moving instead of him.


    He was being moved at a fast speed in a vacuum from what he could tell¡­ but, the feeling he had at this time was much stranger than a normal free fall.


    He did not know what was happening with him. Additionally, as soon as he moved past this endless starry tunnel, he lost consciousness.


    [Ding.]


    When he opened his eyes, he had already arrived at his destination and¡­ a quest window was open before his eyes.


    He didn''t understand what had just happened, however, when his mind cleared up and he looked around him, the attractive realistic scenery overwhelmed his senses.


    "Damn¡­"


    He had arrived in the new world.


    This was the start of his journey.


    And, he didn''t like the tutorial quest that he had received from the system.

 Chapter 4: Tutorial quest

    ============


    [Tutorial quest: ]


    : Subjugate 30 creatures higher level than you.


    Reward: Tutorial exclusive reward box.


    ============


    "Looks like a subjugation quest."


    Nestled within a peaceful-looking forest was situated a shallow waternd, ake where he had somehownded for this tutorial quest.


    "Haaaa¡­"


    The water surrounding him was rtively clean, and the foliage of tall trees above him blocked significant light from the sun.


    One could see right to the bottom of these shallow waters, where smooth pebbles resembling jewels of this forest rested.


    Gentle ripples spread across theke, shimmering in the sunlight and creating a soothing, rhythmic pattern.


    "I don''t want to kill."


    The shoreline a distance away from him was soft, fine sand gently sloping into the water.


    Here and there, clusters of unique nts resembling water lilies floated gracefully on the surface, their green and blue blossoms adding vibrant sshes of color to this already green canvas.


    Tall reeds and cattails fringed the edges of these waters, swaying gently in the breeze and providing a home for a variety of wildlife.


    "Well, it feels good here, at least," he admired the artistry of this wonderful scenery¡­


    Dragonflies danced about, their iridescent wings catching and reflecting the fragmented light.


    Frogs croaked softly from hidden spots among the reeds, while small birds dip down to the water''s edge for a drink.


    "To think these simple creatures don''t even have levels¡­ this game sure is something, huh?"


    Surrounding theke were tall trees, their branches stretching out over the water to create shady, secluded spots.


    The dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves cast a gentle, shifting light on the water below. The air was filled with the soft rustling of leaves and the gentle hum of insects, creating a peaceful, natural symphony.


    This shallow waterke seemed like a sanctuary of calm and beauty, a perfect ce to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.


    "Fascinating¡­"


    As a person of art, nature was one of the most beloved things to him. And since he had not traveled much in his life, he never really had a chance to experience something like this.


    He had still traveled all around his state for various jobs though, and as a business owner, he had to move around his areas of activity frequently.


    He had experienced a lot of things and the VR technology had helped him see many things that he could not see in the original world.


    "Alright then¡­"


    Now that he was experiencing this ''second world'' himself, he knew why people were so crazy about all this.


    "This is much better than what I had hoped for." He moved his hands, his fingers, his limbs, and tried a backflip.


    He could do it in the real world, so he thought he could do it in this ce as well since the physical capabilities were replicated here, but¡­ he forgot that he was standing on the slipperyke surface.


    -Dhum!


    -Sshhh¨Cshurrrr!


    He slipped, fell face t on the water, and ended up wetting all the clothes he was wearing with the water that sshed all over him.


    "Welp¡­"


    Things were a little too realistic here.


    "Looks like I''ll have to light a fire first."


    He waspletely wet now, and in this humid ce with such an environment, the chances of him dying just because he was wet were pretty high.


    ''Alex warned me about things like hypothermia, dehydration, and other nature-affected debuffs are a thing here.''


    People actually died here just because they caught cold by wetting their clothes or due to infection from some insignificant wound.


    "Where could I find the firewood now¡­"


    The area around him was all part of theke so he first got out of theke and went back to the shore.


    In front of him was a vastke spreading deep into the forest, while behind him was a dangerous forest most probably saturated with strong creatures that could kill a (Level-0) like him in a matter of seconds.


    He had no idea where he was, but one thing was clear.


    "Subjugating 30 creatures¡­"


    By the simple interpretation, the quest was asking him to kill thirty ''creatures'' or the beings that the system recognized as creatures. Or, simply monsters or something that possessed levels.


    "Oh, there''s one over there."


    He had reached the shore and was wringing his clothes when he suddenly spotted something moving a little distance away from him.


    "Is that a jellyfish?"


    On the other side from where he had wetted himself in theke, there was a transparent blob visible on the surface.


    It resembled the head of a jellyfish¡­ however, there was nothing inside of it.


    The creature was far away so he first focused his eyes to get a better picture of the thing, when he suddenly noticed something glowing above the creature''s head.


    ============


    [Slime]: (Level:3)


    ============


    "Oh damn. That''s a slime?"


    [Ding.]


    [You have identified a creature for the first time. Rewarding Exp.]


    [Ding!]


    [Level up!]


    [(Level-0) > (Level-1).]


    "Hmm?"


    In <NO>, one needed to focus on one thing constantly to trigger [Observation]. A passive feature that all sentient beings of this world including the yers could trigger asionally.


    Anything that is closely ''observed'' by the individual, after obtaining some basic information about it, can trigger a different feature called [Identification].


    "Didn''t she say I''ll need to focus real hard to trigger [Identification]? This¡­ was pretty easy though?" This situation confused him as well.


    Just like most VR games, this game also had {Skills}. However, the skills were powerful abilities that were only granted to individuals who knowingly or unknowingly fulfilled certain set conditions.


    "If this is so easy, perhaps¡­"


    He tried focusing on the lotus-like green flowers that were growing a distance away from him.


    He believed that if identifying a creature like this slime was so easy, he would be able to identify the other things around him as well and obtain {Appraisal}, the rare skill that one obtains after identifying 300 things.


    From the looks of it, he was good with focusing and identification.


    Thus, He was focusing on the flower in an attempt to test his theory, when he suddenly had to stop as he noticed something peculiar beside the flower.


    "Wait, is that thinging here¡­?"


    It seemed like the slime that was ying some distance away from him was now suddenly swimming towards him.


    And that too, at a speed he was not expecting.


    "Hey¡­ hey! Wait! Damn it."


    He wanted to run away from that ce, but there was only the dangerous forest beside him.


    "Shit."


    He was naked as well.


    His clothes were now drying on the low tree branch.


    He did not have any weapons, only a shield to defend himself against that creature.


    So, in the grave moment of tension, he first took out the shield from his inventory¡­ and then prayed to the gods of this world for their protection against the creature rushing towards him.


    He had worked on those tentacle animation stuff as well, so he already had a bad impression of slimes and slimy things¡­


    He was never looking forward to seeing one of them right when he started ying this gorgeous game.

 Chapter 5: Slimes

    Slimes were a verymon lifeforms in these kinds of fantasy games.


    Some ces portrayed them as slimy creatures with no certain forms, while some games portrayed them as creatures with a round form covered by sticky mucus.


    ''In the <NO> the slimes were a special lifeform.''


    They were one of the oldest species to have existed in this world and they possessed a unique ability to adapt to their environments.


    ''They are the only creatures with the most known varieties present in this world.''


    There are simple round slimes, there are formless sticky slimes, there are slimes that resemble tentacle creatures, slimes that could use magic, slimes that could use elemental powers, slimes on the same standards as the highest order existences and there are even higher intelligence slimes that have humanoid forms.


    ''All slimes had the ability to [Adapt] to their environment better than the other beings.''


    One of the reasons we could find these creatures practically in ces all around the world was the special adaptive powers they possessed.


    ''I was surprised when that name and level appeared on top of its head all of a sudden.''


    There were slimes of all forms and nature. Some were good and friendly so people kept them as pets andpanions, some used them as tools and since they were some of the simplest lifeforms possessing only a body and energy core, they were easy to deal with as well.


    "I thought it was going to attack me when it came running in my direction."


    But, thankfully, that was not the case.


    "It looks pretty cute."


    The colorless blob that resembled the head of a jellyfish was ying around in the same ce where he had slipped and fell.


    There was some kind of green moss floating on the water''s surface and this slime seemed to be eating this green stuff.


    ''Can it even see me?''


    It wasn''t far from him so he thought it would attack him at any moment now. But, instead, the creature was happily enjoying his moss.


    After his observations, he was pretty sure that the creature surely knew about his existence as well.


    It knew he was there since it could sense him as well as everything in the water with its unique senses.


    It was merely a blob that seemed harmless. But, it was still higher level than him, which meant there was a good possibility that it was stronger than him.


    "I have to kill these things?"


    He found out with some more time that theke was actually filled with these creatures.


    There were nine of them just around this ce and with more moss he gathered from theke surface, more of them might gather around there.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    He could pretty much kill them all as easily as he wanted.


    They were easy to deal with and most of them were only around (Level-3) to (Level-5).


    He was (Level-1) and, as he had confirmed, he really had a talent for observation.


    Perhaps it was thanks to all his deep focus and ''Zone'' time with his work that he was able to focus much better than what his partner had expected.


    "Subjugation¡­"


    Now, as he waited for his clothes to dry down, he sat on the shore with a few leaves covering his important parts.


    He kept his shield out just in case something happened, and watched the transparent, cute creatures.


    "If I had an appraisal skill, I could have seen their actual status windows instead of just the basic identified information."


    It wasn''t easy to get skills, but some important skills were basic necessities. {Appraisal} was one of them¡­ and yet, not many people had it.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    The green lotus that he had found was in fact a rare herb that he had heard about in the past.


    The trees around him were also infused with Mana¨C a special natural energy that mages use.


    Even theke water that these slimes were swimming in and the slimes themselves possessed Mana, making them more special than the normal water slimes.


    ''This must be some secluded space that not many people know about. Or else the system wouldn''t have thrown me here for this tutorial quest.''


    He was in a special ce, so he filled his inventory with things that his observation identified as something useful or important.


    It wasn''t every day that tutorials happened in ces as amazing as this one. He had a good opportunity, and he did not wait for anything and filled his inventorypletely.


    Now¡­ the only thing remaining was the tutorial quest.


    "Huuu¡­ well."


    He was uncertain, but it did not seem like these slime creatures were dangerous.


    So, he did something any curious person would do in his position, and walked back inside theke.


    "Please don''t hurt me."


    He walked inside theke, prayed for his life once again, and reached a spot surrounded by the slime creatures.


    "Let''s see¡­"


    He gathered some moss from theke surface, and as soon as he did that, the slime''s attention was attracted to him.


    -Shrrrrrr¡­!


    They all started swimming towards him at a speed that most certainly was not safe!


    "No. no no no! Go that way!"


    He was suddenly afraid that these creatures would crash into him and he would die without even his clothes on¨C he was even more afraid of the possibility that he would get summoned to some other ce if he failed this tutorial quest in that state.


    -Chu-pk!


    He threw the moss away from him right before the slimes crashed in him, and sensing the movement of the moss, the slimes also changed their direction and ran to where the moss had fallen.


    "Phew¡­"


    He thought he was going to die at that moment. Thankfully, he survived.


    "So you go after the treats just like a puppy, hun?"


    He watched them eat a bunch of moss, fight for a bigger portion, and finish it in a matter of seconds.


    -Shrrrrr¡­!


    Then he saw them swimming back towards him even faster than earlier, got scared once again, and hurriedly gathered more moss to throw at the creatures¨C but he wasn''t fast enough this time.


    -Dham!


    One of the slimes crashed into him right before he could throw the moss away.


    -Shrrr! Sharrrr! Shrrrup!


    And, just like a skipping stone thrown on ake surface, he was thrown all the way out of theke¡­ and crashed into a tree out on the shore.


    "Augh!"


    Then he coughed up blood. And was injured internally, as well as physically.


    "..."


    After that, he lost consciousness. And was left on the shore, covered in fine sand and blood, naked, with all nine of the Slimes enjoying the food that he had prepared for them.

 Chapter 6: Recovery

    "Ughhhh¡­"


    The hell just happened?


    "Ahem! Aughhhh!"


    Why the hell am I vomiting blood?!


    "Ahem! Ahem!"


    And what the hell are those damned slimes doing?!


    "Ahem!"


    He was confused, so he first tried getting back up. But, his legs were too weak, and the pain in his chest where that slime had crashed into him was just too much for him at that moment.


    ''Why is that thing so strong?''


    Slimes were supposed to be creatures of nature that didn''t have any muscles or organs.


    They are purely a mucus that moves with the help of the energy in their core.


    Sure there are slimes that possess a physical body resembling the humans, but they are still slimes made of mucus and a core.


    They weren''t supposed to be this strong¡­


    "Ughhh¡­"


    But after just one of them crashed into him, he was thrown all the way here and now was on the verge of death.


    ''Actually, how did I not die?''


    He could tell his ribs were broken by the impact, and he also received internal injuries. Realistically, he should have died from that impact but¡­ he was still alive.


    "Mmmm¡­"


    He was in pain. His head, his chest, his back, even his limbs were hurting. And yet, he was somehow still alive.


    "Haaa¡­"


    He did not understand how this had happened, but the fact that he was still alive was still true.


    And since he was alive, the blessing that all yers possess would bring him back to his optimal state soon.


    However, he knew it would take some time.


    ''What are they doing there though?''


    He somehow dragged his body and rested it against the tree as he looked at the slime creatures on the shore that had made him like this.


    They did not have any face or anything so he couldn''t tell if they wanted to eat him or if they were feeling pity, but, one thing he could see behind him was a clearke that did not have any moss left on its surface.


    They finished their food, so they might have just wanted him to get more. But, it was not going to be possible.


    "Haaa¡­"


    His eyes were heavy.


    It was already evening so he knew he was out for quite a while now. But, he was sleepy once again.


    The pain was getting to him, so even though he was in a dangerous ce with those creatures looking at him, he had no strength left in him.


    He never wanted to kill them and he didn''t think they wanted to kill him either.


    It was an ident¡­ he knew that much.


    "Ughhh¡­"


    So, even as he closed his eyes while tightly biting his lips, he did not resent those poor little creatures.


    It was their fault that he was in that state. But, it was fine¡­ he wasn''t mad at them or his own self for not killing them when he had the chance.


    ¡­


    He closed his eyes and fell asleep.


    And when he woke up, it was already evening once again.


    "Ughhh¡­"


    The pain was still there, but it wasn''t as bad as it was just a few moments ago.


    ''So this is still a game, hun?''


    It was justified with ''having a blessing'' but since yers were still yers, having them under prolonged physical debuffs made no sense.


    Not many would want to rest for months to recover from this kind of injury. And, since higher-level yers experience even severe injuries during their fights, it would be dumb to have them be bedridden for months.


    This was a game, and recovery happening overnight was the most logical and realistic thing.


    "Haaa¡­"


    He looked around after checking his condition, and the slimes weren''t there anymore.


    He could see them in the distant waters, but they weren''t here anymore.


    ''Looks like they were hungry after all.''


    He tried standing up. But his legs didn''t have enough strength to stand up just yet.


    He fell down every time he tried getting up, but when nothing worked, he gave up and rested back against the tree, again.


    "At least my throat is clear now."


    He coughed up all the blood blocking his airway and throat so he had a good enough breathing space or else he would have choked to death due to blockages.


    "Let''s eat something¡­"


    He had the food that was provided to all the yers at the beginning. Not many yers needed to use it since the tutorial usually only took a few hours toplete. But, in his condition, he needed it.


    ''Status window.''


    [Ding.]


    ============


    ID: Elio (Level-2)


    Race: Human (Commoner)


    T-T (Physical stats)


    Strength: 1


    Agility: 1


    Endurance: 2


    T-T (System stats)


    Intelligence: 1


    Luck: 1


    Charm: 1


    T-T (Functional stats)


    Energy: 0/10


    Stamina: 1/10


    Fatigue: 9/10


    (Stat points: 15)


    {Skills: ¡ª .}


    [Titles: ¡ª .]


    ============


    He did not have any energy to function, and only food could fill that gauge once again. Fatigue will decrease with some more rest and his stamina will start recovering as soon as his condition gets back to normal.


    "Hmmm?"


    He noticed itte, but he was somehow (Level-2) now and there was an extra stat added to his endurance. He had done nothing noteworthy until now aside from getting beaten up and enduring pain, so it confused him.


    "What happened when I was out?"


    He called up the status window to see what had happened in the time he was unconscious. And it was here that he noticed the previous system messages.


    [Ding!]


    [You have experienced extreme impact for the first time! Rewarding Exp.]


    [You have experienced extreme trauma for the first time! Rewarding Exp.]


    [You have experienced the [Unconscious] state for the first time! Rewarding Exp.]


    [Ding!]


    [Level up!]


    [(Level-1) > (Level-2).]


    [You have recovered from physical and internal injuries for the first time. Rewarding Exp.]


    [For having a strong mind to endure the first extreme trauma and recovering safely, you have been rewarded.]


    [Endurance+1.]


    "Wow¡­ I get rewarded for getting beaten up as well?"


    This realistic game sure had its pros as well, hun?


    But just one stat point in a mental stat won''t really make any difference.


    He knew where he had to assign his stats after enduring that kind of experience.


    "Assign stat points."


    [Ding.]


    [You have used Free Stat Points.]


    [Ding.]


    [Strength:1 > 10.]


    [Endurance:2 > 8.]


    Agility surely affected both physical and mental characteristics, but in this ce, if he was going to deal with beings possessing that kind of strength, he needed the power to resist their physical attacks and endure the impact on time.


    Agility was not going to help him that much in this wend in the first ce.


    "Haaa¡­ now what?"


    He was done eating, and after a little more rest, by the time his second night arrived, he had finally recoveredpletely.


    "She''s going to be mad¡­"


    In <NO>, time moved three times faster than in the real world, which means a person can live three times longer in this space.


    Not many games of this era offered this time difference feature, but <NO> was the one that did it the best.


    And, though there was a y-time limit for the headgear users and those who y in the rental stores, those who had high-tech Chariots like them did not have to worry about the connection time out for three whole original days.


    They can live in this world for nine system days and still be in peak condition¡­ but, he knew she would kill him if he didn''te out for dinner, or for their regr training sessions, for that matter.


    "Let''s hope she understands¡­"


    This quest was important for him. So, now that he had recovered, was stronger, and had a clue about how to clear this quest without getting his hands bloody, he wanted to test out his theory once again.


    And for that, he needed to stay here¡­ in this exhrating, deadly world.

 Chapter 7: Subjugation

    Once again entering the shallow waters without any of his clothes, with his round wooden shield tied on his back, he looked out for the ungrateful slimes that seemed to have forgotten about his existence.


    He moved carefully, not disturbing the moss on theke surface.


    He now knew these creatures were attracted to the moss and nothing more, so he had already created a bowl-like container to gather as much of it as he could in the short intervals that he would getter, and after finding a right, safe ce, he was ready to test his theory.


    "Let''s hope this works."


    He did not want to kill these things, they deserved to live and to enjoy their freedom as much as him or the rest of the yers who enjoy this world.


    It was stupid to think that the creatures that yers kill on a regr basis had anything like a right to freedom or life.


    He himself knew that he would inevitably have to kill some beings in the future if he wanted to peacefully enjoy his time in this world with his crazy partner, but he at least did not want to do that with his own hands.


    He knew it was foolish¡­ but until the inevitable day came, he wanted to keep his hands clean.


    "Now."


    From what he had seen, these low intelligence creatures followed their basic instincts and went after food.


    They had no interest in anything else, not even a human like him.


    All they wanted was the fine green stuff that grew at the bottom of theke, a ce they could not reach for some reason.


    They were aquatic species themselves but they could only swim on the surface and not dive inside.


    That was what he had understood with his observations.


    And, he also knew that if they were naturally inclined to ignore anything that did not serve them their food, they would also be naturally attracted to something that gave them more food than what they naturally obtained after roaming around the waters.


    ''The first time it came here was when a lot of moss was gathered on the surface after I slipped.''


    And then many of them gathered when he picked out the moss from the ground himself.


    Now¡­ if they followed their natural instincts, what would happen when they realize he is someone that could give them more food than they might ever gather by themselves?


    "Come¡­"


    Taking a deep breath, he first got ready and gathered arge chunk of Moss from the water surface and filled his bowl.


    The slimes had already sensed the disturbance in the waters so they instinctively moved towards the disturbance at the same deadly speed that had previously knocked him out.


    But this time, he was ready.


    -Shrrrrr¡­!


    As soon as the slimes had reached a certain closeness to him, he threw a handful of moss away from him.


    -Shrrrrrr¡­!


    Some slimes followed the moss, but just likest time, there were some that could not stop and moved past his ''safety line''.


    When this happened, he either dodged them in a timely manner or used his shield to block them, endured the impact that was lessened thanks to his increased stats, and threw some more moss to chase them away.


    As he predicted, they did not know that there was a big bowl full of moss in his hands and only chased the thrown one that made contact with water.


    ''Good.''


    He repeated this process until the slimes had realized that he only threw the moss when they were a certain distance away from him.


    When they were outside of that range, there was no moss.


    And when they were too close or crashed into him, the moss that they received was too little and it was thrown too close to the others who were already having their portion.


    ''Now, if only one of you realizes it¡­''


    He repeated this process until the slimes had learned when they would get more moss and when they would have topete against the others for the little amounts.


    He made sure to constantly move, get out of the waters, take breaks, and rest enough in between.


    Staying too long in water was no good either, so he stayed in only when he needed to and when he was done with his ''training session'' he went out and dried himself with the fire that he had barely managed to light.


    Another day passed just like that, and though he was not hoping for it anytime soon, something interesting happened the next day¡­


    ''Yes.''


    A slime Stopped right before his safety line. And it did not follow the others who had run away at the moss that was thrown a distance away.


    ''Come.''


    The slime waited nkly for something to happen. And, surely, when all the others were away, Elio ced a bigger bunch of moss around him.


    He did not know what kind of thought process the slime might be having or if it was just instincts but, the slime did something he wanted. And it was rewarded for that.


    He made sure to cover himself with a shield to show the creature that it would not receive the moss if it ran at a high speed like he had done yesterday, and as to have understood his intentions, the slime moved slowly, reached the moss, and started eating the biggest portion without having to share it with anyone else.


    ''Cute.''


    It did its best to finish it before the others who had sensed another presence of this moss around him arrived here, but it was small and failed to finish the big portion by itself.


    -Shrrrrrrr¡­!


    -Dhum!


    The others came running faster than they had done previously, and this time, some of them crashed in his shield, throwing him far back into theke.


    "Phew."


    Thankfully, he managed to maintain his footing even in the slipperyke, and after the slimes followed him for more food, he repeated the process.


    ''Good!''


    He knew that he was close to achieving something.


    There was a unique feeling inside his heart indicating something unique, so he continued feeding them until all nine of the slimes were following his lead and stopping at the point he wanted them to.


    They all got their individual big portions of moss when they did what he wanted them to, they enjoyed it without fighting with one another, and by the end of the sixth day in this forest¡­ the nine slimes were following him like trained dogs.


    Doing exactly what he wanted them to.


    ''Holy macaroni¡­''


    And, by the nighttime on their sixth day, they had even learned not to harm the one that fed him the delicious water moss.


    [Ding!]


    "This actually worked, lol."


    [You have sessfully Tamed a (Level-6) Manawater slime.]


    [You have sessfully Tamed a (Level-4) Manawater slime.]


    [You have sessfully Tamed a (Level-4) Manawater slime.]


    [You have sessfully Tamed a (Level-3) Manawater slime.]


    [You have sessfully Tamed a (Level-5) Manawater slime.]


    [You have sessfully Tamed a (Level-4) Manawater slime.]


    [You have sessfully Tamed a (Level-5) Manawater slime.]


    [You have sessfully Tamed a (Level-5) Manawater slime.]


    [You have sessfully Tamed a (Level-3) Manawater slime.]


    [Ding!]


    [You have sessfully tamed a creature for the first time! Rewarding Exp.]


    [You have earned an achievement!]


    [Tutorial tamer (Rare) has been achieved!]


    [Achievement box will be added to the inventory.]


    [Ding!]


    [You have made your first achievement! Rewarding Exp.]


    [You have made an achievement during the tutorial, earning an achievement!]


    [Special Rookie (Common) has been achieved!]


    [Achievement box will be added to the inventory.]


    [Ding!]


    [You have subjugated nine creatures through taming.]


    [Subjugation target: 9/30.]


    [Ding!]


    [You have tamed more than one creature simultaneously. You will be rewarded.]


    [Intelligence+3.]


    [Charm+1.]


    [Level up!]


    [(Level-2) > (Level-6).]


    "Well, isn''t this great?"


    Two achievements and a jump of almost four levels. Four system stats, one point in the rare stat Charm, and even the solution to his predicament.


    His efforts these past few days surely paid off.


    And to top it off¡­


    "Bling."


    "Blong."


    "Bling."


    Now, He also had nine fellows that he can y around with until he finishes this rather difficult quest.

 Chapter 8: Explain

    -Ptsssssssss¡­


    -Sch-rick!


    [ytime: 50:04:17 Clock hours. 150:12:51 System hours.]


    [Wee back, second master. Master has been waiting for you.]


    The door of the chariot capsule opened and as soon as he looked outside, a Warm smile was greeting him.


    "Hello darling~. Did you have fun~."


    Alex was smiling at him warmly right outside of his game capsule.


    He knew he was going to get trashed after wasting her entire afternoon, and then not showing up to where she wanted him for six whole system days.


    He knew she must have been waiting in that town by herself, and also that she would be angry that he did not show up for so many days.


    He knew he was going to be scolded but the look she had right now was more of rage than anything positive.


    "Alex¡­ I can exin."


    "Ho? You can? What do you want to exin though? That you got too immersed in gaming that you stood up your girl for not a few hours but six fucking days?"


    She was still smiling warmly and the way she was talking so calmly right now sent shivers down his entire body.


    "I¡­ well, you see¡­ the thing is¡­"


    He wanted to exin to her why he couldn''t show up or what he was even doing in that situation.


    He wanted to exin himself, but she just kept looking at him with that Warm smile without saying anything for a solid five minutes.


    "¡­"


    "..."


    She wasn''t saying anything and she wasn''t doing anything either so the tension between them got so bad that he had no choice but to just make a move himself.


    "..."


    "I''m still stuck with my tutorial."


    He got out of the chariot while saying that, surprising her with his sudden words.


    "What do you mean you''re still stuck with the tutorial?"


    In this gaming room of theirs, there were a lot of expensive equipment and many of them cost a fortune.


    Some things here like the capsules that they used were one of a kind and were practically invaluable.


    He could not engage inbat in this ce. They had a dedicated room for conflict resolution so, without saying anything more, he just moved to that room first.


    "What do you mean you''re still stuck with the tutorial?!"


    As soon as they were in the special room created for physicalbat, she asked the same question again while jumping at him from behind.


    "As I said¡­"


    But he was already prepared for that, so he jumped up and performed a backflip beforending on her head with one foot and jumping once again.


    "I''m still doing the tutorial."


    It had been more than two days in the real world and six days in the game. It was more than enough time for anyone to finish even the difficult tutorial quests or even some of the scenario quests.


    "Did you receive some kind of special quest as well?" For a moment, she was happy thinking he got the rare quest that even she had not received at the start.


    She moved quickly, used a nearby stepping rod dug in the wall to jump up, and before her boyfriend could react, she aimed her slippers at his chin.


    -Dhum!


    "No. It was just a subjugation quest. To subjugate 30 creatures higher level than me."


    He blocked her attack with his forearm fortified with his other arm to absorb the impact.


    As he did that, he was in midair so it was a little difficult and he was thrown a few feet away from her due to the strong impact of her punch.


    "Ughh."


    She was strong. Way stronger than him physically¡­ but, he still survived against her every time.


    "The fuck are you doing then?! That''s practically one of the easiest things out there!"


    She was a veteran so, the moment she heard the quest was actually about subjugation, a switch flipped in her head and she moved even faster than him, closed their distance, and grabbed him by his cor when he tried running away.


    "What''s so difficult about killing a bunch of weak-ass things at bottom levels?! Your opponents wouldn''t be higher than (Level-10) anyway!"


    When he was in her hands, he knew his current position was one of the worst he had ever been in.


    -p!


    She had a strange habit of pping things¡­ and just as he knew, since he was already in her hands, she pped him before anything else.


    "Subjugation tutorials are so easy even the worst trash noobs clear it in three or so hours! 30 creatures isn''t even that many!"


    She first pped his face, and then she pped his head. Then, she yed brutally and punched his kidneys, and after that, realizing he was in pain already, she stopped, looked at his helpless face¡ª and almost got emotional when he did not y any tricks like he usually did.


    "Tell me honestly¡­"


    Removing her hands from his neck, she hugged him first, got emotional, did not feel sorry for what she did, but instead got worried that something unexpected might have happened to him.


    "Exin, please."


    He was smart and knew all about the creatures that might appear in the tutorial quests.


    She had told him all that he would need to know and as someone who had worked with countless content creators famous for their special content about this game, he had much more knowledge than some normal newbie.


    "Well¡­"


    She was worried that something so unexpected happened to him that- despite his wish to not kill anything with his own hands- he had faced something unavoidable.


    "How about we talk over dinner?"


    She was hugging him tightly¡­ so tightly that he was having difficulty breathing.


    Her slender hands did not justify her strength. Her entire body which looked more natural rather than muscr did not justify just how stupidly strong she was either.


    Even for him, it was sometimes difficult to deal with this one.


    So, he first made her release him, and then after reassuring her that he was fine and nothing too serious had happened with him, he grabbed her hands and led her to their dining hall.


    She was the one that made their meals and she had prepared another attractive feast for them tonight.


    She was lovely. Even with her littleplex characteristics.


    "So¡­"


    Sitting at their dining table beside one another, he told her everything that he had experienced in these past two days while enjoying her delicious cooking.


    And, contrary to his expectations, she really was surprised at the end of his story¡­

 Chapter 9: Rare situation

    "You managed to identify a slime after just looking at it for a few seconds?"


    "Yes."


    "And then a slime smashed your ass, made you bleed for the first time and then you passed out for a day?"


    "...yes."


    "You somehow survived that, made a n, and tamed those slimes to subjugate them? And earned two achievements in the process?"


    "That is correct."


    She looked at him as if she was looking at some stand upedian from the first row right after an inappropriate joke.


    "Damn¡­ aren''t you an amazing crazy bastard?"


    "I''m your amazing crazy bastard, if that means anything in this situation."


    Then she red at him for a second for his cringe reply, and rolled her eyes at him.


    "Shuddup."


    What he told her surely was not something she would hear from any ordinary yer ying a VR game for the first time in their life.


    It wasn''t even something she would hear from the experienced yers of the game that had already done many things and passed higher levels.


    "Ake with Mana, a strange forest, and ake that has (Jade Lotus) growing in them. Hmmm¡­ you sure are lucky that there are only slimes in that ce."


    From what she knew about the unique flowers that he had encountered in thatke, she knew that many dangerous creatures lived in the areas with that kind of herb.


    From high level snake monsters to even strong reptiles, araneae, and anthropoids. Waters with Mana attracted all kinds of creatures and basic slimes were only one of them.


    "Well¡­ there''s a forest there. And theke seems to be quite big so who knows what I might encounter if I try going away from-."


    "Don''t be stupid."


    The system ced him in that particr spot for a reason.


    She did not know why there were only slimes when there should be all kinds of creatures in those waters, but the slimes were much better than any other kind of creatures if he wanted to get past his tutorial without killing anything like he wanted.


    "Just stay there, attract the slimes with the slimes that you have tamed, ask them to go around and see if there is anything dangerous out there, and even though you can''tmunicate with them directly, now that they are your tamed creatures, you should understand a few things that they want to share.


    From the sound of it, these slimes are pretty smart so use them and just stay where you are."


    She was worried that he would get killed the moment he tried going away from that ce.


    It was neither safe nor logical. So, as she finished her dinner, she red at him once more to see if he understood what she was saying.


    "I''m not messing around here. If you die and lose this chance, your achievements might get revoked as well."


    "But isn''t that unlike-."


    "I just told you to shut up, did I not?"


    Achievements were a special recognition feature of NO.


    The system evaluated various actions and the way they were performed in order to reward the yers.


    Every one of the achievements were unique and special and just having one achievement by the time you reach level-10 was considered a big thing.


    yers who have an achievement in their tutorials are called star yers with great potential and all the guilds around the many countries keep their eyes on all these possible star yers.


    "Right. What level are you anyway?"


    Achievements awarded achievement boxes. And these achievement boxes were one of the most valuable things for the yers as well as the natives of that world.


    It was said that the achievements are in fact a way the ''gods'' of that world recognize some certain actions of the individuals.


    Though, it was not proven just yet.


    "I''m (Level-6)? Well, looks like I will reach (Level-10) by the end of the tutorial-."


    "Phuuuuuuuuu! What?!"


    She was having water, but she ended up spitting nearly all of it on his face.


    "You''re (Level-6) after taming merely nine slimes?! What the hell were you actually doing! Tell me everything again!"


    ording to her veteran knowledge, even the people who yed hunting tutorials of the highest difficulty and had to hunt hundreds of creatures only reached (Level-6) after defeating tens of creatures.


    The Exp requirement for each level increase increased significantly after each level so mathematically, one needed to kill a hundred and fifty slimes of (Level-3) to (Level-6) or a hundred goblins with average (Level-5) or fifty creatures of average level of (Level-6) to reach (Level-6) themselves.


    It wasn''t easy to level up in this game so even the talented yers needed a week of real world time to reach (Level-10). Hardly anyone reached (Level-10) in their tutorials¡­


    But he was saying he casually reached that level after only getting beaten up ying with some little blobs?


    Surely, there was something wrong here.


    "...what the hell?"


    Heplied with her orders until now since he was the one in the wrong. But that was not the case anymore.


    They were done talking about why he waste and now they were talking about the levels.


    "How dare you, you little¡­"


    He first cleaned his face with a blue handkerchief and looked at her with an angry look.


    "What are you doing!" He then shouted at her, catching her off guard.


    "Sit down."


    Then he ordered her to sit back down, and with a still stunned expression, she did as she was told.


    "What''s so surprising about reaching (Level-6)? It''s nothing that surprising anyway."


    He looked at her with that angry gaze but, instead of saying anything, she just looked back at him with a nk expression.


    Her face was blushing for some reason, but as she continued looking at his unhappy look, she got back to her senses and shook her stupid look.


    "Ahem."


    With a fake cough, she got back to her serious self and exined to him how it was rare for someone to reach that kind of level after just a few days of ytime that did not involve any kind of killing.


    He had only worked with famous creators until now so he did not know the things thatmon low level yers or those who are just starting this game go through, so she told him things that were new to him.


    "It''s not easy for people to identify something, it''s even rare to have a tutorial in that kind of rare ce.


    Plus if you were to kill those slimes the moment you discovered them, the chances are greater that you would have died from their defensive attacks.


    And even if you were to seed in killing them, the chances of getting Exp to reach that kind of level would be near impossible."


    Regardless of their kind or levels, slimes that live on the water surface and eat moss must be lower grade creatures with nothing special about them.


    And, even after adding all the experience points that he received for the other things, taming creatures did not give that kind of Exp.


    At least, taming simple slimes with the help of someke moss should not give that much Exp.


    "Well, it could just mean that I''m special, right?"


    He looked at her with a smirk on his face. One that annoyed her beyond help.


    "Of course you''re special! Aren''t you the protagonist destined to be the hero that saves the world?!" She shouted, and was just about to flip their dining table, when she realized it was a costly piece.


    And clenched her fists.


    "Damn bastard!" She had put a great ton of time and effort into this game even though she was so smart and was called a genius.


    She never had things this easy, she had to struggle to cross every level and gather enough Exp to level up at those lower as well as higher levels¡­ and here he was, saying stuff he was special and shit.


    "Bastard¡­"


    She stomped out of the dining room and went straight to their bedroom.


    "Haaa¡­"


    He knew now that she was like this, his entire night will be spent consoling her¨C or fighting with her.


    "Fudge."


    He knew how sensitive she was when it came to things rted to this game and yet he yed that prank¡­


    He mmed his foot on the ax himself this time.


    And it was going to cost him a happy, peaceful night''s rest.


    As well as some cuddling.

 Chapter 10: Tamed creatures

    [Ding.]


    [Ding.]


    [Ding.]


    A few status windows popped up before him right when he logged back in the next day.


    ''Haaa¡­''


    Not only did his mistake yesterday cost him a good night''s rest, she also did not make any breakfast for him and he had to order in.


    "Even the best restaurants in the city are no match for her cooking."


    He was the more artistic one and cooking was an art, and yet, she was somehow so good with it that he still could not understand how the hell she puts all those vors in those simple things.


    "Haaa¡­"


    She was mad at him for now, but that was a regr urrence.


    He knew she would get back to her normal self after a few days. And actually, now that she was upset, he knew she wouldn''t disturb him while he was ying this game.


    "Bling."


    "Blong."


    -Ssh. Ssh. Ssh.


    "Hello guys."


    The moment he came back to his tutorial area in the same forest, before the sameke, and on the same ground from where he had left, he was greeted by his newpanions that seemed to have been waiting for him in the waters of theke shore.


    "Did you all wait for me?"


    He removed his clothes and put them in his inventory as he entered theke waters.


    Then he counted them one by one and called them by a name he had given them during their training.


    "Az, Bobo, Can, Do, Em, Fi, Gg, Hu, I¡­ Looks like everyone is still alive and well."


    All nine of them were here. And yet, when he did the headcount, he found not nine but twelve slimes present around him.


    "Hmm? Why are there more of them? Did they have babies in the time I was gone?"


    That could not have been the case since he knew even creatures with fast reproductive rates like Slimes did not grow as big as their parents in a few days.


    He was confused for a moment, but then he realized that he had received a few messages from the system when he logged in and called them up.


    [Ding.]


    [Tamed Manawater slime has subjugated a (Level-3) Manawater slime.]


    [Tamed Manawater slimes have subjugated a (Level-7) Manawater Poisonous Bug.]


    [You have received a portion of Exp as the tamer.]


    [Tamed Manawater slime has dominated a (Level-3) Manawater slime.]


    [Tamed Manawater slime has dominated a (Level-2) Manawater slime.]


    [Tamed Manawater slime has dominated a (Level-2) Manawater slime.]


    [You have received a portion of Exp as the tamer.]


    [Ding.]


    [Your Tamed creatures have formed a (Family).]


    [Your Tamed creatures have dominated creatures of the same kind and added them to the (Family).]


    [As the tamer, all Exp obtained from the (Family) under yourmand will be increased slightly.]


    [As the tamer, you will receive extra Exp from creatures that were added to the (Family) by a creature you had tamed previously.]


    [Ding!]


    [Level up!]


    [(Level-6) > (Level-7).]


    [Subjugation target: 11/30.]


    "..."


    In <NO> the concept of sses was surely a thing.


    There were sword users, there were mages, there were people who did misceneous things, and there were people who just explored the world.


    The natives of this world referred to the yers as [Foreigners]. People who were cursed to revive upon their deaths.


    Just like every other game, they had an <Adventurer''s association> but it was only one of the many associations that the yers could join.


    Basically, these associations offered a path to the yers just like it did to every other native.


    "You guys formed a family on your own when I was out?"


    If someone wanted to pursue the path of sword, there was a knight''s association. If someone wanted to practice magic, there was the mage''s tower.


    If someone wanted to explore the world without having to get ess permissions from the other nations every time, they joined the adventurer''s association.


    There were no restrictions to what association one could join or how many they could be part of at one time, however, after bing part of these ces, many services that only these ces could offer became avable to them.


    one of the important aspects of this world, was only possible after one became part of these associations¨C or somehow found a native that could teach them directly.


    But finding independent natives like them was near impossible, so yers opted for the associations.


    "Bling!"


    "Blong!"


    <Taming> was one of the rare professions, but not as rare as <Summoners> or <Researchers> who also dealt with the creatures of this world.


    "Wow~. Aren''t you bunch amazing?"


    Much like in the real world, there were many creatures in this world that could be tamed through various means.


    Those who tamed the creatures, the beasts, the monsters, or even the ''ves'' were called Tamers.


    "Bling!"


    "Bling!"


    He was feeding them more moss now that he was here.


    But, just like before, he was giving them their own portions individually.


    "Bing?"


    The three new slimes had no idea what the rest of them were doing or what this strange being was. But they knew instinctively that if the others weren''t harming him, then it meant he was not to be harmed.


    "..."


    Seeing so much moss stunned them and they wanted to jump at the big portions, but they did not dare do that when the rest of them were eating it.


    They were new to this system and did not know much about it, but after a few hours of teaching and support from his already tamed slimes, the three new ones had also learned how to react to his clues.


    "Can you show me the poison bug you all killed?"


    "Bling!''


    "Blong!"


    They were jumping on the water surface which produced a funny sound.


    And, if one listened closely, these sounds were distinct from one another. Something that almost acted like their voice.


    "It isn''t far, right?"


    "Blong!"


    Through the previous messages, he had learned that the creatures that they killed were counted as his subjugations as well. However, the creatures that they dominated were not counted as the creatures that he subjugated.


    It simply meant that he could use their help in the subjugation process and finish this quest a little more easily. Which made things pretty easy for him.


    There was apparently no time limit to this tutorial, which was rare. However, even if he could stay here for a little more, he had to get out of here and reach the starter town where she had been waiting for him.


    He had obtained good enough subordinates for now which will help him clear this quest. So he had to hurry and prepare to leave now.


    -Shrrrrrr¡­!


    "Hey, hey. Slow down! I can''t swim like you all!"


    Through the notifications earlier and from the warnings of his girlfriend, he knew the slimes weren''t the only creatures in this mana filledke.


    There were many more.


    "Wow. That''s a big bug, alright."


    And unlike the adorable, harmless slimes, these other kinds of creatures were just as dangerous as one might expect to find in a deep forest area like this one.


    "Yak."


    And surely, neither their alive bodies nor their dead selves were something one might want to look at for long¡­

 Chapter 11: Finishing the tutorial

    "Hmmm¡­"


    They made a mess out of the creature so even he could not make heads or tails out of what was left of its body.


    "It should have been around one meter in length and seeing the wings, it should have been simr to a grasshopper by design, but like a big goose by size."


    The system called it a poisonous bug, but that should be just what the system calls creatures like these.


    There should be something else yers and natives call them, but he won''t know about it anytime soon.


    "Seeing the jaw structure, it seems like they are carnivorous."


    At this moment, a little further away in theke but not too deep that the shore would be invisible, he was looking down at the butchered body of a dead poisonous bug.


    "There should still be some poison left in its poison nds so let''s take it along."


    Unlike usual games, creatures did not disappear after getting killed in <NO>.


    They also did not drop any items either, since their entire body was left after being killed.


    Though, in very rare cases, some creatures left behind a [Spirit orb]. Something that contained a power that the creatures possessed.


    Sessfully absorbing these special orbs granted one a {Skill} of that creature. However, those things were pretty rare in this game.


    "Hmmm. Should I have the other things as well? Do you eat anything other than that moss?"


    He was asking his slime friends, and the slimes instinctively understood what he was asking as well so as if to say ''no'' they stayed still in their ce.


    As he had observed, when they agreed with something he was saying or wanted to answer positively, they would start jumping.


    When they wanted to say something mundane, they would move their bodies in a certain way¡­ though he yet did not know what they all wanted to tell him with those movements.


    "You don''t? Well, looks like you have adapted to that moss for some reason."


    Well, that was fine.


    If they did not want this creature that they had hunted themselves, he did not mind having it all for himself.


    "Though, where will I put these things now?"


    He got what he wanted and moved back to his camp.


    The creatures did note out of the water even now, so he had confirmed that they were only limited to the water surface.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    His inventory was already filled with those Jade Lotus and some other things that he found catchy.


    The inventory space that one receives at the start was limited and he will have to reach the town before he could upgrade his inventory.


    "Well, let''s leave them here for now."


    He had selected all the things in his inventory after careful consideration and he had also talked about them with Alex so he knew it was better to have them than some byproducts of a creature.


    It surely wasn''t like this was some very special bug that could only be found in thiske, so there was no need to pay too much attention to the things rted to this.


    "Anyway, do you all know if there are more creatures out there? Can you lure them here?"


    "Bling!"


    "Blong."


    "Bling!"


    Some of them jumped enthusiastically while some did not show any special reaction to his question.


    "So Az, Can and I know what I am saying? Can you three bring some creatures, preferably weaker than that bug here?"


    "Bling!"


    "Bliing!"


    "Blingg!"


    They jumped again, as if replying to him positively.


    "Alright then, let''s do something like this¡­"


    He knew what he had to do now that he was done with nearly everything he wanted here. So he exined to the slimes what he wanted them to do¡­ interracialmunication wasn''t possible normally unless both beings knew amonnguage, and when it came to creatures, things were even more difficult.


    Few creatures were smart enough to understand what someone was saying. Even fewer could respond back to the speaker in some way.


    Even the tamed beasts weren''t any different from the normal creatures of their kind. They were merely trained by someone to follow certain instructions and give certain responses to those instructions.


    It was simple ssical conditioning, pairing of a stimnt with a random action.


    Slimes did not get smarter or be special after being tamed. They were still the same slimes, however, the tamed ones recognised the tamer and knew what kind of actions would earn them a snack from their tamers.


    "Alright go."


    "Bling!"


    "Blingg!"


    -Shrrrrr¡­!


    The three ran away deep in theke waters while Elio and the rest of thepany prepared for their return.


    This time, he was wearing clothes.


    The shield was still in his hands, but he had climbed the tree and was now on a tree branch, watching the slimes that were still on the shore waters.


    They all waited for a while, and thankfully, they did not have to wait for too long.


    -Shrrrrrr¡­!


    After only a few minutes of going away, the three slimes were back.


    -Splush! Splush! Splush!


    And right behind them were three creatures that, once again, did not look like anything one would want to look at.


    "What is that thing now?"


    Possessing legs resembling a frog''s while a body that resembled a fish''s, the creature that they had brought back with them was one of the most disproportionate things he had ever seen.


    "Damn¡­"


    There was a strange uniqueness to this creature.


    Something he had not seen before and perhaps also something he might not have ever even imagined the existence of if he had not seen one like this.


    [Ding.]


    ============


    [Brown tree Brass]: (Level:30)


    ============


    "...wait, what?"


    He stared at them a little too much so he ended up Identifying the creature. And when he did, he knew this thing was not something he was supposed to mess with.


    "Abort! Abort! Go away! Hide, damn it!"


    He could clearly tell they had somehow lured these creatures here after messing with them.


    From the looks of it, the fish-frogs weren''t happy right now and the way they were chasing the slimes did not seem good either.


    There were two of them and both of them were (Level-30).


    They most certainly weren''t something he was supposed to mess with at his level even though they were only as big as a big dog.


    Who knew what kind of abilities these creatures had¡­ and he had no intention of finding it out for himself either.


    "Alex was right." He sighed as he threw some moss in the distance as a signal for the slimes to hide in the locations they had decided previously.


    The slimes thankfully reacted to his signal and hid away in time, and even though the fish-frogs were angry, after a moment of stomping their feet and messing up with water, they went back to where they hade from without causing any big scene.


    "Looks like I''ll have to show them what ''weak'' means for this to work."


    These innocent creatures did not understand what he meant when he asked them to lure weak creatures here.


    ''They perhaps brought the strongest ones they could find.''


    It''s absurd how things like them live so close to this ce.


    ''It''s not safe to stretch things for long¡­''


    He knew he had to end things now. So, as soon as he confirmed that the frog-fish had gone from his higher position, he came down and gathered his slimes once again.


    He was going to make sure they knew what weak meant this time so that they don''t make a dangerous mistake like this one again.


    It was dangerous this time.


    Who knows if he will live if something simr happens again.

 Chapter 12: Departure

    The diversity of creatures around thiske was much greater than what he had expected.


    ============


    [Green grass slime]: (Level-6)


    [Starfish lizard]: (Level-7)


    [Lightning Axolotl]: (Level-7)


    [Softshell pointhorn]: (Level-8)


    [Moss slimes]: (Level-9)


    [Yellow beaked Mall]: (Level-9)


    ============


    Some creatures that the slimes lured in were big and much weaker than how big or dangerous they appeared, while some creatures were small and yet so strong that the slimes had a tough time dealing with those enemies.


    They were blobs that lived on the water surface who happened to be very fast swimmers, so the main attack they used to deal with the enemies was a swift tackle directly to their bodies.


    They did not have fancy skills like the creatures that they had brought back with them did, so with their limitedbat abilities, it would have been difficult for them to deal with these creatures.


    Thankfully, they were not alone.


    "Good job, Bobo! Now! To the back!"


    They had the support of a tamer who knew great tactics and had experience dealing with variousbat formations, with various attack and defensive strategies, as well as a good eye to keep track of all the situations on the ground.


    "Az! Now!"


    -Shrrrrrrrr¡­!


    -Dang!


    "Strrrrrrr!"


    They were facing a (Level-10) creature that resembled a bird, but at the same time, instead of having wings, tail, or a beak, the bird-like creature had gills, scales, and a fish''s body.


    Surely the legs it had and the physique it possessed all resembled that of a bird, but this creature was in fact something in between an aquatic and ground life form.


    It''s name was [Mud Heron] but it did not have any resemnce to either a mudfish or a Heron.


    It was among the creatures that could not be tamed with simple means either, and they were dangerous creatures that attacked him the moment they perceived him.


    "Rush!"


    -Shrrrrrrrrrr!


    -Bang!


    -Dhum!


    -Shrrrr¡­


    He was fighting alongside them in the waters, supporting them with a shield, blocking the blunt attacks when he could while leaving the rest of the work to his slime friends.


    "Strrrrrrr¡­!"


    They somehow managed to flip the fish-bird and with their coordinated attacks and when they managed to turn the creature upside down, with strong shing attacks of the slimes that once made him vomit blood, they finished off the creature after a twenty four minute long battle.


    "Phew¡­"


    It was the longest fight they have had in the past three days. And this one was the strongest opponent they had fought as well.


    "Bling!"


    "Bliing!"


    "Blongg!"


    The slimes were happy to take down the strong opponent while he was happy to see the cheerful nature of his teammates.


    "You all worked hard."


    [Ding!]


    [Level up!]


    [(Level-9) > (Level-10).]


    [Subjugation target: 30/30.]


    [Ding!]


    [You havepleted the tutorial objective.]


    [Evaluating results¡­]


    "And with this, it looks like we will have to part ways now."


    Ever since he first met these creatures, he had realized one important thing.


    "Bling!"


    "Bliing."


    "Blong¡­"


    Even though they were smart creatures and had learned faster than most of the other beasts would have, they were still at the end of the day, creatures of these special waters.


    They were no simple slime creatures.


    They were special, could only live on this special water surface infused with Mana, and most important of them all, they could not live on the ground.


    "I will have to go now, you see. And even though I would love for you all to join me, you cannot live with me."


    It wasn''t possible for one to ce alive creatures in the inventories.


    Tamed beasts were also different from summonable beasts as they were creatures that one tames¨C creatures that are with someone existing on the same in of existence as them.


    "Bling¡­"


    "Blong!"


    "Bliing¡­"


    They were his tamed beasts so he will have the option to take them all with him, surely.


    The system was not cruel enough to separate a [Family] from its master.


    ''But the system would also never jeopardize the lives of any of the beings of this world without any reason.''


    It wasplex and logical. But at the same time, unlike most games, the [Laws] that this world operated on made the [System] a unique entity that followed the collective will of this world.


    There were deep moral orders, values, and higher logical units that kept the work functioning even with the ''eternal change'' that followed all premises.


    All beings had an inherent right to live. And, he was not going to risk the lives of the first family he had made in this game by taking them all with him to a ce that would not be proper for their survival.


    He had braced himself to leave them.


    "Bling! Bling! Bling!"


    "You want toe along?"


    But there was one slime among the fifteen that were now a part of his ''Slime Family'' that was jumping angrily as if protesting against his words.


    "Bling! Bling! Bling!"


    It was jumping on the water surface again, as if answering positively to his question.


    But Elio''s only response to this positive answer was a bitter smile.


    "Az¡­ you cannote with me, dear."


    He recognised this simple transparent blob as the one that had made him throw up blood, the one that was also the very first one to understand his intentions during their training, as well as one that was perhaps even more special than the rest of itspanions.


    "Bling! Bling! Bling!"


    The slime that had once hurt him was now protesting against him. ''Shouting'' to take it along with him.


    "Look here, Az."


    He hade out of the water to prepare to wrap things up as the system evaluated the results. But seeing the protest of the slime, he entered back into the water and gently held the protesting slime with both his hands.


    "The rest of them understand what I''m saying. They know their natural limitations.


    These waters are your home. I don''t even know if you will get any ce simr to this one if youe with me.


    You cannot live out of these waters. Just look at this¡­"


    He tried cing the slime on to the ground¨C however, the slime''s body naturally rejected the touch of the ground and it instinctively jumped back onto the waters.


    "See? You cannot even live outside the water. What will you do if youe with me? I don''t want you to suffer because of me¡­"


    He had been with them for more than half a month now, and unlike his own expectations, he had now be too attached to these innocent creatures.


    [Evaluationplete.]


    [Rewards will be given after one exits the tutorial area.]


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    A spiraling blue portal with nothing visible beyond it opened up before him.


    "Looks like it''s time for me to go."


    He looked at hispanions with a onest look of affection and, picking up the bowl containing thest bit of Moss he had gathered today, he threw it as far away from him as he could with all his strength.


    "If fate allows it¡­ let''s meet again, everyone."


    They were his first family, and they were going to retain what he had taught them in their short time together.


    "It was a little painful at times, not easy at all, certainly exciting, and a lot more fun than I had expected before starting this game."


    Some of the slimes¨C the ones that were dominated by the nine that he had tamed himself, following their instincts, ran to where he had thrown the moss first.


    The nine did not stop them, there was no reason to since they also wanted to go there and enjoy the moss like them.


    But they stayed behind and looked at him, as well as the portal behind him¡­


    "I had fun. A lot of fun."


    With ast smile, he ced his worn out wooden shield on one side, put out the fire that had been burning for a few days now, and put on his worn out, slightly burned clothes.


    "See you again, little ones."


    Looking around theke, at the trees around him, at the cleanke water, at the familiar beach that had been his house these past few days, and the creatures that had be his Family¡­


    "Haaaa."


    He sighed.


    And then he turned around, facing the portal leading to a different ce that he knew might not be as pretty as this one.


    ''What starter city did she ask me to choose again? Was it golden leaf, silver snow?''


    He had finished his tutorial.


    And now, it was time to step into the real vast world beyond this serene green foliage.

 Chapter 13: Evolution

    -Oooooooooooooooong!


    He was about to step inside the portal, but he suddenly stopped and looked back with a surprised expression.


    "Bling! Bling!"


    Az, his rebellious slime, was jumping on the water once again.


    "Bling!"


    It was trying to jump out on the ground on its own, trying to be on the ground that it innately rejected.


    "Bling! Bling!"


    It was trying to go against its primal instincts and do something it naturally should not, doing something a creature of nature would not do naturally.


    "Bling!"


    "You should stop now, Az."


    It was struggling.


    He could feel the kind of distress it was going through to deny its natural instincts.


    "Bling!"


    It was a creature of nature and there were some rules that this nature had imposed on the beings of this nature.


    These Manawater slimes were very good at swimming on these shallow waters.


    They were the fastest among all the creatures he had seen until now.


    They did not have any special skills like the other creatures did. Nature did not give them the ability to be on the ground or go under water.


    They did not have the poison like some of the bugs here did and they did not have the ability to climb trees like some fishes were capable of.


    All they had was their ability to swim fast¨C so fast that a hundred miles per hour was nothing to them.


    Of course though, these small creatures could not maintain that speed for too long.


    They had limited energy, but they had adapted to use the speed they had in crucial times.


    They were creatures of these waters'' surface. And they belonged here.


    "It''s fine, Az. You will be happier here."


    But the little rebellious slime did not ept that fact.


    "Bling! Bling!"


    It was not listening to him.


    "Bling!"


    It waited for a moment, and tried again. But its body bounced back inside the water as soon as it touched the ground.


    It tried again, and failed.


    But it did not give up.


    It tried again, and again, and again.


    And still, it failed.


    "Just stop, Az."


    He turned back and faced the creature struggling like a mad artist trying to deny their own nature.


    "You will be happier here, with your people. Don''t you want that? Isn''t this ce more fun than that unknown world beyond this portal?"


    He couldn''t understand what was going on with this creature or why it was doing it.


    However, he at least understood what this little creature wished.


    "Bling! Bling! ¡­bling!"


    Elio could not understand what this little creature was saying, but he understood what it wanted to express.


    "If you want toe along, you have until the sun sets. After that, even I don''t know if I will be able to stay here."


    This unique creature wanted toe with him not because it liked him or because he had taught him.


    The only reason it wanted to deny its nature was because it wanted it.


    "Try again. Come on."


    He sat down right before the portal and looked at the creatures he had trained with his own hands.


    "Bling¡­"


    And the slime who understood his intentions tried again.


    "Bling¡­"


    Of course, it could not stay on the ground for more than a few seconds. But, it did not stop.


    The other eight looked at this one''s foolish attempts.


    They first ridiculed him and did not understand why it was even doing it. But after a few minutes passed, after an hour passed, something was sparked inside them as well.


    "Bliing!"


    "Blingg!"


    "Blong."


    They could not bring themselves to try what this one was doing, but at least, it seemed like they were cheering it on.


    "Bling¡­"


    They supported it with their cheers, they shared a portion of their own energy with it so that it could keep going, and some of them brought it some moss so that it could continue what it was doing.


    "Bling!"


    But the rebellious slime rejected the moss as well and continued trying¡­


    "It is almost sun down, Az."


    But it could not do it even until the lighting from beyond the nket of leaves above them had turned golden.


    "It was an honor knowing you."


    He got up, and signed with a disheartened expression.


    It was time for him to depart.


    "Bling!"


    Which, for the slime, indicated itsst chance.


    "Bling¡­"


    Stopping for a moment and bing stillpletely¡­ as if to gather all its will, the slime waited for a moment.


    "Bling!"


    -Ssh.


    And then, it jumped out of the water.


    "..."


    It endured its urge to go back to the water, denied the touch of water, denied the Mana that was the strongest on the surface of that water, and tried epting the Mana that was in the atmosphere instead.


    "You can do it."


    He sensed something from thisst attempt, and waited for onest time.


    "..."


    He watched the struggling slime, and even though the portal behind him seemed to be fading away slowly, he continued watching the struggling slime instead of worrying about the portal.


    -Ooooooooooooooong.


    And, his wait bore fruits in the hours of hisst twilight in this forest.


    "..."


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    The transparent slime that had been merely a blob of mucus was now glowing with various magical colors.


    [Ding!]


    He could tell something was happening, though he did not know what exactly it was.


    So, the system exined it to him.


    [A Manawater slime belonging to your [Family] is evolving!]


    Within this nature, evolution was a continuous process that went on perpetually.


    All creatures within this nature except a few unique ones were subjected to evolution, though it was a timely process and did not happen spontaneously in normal cases.


    It happened naturally over generations where the creatures adapted to their environments to increase the survivability of their kind.


    [Evolution] was a perpetual and natural process¨C but in rare cases like this one, it was also spontaneous and irregr.


    [A Manawater slime belonging to your [Family] has sessfully evolved into a Mana slime!]


    "Mu!"


    The small blob that had been only the size of a volleyball had now grown asrge as a basketball.


    It''s surface had now be more white but it was still translucent.


    There was a unique shine to the surface of its body, and though he could not sense Mana, he could tell there was something different about this one.


    "You did it."


    Rules are meant to be broken¡­ Az proved that today.


    [Ding!]


    [One of your tamed creatures has evolved into a greater lifeform!]


    [New achievements have been detected!]


    [Tutorial results will be re-evaluated!]


    "Muu!"


    The now grown slime jumped up on the ground excitedly and reached its master.


    And then it stopped right before him.


    "You''re not going to crash into me like the first time?"


    It had just evolved so it must have grown a lot as well¡­ he knew how strong the evolved species were so he was expecting to receive another injury this time.


    However, the creature stopped right before him as if it knew what would happen to its master if it acted rashly.


    "Aren''t you a smart one?"


    His heart had suddenly be warm after seeing this.


    There were tears at the end of his eyes, but he just smiled at the little creature and picked it up just as gently as he had done when it was still a being of these waters.


    "Thanks to you, I won''t be lonely for a while."


    "Muu!"


    Now that it had evolved, it somehow was able to produce a unique kind of voice that he somewhat understood better than their jumping on water.


    "Alright then¡­"


    Now, it was truly time for them to depart.


    "See ya, everyone."


    He was leaving his first family behind, and he certainly did not know if he would ever get the chance to see them again.


    But he was not going to forget these little creatures wherever he goes.


    "Bliing!"


    "Blingg!"


    "Blong!"


    They said their final goodbye.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    And holding the rebellious one who ended up bing thepanion for his future journey, he entered the spiral portal that first asked him which starter town he wanted to go to, and then transported him to a nk space before the start of his true journey¡­


    [Ding.]


    He had worked hard these past few days.


    And he was bound to be rewarded for all the things that he had done until now.

 Chapter 14: Tutorial rewards

    "Now where''s this ce?"


    Just like his Metabody creation space, he was now in a darkce that did not have any up or down, forward or backward.


    It was aplete nk space, and he was once again floating.


    "Muu?"


    The only difference here was the slime that he was still holding.


    "Do you know what''s going on, Az?"


    "Muu?"


    It seemed like the slime had no idea what was going on either.


    [Ding.]


    Well, the system was thankfully here to answer his questions.


    [Sir Elio haspleted their tutorial.]


    [Tutorial rewards for all the achievements and evaluated actions will now be distributed.]


    "So, this is the reward space? Wasn''t the reward merely a tutorial exclusive reward box? Or is there something more?"


    He was confused for a moment, but then he just shook his head.


    Things did not make that much sense in games anyway.


    "It would have been nicer if things were a little brighter."


    [Ding!]


    -Ooooooooooong!


    As soon as he said that, lights suddenly appeared all across him out of thin air, and he was momentarily blinded by all the lights.


    "The hell?"


    First, things were too dark, and after he asked for them to be brighter, they became too bright.


    "Can''t you make them a little dimmer? This is too much. Just keep three of the lights and remove the rest."


    [Ding!]


    -Oooooooooooooong!


    It seemed like the system made random ces for this unique reward distribution.


    He didn''t know why this was happening, but he did not mind it.


    It was unique, and he liked it.


    [Ding.]


    [For using your tamed creatures effectively to fight against creatures higher level than you and defeating them, you will be rewarded.]


    [Intelligence+6.]


    [Charm+2.]


    [Luck+1]


    [Ding.]


    [For teachingbat techniques to Manawater slimes and ways to gather food for themselves, you will be rewarded.]


    [You have earned an achievement.]


    [Combat teacher (Common) has been achieved!]


    [Ding.]


    [As a reward for encouraging your tamed creature''s evolution, you will be awarded.]


    [You have earned an achievement.]


    [Caring master (Rare) has been achieved!]


    [Ding!]


    [Total Experience point umtion has beenpleted.]


    [Level up!]


    [(Level-10) > (Level-13).]


    [Ding!]


    [For not killing any creatures during the tutorial yourself and creating a family consisting of multiple members with one evolved creature, a title will be awarded.]


    "Wait, what?"


    [Title <Merciful tamer> has been awarded.]


    ============


    <Merciful tamer>


    Effect 1: Increased familiarity with tamable beasts.


    Effect 2: Tamed creatures and friendly species will be attracted to you.


    Effect 3: The title will grow with the user.


    ============


    "Wait¡­ what the heck?"


    [Ding!]


    [You have earned your first title! Exp will be awarded.]


    [Ding!]


    [You have earned a title during the tutorial, earning an achievement!]


    [Titled special rookie (Rare) has been achieved!]


    [All achievement reward boxes will be added to inventory.]


    "..."


    He was stunned.


    And speechless as well.


    For a moment, he thought he was seeing things wrongly so he called out his status window as he tightened his grip around the cool blob in his arms.


    [Ding.]


    ============


    ID: Elio (Level-13)


    Race: Human (Commoner)


    T-T (Physical stats)


    Strength: 15


    Agility: 7


    Endurance: 14


    T-T (System stats)


    Intelligence: 10


    Luck: 2


    Charm: 4


    T-T (Functional stats)


    Energy: 20/20


    Stamina: 20/20


    Fatigue: 0/20


    (Stat points: 12)


    {Skills: ¡ª .}


    [Titles: <Merciful tamer>.]


    ============


    "It''s true¡­"


    He looked at the new status window and thought about his time in that tutorial space for a moment.


    He knew that ce surely existed somewhere in this world, and there should also be a way to get to that ce.


    "We shouldn''t leave the rest of them alone for long, right?"


    "Muu? Muuu. Muu!"


    The slime, Az, was happy to hear that. It also wanted to meet the rest of its friends again.


    "We will search for it with Alex''s help then."


    "Muu?"


    He had not told the little creature about his partner since he wanted them to meet first directly.


    And now that he had received the rewards for his tutorial as well, he was ready to move on to his starter town.


    "Haaa¡­"


    The rewards were quite surprising to him.


    One simple tutorial, three rare achievements, twomon achievements, one title, and a specialpanion. This tutorial surely gave him a lot more than whatmon yers usually get.


    [Final tutorial evaluation has been graded.]


    [You have received: Grade <S> evaluation.]


    [Tutorial reward box of Grade <S> will be added to your inventory.]


    "I''m in the top 1% of the luckiest people to receive this grade, it seems."


    He still did notpare to the second ranked yer in the unified rankings who became a <Dragonyer> in his tutorial and received an abnormal <EX> tutorial evaluation grade.


    That person was considered the Luckiest yer of this game, as well as one of the luckiest in the world.


    [Otherworlder privileges will now be unlocked.]


    He had received all his rewards now, so his vision faded once again and along with some system noises, he experienced space-time transportation once again.


    [Feature: Friendzone, will be activated.]


    [Feature: Forum, will be activated.]


    [Feature: Otherworld market, will be activated.]


    His transportation this time was not that difficult. In fact, it was pretty smooth and finished in the blink of an eye.


    "How are you doing~."


    "Hey! Did you see that program yesterday!"


    "I heard the Terror of the hunting ground is still around. Is that true?"


    "The PKs are increasing these days¡­ and so are the prices of good food items."


    "I''ve heard there''s a new seller in town? A friend of mine working with the knight order saw the captain cing a big order and being awfully polite with them."


    Every starter town or major city of this world had a certain za where the people who traveled through the system''s Space-time passages ended up in.


    Be it the yers who revive after dying, yers using transportation scrolls and items, yers using the big city''s services, or the yers starting their journey after the tutorial¡­ all of them ended up in the main zas of these towns and cities.


    "Moongold town¡­"


    There were famous starting towns that yers selected and there were less popr ones based on their positions and resources.


    Moongold town was one of the towns that was not too popr nor was it one of the least popr ones.


    There were some good things about this town, and some things that yers did not like.


    If one had to say from a yer perspective, this was a pretty average town.


    "This is fabulous."


    But from the perspective of a yer visiting it for the first time, this ce was nothing less than a pretty paradise¡­

 Chapter 15: Moongold town

    As Elio stood in the central za of the bustling town, he marveled at the blend of life surrounding him.


    "Only the clubs and bars of our city are so bustling at night."


    The za itself was a vast, circr space paved with intricately carved stones that glowed faintly with a soft, green light.


    At its heart stood an old looking fountain, sculpted from old marble, with water cascading in mesmerizing magical patterns, reflecting the moonlight in a dazzling array of gold and yellow.


    "She asked me to meet her at (Woodleg inn) located straight from the central za in the direction of the tall belltower¡­ oh, that way."


    Around him at a distance, vibrant market stalls and charming shops lined the cobblestone streets, their canopies fluttering in the gentle breeze.


    Merchants called out their wares, offering everything from exotic food and enchanted gears to freshly baked bread and shimmering fabrics.


    Some were even offering items with special effects that enhanced stats and equipment that all yers would require.


    The air was filled with a medley of enticing aromas, blending the scent of blooming flowers, roasted meats, and sweet pastries.


    "Exactly what I expected a night market would look like¡­"


    Above the stalls, the town''s architecture soared with an elegant grace.


    Buildings of special and unique stones, adorned with intricate carvings or unique artistic patterns and shimmering metallic ents, stood proudly against the star covered sky.


    "I want a camera¡­ well, everything is being recorded so I can take the screenshotster, but still¡­ a camera would have been nicer."


    He could see some towering spires and turrets that reached toward the heavens, some draped in ivy and blooming flowers that added a touch of nature''s beauty to the man-made splendor.


    "Are those the magic tower and association buildings? So cool~!"


    In the distance, he could see the majestic silhouette of the Grand Library, the main attraction of Moongold town, its colossal doors adorned with old words and nked by statues of wise, mythical creatures.


    The library''s windows glowed with a warm, inviting light, hinting at the vast knowledge and secrets contained within.


    "We are going there second thing in the morning Az."


    "Muu~."


    The za itself was alive with activity. Adventurers, performers, artists, yers who had no interest in fighting and townsfolk mingled, their conversations creating a pleasant hum that filled the air.


    Children ran and yed, theirughter ringing out like the sweetest music. Street performers showcased their talents, from skilled jugglers to musicians ying enchanting melodies on their instruments.


    He had only known the life of work, the life of someone who lived in cities where people did not have time to even stop and look around their surroundings.


    He himself had worked hard all his life, but still, whenever he got the chance, he stopped¡­ and looked around for a moment.


    ''Happiness, joy, and freedom¡­''


    He was an artist that understood emotions better than most others. His most famous pieces showcased some elements that everyone knew but few understood.


    In his career as an artist¨C as a photographer, videographer, designer, andndscape artist, the main themes had always been emotions¨C with freedom being at the center of them all.


    "We should thank Alex for this, Az."


    "Muu?"


    Elio took a deep breath, savoring the rich sights, sounds, and scents around him.


    This town, with its blend of magic and everyday life, felt like a living, breathing entity¨C a ce where dreams and reality intertwined.


    It was different from the world that he had known until now.


    In this world, he felt a new kind of freedom than what he had always known. And he certainly did not dislike it.


    "Is this the ce?"


    On his way to the inn, he had felt many eyes on him.


    Most people that saw him were wondering why he was wearing those worn out starter clothes or why he did not have any equipment on him.


    The rest who kept watching him were looking at the simple slime in his hands.


    It was notmon for people to walk around with a slime in their hands, certainly not while wearing that kind of clothes.


    "Let''s go in."


    Some thought he was robbed already while some who were interested in the slime and possessed {Appraisal} lost all their interest when they saw the being was only a (Level-1) creature.


    It also only had two skills and even those skills were not that special from what their names suggested.


    The yer was also only a newbie (Level-13) yer who seemed to have been robbed on the field.


    -Taa-ring~.


    yers could hide their titles so he did not gather much attention as he reached the location she had asked him to visit as soon as he was here.


    But when he entered the wooden three story establishment, the scene that met his eyes was not something he was expecting to see in this rather simple looking inn.


    "Aughhhhh! Oooooof! My leg!!"


    "Stop! Please¡­!"


    "I didn''t even do anything¡­"


    The inside of the ce he entered was aplete mess.


    Tables were destroyed, chairs that the customers sat on were shattered to pieces, the wooden walls on both sides were covered in deep dents as if heavy things were smashed on those walls.


    There were many people in this ce, but every single one of them were standing.


    "..."


    The entire ce was silent, and all eyes were focused on the front, right before the front desk where the young receptionist was hugging an older woman, fear evident in her eyes, her face covered in tears.


    The older woman had anger on her face as she looked at the people that nowy on the ground, beaten to a pulp, their faces deformed, and their blood covering the wooden floor of the establishment.


    ''What the fudge¡­?''


    There were ten people on the ground, some of them unconscious while some screaming while holding their now crushed limbs, six by the wall were all unconscious, four with their heads dug in the wooden tables weren''t even trying to get their heads out, and one of them¨C probably a yer with good looking equipment that all seemed to be fairly high grade¨C was held by the cor by the person who seemed to be the one behind all this destruction.


    "It''s perverted parties like you that I hate the most."


    The man was still conscious when she was still holding him, but right after she said that, she smashed the man''s head directly on the ground without making it seem even a little difficult.


    "Next time we meet, it will be a PK war instead of an arrest."


    Covered in what seemed like a mix of a normal dress and a light armor, a unique looking sword resting on her waist, her long ck hair dancing with the little winding from the ''window'' that was created by one of her smashed walls, her deep blue eyes looked down at the now unconscious people with utter disgust in her eyes.


    "Haaa¡­"


    He was frozen the moment he entered this ce, but after he saw the person that was the cause of all of this, he was proceeding to slowly slip out of this inn¡­ but, he waste.


    "Hmm? El? Is that you¡­?! Darling?!"


    She noticed him, and even before he had any time to react, she appeared before him and hugged him from behind.


    "You''re finally here~."


    She was awfully heavy in that armor and with all those things, but he knew the moment he said that, he would be one of the people on the ground, or on the wall¡­ or on the table.


    "Hey there, Alex¡­"


    He wasn''t expecting their first meeting in this other world to be like this.


    But he would have to live with this memory for the rest of his time here now¡­

 Chapter 16: Guard captain

    "So¡­ these people started harassing the young daughter of the inn owner first, asked her mother how much she would sell her for, then when the owner asked them to get out, but they started causing trouble and breaking the chairs?"


    "That is correct, sir."


    The guard captain who had now arrived at the crime scene was a little stunned, a little confused, but he also had the same disgusted expression on his face as she did after beating them up.


    "You happen to sense somemotion so you came downstairs and saw the situation, and dealt with all these bastards yourself? Just by yourself? Alone?"


    The guard captain looked at the person she was standing with. And Elio only looked back at the guard captain with a helpless smile.


    "Why would I need help to deal with these little thugs, sir? They are trash that belong to trash and those with the strength to take out trash should always do so at every chance they get."


    The guard captain was ring at Elio but her words caught his attention all of a sudden and he looked back at her with a new surprised expression.


    The guard captain was a two meter tall muscr man in a formal guard uniform that looked intimidating on him.


    His toned muscles were all visible on his shirt while his clear intimidating face and deep green eyes seemed like they could see through everything, even their truths and lies.


    "Taking out trash¡­"


    There was a distinct smirk on his face when he heard those words, and after looking up and down at both of them, he nodded with a new smile.


    "Certainly. It is the duty of the strong to take out the trash¡­ however, doing it while not making this kind of mess and property destruction would be better."


    He took out a piece of paper and a pen¨C not a feather pen, but a pretty looking fountain pen, and wrote down some things on it.


    "You will receive a warning for the extreme actions as well, soe and meet me tomorrow evening in the guard office.


    You will have to pay for the damages you have caused, but you will bepensated for dealing with these Trash.


    The inn owner is extremely grateful to you as ording to her, this was not the first time these people had done something like this. So, she will be seeing you after she gives her statement.


    She is a nicedy so make sure you fix what you broke¡­ the guards will take care of the trash from here."


    He gave her the piece of paper and she nodded at him with a smile.


    -Thump.


    "Thank you for the great work as always, sir."


    Then she tapped her right foot on the ground, and got into the attention position while saluting the guard captain.


    "May the eternal order be maintained."


    Her actions surprised the guard captain a little since he wasn''t expecting this salute.


    -Thump.


    "May the eternal order be maintained."


    However, he saluted her back as any guard of this great town would, looked at her with a surprised expression onest time, looked at Elio, looked at the slime in his hands, and then.. He walked away to the rest of his party.


    "Did you just get a quest?" Thatst look on the guard captain surprised him a little.


    "Not yet, but we are gonna surely get one tomorrow."


    She looked at him, and smirked ear to ear as if saying she was amazing.


    "Being a veteran surely has a lot of perks, hun?"


    Now that both of them were here, together with one another, they surely were surprised.


    "It''s just the basic things. Quests in this game generally originate from those holding authoritative positions."


    "That so?"


    After they met, the first thing they did was to add each other in their friend list.


    Then, they shared their status information with one another so they knew exactly at what level the two of them were at.


    [Ding.]


    ============


    ID: #### (Level-21)


    Race: Human (####)


    T-T (Physical stats)


    Strength: 33


    Agility: 24


    Endurance: 18


    T-T (System stats)


    Intelligence: 6


    Luck: 0


    Charm: 2


    T-T (Functional stats)


    Energy: 24/30


    Stamina: 24/30


    Fatigue: 3/30


    (Stat points: 0)


    {Skills: Sword intent, Energy infusion, Blink.}


    [Titles: <####>, <Nightmare of beginner forest>.]


    ============


    There surely were some things that he was still confused about, things like her censored ''immortal'' name, the thing beside her race that indicated one''s social standing on the world level, or the first title she possessed.


    It was all strange, but as she had said, she was not a high level yer anymore.


    She was pretty low leveled even though she was higher level than him and from the title one only gets after single handedly wiping out all the creatures of a beginner forest at least once, Elio already knew that she got bored and did a massacre in the forest when he was stuck with his tutorial.


    He knew her level drop and loss of all the skills and titles she might have possessed had something to do with that hidden title, but he did not mind all that.


    He knew she would tell him about all that if she wanted to, or if she did not tell him, then it would mean she did not want him to know all that.


    "You were right. You surely are special," facing him and looking down at the unique slime in his hands, she blushed a little and looked away in an attempt to not stare at the little creature.


    He already knew that she was going to like this little fellow. She liked cute things generally anyway so a cute little blob that made funny sounds was undoubtedly going to be something she adores.


    But, the fight that they had a while back after he joked with how he was special made her a little hesitant.


    He had not told her all the things that happened in thest few days and how they cleared the tutorial and the rewards that he received, but after seeing his absurd status window all those stats that certainly did not suit someone who had juste out of the tutorial, she knew he had achieved extraordinary results himself.


    She knew taking the slimes that he had tamed, slimes that could only live in water would be impossible for him, and yet, he was holding a slime¨C one that she actually recognized as a (Mana slime), one of the rarest kinds of slimes one could ever obtain after an evolution.


    These creatures weren''t natural. Among the people who knew enough about them, they were considered one of the anomalies that seldomes from a slime''s will to deny their inherent nature.


    "Haaa¡­ Alex. I''ll apologize again if you want but can we let that one go already?" looking at her with a desire to get back together with her, he held to slime in his hands before him.


    "Muuu?"


    And she epted it with another blush on her face.


    "If you give this one to me, I might consider-."


    "Yeah, no. That''s not happening. Az is mine."


    They had not been together for long but this one evolved just toe with him. There was no way he was going to hand over his precious friend to her just because she liked it.


    "You can be friends, but he is mine."


    He was determined, she could see it in his eyes that he was serious this time.


    "We will see about that."


    But she was also not going to back down either.


    She liked this little, cool, clean, pretty, soft, jiggly little slime.


    It was the perfect pillow for a peaceful night''s sleep.


    "Muuu?"


    She wasn''t just going to let him have such a fun pet all by himself¡­

 Chapter 17: Madam Rin and Misha

    "Ummm¡­ I''m sorry for-."


    "Oh youngdy~. There''s no need to be sorry about these little things. You didn''t do it on purpose or anything.


    Huhuhu, you were just trying to teach those thugs a lesson~. I''m truly grateful for your help."


    She was trying to apologize to the inn ownerdy, a mature looking older woman with a slender yet tough looking physique that resembled the people who had lived in the harsh environments of the mountains.


    Just from her height, which was a little taller than both of them, it was easy to tell she was no simple person, and she was pretty attractive looking, but not certainly as attractive as her young daughter.


    "Ummm¡­ b-big sister! Thank you for¡­ for beating those bad people!"


    ording to what Elio understood, they did note here to harass her for the first time. The owner had dealt with them previously when they were only in a small group of a few people.


    But this time, their entire gang hade and the other yers or the natives did not want to deal with them since they were all higher level yers who were apparently also famous in this town.


    They could only stand there and watch as they caused themotion but then Alex came and they were dealt with.


    "You should have told me about these little flies earlier, Misha. I would have stayed down here to deal with them, hump."


    She was still angry at the people who did not stop doing the dirty things even in the game.


    The imprisonment and the restrictions it imposed in real time was not enough to deal with these people. They were bastards who should be killed every time they were seen in public.


    "Haaa¡­ the guard captain told me I''ll have to pay-."


    "There''s no need for you to pay for the repairs. We can manage things on our own¡­ besides, you have helped us enough."


    Alex had just taken out a pouch of money from her inventory when the ownerdy shook her head and ced her hand on Elio''s shoulder.


    "Besides, now that the person you have been waiting for almost half a month is here, you two should spend your time chatting instead of thinking of small things."


    The maturedy with long red hair and simple ck eyes had felt quite off to him since the moment he first saw her, and her daughter who had her red short hair but profound gray eyes made her the perfect model for a twilight portrait.


    He wanted to ask them if they were interested in helping him a little, but after this incident, it was not the best time to talk about something like that.


    She seemed like a nicedy, so he at least greeted her properly and smiled at the younger girl who seemed to be in her teenage years.


    "You''re quite a daring person to have made such a pretty youngdy wait for you for so long. She looked lonely, you know?"


    She tapped his shoulder, and he could definitely feel the strength behind those rough hands.


    He knew she was at least a higher level than him.


    "I¡­ have no excuse for that. I was engaged with my first trial and it took a longer time than either of us had anticipated."


    There was sadness in his eyes as well.


    He did not like how he had to make her wait for so many days and he was certainly sorry for that.


    But in his position, there was nothing else to do.


    Or, perhaps he was just too stubborn and selfish to try something else.


    "Yes! He''s the worst, madam Rin! He''s the worst!" She squeezed the little slime in her hands as she shouted that.


    Thankfully, the slime did not feel pain or most of the other physical sensations.


    It was slime with unique senses that worked in a different way from the humans so even though it could perceive the surroundings, the thermodynamics, and simple sensations or touch, it did not have aplex sense system like the humans.


    It was merely a creature of nature. So, it was going to be fine even in the deadly hands of his partner.


    "We should all punish him, Madam!"


    Hearing her say that, Elio suddenly got goosebumps all over his body.


    He had suffered enough with the slimes already so he had thought his time in the city among the people would be a little peaceful¡­


    He was not looking forward to any more battle just yet.


    "Huhu, doesn''t look like it will be needed, youngdy."


    She tapped on both their shoulders after seeing the look on Elio''s face. And then with anotherugh, she grabbed both their shoulders.


    "You should go back to your room now. It''s night, and there must be a lot you have to talk about, right?"


    She was a nicedy.


    He could see why she chose this inn out of tens of others present in this town.


    "That''s right. We surely have a lot to talk about¡­"


    He still had to tell her about his reward distribution and the title and ask her a lot of things about Az.


    She was the more knowledgeable person here so he had to rely on her for a few more things.


    "We have to do a little more than just talking."


    She looked at him with puffed cheeks as if he was forgetting something important.


    And seeing this interaction, the inn owner, Madam Rin, could only chuckle at the young couple.


    "Yes, yes. You have to do a lot of things and the night is still young. So, go now."


    She turned them around and pushed them towards the stairs.


    "Go show him your room."


    She said she would take care of the damages, but Alex still wasn''t going to just let her take care of the mess she had made.


    So, before she went upstairs with Elio, she threw something from her inventory at the inn owner.


    "That should be helpful with a few things."


    It was a magic item, a scroll with repair magic recorded in it.


    "This is too much, youngdy!"


    The store owner knew even one of these scrolls was around thirty silver coins, which was a lot from the standards of this world as well as the original world.


    Just selling it would make them enough to repair everything to a better condition and she just threw an important item like it was nothing and walked up with a smile.


    The ownerdy was surely stunned, but she knew she wasn''t going to win against that person¡­


    She knew her for a while now, so she knew how stubborn she was.


    And, since she knew her well, she could tell the one that could handle a person like her, would surely be no ordinary man¡­

 Chapter 18: Night of the virtual world

    A simple wooden room of the inn with a single bedroom present at the end of the hallway on the third floor, the very top of the three story inn.


    There was a window on the other side, a bed in the center, a table on one corner, and some decorations around the room.


    Curtains danced with the low winds flowing into the room, the light of the golden moon illuminating the ce along with only one magical light.


    "You went through a lot, I see."


    They had some bread earlier along with some warm soup so they weren''t hungry anymore.


    "Thanks for waiting."


    Sitting on the bed with both hands held together, they looked at each other like they usually do at nights in the real world.


    "I had my difficulties, but they weren''t as bad as yours. I''m already experienced with this world and how things work here, and I also did not have to train some slimes and fight with them while holding only a wooden shield."


    Az the slime was now resting on one of the small chairs reserved for small pets, while the white sword she was carrying and rest of her heavy equipment were resting on a different corner of the room.


    "I went ahead and leveled up a little, and yet you''re not too far from me. And besides, how the hell did you get so many achievements? Even I only got 3 after clearing the entire forest, for learning skills at a low level, and after defeating a boss mob ten levels higher than me."


    Elio had obtained twomon achievements and three rare achievements¡ª something that was even more surprising than his rank (S) in the tutorial.


    Obtaining achievements was a difficult thing so even someone like her had only obtained three achievements when she yed her tutorial.


    She even obtained the highest possible tutorial evaluation rank for all the things she did, and even though her partner had an assessmentrank two levels lower than hers, he had more achievements than she did.


    And, to make things even moreplicated, there were three rare achievements.


    "Well, I was lucky this time."


    He genuinely did not do much to obtain all those achievements.


    He just did what he was supposed to do and what he wanted to and yet he ended up with all those achievements, so it was surprising for him as well.


    "Well, you have two points in Luck, four in Charm, and ten whole points in Intelligence. So of course you got lucky¡­"


    Or perhaps the system was treating him like the youngest and most spoiled child. That might just exin why he was getting so many good things.


    "We should go to the mages tower after visiting the registration office tomorrow."


    Intelligence points were very important for the mages as this unique stat along with the special power called Mana was what defined them.


    There were many kinds of mages, but all of them could use the power of Mana and if they have a certain amount of intelligence toprehend and control various spell structures, they could use what the humans called magic.


    "I wanted to go visit the library though-."


    "That won''t be possible, man. There''s a special eventing so the library is temporarily closed.


    Why do you think I told you toe to this town of all the other ces?"


    "¡­is this ''special event'' important?"


    "Of course it is~! Just know that we will have a loooooot of fun~."


    He had no idea what this event was or, just how special it could be that she was so excited.


    He wanted to go and see this great library as soon as he could but, at least seeing her so cheerful made him happy.


    "Alright then. Let''s go to the mages tower."


    Heid down on the bed with an exhausted look on his face.


    The day was not simple. It had not been long since he fought thest of the creatures with his slimes and defeated them.


    "What are you doing, closing your eyes like that?"


    Sheid down beside him and looked at him with a confused look.


    And she kept looking at him until he opened his eyes and looked back at her with a burdened look.


    "What now?"


    It was night and sleep was important even in this game.


    He had been awake for a while now and after everything that happened today, he was exhausted.


    "What do you mean ''what now''? The night is young, we just met, it''s our first night together in this world-."


    "And you want to Have Fun? Even in the game?"


    It wasn''t like they did not do it enough in the real world that she was asking for it in this game world as well.


    <NO> was one of the very few games that actually allowed lewd things since it was made to bepletely realistic, so it wasn''t going to be much different from reality.


    But still, things were pretty different here since this ce was in fact just the game world.


    "I''ve always wanted to Have Fun in this game. You made me wait for more than three years in real world time so faults all on you."


    Looking deep in her blue eyes shining under the magical lights of the room, he could not help but sigh once again.


    "So all this time, you were only pushing me to y this game so that we can fugk? That''s it?"


    He smirked at her with a smile that was making fun of her. But she did not notice that as she had broken out a blush in embarrassment.


    "W-wh-what do you mean?! Bastard! That''s not true!"


    "Of course that''s the case. That red face is all the proof we need."


    The smirk in his face deepened along with the redness on her light toned face.


    She was rarely embarrassed like this, but now that she was like this, he couldn''t help but think how good it would have been if he could click a picture of this beautiful girl.


    "No! No no no no no! No no no! Don''t say things like that!"


    She started smashing him with the pillow that thankfully did not hurt him as much as he thought it would.


    The sounds of night were calming, there wasn''t much light pollution in this world so the sky was much more beautiful than what he had seen in the city areas, and most of all¡­ his partner looked happier in this world.


    "ept it. You''re just a-."


    "Shut up! Shuttttt uppp!"


    In the real world, she normally had three kinds of expressions: Tired, annoyed, or stoic.


    She wasn''t too expressive most of the time, but here¡­ she seemed like apletely different person.


    "Hahaha~. Hey! That''s not fair!"


    "Shut up! It''s all your fault!"


    He loved the person she was in reality. And unexpectedly, he was also falling for this new side of hers.


    She looked much happier than he had ever seen her.


    ''Dumb girl.''


    So now, he wanted to tease her even more.

 Chapter 19: Dawn in the town

    Dawn broke gently over the horizon, painting the sky with a gradient of soft, pastel hues.


    The inky darkness of night gradually gave way to deep purples and blues, which then melted into shades of pink and gold.


    The first rays of sunlight peeked over thendscape, casting a warm, golden glow that spread slowly across thend.


    "Mmm¡­"


    It reached the windows of the room where two certain individuals had spent their first night in this game as well¡­


    "Hmmm."


    The air was crisp and cool, carrying the fresh, earthy scent of the town''s morning and blooming human interactions.


    A serene stillness enveloped the world, broken only by the gentle rustling of carriages and the distant chirping of early birds greeting the new day.


    "Morning, pretty human."


    Elio awoke to the first light of dawn filtering through the small window of his room at the inn. And unlike usual mornings, he greeted his partner first.


    "Why are you¡­ ughh."


    She was not happy to see his happy, smiling face first thing in the morning.


    She was used to seeing his still asleep face that she adored so much, seeing him up early did not go well with her.


    "What''s up?"


    She was trying to get up after seeing his ugly face the first thing on this fine morning, but she could not do so and fell back with a painful expression.


    "Aww¡­ aw aw aw. Why the hell is my back hurting?"


    For a moment, she was confused. She could not understand what was happening all of a sudden¡­ but then fuzzy memories of their Games returned to her.


    And, she understood the reason for her current condition and looked angrily at the bastard smiling at her.


    "Don''t look at me like that now. You wanted it, and I warned you. Thrice."


    He looked a little too happy.


    It wasn''t like he was merely enjoying her expression, beyond that anger, he could see the regret hidden behind those pretty blue eyes.


    It was an even rarer asion than her previous embarrassed expression so, he found this a little too fun.


    "..."


    But she kept looking at him with that warm angry expression, thinking back to everything that had happened a few hours ago in this room that had be a mess now.


    Most of the things were wooden here, but thankfully, nothing broke down after all those Things.


    Their bed survived as well¡­


    "Wanna go ag-."


    "Shut the fuck up dude."


    She obviously knew he was teasing her but even though she would not have minded it, she was in no condition to y around once again.


    They had a lot of things to do today, and she needed to at least walk properly without a hunched back.


    "Ribbons were a bad idea-."


    "Half of the things were a bad idea. And I warned you, Thrice."


    He was still smirking at her, finding this new kind of morning a little too fun.


    "And doing all that with Az present? Man you were loud-."


    -Dhum.


    She pushed him out of the bed and got up from the bed while enduring all that pain.


    "You''re chatty today, hun?"


    Then she looked down at him from their bed, the upset expression still present on her face.


    But the pleasant smile did not leave his face.


    "Don''t you think something''s wrong with this situation?"


    "Hmm?"


    She did not understand what she was saying all of a sudden, so he smirked again and borated.


    "Shouldn''t you be the one on the floor? After all-."


    -Dhum!


    He shouldn''t have done that.


    "Ughhh!"


    He wouldn''t have had to take a kick directly to his chest from a higher level yer if he was a little less chatty.


    "Just fucking stay on the floor, bastard!"


    Alex got out of the bed while holding her lower back.


    She was in pain as well, but unlike the one on the floor who could only endure the pain, she had ways to feel better.


    -Ooooooong.


    She took out an (Intermediate) grade potion that healed physical conditions from her inventory and downed the entire vial.


    She stretched around a little and not long after, she had returned to her peak physical condition.


    "Ughhh¡­"


    Her boyfriend, though, was still struggling on the floor while holding his chest.


    "That''s why being higher level and overgeared is important."


    She pitied the poor guy and helped him get back up on the bed. But she did not give him any potions to help him.


    She knew that the kick would have only affected him a little and he would get better in an hour or so.


    There was no reason for her to waste her potions on him, and more than that, she wanted him to suffer a little as well.


    "Just take a nap, we will be back with some breakfast."


    She got back into her clothes, cleaned up the room a little and repaired a few things with the help of basic (tier-1) scrolls before picking up Az¨C the innocent little slime who ended up witnessing a little too muchst night¨C and walked out of the room, leaving her suffering partner all alone.


    "That girl¡­"


    Elio did not like pain and yet he had suffered a lot of it throughout his life.


    Pain did not leave him alone in this game either, but at the very least, he was not going to endure it when he had no need to.


    ''Open otherworld market.''


    [Ding.]


    Various kinds of currencies were used in the real world but with the growth of digital currencies, in everyday life, [V-coins], a digital currency that was now almost used all over the real world, had be a prominentmon form of money.


    It was also used onrge scales in the virtual markets to purchase the currencies of this other world and to use the Otherworld market for item purchases, he first needed to get the currency that wasmonly used in this world.


    ============


    [UniQuinn bank: ]


    Total funds: 120,000 V


    ***


    [Lion Internationals: ]


    Total funds: 60,000 V


    ***


    [IPC: ]


    Total Funds: 150,000 V


    ¡­


    ============


    He had various bank ounts and all of them were connected to his Bio-ID.


    Though, he still did not keep too much funds in any of them and preferred having them invested in various profitable areas.


    ''Hundred thousand should be good for now¡­''


    He had no need to purchase game money with his real money since he just wanted to enjoy this game with Her but he wanted to invest a little in this game just in case he needed to spend it somewhere.


    He knew he could not be with Alex all the time, so in case he needed money to purchase things on the marketce, or in the shops around the town, he ced the first order for his in-game currency.


    ============


    Copper: 140 (Exchange rate: ~200V: 1Copper)


    Silver: 40 (Exchange rate: ~1800V: 1Silver)


    Total: 100,000 V.


    After Tax pay: 109,890 V.


    [Confirm purchase: Yes/ No.]


    ============


    "Yes-."


    "Oh, I almost forgot my pretty sword."


    Right when he was about to ce his order for his initial funds, Alex suddenly came back and saw her boyfriend, who should still have been grumbling in pain, ying with some status windows before him.


    "What¡­ are you doing?"


    She was confused for a moment, but it did not take her long to realize what he was up to and a new angry expression clouded her happy face.


    "You little mosquito."


    He couldn''t purchase his coins afterall. And instead, had to endure another round of pain for the next few minutes.

 Chapter 20: Reward boxes

    "I told you there''s no need to add your own funds but, no. We don''t listen to the ones who know better."


    They were now downstairs with one side of his cheek red.


    "I didn''t want you to add funds not because I want to be your sugar mommy in this game but because of a very special achievement that you can only get if you use the money that you have earned yourself."


    She had asked madam Rin to use their kitchen and after getting fresh ingredients from the market, she made them breakfast herself.


    And, she made some extra for madam Rin and Misha as well, so all four of them were enjoying the delicious food on this fine early morning.


    "You never listen to me. Why do you do that?"


    "I listen to you alright¡­ you''re just used to listening to me more. That''s all."


    She pped him a little too hard and it hurt more than when she had punched him.


    He was in pain again, and she pitied him so she gave him a little pouch of ice.


    "Huhu, you sure are an interesting young man, mister."


    Madam Rin liked the food Alex had made and she was quite interested in learning cooking from her even though she had much better experience with cooking.


    Even Misha liked how well cooked and well seasoned some of the things were.


    She could tell the spices that Alex used were not something they can find on the market but even without them, the things she had made with the simple ingredients of the market were quite delicious.


    "I''m nothing special, miss. It''s just that I happen to be blessed to be with this prettydy."


    He held the ice pouch with one hand while his other hand was patting Az as the little guy enjoyed its own food¨C the rare Mana stones that are sold quite high priced on the market.


    ording to what he had learned from Alex, Mana slimes were unique existences that were pretty special in this nature.


    Not many yers had them and all those who did had a unique kind of Mana slime that possessed special skills that were unique.


    They were different from the skills their kind possessed or they themselves possessed prior to their evolution so, just having these slimes as one''s summonable creature, or Familiar, or ves was a rare thing.


    However, he had tamed this one when it had not even evolved, so it was an even rarer case.


    Still, it was not as rare a case as the yer on unified ranking 11¨C the man who married a Mana slime whichter evolved again into apletely new kind of existence.


    "Hump, buttering me up isn''t going to work."


    "Of course it won''t after how much I buttered you-."


    "You want another beating?"


    "No ma''am."


    Misha didn''t understand many of the things they were saying, but her mom had a smirk on her face which seemed to understand even the things they did not talk about.


    She was an experienced person so, it wasn''t surprising for either of them that she understood what they were talking about.


    They did not mind her smirk, but Alex still wanted him to stop his teasing since it wasn''t going to work anymore.


    "Anyway, don''t buy coins with your own money. I sent you some so use it if you absolutely need to, but you should be alright after we get you registered."


    They had many things to do today, and the first thing they were going to do was to visit the registration office.


    "Oh. Are you two going to the registration office by any chance? Is mister Elio really a new foreigner?"


    "Of course he''s new. This dumbass just somehow got lucky with his first trial."


    She looked at him with another annoyed look and shoved another spoon of soup in his mouth.


    Since he was holding the ice and patting Az, she had to feed him.


    She did not mind the feeding part since they often did that for each other but she did not like how he tried to go against her request and buy his own money.


    "Hmmm¡­ for someone new to this world, mister Elio sure is interesting."


    Every yer had to register with the Registration office when they finished their tutorial and arrived in the starter town.


    Only after their registration with the registration office that worked as a central organization maintaining all records of the yers and natives can yers join the various organizations.


    If someone fails to register though, the chances are high that they will be put into jail if they are caught inside public or private properties.


    Yet, there are always yers or people who do not register with the Office and live their lives in the wilderness.


    "Hey, Madam Rin. if you''re interested in this bastard, please know that we are pretty open-."


    "Ahem, Miss Rin. She''s a dumb girl so please don''t listen to her."


    Taking care of her alone was a tough task so there was no way he wanted a hot looking mother with a daughter that would soon be of age.


    He was content with his life so¨C this one headache was enough to him.


    "Hey! Weren''t you the one-."


    "So, now that I can''t buy money, should I open one reward box and see what I get?"


    She was talking a little too much, so he first ate the food in her hand, and then ced the pouch with ice on her mouth.


    "Mmmmm! Hey!"


    Her hands weren''t restricted like his so she took the ice pack away and was just about to shout at him¡­ when he took out the bronze metallic box with a smooth surface from his inventory and ced it on the table before them.


    "Oh! Is that a reward box!"


    "Mm-hmm. Has Misha seen this before?"


    "Yes~. The foreigners sometimes y with them while eating~!"


    The system wasmon for both the yers and the natives, just that there were some things that ''yers'' could do simr to some things that unique native species of this world could do.


    However, the achievement system was the same for everyone.


    And, seeing these achievement boxes was a prettymon thing.


    "But¡­ the ones I''ve seen are mostly silver." Misha was a normal kid so it did not seem like she knew much about the world and themon things like the reward boxes.


    "They aremon boxes, Misha. This one on the other hand, is a level higher than thosemon achievement reward boxes."


    Thankfully, the knowledgeable big sister of hers was here to tell her about these boxes.


    "There are six kinds of reward boxes that are granted for six kinds of achievements that go from: Common, Rare, Epic, Heroic, Legendary, and Mythical.


    People usually only achievemon achievements but the umon ones, like gaining a title during your first trial, or having a [Family] of slime that also has an evolved slime in it is something of a rare achievement."


    Alex smiled at her, looked angrily once again at her partner, and told him something through their eye contact before looking back at the younger girl with a smile.


    "We can call reaching (Level-100) an epic achievement that everyone hitting that level obtains, or clearing a high difficulty dungeon by yourself could also earn an achievement of that level.


    But beyond that, all achievements be a little unique."


    She told her how there are unique conditions that one had to meet in order to obtain achievements better than Epic ranked.


    She even told her how bing a Dragonyer, A Swordsaint, Archmage, or gaining the [Recognition of worldly elements] could lead to a Legendary achievement.


    "Then, big sister, what is the Mythical achievement?"


    But she could not answer this question for her.


    "That¡­ we do not know yet."


    In the three years that this world has existed for the yers, only the fact that an achievement rank higher than the Legendary rank exists has ever been revealed.


    People call it Mythical achievement because the achievement by nature could only be a myth if the conditions to achieve it were soplex they went even beyond the grade of the near impossible.


    No one knew what they needed to do in order to obtain this achievement¡­ but, there were many yers who were constantly in search of it like madmen.


    They had dedicated their entire lives in search of that absurd achievement or even some kind of clue about it¡­ she used to be one of those mad people as well, but she did not care about all that anymore.


    "Go ahead now. Open it. Quench your curiosity¡­ we have to go do stuff after that."


    She had opened many boxes like this one so she wasn''t that interested in it.


    It all depends on luck, so she knew since he had some points in luck, he would at least not get something as shitty as the things she got.


    She was cursed by luck perhaps so she did not rely on it, but he was different.


    Luck yed a big part in art¡­ and as an artist, he knew how to use what he already had.

 Chapter 21: Mages tower

    "I can''t believe you got an item from a rare box just like that."


    "Is it that umon to get something like this from a rare box? I mean¡­ isn''t this just some item?"


    He looked down at his hand that now had a thin metallic bracelet, a purple essory made of a thin metal thread that did not feel anything special.


    "Just some item? Did you just say¡­ ''just'' some item?"


    They were walking out of a tall building that almost resembled a castle and covered one of thergestnd masses in this town.


    There were few buildings as great as this one, and even among them, this ce held a special meaning to this town, to the townsfolk, as well as to the yers.


    "It''s VERY rare to get any kind of item from the Rare reward box since it gives money. People only open it with the wish to obtain a few silver coins that would let them have a few good means and if they are lucky, some people even end up with tens of silver or hundreds of bronze.


    That''s what people normally consider to be a great stroke of luck. While getting any kind of item means obtaining something that one can use, or something they can sell at a fairly high price."


    She shook her head with a sigh as she looked at the Bracelet in his hands.


    "When a sword user gets a good sword, they are happy. When a mage gets a good spear, they are a little disappointed but not sad. However, regardless of the ss, social rankings, or levels, when someone gets an essory item, they know they have struck it big time."


    The essory items were the hardest toe by in this world, and the good ones that possessed a skill were even more rare.


    And yet, the thing he had obtained on his first box along with Three silver coins and a little experience was something that shocked her big time.


    "Just look at that item and tell me it''s not good."


    They were finished registering Elio and connecting the in-game ounts the two of them had¨C which was almost the same as marriage where one could ess nearly everything that the other had permitted them ess of, but since the [Marriage] existed in <NO> people only considered connecting ounts something like showing their trust in the other person.


    Well, of course there were cases where people betrayed this trust of their partners, but after years of experience, the yers have learned what they should do in a virtual rtionship and what they should not.


    "I never said this is bad." Elio looked at the simple yet pretty bracelet on his hand with a happy smile.


    ============


    [Brocade key] ¡ï¡ï¡î


    -Intelligence +3


    -Slightly increased energy regeneration.


    {Skill: Light chain}


    ¡ªCreate a chain of Light that heals non-lethal wounds by consuming Stamina/Energy/Mana.


    (Healing will be proportionate to input power used.)


    ============


    When they got this item, Alex was only a little surprised. But after she used a (High) grade appraisal scroll to reveal the details of the item, she herself got stunned by the presence of a healing skill on the essory.


    "That right there is what I''d call one of the best things one can get from the Rare grade reward box."


    Healing skills were rare in this game and had to be learned from the Temple.


    Normally, it took someone a few months just to learn a simple healing skill so people avoided it, which made the presence of Priests and Pdins even more crucial.


    Good healers were hard toe by and since one needed to leave the starter town to be an official priest, one hardly found a healer in the beginning stages of the game.


    "People wille running if they know about that skill so don''t be careless with it and cherish it. You can easily use it until (Level-100) and probably even after that."


    "Yes ma''am."


    In theter stages where the wounds one received gets highly difficult to heal, this item was not going to be that useful.


    There was an inherent limit to all items and, when someone of a higher level uses a simple item like this, the chances are very high that they will end up breaking it instantly.


    That''s why he would have to be careful with it. She had pressed this warning on him ever since they got out of their inn, walked to the registration office, and then walked all the way to the mages'' tower.


    "This ce looks quite something¡­"


    "It''s the mages'' tower. Duh he looks amazing."


    But she had seen some of the grandest structures of this world. Something as simple as this towering triangr brown tower that had many peopleing in and out of it was not nearly enough to surprise her.


    "Let''s go in. I''m excited to see if you really have the qualities of a mage." She smiled at him excitedly as a sigh escaped his mouth.


    "Why is it that not everyone can be a mage in this game? Why must they make it so that people with only the ''inherent'' qualities of a mage be one?"


    In <NO> everyone including the yers had to first check if they had the affinity for handling Mana.


    Only the people who possessed the talent to be one are officially granted permission to go through [Mana infusion] a process that opens up the Mana circuit in their body and opens up the ability to use Mana.


    "Doesn''t this just make it like the other luck based game where one might have the talent for it and someone might not?"


    It wasn''t like people who did not have the talent to be a mage could not go through Mana Infusion, just that they would have to pay more for it and the chances of their deaths increased significantly.


    The natives of the world only had one life even if the yers could revive back so the Rules were made to fit everyone equally.


    "The ''talent'' in this game isn''t based on luck, El. It is directly derived from the physical body of the yers and is more than just something based on luck.


    With the portable gears, it is difficult to track everything but even with the simplest chariot, it is possible topletely scan the physical body and they use aplex data recreation method that even I don''t understand yet.


    And besides, it''s not like those who do not have talent to be a mage could never be a mage or have no chance of ever using magic."


    There was a lot of freedom in this world if there was a lot of realism.


    Even if someone could not go through the [Mana infusion] or fail many times, they could use external means to use Mana, use magic items, or be wizards or some other kind of magic user.


    There were a lot of options and bing a mage that used Mana was not the only one¡­ people just had to either stubbornly follow the path they liked, or search for the one that suited them the best.


    "They should have made it like the other games where one can just choose the path they want."


    He was never very happy about this aspect of <NO>. But, he found itforting to know this pretty and happy world also had ws like these.


    "No world is perfect, mister artist."


    And this was a virtual world. If anything, she knew very well just how far this ce was from the utopian ''perfect'' mortality wished to be part of¡­

 Chapter 22: Reception

    In the heart of the town, in an open za, stood the impressive Mage''s Tower. Its tall, tubr structure made it the most striking building in the area.


    The tower was built from smooth, polished brown stone that glowed warmly in the morning sunlight.


    The base of the tower was wide and surrounded by well-kept gardens.


    There was a magical air to the atmosphere around the tower, and magical creatures roamed the safe area without hurting anyone strolling through the gardens.


    Some creatures belonged to the mages, some were creatures that the magic tower protected, while some creatures were necessary for the daily activities of this spectacr tower.


    These gardens were filled with rare nts as well, adding a touch of beauty to the area.


    "The inside is just as impressive as the outside."


    Ivy and flowering vines climbed these terraces and the exterior, adding sshes of green and color to the brown stone.


    At the top, the tower ended in an open observatory with arge, glowing globe. This globe pulsed with magical light, casting colors into the sky that not everyone could perceive.


    The Mage''s Tower, with its brown exterior and tubr shape, stood as a symbol of knowledge and magic in the town.


    Not only was it a ce where yers learned traditional magic, this ce was also one of the few ces in the town that sold magical items, scrolls, and the very rare Spirit orbs of the creatures.


    "It''s nothingpared to the (Six capital towers) of the Capital of the kingdom of magic¨C Lohefalter."


    If the mages'' tower looked attractive from the outside, it was even more attractive on the inside.


    The space inside was evenrger than what one could see from the outside, something that seemed to have been the result of Spatial magic.


    There were desks all across the vast space, while in the center of it all, there was an elevator connecting all the twenty one floors of this tower.


    Each floor was divided into three divisions with each side of the triangle handing a unique task, and there were many people present all over the tower.


    There were magical elements present all across the ce, the colorfulplex magic circles that the mage workers were using to help and aid the people were something that caught Elio''s attention and the whole vibe of the ce was so unique that he could not help but be amazed.


    "If this ce alone is this good¡­ I wonder just how amazing the six capital towers would be."


    He had worked with many creators but since his specialities lie in thebat and movement rted videos, he had not really seen the special ces present all across this virtual world.


    He had especially not known much about hidden ces like the capital of magic as not many people had been to that ce.


    It had not been long since the existence of the kingdom of magic was revealed to the yers and to the real world so, not just him, people did not know much about ces like that in general.


    "We will be traveling a lot so don''t worry. We will visit that ce one day as well."


    She was the experienced one here so she had been to many ces throughout her life in this world.


    She was also a solo yer so she had been to some very unique ces that only a few or no other yer had any knowledge of.


    "I''m excited to see what more amazing things this world has¡­"


    He was smiling.


    And seeing that smile on him, she could not help but sigh with a smile of her own.


    "Yeah, yeah. Be excited~. We are gonna have a loooooot of fun~."


    However, before they travel, they at least had to get used to this starter town and understand how this world and the various elements actually worked.


    "Let''s see¡­ that ce looks pretty empty."


    They were here for the Manapatibility evaluation for now and also to test if he had the qualities to be a mage.


    And for that, they had to go to the very front side at the end of the hall they had entered.


    "Hello~. How may we help you today~?"


    The receptionist was no elf girl or even ady.


    Alex deliberately chose the most normal looking man among the various pretty looking mages and walked up to him.


    "We want to do a Private magic evaluation."


    There was a reason she chose this person¨C this simple looking man with dark brown hair and dull brown eyes.


    He was wearing the same uniform as the other receptionists as well, but Elio could tell there was something different about this person with his keen eyesight.


    "Hmm? A Private magic evaluation? We do magic evaluation under the-."


    "Let''s cut the small chat."


    She took out a certain silver ID card from her inventory, and ced it before the receptionist in a way that no one else could see it.


    "We don''t have long, so it would be better if you could move your hands quickly."


    The silver ID card belonged to the Mages'' Association, the central organization that all the mages affiliated with any tower throughout the world had to be registered with.


    It was the association that held the greatest authority among the magic towers, so if someone was directly revealing an Identification rted to that ce, a mage of a small town like this one had no other choice but to panic.


    "Oh. I understand. Please, follow me."


    The mage was clearly in distress but he did not show it on his face. He was one of the few trained individuals that attended to the special guests of the towers.


    The two of them were obviously uninvited guests that were visiting unannounced, so the receptionist had no idea who they were.


    But the fact that despite being foreigners, they somehow possessed a legit ID of the association made thingsplicated for him.


    Something like that was not needed to ess a basic special service like the one they were asking for, but it was more than enough to grant them ess to this special facility.


    [Ding!]


    "You sure are something, hun?"


    She had somehow be a low level yer but it seemed like she still possessed a lot of items that she had when she was still a high level yer. He did not know how she did it still, but it was convenient this way.


    "We will move to the sixth floor testing area."


    [Ding!]


    They climbed a special magical elevator in the center of the room among the many others that were already crowded with other people.


    This elevator seemed to be something only reserved for the staff, but the two of them apanied him to the sixth floor and reached the area where all kinds of testing was done.


    Az had been amazed ever since they came here and the mage that was apanying them seemed to be curious about this strange slime with them¡­ but he was a little too worried to pay attention to things like that.


    His job was perhaps on the line right now.

 Chapter 23: Magic affinity

    There are three kinds of magic users in <NO> including the yers as well as the natives.


    The beings who are born with the ability to use magic are called [< Sorcerers >].


    These individuals are chosen by magic, and not the other way around.


    It is their birthright, an inherent power of their bloodline, or a unique power that they had created due to unique supernatural circumstances.


    Then there are [< Wizards >], individuals who have studied extensively to understand the true nature of what is known as magic and natural magical phenomena.


    These individuals, different from the people who cast spells directly with the energy that is channeled from nature and environment, are bound by various catalysts.


    Be it some spellbooks, some artifacts, some items, or something like apanion creature, they can only use the magic that they have studied for long years with the help of these objects.


    ''Wizards are some of the toughest sses to raise, so the yer spends money and goes for a forced opening of their Mana channels even if they have to die many times.''


    Very rare yers could use Magic naturally without needing to to open up their Mana channels.


    [< Mage >] is thus the most famous magic ss among the yers since most of the time, the otherworldly people possess at least some chance to open up their Mana channels if they try enough times.


    ''Bing a summoner is costly and bing an elementalist requires a lot of time, or a lot of luck. So, just going to thesemon magic towers present in all towns and cities is the best way to get ess to magic.''


    They were now in the testing room and if it was confirmed that He had the talent for magic and was in the clear, the Mana infusion process would not take long.


    "For the Magic-type affinity check, please ce your hand on each of these ss tes."


    The room they were in was not too big. It was almost only a little bigger than their inn room.


    There were all kinds ofplicated things present around them, but the three of them were standing before three unique magic tes that possessed a unique colorful glow to them.


    "Elemental magic, Unique magic, and Natural magic. Let''s see what my artist darling has."


    The magic in this world was broadly divided into three categories.


    Of them, elemental magic was the mostmon kind of magic one could use. Unique magic was something that belonged to individuals and they had to find it for themselves, and natural magic was something that was famous on the same scale as elemental magic.


    "I just have to ce my hand on them?"


    For Elio, the progression since he met her was a little too easy.


    If it wasn''t for her, he would have had to do the registration by himself, wander around without much knowledge of the things here, and he would not even have known about the event in the library and had wasted his time on a useless trip.


    Not that he would have minded it since he was ying this game to be with her and explore the things like he wanted to, but still, he wanted to go around the town on his own.


    "Huuu¡­"


    "Muu! Muuuu~!"


    Though, going on his own was not going to be possible for now, he knew that so he decided to be in the moment and his partner, the little slime cheered him on.


    "Right. We also have to go to the tamers guild and other ces."


    When he saw the slime''s cheerful behavior, he remembered there was a lot he had to do today, so hesitating for this simple thing was not a good thing.


    He wasn''t going to disappoint her even if he does not have any affinity for magic, he knew that. So, with a deep breath, he handed Az to her and ced his hand on the first te that tested an affinity for natural magic.


    -Oooooooooooooong!


    The te was glowing with many colors like the other two tes but after he ced his hand on it, it glowed with a unique golden color that was warm in nature.


    "Hmmm¡­ you have a (Basic) [Rank-1] affinity for Natural magic."


    The affinity ranks were graded in Basic, Umon, and Advanced and all of them had three ranks.


    Even a basic affinity of the first rank was a good sign for someone who had never had any practical experience with magic since with time and efforts, these ranks could be advanced further.


    "Woh, amazing."


    Just the fact that he had an affinity for Natural magic was a big thing so, there was a smile on Alex''s pretty face.


    But as someone who had seen this simple result many times in his career, the person that was taking this test did not have any special expression.


    "Then, the next."


    A person could certainly have an affinity for more than one kind of magic so it was basic to check for all three kinds.


    "Hmm¡­"


    He moved on to the Unique magic te and ced his hand on it.


    And this time as well, it glowed with a bright light that had even more diverse colors than what was already present on it.


    "Oh? It seems like you have a [Rank-1] Basic affinity for Unique magic as well. That''s pretty rare."


    Though the ranks were the lowest, just the fact that he could use magic of a unique kind, something only he will be able to do, brought a bigger smile to her face.


    "Yei! I knew you would be great!"


    He did not want to kill anything in this world, she understood his wishes. So the fact that he had an affinity for some unique kind of magic on top of natural magic was just too exciting to her.


    "Thenstly, Elemental magic."


    The mage now had an interested look on his face.


    People rarely had an affinity for more than one kind of magic, so if there was someone who possessed affinity for all three kinds of magic, he would have to report this to the tower master immediately.


    There had been yers in the past with affinity for all three kinds of magic and recruiting them was the top priority of the tower.


    Unique magic users were rare already, and those who could use both natural and unique magic usually could also use elemental magic naturally.


    But, it did not seem like he was one of those special yers.


    "Alright then¡­"


    Elio ced his hand on the final ss te as well¡­ but sadly, contrary to the other''s expectations, the ss te did not react to him.


    "Well, looks like you don''t have an affinity for elemental magic. That''s a bummer."


    The elemental magic was the mostmon type of magic but he did not have any affinity for it.


    It wasn''t something bad. Having affinity for two kinds of magic was more than rare enough already.


    "s. Well, we should now move on to the next part."


    The test taker seemed rather disappointed. But he quickly shook his head and turned around to activate the other devices.


    "Oh, wait. We still have to check what magic affinities Az has." But Alex stopped him and smiled down at the creature in her hands.


    "Muuu?"


    Now that they were done with El''s evaluation¡­ it was time for the special little slime to see if it had any talent for magic.

 Chapter 24: Az: The unique slime

    "Miss¡­ you want to see if this slime has the talent for magic?"


    It was not everyday that someone asked him for a magic talent test for a creature.


    There surely were some creatures in nature capable of performing magic, wielding special powers, and controlling the power of Mana, but not all creatures possessed enough intelligence to create the spells.


    There were only rare cases of creatures who even understood what the other intelligent beings like them even wanted to say.


    There were great restrictions on those creatures of nature. But still, some surely overcame those restrictions and mastered the special power of the intelligent beings¨C magic.


    "Yup. I''m paying for this anyway so there should be no problem with it, right?"


    "Well¡­"


    There surely was no problem¡­ other than the simple fact that the creature in question was a mere slime!


    "We could certainly do it if you wish, ma''am."


    There was something strange about this slime, he knew that ever since he first saw it.


    It was different from the slimes that they had in this tower. It interacted with the two of them and made sounds as a reply to their questions.


    More than that, he had this strange feeling while looking at it that¡­ he could not exin with words.


    It was just strange.


    But, all that had nothing to do with this slime having affinity for magic.


    It was a slime, the simplest creature of nature.


    There sure were extraordinary slimes in the world capable of many things, but this simple slime with no special skills or that low level seemed nothing like those legendary creatures.


    He did not think there would be any reactions from the magic tes when thedy ced the little slime on the ss tablet associated with Elemental magic.


    He did not even seem interested in this, until¡­


    -Oooooooooooooong!


    The magic affinity detection te that only reacted to someone''s magic capabilities started glowing with a brighter light than what they had seen a moment before.


    "...what?"


    He was confused for a moment, and he was stunned as well.


    He stayed in his ce, frozen. And even after Alex took Az away from the ss tablet, he stayed in that frozen state.


    "Can you please ce the slime back again?"


    He could not believe what he had just seen, so he had no choice but to ask them to ce it back so that he could confirm it again.


    -Oooooooooooong!


    And just like before, when she ced the slime back on the tablet, it glowed with the same intensity it had done before, making the mage look at the slime with wide open eyes.


    "That slime¡­ it has a [Rank-3] Umon affinity for elemental magic?"


    He could not believe this result.


    It was just too absurd that a creature possessed magic affinity, but the added fact that the creature in question was a slime and had an abnormally high magic affinity rank shocked him even more.


    He was stunned for a moment, but then he looked at the master of the slime.


    "Is that a Familiar by any chance?"


    The only exnation he could think of right now, was this.


    "Do either of us look like a (Level-100) to you that we would have familiars? Az is just His tamed partner."


    Alex understood exactly what was going on with this person. That''s why there was a smirk on her face when she said the slime was just a tamed creature¡­ and she emphasized the fact that its tamer was Elio and not her, making the mage look at him with another stunned expression.


    "Anyway, if you are done with checking this one, let us move on. We do not have the whole day, you know?"


    "Ah! Of course!"


    He was in a daze, but her stern words brought him back and they tested Az for the other two categories as well.


    "Hmm. Looks like you can''t use unique or natural magic, Az."


    "Muuu¡­"


    It was strange how a slime, a creature of nature, could not use natural magic. But since it was now confirmed that the slime in question was in fact that Umon Mana slime, he was not that surprised.


    He had received enough shock today that he was done being surprised.


    So¡­ they moved on to the second part of the test: Elemental affinity test.


    "As we all know, there are six Main elemental affinities."


    Elemental magic followed elemental affinities, and natural magic also somewhat relied on elements so it was possible to guess what kind of natural element one possessed affinity with through this test.


    "These crystals here react to the elemental affinity so just holding them will make them glow if you have affinity for that element."


    Unique magic also sometimes relied on elements but it was unique by nature, so it was not reliable to use this specific test for testing what kind of unique magic one possessed.


    One had to find out their unique magic themselves with time and experience. That was just how it worked.


    "Then, let''s get started."


    Of the Six elements: Darkness, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Light, it was pretty rare to have affinity for even more than two of the elements.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    But, in the hundreds of years that this magic tower was standing, there had hardly ever been any cases of someone possessing an affinity for all six elements.


    "Is this rare?"


    Especially someone that did not possess any affinity for elemental magic.


    It was just absurd how someone could light up all six elemental crystals. And that too, at an intensity so intense it almost blinded an official mage''s eyes.


    It was just absurd to him as someone who was witnessing it for the first time in his entire life.


    "Rare would be an understatement to that, El darling."


    Even Alex was stunned right now.


    She was exactly opposite to him in this manner, so this absurd situation right now was giving her a mixed feeling.


    On one side, she was smiling at him.


    And on the other side, she was squeezing the innocent slime so hard that its round shape¡­ had now be something closer to the Klein bottle.

 Chapter 25: Mana infusion

    Earth, fire, water, wind, light and darkness.


    They were called the six primary elements of nature.


    Everything else was derived from them and it was pretty rare for some mage to have affinity for all of these elements of nature.


    "Looks like Az has an affinity with water and light elements. Even that is rare."


    It was not particrly a good thing that he had affinity for more than one element, but instead of being something good, having multiple affinities was considered to be a bad thing by the yers.


    "We will move on to the Mana infusion and then do the Magic series test."


    The mage in charge of these tests was already tired of getting surprised.


    He had seen enough today, so he just wanted to finish this and return to his Normal work.


    "Muuu?"


    "Don''t mind him. He''s just surprised."


    They had confirmed that the two of them had affinity for magic, so their work here wasing to an end.


    All that was left here now, was the process of opening His Mana channels.


    "Then, pleasee here and hold these two crystals."


    When someone had only one elemental affinity, it was easy to master the magic rted to that element. However, when it came to practicing magic of various elements, it was a different task altogether.


    Elemental affinities of opposing natures did not go well with one another. Water was not great with fire and earth was not great with wind. Light and darkness were pr opposites of one another, and when someone has affinity with all of them, they mainly choose to master one of them to make things easier.


    "Alex. Why don''t you have any affinity with these elements?"


    "Who knows?"


    She could not use magic of any of the affinities. And she did not have any affinity with any of the six elements.


    She could not wield Mana at all. Her body naturally opposed Mana¡­ that was the main reason she had no choice but to be a weapon wielder despite her superior intellect.


    In all her time in this world, she had wanted to be a mage, someone who could use magic, but she realized with experience that that was not the path she needed to walk on.


    And she was happy to have realized that¡­ perhaps, they might not have been together had she not been like this.


    "Magic is fun, and I like it. But holding a sword and shing things has apletely different kind of fun to it."


    She naturally opposed Mana so, she had a great affinity with the second most famous natural energy of this world: Aura. A great power that only those who have mastered their weapon or understood it to a great degree couldmand.


    If magic was a birthright and a result of intelligence, Aura was the world''s answer to one''s countless hours of dedication and hard work.


    Not everyone who held a weapon could use Aura. it was a privilege of only those who had dedicated their mind, body, and soul to their Path.


    "Well, even though I can''t use magic, now that we know you can use all six of the elements on top of not having affinity for elemental magic, things will be even more fun than what I had expected."


    She had a mysterious smirk on her face that gave him the Chills.


    He did not like how she was looking at him as he grabbed the colorless crystals attached to aplex looking machine in the corner of the room.


    He could tell this was not as simple a thing as it looked, so¡­ when he grabbed the two crystals and the mage activated the device with a magic spell, a unique feeling washed over him.


    [Ding.]


    A screen popped up before him right when he started feeling that strange sensation throughout his body.


    "It might be a little painful but please endure."


    His eyes were open but all of a sudden, everything went nk.


    -Oooooooooooong!


    All he could see was a dull darkness that one sees when closing their eyes.


    Along with that light gray screen¡­


    [Mana is surging through your body!]


    There was some pain inside him, it felt like his blood had suddenly be thicker.


    It was not a familiar sensation.


    [The stagnant Mana channels are forcefully being opened!]


    It surely sting a little, but he did not feel as much pain as he had felt when the Manawater slime first hit him and he had coughed up blood.


    In fact, this sensation faintly felt familiar to him.


    [Mana channels are reacting to a familiar environment and equilibrium is being established between inner and outer environments.]


    He could tell something was changing inside of him.


    Something was starting to flow inside of him and at the same time, he could feel that same thing in the environment around him.


    [A new homeostasis is being established¡­]


    The darkness that was present all around him was now clearing up and instead, strange small particles of sand or what seemed like star-like dust was now appearing all around him.


    [Ding!]


    He found it strange at first, but after a moment, he felt apletely new kind of refreshment than how he had felt until now.


    [Congrattions! You have gained ess to the Natural Energy: Mana.]


    [You have acquired Skill: {Mana sense}. You can now sense the Mana in your environment.]


    [You have opened the Mana circuit in your bodypletely, earning an achievement.]


    [Treading on the path of Mana (Common) has been achieved!]


    "Wow¡­"


    He felt a new kind of energy running through his entire body that was not present there a moment before.


    There was a unique kind of strength running through his body as well. It was as if he had just be even stronger.


    But more than that, everything he could see, everything he could feel with his senses had just be so much better that it seemed like apletely new world had opened up to him.


    "I''m not even surprised at how you opened up your Mana circuitpletely and acquired {Mana senses} during the infusion process. Haaa¡­"


    Not everyone could open up their Mana circuitspletely during the infusion process since it was just the basic process of letting them be familiar with this energy.


    They gain the senses to perceive Mana in their environment muchter as well since one had to first get used to a Mana rich environment.


    But, he obtained them just like that.


    "Seems like you''re special as well, El."


    Alex was sighing with a smile on her face and Az looked happier for some reason.


    "Az¡­"


    And now that he could see Mana, he could see the slime that seemed just like a blob to him previously, in fact looked even prettier.


    "We should finish the magic series test now, and you can register as an official mage-."


    "Oh, no. We will do the Series test on our own."


    All she wanted to see was what kind of magic affinity he had and what elements they might be able to use.


    Their main objective foring here was opening his Mana circuits. They didn''t need the tower''s help for practical tests.


    There was an entire hunting area for that.


    "But, miss¡­"


    "I know I''ll have to pay six Silvers to skip this process but that isn''t much. So, let us get moving~."


    They had to visit the Tamers'' association to register Az but that was a short process.


    Now that he could use Mana, she was excited to see just what different types and series of magic these two special ones might be capable of.

 Chapter 26: The hunting ground

    "Muuu~! Muuu!"


    There were many hunting grounds around the Moongold town but of them all, she brought us to the beginner forest that had the most dangerous creatures.


    "There are six series of magic that are also called Types of magic."


    She had a magic scroll in her hand right now and there was a big (Level-15) wild boar before us.


    "The first series is, obviously: Destruction."


    When she activated the magic scroll by tearing it in half, the magic circle that was encoded in it was activated and the earth attribute spell that it contained materialized in the form of arge rock spike.


    -Swish!


    -Shuuuu¡ªrrruk!


    "MHIIIIIIII¡­!"


    It was not easy to control the spells from the magic scrolls but she controlled it precisely so that the spike would only hit the hind legs of the giant boar.


    It was a one meter tall creature so it was in no way something as simple as the pork people eat in the real world¨C or this world, for that matter.


    "The second series is what defines the healer mages: Abundance."


    We walked closer to the creature and though it was dangerous, she used another scroll and this time, the magic that was cast created a green magic circle around one of the legs of the creature that, with a green light, miraculously healed the injured leg of the wild beast.


    "Muuuuuuhiiiiii¡­!"


    The creature was obviously angry to see people standing before him, and knew they must have been the ones to attack him as well.


    So the wild boar attacked them with its front legs as soon as it saw the chance.


    "The third is Preservation. The magic that creates protective barriers¨C as well as different kinds of other barriers."


    -Oooooooooooong!


    When she used another magic scroll, a translucent blue shield was created around us and the creature that had attacked us with great force, instead of dealing any damage to us, was thrown back with a great rebounding force.


    "The fourth type is Restriction. The magic that applies debuffs to the enemies."


    She was already using a lot of expensive scrolls that cost more than a few silver coins.


    They were not something anyone could buy with a little money, and instead were something that yers used as a hidden card in case they came across something difficult.


    But she used them as if they were nothing.


    -Oooooooooooooong!


    Thankfully, to show us what Restriction type magic was, she used an Item with the magic imbued in it instead of a scroll that could only be used once.


    It was a rare kind of item that had certain charges that could be used more than once, and some rare ones that had these magic stored as skills could even restore these charges.


    "There are various kinds of debuffs that one could naturally receive in <NO>. But, magic debuffs are more powerful since they could not be cured with physical cleansing potions."


    The moment she used the pendent like item, the boar that was running back at us with a new kind of anger was abnormally slowed down.


    It was as if time had slowed down for this creature¨C something so unique that it brought some confusion to the creature in question as well.


    "The fifth type is the opposite of the debuffs¡­ magic of buffs, Grace series."


    She picked up a twig from the ground and used another magic scroll on it, giving it some kind of buff that she said was called (Toughness).


    "Andstly¡­"


    She moved past the protective barrier in an instant as if to have teleported, and reached right beside the point where the slowed down creature had reached.


    "The Physical series which caters to the setws of the world and the reality that we live in."


    -Dhum!


    -Crrrr!


    She mmed the twig right on the forehead of the angry creature and the crisp sound that was created, it was obvious that she had broken the skull of the creature.


    -Thud.


    The way the big creature fell to the ground was obviously something cool, but the fact that she was looking back at us with a smile while still holding that fortified twig was something else¡­


    ''Why''s she so cool, damn it.''


    She must have used {Blink} to move so fast that it almost made it seem like she had teleported.


    ''She told me it was one of her favorite skills that were pretty easy to learn but very difficult to master.''


    Blink was essentially a magic that could move someone a set distance away from their current position.


    However, it was very difficult to control how far within a ten meter radius one would go and where they would end up.


    ''That''s why mages only used it as an escape ticket to get out of dangerous situations.''


    There were many creatures that possessed this skill as well, so with right hunting or by spending a few hundred silver, one might certainly get the Essence that contained this skill.


    It wasn''t that difficult to obtain it, but it was a kind of magic skill that, ording to her, was more precious than people generally knew.


    "Physical magic is not just something that follows thews of physics, it could also go beyond it and make impossible into reality."


    From how much I knew about her life in this world, I knew she loved physical magic series the most.


    Of course she could not use magic or even Mana herself, but that was probably the reason skills existed in this world.


    "Three kinds, six core elements, and six type series. Magic of this world is pretty simple if you put aside the difficult things one might have to learn and understand in order to cast these magic spells.


    Though, as long as one has enough creativity and understanding of the magic they want to cast, with enough Mana and focus, they should be able to cast the spells that they want."


    Magic was not limited to elements and elemental magic.


    Fireball, icence, earthquake, illumination, dark sphere, wind cutters¡­ these weren''t all there was to magic here.


    People could create, destroy, recreate, edit, explore, and go beyond what was simply possible with the magic of this world.


    "So then. What type of magic do you want to cast first?"


    Unlike affinities of elements and Kinds of magic, anyone can learn any type of magic if they try hard enough.


    But still, it was better to start with the type that one was the most suited for.


    "Muuu~!"


    And both of them were excited for it.


    "Let''s start with the easiest."


    Though¡­ since he did not have any affinity for elemental magic, checking the series that he was the most suited for was going to be a little difficult task.


    The same, on the other hand, was not true for the little excited slime.

 Chapter 27: Magic casters

    "I¡­ have to study this thing?"


    She had handed me a thick book with a metallic silver cover with a lot ofplicated things written in it in anguage that I could not even understand.


    "Of course not, silly. You can''t read that script anyway so why would I even bother giving you that thing."


    Looking down at the special looking book with a little confused look, I flipped through the pages first and saw the magic circles that were drawn after very few pages.


    "Just try memorizing the magic verses associated with the spells or memorize the spell structure.


    Understanding the spell itself is the fastest way to learn it, but since you don''t know how to read it, memorizing should be enough to give an idea about the spell''s affinity."


    "So¡­"


    She simply meant I just had to chant the incantations or recreate the spells in my mind to cast them.


    "Seems simple enough."


    Being an artist meant having a good imagination. And though I do not have as great of a memory as hers, what I have developed with my experiences in various fields is enough for something like this.


    "Let''s start with the simplest one in the book."


    She gave Az a simple looking magic scroll for a water attribute spell and the cute slime was ''feeling'' the scroll since a while ago, trying toprehend the spell''s structure somehow.


    It was doing its best, so I also had to do the same.


    "Natural Magic: Earth attribute: Restriction series spell¨C Grass binding."


    Natural magic was a little different from elemental magic since it was not derived from the independent elements existing in nature but from the elements that were part of nature itself.


    ''Normally, to cast a (Fireball), one would use the fire element''s power directly from the nature when they use Elemental magic. It is simpler and more direct. However, when using natural magic one has to rely on the natural elements.''


    To cast a fire element natural spell, a naturally lit fire is necessary. To cast water elemental natural spells, water sources of nature: Lake, rain, rivers are necessary.


    And just like them, to cast an earth attribute natural spell, the earthly elements are necessary¡­


    "Focus and think about the spell structure."


    She guided me through the process with her hands on my shoulders.


    "Think about how the spell looks, what it is about and how it might feel if you touched it with your hands."


    She was holding one of my hands with some soil between our hands.


    "Do it from the inside out, just the way you do it."


    Forming the center of the spell first, I drew the spell inside my head and connected the lines just the way I remembered them.


    "Now, Channel the Mana inside of you and try to move the Mana in the atmosphere. Lead the Mana and draw the spell the same way you drew it inside your head."


    -Oooooooooooooong!


    I had no idea what I was supposed to do to move the Mana inside me so I just followed the lead of her other finger which was moving from my chest area- around the ce my heart was- to the end of my finger, where I was supposed to manifest the circle.


    "Take a deep breath."


    "Huuuu¡­"


    I didn''t really do anything, but as if it was instinct, something inside of me followed the path she had shown and followed the lines I had made in my imagination.


    "When the spell structure is on point and when the Mana input is enough¡­"


    -Ooooooooooooooong!


    I could feel a new, warm sensation before my hand so I opened my eyes¨C and saw a spell manifestation of my own for the first time.


    "Magic, is born."


    Just like I had seen in the book, there was an attractive looking magic circle before my eyes.


    It was my first spell¨C a (tier-1) basic spell of Natural magic.


    "And when the spell is released¡­"


    She moved my hand to an empty area away from where Az was ''working'' with his magic scroll, and moving her face closer to mine, she said somethingpletely unexpected and inappropriate that the concentration I had on my spell was broken instantly.


    -Oooooooooooong.


    "Alex!"


    I was angry at her for doing something so unexpected so out of the blue, and thanks to her, the spell that I had made with such difficulty flew away to the ce it was pointed at.


    "...It creates the phenomenon that it was meant to."


    -Oooooooooong!


    I did not see it before, but the ce that it was pointed at had a small nt growing¨C which, when the spell manifested, was instantly covered in strong looking, long des of strange grass that did not belong to this environment.


    "Congrats on casting your very first spell, dumb one."


    She smiled at me warmly and resealed the hand with the soil that she had been holding since earlier.


    [Ding!]


    [You have cast a basic (tier-1) spell for the first time. Rewarding Exp.]


    [Ding!]


    [Level up!]


    [(Level-13) > (Level-14).]


    With the Exp I got from the reward box earlier, this level up was at least within my expectations.


    So it was not that surprising.


    "Looks like you can cast the Restriction spells-... hun?"


    But, what both of us did not expect was what happened right after I seeded in casting my magic.


    -Oooooooooong!


    "Shrrrrr¡­"


    [Ding!]


    [Your tamed Mana slime has seeded in casting a spell!]


    [Your Mana slime has obtained the skill: {Magicprehension}.]


    [You have earned Exp!]


    [You have earned an achievement!]


    [Master of magician beast (Rare) has been achieved!]


    "Wow¡­"


    Az, who was working with its water element magic scroll had somehow created a small fountain of water that did not seem anything impressive from a general point of view¡­ but the fact that it did it with magic, with a spell that was supposed to create drinking water, made all the difference.


    "Looks like I''m going to be working with two magic geniuses, hun?"


    "Muuu! Muuu~!"


    The scroll that she gave to Az was nowhere to be seen so she could tell how the slime might have gained the knowledge of magic after only a few hours of ''practice''.


    "This one''s special as well, hun?"


    Az was different from the other Mana slimes that she had seen.


    It had skills that she has not seen even in other slimes all over the world, much less in the other Mana slimes.


    ============


    [Mana Slime: Az] (Tamer: Elio.)


    (Level: 3)


    T-T (Physical stats)


    Strength: 5


    Agility: 6


    Endurance: 4


    Intelligence: 9


    T-T (Functional stats)


    Energy: 8/10


    Stamina: 5/10


    Fatigue: 4/10


    Mana: 15/30


    {Skills: Curiocity, Emotions, Magicprehension.}


    ============


    It was not a simple slime.


    "Muuuuu~!"


    Just the fact that it could cast magic made it Very special, but from an understanding of someone who understood these creatures, from an understanding of someone like Alex¨C this simple blob that was now jumping joyfully with half of its Mana gone, was a unique existence even among its unique kind.


    "Now then, let''s check the other types as well and quickly go on hunting~!"


    Alex had now be even more excited and though it was not there before, there was a new kind of spark in her eyes.


    ''A spark that one could simply see in anyone excited for the most sought after activity of these kinds of games¡­ hunting.''


    She knew I was not going to kill anything.


    But, since she was here, we knew I would not need to do the killing myself¡­

 Chapter 28: Hunting

    Elio could use Restriction, Grace, and Physical magic. While too weak right now, Az could use Destruction series magic.


    Both of them could not use the other series very well at the moment so they were going to work with what they can use first until they could use it well, and then move on to the other series.


    Despite equal effort, they realized that their magic from other series was ineffective and would be of no use in practical life.


    Even if they tried to manifest the spell and were perfect with their execution, the spells did not manifest.


    Which simply meant they needed to put some more work into the process though, and keep practicing.


    "That''s our first prey."


    "...really?"


    They were now hunting, and since Az was not going to be of much help, it was up to the two of them now.


    And, even if she could hunt like a professional with her higher level and strength, he had neither experience nor enough strength to go against a creature like this one.


    ============


    [Green horn Rabbit]: (Level-21)


    ============


    "That''s a (Level-21) creature."


    "Hmm? You can tell that?"


    He somehow got better with his observation after he obtained his Mana and he could observe things even faster than before.


    He only needed to re at them for a while and after he had looked at them for long enough, their observed status appeared before him.


    "You might be able to face it¡­ but we are Not going there to fight it with you."


    In the first ce, this creature looked much more dangerous than that boar they just defeated.


    It was two freaking meters tall even though it was called a RABBIT!


    It was currently eating what seemed to be a big deer, some other dangerous creature, had blood all over its face, and the teeth it had seemed more like sharp des of a saw! And there was blood on them!


    The eyes of this thing werepletely ck, deep dark ck!


    There was a strange green horn on its head while its body waspletely brown¡­ and there was blood all over its body!


    Calling that thing a Rabbit was already cheating¡­ but it was also several levels above him and looked strong enough to split him in two with its bare hands.


    It was absurd!


    "Hmm? Are you afraid of that cute thing?"


    But to Alex who had faced ancient monsters and primordials, this was practically just a cute little thing.


    "Cute?"


    He looked at her with a little shock and a little doubt.


    For a moment, he thought she was just joking. But when he looked at her for a moment longer and there was no result to her look, he knew he had been with the wrong kind of person for thest few years.


    "Anyway. You don''t have to fight. I''ll do the fighting."


    Experience gained through hunting could be divided equally within a party and since they were in a party right now, they did not have to worry about the fighting aspect of the hunting part itself.


    Since there was a person with equal level as the creature present, things will not be that difficult for them.


    He did not like this, but since he will be helping out in hunting, he was fine with it this time.


    "When I go in, immediately cast (Speed up) on me. And when you see the rabbit going berserk and preparing its energy cannon-."


    "It''s what?"


    And this creature can go berserk as well? He was very confused at the moment.


    "Just do what I say, dummy. Don''t overthink things right now."


    She wanted him to cast the (tier-1) Grace spell (Speed up) and then use the (Grass binding) spell of Restriction series to temporarily restrict the rabbit''s movement.


    He had not decided to solely walk on the path of a mage so he did not have a certain Mage ss but one did not need a ss to be able to cast magic.


    Magic was a power avable to everyone.


    As long as they could master the spells, have enough Mana and mental stamina to cast those spells, and meet basic requirements, they could use any kind of magic in the world.


    One just needed to meet the basic requirements and usually, this task got more difficult as one approached the higher tier spells.


    "Alright."


    With an excited smile, without saying anything more, Alex jumped out of the bush they were hiding in and used {Blink} to close the distance between her and the creature.


    "...!"


    The giant rabbit already sensed her presence when she had reached near him, and it was going to attack her with its swift attacks as well.


    But, right before it could do that, her body glowed with a unique yellow color and she moved even faster, reaching right behind the giant rabbit.


    -Swish!


    Then, she used a short dagger to make a lunge and shoved it right inside a certain point of the rabbit''s elbow.


    "SKEEEEE!"


    The rabbit screamed as if it was in extreme pain after that ambush, something which might not have been sessful had Elio not used the wind elemental natural spell in time.


    He was afraid of miss-release as well since if the spell was to be used on the creature instead, things would have gotten a lot more difficult than what they already were.


    -Swish!


    Thankfully, her first attack was a critical hit, and after that, she moved faster with her enhanced speed and used a short sword to make various cuts throughout the giant body of the creature.


    "SKEEEEE¡­!"


    She was deliberately targeting those certain points which seemed to induce more pain than damage, and not long after, the entire brown body of the giant creature started turning red¨C a ssic sign of berserk.


    "What the hell is that girl up to?"


    The rabbit was bigger so it was not difficult to aim a spell at it.


    -Ooooooooong!


    When the creature went berserk and was just about to attack her with its increased speed and strength that was so great that the ground beneath its feet had already been crushed by the sheer force of its rawness¡­ he manifested his Restriction spell of earth element and new grass sprung out right beneath the rabbit''s feet.


    "SKEEEEEEE!"


    It seemed like the rabbit had gone mad already.


    It knew nothing going on around it.


    Its eyes were only following the one that had put it through that great pain.


    "SKEEEEE¨C..."


    It could see its enemy right before it so it tried to move as quickly as it could and catch her with its new, boiling strength.


    -Dhum!


    "Perfect.


    Sadly, the saying: "The bigger they are, the harder they fall." was applied here and with merely a few grass des that were nothingpared to the creature''s great size, it fell to the ground.


    "Ba-bye~."


    And when it was on the ground, she precisely shoved three new daggers around the green horn of the rabbit.


    "SKKKEEeeeeeee¡­"


    The rabbit tried to struggle, but that strugglested only for a moment.


    [Ding!]


    Its soul had already left its body when she shoved those daggers in its head.


    Now, only a dead body with no blood of the Rabbit present anywhere in the green surroundings was left on the ground¡­

 Chapter 29: Change of plans

    "Wow."


    She knew they would take the rabbit down but she did not expect it to be this easy.


    "Man this was too easy!"


    She looked at the downed rabbit, retrieved her daggers and put them back into her inventory, and checked the condition of her hunt.


    "Was it easy?"


    Elio came out of the bushes with Az who seemed happier after seeing the dead rabbit.


    "Yup. It usually takes me a few minutes to hunt one of these in this perfect condition."


    There was no great damage to the rabbit''s body, there were no visible wounds on the dirty hide either.


    The only blood present on it was from the creature it was eating earlier and even though it had gone berserk, now that it was dead, its body had somehow returned back to its natural state¨C something should not happen in normal circumstances.


    "It was too easy with the speed boost. And that restriction spell timing was just perfect."


    After checking the condition of the hunt, she walked back to him and looked at him with a smile on her face.


    "We actually make a good team, you know?"


    With a yful look on her face, she first kissed him, and then she admired his still surprised expression.


    "I don''t know about making a good team, but that sure seemed easy."


    Each of his simple spells cost him around Five units of Mana.


    At level-14, he had around 20 points of Mana and unlike the creatures who increase their Mana capacity as they level up, the yers had to increase it with either special items or through training/achievements/enlightenment.


    For yers, Mana was a functional stat that increased with the level of yers¨C or by 10 at each ten levels in simple terms.


    "Right~. I know we make a great team~."


    She was happy after hunting this creature, but she was nowhere content just yet.


    "Let''s hunt till evening~."


    Contrary to him, she loved hunting.


    She did not do many life activities inside the game and focused more on exploration, hunting, and finding more fun ces to hunt in.


    She also liked learning about new things so she also spent a lot of her time in the libraries of this world, but since she had mostly been by herself, she did not have many acquaintances or friends.


    "Ummm¡­ I don''t seem to have any choice anyway so, sure?"


    He had to level up anyway. And since they did not have anything else to do until the evening, they just went to their next target.


    Which was a big brown peacock.


    "Alex¡­ this one''s pretty."


    She did not want to kill this creature since it was just minding its own business in an open area of the forest.


    It was a Brown feathered peacock of (Level-25). A high level creature that most certainly was also rare.


    "It tastes delicious though. I know you''ll like it when I cook it so don''t worry about the small things."


    She just told him to cast a Speed boost spell on her like thest time and a Movement speed reduction spell on the peacock.


    It was a fast one and since it was also not that big, it would be difficult to aim the spell. But, even though he did not like it and wanted to stop her, she had already run away.


    "Muuuu."


    "I don''t like it."


    The big and scary rabbit was one thing but this simple and harmless looking creature was a different kind of being altogether.


    They were rare creatures but not too rare so people hunted them whenever they got the chance.


    The creatures themselves only had their superior escape tactics and skills so they mostly managed to escape from the hunters¡­ but that was not going to be possible against someone like her.


    He knew that.


    -Ooooooooooooooong!


    So, he used the movement speed reduction spell on her right when she closed in on the creature, and by using the grass restriction spell, he created a kind of wall between them so that the creature could not attack her.


    "Pyaaaaaa!"


    And since it could not attack the sudden attacker, the creature just screamed, spread her beautiful brown wings, and vanished from the open grass area.


    "Muuu?!"


    Even Az was surprised how his master used the spell on his own partner.


    Though, of course, he knew the consequences of doing something like that.


    "You¡­ hypocrite."


    The basic spell''s effect did notst long on her.


    But as if to have expected this kind of event, she came back to him with a sad look on her face.


    "I''m sorry¡­ it was just-."


    "Pretty?"


    She knew he was crazy for pretty creatures. She knew there woulde a time when he will do all he can to stop her from killing them if it is not necessary.


    But at least, she didn''t think he would interfere even for a simple creature like that one.


    "Crazy bastard."


    He took this game a little too seriously. That''s why he was perhaps better being something other than a hunter or a kind of yer that needs to kill other things.


    "Haaaa¡­"


    He knew she did not like it, but, well, there was no changing what had already happened.


    He did not like it, and this time, he could not help himself either.


    That creature was too pretty and too precious to just eat¡­ they could buy the pea-cock meat from the market if they just wanted to eat it but killing it with their own hands was a little too much.


    And yes he was crazy to stop her from doing it as well, but since he was helping her in this, he was indirectly doing it as well.


    "Alright then¡­"


    He had known him for years now and knew he was not going to stop doing it just because she did not like it.


    He would either just return back to the town and leave the hunting to her- something she did not want- or keep getting in her way of hunting creatures that gave good Exp but looked attractive.


    She could not have that either.


    Unlike him, she had her reasons to get stronger and get back to higher levels as quickly as she could.


    But since she wanted to be with him as she did that as well, she also had to focus on his levels while she did that.


    "Change of ns."


    Since she had killed every single kind of creature one could find in this hunting ground once already, she knew most of the higher level ones that gave good Exp were good looking creatures.


    It was the problem with the beginner hunting grounds. The creatures here were not as ugly as they were outside of the beginner areas.


    "Let''s go hunt down the field boss."


    "What?!"


    If he was not going to let her kill the pretty ones and if she wanted to power level before they go and do the Guard captain''s quest, they both at least needed to be (Level-20). And he was not at that level just yet.


    But she knew that would change if he gets all the Exp for killing the field boss of this beginner area¨C a (Level-35) creature that even she had not attempted yet.


    "Oy, Alex. We are talking about the same field boss that I know, right?"


    He was confused and stunned right now, so the logical thing his mind thought was how he must be misunderstanding something.


    "Yup. You know what I''m talking about."


    But just from looking at that excited smile she had¡­ his heart already knew that she was up to another absurd thing now.

 Chapter 30: Field boss

    A field was a vast area with many monster or creature camps located in close proximity.


    These special ces sometimes even had some pretty rare creatures that one might not find anywhere else in that area.


    Of course though, there was also a Boss monster of this field. A creature that was above every other creature present within that field.


    "Can just the two of us take down that creature?"


    "What do you mean ''two of us''? You want to fight as well?"


    Even if he technically wanted to, he would be a dead weight to her. So, he also knew he was just better as a support.


    "Then¡­ are we going to use some higher tier magic scrolls as well?"


    "Do I look like someone who''d use a high level magic scroll against a mere beginner area''s field boss? Do you think these things are choctes?"


    Every scroll was precious, something that could save one''s life. So, using it when it wasn''t even necessary was just dumb.


    And besides, however resourceful she might be, there was a limit to her resources.


    She might have a few hundred lowest tier scrolls, a few higher tier ones, some good ones, and a few that could destroy a city or bring down divine grace, there was still a limit to how much she had.


    And, she for sure was not going to use it all carelessly even if she wanted to.


    "I''ll give you three destructive spell scrolls, three barrier scrolls, and three Physical magic scrolls along with a few Mana regeneration potions.


    You will use them, cast debuff spells on the boss and buff me with Physical and Grace spells.


    I''ll fight, and Az will help us distracting-."


    "Wait wait wait wait. What did you just say?"


    This was not what he was looking forward to.


    "Why would Az distract anything? In the first ce, who says it will be joining the battle."


    If Elio was a weak (Level-14), Az was merely a (Level-3) slime that was just starting to learn new things.


    It was an innocent creature that knew practically nothing about anything, and just like a kid, it got happy at things that it found fun, and acted like any child would in any situation.


    If Elio was putting his life at risk by going for the field boss with a single party member, then Az would be attempting suicide by going before that high level creature.


    "Rx. He''s perfect for this job."


    He didn''t want to put his little friend in harm''s way so he was not going to let her use Az. But the way she exined him, the way she convinced him that this was not going to be anything dangerous for the creature, was just too believable.


    "You''re sure about this¡­ right?"


    "Of course I am, damn it. There are ces in this world where (Red Hobs) of even higher level live in bigmunities.


    We aren''t even talking about an Ogre, an Oni, or an ugly troll but merely a special kind of goblin."


    She was saying that but Elio still had his doubts.


    And when they reached the deepest part of the forest area covered by rocks on three sides, with a single big cave entrance visible in the center of it, he was convinced this was a bad idea.


    "Alex¡­ I think we should go back."


    "Nah, toote."


    Just as she said that, they felt the ground beneath their feet shaking a little and a strange stench filled the area around them.


    This strange stench was getting worse as each second passed, and not long after, they saw two orbs of red shining from beyond the cave''s darkness.


    "That''s¡­ a goblin?"


    "Don''t act like you are seeing one for the first time, lol. The people you''ve worked with used to kill these things when they were merely Level-10."


    Unlike her though, most of them were still top rankers famous all over the two worlds. As someone who had directly worked with them¡­ this one should be nothing much to him.


    "I''m not like those people! They are all crazy! Just like you!"


    He knew how she also killed many (Level-30)+ creatures in the time he was not here.


    She even killed a (Level-13) creature when she was (Level-3), earning an achievement. Though, he had no idea how she had done that.


    "Heh. Crazy, you say? Darling not wanting to kill creatures and stopping someone from killing them is the crazy thing, not what us enthusiasts do."


    She was observing the creature with pale red skin, a humanoid body, muscr physique, and two distinct horns of their kind on its head.


    Its eyes were entirely white, there was only a dirty cloth wrapped around its private part and the rest of its body was naked.


    There was a big bat made of wood in its hands, a weapon that waspletely stained with dried blood of the things that it had killed before.


    Its feet were giant, the leg muscles strong looking, the face of the creature was ugly, and the pointed nose made it look even uglier.


    Still, one could feel great strength just from looking at this creature.


    And, the fact that this creature was a field boss made it one of the stronger creatures than the normal boss monsters that had simple enhanced stats.


    "Alright. Shuu. It must be going to find some food. This is our chance."


    A field boss was meant to be hunted by the many yers together since it gave a lot more Exp than the other kind of bosses and had more chances of dropping an Essence.


    There was a better chance to obtain a skill by hunting these creatures, so they were pretty famous among the bigger parties and guilds.


    "Az, you know what you have to do, right?"


    "Muuuu~!"


    "Then go. And if you think it will be dangerous, use the Light magic you learned and get out of there as quickly as you can."


    "Muuu!"


    The groups and guilds were afraid toe to the deeper parts of the forest since there was a strange rumer circting among them that some kind of ''nightmare'' had appeared in this ce.


    It was a creature so dangerous that it had already beaten many people almost to their deaths and people had only survived it by running away from It.


    The rumors were going around for a few days now, and it would soon clear up¡­ so, they had to take advantage of the opportunity while the iron was still hot.


    "Don''t use debuffs on me this time, please."


    "Don''t worry, love. The world should be better without something like that."


    He knew he was a hypocrite to discriminate between what had the right to live and what did not, but, he was still a human at the end.


    And, as a human, he did not like that hideous thing.


    "Then let''s start."


    He knew this was going to be dangerous and she would be the one in most danger, but he was prepared for something unexpected.


    He had his magic scrolls, he had ten whole basic Mana recovery potions and he had his magic.


    He knew even if something does go wrong, the three of them will at least somehow get out of this damned ce.

 Chapter 31: Red Hob

    -Shrrrrrr¡­


    On a fine afternoon, the field boss of the beginner forest, a normal old Hob that had been living a mundane life in this forest by himself, went out of hisfortable house to get some brunch.


    Just like yesterday and the day before, he had been getting a pretty good sleep with no interference from the flies like humans that harassed him every other day.


    "Gurrrr."


    He did not like him.


    They always came to bother him when he was either eating or sleeping.


    They were already weak so they could not even put any decent fight against him, but they didn''t even let him live peacefully.


    "Gurrrr¡­"


    He did not like them. They were flies that even made it difficult for him to get some good food.


    It was only because of them that he could not enjoy the fresh meat that liked.


    They were just unbelievable.


    -Shrrrr. Shrrrrr¡­


    "Gurrr?"


    He did not know why but he did not get any intruders for thest few days now and was living a peaceful life with more food than he usually found.


    Surely there was a day when he had to sleep on an empty stomach, but after that, he had been living a life of luxury.


    -Shrrrrr.


    Food was everywhere, there was sweet meat, there was juicy meat, there was even some new kind of meat that he had not seen in his territory before.


    His mundane life of wake up-hunt-eat-fight-sleep had be not just easier but more exciting since a few days ago.


    He was eating all he wanted, he was sleeping all he wanted, and he did not even have to fight against those bugs that did not even know how to fight.


    His life had be blissful.


    "Gurrrr!"


    And it seemed to be getting even more blissful as food was now walking to him instead of him going out to find it.


    -Shrrr¡­


    This was the first time he had heard any kind of movements around his house in thest few days. And, since he could not smell the flies around, he could tell this was not another one of their dumb tactics.


    -Thump. Thump. Thump.


    "Gurrrrr~."


    He ran with its giant feet, shaking the ground with every heavy step it took. And thanks to itsrge size, it did not even take him a few seconds to cover tens of meters of distance.


    He was happy that now food was evening to his doorsteps. But sadly¡­


    "Muuu."


    "Gurrr?"


    The food that had walked up to his house was merely a blob of slime, a creature that the giant red hob, a natural predator, was well aware of.


    "Gurrrr¡­"


    He knew this creature. They did not have any taste to them.


    They were sticky, difficult to chew, tasteless, bloodless, and there wasn''t even any benefit of eating these little things.


    -Shrrrr¡­


    They were just dumb yakky things that made one throw up. Something he did not want to eat once again.


    "Gurrr."


    They were worthless and did not deserve attention from a strong being like him.


    There was a lot of meat in his paradise so, he was better off searching for that instead of this disgusting thing.


    -Thump. Thump.


    Ignoring the worthless creature, he turned around and walked back to do what he had been up to¡­


    -Swish.


    He shouldn''t have done that.


    "Gurrr?"


    He felt a strange sting on his back right when he had walked a few steps away from the slime.


    And, when he turned his head back to see what it was¨C he sensed a new presence out of the blue as his eyes widened.


    "Gurrr¨C."


    -Shurrrk!


    Sadly, it was already toote.


    A sword had already pierced through his shoulder.


    "Tsk."


    He realized this was an ambush.


    But, before he could turn his head back and take a look at the ambusher, he felt a change in the air around him.


    -Swiiiiiiiiish!


    It was sudden as well, and from how the winds started moving abruptly, he knew instantly that this was the magic tricks of those human bastards.


    -Ooooooooong!


    Sadly, by the time he realized that, it was already toote.


    "Gurrrr?"


    He wanted to move quickly and block the attack that he could senseing at him, but when he tried to move his body, he felt like his entire body had been submerged in quicksand.


    "Gurrrrrr¡­!"


    He could not move like the way he wanted to, and the opponent that he was fighting was moving absurdly faster than what he could react against.


    -Swish! Swish! Swish!


    On top of that, with each passing moment, he could sense strange stinging sensations all over his body, as if some big bees were stinging him.


    It was not the shes of swords but something close to a thorn''s sting.


    It wasn''t even painful¡­


    -Swish. Swish. Swish.


    And yet, after a few moments of enduring their attacks, he felt as if his strength was leaving his body.


    As if something strange was entering his body¡­


    Something that made his blood colder.


    Something that he was well aware of¡­


    "Gurrrrrrrrrrr!"


    -Oooooooooooooong!


    The enemy had been attacking with poison all this time.


    And he was dumb enough to not even realize that until just now.


    [{ "Is that the second phase?" }]


    Elio used their party chat to telepathically talk with Alex on the field as he gave her another movement speed enhancement buff.


    He was already out of two Mana potions, but since it seemed like the creature was entering the second phase, their actions until now seemed to be pretty effective.


    [{ "Yes. It will start using its skills now. This one was {Physical enhancement}. The {Frenzy} will begin shortly so make sure you time the restriction spells." }]


    [{ "Yes¡­" }]


    ording to what she exined, this creature had three phases.


    In the first one, it usually attacked the yers with its Bat and when yers dealt a certain amount of damage to it, it used its {Physical enhancement} skill to enhance the physical aspects of its body, making it not only stronger, but also more resistant against debuffs and poison.


    The Physical debuffs still worked on it, but right when it activated the other skill {Frenzy} it healed a significant portion of its wounds so dealing physical damage until it entered that state was not advised.


    "Gurrrrrrrrr!"


    [{ "Now!" }]


    A Red Hob mostly only had six skills, and even among those skills, only three really mattered to the yers¨C The enhancement skill, the frenzy, and thest one was called {Blood reinforcement}, something it uses in thest phase of the battle.


    -Oooooooooooong!


    One needed to deal a set amount of damage to it to make the creature use that skill, however, there were also other methods and ways one could force it to use this skill.


    "Gurrrrrrrrrr!"


    [{ "Is this supposed to happen right now?" }]


    [{ "Nope." }]


    Elio did as they had nned.


    He gave her the buffs while debuffing the creature.


    Their first part of the n was aplete sess and the poison she had used was supposed to be a potent one that would kill the creature with enough time even with the skills used.


    In the second part of their n, he just had to do something simr to what he had done with the rabbit.


    [{ "Looks like we fucked up, El." }]


    He used his restriction skill and just when the creature was about to move, he used the grass binding to make it fall down.


    And since it was so big, it was supposed to fall down as well.


    But¡­


    It somehow managed to handle his weight by supporting his body with its giant wooden bat, and in the process, he ended up kneeling right before Alex who had stopped because of her {Blink} skill''s cooldown.


    "GURRRRRRRR¡­!"


    It had not even been a few seconds since it entered the second phase, and somehow, the creature was already using its {Blood reinforcement} skill¨C which was not good for either of them.


    [{ "Welp¡­" }]


    She was not supposed to face this form when it still had so much strength left.


    [{ "New ns." }]


    But now that things hade down to this¡­ she had no choice but to face it head on.

 Chapter 32: Battle

    -Swish!


    [{ "Forget everything else and just keep giving me buffs. Please be careful with your aims and just shoot them a few meters to my right. I''ll get them." }]


    When a Red Hob enters its final state and uses the unique skill, a condensed cluster of energy that it stores by eating and resting is released explosively.


    "Ghrrrrrr¡­!"


    This energy makes the creature as dangerous as an Orc who are natural born warriors.


    The strength that they gain is not something just a few people could fight, that is why it is rmended to have at least ten to twelve party members of (Level-20) or above to fight this particr field boss.


    And, the importance of strong tanks is crucial.


    [{ "What do you mean by that?! What are you going to do?!" }]


    [{ "Just do as I say!" }]


    When the Red Hobs enter thisst form, they are not like the berserk creatures that lose all rationality and only care for their predetermined target.


    This is a natural enhancement skill that provides an explosive power to the creatures that they could only use once beforepletely exhausting all the energy they have left in their body.


    It is like the final card and a double edged sword¨C something that might very well hurt them severely in the process as well.


    But, they do not care about it after they are in that state.


    They just fight with more strength, more speed, more explosive raw power that the skill provides.


    [{ "ALex!" }]


    Since the Hobs are natural fighters, have a rtively agile physique, and are buffed by their status as a ''field boss'' in this case, it is never suggested that a yer fight them all by themselves.


    -Swish!


    "Gurrrrrrrrrr!"


    But instead of backing away, she was fighting it.


    Alone.


    With an absurd smile on her face on top of that.


    "This girl¡­"


    He knew she was crazy but he did not think she would go so far as to even fight an opponent like that all by herself.


    -Ooooooooooong.


    [{ "You better win." }]


    [{ "Of course I will. Just help me." }]


    It was toote to back out now anyway. So, he used the buff spells that he found would help her the most in her position and though he knew it might be dangerous, he cast various restriction spells to give her openings that she might use.


    -Swish! Swish! Swish!


    With the help of his movement skill buffs, she moved faster than what her normal stats might have allowed her.


    Her Blink skill had a cooldown of ten seconds, so she couldn''t use it continuously just yet, and there was also only one charge to her blink at a time so it wasn''t that effective.


    But, it worked when she wanted it to.


    "Gurrrrrrrr!"


    -Dhum! Dhum! Dhum!


    The Hob had be stronger than her.


    When it smashed its bat on the ground, it created deep craters that seemed to be produced from an impact tens perhaps hundreds of N heavier than what it seemed capable of.


    The pale red skin that it had was now glowing with all its body covered in pulsing blood vessels.


    Itspletely white eyes it had were now glowing red just the way they did in the darkness.


    The two horns on its head, the small horns that didn''t seem anything special before, were glowing with a darker light than its body and there was a strong heating from them.


    It had be an even ferocious monster as it effortlessly tracked down her agile movements and smashed the ground right where she was on each moment without error.


    With sharper senses and stronger body, it was not an opponent that the yers would want to face all by itself.


    And yet, as she fought the creature with a simple steel sword in her hand, there was a distinct smile on her face.


    -Dhum!


    -Boooooom!


    There was destruction all around her.


    The ground was smashed and craters were ovepping one another.


    Due to the heat of the attacks, the ground was bing hotter and stepping it was getting difficult.


    She had to use the trees in the surroundings and the rocks to step on as she avoided the attacks of the strong opponent and slowly dealt small blows with certain openings.


    -Ooooooooooong!


    Elio used his Grace and Restriction magic to help her as well. And he made sure to inform her when he was about to use destruction series scrolls so that she can avoid the blow.


    "GHAAAAA!"


    The creature was strong, the wounds it had were not affecting it much, and the way it was fighting without caring about the poison that had now spread throughout its bloodstream was unbelievable.


    [{ "Three o'' clock." }]


    Both of them coordinated their attacks and magic, and dealt damage until the Hob''s pulsating blood vines had turned green from the poison.


    [{ "Careful. It''sing that way." }]


    The creature was not dumb. Even though it did not have as good of an intelligence as Az, it still had lived a long life and had sharp instincts.


    It knew the one he was fighting was not the only opponent he was facing.


    His opponent was a Swordsman. A fighter that used sharp objects that made cuts.


    Throughout their fight, there had been moments that made the creature realize that this sword wielder was not the one that used the magic which constantly changed the nature around them.


    It knew there was someone else so it pinpointed the change and detected the hidden opponent.


    Sadly, by the time it attacked the ce where the attacker was attacking from, the mage had already moved its base.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    -Boooooooooom!


    Going there was a mistake since Elio had already activated the remaining explosive magic scrolls in that area before using the (Blink) scrolls to move away.


    [{ "Leave the rest to me." }]


    When the creature was unexpectedly hit by the strong explosions and still survived, Alex took the lead and started attacking the creature for real this time.


    -Swiiiiiiiiiiiish~.


    She used movement techniques supported by the buffs of her partner, moved around with the tree branches as support, avoided the ashes and debris that was produced by the explosion, and used multiple swords to thirst inside the weakest spots of this creature.


    "GHUATTTTTTTTTTT!"


    She used her {Energy infusion} skill in the sword to make them stronger and sharper since without them, it would have been impossible to prate the fortified enhanced skin of the strong creature.


    [{ "El!" }]


    She fought while maintaining a certain distance from the enemy, but it was not easy.


    She still received many minor injuries all over her body, but she continued the assault and after using twenty seven swords¡­


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    After using many spells, many Mana recovery potions, and three hours of work¨C they were left with a destroyed area, an iprehensible exhaustion, and, of course, the reward of their first battle as a party.


    [Ding!]


    [You have defeated the Field boss: Red Hob!]


    "Gurrrrr¡­"


    Wounded and poisoned, with many of its internal organs turned into a repulsive mess¨C covered in wounds, and cuts, tens of swords still dug into its body, the dull red skinpletely turned green, the creature''s red eyes returned back to being white¡­


    Though, they did not have any light inside them anymore.


    [Ding!]


    "Haaa¡­ haaaa¡­"


    On one side, shey on the ground with half her clothes torn and burned. Wounds covering her entire blood covered body.


    "..."


    While on the other hand, hey on the ground,pletely exhausted, with max fatigue, no energy to move, or any Mana left inside of him.


    He was not covered in blood like she did, but¡­


    "Ugh¡­"


    After using all those spells in such quick sessions, the kind of aftereffects he was experiencing was¨C were actually even worse than the worst pain he had experienced in this world until now.

 Chapter 33: Battle rewards

    The sky had been painted gold by the time he regained consciousness and somehow survived the hellish headache, internal pain, and the strange shivering of his muscles all over his body.


    "Haaa¡­"


    If it was not for the Mana recovery potions that were still left on him, and the help from his Mana, he might not even have been able to endure that kind of experience.


    He even had put down all of his remaining stat points into Endurance to survive that experience. The food they packed before departing from their inn helped him regain some energy as well.


    It was an experience more painful than when the Manawater slime injured him in the tutorial.


    And, he even earned some more Experience points from it.


    "Haaa¡­ you¡­ look like a mess."


    He was still tired though, so he somehow dragged his body to where she had been with the support of some tree branch that had beenying on the ground around him.


    "Look who''s talking¡­"


    She was still on the ground, covered in injuries and blood.


    "Haaa¡­"


    She looked at the upside down face of her partner while he looked at the miserable state that she was in.


    "There¡­ was no need¡­ for all this, you know?"


    "But this was fun, right? You were so amazing as well-."


    "Shut up, woman."


    She looked like a mess, but he did not have any energy to argue back against her. So, he justid down beside her.


    "It was so fun¡­"


    He was tired, while covered in wounds, she was smiling happily as if this was fun for her.


    "I''m not¡­ doing this again¡­"


    Seeing her like this was certainly not something liked or appreciated. She looked miserable and he felt guilty for that.


    Had he been stronger, or better even, she would not have been in this position.


    "Hahaha, of course we are doing this again. We will have to, actually. There will be opponents that we cannot avoid as we travel out of this town."


    The sky was prettier today.


    "You¡­ bi-."


    "Oy."


    His throat was still hurting after all the blood coughing he endured, so he could not speak properly just yet.


    On the other hand, though she did not look fine at all with all that blood on her body, she was practically still well.


    Just that she did not have any strength to get up and do anything yet¡­


    "Haaa."


    He wanted to curse at her, shout at her, scream at her and then, if possible, ask for her forgiveness.


    He did not like how he was so weak, but at this moment, the thing he did not like the most was the pathetic appearance of his partner.


    "Stay¡­ still¡­"


    He grabbed her wounded hand and intertwined their fingers.


    -Oooooooooooong!


    And then, he activated the healing skill of his bracelet {Light chain} on her.


    "There''s no need to use the skill for these small scratches dear."


    The smile on her face warmed up as she felt warmth spreading throughout her body starting from the hand he was holding.


    "They¡­ might be scratches¡­ for you, perhaps. But they look ugly on you."


    A thinyer of bright light covered her entire body as the wounds and bruises present all over her body started closing down and disappearing.


    The process was slow but warm, so even though it onlysted for a few minutes, she felt much more at ease from it than she might have even after taking a high level healing potion.


    "That''s a precious skill."


    She had felt healing skills before, but few were as gentle as this one.


    That healing light had a special warmth to it as well.


    "Yes¡­"


    Clouds moved with the winds and the sun moved beyond the horizon.


    The cheerful town would start bing busier as people would start moving to the streets for shopping and entertainment.


    The creatures of the forest will go to their dans and nests to spend their evening and night with their families.


    The night will approach shortly, and with it, the day of the nocturnal creatures would arrive as well.


    "We should get moving now."


    It was going to get cold here, so they had to start moving now if they wanted to make it to the town in time.


    "Give me a minute."


    They had stayed like that for around half an hour now so his throat was a little better now. But, he still needed a moment to get his mind and body in sync.


    "Haa¡­"


    The battle they fought was not easy. But at the end of it all, they came out victorious.


    "Do you want this essence?"


    As a reward of this battle, they got a skill essence of the Red Hob though it was not either of the three main skills it had.


    "I don''t think I will need¡­ the {Smash}. It''s better for those who use blunt weapons."


    The skill increased the force of any blunt weapon when smashing.


    It was a conditional skill from what the appraisal scroll revealed, so unless they did not have something that could be considered a blunt weapon and the action performed could be considered ''smashing'', the skill would not activate.


    "Hmmm. Then, I can have it, right?"


    "Sure. if you want."


    He didn''t think he was going to use weapons now that he had picked up magic. A Blunt weapon was a different thing altogether.


    The skill was better for someone who was ustomed to physical movements so he didn''t mind if she had it.


    "Thanks~."


    She seemed happy to have that simple skill. And he was happy to see her smile as well.


    Besides¡­


    [Ding.]


    [Level up!]


    [(Level-14) > (Level-21.]


    Thanks to all the Exp from defeating the monster that he received alone, his level had shot up considerably.


    The Level increase was pretty unbelievable, but they had just taken down a (Level-35) field boss. The increased Exp that he alone obtained obviously was no joke.


    He was happy with this much already, but they even received an achievement in the process.


    [Hunter Duo (Common) has been achieved!]


    They both receive the matching achievement for taking down a field boss of ten or more levels higher than them by themselves.


    It was the firstmon achievement both of them had received and though it was only amon achievement, it was a big thing for the two of them.


    "Alright. I''m fine now."


    As he got up after finally getting back to a good enough condition, he had a happy smile on his face.


    She was happy to receive another skill while he was happy with his level up.


    He was a little stronger now, and now that both of them were of the same level, they can finally share the Exp equally between themselves.


    "Though¡­"


    Since a while back, Elio knew that he had been forgetting something important.


    Something very important¡­


    He knew the thing was very important but he could not put his finger on it.


    "Is that Az?"


    "Right! Az! Where is Az?!"


    Thanks to her sudden confused voice though, he finally remembered how they had not seen Az even once ever since they sent it away to distract the Hob at the beginning of the battle.


    "There¡­"


    A sudden worry had overwhelmed him when the thought of something happening crossed his mind, but Alex just pointed at the distant entrance of the cave from where the Red Hob had walked out from.


    "Why does it look in such a hurry though?"


    Elio was a little relieved to see his little friend alive and fine but Alex was surprised by how Az was hurriedly jumping towards them.


    It seemed like it was running towards them¡­ or, perhaps, running away from something entirely different.

 Chapter 34: The cave

    They were surprised for a moment and from how the little slime was running at them, it seemed like someone or something was chasing it.


    "Muuuu! Muuuuu!"


    Thankfully that was not the case.


    "Az! Where were you?!"


    Elio was worried how it wasing out of the cave and looked worried.


    He could tell something was up just from that, but before he asked it for what was going on, he checked if the little one was hurt or anything.


    He checked its status window, then picked it up when it reached them after jumping while ''screaming'' and checked it around.


    Thankfully there was nothing that he needed to worry about so he finished his check up and looked at the slime with a worried expression.


    "What''s going on, Az? Did something happen?"


    "Muuuu! Muuuu!"


    The slime was shouting, trying to tell them something. And though they could not understand what it was saying, as the master of the slime, Elio could guess what it might be trying to tell them.


    "The cave? You want us to go into that cave?"


    "Muuuu!"


    The slime wanted them to go inside¡­ they never told it what to do after it distracted the creature so they thought it would just find a safe space ore back to Elio. But that did not happen.


    The slime just disappeared and they forgot about it in the moment¡­ which was not something he was proud of as its master.


    "Alright. Then, let''s go see¡­"


    They were wrapping things up anyway and were going to go check inside the cave for anything that might have been left behind by the yers that came to fight the Hob before them or something else.


    "Muuuu!"


    Alex had already finished storing the giant body of the creature inside her inventory and cleared the area.


    Nature would clear the mess they had left behind this time, so they did not have to worry about the craters and the pool of blood that was left behind.


    It was a natural fertilizer¡­ but not all blood from the creatures was the same.


    "Did it find some injured creature inside?"


    Alex spected the little slime might have found some injured creature that the Hob might have been saving forter.


    This specific slime was special and different from the other intelligent slimes and possessed a unique skill called {Emotions} so it might very well be worried about something that was inside.


    "If that''s the case¡­"


    And if there was some injured being in there, Elio couldn''t leave it alone.


    It needed help, and since they had the means to help it, they did not waste any more time, and ran straight to the cave.


    "Muuuu!"


    This cave was made on a cliff that was covered on three sides, so they always thought it would be a small ce with enough room inside for one creature.


    The boss monsters and field bosses were cursed existence that somehow repeated the same kind of life they had lived previously as if to be trapped in a time loop, so the hunters and yers must have already searched the ce.


    "It''s unexpectedly spacious¡­"


    They did not think the ce inside would be sorge.


    There was enough space for more than one of the Hobs to fit.


    It was practically like arge cave from inside. Though, it was still a closed off space with walls or a boundary on all sides.


    "Muuu! Muuu!"


    Or so they thought as well.


    "Muuuuu!"


    "You want us to go that way?"


    Az was pointing them somewhere, but they were reluctant to move to that ce.


    "Are you sure little one?" Even Alex did not want to go towards that ce.


    "Muuuuu!"


    This ce used to be the house of a field boss, a Red Hob, a creature that mostly ate meat.


    It hunted creatures and ate nearly everything that had meat.


    The rest of the materials from its prey? The Hob threw it all away in a corner and left it there to rot in a pit it had dug.


    "Guess we have no choice then."


    It was a creature that had be adapted to the contaminated air and the reason it had such a strong stench to it was also because of the trash which had ultimately be a pool of poison.


    It was not harmful to the Hob or something that did not have the same kind of organ system as them, but they sure were vulnerable to that poisonous mess filled with bones, skin, and god knows what different kinds of other things.


    "El, cover your face with this."


    "Ah, yes."


    Alex gave him a small scarf that had a purification enchantment attached to it so that they don''t get affected by the contaminated air around that corner and followed Az''s direction.


    "I don''t think there''s anything here man¡­"


    Alex did not have any good feelings about this.


    They might very well be walking into some trap or something, but at the very least, through this experience, they would be able to evaluate just what kind of creature their little friend actually was.


    "Muuuu!"


    "You want us to go around it?"


    "Muuu!"


    "But there''s just another pile of trash there¡­"


    "Muuuu!"


    Elio couldn''t help it when the little creature was insisting so much.


    They just believed in it, and walked around the pool of the amalgamation of the bodily elements, and around a pile of bones and skin of various creatures situated right behind the pool¡­ unexpectedly, they saw a dull light.


    "What''s that?"


    "It is something, alright~!"


    This time, though Elio was confused once again , just seeing this unexpected light excited Alex.


    "Muuuu! Muuuu!"


    And from the looks of it, it seemed like the little slime was also pointing them towards that dull light.


    "It''s behind the pile of bones¡­"


    The pile of bones was big as well and there was also only enough specs for a small creature like Az to pass through them.


    The only way they could clear this mess up was through clearing the bones. And, Alex found this to be the perfect opportunity to test her newly obtained skill.


    "Back off a little please."


    She took out the sheathed White sword she had always carried around with her but never used until now, and held it by the handle.


    It was a strange white sword that seemed unusual. But at the same time, old and interesting.


    "Huuu¡­"


    He didn''t know the lore behind that sword just yet or why she did not use it all this time, but since even right now, she was only using it while it was still inside its sheath, he could not help but be curious about it.


    -Swish.


    Anyway, she jumped up in the air, used the wall as a support to jump up once again, and then, holding the sword with both her hands, she smashed down with the sword.


    -Swiiiiiiish!


    -Booooooooom!


    She made sure to precisely aim for the ground in a way that it would not destroy this part of the cave or disturb the pool of mess that was on the ground.


    This was not something someone without experience could have pulled off, but she was a master.


    "Hmmm. This is unexpected¡­"


    Her attack cleared up the entire area and the bones were either thrown away into the pool of mess, or were all pushed back from the source of the blue dull light that they were seeing.


    "Muuuuu!"


    Az got excited seeing the cleared up space and jumped off from Elio''s arms.


    "What is it, Alex?"


    He couldn''t see what that light present inside a small cave was, so he also walked ahead at where she was standing and where Az had jumped off too¡­ and, he was surprised to see the scene before him as well.

 Chapter 35: Crystal gecko

    "Is that¡­"


    "It sure is."


    "But, how¡­?"


    What they were seeing before them right now could be described as a¡­ crystal.


    "Dunno how it got here but, it should not be here. That much I know for sure."


    This crystal that they were seeing before them was a precious Being.


    It was not some Mana gem that would be sold for hundreds of silver or even in gold. And it was not some rare kind of material that they could use to create some special item.


    "Muuuu! Muuuu!"


    It was a creature.


    A small creature made of crystals.


    "Do you know them, Az?"


    "Muuu~! Muuu!"


    Az seemed to be familiar with them. Elio could almost tell how the slime wanted to tell him the little creature was in fact its friend.


    "It seems to be suffering."


    "This environment is obviously not something their kind could survive in¡­ but then again, just the fact that they are above the surface is a concerning matter."


    Resembling a reptilian beast with a body madepletely out of crystals that contained condensed Mana, a small lizard-like creature only a size of their palmy in the small, Clean hole.


    Its light that should be brighter than what it was right now was fluctuating, indicating the danger the creature was in.


    "We have to get it out of there first-."


    "Don''t be stupid."


    A unique Mana-beast and creature found only deep within some special underground dungeons¨C [Crystal gecko].


    A beast that possessed condensed Mana inside of its body, something that Humans who weren''t that sensitive to Mana mostly failed to understand the seriousness of.


    "You touch that creature and you will get (Mana poisoning). You might die within minutes if the Mana inside of you goes berserk."


    In general, they weren''t aggressive or harmful beasts. But their mere constitution that was deadly to any ''weak'' being not possessing Mana circting powers, or someone with ''weak'' Mana circting powers made them a kind that the yers did not get involved with when they were inside of a dungeon.


    Outside the dungeon, these creatures were only seen as essories and materials since most of the time, they were dead when found outside of their natural habitat.


    But that was not the case with this one.


    "We can''t just leave it like that though! Don''t you see it''s in pain?!"


    He was worried about the creature while his own life would be on the line by merely getting in contact with it.


    "You dumbass¡­"


    She could see the creature was suffering, and she could also see the chances of it surviving were pretty low.


    If they were just a littlete, this creature would be dead already and the only thing they would be seeing instead of a creature, would be Materialized Mana crystals that appear after these creatures die.


    There was no way to save it in the first ce since they did not know what was up with this creature, so there was no need to risk their lives.


    Death penalty was an entirely natural day in <NO> so, not being able to log in for three days after experiencing this amazing world was just¡­ bad.


    "You can stay away if you want."


    He didn''t wait for anything else and picked up the little creature in his palms.


    "Muuuu!"


    Az was fine on its own so it jumped ahead of them and the three, along with a fourth one, left the cave and walked a little away from the area where they had fought with the giant creature.


    "Ughhh¡­"


    He had just experienced and survived a near death experience caused by his excessive Mana usage with his inexperienced body, so at least by the time they reached outside and found a ce to ce the creature down, he was able to endure the pain caused by the dimming Mana of the gecko.


    "Haaa¡­ try wasting the excess Mana with some spells. It should help."


    The status abnormality people with Mana get from getting in contact with this creature made their Mana gathering rate abnormally higher.


    The excess Mana that one umtes in their body might result in a dangerous condition called (Mana overdrive) and the kind of pain this condition brings¨C before it makes the physical body of the yers or natives explode¨C was widely infamous.


    -Oooooooooong!


    Thankfully, he did not fall to that state and was able to calm down the poisoning debuff with some Very expensive potions and her help.


    But, the risk had not ended yet.


    "What can we even do for it, El?"


    The creature was still suffering¡­ and to her demise, this little lizard was abnormally attractive.


    "..."


    Elio was not some altruistic saint but he was just crazy for pretty things and the things that he somehow found attractive.


    She knew how obsessed he was with the things that caught his attention. And just looking at the sad look he had as he looked at the suffering creature, she knew he would be heartbroken when he understands there are some things that they just could not do anything about.


    "We at least have to do something, right?!"


    He was getting angry, but that was just his helplessness shouting.


    "What do you wanna do then?"


    He was in a position where she knew her words would not reach him. That''s why she just wanted to let him go through this experience.


    "..."


    He knew about these creatures and he knew they weren''t the same as physical creatures.


    Potions were not going to work on them.


    The spells were out of question as well since the thing happening with them was not rted to debuffs but an actual Physical condition.


    -Ooooooooooong!


    He did not know what to do in that situation, but at least, he had to try something. So, he used the item on his waist, the healing skill that had helped Alex a while ago.


    "Elio¡­"


    It was a healing skill that healed wounds. Not something that cured physical abnormalities¡­ only a (tier-3) or higher level Grace spell that cleanses physical conditions could do it¡­ or a skill with the same effects.


    "It''s not working. Why is it not working?!"


    He tried using his magic, and he emptied both his energy and Mana to help the creature, but there was no effect.


    The sun was setting down on the horizon and the light of the creature was getting dimmer and dimmer.


    "This¡­ is not working either¡­"


    As time passed, the look on him darkened so much that it became her first time seeing him in this kind of condition.


    It¡­ seemed like he would break at any moment now.


    "Why do you want to save it so badly? Even if you save it, you know you cannot keep it, right?"


    The creature itself was nothing like some endangered species. yers kill them with different tactics to get the special Mana crystals that appear after they die.


    She herself had killed countless of its kind.


    This one was just a baby as well so what they could get from it wasn''t much. There was no reason for her to save it just because he wanted it.


    And besides¡­ he needed to learn some lessons before they move out of this starter town.


    "...Az found it."


    He looked up at her, knowing full well she was deliberately holding back even though she could help the creature.


    "Az said the gecko is its friend¡­ so¡­ wouldn''t it be sad if its friend dies?"


    "..."


    She wanted to curse at him for saying that kind of stupid nonsense.


    ''A slime will be sad?''


    What the hell kind of statement even was that?


    They were talking about the lowliest kind of creatures of this world!


    "Muu¡­"


    She looked at the little slime that was looking at the creature without moving.


    It seemed to be concerned- even though it was a slime- and though she wanted to believe it was just her imagination- she could somehow also tell the little creature would be sad if the gecko dies.


    "What the fudge¡­"


    The sad, broken look he had and the sad, broken look Az might have would directly be due to her inactions.


    "Haaa¡­"


    She could not help it. He was on the verge of crying now.


    "You owe me, Elio."


    The way to treat this one required a special kind of magic scroll, which she did not have. So, instead, she had no choice but to use one that might have been useful for a more meaningful task.


    "...wait. Why are you taking that one out?"


    Unlike the other scrolls that were mostly only skin or brown colored parchment papers, this one was a metallic golden te with not magic scrolls, but inscriptions carved on it.


    "Use this."


    Elio was shocked just seeing this thing in her hands right now.


    But, she was telling him to use something like that in this situation¡­ which, even to someone who desperately wanted to save the little creature, was an absurd suggestion.

 Chapter 36: Spell tome

    If the magic scrolls are items that the regr yers only keep to use in the emergencies, there were some unique items like the scrolls that the guilds or bigger yer groups used in times of necessity.


    These items contained powerful spells or could do things that the yers normally cannot, and the thing that she handed him was one of those unique things.


    "It has a (tier-5) Grace spell of light and water attribute, (Pearl Cleanse). We can use it three times a month, so¡­ don''t ask for something like this again."


    A spell tome- an object that has a certain kind of powerful spell engraved on it which could be used multiple times.


    Though, they weren''t items that one could find just anywhere.


    "Alex¡­"


    Any spell above the (tier-4) was considered a high-level spell. And, since the tomes were scarce items that were used to contain powerful spells, they were mostly only used to store destructive spells or barrier spells or restrictive spells.


    One cannot find many of these tomes containing a healing spell, specifically one that cleansed physical ailments was a near impossible thing even in this age.


    "Thanks."


    He knew as a special high level yer who had traveled one of the most among the existing yers of this world, she possessed things that not even some of the rankers knew the existence of.


    She was just a logical person that did not see the worth of helping a creature like this one, and yet she was giving a precious item to him.


    "Huuuu¡­"


    He was grateful for her help. Their rtionship and this game had nothing to do with each other so it was perfectly fine that she wanted to keep her things to herself.


    But, she was helping him for his stubborn and dumb request.


    "Muuuu!"


    And he was thankful for that.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    He used his Aura to activate the item, and since his Aura was only needed for activation, he did not die of excessive Mana drain.


    He was still a beginner and did not know much about magic just yet, so he did not have even a fourth of Mana required to cast a spell of this level.


    If he had tried to use something like this while he was still far from being strong enough, he would have died instantly.


    But since spell tomes gathered the required Mana for the spell''s activation from their surroundings, anyone who could activate it could use these objects.


    -Oooooooooooooong!


    When activated, the verses on the spell tome lit up first, and after each of the words in that unknownnguage were glowing with the arcanian light, the tome itself started glowing up as Mana from all over its surrounding started being sucked towards it.


    -Zaaaaaa!


    A magic circle unlike anything Elio had seen in the book they studied a while ago materialized on top of the spell tome¡­


    "Aim the spell right!"


    He had to hold the time with both his hands because of how it was vibrating. His grip on the tome was almost the same as the grip of someone hanging by thest thread of hope.


    -Ooooooooooong!


    He had aimed the magic at the little creature and though suffering, the creature''s open eyes could see how this person, this unknown being was doing something with that strange object.


    The creature did not know what was going on here, but¡­ it did not have any strength to even move, much less do something to avoid what was going on here.


    "Now!"


    The spell circle that finally materialized was three times the size of the magic circles that Elio had used until now.


    It was even bigger than the spell circles that appear after using the magic scrolls.


    -ZAAAAAA¡­!


    Even for a (tier-5) spell, the spell that they were seeing was moreplex and detailed¨C and there was something ancient to it. Something that the magic of today could notpare to.


    "Muuuuuuuuu!"


    The spell that was created somehow produced a condensed fluid in the air right before the creature on the ground, and¡­ when the golden drop that resembled the mythic heavenly elixir touched the now nearly lightless body of the gecko, a new golden light exploded!


    -OOOOOOOOOONG!


    -SWIIIIIIISH¡­!


    Winds started blowing from all directions with them in the center but they did not touch them, for some reason.


    The lightless creature that seemed to be on the verge of death slowly regained its light, and the blue light inside of it started growing brighter!


    The golden light that had exploded had illuminated arge part of the forest around them. And in the evening of twilight, this golden light seemed like the second sun to the creatures of nature.


    "SHCEEEEEEE!"


    -Thudam! Thudam! Thudam!


    Surely there was a distress all around the forest with some creatures running away from the sudden light, afraid of its mere existence. While some nocturnal creatures that were just bing active were somehow attracted to this strange light.


    -Ooooooooong¡­


    However, at the end, the creatures could not find the source of this light since it onlysted for a few moments before disappearingpletely, leaving the four of them¡­ as well as the small crystal gecko that had regained all its light¨C and had obtained golden spots all over its body in addition.


    "Miu?"


    The creature did not know what had just happened, however, it could surely open its eyes once again.


    "Miu!"


    It did not feel the pain that had overwhelmed it just a moment ago, and now it was suddenly feeling all better.


    Additionally, it strangely also felt something new that it had never felt before. But, it was still unknown to it.


    "Muuuuuuuu!"


    Seeing the now fine creature, Az jumped up excitedly and reached the little gecko.


    It seemed happy to see the little creature with that bright smile.


    "Miu!"


    And, somehow, the gecko was also excited to see the little slime.


    "Miu!"


    "Muuuu!"


    The smile on the gecko''s face had widened and be even more brighter after seeing Az. And, as Elio could feel, his familiar creature was the happiest he had ever seen it.


    "See?"


    The interaction of the two creatures was a special sight, even to someone who had been in this world for almost a decade now.


    "You were right."


    Alex could not help but sigh with a helpless smile on her face as she epted the spell tome back from her partner.


    He was right this time as well.


    If she had let the little creature¨C Az''s little friend¨C just suffer and die like that, the slime that she liked so much must have been sad.


    She didn''t even know what might be of it if the sadness of losing its friend right before its eyes helplessly had stayed with it for long.


    Unlike Elio, the slime was not a human but a creature of nature. It might possess Emotions, but they were not asplex as what the humans did.


    It was merely a tamed beast, one that could also use Mana and magic so, there was no telling what it might have ended up doing had it lost its friend because of her inactions.


    "Muuuu~."


    "Miu!"


    Well, things turned out well at the end. And now the two friends were happily greeting one another.


    "Anyway, what are those golden dots?"


    Now, if she could only get the answer to that, she would be able to go back to the town with a peaceful mind.

 Chapter 37: Commotion in the town

    [You have seeded in helping a helpless creature in a dire situation! Rewarding Exp!]


    [You have sessfully healed a Mana beast: Arun crystal Gecko from a deadly condition! Due to the title <Merciful tamer> the beast will look up to you favorably!]


    [For dealing with a crisis within your family and seeing the situation through to a positive end, a title effect will be added to the <Merciful tamer>.]


    [Ding!]


    ============


    <Merciful tamer>


    Effect 1: Increased familiarity with tamable beasts.


    Effect 2: Tamed creatures and friendly species will be attracted to you.


    Effect 3: The title will grow with the user.


    Additional effect #1: Every time you save a tamed beast from a dire situation, three stat points will be distributed randomly.


    ============


    "I didn''t even do anything¡­"


    Elio was a little sad to see these rewards when he had not done anything here in the first ce. And just like him, Alex was feeling a little guilty after receiving rewards that she did not deserve.


    "I got anothermon achievement, and the free Exp pushed me to (Level-22)."


    She did not want to help this little creature, but now that things had turned out like this, she was at least happy to see the brightly shining creature.


    "It is almost night, so it seems like we will have to go see the guard captain first before we have dinner."


    "I''m starving already¡­"


    She did not understand it before, but after using an appraisal scroll on the creature and searching through her personal [Data gallery] she finally found out the reason there were those golden dots present all over the gecko.


    "First a Mana slime and now a mutant. You should just be a tamer at this point instead of a mage or some kind of artist."


    "Miu!"


    "Muuuu~!"


    They were preparing to go back to the town now and the crystal gecko that they had saved was going to apany them¡­ though, since the light it produced attracted a lot of attention, the gecko would be traveling inside of its friend, the slime.


    "Haha, I don''t want to be anything specific anyway. The ss will just get in the way."


    In the first ce, he was happy with how things were right now. He did not want anything more, or anything moreplicated.


    "Haaa¡­"


    Since the slime itself was a translucent Mana creature, the light from the gecko did not get out of the slime.


    The small creature inside of the smaller creature seemed just like a normal gecko. And, since the gecko was also a Mana creature that was essentially also made of crystals, it did not need to breathe or eat like they did.


    "Miu!"


    Since it was inside of Az, they could carry both of them around and there was no threat of Mana poisoning. And since the creature was a mutant, a special one among its kind, it was also pretty intelligent.


    "I guess you don''t know where your home is then, hun?"


    Somehow, after the creature was back to normal, it had started acting friendly towards him.


    It wasn''t just because Elio had saved it, but it seemed like the gecko had been excited to meet him since a while ago.


    It was smart and, after he received the messages about the addition of a new effect to his title, he also received notification about how this little creature wanted to be ''friends'' with him.


    System obviously ssified it as him taming the creature, but Elio knew this was a little more than that.


    "Muuuu!"


    Now, both the little creatures were excited to go back and Az seemed to be looking forward to showing his friend the new things outside of this forest, or the messy trash ce where they had found it.


    "Shall we?"


    They were too deep inside the forest now, and it would have taken them half a day to get back to the town. Which was not a good idea when the sun was down.


    "Yes."


    So, they were going to use a return scroll to the town.


    "Let''s go, you two."


    Elio picked up his two friends in one hand while wrapping his other hand around his partner''s waist as he kissed her neck.


    "...?!"


    Which was of course out of the blue, and Not something she was expecting.


    "Thanks."


    But from that soft voice, and that hand around her, she understood the sincerity this boy of hers wanted to convey.


    "As I said, you owe me one now."


    -Oooooooooooong!


    She used a group return scroll and the four of them vanished from the forest¨C reappearing all the way into the center of the town, in the main za where Elio had appeared when he first arrived in this town.


    "Let''s go quickly see that guard captain. I''m starving~."


    She was tired after all that they did today and wanted to have a nice long sleep with her beloved, however¡­


    "Hmm? What''s happening here?"


    When they appeared in the za, they did not find the kind of public that they usually do.


    In the distance, even the stalls seemed to be empty for some reason.


    Many of the stalls even seemed to bepletely empty¨C as if they were sold out already.


    "Did something happen?"


    There was an eerie quietness in the atmosphere around them¡­ but at the same time, they could hear the distant murmurs of arge crowd.


    "Let''s go."


    Alex knew the feeling they had right now.


    As a veteran yer, she recognized this quietness, these distant noises, this familiar sight of empty za at such an hour.


    She knew instantly what might be happening and where they needed to be, so she grabbed his hand and ran straight towards the town hall, the main building of any town of any state structure of this world.


    "Yes, I know!"


    "I was in the mages tower at that time!"


    "The mages there suddenly acted like that dude! I was buying some stuff and the mage suddenly screamed on my face!"


    "Did you hear? They say there are some kind of strange movements in the forest now."


    "I knew it¡­ I knew it! This is all because of that nightmare! I knew it was real!"


    When they reached the town hall, the majority of the yers of this town had gathered here.


    The guards were here as well and along with them, the few knights present in the city, along with the experienced mages who could use (tier-3) and even (tier-4) spells, along with the important people of various organizations, and even the most important person in this entire town¨C the mayor.


    "Well, wow¡­"


    The two of them had onlye here to look for the guard captain, but now that they were seeing this sight¡­ they knew something even more interesting than a simple question was going to unfold here.


    "What''s going on here¡­?"


    But Elio was still confused right now.


    He did not know what was happening and aside from knowing this was a precursor to a Town-level quest, he certainly was oblivious to everything going on in this za.


    { "Foreigners and protectors of Moongold." }


    The others did not know exactly what was going on either, but now that the highest authority of this town, the mayor himself had spoken up¡­ they knew they were going to find out what was going on soon.

 Chapter 38: Town quest

    { "Some happenings in the great forest had been concerning us for a few days now, however, despite our investigations, we had not found anything that could threaten the safety and integrity of our Moongold." }


    The town mayor, Rnd Lan Hunter, was around a forty year old man that had a sharp face, a thick mustache and among all the people present in this za, only he was dressed like a proper high standing person.


    His appearance was distinct from the other natives of this world, it was Elio''s first time seeing someone as unique as him ever since he came here.


    { "The rumors of a ''nightmare'' being present in the forest was but a rumor, and the individuals that caused trouble for the other foreigners will be investigated as we find more concrete evidence of their alleged actions." }


    His hair was blue, even his mustache was. His eyes on the other hand were deep green¡­ the people could see a unique faint glow inside them as well but, they did not think much of it.


    Just the way he was dressed made him seem intimidating and since all the individuals present here knew about his status, they could not help but look up to the person chosen by the great lord that governs this entire northwesternnds of the great kingdom this town was ultimately part of.


    { "However, we face a greater threat today and I want all of you to hear us out in this grave time of urgency." }


    There was a unique seriousness in his eyes, and even though Alex and Elio had just arrived here, both of them could guess what all of this was about.


    "They are talking about a light."


    "I think you''re thinking the same thing as me."


    Elio didn''t need many details to know the light that alerted the mages of the magic towering from the forest was in fact the same light that was sparked when they used the spell tome to heal the little gecko.


    "Then¡­ is this because of us?"


    He looked up at the Mayor, the highest authority of this town that possessed greater charisma than anyone else in this za.


    He was a simple human, not a mage or a knight, and yet the kind of aura that this person had stood out even when the strong knights and mages of the magic tower were all present in the same za as them.


    "I¡­ don''t think that''s all."


    Alex was thinking about a certain thing since earlier¡­


    "You see how they are talking about this ''nightmare'' thing?"


    Elio looked at her while the Mayor had paused to take a look at the people who had gathered at his urgent notice.


    There was a certain confusion on her face, a kind of expression that was confused about something deeper than what met to one''s eyes.


    "You mean¡­ you''re not the nightmare they have been talking about?"


    "Um-hun."


    She was confused how even though she only beat up a few people, there was so muchmotion happening about some kind of nightmare being present in the hunting forest.


    It was the biggest hunting area of this town so even though she had wiped out every single kind of creature of this forest at least once in her half a month she had been here, she did not engage with the other people much.


    The most she had done was to teach a lesson to the thugs that she sent to the prison, and deal with a bunch of nobodies that would not have such a profound impact on a town as great as this one.


    Her actions had always been calcted so she would not be the center of a rumor as widespread as this one. So¡­


    Something else was definitely the cause of these rumors.


    And, this same something must also be the reason why a field boss that should always be fighting with the yers had been living such ax life, or why a creature as unique as their new gecko friend was suffering inside the cave of a dirty Hob.


    "Let''s see¡­"


    This whole situation was unexpected as well since just a bright light inside the forest that one could not say for certain belonged to a (tier-5) unique magic of a lost civilization, would not attract this much attention from the mages.


    And, ultimately, as she knew, the mayor of this town was one of the most qualified people in the northwest.


    He would not gather almost all the yers and just the most elite forces avable in the town for something as simple as a bright light of an unknown origin or a or, for some rumored nightmare''s investigation.


    "He should exin the situation now."


    With aplicated look, she looked up at the mayor and, though worried about his new friend, he also focused on the Mayor.


    However¡­ what the mayor revealed next shocked not just him or her, but to nearly all yers currently present in this za.


    { "We have confirmed that a dungeon of our territory- the Deep Cave of Arrbo, has fallen into the hands of a dark magician." }


    "...what?"


    "Hun?"


    "Hunnn???"


    "A Dark magician?!"


    "Wait!? What?!"


    This new revtion came as the most unexpected news to the new yers who had just joined this game or had always been a resident of this town.


    "It all makes sense now¡­"


    Alex joined the pieces together from that simple piece of information and knew exactly what was going on right now, as well as how their simple time in this town was going to be a little more exciting than what she had expected.


    { "It is shocking news, I understand as well. However, some of our bravest and most talented friends lost their lives to confirm this information. And I do not want their sacrifice to be in vain." }


    As all yers familiar with the world of <New origin> knew¡­ as every single person who knew about the [Six Main scenarios] knew, the name ''Dark'' magician was not something as simple as someone who used dark magic.


    The dark magicians of this world were the same as what one would understand as ''Demons'' of the underworld.


    They were entities far beyond the simple mages, and were worshipers of evil beings¨C not demons, but evil beings who had nothing but evil in them.


    { "Additionally, the mages of magic tower unanimously sensed a great explosion of dark magic in the northern part of the forest." }


    The northern part waspletely on the opposite side from where the two of them had been when they used the magic tome to cure the gecko.


    { "And just now¡­ we confirmed that the dark mage would soon initiate an assault on Our Moongold!" }


    There was a great anger in the calm eyes of the Mayor that every yer present in the vicinity could feel right on their skins.


    "This is unexpected¡­"


    But this very situation sent a smirk on Her face.


    { "Thus¡­ I ask for your great help, foreigners." }


    [Ding!]


    There were many types of quests in <NO> but the one that she liked the most was not where one had to fight a strong opponent.


    No¡­


    There were many strong opponents present in this world already that were beyond anyone''s imagination.


    And she was well familiar with them.


    [A unique Regional-quest has been issued!]


    She had already fought many unfathomable creatures and ones that she could not defeat even with her strength. So she was not interested in them that much.


    "Alex?"


    What interested her, though, were therge-scale quests that had a boss monster that one needed arge group of people or an army to take care of¡­


    "Looks like we will have to finish the dinner quickly, El darling."


    She loved these kinds of quests.


    And, she loved doing crazy things during these already crazy kinds of event quests.

 Chapter 39: The dark mages

    ============


    [Regional Quest: ]


    : Town Mayor of the Moongold town, Rnd Lan Hunter has confirmed the presence of a dark magician, a worshiper of evil, in the surrounding great forest.


    Many talented individuals sacrificed their lives to bring the existence of evil to light andter this evening, the Mayor confirmed that the dark magician had raised an army of dark creatures in the dungeon: Deep Cave of Arrbo.


    As a threat to humanity and all creations of nature, the dark magicians are the cancer of this world.


    Their forces had once seeded in taking over the world however, with the great efforts of the heroes of this world- The Guardians, their adavent was stopped in its wake.


    However, remnants of their forces still exist throughout the world and one has appeared in the Moongold town.


    Objective: Help Town Mayor Rnd Lan Hunter in the subjugation of the Dark magician''s hideout.


    Reward: Achievement [Defenders of the town (Common)], Increased familiarity with Town Mayor depending on the contribution. (Additional rewards will be given based on the Quest contribution.)


    Failure conditions: 1) Death of Town Mayor. 2) Fall of Moongold town. 3) If any of the Dark Mage''s minions sessfully kill a certain Important individual, the quest will be considered a failure.


    ============


    "What do they mean by a certain ''important'' individual?"


    Elio ate his dinner with a calm expression- in the real world- as he looked at his partner for any kind of reply.


    However, she was busy surfing through the <NO>munity database for the answer to the very question he was asking her.


    "I have six candidates in mind for now."


    She was eating her finely made dish- which was made with some kind of gravy and some kind of meat base that Elio did not understand at all- with one hand with a spork instead of proper utensils while surfing through the three hologram screens before her.


    The bracelet-like device that she was wearing was glowing as it produced these floating windows and even though it seemed pretty unbelievable, the way she was going through such information at such speed, was just another normal sight to her partner.


    "This important person might just be Mayor, obviously. And if not him, it could be either his wife or his daughter.


    The quest specified it''s only a single individual so we should believe that it''s only one person for now.


    If not them, it could be the Librarian of the great library, but I don''t think that person will bother with a single dark mage when he has the history of ying entire legions of those bastards.


    Aside from all of them, the prime candidates that might be the person specified in this quest would be either someone visiblypletely unrted to the quest that might somehow affect the [Grand Flow] of this world in a twisted way, or it could be someone that is closely connected to this whole incident."


    With her research on the Moongold town, she had confirmed that throughout history, there had never been any incident like this where a single dark mage would have aimed for this rather simple town.


    The only attractive thing in this town was the great library and even that ce wasn''t as attractive to those crazy bastards as the greaterds even closer to nature.


    The dark mages by nature were bad people that were considered one of the main antagonistic forces of this world and one of the forces that had been the central theme of the Third Main Scenario.


    They followed evil and though they came from all walks of life and had all kinds of various powers, in a simpler manner, they were individuals who had gained powers from the evil after giving their entire existence to their great cause¨C the ultimate destruction of this nature.


    Though they were once simple mortal beings that livedmon lives in their societies and cultures, after bing a Dark Magician and falling to the darkness, they gained the power of Darkness¡ª something far different and far more evil than the pure element of darkness.


    "The Merchant who sells fabric on the third street, the vegetable shop owner that has a stall in the central street left to the central za, the guard captain, a mage named Lox, A certain silver cat that people have spotted around the back allies of the west side, andstly¨C the oldest yer who has been in this town, ID: Aloha."


    ording to her, these six people were the ones who somehow were the ''Important'' individuals mentioned in the quest.


    And she surely had her reasons to believe why they would be so important that the system would consider one of their deaths as serious as a failure condition to a Regional quest.


    "Hmmm¡­ well, we are already deep into this anyway so avoiding this is not an option anymore."


    "No shit man. Who knew the guard captain would ask us to join the guards'' reconnaissance unit with him."


    When the Mayor had finished announcing the quest and the yers went haywire with excitement of the kind of amazing rewards the quest was offering.


    They went away to start preparing for going out and many even went out to call their guilds and groups.


    The mayor had suggested that they first gather information on the situation and select the individuals that will go to the dungeon and the ones who will guard the town gates so there was a festive atmosphere among the yers.


    And in the middle of it all, a guard informed them that the guard captain was looking for them.


    "He was surprised by the sudden level increase. Who knew he might also guess the ones behind that light of the (tier-5) spell was in fact us?"


    "Nah nah. Don''t give him that much credit. He didn''t really know it, he was just asking us if it was us¡­ your expression gave it all away, hump."


    Ultimately, they would now have to pay a fine and meet with the mayor to give him a letter of apology as a formality, which wasn''t really good for a yer in their position.


    They were a big reason behind the distress in the town so he wouldn''t be happy to meet the people who used a high level spell in such a small ce.


    A (tier-5) spell that could produce such strong light would logically be a destructive spell and there was no creature, not even a field boss that could handle a destructive spell of that level in this area.


    He might have first logically suspected them to be connected with the dark mage, but thanks to the guard captain''s offer to join the recon team, they will have a presentable image to the mayor.


    "Still¡­ to think he would vouch for us after meeting us just once."


    "He seems to have high expectations of us even after all this."


    They did not know what the guard captain saw in them to go to such lengths for them, but thanks to him, they were now going to go ahead and check out the dungeon and the forces of the dark mage before the others.


    Elio found it pretty uncertain and also pretty concerning, but since Alex was so excited about all this, he was happy to observe her excited state, and the way she reacts when she is serious about something as well.

 Chapter 40: The Recon team

    Struck with the sudden news of the presence of the Dark mage, the entire town became worried and by the night time, everything had be dead quiet.


    The streets were empty, the lights all around the cheerful town were dim, there were no children ying around the town, and there were not even any people on the streets tonight.


    There were lights of the streets illuminating the now empty streets, some bars were still open but there was no noise around.


    The presence of a single dark mage was so great that an entire town had fallen quite even before the arrival of their forces.


    People were worried, there was a certain pressure in the air around the town, and even the yers who were not interested in fighting were all hiding in their houses and inns.


    "We will depart shortly. Get ready, all of you."


    The town''s mage tower had sent their best mages, while the knights of the town had also gathered to take down the evil mage.


    A lot of people had gathered in the central za now, and various teams were preparing for their missions under themands of the group captains.


    [{ "Since this is only a beginner town, I think the Dark mage will be higher than (Level-60) but not more than (Level-100)." }]


    [{ "But isn''t that too much already?" }]


    The Moongold town was bigger than many of the beginner towns, but the overallbat power of the town was still not that great.


    There were only around fifty mages from the mage''s tower that could fight in a battle like this one, there were only six proper knights that could use the power of (Aura) among the elites, and the guard captain was the only person here that was (Level-75), the highest level among the natives of the town.


    Even the knights were only around level sixty and though the Mayor was a capable person, he was also only around (Level-60).


    The guard captain was mainly in charge of keeping the city free of the thugs and bastards and dealing with the excess monsters, and since he was in charge of the other guards, he was also a good leader.


    "Hey¡­ themunity forums¡­"


    "I saw that. And it makes a lot of sense, you know?"


    "The people in charge of these people have to do a good job. Elder Fin was worried about the town and his family."


    "This town has given us a lot already. We better protect them well."


    [{ "We should be able to deal with someone lower than (Level-100) with this much force. Besides, there might be many high level minions and dark creatures with that mage. We don''t know pretty much anything about their forces." }]


    [{ "I guess that''s why this Recon team is so important." }]


    In the entire town, aside from the head of the mages'' tower and the Librarian, only the guard captain was the one known to possess the highest level.


    Not even the knights that train their bodies to the limits or the experienced mages who can cast many (tier-3) magic spells effortlessly had a level as high as him.


    It was actually unusual since the upper level limits of the natives of a small ce like this one was in the lower sixties.


    Meeting someone with such a higher level was a rare thing, and that uniqueness was one of the reasons she had counted the guard captain as one of the candidates for the important people.


    But that was not the only reason she had spected him to be one of the important people candidates.


    "Who are they though¡­? I know the people in charge of the other five but, who are those two? How did they get so close to the guard captain?"


    "Shhhhh. Don''t you know her? She''s the one who beat up the Pus party."


    "They say the one with her is her boyfriend or something and they met the guard captain just yesterday for the first time¨C actually, I''ve heard that the boy with her was only a newbie (Level-13) just until yesterday."


    There were various leading groups or yers that were now guarding the six people she had spected to be the one mentioned in the quest. And most of these people were higher than (Level-35).


    Some were even members of big guilds and were higher than (Level-40).


    [{ "Recon is important. Information is a very important factor of this kind of quests." }]


    The average level of the yer in this town or in any town was around (Level-30).


    People left for the cities when they reached around (Level-40) to get a ss or to learn more about the things that they were interested in.


    The high level yers who had not chosen the town as their starter town or had already registered some other ce as their residential affiliation weren''t permitted in the beginner town so even if the (Achievement hoarders) wanted to get here, they were all restricted by the system.


    This was the quest for the beginner yers of this town and the residents, so there was no need for outside interference.


    [{ "Let''s do our best on this Recon mission then~." }]


    [{ "Haha, of course." }]


    The oldest yer that was here since the beginning of this game was the owner of the most famous salon of this town. A respected elder who spent most of her days doing what she liked.


    She surely was the only yer in the town to be over (Level-100) but she did not fight. And she never wanted to either.


    Alex had her reasons to believe how her death might also affect the quest in some manner¨C but just like Elio, the other yers did not understand it.


    She was a yer at the end, and she would revive even if she died. There was no reason for a dark mage to aim for someone like her¨C but the viralmunity post that Alex had made exined her reasons in such a believable manner that even though there was no solid proof of her ims, the yers had no other choice but to pay attention to it.


    "The Recon team will depart now! All members! Gather at the west gate!"


    There were various people now assigned to these people, and most of them were from influential parties or guilds or groups that the other yers did not want to mess with.


    This was a quest and this was a chance for them to earn an achievement, extra rewards, favor of the Mayor, and even affection of the town folks.


    They could not miss this chance¡­ and even though many had their doubts, they did not mess with the girl and boy who were in the Recon team with the guard captain and a few other higher level yers.


    All the yers could tell the ones closest to the guard captain right now were the two of them, and they were also working closely with the natives.


    Many yers did not like it, many from their group also were the same, but they couldn''t do anything about that anymore.


    The operation was starting now that the Recon team had departed¡­ and the mages could sense already, the evil was closing in.


    They had to get started now.

 Chapter 41: The night forest

    The forest at night.


    A forest filled with dangerous creatures.


    Filled with creepy night noises.


    Filled with predators of night that wait for their prey and hunt them with their unique powers.


    The great forest near the Moongold town was one of the ces that people, even yers, avoided at night since the main creatures that give good Exp were all mostly only daytime creatures.


    They avoided the night forest mainly because of the night and the presence of the dangerous creatures that were more adapted to the darkness than the yers and the natives.


    Only a few people and yers wandered through the forest at night and knew the paths that one needed to take to reach certain ces.


    Alex was not one of them¨C she did not mind day or night as long as there was something to hunt in a hunting ground but still, she had only been here for a few weeks.


    She should not have known about the night paths that one needed to avoid the creatures of the night that would attack the yers or the group at these hours.


    There was a certain kind of creature in this ce called (Mantis bat),a nocturnal creature that especially enjoyed the human meat, but they were territorial creatures and did note out of their houses even if they were driven out by the external forces.


    Unless one intruded into their areas, they were pretty useful creatures that the guards had used many times.


    They were experienced with this ce, but even they did not know what might have happened to the forest after the dark mage''s intrusion.


    They were going to take it seriously and be careful with each of their movements.


    -Swissssssssh¡­


    The Recon teams were divided into three parties with each party having no more than nine individuals.


    They needed to avoid the fights or any kind of external interaction as much as possible and since they were only the recon team that knew what they were doing here, they had to avoid the eyes of the minions of evil and the dark creatures that the mages could feel the presence of.


    They were going to be as covert and stealthy as possible, that was one of the reasons the guard captain had chosen not the high level yers that were strong, but the rtively lower level yers that knew how to move through the terrain.


    The main reason he recruited Alex was certainly because of how good and unique hse was with her strength control.


    If she could beat up people tens of levels higher than her and even had some way to possess items containing strong spells, she was indeed an invaluable key to the operation.


    And, though he had not thought there was anything special about Elio at first, the fact that he was carrying around a Mana slime during their first meeting and then a Mana beast during their second meeting certainly made him even more special than the girl he was with.


    Additionally, if the two of them were able to deal with the Red Hob as they had reported to them, he knew they were capable of much more than what he had expected.


    He wanted to give them some tasks to test them out, but this happened out of the blue and somehow, both of them were closely connected with this incident.


    [{ "Area 3A." }]


    [{ "Wait for team-3. Team-2 will wait in Area 3B." }]


    He was gambling by taking them on the recon mission, and he was gambling even more by taking responsibility for both of them¡­ he knew the chances of getting something in return were small, but that was just how gambles were.


    Sometimes you get something, sometimes you get something good, sometimes you get fucked over, and sometimes you hit a jackpot.


    [{ "Team-3. Arriving in area 3A." }]


    And his gamble this time had hit the jackpot.


    [{ "Reporting surveince from Area 3B." }]


    The girl that he thought was merely a strong foreigner was in fact an experienced leader- one even better than someone like him who had decades of experience.


    She asked him if she could take charge of the teams all by herself and exined to him an unorthodox method that he was impressed by just listening to.


    She suggested that she would take theplete charge of the situation, take charge of all three teams, and assign one ''captain'' each team.


    These captains will ry hermands to the rest of the teams, and follow her instructions.


    They will do as she says, and she exined to him in detail how by doing the things that she was suggesting, by taking the paths that she was suggesting, and by following her instructions¨C they could avoid any manner of fighting and directly reach their target area for the surveince.


    The way she assured him that they can do this without any kind of loss or any kind of casualties seemed like a joke to him at first, the kind of authoritative spirit she had, the kind of eyes she had and the kind of n she had devised for the entire battle afterwards was¡­ well, he could only describe it as something unparalleled.


    Working with her the first time did not feel like he was working with some inexperienced neer who knew little about this world.


    This was one of those rare cases where he was seeing the eyes of a person who knew more truths about this world than he might ever be able to.


    The eyes are as bright as the guardians who had stopped the advance of these evil dark mages and much more in the past.


    [{ "The dungeon entrance is open, however it is a trap.


    It seems like the real dungeon entrance is hidden by a strong illusion barrier, and there are beasts surrounding the entire dungeon area, suggesting the possibility of an ambush.


    The footprints on the ground and the scratch marks on the tree suggest that they are beast type creatures with non-elemental skills.


    The way they are set up in a triangr formation suggests they are expecting guests. And from how roughly the front ground has been cleared, it seems like there are bigger creatures with a little too much strength behind it.


    We should be ready to fight a pack of Hobs, or at the very least humanoid creatures like Green goblins that we find in the dungeon of Arrbo." }]


    They were using the party chat since it was a feature that the natives could use as well. And the one rying all this information was Elio, not Alex.


    [{ "From the data we have, we know of a secret entrance to the northeast of the dungeon.


    There seems to be six beasts gathered in that area, so team-2 will distract them, team-1 will go there first and open the secret entrance, and then team-3 will join." }]


    The guard captain did not expect Alex to be such a great leader, but what he expected even less was how Elio, the one with two unique creatures, was in fact a very great observer and strategist.


    If it was thanks to Alex that they were able to work so organized despite being made up of individuals from various areas, it was thanks to Elio that they were able to avoid most of the undetectable traps of the dark mage.


    He had saved their life a few times already, but since they were finally at the dungeon, their main task was just starting now.

 Chapter 42: Dungeon Surveillance

    The deepest part of the dungeon that, from the knowledge of the yers, was the home of the green goblins and one of the simplest humanoid creatures to deal with, was dark and damp, with rough, uneven walls.


    A musty odor born from the unhygienic and dirty diet of the goblins hung in the air, mingling with the scent of wet earth and stone.


    The dungeon was deep like a cave or a natural structure created over hundreds of years of natural process.


    The goblins dominated this ce, but this was not their home.


    -Shrr. Shrr. Shrr.


    The green Gobs were creatures that though dirty and repulsive, were still one of the simplest and easiest creatures that the yers could deal with a little bit of experience.


    They lived in bigmunities and were guided by the higher authority figures like the Red Gobs, or other kinds of unique goblins.


    But the ones that lived in this dungeon were trapped here like the field bosses and were doomed to rise anew every time they died.


    They were merely here for the yer''s to farm them and get stronger.


    They could not take their bodies out but, when they kill the creatures, if they take some parts of the goblins and save them in their inventories, they could take them with them.


    -Swiiiiiiiiiish¡­


    Generally, that was how the dungeon worked.


    [{ "Looks like we all made it." }]


    Green torches lined the walls of the inside, their eerie light casting flickering shadows.


    [{ "Good work until now, everyone." }]


    They had somehow made it inside from the secret gateway that some yer had once found while ying around this dungeon and was rtively unknown to the general public.


    Only a handful of people knew about this secret passageway and Alex was one of them¨C though, to obtain this information, she had to spend twelve silver coins.


    Something she was going to get back as soon as she got her hands on the bastard information seller.


    [{ "We will recuperate first." }]


    Even though they used some unique tactic to get to the secret entrance, the disturbances that they made sure to keep to the minimum had caught the attention of the creatures.


    They avoided them and somehow reached their destination, but they knew they had alerted the new owner of this dungeon.


    [{ "No, we will keep moving." }]


    In the center of the cave was arge, dark magic circle etched into the ground, filled with glowing symbols and arcane words. The circle pulsed with a sinister energy, creating an unsettling atmosphere.


    Standing in the middle of the circle was a figure in a dark hooded cloak, surrounded by a swirling ck aura. The hood hid the person''s face, adding to the mystery and fear they exuded. The aura seemed to absorb the torchlight, making the figure appear even more menacing.


    The cave was silent except for the asional drip of water and the low hum of the magic circle. The air was thick with tension, hinting at dark and powerful magic at work. This was a ce of shadows and dark secrets, with the hooded figure at its center radiating an ominous presence, and not far from them were the group which had just entered the territory of this being.


    [{ "We have to keep moving. We can rest all we want when we get out of here." }]


    They were a recon team, not a great advanced party that was nning to deal with the creatures of this dungeon.


    There might just be innumerable creatures present in this cave and she certainly did not want to engage in a battle that she could not win.


    The reason she had gathered so much information and formted thisplete strategy was to get the highest contribution in this whole thing, and it was not going to work if they messed up and started fighting a being as strong as a Dark magician with just a few of them.


    Elio wasn''t even going to fight so his presence made things even moreplicated for her.


    [{ "Alright¡­ we shall move." }]


    The guard captain had decided to follow them and he was going to see it through. Her suggestion this time made sense to him this time as well.


    [{ "Let us divide in triangle formation. Gather back here in exactly twelve minutes." }]


    [{ "Yes." }]


    If she was here to actually see what they were going to face, the guard captain was here to fulfill his duties as the head of the guards- the protectors of the normal citizens of the town.


    However, different from both of them, Elio was here for apletely unique reason.


    "Muuuu¡­"


    "Miu¡­"


    From what they understood, the only possible habitat for the crystal geckos around this town was this dungeon.


    There was no other ce where these creatures could be from except some unknown area that was not discovered in nearly the decade the yers had beening to this world.


    But chances of that were small, and the dungeon was the prime location so¡­ Elio was here to find his new little friend''s parents.


    That was one of the reasons he had asked her to divide everyone in a triangle formation. Since by doing only this, could he go on along with her and the guard captain to the ce where the little creature used to live.


    [{ "I swear I''m going to break up with you if you keep doing these crazy things. This guard captain will kill us before we find the gecko''s house if he finds out we are ying him, ughh." }]


    All things on one side, since the little gecko could also tell this ce was somewhat familiar, it seemed like they were in the right ce.


    [{ "I''m always thankful for everything you do for me. It''s always cute." }]


    She wanted to beat him up for being so stubborn and so crazy with the things that did not need to be anythingplicated.


    The little Gecko was young and it must also have parents somewhere in this dungeon.


    Their kinds lived in families and groups so it was always strange how a single creature was inside the cave where a strong creature like the Hob lived.


    [{ "For fuck''s sake at least¡­ don''t call it cute." }]


    They managed to get this far even with the dislike of the other higher leveled yers in this group since she showed how dignified and capable she was¨C and here he was, calling her cute.


    The only reason the yers did notin and just continued following what she was saying was because the guard captain was following it.


    He was doing what she suggested throughout the way here and even right now, he was with the two of them as they walked towards the path that the little gecko was showing¡­


    If he was gambling on the two of them, the two of them were gambling their life here just so Elio could help the little creature get back with his family.


    They did not know where they were going or if they would find anything there either¡­ but somehow, their gamble seeded.


    [{ "Oh¡­ lord." }]


    By following the lead of the gecko and passing through strange small tunnels in the cave, they reached a ce that was somehow pretty high up in the ceiling. A small opening that was just as big as a window.


    [{ "The dark mage¡­" }]


    ording to the gecko, this should have been the house where it used to live¡­ or at least some pce its instincts were taking it.


    They did not know what they were going to find at the end, but they had not thought they would see the main viin that they had to defeat.


    [{ "What¡­ is that?" }]


    And they most certainly did not expect to see a dark magic circle so sinister both Elio and Az who were sensitive to Magic and Mana, would freeze just by witnessing the scene before them.

 Chapter 43: The follower of evil

    The moment they reached the deepest part of the cave, from the high dark ceiling of the cave, they were looking down at the dark scene before them.


    The cloaked figure surrounded by the dark, murky aura was standing in the middle of a sinister looking magic circle, there was a dull purple pulsating energy oozing out of this magic circle, and just by looking at it, one could tell it was not something natural.


    [{ "It''s a summoning circle." }]


    Alex had seen these kind of magic circles so it was not difficult for her to identify them.


    She knew instantly as she saw it that the star that was enclosed in a circle in fact belonged to the Unique series of magic, one that did not run on elements but purely on the power of the evil that was used by the Dark mage.


    [{ "But¡­ how did he make it in this dungeon?" }]


    Alex had fought these bastards in the great war a few years ago so she knew that they needed a lot of resources in order to create these magic circles.


    These creations were essentially what gave them power and what summoned the minions that followed their orders.


    The summoning circle was also the core of many of their powers so if someone somehow deals with the core magic circle that is mostly hidden somewhere, they can deal a significant blow to the mages themselves.


    But¡­


    Since one needed a great amount of Mana crystals or many sacrifices to create this kind of magic circle, a lot of mages shared the power from one magic circle and epted the power from the evil they served through the connection of the summoning circle with the (Sealed world of beyond).


    [{ "I think I might know the answer to that." }]


    The guard captain was stunned by this discovery.


    Contrary to his suspicions, there was actually only one dark mage here. But, unlike what he had thought, the mage had seeded in creating a magic circle that was now directly connected with the veil world.


    He was constantly epting power from the other world and was summoning minions of darkness¨C short humanoid spirits that did not have a physical body, a creature that was a pain in the ass.


    Dealing with them was a very difficult task, so even the presence of a bunch of them was considered to be something dangerous.


    But from what they could see here, there were around a hundred of those minions alone in this cave, he wasn''t even counting the creatures that the mage might have dominated with the dark energy.


    It wasmon knowledge that the mages of evil were capable of various kinds of evil magic, and most of them were destructive.


    Even the weakest of them were as strong as a (tier-4) mage with decades of experience.


    The magic they used was different from the natural magic and was so dark that it corrupted nature wherever they used it.


    Normal people could not stand this magic, and if they anyhow get in contact with the area affected by these dark spells, the chances of them going Mad and sumbing to the dark power increases exponentially.


    yers were pretty resistant to the basic effects of the dark energy and the trained high level natives were as well so they needed to keep these agents of evil, as well as the dark beings connected to them away from themon people.


    [{ "The mage needs high concentrations of Mana to activate these magic circles. Or many sacrifices and soul energy." }]


    Elio was ring at the magic circle.


    It wasn''t visible at the start since the whole damn thing was covered in dark murky evil energy but, if one looked close enough, they could see shards or fragments of shiny crystals that seemed to be disappearing as time passed.


    These crystals must be Mana crystals, and the creatures- the minions that were being produced by the magic circle- resembled reptilians for some reason as well.


    [{ "Oh¡­ damn¡­" }]


    It did not take Alex long to guess what guard captain might be hinting at or why Elio had such a grim expression.


    [{ "We know there used to be a Crystal Gecko habitat in this dungeon." }]


    Being Mana beasts, the unique Crystal geckos produced Mana crystals upon their deaths.


    The older they are, the more precious Mana crystal they produce will be.


    They did not have manybat capabilities and did not eat anything, living off on the natural Mana in the atmosphere their entire lives.


    Now¡­ why would a dark mage that might have chosen any ce in this entire area, would choose a certain dungeon with mere goblins as his hideout?


    [{ "That bastard¡­" }]


    People avoided the crystal geckos but they also killed them many times. She had done so many times as well¡­ but massacring the creatures just so you could use their souls and materials left behind by their deaths to summon minions of evil and get stronger was something too wild even from her perspective.


    It was an act of evil, something that only someone like these crazy bastards would ever do¡­


    "Miu¡­"


    But that was not the concern right now.


    [{ "I''m sorry¡­" }]


    He brought the little gecko here so that he could be back with his family, but now, from the looks of it, nothing remained of its family.


    This passage that the crystal geckoes might have used was nowpletely empty.


    They could not see anyone other than that dark mage in this cave, there was no light in this ce either other than the dull light from the torches covering this area and the light from the magic circle.


    [{ "Elio¡­" }]


    He was upset right now.


    But, his eyes were still fixed on the mage ever since earlier.


    They were watching him. Observing him, his actions, his movements, how he was moving his hands, how he was controlling the dark power, and what it was that he might have used to kill his little friend''s family.


    His eyes were fixed on him. They were not blinking. They were observing him closely¨C the dark mage was his observation target, and the two with him figured out what he might be up to right now after how he did not say anything for a while.


    They waited till he finished observing or at least gave up¡­ and the remaining time they had passed just like that.


    [{ "All teams will move out and disperse through the same routes. We will regroup in area 12A." }]


    Both the guard captain and Alex had to order the others to get out of the dungeon while they both gave him a few more minutes.


    Appraisal would not work on a target like that dark mage, and even if it did, the mage would detect their presence if they tried using magic scrolls instead of a skill.


    Thus, observation was the most useful way to get a basic idea of the strength of the opponent that they might be facing.


    Alex wasn''t very confident in her observation use, and the guard captain was the same.


    So, if he was trying it and she was believing in him, the guard captain waited as well.


    [{ "Got it¡­" }]


    And their faith in him was not betrayed as Elio, even with a drop of blood cascading down the corners of his eyes, seeded in what he was doing.


    ============


    [Dark mage: Summoner] (Level-99).


    ============


    But the results that he obtained from his sessful attempt were not something anyone, not even his partner was going to like.

 Chapter 44: Battle against the evil

    "Level-99?! That''s surely not possible¡­ right?!"


    "And did you see?! They are saying the mage has over a hundred minions! This is absurd!"


    "The hell. Even minions should all be over level-60. How are we going to fight those things?!"


    The natives as well as the yers were all panicking right now.


    The situation was not good. The powers of the mage that they had estimated was much, much greater.


    They would have to fight against a being that was practically more than fifty to sixty levels higher than them as well as a follower of evil¡­ a task that seemed visibly impossible from any logical or unrealistic point of view.


    "Everyone, calm down. The guard captain has confirmed it with his own eyes. We even have a legit screenshot!"


    There was proof of this fact so the things that people could say in opposition to this were very little.


    There wasn''t much that could change this fact and since there was no one else that had a better exnation to what they had gathered from their recon, this oue just made sense to them.


    "In addition to the hundreds of minions, the dark mage also has an army of around three hundred dark beasts¡­ this is just absurd!"


    In addition to the information that the guard captain had brought directly, the other members of the recon team also brought crucial information from the dungeon that they had somehow managed to infiltrate.


    And the overall result of their search was not something anyone in the town, not even the mayor who was looking at the citizens and foreigners in that kind of panicked state could ignore.


    Presence of an enemy just a step away from (Level-100), a stage where one receives their first awakening and are recognised by the system for the great achievement, was not something any yer could ignore.


    They surely coulde back to life but it was not some instantaneous process.


    They had to wait for a long time- and entire day- toe back to life.


    Some of their equipment that they had on them would drop upon their deaths as well, and they would lose thirty percent of their current level''s Exp.


    For the newer yer, this was not that great of a penalty since they could just take a break from the games and regain the lost Exp with hunting or with the things that they liked, for the yers of higher level, death meant as worse of a fate as the real death.


    For the rankers who fought with their lives on the line every day to maintain their levels, and positions in the rankings, not being able to be in this world for three whole in-game days was the same as being thrown out of the rankings.


    They had to constantly farm and keep their status up, and for that, they would have to survive no matter the situation they are faced with.


    { "Please calm down, everyone." }


    Rankers who wanted to keep their rankings and reputations mostly avoided fights where the chances of loss were greater.


    None of them would even think about fighting an opponent that was fifty or sixty levels higher than them. Most certainly not the creatures who had also received their second or third enlightenment and were so powerful that they possessed enough power to destroy small towns like this with merely a sh of their hand, or with a sigh¡­ or with a single skill.


    The creatures that one faces after crossing hundred, or two hundred, or perhaps three hundred levels are on apletely different dimension than the creatures that the yers of beginner town might ever face¨C but a Dark mage summoner of (Level-99) was the same as those unfathomable beasts to these new yers.


    { "Though the situation is dire and we are facing a great threat right now, panicking does not resolve anything.


    Right now, what we need is not the concerns for what will happen, but the courage to face what we already know will being." }


    The Mayor was not losing any hope even in this situation.


    He was still just as resolute as he was when they all first saw him earlier.


    There was the same kind of light in his eyes as he did when he was telling them about the quest.


    The quest was just starting now.


    They had information on what was toe and they already knew the forces of the dark mage had left their stronghold so they were going to fight the dark creatures soon.


    -Ting! Ting! Ting!


    Bells throughout the town had started ringing already, announcing the arrival of the evil forces from all directions.


    { "The enemy is here already." }


    The evil was here and with it, the start of the quest was going to be marked.


    { "Though you all are outsiders that also value your life¡­ I ask you for your help once again." }


    [Ding.]


    The quest contents were updated and a new reward- (Coins in proportion to the contribution) was added to the whole of the quest window.


    Nothing much had changed aside from addition of the information that they knew already, so the yers had something new to look forward to now.


    { "Please. Help us save the Moongold." }


    If pushes to shove, the Mayor would use hisst resort and ask help from the mage tower master.


    He knew the librarian was not going to be pursued until half of the town was destroyed, so there was no need to waste his time with that old man.


    There were knights and the guard captain that he trusted the most here, and with the help of the yers who possessed strong items beyond what even he knew about, there might be a chance to deal with this evil.


    He knew it was too much to ask help from the materialistic otherworlders who mostly only did something if there was something in it for them, so, he had no choice but to issue a reward that he would have to pay with his own money¡­ but he was fine with it.


    The finite lives of the citizens of his town were much more important to him than his wealth.


    He was ready to go bankrupt if it meant they could repel the evil that was aiming for their town.


    He had reported to the Viscount already, so his forces should be on their way now.


    If they could just hold on until they get here, there is also a good chance they will be able to resolve this crisis.


    He just had to be careful since he knew how materialistic the foreigners were.


    There was no telling when or how they would jump sides and start doing something¡­ evil themselves.

 Chapter 45: Mourning

    "We don''t know if they are alive or not in the first ce."


    "..."


    "Dude? Are you really concerned about the parents of some creature that you saved just because it was friends with your little slime? Will you really just sit there when the whole town is about to be engulfed in a fucking war?!


    The forces of the dark mage are here already!"


    Alex was concerned about what was going on outside and wanted to go out there and prepare for the battle.


    There were a lot of contribution points on the line right now so she had to do all she can to deal as much damage to the enemy so that the contribution points she earns are enough for a good reward.


    More than the reward itself actually, she wanted to fight those creatures and try and defeat the dark mage even though she knew it was pretty much impossible already.


    But with the right conditions and with the strong knights, mages, and the guard captain on their side, this was not going to be a big problem.


    With enough things and with support from the yers, this was a pretty doable quest in itself. That was the main reason instead of the fight, she had focused more on the failure conditions.


    "..."


    "At least say something, damn it!"


    "Yes."


    "Hun? What do you mean, yes?"


    "Yes."


    "Hun?"


    She already informed the guard captain about all her strategies and wanted to go and help him with the executions of the ns. But, before she does that, she needed to take care of this greater problem before her.


    "Damn you, Elio. You''re ten times more sad about the death of its parents than the gecko itself!"


    Logically, the parents of the gecko as well as all of its rtives that lived in the dungeon were dead now.


    The dark mage had used them all to create the magic circle that was their top priority right now, and they were gone from this world.


    The gecko was already registered as his tamed beast so there was no reason for him to mourn like this. The gecko wasn''t alone. It had a friend named Az and the two of them as his family.


    It was a creature of nature so it understood the inevitability of death already, and had epted the fact that it might never be able to meet the people that it might have been with all its life.


    It was more mature than this baby who mourned for the death of the gecko''s parents, had made a small monolith in their memory even though he had never met them, and was giving them the prayers since thest THIRTY MINUTES!


    yers had already gone ahead and were now fighting the first wave of the dark creatures, but here they were, at the graveyard on the outskirts of the town, mourning the death of creatures that they practically did not even have any connection with.


    "Yes."


    And even though she was shouting at him, he was just repeating the same word with his eyes closed, and his hands joined together.


    "Haaa¡­"


    This was just a game. And he was no caring, soft, altruistic person.


    She still could not understand why he would do such drama for a small creature that barely even understood what he was doing right now¡­ but he was genuinely sad. That much she knew. And she could not leave him alone in this condition even if she wanted to.


    "I''m sorry, Miu."


    "Miu?"


    The gecko''s voice sounded like the word ''Miu'' so he had named the little gecko from its distinct voice.


    The creature could tell what its human friend was doing because it was a show of kindness, so it at least understood his feelings and was happy.


    But it still did not understand why this big human was so sad.


    "Let''s go."


    He ced the shining blue flowers that resembled the normal Crystal Lizard''s light before the monolith, and stood up along with Az.


    "Muuuu?"


    Az was confused since he did not wait till Miu was inside of it, but when Elio ced his hand before the small lizard and asked it to climb up, Alex''s eyes widened with shock.


    "Hey!"


    She did not understand why he was doing it.


    They had a battle to fight and he was going to get himself poisoned right before that? She found itpletely absurd!


    "Miu~!"


    But this small invitation was something the gecko could never refuse, so it climbed his hand and though it was difficult, he endured the new flow of Mana and ced the creature on top of Az.


    "They are my responsibility."


    He looked at her with the light of Mana fluctuations present in his eyes¨C with a warm smile.


    "I have to look after them, right?"


    These small creatures were both unique and had their positives and negatives. But as their tamer and their friend, he had to look after them.


    They did not have anyone else around them anymore. Alex was here, but she was also someone he had to look after, so she was his priority.


    But these creatures who left their house toe with him¡­ who wereing with him even though they were going to face the one who killed its parents, which was going to be dangerous, he could not neglect them anymore.


    They were his friends. So, he had to take better care of them.


    "You¡­ dumb donkey."


    All this drama was already pretty cringey to her¡­ but there was nothing she could do about it.


    He was a unique donkey so hercking words weren''t going to work on him anyway.


    "Let''s go kick some dark asses..."


    "Yes~!"


    "Twinkle."


    "Yes~! Let''s¡­ wait. What did you just call me?"


    He understood this was a game and what he was experiencing, what he was seeing, this whole world and these things were not real.


    But logically, they were just as much real as the ''Real'' world that they knew.


    Just that it was different¡­


    "Did you fkin call me by that disgusting name, AGAIN?!"


    He understood why people called this game the ''second'' world.


    But, even after all these experiences, he still knew there was a lot more that he needed to see and learn, and experience.


    "What do you mean? Did you think I just called you Twinkle? Do you want me to call you that~?"


    "You¡­! You f-!"


    She was pretty funny when she was angry at a small thing like this.


    He found this little reaction pretty effective to get some rejuvenating breeze of fresh air.

 Chapter 46: Progression of the battle

    Goblins. Everyone knows these green creatures that have small humanoid structures, a wild personality, high reproductive rates- and no, they don''t do anything sexual with females of other kinds¨C though it would have been pretty fun to see them do something like that¡ª or not, anyway, they were goblins.


    They were one of the simplest creatures that yers killed and since they gave good Exp, people raided their viges in the forest pretty frequently.


    They were found in the dungeon of Arrbo as well, so the dungeon was frequented by the yers on a regr basis.


    The Goblins weren''t that great fighters or that strong creatures, but they knew how to set traps so they were sometimes a big headache to the yers who had no experience with their tricks.


    There is a saying that if one meets the wrong kind of Goblin pack, they would be humiliated before they get killed. Or, depending on the pack, they might even earn some great loot along with a good amount of Exp.


    They were famous mobs, and just like slimes, since there were many kinds of goblins in the world, even the high level yers went after the more advanced and evolved versions of these creatures.


    Still though¡­


    "Ghrrrrr¡­!"


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    -Booooooooom!


    -Swish! Swish! Swish!


    In this battle, the creatures that they were facing surely were the same goblins that they knew- but after being corrupted by the dark energy, they had fallen to the control of evil.


    They had lost all sense of their original nature, and were now monsters with a little bigger, even tougher bodies.


    Their weapons were enhanced with the dark energy that hadpletely overtaken them, and the green bodies that they had were all turned ck because of the dark energy.


    They had be ves to the dark energy and there was no way to save them. Only deaths awaited them.


    -Swiiiiiiiiiiiish!


    -Booooooooooooom¡­!


    They weren''t simple goblins anymore so even though it took more than a few yers to work together to take care of them, they were merely big chunks of Exp for the yers.


    "Dieeeeee! You bastards!"


    "Kill them! Kill them all!"


    "For the empress!!!"


    yers were shouting funny things as they cast their spells, used their weapons, and cut down the enemy''s forces.


    Apletely different atmosphere had clouded the entire town of golden moonlight. The central fountain in the za was empty once again.


    The walls were full of the defenders, the yers, and the natives who were trying to protect their town from the invasion of evil.


    The dark magician was nowhere to be visible, but the dark energy was surrounding the town on all sides.


    yers fought and killed the goblins but there were enough of them for the yers to not get bored of them.


    The higher level yers were dealing with the goblins in smaller groups while the lower level yers were helping out in whatever way they could.


    The walls were being guarded and inside of the town walls, the important people that the yers were supposed to guard were also being looked after by the certain chosen yers.


    A great reward was on the line right now so the hundreds of yers of the moongold town were having fun taking down the enemy, earning rewards, and gathering contribution points.


    -Booooooom!


    -Swiiiiiiiiiiish¡­


    yers using long range weapons, bows, magic spells, magic scrolls, items that threw projectiles from the town walls were all helping out to deal with the goblins and the asional minions that appeared out of nowhere.


    Those little ck things were the main problem that the yers had to deal with. If they got into the town and somehow managed to kill the important person mentioned in the quest, they would lose everything they had fought for and would not even gain anything in return.


    It wasn''t something the yers would ever want, so they were doing their best to keep the ck goblins of darkness away from the town.


    But of course, Light only existed where darkness once prevailed.


    "Aughhhhhhhh!"


    -Swish.


    -Click!


    -Swash! Swash! Swash!


    Tempted by the greater benefits offered from the dark side, some yers would always act to disrupt the flow of this kind ofrge scale quest so that they could get the best kind of benefits all for themselves.


    Doing the same thing as everyone else was old fashioned already so if they do what the others were doing as well, they would not be anything different from them.


    Thus¡­ all over the world of <NO> [Trolling] prevailed.


    yer Killers at least had some kind of self respect since they killed the yer just because they could do it or wanted to do it for benefits.


    Trolling on the other hand was an act where the yers betrayed one another and did things that were not morally or ethically right.


    In quests of this scale, there were always yers who aimed for the failure of the quest so that they could obtain unique rewards from the system.


    It was much better than sharing the reward with such arge group of yers, so the incident where the yers themselves aimed for the failure condition of a quest was not that rare.


    Alex as well as the other experienced yers already knew Trolling would be inevitable this time as well, so she had already set out countermeasures against it.


    "I didn''t even-."


    -Oooooooong.


    -Puchak!


    In the town of Moongold, just like any other town, city, or nation, there was an underground organization here as well.


    As long as these people were getting paid enough, unlike the yers, they would do anything to satisfy their customers.


    They did not know what the trolling was as the natives but they knew the bastards who mess with their turf and indirectly help the evil that even they despised, were better off dead.


    So, with the help of the guard captain and the Mayor, she hired the best help she could and along with some yers that the mayor and the guard captain trusted, they had assigned them some areas with the mission of cleaning up the rotten apples.


    "Aghhhhhhhhh!"


    -Boooooooooom!


    They were also looking after the important people and keeping an eye out for the minions'' actions and movements.


    The covert operation that was taking ce throughout the town wasn''t known by many since every unit had their individual tasks that they needed to take care of, so only a handful of people actually knew everything that was going on inside the town.


    The Mayor was looking at everything going on in the town from the highest position in the town, the high bell tower present beside the central za.


    "Yes¡­"


    The guard captain was out in the forest, dealing with the dark minions and figuring out the current location of the dark mage who most certainly was present somewhere in the forest.


    The mages were supporting them from the town walls while the knights and the other guards dealt with the others and protected theirpanions.


    Casualties were inevitable but they were dealing with it in such an efficient way that the death toll was kept to minimal.


    "Protect her!"


    "...life begins death!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    Thanks to orders from authorities and an extra reward promised from the guard captain as well as some ''unknown'' merchants, a hidden reward for saving the native lives was going to be issued.


    They did not receive a system message about this, but the sources were solid. So¡­ the yers were prioritizing the native lives over their own, protecting the ones that they wouldn''t usually even care about.


    [{ "We are back to this damned ce¡­" }]


    yers were materialistic, but in the end, this was all for the contribution points.


    Everyone was doing what they could to help the Mayor defeat the dark mage. But, unknown to most of the yer''s knowledge, the ones who were ying the biggest part in all of this, were two certain low leveled individuals.


    [{ "How will we destroy that magic circle?" }]


    They announced that they could shut down the Dark mage''s magic circle by themselves. An absurd statement that even the guard captain and the Mayor found unbelievable¡­


    It wasn''t something someone could just do as they wanted anyway. The dark mage''s magic circle was unlike the normal magic circle.


    It was a directly connected gateway to the evil''s dimension. Normal humans like them would die the moment they get too close to it.


    Shutting it down without the help of a high priest who possessed holy energy of great purity was impossible. That''s why the guard captain knew they would have to fight the dark mage in his strengthened form.


    But her announcement just changed everything. And though it was absurd, they believed in the two of them one more time.


    [{ "You will have to help me with this one, El darling." }]


    The two of them were back in the house that belonged to Miu, the little gecko. And¡­ they were looking down at the sinister grand magic circle on the ground once again.

 Chapter 47: Dark spell circle

    [{ "How can I help you? Tell me." }]


    He was ready to do anything right now if it meant they could destroy this dark magic circle.


    He loathed the bastard that killed and used all the rtives of his dear little friend and he was not going to just sit there and watch when he had the chance to screw over the xx dark magician.


    [{ "There are two ways to destroy the dark mage''s magic circle." }]


    He knew about the two methods already.


    One needed to either possess a strong holy power of high purity, or enough power to directly destroy the connection of the circle with the connected world.


    [{ "We don''t have holy power, so, we will go for the second method." }]


    Holy power was a resource simr to the Mana of the mages or the Aura of the knights. Just that the ones who could use it were the believers and priests with strong Faith.


    It wasn''t necessary that the ones who could use it had to be devoted to some god or connected to some religious organization, but merely having strong beliefs allowed one to ess this special power.


    s though, neither of them possessed this special power and had no way to cast a spell that would be powered by the divine power.


    She knew how to deal with the dark magic circle of this scale with the help of even the basic holy power user. But since they did not even have someone like that, they had to resort to the brute methods.


    [{ "I want you to cast this spell. Can you do that?" }]


    She took out a certain book from her inventory, a golden book that was just as metallic from the outside as the silver book he had learned the basic spells from.


    [{ "They are special spells of nature series. You will have to cast three spells maintaining each one consecutively. It will be a little difficult, but do that and I''ll take care of the rest." }]


    The spell she was showing him did not look easy. And since this greatdy of theirs told about it only after they were here, he did not have any time to practice in this ce.


    They were putting themselves in great danger just by being here since this ce wasn''tpletely empty.


    The magic circle was important to the dark Mage so there were still some minions guarding this ce. They were strong beings that weren''t going to fall for some simple distractions like the dark goblins did or the hounds outside did.


    They needed to be extremely careful with these monsters. But she knew how to take care of them as well.


    [{ "It looks doable." }]


    Elio knew what kind of risk she was taking here so he did not hesitate this time.


    He observed the spell formation a few times, tried making the same ones in his head, and when he was done with his versions hepared the one in his head and the one in the book, finding any difference between the two.


    It wasn''t perfect yet, so he tried again. And this time, he did not seed either.


    It was aplicated spell that needed to be made from many points in the inside instead of out from the core of the spell.


    It wasn''t easy and took him a few tries. But, after a while, he opened his eyes and looked at her with a confident look.


    [{ "Go." }]


    She knew he was confident about this. He knew what he needed to do. So, with a simple nod at one another, Alex jumped down.


    And at the same time¡­ Elio closed his eyes, silently chanted the spell in his head, visualized the three spells that he needed to cast, channeled his Mana, and with an impable image in his head, he materialized three spell circles simultaneously.


    -Ooooooooooooooooong!


    "Gurrrr?"


    The minions of darkness that the dark mage summoner had summoned walked on two legs and resembled lizards covered inpletely ck scales.


    They were ck from head to toe, their eyes were deep ck as well, and even their tongues were ck¡­ it wouldn''t be racism to call them minions of evil in this situation.


    Still, as simple looking as these creatures might be, every single one of them were above (Level-60).


    They weren''t something either of them would be able to defeat even if they somehow singled out one of them.


    They weren''t their opponents in the first ce, they just needed to deal with the spell circle so that they could weaken the mage.


    That was all that they needed to do here.


    So, when he had prepared the spells, he just fired them in the points where she had asked him to earlier.


    She had jumped down from the ceiling area and wasn''t visible to him anymore but he had faith in her.


    She knew what she was doing so without worrying about her much, he followed her n, and right when the dark red spells that Elio cast reached the ces where she wanted them¡­


    -Swish.


    -Click.


    Out of nowhere, she appeared before one of the spells, shed the circle with an unknown red sword that Elio was seeing for the first time, and vanished once again.


    -Swish. Swish.


    -Click. Click.


    She did the same two more times consecutively and, since all of it happened in fraction of a moment, the dark minions did not perceive her, or the spells.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    But after she had shed the spell circles positioned in a reverse triangle around the spell circle with a star, the red spell circles with a strange sh on top of them glowed with a chaotic light.


    -OOOOOOOOOONG!


    It did not take the spell circles long to start sucking in the energy in their surroundings.


    -Zaaaaa¡­!


    It was strange seeing the red magic circles sucking in the ck energy of the dark magic circle, but the more unique thing here was the sh that she had made¡ª one that seemed to be the actual reason behind this phenomenon.


    [{ "Prepare to leave. The mage wille here anytime now!" }]


    She somehow climbed the ceiling and reached the cave where Elio, Az, and Miu were.


    She looked extremely exhausted all of a sudden, and even her blue eyes were glowing with a strange golden light, but there was no time to pay attention to something like that.


    -Booooooooooooom!


    The three spell circles that she had cut down had somehow absorbed enough energy from the dark circle that the dark stable magic circle becamepletely unstable and was now on the verge of copse.


    [{ "Yes!" }]


    There was no time to wait and look at this whole process since they both could see how this whole thing was going to blow up now.


    The unstable magic circle was going to be lethal when it blows up since the energy that it would spew out will be that of impure darkness¡ª one that they will not be able to handle at this stage.


    They needed to get out of there as soon as they could, so they started running with the little slime in his hands.


    The inside of the cave was going to copse when the spell exploded, even the evil minions knew that.


    But unlike them, they were going to stay there and do something about the spell circle since that was their duty here.


    But they weren''t going to seed.


    The spell execution was perfect.


    -BOOOOOOOOOOM¡­!


    Whatever they did, they weren''t going to save the spell circle.


    It was going to explode and it was going to take down everything in the area along with it.

 Chapter 48: At the same time...

    In the forest¡­


    A sea of fire had manifested.


    "Aghhhhhhh!"


    "Get away from me! Get away¡­!"


    -Swiiiiiiiiiish!


    -Booooooooooom!


    The gates of the city were still being attacked by the creatures of darkness but most of their numbers had already been eliminated.


    There were only a few of them left here now so the yers had started going inside the forest to look for the other forces since ording to the logs, only a hundred or two creatures had died until now.


    There were still a lot of them left and since they weren''ting out anymore, the yers, along with the elite troops had to go in.


    They knew there were still many of the evil minions left, so they weren''t just going to stop doing everything when the creatures were still present.


    The boss monster, and the main target of the quest, the dark mage was still hiding somewhere in the forest so at the very least, they had to look for it and deal with it as well¡­ so, they went inside of the forest with the basic intentions of looking for the dark mage.


    However, they ended up falling into a stupid trap.


    "¡­"


    -Zaaaaaaa¡­


    The minions of evil mage were all waiting for their arrival not too deep into the forest.


    They were physical damage dealers but they were carrying magical items that the dark mage had handed to them.


    These items- mostly resembling small magic rocks, contained magic spells that sealed off the yers into a barrier.


    Once sealed, since they would not have any outside support, the minions easily defeated the advanced party made up mostly of yers of high ranks.


    There were a few guards apanying them, but many of them managed to get out of their positions and survived the sudden ambush, but not everyone was as fortunate as them.


    "Graaaaaa!"


    Many natives, guards for most parts, also fell victim to this sudden attack and the one who profited from it, the dark mage who had been observing this whole situation from the back, was still unhappy at the current state of his ns.


    He had prepared more than enough troops to take down this small town, and since ording to His knowledge, there was also no one who would stand in his way in this town, the fall of the town and gathering of enough sacrifices for the summoning ritual was a matter of time.


    He did not even have to make a move himself so he was just observing everything from the back, looking at the non-futile attempt of the mortals who did not understand the purity of the evil that he followed.


    "Gurrrrrrr!"


    They were dying by the hands of the creatures that once belonged to nature, creatures that could not resist the great attraction of the darkness and now had fallen to the grasp of evil.


    Surely the Fact that they were merely dead weight to the name of evil, and were nothing more than tools to help a true chosen one like him in his great endeavors was eternal.


    -Oooooooooooooong!


    But since the ones they were after today were merely some mortal low level town folks and other worldly people cursed by destiny, he did not have to make a move and waste more of his energy than it was needed.


    He had already worked hard to prepare for all this, so he deserved some rest.


    [ "Haaa¡­" ]


    Though, from the looks of it, it did not seem like he was going to get the rest that he deserved.


    -Booooooooooooom!


    [ "Useless dirty beasts." ]


    The beasts that he had prepared with the blessed energy of the higher beings that he served the assistants that THEY provided him were now on the verge of copse.


    The ones that should have surrounded and attacked the small town and overtaken itpletely nowy dead in the certain areas that seemed to be prepared beforehand by the weak mortals of this town.


    He remembered there were some flies that had managed to see him and discover his existence in the forest, but he did not think they would have reported it to the Mayor in such a timely manner.


    They were already dealt with by him so there was no question about their lives, but, since things had fallen out this much¡­ the only thing he could do now was to make a move himself.


    [ "How bothersome." ]


    He had made these creatures and obtained these assistants so that he could deal with the certain individual that THEY wanted him to get rid of.


    They had enough power to crush the entire town and kill the guards, knights, mages, as well as the mayor in the process.


    He just needed to deal with that certain individual and for that, he could just destroy this whole ce in the process. It would be much more effective than searching for that individual and dealing with them systematically.


    That was only possible when he had theplete force that he had prepared. But now that he did not have that, all that he could do was¡­


    "Captain! That way!"


    "I hear screams. Everyone, prepare!"


    "Get in defensive formation!"


    Coming out of the special space that he was hiding in all this time, he stood before the most advanced party led by the highest ranking individual in this town himself.


    [ "Oh? Is that the guard''s captain?" ]


    The guard''s captain was apanied by the knights and the best mages of the town so, even as they faced the evil boss that appeared out of the blue- the goal of the quest, the party did not feel any fear.


    [{ "Mages! Prepare!" }]


    The enemy was alone while on the other side, they had numerical advantage.


    All of their members were some of the highest level individuals of this town, as well as some of the most formidable in their fields.


    There were knight tanks with him that were sturdy and known for their strength, mages who had years of battle experience, knights with the power to wield Aura, and though they did not have a priest with them, they had mages specialized in grace, and healing spells.


    The guard captain knew how difficult this challenge might be as he stood before the humanoid being with ashen pale skin, deep ck eyes with no whiteness in them, and someonepletely covered in a thinyer of a murky dark energy.


    But, even though words of that certain girl to not engage in a fight with the dark mage without them resonated in his head, he could not do anything when faced with the evil.


    [ "Kekekeke. To think you would walk right before me on your own feet, hun, captain." ]


    The mage was already aiming for this person from the start since he knew he was one of the strongest in the town.


    Dealing with him would mean dealing with one of the major forces of the town, so, when the guard captain appeared before him, a delighted smile had appeared on his three mouths as well.

 Chapter 49: Clash with evil

    -Oooooooooooooooong!


    The mages created a barrier around the shield holding knights in the front, while at the same time, buffing them with strongest grace spells that they could.


    There were twelve people in the guard captain''s party: Three knights, six mages, himself, and two archers who could wield Mana.


    The arrows that fired all contained Mana and some arrows that they had were even enchanted with the spells of the mages.


    They were in no way a weak party. Perhaps, among all the parties currently fighting the force of evil, they are alone with the strongest ones.


    The only thing that made even theirposition futile though, was the one that they were facing right now.


    [ "Boring¡­" ]


    The assault started with the guard captain holding his greatsword at the very front of the group.


    -Oooooooooong!


    The mages fired their spells, the archers fired their Mana imbued arrows, while though the knights wielding the shields waited for the attacks of the mage, the sword of the guard captain was aiming for the Neck of the enemy.


    -Snap.


    But, unbothered by it all, he merely watched them with a bored look and snapped his finger.


    -Sprrrrk.


    -Oooooooooooooong!


    And when he did, red-ck sparks appeared in the air, a red shield that materialized right before the sword of the guard captain threw him off, and at the same time, dark smoke rose up from the ground.


    "Ughhhh!"


    -Tsssssss¡­!


    The mage wanted to take care of just one person here¨C The guard captain who held more strength than the others.


    He was the only one that he even wanted to kill. The rest of them were merely standing sacrifices in his way.


    "Captain!"


    When the guard captain was thrown back because of the shield of the dark mage, he carefully handled hisrge body even though it was covered in heavy armor.


    From his one attack alone, he knew that the opponent that he was facing was much stronger than what they had initially expected.


    The spells of the mages did not work on him either.


    The red barrier covering himpletely blocked off the spells and it seemed like the ck sparks that were covering the shield were eating away at the spells on contect.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    But the mage still covered the guard captain and continued attacking the mage with strong spells.


    -Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The guard captain was not going to be enough to deal with this dark mage. He was too strong. So, the knights summoned their Aura power and joined them as well.


    -Swish!


    -Booooooooom!


    Just one sword sh from the knights'' Aura covered weapons created a kind of destructive force that the area they were in, the ground beneath them was all turned upside down.


    -Thum! Thum! Thum!


    -Swiiiiiish!


    -Boooooooooom!


    The power of Aura by nature was destructive.


    When it hit the ground beneath them, it created craters that seemed to be results of some strong destruction spells.


    They were the only things strong enough to affect the strong shields of dark mage. With their attacks, the shields somehow got cracks and were almost on the verge of shattering.


    [ "Hun." ]


    But the mage was still unbothered by all of it.


    -Oooooooooong¡­!


    He just continued attacking the knights with the dangerous destructive attacks that they could barely survive thanks to the buffs and shields of the mages from the back.


    -Ooooooooong!


    If it weren''t for the strong mages, they might have lost the battle in a matter of moments.


    And, perhaps after exchanging a few blows and losing one of his shields, the dark magician seemed to have realized it as well.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    With a strong blow of dark winds, he first threw every one of them away from him and covered himself in a new shield.


    [ "Flies should just die." ]


    -Snap.


    Then, he gazed at the mages at the very back with his impure ck eyes, freezing the blood running through their bodies with his evil powers.


    "Aghhhhhh!"


    The sudden chills that they felt were not merely something imaginary that they were feeling in their heads.


    That was not the case here. The blood running through their vines had actually frozen due to the dark magic of the evil mage.


    The sh of the pure mana of the mages and the dark powers of the mage was chaotic. He was not affected by their Mana but the same was not true for the mages on the guard captain''s team.


    "Ughhhh!"


    When the evil Mage directly used a lethal spell to actually freeze their blood, he was aiming for the Mana vessels in their body as well.


    -Oooooooooong!


    The sudan injection of the dark energy into the body of someone who possessed Mana vines without a strong enough mental fortitude to handle his presence was the same as the most lethal poison was to the humans.


    -Ooooooooooong!


    The Mana inside of their bodies went berserk all of a sudden and became so uncontroble that¡­


    -Pu¨Ctchak!


    First the eyes, then the head, and then the rest of the body of the brave mages who had assisted the guard captain and the rest of the knights until now popped off like a balloon¡­ spraying the now ck insides, frozen body parts and, theirst bit of pure crystallized Mana that had be the reason for their deaths.


    [ "Now that the flies have fallen quiet..." ]


    With a simple movement of his hand, the mage summoned a minion of darkness that the yers all around them were fighting against now, and then turned the evil creature into something that resembled a sword.


    [ "Guard captain? How about you get serious?" ]


    With a simple movement of his hand that did not even alert the knights with the power of Aura and heightened superhuman senses, the dark sword floating right beside the mage moved at a speed unbelievable to human eyes.


    -Srrrush. Srrrush. Srrrrrrush.


    And, in just a few blinks of an eye, this sword came back to his side¡­


    -Thud. Thud. Thud.


    Just that when it reappeared, there was blood dripping down its de.


    "...?!"


    From how the strong knights who had trained their bodies and minds with years and decades of training fell to the ground lifelessly, the guard captain instantly knew what was going on before him.


    He was not facing an opponent that he could fight while holding back.


    There was no way to defeat this opponent. He would destroy this town if things went just like they were going as well¡­


    "You¡­ Evil¡­"


    It was his duty to protect the people of this town as well as the town itself.


    As the guard captain, he must not let this evil mage get past him.


    "Skill¡­"


    The brave knights and the mages that had passed while protecting this town¨C he had to honor their sacrifices and deal with this evil even if he had to pay a great price for it.


    "{Guardian spirit manifestation}."


    He was prepared to die here, on this very battlefield.


    Revealing the secret that he had been hiding for a long time was no big deal in this situation anymore.

 Chapter 50: Confusion

    "Hun? What the hell?"


    "Shouldn''t the ce have copsed or something?"


    She was confident that the spell circle would explode and the whole ce would copse.


    But, nothing like that was happening even though we hade out of the ce.


    The whole dungeon was still perfectly fine and, even though they were outside now, there was no greatmotion that would alert the guard dogs outside.


    They were still in their positions even though we were outside.


    "Well, what the fuck?"


    Alex was confused right now.


    She knew she did it right and that the spell circle was certainly destroyed. But then, why wasn''t anything happening?


    The dark minions didn''t have enough intelligence to stop a dark spell circle from exploding. They should have died with the explosion.


    But, why wasn''t anything happening?


    "I think we should go back and-."


    His sentence wasn''t even finished and she was walking back inside the same ce she had walked out of.


    "Oy."


    She wasn''t stopping, so he ran behind her.


    The inside of the dungeon¡­ they did not enter through the secret entrance this time but directly from the front entrance that was still covered by a strong illusion barrier.


    Elio was surprised how she walked towards the front entrance, but as he walked behind her to stop his mad girl, he was also stunned to see the now empty dungeon.


    There should have been many guards at the entrance, inside of the cave, there should still be tens of the evil minions present in the cave, throughout the cave, there should have been some traps here at least, creatures hidden for an ambush.


    And yet, there was no one guarding the inside of this ce anymore?


    "What''s happening here?" Elio questioned what was going on in the cave, but Alex only answered with a continued silence.


    "Miu?"


    "Muuuu."


    Even the little creatures with him were confused right now, but they just followed behind her inside the dungeon.


    The inside of the cave was dark, but at least, thanks to the torches present inside of the cave, there was enough light for them to see around them.


    The pathway inside was narrow, but not so narrow that not even three people could pass through it.


    It was good enough, so they just walked behind her and somehow, reached a fork.


    "Miu? Do you know which way your house is from here?"


    Usually, there should at least be guards in a ce like this one. But there was nothing here either. Which made her suspicions even more certain.


    "Alex. What is up with you? What''s going on here?"


    This whole thing was getting creepy now.


    "We were wrong, El." But her words made things even more confusing for him.


    "Hun?" She walked back and took the slime from her hands without borating further.


    He was going to find out soon enough so, there was no need for her to exin things here.


    "Miu? Miu."


    "Muuuuu¡­?"


    The little gecko knew where they had to go, so it showed the way with its light. And they followed ording to its directions.


    They were inside the cave where these creatures had lived for most parts of their lives, so navigating inside was pretty easy for them.


    And, it did not take them long to reach the core area that they had seen twice just today.


    "Who¡­?"


    "I knew it."


    But the inside situation in the cave''s core was pretty different from what they had expected.


    The magic circle that they needed to destroy, the circle that had almost been destroyed was still there.


    The ground on which the spell circle existed was fluctuating and there were reactions from the ground right now.


    There were sparksing out of the spell circle still, and there was a strange vibration present all around this core area.


    There were no minions in this ce either. There was just a strong red-ck light present throughout the ce and, the origin of this light was the spell circle¨C upon which an individual stood with an ufortable expression.


    [ "Ughhh¡­" ]


    "The Mage really had an assistant."


    In the core of the spell circle, in the very center of it, a figure wearing normal ck clothing¨C someone that seemed to be a mage was standing with a tough expression covering his face.


    His hair was white, his face young, the clothes that he was wearing looked pretty good for a mage, and there was a thick darkness present all around her.


    He seemed to be strong, but more than that, he was in pain right now.


    [ "You¡­ you were the ones¡­" ]


    When they walked in, the individual saw them as well. And an enraged expression sparked on his ''normal'' face.


    "An aspirant¡­"


    The person that was standing in the center of the magic circle was not a dark magician or a follower of evil.


    He was a human, a human mage.


    [ "You¡­!" ]


    Actually, it would be better to say he used to be a normal, human mage until just now.


    "He seems to be in his early thirties."


    "Did he¡­ help the mage?"


    "It looks like this one is the main reason the dark mage is here in the first ce."


    In the center of the magic circle, he had positioned as the core since the actual core was on the verge of breaking.


    There was a thick darkness surrounding him. A kind of darkness that did not belong to him but was something that belonged to the dark Minions that were present in this dungeon until just now.


    "..."


    [ "Who¡­ who are you¡­?!" ]


    His eyes were slowly turning ck, his skin was bing paler, and he was losing the faint traces of Mana inside of him.


    The darkness that was around him was consuming him.


    He must have somehow assumed the position of the core and tried stopping the core from getting destroyed.


    He must have known that if the core was destroyed then the dark mage would lose a significant part of his powers as well.


    He did not understand the darkness much from the looks of it, so he must have tried to stop the spell circle from breaking apart by taking the risk of forcefully stopping the spell circle''s destruction.


    And in the process, he must have used up the Minion''s darkness energy as well since he himself did not possess any evil dark energy yet.


    [ "Did you do this¡­?!" ]


    The darkness that was now surrounding him was slowly turning him into something that was neither a human nor a dark magician.


    The power of evil darkness that the dark magicians have was granted by the evil from the other side. One could not obtain it as they pleased.

 Chapter 51: Darkness’ corruption

    Darkness from the dark minions was a fragment of the power of those evil beings but it wasn''t something that could grant one the power of darkness.


    "Let''s get out of here, El."


    The mage must be someone who wanted to be a follower of evil and was helping the dark mage with something.


    She did not know for certain yet, but he must also be someone responsible for the dark mage''s presence in this town.


    "...let''s go."


    From what they understood, the mage that was helping the dark mage wanted to be a dark mage and was serving him. He might have pointed him to this town, thinking it did not have many strong individuals and was an easy target.


    Then when the dark mage went to deal with the town people, he must have stayed behind.


    It takes a lot of sacrifices and conductors to open the windows on the other side and produce a fellow dark mage artificially.


    The birth of a dark mage is a natural process, but there surely is a way to obtain that abundant power of evil.


    And this one might have been after that as well, and the dark mage must have done all this to make him a follower as well, since it would prove his faith and grant him greater powers.


    "...Miu recognizes him."


    "Then it makes more sense."


    The mage wanted power, for that the dark magician needed to seed, for his sess this circle was important, and he thought he could prevent it from being destroyed.


    That did not happen. And seeing him with the magic circle, the Minions instinctively attached themselves to him in an attempt to ''help'' the process¡­ or in an attempt to be one with the darkness that they hade from.


    They did not have anything like intelligence so instincts were everything for them.


    In this instance though, their instincts made them do something crazy.


    "Did you kill the Crystal lizards?" Alex looked at the mage who was being consumed by the darkness of the minions, the darkness that was purely an energy, something opposite of the Mana.


    [ "Ughh¡­!" ]


    The mage was dumb to think he could handle the dark magic circle as merely a (tier-4) mage. And the minions were dumber to unanimously attach themselves to the mage.


    "Doesn''t seem like we will get any answer from them even if we talk."


    "..."


    What they did made the energy inside of the mage''s body sh with the darkness. The ss of two energies created an unstable environment that produced strong power.


    This at least gave the mage the power to stop the spell circle from falling, but at the same time, the darkness that overflowed in him was corrupting his body.


    He would die soon, and that death would be more terrifying than he might have ever thought about.


    ''Dying from the powerful darkness. He sure would experience the worst pain in hisst moments.''


    Alex did not spare him any more nces and walked out of that ce.


    He wasn''t even a dark mage that was trying to repair the spell circle but merely a dumb mage that would die a horrible death.


    And since the darkness would slowly corrupt his pure soul as well, even though he was a native, he might never experience a peaceful afterlife.


    These were hisst moments¡­


    "Miu."


    "Muuu."


    And even though Elio wanted to kill him with his own hands for being the one to kill the geckos of this cave, he walked back with Alex and got out of the cave.


    [ "Hey¡­! Wait¡­!" ]


    Neither of them looked back at the mage¡­ and the darkness continued surrounding his entire being.


    The spell that he was maintaining was now working with him as the core, but thatsted only for another moment as the darkness had turned the body of the human mage into something that resembled charcoal.


    -Ooooooooooooooooong¡­!


    He had stopped breathing a while ago, but now that his lifeforce was exhausted as well, nothing was left of him.


    His position as the spell circle''s core had be useless as well. So¡­


    -BOOOOOOOOOOOOM¡­!


    When they came out, a ground shaking explosion boomed from deep inside of the cave.


    The dungeon''s core waspletely destroyed.


    The cave must have fallen down, and from the sheer force of the explosion that must have been perceivable even far away from here, they knew what they were here for had already been achieved.


    Now, all that was left was for them to defeat the dark mage and protect the ''certain'' special individual in the process.


    "Get ready-."


    "I know what I have to do. Don''t tell me every little thing."


    "Oh?"


    She looked at his confident and angry expression.


    She didn''t know where his ''not wanting to kill anything'' spirit was since she could clearly see killing intent in his eyes.


    But, it seemed pretty valid for her at this point.


    He had friends that had been with him for special reasons and if he didn''t do anything, there was a good chance that he would lose them.


    He had to be stronger. Perhaps so strong that even while not killing anything, he would be able to protect everything that was his.


    This was just a game for them, but for the creatures of this world, this data world was their reality.


    And their artificial intelligence was their real selves.


    -Boooooooooooom!


    The matter with the dark mage''s magic circle, an element of his boosted strength from the evil side was already taken care of, so they thought they would be able to take down the dark mage with the help of the guard captain and the knights.


    The mages would y a big role in her ns and since they were strong individuals who possessed certain great qualities, they were going to be a great assistance to her.


    She was confident that under her assistance, they would win this battle. It wouldn''t be that difficult for them to take down someone like that dark mage if they utilize their power in a proper manner.


    She was confident¡­


    [ "Oh? Was there someone still left?" ]


    But when they reached the area where the mostmotion was happening, they witnessed a scene that almost froze both of them in their ce¡­

 Chapter 52: Downfall

    The area where a fierce fight was going on a few moments ago was turned into something that could only be described as a Mess.


    The ground waspletely covered in blood of the natives, the knights and mages who must have done their best to fight against someone like the dark mage.


    It wasn''t easy to be a knight and receive the power of Aura. One needed to devote themselves to their training and understand their weapons more than any normal sword wielder.


    The one who could not obtain the Aura even with a lot of training were many not just in the cities of the kingdoms but even in the greater empires. That was also the reason that just like the archers that were with the guard captain, many who trained with weapons also opted for Mana.


    Mana was a kind of resource that generally anyone qualified enough can get ess to. But, at the same time, even training in Mana was a difficult thing.


    However, the knights that apanied the guard captain were all Aura users, powers that were so rare that even arge town like this one only had a handful of them.


    And yet, all those who had apanied them had be one with nature¡­


    [ "I knew someone messed with the magic circle. That dumb mage bastard was never the right choice." ]


    The ground covered in blood, rubbles was still flying all around.


    Bodies either crushed mercilessly or obliterated from inside outy on the ground. The insides of the body were filling the ground¡­


    The gruesome scene that they were seeing right now almost made Elio noxious, but he handled himself as he red back at the ck eyes looking at both of them.


    [ "Well, I don''t know how you two did it, but your efforts don''t mean anything." ]


    The knights were dead, the mages'' body had be a messy pool of organs, the archers were dead as well¡­ the only one alive before them was the guard captain, who also hung on thest thread of his life.


    [{ "I told you all to wait, didn''t I?" }]


    Alex could not help but curse at the guard captain as she saw the miserable state that he was in.


    [{ "We¡­ should have done¡­ that." }]


    He was covered in scars and deep wounds from head to toe. His body was covered in a unique green light that was so distinct that Alex recognised it at a nce, but that did not concern her at the moment.


    [ "Well, well. You two seem intriguing. Unfortunately, our time for idle chatter has run out." ]


    ncing at the white sword around her waist and the creatures that Elio was trying to hide under his shirt¨C something very ineffective, the dark mage with ashen pale skin and dark eyes resembling the abyssal pits, smirked.


    "Get away, dumbass!"


    -Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The very next moment, dark spikes rose from the ground where they had been standing, however thankfully, with her quick reaction, Alex was able to avoid the attack while pushing Elio away.


    He was lost for the scene before him for a second. He had known these people- people who were not in this world anymore- and he knew they were pretty good people.


    But they were dead now as well, and there was nothing that could be done.


    [{ "Do we fight him?!" }]


    He was thankful for her help once again, but he did not use any unnecessary words at the moment.


    He knew the severity of the situation and just asked her what they had to do.


    [{ "Do you see any other option?! Of course we have to fight!" }]


    The opponent was still a (Level-99) dark mage. Thankfully, all the killing he had done until now did not push his level any higher or else it would really be impossible to defeat him in the short time they had left.


    [{ "Help me!" }]


    -Bling!


    -Swish! Swish! Swish!


    She used {Blink} and while avoiding the spikes that were springout out of the ground all around them, she grabbed Elio along with Az and Miu and got some distance away from the mage.


    The fight was inevitable, so she first told him what she wanted him to do and, without waiting any further, she reappeared before the area where the dark mage had been.


    [{ "Sir Mayor! Please tell us what is going on!" }]


    She reached the messy area and the first thing she did was to use a powerful (tier-4) offensive magic scroll that even the dark mage could not avoid.


    [{ "Not good. It seems like some of the minions have managed to infiltrate the town anyway." }]


    The Mayor recognised her voice on this private channel so he did not dwell deeper and just answered her question.


    -Swish! Swish! Swish!


    At the same time, she used enchanted throwing knives that contained strong spells that the dark mage''s magic barrier could not stop.


    He thought his defenses were absolute. Even the knights and the guard captain had barely managed to shatter it a few times until now.


    Even after using his hidden power, the guard captain had only managed to deal a little damage to him.


    There were some scratches that did not mean much. They would heal with his enhanced regeneration powers so the mage did not pay any mind to them¡­ however, the attacks from her mere daggers was a different story altogether.


    [ "You¡­! Why do you have these¡­?!" ]


    Enchantment was not amonly practiced art. In the current age, one could not find an enchanter easily. Moreover, the kind of enchantment that was required to bypass the barriers made of the dark energy was not something even the experienced enchanters could apply on simple weapons like these knives.


    -Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The level difference between them was not small. It was more than severity levels, which was a lot even from her standards.


    But, it was still not impossible.


    She had gone against beings over a hundred levels above herself.


    She had note out victorious in all of such fights, but she was confident this time.


    The opponent was a single dark magician so, even with the many problems, even though the dark minions had managed to infiltrate the town, even though a lot of yers and natives had died protecting the town, even though the conditions were still not in their favor¡­ it was still possible.


    [{ "Get ready, El." }]


    There was one key element to this quest that none of them knew about until just now.


    [{ "You might only get one minutes at max." }]


    But after seeing the green light around the guard captain, she was able to recognize it instantly.


    There was no way she would not recognize the distinct light of the special skill that birthed the current No.9 of the unified rankings¨C one of the strongest exorcists of this world.


    As well as someone she had fought alongside many times in the past main scenarios¡­

 Chapter 53: Key to the victory

    -Swish!


    Avoiding the iing attack of a dark wind, she first used a powerful protactiv Mana shield item to take the least amount of damage, and used a sword imbued with the properties light to attack the dark mage.


    Her level was still low and her Mana levels weren''t sufficient but she could still use a few of the items that she had.


    The general items like essories and the scrolls were one thing, but she mostly did dealt with the attackls of the dark mage using her high evasion rate.


    She was agile even with herparatively low stats, and even though she had used some potions and buff spell scrolls to temporarily boost herself she was not going tost against the dark mage tens of levels higher than her.


    [ "Damn insect." ]


    She had many restrictions on her, many of them being from her ''trial'' so there was a lot of limitations on her.


    -Booooooooooom!


    She couldn''t just use some high level magic scroll or the holy sword that she had in her inventory. If she could use something like that, there would be no need for her to even go to such lengths and engage in a joint fight with the others.


    She would solo kill this little dark mage and that would be it for it''s efforts.


    However, she was limited to the simple items that she had one star items in her inventory.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    Still, she was somehow dealing with the attacks of the mage, dealing some kind of damage that umted over time, and using many debuffs on him so that the damage would at least stack over time.


    [ "Ughhh! What is this now?!" ]


    The DoT strategy as people called it might surely have been effectiove against this one had the debuffs and the umtion sumtive percentage was decent enough, but at her level and with her limitations, all that she could do was to push the mage away from the ce they were in and engage in a brief fight until it was done with her little ys.


    -Swish!


    The mage was overcvonfident andzy so she knew it was just conserving his strength for the bigger things that might apper, so she had to take advantge of his carelessness and buy as much time for them as possible¡­


    She was only acting as a distraction afterall. The real key to this quest was the guard captain. So Elio''s role here was very important.


    "Hey! Guard captain!"


    When Alex dragged the dark magician away from them all, Elio carefully made his way to the guard captain through the pool of blood, organs, grusome stuff, and dead bodies¡­


    "Hey!"


    The guard captain was unconscious, so he pped his big face. But he still did not wake up.


    The green energy around him was fading away so, Elio thought he was on the verge of death.


    And he did not want to do CPR when he was covered in blood like this.


    So¡­ he ced Az on top of the guard captain and asked the little slime to cast the magic of the sub category of light attribute- (Volt).


    "Muuuu~."


    It was a small spell that produced some little sparks of lightning, something that wasn''t really used as a CPR substitute, but in the kind of state he was in, the guard captain needed more of a quick shock rather than the touch of another man''s lips.


    "Go."


    "Muuu~!"


    The slime was still new to the whole magic thing but there were around nine spells that it could cast after the little training they had done until now.


    The spell (Volt) was one of the simple spells that was actually pretty difficult to use even for the people who had the affinity for lightning attribute directly.


    But, even with the light elemental affinity, the slime could use the spell. Which, in their current situation, was nothing less than a blessing.


    -Oooooooong!


    Mana gathered on the white translucent surface of the slime as it produced the spell the same way it had felt it.


    "Muuuuu¡­"


    It was very quick.


    The way Mana particles gathered and condensed into the shape of a spell circle and then materialized as a few sparks of blue lightning around the surface of its white mucus, was an instantaneous process.


    -Zap!


    It ended up with a small electrical discharge that made the entirerge body of the guard captain jerk upwards.


    "Ghaaaap!"


    -Ooooooong!


    "Ahem!"


    His eyes opened wide right after the shock and as if it was on instinct, the guard captain took in a mouthful of air before coughing up some blood as he stood back up while channeling the Mana in his surroundings.


    "Have this!"


    Elio hurriedly handed him the high grade potion bottle that he had received from Alex a moment ago and without thinking about how this small vial of potion costs a whopping gold coin, he just gulped it all down his throat.


    He knew already that the time right now was not right.


    He had to go back and fight the dark mage¡­


    -nk! nk! nk!


    He could see even with his blood covered eyes that in the distance somewhere, someone was fighting the dark mage with still a significant power level.


    If this boy was here, then the girl that he had been trusting a little too much until now must be the one going against that dark mage¡­ but, she was nowhere near strong enough to even fight against him. He knew just how weak both of these young ones were right now¡­ so, he had to go.


    "Please wait, captain."


    Elio knew what the guard captain wanted to do.


    She already told him how he would try to hurry and go help her after taking that high grade potion and recovering a portion of his strength.


    It was Elio''s job to make sure the guard captain reached her as soon as possible as well¡­ but before he did, Elio had to make sure of one more thing.


    "Take these. She said you would know what to do with it."


    Alex knew the kind of unique skill the guard captain possessed.


    In the entire world, there were rarely any individuals who possessed the innate talent to borrow the powers of the guardian spirits, the natural spirits that were different from the elemental spirits.


    "You¡­ how do you-."


    "We don''t have time for the exnations, captain."


    He was tending to him but his eyes had always been focused in the distance, at her and the unfathomable opponent she was facing right now.


    There was no time to chit chat, so the guard captain had to do whatever she wanted him to do as quickly as possible.


    "...alright."


    The things that she had asked Elio to hand over to the captain included a condensed Mana crystal, unique fruit from the east that contained Mana- something one rarely found in the west where they were, andstly, something that Elio had obtained during his tutorial.


    A green glowing flower that possessed a much more ethereal glow to it than what he had seen in the tutorial.


    There was a strong natural Mana stored inside of this Jade Lotus, something that now that he could perceive Mana, seemed unrealistic and etherial.


    "Thanks."


    This flower was something much more important and special than what he had expected.


    And in their situation, in the hands of someone who understood its value better than anyone else, these things were practically invaluable¡­

 Chapter 54: True powers of a skill

    [ "You insolent insect!" ]


    Even though she told him she would buy him three minutes, the dark mage ended up seeing how the boy that was with her a moment ago was now doing something with the guard captain that he had almost crushed.


    They had given him some trouble already, time was being wasted, there was a lot that was happening right now and, despite her consecutive attacks, the evil bastard was fine even right now.


    Thanks to the spells that he used to counterattack and block the many attacks that she was using with the help of her costly items, she still could not manage to deal any damage to the dark mage.


    She just ended up angering him further.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    He was enraged now that he had also figured out she was merely ying with him all this time.


    Elio was doing something important but even she did not know how he would wake him up and give all those things to him in the short time they had.


    -Boooooooooooooom!


    She was betting a lot on him right now, so even when the dark mage got enraged and used a strong spell to attack her, she barely managed to survive the attack by evading most of the fatal impact and blocking it with all the charges of her consumable Mana shields that she had.


    -DHUM¡­!


    She crashed in a tree trunk. And even though the shields absorbed some impact, she still was hurt.


    "Alex¡­!"


    Elio rushed to her side, knowing full well she had not only exhausted herself in that short instance, she even used a lot of things that she initially did not want to.


    [ "Futile efforts¡­" ]


    The dark mage frowned at the two of them, the disgusted look on him an evidence of his dislike towards their kind and their pureness.


    [ "One cannot step away from the perpetual bounds that THEY are the masters of." ]


    He did not think anything special about this person. The girl merely used some tricks and jumped around a little so there was nothing too special about her.


    She was just trying to trick him, distracting him so that the one insignificant insect with her could do something that was also just going to be as futile as anything else they would do.


    Their fates were sealed the moment they came here. Nothing but a painless, blissfully dark death awaited them¡­


    "Ahem!"


    "Bastard¡­!"


    "Miu!"


    "Muuuuuu¡­!"


    The three of them around her could do little tofort her and ease the deep pain she might be feeling after that impact.


    There was a chance that she must have also received some dangerous internal injury because of the shock but Elio only had some normal potions to help her in that condition. Nothing else.


    "Did you¡­ do it?"


    She was hurt, but even in that condition, even with blooding out of a corner of her mouth, she was asking if he seeded or not.


    It was her typical serious behavior. Not caring about herself in situations where much more was on the line.


    She would not have anything to worry about if he had seeded.


    "Yes. He took it."


    The guard captain had already take the things from him, which meant he she had seeded with what she needed to do.


    "It''s alright then¡­"


    -Oooooooooong!


    [ "Foreigner insects." ]


    The Dark magician was done preparing the next spell that would most definitely kill them this time.


    This was the end for both of them. There was no card left up their sleeves.


    [ "Tsk." ]


    Even though the dark mage was looking at them with the disgusting intent to kill them, they just stayed there.


    She had no reason to move anymore since she had already used up all the cards she had, and since she was there, he could not just get up and avoid that attack by himself.


    He hid Az under his shirt once again, even though he knew it would be of no use, even though he knew it was just a dumb thing to do, but he still did it since he also knew they weren''t going to get hurt anymore.


    [ "Just die." ]


    -Swiiiish¡­!


    -Boooooooooom!


    A strong ck condensed ball of wind came at them with a boom, and they were just there.


    He was hugging her, but he was still afraid so his eyes were closed. On the other hand, even though she was hugging him back, she was looking straight at the ball of winding at them.


    { "[{(Prakriti)}]¡­ that''s what they used to call nature in the primordialnguage." }


    A strong, very strong Mana voice resonated throughout the area around them out of the blue, and a smirk appeared on her face.


    "There it¡­ is¡­"


    { "Do you know why they called it as such, follower of evil?" }


    -Ooooooooooong!


    A green energy surrounded both of them, as well as the ck ball of winds that came stright at them.


    [ "...?!" ]


    The demon was stunned by what had just happened.


    The kind of force that he had used in that attack was something meant to kill even someone far stronger than those children.


    It was meant to obliterate them¡­ yet, it just vanished?


    { "Do you know, oh miserable hater of nature¡­ what [{(Purush)}] meant in THEIR time?" }


    That green light was something he had already witnessed a few moments ago.


    The guard captain had used it as some kind of secret weapon of his, but in the end, it was just some petty tricks.


    It was nothingpared to the great power bestowed upon him by THEM.


    Yet¡­ now, that great power just disappeared?


    And that too, by the same strange green power that he had already defeated once?


    { "Do you know¡­ oh mortals." }


    The evil dark magician was confused, so it turned his head to the direction of the center of that strange echoing voice.


    { "Do you know what a [Truth] is?" }


    And at this moment¡­ for the first time he had been here, for the first time after killing all those yers, natives, and things¡­ for the first time, there was an emotion other than joy or happiness in thosepletely white eyes.


    And this emotion¡­


    [ "...how?" ]


    Alex knew very well how it was called ''primal fear''. Something an ''evil'' would always recognize instinctively.

 Chapter 55: Creation

    There are many stories of origin in the world of <NO>. However, yers, or those whoe from beyond this world alone, know how the world was actually created by manyplex artificial intelligences by closely replicating the ''philosophical'' origins of the real world.


    They did not create the world based on scientific origin¨C following the [Big bang] principle and starting the world from an original starting point.


    The Creators of these AI models, the [Creators] of Twelve [Origins] of the world of <NO> did not stick to a certain ''Genesis'' story that the scientists have spected over the decades and centuries and went beyond it, took inspirations from the lores, myths, epics, philosophies of ancient times, and instructed the Superior, highlyplex AIs with ''learning'' capabilities to create a world that was as real as Reality, while at the same time, was as fantastical as the human heart''s desire for freedom.


    In the end, the models created the world based on some core philosophical principles that independently as well as collectively were necessary for the existence of this unique world¨C [Truths] as they are known today.


    The natives who were originated at the end of an unknown time period''s [Creation], [Destruction], and [Recreation], started their lives in a unique world, ''evolved'' simrly to how the human evolution had taken ce, and after a long time, they reached the point where the yers entered their world¨C where the otherworldly beings who would not die even after being killed entered their worlds.


    Unlike them, they did not age, did not get tired the same way they did, got stronger faster than they could, and after only a few months of their lives in this world, they got adapted into the societies that already existed there.


    They were adaptive beings that the natives could not understand, but as time passed and the [Open beta] ended, they got used to these ''Foreign'' visitors cursed by destiny, doomed for a more miserable life than the natives.


    With time, the world evolved as well and when the regr yers started visiting this world, it was easier for the natives to adapt to these unique beings.


    There were some difficulties at the start, some conflicts that the yers had to deal with by themselves, but¡­ they were outsiders in a different world.


    They needed to adapt, evolve, and do various things to also be a part of this world¨C and to assist them with it, to assist all natives in various ways, the [System] propagated by the [Origins] existed.


    The [Truths] that this world followed were paths for the yers. Walking on these paths granted them {Skills}, (Powers), <Titles>, and most importantly, a [ss].


    The [Origins] who maintained these [Truths] were close to an owner of these truths, the ones who maintained various worldly functions based on these [Truths].


    [Nature] was one of these truths, [Individual] was another truth¨C factually, there were more truths in this world than there were [Origins]. Thus, the [Freedom] to walk any path one desires, the freedom to do anything one wants without being restricted to one [Truth] was achieved.


    And since the [Truths] existed, the world¨C under the ''maintenance'' of the supreme beings, or [Origins]- existed as well.


    They were creators, they were maintainers, and they were the destroyers.


    { "Answer me, oh follower of evil." }


    When a yer reached a certain level, or achieved a certain feat, or performed some unique actions that caught the attention of the [Origin], they were given the chance to obtain powers directly from them.


    When a yer willingly walks on a certain path, with time and right efforts, they would naturally reach a stage where they are able to ess the [Truths] and gain powers from those universalws.


    And, since this is a game¨C if one is lucky enough, they can kill dragons even if they are at (Level-0), Go down to hell ande back at their will even without the qualifications or any Authority, or¨C be a god themselves.


    The endlessness of possibilities was possible thanks to the [Truths]. But¡­ understanding what this actually meantyer byyer would be more fun instead of something like this.


    "The Guardian spirits of nature, beings who had received powers and immortality from [Nature] and reside in the world of spirits after their departure from the physical world¡­ there is only one kind of skill that allows one to borrow the power of those beings."


    No one knows why some individuals possess these skills, what the conditions to acquire these skills are, how one can grow it, or what one needs in order to use the full potential of these skills.


    Aside from the one possessing these skills, no one even knows how important certain items are to realize theplete potential of these skills.


    But, there are some people who do possess these skills. And, possessing these skills allows them to borrow powers of the Guardian spirits who reside in a different realm.


    [ "How¡­ how can something¡­" ]


    If the power of evil is something that is meant to destroy this nature, the powers of Guardian spirits is what preserves this nature, and protects it against the evils of this world.


    "The key to defeat the Mage was the guard captain."


    She had a pleased smirk on her face right now.


    The guard captain who looked just like a normal person, a tall and strong looking normal person akin to an experienced knight, had now turned into a tiger.


    Yes¡­ a green tiger.


    { "If you do not even know the [Truth] that has blessed you, oh follower of evil¡­" }


    A green spirit beast, a creature that was three meters tall and so big that it was covering half the ground where the dead bodies of their fallenrades were Thrown.


    [ "No¡­ no!" ]


    The tiger was merely made of a green energy with the guard captain being inside of him, holding a floating Jade lotus in his hands.


    There was a Mana crystal on the forehead of the creature. And right under this forehead, the creature''s sharp eyes that seemed to be seeing right through the souls of all living things resided¨C a unique anger currently visible in them.


    -Ooooooooooooooong.


    The tiger was ring at the dark magician.


    And the dark magician knew that when he tried manifesting the strongest magic he had used until now.


    "It is futile."


    { "...what even is the meaning of your existence." }


    "Everything is futile now."


    She had seen the world defining powers of the person in the unified rankings, a yer¨C a kind soul who weeped for the departed.


    She was one of the strongest not because she had high stats, unique gears, or vast knowledge about this world¡­ but merely because she possessed that one skill and had mastered it like no one else.


    { "What does your vast powers even amount to?" }


    -Swish.


    The guard captain was using that same skill in true meaning now.


    There was no way a mere Dark magician of such a low level would ever be a match for it.


    Especially, not a dark magician¨C an opposer of nature.

 Chapter 56: End of a dark magician

    [ "No¡­ this cannot happen!" ]


    The spirit guardian appeared before the dark mage and looked down at him with enraged expression.


    The dark magician was trying to gather all the energy he could to cast any kind of magic, but everything was futile before the green energy that was oozing out of the tiger.


    There was fear in the eyes of the ck magician. The eyes that had only been looking down at the creatures lower than him were now ring at the being that had a look of not disgust but disappointment in his angry eyes.


    { "The Nature of [Ashuddha] is that of impurity. When it grants its powers to a being, it impures them." }


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    A green smoke appeared beneath the dark magician.


    { "The reason the impurity is against nature is not because the nature holds purity¨C [Shuddh] is a different [Truth] altogether." }


    The green energy that had appeared in the form of smoke covered the dark magician.


    It slowly covered his legs, his body, and soon, the green energy was covering the dark magepletely.


    { "It is because of the nature of [Ashuddha] that it tries to impure what surrounds everything." }


    The green energy slowly started getting darker, and the light it produced started getting brighter as well.


    "Wow¡­"


    Elio was stunned by the sight before him.


    He was not expecting to see a being like this, a being that made his heart calm down just by its presence.


    He was looking at the scene before him, he was looking at how the dark mage who had been the reason for the suffering of everyone in this ce, the one who caused so much destruction, do many deaths, and so much bloodshed¨C the very being that was smoking at them until just a moment ago, was now the one suffering.


    "There is a lot you haven''t seen yet, Elio."


    Alex was fine now. The green energy that had protected them from the attack of the dark mage earlier had healed her as well.


    She was fine now, and she was looking at the scene before them with her three adorablepanions.


    "Muuu¡­"


    "Yes. They are beautiful."


    "Miu."


    They were lost in the greatness of the scene before them, but she knew all of them were listening to her, and so she finished her sentence.


    "This is just a fraction of what true Powers of this world are capable of. We still have a lot to see here."


    The light from the green energy had be almost blinding. So, both of them had no choice but to close their eyes.


    -Ooooooooooong!


    { "If you do not even understand what power you are using¡­ you have no right to wield that power, oh follower of evil." }


    The light vanished soon, and along with the light, the evil dark mage had vanished as well.


    All that remained in the ce where he stood was ck ashes¨C which soon disappeared with winds as well.


    [Ding!]


    [The Dark magician has fallen!]


    The system notification that appeared before every individual throughout the Moongold town stunned them for a moment.


    However, after a moment passed, they grasped what the appearance of this new notification meant.


    [Regional Quest: Cleared!]


    It was over.


    After the loss of so many lives, after shading so much blood, after seeing deaths of so many natives and yers, after a battle thatsted the entire night¡ª as the first sunlight of dawn graced them, the long battle came to a halt.


    The dark energy that was covering the town from all direction was also vanishing.


    "Did we din?"


    "Who killed the dark mage¡­?"


    "Better question is¡­ where even is the dark mage?"


    "Even better question would be¡­ why is the dark mage?"


    "A better one¡­"


    The yers who were still engaged in fight with the dark minions watched as the minions of evil vanished- burned away with the new light of dawn.


    Their summoner had perished, so there was no medium through which they could exist in this world anymore.


    The remaining creatures- goblins under the power of darkness also fell down lifeless without the power that they had following all this time.


    This was their end, and¡­ along with them, this was an end to the sudden crisis that the moongold had faced.


    "It''s over."


    Alex sighed a breath of relief and dropped her head on his shoulder.


    "Yes¡­"


    And he dropped his head on hers.


    It was tiring.


    They just wanted to go back to their inn and have a good long sleep.


    He was not feeling well, and even though she was healed, she was not feeling so good either.


    Rest was important. They were also sleep deprived, so they had to seep.


    But before they do that¡­


    { "It is very rare to see someone following a trial, even for beings like us." }


    The tiger that had finished the dark magician that they did not even hope to defeat with their current strength, walked in their direction.


    Their elegant walk was refined, unparalleled to the simple walk of the felines found in nature.


    { "It is even more rare to see an object such as that." }


    The tiger''s eyes were fixed on Alex as they spoke to them.


    { "Youngdy¡­" }


    There was a unique curiocity in them, as well as a kind of care they did not have when they looked down at the Dark magician.


    { "Is it possible to know your Immortal name?" }


    The tiger had a look simr to that of respect in his eyes.


    With the light in the Mana crystal on its forehead getting dimmer, his astral body was fading away as well.


    But, the curiosity and respect was still present in his deep eyes.


    And seeing this reaction, Alex had a nostalgic smile on her face.


    "I cannot tell you my Immortal name, child of Kohaku."


    She spoke simply, but her words caused a storm in their respectful, curious eyes.


    "However, THEY should know <Amber empress of garden of life>. Ask her when you return."


    The way she was talking to this guardian spirit seemed quite unusual to Elio, as if a majestic being like this one was nothing unique to her.


    She was unfazed even in their great presence, she was looking directly in the eyes of a being that had just killed a dark mage without even lifting a finger¨C or paw in this case, or a nail of that paw.


    He knew she was a high level yer before but, wasn''t she using an Alt right now? Or, as he had expected, did she just really somehow leveled down?


    He did not know what she meant by most of the things she was saying, but he could tell from the surprised look of the creature before him that whatever it was¡­ it was no small thing.

 Chapter 57: Leftovers of a battle

    { "I did not expect to meet someone who knows the great mother when I heard the desperate calling of this child." }


    There was a new surprise in the eyes of this being, as well as a fading smile on its face.


    { "Very well¡­ oh, enlightened one walking the turbulent path. I shall remember thy blessed title as I depart these mortalnds." }


    The giant tiger that did not even look at the dark magician properly, at the end of his time in this world, bowed down before apletely normal low level yer, surprising the one beside her.


    "Tell her I will be back for my stuff please."


    Not even the disappearing tiger knew what it meant, but he smiled and kept his head to the ground, on his front legs, as it vanished into fine green particles at the crack of the dawn.


    -Oooooooong¡­


    The body of the guard captain that was the core of the giant tiger''s body fell gently to the ground at the disappearance of the creature, and the Jade lotus that had been floating in his hands also vanished along with the creature.


    The guard captain was unconscious, and since they knew they would need four to six people to bring him back to the town, they just stayed there, in their positions.


    "So, how much do I not know about you? The past you from this game, to be more precise."


    He did not want to ask her how she lowered her level so much.


    The guardian spirit also spoke of trial or something so he had his doubts. But instead of asking about her present self, he asked her about her past.


    A past that he did not seem to be well familiar with despite being with her for all these years.


    "Well¡­ let''s say you don''t know a lot of it. Even I don''t know that much since I''ve been here for over a decade so, even if I tell you everything, it won''t be everything."


    Her statement was simple and easy to understand.


    "Though, if you want, I''ll tell you everything little by little as we travel together and see new things. How about that?"


    And the question was nothing difficult for him to answer.


    "I''d love that, yes. Knowing this side of you has turned out to be much more fun than I expected¡­ and I''d love to continue it."


    The unexpected quest was over now.


    They had cleared the quest.


    The guardian spirit defeated the boss monster and since it had manifested from the skill of the guard captain, most of the contribution would belong to him.


    But still, since contribution was calcted based on a lot of various things, she knew they would at least get into the top five contributors.


    "It''s settled then~."


    Now that the quest wasplete and she was utterly exhausted, she was happy.


    Not being able to kill the dark mage with her own hands was sad, but she did all that she could. And the results of it were fun.


    "Let''s wrap things up."


    Soon, the event of the library that she was here for would take ce and since they had experienced such a quest already, she was nning to depart for their next destination as soon as she was done here.


    On the travel path that she had designed, there were (Twelve destinations). Starting with Moongold, they were going to end all the way somewhere to the other side of this world¨C a ce that she would be visiting for the first time.


    She knew it was going to be a fun experience for both of them, so¡­ she signed happily now that the first big quest of their game life hade to a close.


    "Muuuu¡­"


    "Miu¡­"


    She wanted to finish things and go back to the town to meet the Mayor.


    Soldiers and the remaining guards would be here to pick up the guard captains and the remains of the fallenrades, and clean up this blessed battlefield where they had fought with their meaningful lives on the line.


    They will be remembered for their sacrifices¡­ and the town folks will mourn for them.


    The yers will go back to their daily lives, but for the natives and the yers who had been nothing less than a native of this town will express a great sorrow for the lives of their friends, their partners, their family members¨C their fathers and their lovers.


    For the next few days, the atmosphere of the moongold will remain gloomy, she knew all of that.


    "We weren''t strong enough to save them, El."


    But still, seeing the sadness in the eyes of her partner as he watched the gruesome scene before him, as he watched the fallen bodies and the bodies that did not even have a ''body'' left anymore¡­ as he watched the life that had extinguished, the only emotion he could feel was self loathing.


    "This is not your fault, or mine, or the guard captain''s, or anyone else''s."


    Things could have been different but they were not.


    What had happened had already passed and there was nothing that they could do to change it.


    It has be the past already.


    "I know¡­"


    And he knew this bitter fact.


    "I know."


    There were tears at the ends of his eyes but they did note out.


    He was burning from inside, thinking how he might have saved all of them if he had strength, if he could have done all that he did in a better way, if he had not stopped at the cave and gone back to check on the dark magic circle¡­


    They made mistakes. And it cost them lives.


    "I know."


    Lives that were lost forever now.


    "Haaa¡­ you''re getting too invested in this game, El."


    She hugged him, kissed his cheeks, and got up from the ground.


    "And the reason for that is someone who used to have a great epic noble title of <Amber empress of garden of life>."


    "Miu!"


    "Muuuu~!"


    The two little creatures liked the sound of it, but he was just mocking her. And for that, he will be punishedter.


    "Get up now. Let''s clean up a little."


    The guards and the people from the town will be here soon since they knew the final battle was happening here.


    They were too deep inside the forest so no one must have noticed many things going on here, and since the dark minions were blocking this ce prior to the death of the dark mage, the others must have had difficulty getting past them.


    "Haaaa¡­"


    The top elites were the only ones who crossed the defensive line of the dark minions, but those very elites and brave individuals were now¡­ gone.


    "May the departed find the guides, thentern holders on the waters of afterlife. May their sins be judged lightly, for they fell on a battlefield, like the warriors they aspired to embody¡­"


    It was the prayer of this kingdom that was offered to the ones who pass away on a battlefield.


    Elio was hearing it for the first time. But, it resonated with him deeply¡­

 Chapter 58: Peaceful sleep

    "I heard you two were fighting for us as well? Are you hurt anywhere?"


    They were back to their inn and since it was early morning, there weren''t many people around on the ground floor.


    There weren''t many guests in this inn in the first ce, so the two of them and Miss Rin were chatting while they had a morning coffee as Misha cleaned up the ce.


    They knew what had happened yesterday and they were inside all the time it was happening.


    Misha was still a teenager so she did not have any experiences of her town being attacked, but as someone who had lived a long, difficult life in many towns and cities, she knew how getting attacked by external forces felt.


    She was worried when the two of them came back. This was her first experience with something like this, so she thought the sister that had saved them from those thugs and the brother with that slime would have gotten hurt.


    But thankfully that was not the case.


    "Thankfully, we are fine. Though, it has been a long night and we are exhausted."


    "Oh, then do you want to take a bath? Should I prepare some warm water for you?"


    "Oh. That would be great."


    She made some coffee for the two of them and since their rtionship with the inn owner and her daughter had improved so much, they could now use the kitchen however they wanted.


    They were already tired, so taking a bath and having a nap was going to be great.


    ''The Mayor will make the announcements in the evening.''


    A while has passed since the battle and the cleanup process was finished as well, the contribution calction should have been done as well¡­ but since the nature of the quest this time was unique, the contribution will only be revealed when the Mayor announces his own rewards and thanks.


    So until then, they wanted to sleep.


    "I want to¡­ yawnnnnn~. Justy down and sleep."


    Sleep was an important part of the game, just like real life.


    One can overdose on caffeine and block the sleep for a while but there is no way topletely stop sleeping.


    One needed to sleep to keep functioning well in this game as well or else they would be debuffed.


    "Madam Rin, we shall take our leave now."


    "I will be there shortly."


    She could see the exhaustion in their eyes and in their movements.


    She could tell they must have run around quite a lot, used many magic items and spells and were exposed to the dark energy for a long time.


    She understood the severity of their situation but she was aware of their nature. Both of them were extremely unique individuals.


    And seeing how they were caring around a dangerous mana beast inside of a Mana slime as well, she could not help but be more interested in this young couple.


    "Yaaaaawn~."


    "You''re tired as well, hun?"


    "Nah. We can still have some fun in the bath if you want."


    "Crazy bastard."


    They weren''t going to have any fun today anymore.


    Perhaps at night, in reality, but not here.


    Here, she will sleep. And he will cry¡­ she knew that, and she wasn''t going toe between him and his tears.


    He could cry however much he wanted while cuddling me, but she was going to sleep.


    After using that Crimson sword on that dark magic circle, she had no stamina left in her.


    If he knew how she was surviving on negative stamina right now, he would be shocked and drag her to some clinic for a detailed checkup.


    "Good night then¡­"


    She justid down on the bed as soon as they were in their room.


    And, just a momentter¡­ she had fallen asleep.


    "Miu?"


    "Muuuu?"


    Both Az and Miu were confused why she suddenly fell asleep like that, but Elio knew just how exhausted she had been.


    He had seen her falling asleep out of the blue like this in the real world before, but this was his first time seeing it in the game.


    "Good night, Miss Twinkle."


    But he was familiar with it, so it did note as a big surprise to him.


    He justid off beside her on their bed¡­ and strangely, he also fell asleep.


    -Knock! Knock!


    "Excuse me."


    Miss Rin came without receiving permission, hoping to see some steamy young stuff¡­ but she only found two exhausted people peacefully sleeping together.


    It was a better view than what she had expected, but it was pure.


    So with a warm smile on her face, she just left the two young ones alone and left their room, closing it as gently as she had opened it, without making any sound At All.


    "Muuu?"


    "Miu."


    The little slime and gecko were confused what to do now, and they knew letting the gecko out would be dangerous, so Az asked miu to get inside of him, and the two jumped out of the room.


    Since Alex and Elio were sleeping, they did not have anything to do here. And since they didn''t need to rest as much as them, they were free to do something else.


    -Bing. Bing. Bing.


    Az had gained some levels after all their trouble today, and so it could live on its own around the safe area.


    And it knew some magic as well so they weren''t going to get in too much trouble if they just stayed inside of the inn.


    "Hmmm? What are you doing here?"


    But before they could even go around the inn, they were caughting out of their room by Madam Rin who was still around the corridor.


    "Don''t you want to sleep or something? Or are you two bored just sittingin your room without your friends?"


    Miss Rin was pretty interested in the slime already but now that there was a Mana beast inside of this slime as well, she was even more interested in these creatures.


    "Muuuu!"


    "Miu! Miu!"


    "Hmmm?"


    She knew the slime was a pretty intelligent one. But the fact that even the Mana beast inside of it was smart enough to respond to her question was a fascinating instance for her.


    "Huhu. aren''t you two interesting?"


    She came closer to them and picked the slime gently.


    "Want toe help me with some work?"


    "Muuu?"


    "Miu?"


    They were adorable.


    Her daughter liked them already, but she was afraid to get close to them since they were creatures and she was still unfamiliar with such beings.


    There was no need for her to be afraid of something that was also a creature of Nature, so she wanted them to get closer.


    And since they had this chance now, she thought it would be the best time for them to work on this little thing.

 Chapter 59: A tough morning

    "Yawnnnn~. Woh."


    "Had a good sleep?"


    This time, she was the one greeting him after their peaceful sleep. Just like it should be.


    "Nope. It was terrible."


    He was smirking as he looked at her pretty face the first thing in the morning¡­ in the evening actually. The morning and afternoon had passed already.


    "Oh? Was it now~?"


    Just like him, she was smirking as well.


    Both of them knew what the other one was thinking, and their eyes looking into each other''s eyes spoke more than either of them had said.


    "So, should we?" He asked first, even though he could tell she wanted to be the one to say it.


    "Well¡­ I wish we could."


    But contrary to what he thought, she shook her head at his pretty invitation.


    "It''s time. We have to go down to the central za. The Mayor''s speech, remember?"


    "Ah¡­"


    Last night was terrible.


    He did not know how or when he fell asleep but now that he was awake and his head was clear once again, he remembered all that had happened yesterday.


    All the blood shed. All the goar, blood, insides, deaths, those gruesome scenes¡­ he remembered all of it out of the blue.


    "...!"


    And he instantly became nauseous as soon as that happened.


    -Thum! Thum! Thum!


    He ran straight to the bathroom and threw up involuntarily.


    They did not have dinner yesterday and still, he could not help but throw up after all the things that he had seen yesterday.


    "There there. Take it all out. Slowly. There''s no need to rush."


    "Ahem! Ahem!"


    She was right beside him this time¨C she thought she would not be there when he would cry over all that had happened yesterday but he unexpectedly fell asleep with her.


    Perhaps because of exhaustion or all the spells that he had cast.


    She didn''t know the reason, but he also fell asleep alongside her. And now that he was awake, and all the memories, emotions, and ''images'' were rushing back to him, this was a natural reaction for someone that saw the light of the world, instead of the shadows present everywhere.


    "Haaa¡­ haaa¡­"


    He did not get to cry his heart out, so his mindpasented for all that mental burden through this small, simple, but effective process.


    Few people knew it, but throwing up was a unique response that the human body had developed over many evolutionary phases that protected not only one''s body but mind as well.


    But then again, those were recent studies. It wasmon for people to not know about them.


    "You alright now?"


    She was familiar with those kinds of sights.


    This game was not for children, or for the older people who did not want to see those kinds of scenes.


    Not all humans could handle things like that¡­ surely not a normal person like him who had lived a normal life in the bright areas of a city.


    "Yes¡­"


    But she knew his adaptability was unreal.


    He had survived many brutal environments in his younger days and he had handled high pressure in his recent years.


    She knew very well how he was before she met him. And she knew how much he had learned in these short twenty four years of his life.


    "Good. Let''s clean up and make you something good and warm."


    He wasn''t a kid so the fact that she got to treat him like one was a fun thing for her.


    She liked this rare asion. And she wanted to cherish it even more¡­ but when they got down after an hour, the scene before them surprised them a little.


    "Miu? Az? What are you two doing down here?"


    The fact that they actually forgot about their two cute friends was shameful, but they knew they wouldn''t have gone far away from there.


    They were smart so they should at least not have gone out in the broad daylight. They knew that, so they expected them to find somewhere around here¡­


    "Miu!"


    "Muuuuu!"


    But, well, they at least did not expect them to be with Misha¡­ or on top of a passed out Misha to be more precise.


    -Bling. Bling. Bling.


    The slime jumped towards them happily and the lizard that was sitting on top of its friend with only its legs inside the mucus surface smiled widely at its friends.


    "Miu~!"


    "You were ying with her¡­?"


    It most certainly did not look like they were ying since she seemed to be unconscious right now-.


    "Hmm? Where did you two go?"


    "Hun?"


    "...?"


    Or not. She was fine and seemed to simply be acting unconscious.


    "Oh! Sister! Brother Elio!"


    The young girl in her humble outfit ran up to them, picked up the little slime and carelessly hugged it.


    She was hugging the gecko alongside it, but though shocking, it did not seem like she was affected by the dense Mana of the gecko.


    "Sister! Brother Elio~. We were ying bang-bang! And even though I was not going easy on them, they defeated me twice!"


    "Muuuuu~!"


    "Miu~!"


    The three of them seemed to be awfully close now even though it had only been a few hours since theyst saw her.


    "Muuuu~!"


    "Mia!"


    And from how excited the two little creatures seemed, they could tell the three of them had fun ying together.


    "Seems like you three had fun, hun."


    "No! They always win! It''s not fair!"


    She was usually quiet, but now that she was having fun with these little ones, she had be more chatty.


    "Hmm? What''s going on?"


    And since she was loud as well, her mom- who had been working inside the kitchen- came out with her hands still covered in flour.


    "Misha?"


    "Mom! They won again!"


    From how she was not surprised by her daughter''s reaction to the creatures and from how she seemed to be familiar with what was going on, it seemed like she knew how the three of them had gotten closer.


    But the two of their friends did not know that. So she informed them first.


    "Oh, sorry about this¡­ the two of those little ones seemed to be going out for a walk, so I brought them down to y with them.


    The inn will remain closed for today so there''s not many guests around either, so I thought ying with them would be fun."


    "Oh?"


    Elio understood the situation from this much. And he certainly didn''t mind it.


    "I see. It''s fine. You can y with them when we aren''t around¡­ I''d appreciate it if you can look after them in our absence, actually."


    He was happy actually.


    The two looked happy, and that was all that mattered to him.


    "Miss Rin? Is the kitchen upied?"


    "Hmm? You want to make something, dear?"


    Alex was¡­ confused right now.


    There were a few things going around in her head, but for now, she decided it was better to first make something for Elio so that he could at least feel a little better.


    "Yes, so, you see¡­ Elio wasn''t feeling well after what happened yesterday."


    She didn''t expect her to understand much of what she was saying, but from the sudden sad look she had, it seemed madam Rin understood what she meant.


    "Oh, I see. Come in, let me help you with it. Oh, and, Misha."


    Misha was hugging Miss Rin ever since she came out even though her hands were covered in flour.


    She knew it was inappropriate, but she did not mind it.


    "It''s fine if you lose. Just try harder next time, alright dear?"


    She gave her a warm smile and though she wanted to pat her head, her hands were dirty.


    "That''s right. So, even if you lost twice, try a third time. And fourth. And then as many times as you can."


    Try as many times as you can until you absolutely can not¡­ she remembered the words of one of her acquaintances from her past.


    And thought how strange of a man he was¡­


    "So."


    Misha somewhat understood what they meant, and so, she asked Elio if she could y with Az and Miu for a little longer.


    And since Alex was making something for him, it was going to take some time.


    "Sure. Go have fun."


    He didn''t mind them ying around. They were young children anyway.


    They deserved to have fun¡­

 Chapter 60: Sorrow and loss

    "Are wete? Have they started?"


    "The boring part should have been over by now."


    "Hun? Does that mean we arete!?"


    He didn''t like beingte. He didn''t like being right on time for something either since he believed on time was alsote, so he preferred being early for everything.


    Even for their first date, she remembered how he had reached the venue an hour before their decided time¡­ if she didn''t practically live in that cafe, she would not even have known that he was so early for their meeting¡­


    "Rx dude. The mayor would obviously talk about the great loss of the town, the deaths of the people, and sad stuff like that.


    The contribution rewards are something that''s generally left for the end of such sad events."


    She knew how these things proceed from her experience.


    There was a certain kind of sad speech that the mayor would give at the start of the speech, and it would mostly be dedicated to the people of the town.


    The main reason many of the establishments of the town were closed today was because of the mayor''s speech that had been going on for a while now.


    Most of the town''s folks were gathered in the za and ces around them. The voice of the mayor was being broadcasted with the help of some magic devices resembling a microphone, and people were listening to him with sorrowful, sad, and a little angry eyes.


    There was a unique vibe to this atmosphere. She liked it quite a lot when the people were collectively sad like this¡ª it was a guilty pleasure, but she kept it to herself, only revealing her unique kinks to her partner.


    "It still means we arete, Alex¡­ haaa¡­"


    He did not mind that she felt happy to see this kind of atmosphere. He already understood how she liked the uniqueness of the atmosphere and not exactly the sadness that the people felt.


    ''She was a logical realist so, many emotions were a fascinating thing for her. Collective sadness of a mass that might or might not even be connected to the dead people in question was just¡­ fascinating to her.


    That was the reason she liked it. Not because she liked seeing the poor people cry like some sadist.


    "Should we go forward? There are too many people back here."


    "Nah, this is fine. Come, let''s sit there."


    The central za where yers get summoned after either dying or when they are traveling through scrolls and items has now be the central stage for the mayor.


    The central fountain that reflects the light of the golden moon in a way that the water seems to be made of gold¡ª was right beside the stage that had been built for the mayor''s speech.


    He was standing on a podium, along with his wife and pretty daughter that was around the same age as Elio.


    The people in the surrounding had circled around this stage, and since there were no sitting arrangements, everyone was standing.


    "But-."


    "Don''t worry about things and just sit."


    Most of the people here were standing, even most of the yers were standing along with them.


    They weren''t paying attention to what the Mayor was saying but at the very least, they were listening to him.


    And yet she was suggesting that they sit down in the chairs of an outdoor cafe? Elio didn''t find it appealing.


    "Haaa¡­"


    But at the end, he got dragged there and had no choice but to sit down.


    They could hear the voice of the mayor from this distance as well so there was no need to go in such a crowded ce.


    { "We all have lost someone, someone dear to us, someone we cherish and someone we have looked up to." }


    Even if they did not have anyone among the people that they knew, as a member of this town, they must know some of the guards and of course, the knights and mages who had fallen.


    Some of them were people that one could normally see when they visited the Knight''s hall or the Mages'' tower.


    They were top of their craft and so, they were renowned figures in this town.


    And now, they are all gone.


    { "Losing someone is painful, agonizing even unto death. In my hometown, they use the word (Tokotsubo)¡­ a strong surge of abnormal waves of emotion¡­ that causes the heart to dete, and contort until¡­" }


    He was the mayor.


    One that cared about the lives of his people and the ones that he had the duty to look after.


    { "Until it resembles a dried well." }


    He was emotional as he faced his people. People who shared his sorrow, people who had lost their loved ones, people who were not just subjects to him.


    { "An empty well¡­ so hollow and cold." }


    Among the crowd, there were families of the ones who had departed. Ones who lost nearly everything they had in this world, in this town.


    And all of them were his people.


    He was the same as a forgotten pot at the bottom of the fathomless sea, right now.


    { "I''m sorry for your loss, everyone." }


    He was the saddest, he was the angriest for not being capable enough to save the lost lives.


    { "We have suffered a lot, and that fact will not change." }


    He did not offer his people, the ones who were still with them, some false words offort.


    He did not even try that.


    Instead, he stated the reality of their situation.


    And expressed his own genuine sorrow with tears flowing down his eyes, while standing before the people who looked up to him.


    "That right there, Elio, is a leader."


    Alex liked this person for a reason.


    There weren''t many who liked him when it came to the political world of this world.


    Those in authority surely possessed power and influence unimaginable to the non-yers or new yers.


    "A leader¡­"


    Their ability to influence and grant Quests alone made them a vital part to this world.


    For high level yers as well, these individuals were the same as those Rankers and achievement makers who are known throughout the original world.


    { "Thus, with heavy hearts and sorrow burning our souls, let us appreciate the efforts of the individuals without whom, we might all have suffered even greater losses at the hands of the evil." }


    [Ding.]


    Not everyone participated in this quest to save lives. Many of them just wanted the rewards from the quests.


    And now that it was time to reveal the Contribution tables and see who contributed the most to this quest, the yers were finally paying attention for real.

 Chapter 61: Contribution calculations

    "Finally. The contribution."


    "Haaa¡­"


    "Why did we even have to wait for something like that for so long.


    "Anyway, it is finally here."


    The yers had to wait for just the list of their contribution this time around because of the nature of the quest. Experience new tales on §Þ??


    Since it was a quest issued by the town mayor, the one who held the highest authority within this town, he also had the right to reveal the contribution to the rest of the people.


    It wasn''t like the contribution calctions had taken days, something of this small scale did not even take a few hours for the advanced system even with all the variables and unique elements it counted.


    One of the unique features of this world was the calction powers of the system that had unique ways to perceive things.


    Though one could not call it omniscient or omnipotent, it was something that was established in order to help the natives and the yers.


    And there were rarely anyints about the system''s methods or function.


    It did not take long for the contribution calctions to happen, however, since the nature of this quest was unique, the yers had to wait until the Mayor revealed the list.


    But now that they could see it, many of them were surprised, some were having a hard time epting it, and those who weren''t aiming for the top rewards but merely good rewards were happy to see their rankings in the list.


    ============


    1] #### (Pt: 15,999)


    2] Axar <Guards'' captain>


    3] Aloha <Town representative> (Pt: 9876)


    4] Elio (Pt: 9771)


    5] Rnd Lan Hunter <Town Mayor>


    6] Ahitem (Pt: 7716)


    7] Kaveh (Pt: 7121)


    8] Lumine (Pt: 6699)


    9] Rin (Pt: 6000)


    ¡­


    ============


    The name of the one who had obtained the highest contribution that was even beyond the contribution of the person who dealt with the dark magician and the Town''s mayor was concealed by the system.


    However, those who had contributed the most to this whole quest knew exactly who this person might be.


    They had received orders from her directly, and even the guard captain had worked as her suggestions.


    The guard captain and the mayor had given up their own contributions from what they could see in the final list, so the yers could tell how someone who had not even been seen throughout the actual fight might have been on top in the contribution list.


    And though they did not know who the one in the fourth position was, they knew well how the only person who could receive that high of a contribution and still be unknown would be the newbie with the slime who they had only known briefly.


    It was surprising to them just what they might have done to get the contribution points of not just the guard captain that they were close with but also the mayor who wasn''t exactly someone who would so openly favor someone.


    This was strange for the yers, but to the people in question, this was no big deal.


    "You got first ce, congrats!"


    "Don''t make fun of me, bastard."


    Elio had a smirk on his face as he scrolled through the list.


    The fact that she got first ce was surely something he was proud of, but the fact that she got that ce after the two of them gave up their contribution to the two of them did not go well with her.


    They did it without asking or telling them so they could not do anything about it, but if they had informed them, she would never ept something that wasn''t hers¡­ or something that she had not earned herself.


    ''She''s the kind that never leaves even a copper coin if it belongs to her. But if something doesn''t belong to her rightfully, she avoids having it¨C calling it a negative gesture.''


    She doesn''t like having what isn''t hers and she doesn''t like giving away what belongs to her.


    "Hehe, everyone seems envious of you."


    "Hump."


    She was an orphan.


    She did not have any parents and she never got adopted from the orphanage that she grew up in.


    She was smart, but she had never received any official education.


    She did not have any degrees like him, and she had never gone to any school either.


    Until she had be an adult and left the orphanage on her own, she had mostly taken care of herself.


    Most that she had learned was from books or from the vast inte that was avable to everyone in these two worlds, even to the mostmon people.


    She hardly had any friends, and if it wasn''t for a fateful encounter, the two of them might not have even met.


    "You know what? I should go up to some high building and throw away the coins I earn from this. Make it rain money."


    "Instead of doing that, shower me with your money, ma''am. I will still be poor even with the money I receive from this quest."


    She was serious when she said she would throw away the money that she receives from her main quest rewards.


    She genuinely did not like how the two of them just gave her their own contribution without even asking her¨C they divided the contribution between many people but she still got something that she had not done anything for.


    She had done her best in the quest and she would not have had any less contribution than Miss Aloha, the representative of all the yers in this town, as well as the one who had been here for the longest.


    But thanks to the two of their contributions, she was now on top of the list. And she did not like that.


    "Oh, right. You''re broke¡­ right! How about we go shopping after we get the money~?"


    All that she had right now was something that she earned on her own.


    No one had ever given her more than what she had worked for in her younger days, so having only what she had earned had be part of her nature.


    She avoided epting help as well, that was another main reason she had been a Solo yer for all these years.


    But just like how couldn''t do anything about what had already happened, asionally, she did not mind epting these unwanted things¨C that unwanted help.


    "Sure. I''d like that more than you throwing away the money that I helped you earn." He was smirking at her once again, and she absolutely did not like this.


    "What did you say you bastard?! I was the one who did the actual fighting!"


    She was angry at him, so she was shouting. Thankfully, there was nothing to throw at the table or his head might have been bruised by now.


    "Hump. Even Az and Miu did more than you!"


    "Miu~!"


    "Muuuu~."


    She did this often. But after listening to this loud and not so melodious voice of hers for so long, he had be used to it.

 Chapter 62: Gratitude of the mayor

    [As a reward for achieving the highest contribution in the regional quest, you will be rewarded.] Your next read awaits at §Þ??


    [Ding!]


    [Achievement: [Defenders of town (Common)]


    [Money pouch (Highest contributor): Copper- 200. Silver- 100. Gold: 1.]


    [Achievement: [Judge of evil (Rare) will be awarded for contributing to the Dark magician raid.]


    [As additional rewards for having the most notable performance in the quest, you will receive a small blessing of nature.]


    A green light sprung up from beneath her feet and unique white stars fell on her from above.


    "Wow¡­"


    It was an effect that the yers around her were well familiar with since this was something very famous, so everyone around her including Elio gasped with surprise.


    [Strength+3.]


    [Agility+3.]


    [Endurance+3.]


    "This is something I deserved already."


    Not all of them seeing this special effect knew it, but she was rewarded these stats for her own achievements.


    The blessing of nature was something that yers earned naturally for their achievements randomly.


    Though yers seeing this attributed it to her highest contribution, she had in fact earned it with her performance in the quest.


    She did not mind the stats, she was obviously happy to receive nine stat points in her physical stats.


    "Alright, then. Let''s go."


    Elio received two more achievements in addition to the two that she had received¨C one for perfectly casting the magic from the golden book she showed him, [Ancient magic caster (Common).] and [Master of a mutant (Common).] for taming Miu.


    He didn''t understand why he obtained the achievement after the quest had ended, but she knew Miu yed a vital role in this quest somehow.


    Just that she did not yet have enough information to tell him everything that she suspected.


    "Yes¡­"


    The rewards of the system were generous. So now, they hade to meet the Mayor.


    The money both of them obtained from this one quest alone was more than enough to go around and buy some decent stuff in the town.


    The Trading site wasn''t always the best ce to buy low level simple things since all the yers knew how the real good and unique things could only be purchased from the shops and merchants.


    "The mayor has been waiting for you two. Please, this way."


    The Otherworld market was a trading section for the yers. And as all yers knew, no one sane enough would put any good item in there unless it was something useless to them, or they were dumb enough to misclick what they wanted to put up there.


    "Wee. Please take a seat."


    They had to go shopping now that the sad event was concluded. But before that, they were visiting the Mayor in his office in the town hall.


    "Hello, mister Mayor-."


    "Call me Hunter. It is fine."


    Both of them now had the maximum familiarity with the mayor as well as the guard captain.


    Their rtionship status had changed from [Acquaintances] to [Benefactor] as well.


    Both the characters now looked up to the two of them since without them, this town might not have been around anymore.


    And for saving their home, the Mayor wanted to thank both of them personally.


    Finishing the work he was doing, the mayor ced his pen down and walked to the side, and poured some water for his guests himself.


    "Please don''t hesitate to ask for anything you want."


    There were already some refreshments prepared on the table before the two of them, and he still offered both of them water himself¡­


    He was the mayor, so even the servants in the room were surprised how he was doing those simple things himself when they all were present.


    The air of dignity and authority were still around her, his eyes still had the same light as it did before, and he was still wearing his professional clothing.


    The only thing surprising here was how he was behaving, and how there was still no difference to the air around him.


    "Thanks, Lord Hunter."


    "Hahaha. I am no lord, youngdy. I''m merely a servant of someone who entrusted this town to me."


    He held the title of the Mayor of this town but this town was not a democracy or a republic.


    It was a ce owned by the Viscounty that owned the a great part of southwesternnds of the Kingdom of Viv.


    The viscount was a noble lord who chose certain individuals and gave them positions of the town operators for set time periods, and though he had been the mayor of Moongold for thest five years, his turn as the Mayor wasing to a close.


    And after he isn''t the mayor anymore, he would be just a regr citizen of this town like the rest of themon people.


    "I am no lord, but merely a servant. However, even as a servant, I thank both of you for all you have done for us."


    Mayor bowed down to them even before he had taken his seat, surprising both of them who had been drinking the water he handed them.


    "I know it would not be an exaggeration to say you two saved the town yourself. However, it is a fact that everyone contributed to the safety of this town."


    He sat down and gave them both a moment to handle themselves.


    The water was still in their mouths so he could tell they were still surprised.


    They might not have expected this kind of reaction from him, but he was being genuine, and that much the two of them could tell from the eyes he had alone.


    "I don''t have much left, but please tell me if I can do anything for you. I will do my best to see if it is possible."


    The rewards that they received from the system was just a portion of the total rewards that they were going to receive from this quest.


    Their contribution was much moreplex from what one might think, aside from the system rewards, they were going to get a gift from the guard captain, and a direct favor from the Mayor.


    "If that''s the case¡­"


    Both of them had something that they had in mind and, now that they had the chance, they did not hesitate to tell the mayor their wishes.

 Chapter 63: A guard

    "Good thing you''re here early."


    After their meeting with the Mayor, the two of them first paid a visit to the guards'' office since it was around where they were going to go shopping.


    They needed to see the guard captain anyway, so it wasn''t a bad idea to get the gift that he was going to give them either.


    "Hello there, guard captain~."


    Elio had gotten closer to the guard captain.


    "Miu~!"


    "Muuuu!"


    And his two little friends were the same.


    "I see you are in high spirits¡­ s, I am drowning in work."


    After what happened with the town, there were a lot of deaths that they needed to record so that they could help the families of those who had lost their family members in the battle against the evil dark mage.


    They needed to clean up many ces as well, and thanks to the battle that they had just had, the town had be a little vulnerable with the guard forces facing the most losses.


    Underground organizations who don''t operate in the broad daylight were now running all around the town, so it was getting difficult for the guards to take care of them.


    Various cases of theft, robbery, assault and such were being reported from all around the town so there was a lot of work that the guard captain had to do.


    He was busy already, so with the lessened workforce and with the hectic, gloomy atmosphere around the town, there was a lot that he needed to look after.


    "Thankfully, I have enough time to pass these two important objects to you two who should be able to handle them much better than the others here."


    The guard captain had already thanked them for saving his life, for giving him those precious things through which he was able to summon the spirit guardian in theirplete form, and for doing all that they did.


    The thanking part between them was over already, so he did not waste long and just handed an old box as well as a small attractive dagger-like knife to the two of them.


    "You already seem to have a bunch of good things that I won''t ever be able to provide, but these things should help you in times of need."


    He handed the dagger to Elio and the box to El as he continued with his work.


    His desk was filled with a bunch of papers that he needed to look after, the schedule beside his desk had some unmarked boxes so he also needed to go around and do a lot more thingster.


    They could tell how busy he was, so they did not disturb him too much.


    "Thanks for the presents. We will cherish them."


    "Thanks, Axar."


    Since the two of them had gotten closer as well, he did not mind them using his given name. But Elio still addressed him respectfully.


    She liked being free with their talking and addressing so, she did not stick around with the honorifics much anyway.


    She liked the free talking style so she mostly addressed people casually.


    "And this is for you."


    Now that they had received the gifts from him, and along with the gifts a pouch of money that contained all the money that he could spare at the moment, Alex ced an important looking parchment right on top of his current papers.


    "What¡­?"


    "We yers are not some outsiders. Use us, dude. You don''t have to suffer by yourself with all this work."


    The paper that she had ced before him was a direct order from the Mayor to utilize the foreigner forces in the reconstruction of the town and to get direct help from them.


    "...?"


    When an incident like this happens, they don''t usually ask help from the yers since they know they will have to pay them.


    And the help of the yers was most of the time costly so, they found it better to just do the work by themselves or with the free or cheaper help from the volunteers and natives.


    Nothing this big had happened to this town before so even the guard captain or the mayor knew how to deal with this situation, however, Alex used her chance to ask for anything from the mayor to do the mayor and this town a favor.


    She showed the mayor data on how smaller towns that had faced the dark magicians or cmitic events like this recovered with the help of the yers.


    She showed them what kind of methods and techniques the natives of those ces used and suggested what they could do to boost the reconstruction of the Moongold.


    The n that she made with the Mayor in the short conversation that the had was more than enough for the smart and capable mayor to draw out the basic starting n for what they would do¡­ and that n was now before the guard captain''s eyes.


    "You came up with this, didn''t you?"


    He looked at her, before looking at Elio and the two creatures in his hands.


    "I didn''t. Well, I wasn''t the only one. We did it together." Smiling, Elio shrugged and shook his head lightly.


    He did like how the people of this bright town were so gloomy all of a sudden.


    The mor and the energy that he had seen just a few days ago when he came here were all gone and instead, an eerie silence had taken root here.


    He did not like it. This bright town had won against the invasion of a very powerful being and instead of celebrating, they were being all gloomy.


    He did not like it, that''s why he had asked the mayor to organize a festival.


    Something that they still needed some time to finalize¡­


    "Hahaha¡­"


    The guard captain also shook his head whileughing with a new energy.


    "Very well then~!"


    He was happy.


    After reading only one page of the whole long thing, he knew just how effective this n would be. Read new chapters at §Þ??


    They would be targeting the yers and instead of paying them with money, they will pay them in tokens that they couldter exchange for various unique things.


    Just by putting a few good things on disy, they can create apetitive atmosphere and everyone will fight to collect more tokens faster than the others.


    And to do so, they will have to help out with various works.


    "I thank you once again for all your help, you two."


    The guard captain smiled at them cheerfully for a moment before continuing with his work with a new fire in his eyes.


    He had never thought of something like this before¡­ but now that he knew how he could take off some burden from his shoulders, he continued with his work with a new enthusiasm, excited to implement this new system in their town and see the unique results.

 Chapter 64: Fried chicken

    "Yawnnnn~. Now that we are finally done, how about we go get some food first?" she suggested with a tired look on her face and though lost in the scenery around him, he nodded at her suggestion.


    "Sure. But are there any good ces that will have something as good as your cooking?"


    He wasn''t teasing her this time, he was merely being genuine with his words.


    He loved her cooking, so much so that he hardly ever ate anything other than the things she made.


    It had been like that for a few years now, and yes they surely ate out, ordered in, and lived off of packaged food sometimes, both of them liked cooking and helping one another make special things for one another.


    "What do you take this town for, dummy. This is a different world. Of course there are things much better than the things that I make."


    She was confident about that, actually.


    In the time he wasn''t here, she had explored the town and looked around at the things that were famous and tried things that people all over themunity rmended.


    She knew some of the ces here at least provided some top ss things that would be quite attractive to the new yers of the town.


    There were also some must visit ces around the town so, she wanted to visit them all with him.


    "Let me show you a good fried chicken ce." she started dragging him before he even reacted to her suggestion.


    "They have fried chicken here?"


    "They even have italian, hehe. Don''t underestimate the cultural diversity of these starter towns."


    As someone who had gone all around this world and tried all kinds of things, she knew very well how there were things that were unfathomable to even individuals like Them when it came to food.


    There were things in this world that one could never even hope to reproduce in the real world. She had tried it herself but she could never do it.


    There was no way to do it actually since the kind of ingredients one can find in this ce, the kind of techniques and cooking methods that one can use, as well as the kind of experiences one can have in thai virtual world was just too different from reality.


    It was close to reality and at the same time, it was not real¡­


    No.15 in unified rankings was a chef. A chef that had no offensive skills and yet was at some of the highest positions any yer of this world could possibly want to reach.


    "The fried chicken and the alcohol they serve here is just too amazing. You''ll like this ce."


    She dragged him all the way to the high ss district''s biggest restaurant, a six story building that one could see even from across two streets.


    It was a grand hotel, a ce that also provided various other services on top of their great food. But, the chef here was a high ss individual, someone who was one of the highest level people of this town, and someone who had learned from his long years of travels.


    They were famous among the yers as well as the rich natives of this town.


    Many of the famous yers of the town and those in big guilds frequented here often.


    They all rmended the taste of the fried food here, and since she had tried it herself, she knew this darling of hers would like it as well.


    "Hmmm? Aren''t you¡­"


    However, right when they were about to enter the ce, a voice from behind stopped them in their tracks.


    "Right. I was right."


    It was a warm voice. One that contained decades of real world experience, one that was different from many voices that they had heard while walking around the streets earlier.


    They had to turn around and see the source of this voice.


    "Miss¡­ Aloha?"


    And when they did turn around, even Elio recognised thisdy at a nce.


    "Oh, it''s an honor to be recognised by the savior of our town."


    A tall elder woman who seemed to be in herte fifties from the faint wrinkles on her face, but her still strong, mature physique and the way she was dressed made her seem like one of those old richdies who were just enjoying their days after retirement.


    "Oh no no, miss. The honor is all ours." Even Alex was surprised to see this individual and greeted her with a bow.


    She respected those she looked up to, and in this town, this person was one of the few that she could not help but respect with all her heart.


    "Huhuhu, what honor could an olddy like me bring to you who saved this home like town of mine."


    Wearing avish and finely crafted purple dress that was covered in rich embroidery, white gloves andfortable yet attractive looking shoes¨C as well as a dull blue hat that strangely went well with her outfit, she was carrying a small expensive looking purse around.


    She wasn''t wearing any heels, but she was still as tall as both of them who were over six feet tall.


    Her dark brown hair still contained a glow that manydies her age might start losing, and her skin devoid of any kind of makeup was as full of life as Alex''s.


    Her deep amber eyes were full of life for someone who actually was old, and the smile that she had as she looked at the two of them was not that of interest or surprise, but simply that of a deep gratitude.


    "Oh, looks like you two were going in. Would it be fine for me to join you two? I wanted to have a little chat, you see."


    "Oh! Yes. Please!"


    "We don''t mind, not at all!"


    Elio and Alex both did not expect she would directly ask to join them like that, but they would not deny the very representative of the yers who also had been in this town for the longest.


    If anything, people had to wait for weeks to get a simple appointment with her.


    She was famous not just in this town, but throughout the entire northwest for her special skills.


    Perhaps in the entire viscounty, she was one of the most famous hair stylists that even the mayor and viscount who governed this entirend had to take appointments to meet.


    And if they were getting a chance to have food with her directly, both of them would be just dumb to reject this great opportunity. Continue reading at §Þ??

 Chapter 65: Miss Aloha

    The inside of thevish hotel exuded elegance and charm.


    The grand lobby had a high ceiling with sparkling magical chandeliers adorned with magical candles and glowing stones


    The polished marble floor with gold patterns along with red flowing finishing that perfectly settled with one another and gave a close, flowing feel to the entire floor.


    Cozy seating areas with plush sofas and dark wood tables holding fresh flowers filled the reception space, many guests were waiting for their turns, many of them being yers.


    The walls had tapestries showing six unique mythical creatures, all representing an ancient tale that was famous throughout not just this town or part of the viscounty but throughout the entire empire.


    Large arched windows gave views of the live scenery of the town, the calmness inside the ce giving a cozy yet rich vibe.


    A grand staircase with carved railings was present to the left of the main reception at the end of the hallway, red carpets on the stairs leading to the upper floors.


    All six of the floors were connected with the same staircase, so the space it provided for the rest of the ces was quite vast.


    The polished reception desk made of red wood had friendly staff in the center who weed guests with warm smiles.


    The dining area a story above that was faintly visible from the ground had elegantly set tables and the delicious aroma of food filled the air.


    "Well, this ce has some unique ambiance, I''d say that much."


    Elio was impressed.


    Even with his strictly high standards, this ce was something he actually liked quite a bit.


    "You should make one like this in reality, hehe."


    He mainly owned cafes and small restaurants that weren''t as luxurious as this one, but it wasn''t a bad idea to try and build something like this.


    "It''s not impossible¡­"


    He actually considered this idea. He could try¡­ just that he will have to ssh over half of his savings for that.


    "Huhu, looks like you like this ce."


    Miss Aloha walked in front of them and directly reached the reception.


    The staff did not even ask her what she wanted or if she had a reservation and, one of the staff members directly came out of the reception area to greet her.


    "Please prepare two more tables for my guests."


    "Yes, mady."


    The staff member respectfully guided all three of them to the third floor, a ce that was rtively emptier than the rest of the floors below.


    And a ce was already prepared for them there, in a certain empty corner with no disturbance around.


    "Being a VIP sure has its perks, hun?"


    "Just being a VIP can''t give this kind of treatment, dummy. She must be very close to the owner of this ce."


    "Looks like the young miss actually is more experienced than her level."


    They were only whispering to one another and yet she heard both of them clearly.


    "That''s right though. The young boy that owns this ce used to call me grandma while telling me how he was kicked out of another job. And he still does whenever he visits."


    [Candlelight]


    The merchant union that owned this ce was one of thergest and wealthiest merchant unions in the kingdom.


    Not many knew it, but the master of this union was a young person, an ambitious young person.


    "That''s¡­ amazing."


    Alex had always been a wanderer.


    She did not stay in one ce for long. She mostly fought and polished her skills.


    There weren''t many natives that she had any connection with and since she had not stayed in the same ce for longer than the time required to finish all the quests that she could find, or to clear all the dungeons and hunting grounds in the area, she had not had a life like this person.


    "She respects you, miss Aloha. It is rare."


    "Oh, is that so?"


    They sat down in their seats, and just like the gentleman he was, Elio thanked Alex when she pulled out the chair for her princess.


    "Aren''t you two a unique couple?" She found it interesting how it was natural for them to make fun of each other while at the same time being respectful to one another.


    She could tell they loved one another, her age had at least taught her how to perceive love and affection as well as how to distinguish between lust and attachment.


    She did not expect it, but meeting them showed her a rare sight.


    "Huhuhu."


    Unlike Alex who had experienced the vastness of this world, Miss Aloha had been here for most of her life.


    She did not travel much, she loved the house she had in this town, and she loved everything that they had in this town.


    She was a simple person who was already tired of all the work of real life.


    She did not like the hustle and bustle of the real world, that''s why she had started ying this game which offered a unique kind of freedom.


    "Order whatever you want. Oh, if you were going to order fried chicken with the sparkling ale, I suggest you try their secret sauces along with them."


    Alex wanted to experience the vastness of this world so she traveled. But Miss Aloha found freedom in staying in one ce, finding a home, and doing what she wanted.


    She respected this elder person exactly because was able to do what she loved for so long while staying in one ce.


    "They have secret sauce? I didn''t know that¡­"


    "Huhu, then you will like it even more."


    She could never do it.


    Being tied to one ce¨C it just wasn''t what she wanted to do in this fun world.


    "Oh, and while we wait for the food¡­ I will express my gratitude for saving my lovely home."


    She looked at both of them, and lightly bowed her head.


    "I know everything you did to defeat that evil mage. And for all your efforts, I want to express my gratitude."


    Their meeting this time was a coincidence but she was going to approach them soon to thank them both.


    "I don''t know how much these two little ones helped, but they must have helped a lot as well. So, I want to thank all four of you."


    Az and Miu were looking around this ce, and even though the other customers did not like a slime jumping around the ce, they did not say anything about it since they were with the guests of Miss Aloha.


    She was pretty much the same as the owner of this ce, as well as many other ces in this town.


    It was just in foolishness upsetting this person. So, they left the slime with the gecko inside of it alone.


    They were just jumping around the floor so they could ignore their presence.


    "I don''t have much to offer like Lan or Axar. As a simple barber, all I can offer to you is a simple haircut, so¡­ how about it? Are you two free anytime soon this week?"


    "..."


    "Wait, really?"


    Both of them had to take an appointment for a haircut from her anyway, but they did not think they would get the chance anytime soon.


    "Yes. That would be my thanks to both of you¡­ and as for the little ones, tell me what will make them happy. I''ll see if I can get it somehow."


    She was not just any normal barber if even a noble had to take appointments from her.


    All yers knew how special her hair styling was.


    "Thank you~!"


    "We appreciate the gesture, miss Aloha."


    His grown hair was getting on her nerves anyway. Thankfully, they will go away soon now.

 Chapter 66: The amazing taste

    "Oh wow¡­ oh, shit this is better thanst time I had it."


    "Does the sauce change it that much?"


    "You bet. How the hell did they prepare this chicken? What do they mix in this sauce? Drugs?"


    "Huhuhu, we can go ask the chef if you want."


    She wasn''t joking. The head chef that made the recipes of these things and looked after everything in this ce also knew her well.


    He wouldn''t mind even if she asked him what the secrets to all the things in this ce were.


    "Hmmm¡­ I''d like to take a look around the kitchen here. See how they make these things." He knew how cooking was done in a unique manner in this world.


    They did not always use themon appliances that the people of the real world used. They had special methods and special ways¨C as well as special ingredients.


    The chicken that they were eating right now was not the same kind of chicken that they ate in the real world.


    The thing that they were eating was called (Kukooro) a creature that, though closely resembled a chicken, was something that lived in forest areas, on trees.


    The overwhelming juiciness that was bnced perfectly with the crisp of the outer surface and the softness of the meat inside was just too unreal even to someone who had once lived on this particr food.


    "Wow¡­ this sauce¡­ Elio I''m telling you¡­ this is The shit."


    "Hey. mind your words."


    His hands were a little dirty so he hit her head with his own.


    They were with someone she respected and she was using curses? Now that wasn''t appropriate.


    "Didn''t you used to say you have tried all kinds of heavenly and divine dishes? How does simple fried foodpare to those things?"


    "Divine dishes?"


    Elio''s words suddenly caught Miss Aloha''s attention but, when she looked up at the sauce stained face of the girl before her, she could only chuckle with a smile.


    "You have no manners, littledy."


    She wiped the sauce from her face with a napkin while smiling at her warmly.


    This was a pretty familiar sight to someone who had taken care of tens of little children of this town.


    She did not know what her background was or even What she was, but she kind of had a unique liking for this pretty girl.


    There was something special about her.


    "You.. ahem. Sorry. You didn''t have to do that."


    She got a blush of embarrassment when Miss Aloha did that.


    It was out of the blue.


    "It''s rare for her to be embarrassed as well, miss Aloha. She''s usually calm and stoic."


    Elio was having more fun than the smile-gecko duo who had found a strange looking green nt in a corner and were ying with it.


    She wasn''t an expressive person in reality so he had not seen her so openly expressed many times in the past.


    She was the most expressive when she was with his mom, or when they were with his family.


    Alone at their ce, she was mainly just doing her stuff or was ying around with him.


    They talked, they helped one another with house work, and they went on dates. But still, this little lunch they were having was the first time she was being like this around someone they were meeting for the first time.


    "Your mind allows you to be vulnerable around the people you feelfortable with. And¡­ well, let''s just say everyone besfortable around me."


    She smiled lightly as she took a bite from her own unique dish¨C she liked chicken but fried food so early wasn''t good for her health.


    She avoided it inside the game as well until it was some special asion.


    "Seems like it."


    Their meeting with her was something that happened by chance, but it must have been fate.


    He liked this food, he liked how she was liking it even more. And perhaps if not for this chance encounter, they might not have had this unique experience together.


    "Miu!"


    "Muuuu~!"


    "Oh, you two are back."


    The little ones found the nt that was emitting Mana a fun thing.


    It was their first time seeing such a nt, and since it was a rare kind that one didn''t usually find in the beginner hunting grounds, their surprise was natural.


    Still¡­


    "You can''t have it, Az. Can you even eat something like that?"


    He could tell his little friend also wanted to eat something, and the nt was a fun option.


    Miu also wanted toe out for some fresh Mana but they can''t have it out here or the people around us will get scared.


    It will have to wait for some time, but Az was still not getting that nt.


    "What an interesting creature¡­"


    She could tell what this creature was and how special the one inside it was as well.


    In her time here, she had seen all kinds of slimes, but none were as unique as this one.


    "I haven''t seen many that are as curious and energetic as this one."


    Since Az was back on their table, she caressed it gently.


    "Muuuuu~."


    And Az liked her touch as well, which was a rare sight for the two of them.


    "Miu!"


    Even Miu who was inside Az was happy after receiving her indirect affection.


    The way the gecko was smiling was so pretty, it put another smile on Miss Aloha''s face.


    "You have some unique friends, Elio."


    She called them friends¨C not creatures, not tamed beasts, not something the other yers would call but friends.


    "I''m fortunate to have these special friends."


    They weren''t simply creatures. They were his friends, as she had said.


    "Then¡­ can you tell me how you three met?"


    Their lunch did not have any special objective that they needed to reach. They were simply having food together.


    They were going to pay for their portion and they knew they would get some discount thanks to her so, they were thankful for that.


    "You two know about the library''s grand event, right? I think you two should participate in it."


    "Oh, we are here for that exactly actually."


    Their lunch had concluded soon and they were enjoying their dessert.


    They would go and take a look at the kitchen before parting ways, and since it was still afternoon, the two of them still had a lot of time for their shopping.


    "Is that so? How nice¡­ we will get to watch something fun this time then."


    "Hmmm? You won''t be participating?"


    The event that all the yers in Moongold were excited about was something that was only held on the night of the [Golden moon].


    A unique natural phenomenon that this town and this reagan experienced every three to six years.


    "No. I''ve tried itst time, but I know that it isn''t for me. I will be a spectator, and since the Mayor invited me to watch it along with the representative of Lord Viscount who will arrive tonight, I won''t be standing in your way.


    Besides, this event was always for the new yers. Not us oldies."


    Both of them were looking forward to that event already, but now that she knew they would be participating, even Miss Aloha was looking forward to it¡­

 Chapter 67: Shopping

    "Then I will see you in three days."


    "Thank you very much for the meal."


    "It was fun chatting with you. We should do it again."


    They had added each other to their friends list. She did not have many friends added, since she mostly met the people she was acquainted with around the town.


    The two of them were going to leave when they were done with their business in this town, and she knew that much already.


    That''s why she requested to add them into her friends list.


    "Huhu, sure. But next time, I want to taste Alex''s cooking that you are so proud of in my house. How does that sound?"


    She quite liked the food that the head chef made in this ce, but even though it was amazing, it could not catch Elio''s attention.


    He liked it, but he still thought there was something missing.


    Something that was necessary in food of such a high quality. Something small but significant.


    He liked it. The vors were amazing. It was true that this dish was much different from greasy fried food that they had in the real world.


    But the fact that it was not something he desired remained the central point.


    "I''d love that much more, yes. Let''s do that."


    "You won''t even ask the person that will cook for you if she wants to do it or not?"


    "You just said you''ll cook for us, dummy. Why would we ask you something you obviously want to do?"


    She was funny sometimes as well. Why would she not cook for him when it was one of the few things she loved?


    "Anyway, miss Aloha. Thanks for the meal. We should leave you now, you seem busy."


    "Busy, yes. That I am."


    They said their goodbyes to one another and the two of them moved to a cross section filled with shops, vendors, and stalls on all sides.


    "So¡­"


    Now, it was finally shopping time. And since they had quite a bit of time left, they had a lot of options to start from.


    "Both of us reached (Level-30) after the quest, so we can at least leave this town after the Library event."


    She only needed one thing from the library so there wasn''t any reason for them to stay here any longer.


    She knew things will finish here soon in the following few days and they will be ready to depart.


    However, before they left the town, they had to get all the essentials that they would need.


    "Your inventory is still at a low rank so you can''t carry much stuff around either."


    But the inventory limit was a very crucial thing for the yers. That''s why she wanted him to have a Maxed out inventory before they left this town as well.


    However, Maxing out the inventory was not an easy task.


    "Let''s go get some storage items first."


    "Aren''t they usually expensive though?"


    To increase the rank of the inventory, one needed a unique kind of crystal known as [Kan].


    It was a natural resource that was considered even more valuable than gold, tinum, any kind of metal or any kind of gem.


    It was one of the costliest materials that one could either only obtain through luck or through big quests from the system.


    Just having an inventory was a big thing, but expanding it to the max like she had done over the past many years was not something one can do easily.


    "Who''s telling you to spend any money? Didn''t I say I would buy you things?


    Lemme be the sugar mommy this time.


    Act like a spoiled child. Ask for anything you find interesting."


    Thankfully, even though she had fallen to the low levels, even though there were restrictions on her and she could not use all the things she had on her, she still had all the money and resources that she had earned over her time in this world.


    She did not have any Kan on her since she had stored it all in her [Treasury] along with many other precious things and to ess it, she would have to go all the way across the continent where it was located.


    They can''t do that right now, so they had to use other means.


    -Taaa-ring~!


    They entered one of the big and attractive looking shops around the street that lookedvish even from the outside.


    The ss covered walls on all sides made it look attractive, and the inside of the shop was even more attractive as it contained all kinds of tools, equipment ranging from essories, weapons, magic wands, and armors, and items that all yers would want to have.


    "Hello~. How may I help you today?"


    There were employees looking after all the customers present in the shop.


    Many of them were natives and not yers. And even among the yers that were present here, most of them were looking at the essories and Skill Essences instead of something like weapons or armors.


    The quality of those things seemed pretty good, but an armor purchased directly from a cksmith and an armor purchased from a pretty shop like this one was bound to have great differences.


    "We are looking for storage items. Please show us the ones with the most storage you have."


    "Oh, I see you are looking for the storage items. Pleasee with me. You might find what you are looking for on the third floor."


    yers had inventories naturally. It wasn''t a skill but a blessing that was bestowed upon them along with the curse of destiny.


    Not many other beings possessed this unique power in this world, however, magic existed here.


    "Very well."


    And though rare, spatial magic was one of the most useful and revered magic as it helped in the creation of special ces as well as special items that contained a fourth dimensional storage space insidepact items that people could carry around in one hand.


    They were costly, yes, but having them made life quite easier.


    "Oh, wait a minute."


    They were about to follow the employee to the upper floor, but they stopped when Elio could not ignore Az anymore.


    "What happened, little one?"


    It was not shouting, but it was wiggling in a weird way since earlier, telling him to do something.


    But he did not know what he wanted from him so he was ignoring him, but since even Miu was confused by the slime''s actions, he had to stop and resolve this matter first.


    This was the first time he was seeing the little blob acting so worked up¡­

 Chapter 68: A hairpin

    "Muuu."


    The little slime was pointing towards something so, he followed where it wanted him to go and ended up at the very left side of the shop, in the ornament sections where jewelry of various kinds and types was showcased.


    "You want jewelry?"


    Elio did not understand why the slime would bring him all the way here, but when they reached there, the slime started Wiggling even more violently.


    "Hmmm."


    Elio can tell this was some kind of an involuntary response that even Az did not have control over, so he did not pay too much attention to it.


    "Do you want this one?"


    He just started pointing at various things on the disy and in the ss cases, asking the slime what it was making it act like that.


    "Muuu!"


    "Then this one?"


    "Muuu!"


    "This¡­?"


    Alex was confused at the back, and she could hear the other yers who were badmouthing her clearly.


    They could not understand why a yer was asking a slime what it wanted but unlike the employees who were also confused, they were talking shit about them.


    And she did not like it, she red at them¨C and even used {Sword intent} very lightly to shut them all up.


    It was a special skill that only those who understood the sword to a certain degree could possess. And not only it passively increased her control over her weapon, it could act as a versatile skill.


    And it was useful to shut some people up as well.


    "Then, this one-."


    "Muuu~! Muuu!"


    He had pointed at a few things before his fingernded on a small ss box and the slime reacted positively to it.


    "Excuse me, can I see this?"


    There was a female employee looking after the ornament section and she was actually mesmerized by the cute slime in his hands.


    There was a cute lizard or something inside of the slime as well and it was smiling at her¨C it was so adorable that she wanted to hold the slime and hug the lizard but she was working right now.


    "Oh, yes!"


    They were customers and she was supposed to work instead of acting like that.


    "Here you go."


    The one holding the slime was an attractive person as well, but seeing as how he was with an even more attractivedy, she knew she would not stand a chance in this situation.


    "Thanks."


    She surely had a blush on her face when she received his thanks and that smile¨C her heart almost skipped a beat when she saw that smile, but she controlled herself and tried her best to maintain her expression.


    "Do you want this thing, Az?"


    "Muuuu~! Muuuuu!"


    The thing that they had taken out was a very attractive looking pin.


    Made of gold and covered in unique patterns all around it, there was a single blue stone embedded at the top of it.


    The sharp top of the ornament seemed dangerous, but from the looks of it, it was intentionally made that way.


    The decoration around the blue stone made it seem like the center of a flower, and, though not perfect or amazing, this was a pretty decent work ording to Elio.


    "How much for this ornament?"


    Elio had no idea why a slime would be interested in a hair ornament, but since this was the first time Az was asking him something that he could actually give to his little friend, he did not hesitate to ask for the price.


    "O-oh. This piece would be one gold and ten silvers, sir."


    "One gold?"


    A whole gold coin for a simple ornament?


    "It sure is pricey¡­"


    He had that much money thanks to his sugar mommy''s generosity and the quest rewards, but spending it all on something so simple did not seem fine to him.


    "Muuu¡­"


    But, it looked like the slime really wanted the ornament for some reason, and he could feel it thanks to their connection.


    "Can you go down? Or are the prices fixed?"


    "No, sir. We can not. The hairpin belongs to the ''Imported'' section. All the items in this sectione from trusted sources and are authentic.


    I don''t know the details, but the prices are strictly fixed."


    "Is that so¡­?"


    He did not have a ton of money to throw around and he knew how to handle his money. So, if he was going to invest in this item, he needed to at least know a little about what it was.


    "Can you tell me some more about this piece? Something that you might know?"


    "Apologies¡­ sir. The items in these sections are different from the others. They are already sealed when we receive them and we sell them directly so that the customers can be the first to have them."


    "It is an item at least, right?"


    "Yes, that much we are certain about."


    "Can I use an appraisal scroll on it?"


    "You¡­ can not, sir. You would have to purchase it before using any items on it."


    Now this made thingsplicated for him.


    "It looks good, why not just take it?"


    Even Alex liked this piece.


    She can tell it wasn''t just a simple hairpin even though she could not tell much about it.


    If this slime had any interest in it, there must be some reason behind it.


    She didn''t see it wrong to gamble some money and see what the slime does with its gift. But Elio was against it.


    "I can take it, sure, but then what? I''d like to give Az a gift as well but I at least need to know I''m not giving my friend something dangerous as a gift, right?"


    His main concern was if this pin was safe or not.


    "I can see it for a minute?"


    "Hmmm? Yes?"


    And if he can''t use an item on it, he had no other choice but to use the primitive method.


    "Dude, seriously?"


    Not having an appraisal skill was starting to be unfavorable, so he wanted to quickly fulfill the conditions to get the skill so that he doesn''t have to waste so much of his time on small things like these.


    "..."


    The employee did not understand why the pretty man was looking at the simple hair pin so intently when it was just a hairpin with some kind of effects, but instead of him, she paid more attention to the slime that seemed to be cheering his master.


    She had no idea what was happening here, and the rest of the employees and yers in the shop were the same.


    The one who had been guiding them to the upper floor had even gone back to his position after instructing the one they were talking to right now to take care of them.


    "...sir?"


    And though she wanted to show them what they wanted aside from the pin, she did not understand what the attractive man was doing with the pin.


    "Umm¡­"


    As more time passed and he just kept staring at the pin, she got a little worried and was just about to speak up once again¡ª when he blinked his eyes for the first time in a while and ced the ss box containing the pin down.


    "We will take this one."


    His eyes had almost be red, and she thought it was concerning so she offered him her own handkerchief.


    But he rejected it, saying there was no need for that.


    "Now, will you be showing us the storage devices as well?"


    "Hmmm? Oh, yes!"


    Observation was not as good as the appraisal since it merely revealed some very basic information about the targets of observation.


    But, what he got from his observations was more than enough to convince him to buy this object.


    In fact, he wanted to quickly go back to their ce and confirm his suspicions now.


    The one liner info that he obtained from his observation was much more unique than any of his past observation targets until now.

 Chapter 69: Spoiled brats.

    "The hairpin: 1 Gold, 10 silver. The storage ring for essentials: 1 gold. Storage box for monster bodies: 3 gold. A box of twelve (Basic) Mana potions: 60 silver. A box of twelve (Basic) heath potions: 48 Silver.


    Two pairs of enchanted clothes and boots: 6 gold. A box of thirty scrolls with various kinds of magic: 9 gold.


    And if that wasn''t enough¡­ we even spent: 3 more gold on lunch, food essentials and ingredients.


    AND, of all that money, I only spent on the hairpin."


    In total, they spent over 23 gold and 118 silver while not counting the amount of copper they had sshed over in less than a day.


    ording to their original world market standards, if silver was over 1800V and a single gold coin was around 25 times its price, around 45,000V, then they had just wasted around 1.2 million V.


    "We could have very well invested all that money in good assets, you know?"


    After everything was said and done, now that he was realizing just how much she had spent on his things today, he could not stop cursing himself.


    "It''s my mistake¡­ I shouldn''t have agreed to go shopping in the first ce¡­"


    She just ran around and bought a bunch of things that she thought he would need going forward.


    She didn''t ask him for most of the things and even the clothes¡­ she bought specially enchanted costly clothes instead of some light armor.


    The kind of money they spent in thest few hours was just absurd.


    They could have lived off of that much money for weeks if not months¡­ and now all of that was gone.


    Just like that.


    Gone.


    "Hump. Bastard. I bought all that for you and you''re still crying like a baby?"


    "You spoiled brat. Don''t you even understand how costly these things are?!"


    He couldn''t help but shout at her at this moment since she was making it sound so simple he couldn''t help but get angry at her.


    Simple people of their world barely make this kind of money after months of work and here they were, spending all that like it was no big deal¡­


    "Hey! Do you think I bought all those things for myself?! Do you think I wasted money?! Just tell me, damn it and I''ll never buy you anything in the future!"


    She had been happy until they were out, but as soon as they came back to their inn room and he took out everything to do the math, he became sad.


    It was as if some kind of post nut rity had hit him hard, enlightening him to the truths of the world.


    "Yes! That would be better than spending another million! Money doesn''t grow on trees, Alex!"


    "What do you know, bastard!? Money does grow on trees! A lot of it mostly grows under the trees as well!"


    On an important note¡ª both of them were serious right now.


    It wasn''t like one was half heartedly arguing back with the other since the one was doing it, that was certainly not the case here.


    Both of them were serious about everything they were saying.


    "Of course, right? How can I forget this is a virtual world~?! Hahaha!"


    Well, he understood the importance of money more than her, and he could not stand it when the person he was closest to took such financial decisions.


    "Yes! This is a virtual world! And yet the money of this world is as important as the crisp fresh banknotes that you cherish so much!"


    Ummm¡­ they were arguing right now, and it was amon asion.


    They will stop anytime now and start doing¡­ stuff, so the little slime and gecko shook their heads at them and ignored their dumb game.


    They weren''t human but one understood emotions well, while the other had good enough life experience to know what affection was.


    "Hump! Spoiled brat!"


    "Oh my god~? Spoiled brat? Me~?!"


    The gecko could tell what they were doing right now was their way to show their unique affection to one another. Something that was beyond their simple understanding¡­ so, they both ignored them.


    There was something more interesting for them here.


    "Muuu."


    "Miu!"


    Among the pile of things that were ced on the ground, there was a ss box containing a unique golden pin that looked pretty attractive.


    This pin, though something unknown, had caught the attention of Az''s {Curiosity}.


    It was a special skill that allowed it to find the creature who used to live in that small hole in the cave of the red hob.


    The first time they met was when the skill led the curious slime inside the cave and then all the way to where the gecko was living.


    When they met, the gecko''s condition was not as bad as it became after it identally ''almost'' fell into the pool of waste and got poisoned.


    Miu was fine and they yed around the cave while the two of their human friends were fighting the ugly creature.


    They somewhat understood one another and Miu was pretty friendly so they became friends quickly.


    In this new ce where Az did not have its old slime friends, Miu was the first that yed with it.


    Had he lost its first first because of its own mistake, it might never have forgiven itself.


    However, its human friends saved its friends.


    And thanks to them, as well as thanks to its {Curiocity}, they were now together.


    "Miu?"


    "Muuu¡­"


    The same skill that led the slime to his gecko friend had led it to this certain unknown golden stick.


    And, even though the slime had no idea what exactly this strange object was¡­ it found the pin attractive.


    "Muu?"


    "Miu."


    They weren''t certain if they should take it out of the ss case, but since the humans were busy loving one another, they somehow opened the ss box and Az sat down in the golden pin.


    Then, the slime passed the pin through its mucus body and raised it on top of the surface of its body, identally infusing its Mana.


    -spark!


    -Ooooooooooooooooong!


    It was out of the blue but, when the mana of the slime got into contact with the pin, it started glowing as a new golden Mana sprung out of it.


    "Hmmm?"


    "What the?"


    A golden light exploded from the wand not long after, and both of them who were now busy winning against the other''s lips were momentarily blinded by this bright explosion of light.


    They did not understand what was going on there, but the presence of the strong Mana confirmed the suspicion that Elio had.


    The hairpin¡­ in fact, wasn''t a hairpin.


    It was something that any mage would lust after.


    Something that now coincidentally belonged to a little slime.

 Chapter 70: To be a mage

    In the world of <NO> the mages can cast their magic through various different means.


    To firstly cast a spell there was a magic chant, a specific set of words that invokes some unique spells that one might or might not need to cast the spell associated with it.


    There was chant less magic that worked the same as how Elio casts magic, through sheer imagination of the spell and the precise mental drowning of the spell.


    There was another method that people called mixed casting method in which the spells were cast with the help of chants as well as the imagined spell structure, and on the higher levels, this method was more effective.


    Aside from that, there might also be personal spell casting methods that might be unique to the individual caster.


    There is a chance the caster might or might not be able to cast all spells the same way as they do some certain spells, but that was a natural limitation of human abilities.


    "Is that really a wand?"


    "Seems like it."


    He got off of her and both of them sat down on their bed and looked at the now glowing hair pin which still was in the same form as before.


    Nothing had changed about it, but as Elio could feel, the Mana that was bound in the item was released and it was now circting Mana from the atmosphere.


    "Damn¡­"


    To cast spells easily, magies developed their own casting methods and in addition to that, they used various catalysts.


    Usually, orbs, magic canes, or staff were used as catalysts. Some of them were items that contained spells inside them and the non mages could use them if they could channel the Mana that it contained.


    However, the mages of high society or what were called battle mages in this world used a unique kind of catalyst¡ª a magic wand that was different from a staff, or a cane.


    The wand were magical objects that contained high concentrations of Mana, were made with the finest materials, and were so unique that only the individuals that resonate with these objects could use them properly.


    They came in all kinds of sizes and shapes, and though few Wandcrafters were known to the world, everyone knew there existed people who crafted these wands and scattered them throughout the world.


    It was said that a wand would naturally find their masters, that their masters would naturally find these unique objects that their bodies and souls resonate with¡­


    The meeting of a wand and its master was a fateful event, something that one can recognise instantly as they witness it.


    "Congrattions, Az."


    To be recognised as a true magician, one had to possess a magic wand of their own. That was also one of the official criteria to be a mage of the mages'' tower without going through the long, boring tests that most of the mages go through.


    "He became a proper mage earlier than you, lol."


    Finding a wand that is right for you is a difficult task since just finding a wand is a challenge in itself.


    But their little slime friend now had a wand that belonged to them. A wand that looked pretty as well.


    "Muuu¡­?"


    "Miu~!"


    Az had no idea what this thing was but Miu found this pretty looking thing cute.


    Az was keeping the pointy part inside him, so the blue gemstone on top of it was glowing, illuminating the golden flower along with it.


    "Oh, right."


    "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?"


    "I''m sure we are thinking the same thing."


    They both smirked at one another out of the blue and looked at their slime friend.


    "Az, try casting the water spell."


    "Muuuu?"


    The slime was still confused since the only good thing it found about this thing (in its hands) was how its friend liked it.


    The little gecko was jumping at the light so Az moved it around and the two yed with it.


    It was pretty fun watching them, but if they had someone who had obtained their wand, then there was one thing they had to try asap.


    "Simply cast magic that you use. The water one. Don''t put too much Mana in it, and just use the spell as you normally do."


    "Muuu?"


    The slime did understand what they wanted it to do, but it did not understand why they would want to see magic out of the blue.


    It did not mind showing them magic since it was suddenly feeling full of energy, but it still found their behavior confusing.


    The magic it can use was very basic and simple. It did not even have as much strength as the normal support spells or Elio and they knew it will take some time before the spell it uses gets any stronger.


    "Mu¡­"


    Still, at their request, it jumped ahead and channeled its Mana.


    -Oooooooooooooooooong!


    A magic circle materialized underneath its blob body, just like how it usually does, and along with it, this time, a simr magic circle also appeared on the tip of the magic wand, before the blue gem.


    "Aim at the window just to be cautious."


    "Muuu."


    Az did not feel as tired as it usually felt while casting a spell.


    The spell actually manifested even smoothly than it usually did until now.


    It had not been since it started learning magic, but it surely could feel the difference.


    -Ooooooong!


    It could tell the spell that was manifesting would be different from the usual spells as well, so it used as little Mana as possible- something a normal slime would not have ever done- and released the spell while aiming at the window in front of it.


    "Muuuuuuu!"


    The spell release wasmanded, and the Mana that had gathered and materialized in the form of a spell circle started condensing water drops.


    In the blink of an eye, the spell circle had collected enough of the droplets that the condensed force of the gathered water became too strong.


    -Shrrrrrrrrrr!


    All do the gathered water condensed into a ball form, a ball no bigger than a baseball, and just the moment after that¡­


    -Bang!


    Like a bullet, the ball was shot from the tip of the wand at a speed so fast that even the two of them could not perceive it.


    "Holy¡­"


    The ball of water had passed right between the two of them, so they felt the force that this spell carried on the side of their faces.


    "¡­shit."


    And even after having been familiar with the magic of this little creature, neither of them could believe how there was blooding out of the two scratches that they got from the micro droplets that were released from the ball of water as it flew away from between them.


    "Muuu?"


    There was quite some distance between both of them and still, the force of the spell itself dealt that kind of damage¡­


    Alex couldn''t help wondering how much damage that same kind of force would do to a high level creature- perhaps to a red Hob.

 Chapter 71: A strategic assault unit

    [{ "Elio, speed boost, then slow on the target." }]


    [{ "Gocha." }]


    Moving with her unique movement technique, using precise footwork to sneak up on her target, she used one of her daggers that Elio had already enchanted with sharpness and toughness enhancement magic, and dug it deep inside the opponent''s neck.


    "Gruuuuuuuu!"


    The sneak attack was a sess, so she used {Blink} and vanished from her previous position.


    "Grrrr¡­?"


    "Grrrrrr! Gurrrr!"


    The opponents were the same green goblins that they had fought in the battle against the dark mage, however, this time, they were in their natural form, and the bunch that she had ambushed was patrolling not far from their vige.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    There were three at some distance from one another and she had targeted the one in the middle so that when it screamed before falling to the ground with a bleeding neck, it would distract the two others.


    And this distraction would give her the opportunity that she needed.


    "Gurrrr¨C."


    -Swish.


    -Thud.


    To deal with the second one, she used a sword with enhanced sharpness to behead the second one.


    It was going to run back to their vige to inform the rest of the vigers about the ambush so taking care of this one first was important.


    "Gurrrrr!"


    Later, she took care of thest one in a clean manner as well and cut the ugly creature in half.


    [{ "Change of position. Take a high ground." }]


    They had deliberately waited after killing just one of them so that the strong screams of the remaining two could reach the guard archers at the gates of the goblin vige.


    -Swish. Swish. Swish.


    She knew the ones in the position of archers among the goblins were always good at hearing.


    Their eyesight might not be as good as their hearing, but they were still great archers thanks to their unique way to perceive things through the sounds.


    It was simr to Echolocation but here, they just draw a mental map of their surroundings with the soundsing from around them¨C not that she cared about that."


    -Swish.


    -Click.


    She used a quick sword drawing movement to cut the two guards in half horizontally.


    She avoided the dirty blood of the creatures by using another {Blink} but since she knew well how this was just the start, she used another {Blink} to vanish from her ce.


    "Gurrrr¡­?!"


    The suddenmotion had already caught the attention of many monsters in the area, the goblins in the surroundings inside of the vige had already sensed something was wrong.


    The death of the guard archers will be made known to the rest of the warriors shortly, and as they usually do, they will form a party of their elites to go after the enemy that attacked them.


    The chief and rest of the elites of the families will guard the town and protect the children and females of the town.


    But their main targets weren''t them.


    Today, they were here to not kill¨C but to test.


    "Alright listen.


    When theye out of the town and reach that rock I''ve marked, we will test the light attribute {Blind} spell to take away their vision.


    They will scatter with that, and then we will test the destruction series magic one by one."


    There were only three offensive spells that Az could use right now, and the goal was to test all three of them on these practice monsters.


    "You got that?"


    "Muuuu~!"


    He had just got his magic wand, so testing on the real targets was a must.


    Goblins were usually above (Level-25), and some of them were even (Level-40) but, with the kind of power they had experienced yesterday, they knew they could kill even those (Level-40) bosses.


    "Alright they areing."


    Elio was not fine with how they were killing creatures right now, but she was holding back his urge to stop her.


    As she said, this was just a test and they were only doing this to test the new power that Az''s magic wand brought.


    Having a magic wand did not just mean a faster magic casting and easier spell deployment.


    All magic wands had their unique characteristics, and the one that Az had allowed it to use spells to their maximum power despite Az''s weak and immature self.


    They did not understand theplete functions of the item since the appraisal scrolls did not reveal everything about it aside from the basic stuff, so they did not know what abilities the wand had exactly.


    Thankfully, they at least knew how this wand made the simple spells that Az cast into something very, very dangerous.


    [{ "Get ready, both of you." }]


    Az knew what it had to do from now on.


    There were some targets and it just had to practice some magic on them.


    "Muuuu~!"


    The little slime creature was excited so it took out the magic wand that it now kept inside of it with Miu.


    -Oooooooooong!


    It first conjured the light magic circle and aimed at the group of nine elite goblins who had walked out of their vige fences.


    -Swish!


    The spell contained a great amount of power this time as well and the speed at which this light attribute spell was released alone gave Elio chills.


    -Boooom!


    "Gurrrrrrr!"


    "Grrrr¡­!" Chapter Continue:


    "Gurrrrr?! Gurrrr!"


    That spell also contained power, even though it was not an offensive spell.


    And it did what they wanted from it¡­


    "Good. now the water ball spells first."


    This would be the same spell that they experiencedst night.


    "Release it with more Mana thanst time."


    She wanted Az to actually use that spell without restrictions, so the little slime did as she suggested and used a third of the Mana that it had to cast the same spell it had castst time.


    -Oooooooooooong¡­!


    It did not imagine or chant anything to cast spells. It just recreated what it had associated with the emotion that it felt when it first ate the magic scroll containing this spell.


    This was a unique kind of casting that the slime could use thanks to the unique skill it possessed.


    However¡­


    -Zaaaaaaaa!


    -Swiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiish!


    -BOOOOOOOM!


    When the big ball of water was released from the tip of the wand, despite the bigger size, it was the same in speed.


    The destructive power had increased due to the increased Mana, and when it hit the target, as if a bullet hitting a water balloon, the bodies of four of the creatures that were just about to go their way to search for the intruder enemies, were sted away under the force of the water ball.


    And, the spell did not just stop at the four creatures, it went beyond and reached the ce vige doors, destroyed them, and crushed half the town in its wake along with every single thing that came in its way, and¡­ the spell only ended when it had crashed in two trees behind the goblin vige.


    "Az oh Az¡­"


    She was speechless but Elio had lost all the voice he had thanks to this little scene.


    He was not expecting this level of destruction from just one spell.


    And, if just one spell was so destructive¡­


    "Let''s try the other two as well."


    He did note here to do some massacre or destroy a settlement.


    Az was his friend so Elio only apanied them to see the new powers of his friend¨C NOT THIS MASSACRE.

 Chapter 72: Future decisions

    "So¡­"


    Some time had passed since the little slime unknowingly destroyed all those green gobs.


    The kind of destruction that one spell caused was on par with the destruction that the spells of (tier-4) are capable of.


    And the spell itself was unique¨C different from the conventional spells that the normal mages cast.


    "I don''t think it''s a bad thing, you know?"


    Seeing all those dead bodies, the blood sshing with the forceful sphere of water, the kind of destruction it brought, the way it killed even the head of this vige¡­ Elio couldn''t handle it.


    The kind of power that one spell disyed was so great that they were shocked already, but the kind of power the other two offensive spells contained, how they actually destroyed the rest of the settlement was just beyond him.


    "This is good. Az can cast powerful spells that are different from the normal spells.


    Among the yers, its also called (Original spell casting) where the yers cast a spell ording to their own understanding of the spell with their own methods and the spell results in something unique from the same version of that spell."


    Az could only cast three spells before its Mana was almost bottomed out.


    She had to feed it another Mana stone but she did not mind it.


    If the power that they are getting at the cost of just some simple Mana stones, she did not mind any of it.


    Thanks to Az, both of them were able to gain a lot of experience in such a short time.


    The slime and the gecko both had also leveled up to (Level-15) with this.


    And it was good.


    Their leveling was different but the Exp that they shared with them was the same.


    They obtained the same kind of experience as the rest of them, just that their leveling system was different from the yers, or the natives.


    They were natural creatures and both of them were now Elio''s tamed beasts.


    They belonged to him, so it wasn''t really a bad thing that they were so strong.


    In fact, even Miu had special senses as they had recently found out.


    It also possessed three skills like Az currently did, but all three of its skills were something Alex recognised well.


    "Having a strong friend is good, dummy. Why mourn over some mobs that were going to die sooner orter anyway."


    At those words, he looked at her, directly in her blue eyes.


    "So, if they were going to die one day anyway, did their lives not amount to anything?"


    He did not like those words from her, even though they were true¡­


    "Haaa. Alex it''s not like I care about the lives of these mobs."


    His concerns, the thing that made him sit down there and be in such deep thoughts was not something rted to the things that they had killed.


    After being killed, their existence had surely be meaningless to this world.


    They were now dead, but¡­ what if there was someone else in their ce that was not supposed to die?


    "Az cannot control that power yet."


    His main concern was how this little creature who was ying around with its little gecko friend, that strangely powerful object would learn to control that great power.


    "At the end of the day, Az is still a slime."


    Sure it can cast those powerful spells but, great powers without control over them was the same as a broken rifle.


    One does not know when the rifle will backfire and kill the one to pull the trigger, or the bullet that wasing out of it would hit the family of the one pulling the trigger instead of the viin.


    "It is young in nature, it''s new to this world filled with people who would want the power that it has, and you and I both know we will not be there for them in every moment of our lives here."


    They weren''t natives and there would be times when they would have to go back to their world for hours, perhaps days sometimes.


    Due to the quest, they had managed to stay around with only a few hours of time outside of the game.


    They mostly slept inside the game but, they will have to go and take an actual nap after today. They could not neglect their health.


    "With that kind of power, without us around them, what will happen to them and the ones around them?


    What if they just curiously try something and something bad happens?"


    There were always consequences of everything. And with power this great involved, there is no telling just what kind of things could go wrong.


    "With great powerses great responsibilities¡­"


    Alex looked at the little creatures that were happily ying around without even knowing much about what kind of strength they actually possessed.


    "And they aren''t ready for that responsibility."


    As their friends, as their tamer and their family, they were the ones responsible for everything that these creatures do.


    Sure they are smart and understand a lot more than some normal slime or some normal lizard, but they still do not have the maturity of a proper adult human being that they need to understand the kind of responsibilities they would have with the kind of power they possess.


    "Alex¡­ what will they do when we aren''t around?"


    Had they been summoned creatures, familiars even, things would have been simple for them.


    Those creatures could stay in their own realms or in a unique space that belongs to them in the absence of their masters, but tamed beasts were creatures of the same world as their masters.


    They weren''t something that they could send away or put in some ce.


    With the kind of strength they had, there weren''t many people or beings around them that would be able to take care of these special creatures.


    "Will they be as happy as they are with us?"


    That was his biggest concern.


    "..."


    And though Alex had thought about this, had some idea of what they could do in their absence, and was nning something¡­ it was not confirmed just yet.


    "Don''t worry about it."


    The only thing she could tell him was to not worry about those things.


    She had something in her mind, but she still needed some time to think it through.


    There were some things that she needed to confirm before she can answer his question with certainty, but until then¡­ Chapter Continue:


    "I''ll take care of it."


    That much was all that she could tell him.


    He will just have to believe in her words this time.

 Chapter 73: Preparation of the events

    In the Moongold town, the Town Hall was not the ce where people¨C yers and natives frequented the most.


    Magies'' tower was the ce that recorded the most traffic, and after that came the grand library. Town hall came after that even though it was always filled with people that needed the help of the town officials for all kinds of paperwork.


    The registration office and the guards'' hall came after that in public traffic as they also were filled with people all day long.


    There weren''t many things that interested the yers in this town so the few ces where they could learn skills, get essential items, and sell their hunts were frequented by them the most.


    "I can''t wait for the library to open up again~."


    "Do you know about the event? They say you can get Five star items if you get in top ranks!"


    "Huhahahaha! Not many people know, but you can even get the items that are disyed all around the library if you do well!"


    "I''ll be aiming for that Thundersword. I''ve had my eyes on it for months now."


    The town was filling up with cheerful voices of the yers as the Library event closed in.


    An event that was held on the night of the golden moon, the event that opened the doors of secret storage of the great library of Moongold to the yers and natives of the town¨C the event that all yers wished to experience at least once in their lifetime, one of the most fun event of this special town was now approaching.


    "You got the helper quest?! How!?"


    "Man I''m so jealous of those bookworms¡­ they got quests directly from the librarian. They say they are getting an Achievement as a reward just to help them in the preparations."


    And coincidentally, along with the special event, a festival was also being organized in moongold to celebrate the sacrifice of the brave fallen heroes.


    "The Mayor had to organize a festival on the same day¡­ haa¡­ I have the library event preparation quest already but I was forced into the festival preparation event as well."


    "Man¡­ I should have learned carpentry as well. You''re suffering from sess."


    "You think I like that¡­?"


    The yers were mostly excited for the festival and the new quests that were appearing all around them.


    They were also happy to see the rare token system that allowed them to get all kinds of exciting rewards.


    The more fun part was how the gloomy atmosphere that was present not long ago had pretty much returned to normal. The yers certainly liked this fresh and festive vibe much more than the gloomy one, so even the old yers of the town were happy to see this.


    The normal yers who enjoyed lifestyle activities more than hunting were now receiving more attention from the natives.


    Not only the festival but also the library event required all kinds of things, the preparations also required a lot of manpower so starting with the older yers who had good affinity with the natives, even the newer yers who were recognised for their skills were getting some work.


    Overall, everyone was contributing to this whole festival and atmosphere. And the two of Them were no exceptions.


    "Oh? Have you done the wood cutting work before, miss?"


    "You can say that, yes."


    They needed wood for the decoration and many preparations. And as an experienced swordsman who also had a smashing skill of the Red Hob, work that required strength and precise force was pretty easy to Alex.


    She was helping out with all kinds of work like wood cutting, transportations, and with her sharp senses and many experiences, she also knew how most of the things were done.


    She was helping with the management work, the organization work, and was even preparing the work schedules that the other workers were following for the smooth sailing of the work.


    On the other hand, Elio was gaining poprity among the natives for his unique skills¡­


    "Wow¡­"


    "Someone drew that? Really?"


    "Apparently, the person who clicked the banner photos and the one who drew this are the same.


    What more, a little birdie told me the person who designed the hall that we are making, the one who wrote the songs that are ying all around the town, and the one who decided on the whole color theme are all the same."


    Drawing wasn''t his cup of tea but he knew a little bit of painting.


    Aside from that, he was pretty good at a lot of things.


    He loved clicking photos but since he did not have a camera here, he had to work with the screenshot mechanism.


    Videography was also his strength¡­ and so were digital design, script writing, music, resource management, and choreography.


    He was good at a lot of things, but since he had learned most of it on his own, he did not get many chances to showcase his skills in the real world.


    In here though, he was having a st going around doing things that would help the others.


    His views were artistic, different from her practical and scientific perspective so though there was sometimes a sh between their ideas, they did not let that get in the middle of the other''s work.


    They understood one another enough to resolve their conflicts by themselves. So, with their addition, the preparations for the event in the library as well as the festival preparations were going on smoothly.


    Three days had passed somehow in this whole work, and on a fine afternoon, they had reached one of the most famous boutiques of the town that was owned by the oldest yer here.


    They needed a haircut and some hairstyling.


    They also needed some more hair treatment¨C and though unnecessary, they needed to get a proper pedicure as well.


    It was surely a game, but things like these were also necessary to maintain their pretty bodies.


    "Wee, you two~. I''ve been waiting~."


    Miss Aloha was a professional, just like the two of them so she knew exactly what they wanted with their hair, as well as what they needed. Chapter Find:


    "Let''s get you prepped up before going to the main thing~."


    A haircut from a professional like her was not something simple like what they experience in the real world.


    At the end of the day, this was a game¡­ and since it was a game, even the mostmon things could be made a little different here.

 Chapter 74: Blissful treatments

    First of all¡­ since Madam Aloha''s special boutique weed guests of even the nobility, there were some special services that she provided to the important guests.


    "Oh yeah¡­"


    "This is unexpectedlyforting."


    "Holy¡­ yeah it is."


    They were having a foot massage that was much better than any pedicure they had had together.


    This was going to be followed by a special spa session, after which, Miss Aloha will personally wash their hair, do a head massage and then, the main course¨C hairs.


    For now though, the two were having the best time of their week in this town.


    "We should do this often." Elio was a little surprised by how his legs were inside a tub full of small slimes that were even smaller than Miu.


    It was a unique experience and the professionals that were using various tools and lotions in their unique treatment knew exactly what they were doing.


    "Totally¡­ we should totally do something like this¡­ every once in a while¡­"


    Her voice sounded like she was moaning but she was just enjoying this blissful experience.


    Wearing those heavy boots every day was not good for her feet and toes, even in the game.


    Her feet had gotten used to such footwear over the years, but it was still ufortable sometimes.


    But, having such a blissful experience was worth all the time and effort she spent in this game.


    "Do you ept tips, miss?" Alex wanted to at least reward them for such great work even if Miss Aloha was not going to take any fees from them today, giving tips for these professionals was at least something she wouldn''t mind.


    "Oh¡­ we don''t get tips¡­ but, it''s not like we can''t have it."


    There were two prettydies looking after her and two looking after her darling beside her.


    And when she brought up tips, all four of them were a little confused.


    "We don''t have a tipping culture in this town, Alex." Miss Alohamented while preparing their next course with her other assistants.


    She knew Alex was still new to this town even though she had been here for a while now, so she did not know everything about this ce.


    Tips were prettymon things in some of the cities and main cities, and even in their real world. But, Moongold was one of the ces where the ''tips'' were not a thing.


    The professionals here were assistants to Miss Aloha and most of them were natives.


    Chapter Discover:


    They worked here and they got paid for their work and, since the prices of her services were already pretty high, giving money to the workers was notmon in this rtively small town.


    If anything the workers were more than happy with what they were making just from working in this small but special establishment and learning from a renowned person like Miss Aloha.


    She was one of the few famous professionals in the beauty field and just getting recognised by her might get them a chance to work for some from a big house, or even some nobles that she had connections with.


    Her letter of rmendation held even more value in their line of work than the letter of rmendation from the town mayor or the head of the mages'' tower.


    "You don''t have to, but you can give tips if you want. It would be the money they have earned themselves."


    Besides, Miss Aloha wanted to see how much she would give to someone who had looked after her like that.


    "Oh~. Alright then~!"


    The treatment was done soon and before thanking thedies and moving to the next step, she handed all of the pretty youngdies a shimmering silver coin.


    Which surprised them quite a bit.


    As simple beauticians working under someone famous like Miss Aloha earned them a few silver coins every month.


    They were paid ording to their performance in the month directly by Miss Aloha so they earned around thirty to fifty silver coins each month.


    It was no small sum as any normal person in this town could tell, so¡­ they were happy with what they were doing already.


    Earning an extra silver coin just for doing what they do? Now that was quite a new experience for these simplemondies.


    "Thank you!"


    They all thanked her as the two of them moved to the next room for the new thing¨C which turned out to be just as rxing.


    "You''re going to tip them as well?"


    Elio knew she had a lot of game money¡­ a lot of it. But she can''t just give it to everyone just because she wants to.


    "Of course I am."


    She knew the value of money as well, but right now, she was happy.


    And as he knew, when she is happy, she doesn''t really care about money, or the abundant resources she has.


    "If you give all of them a silver coin, Alex, you will be spending more than what these treatments cost."


    "Hmm? I don''t mind though. I''m just giving them something I see fit."


    "No point telling her something she obviously knows, miss Aloha. If that girl really wanted, she would be giving them gold coins¡­ but then she knows we will have another argument like a few days ago."


    She spent over a million V worth of gold and silver coins just to get him some necessary things. He had no doubt she would spend ten or so more for such fun experience if she wanted to.


    "Oh? Is that so?"


    She was spending an eptable amount. That was the only reason he was not stopping her or arguing with her about it.


    "Well, then give me some tips as well, rich young miss. How did you get such a unique boyfriend?"


    It was only an hour, but all the things that they did before finally reaching the haircut stage was something¡­ they enjoyed very much.


    Alex gave all of Miss Aloha''s assistants a silver tip, so¡­ the masters of these assistants should also receive something, right?


    "You wanna know how I got him¡­?"


    It wasn''t that fun of a story, as both of them remembered it.


    "I''d love to."


    But while she was doing their hair, the story of such a unique couple surely was not something she could possibly miss, you know.


    "Well¡­"


    They came across one another due to their work three years ago, and then¡­ one thing led to another, resulting in their first date, first kiss, first night, first trip, first holiday, and many such firsts.


    It has been three years now, but they still remembered the day she first sent that Email to one of the most famous Frencers among manymunities that, she was coincidentally part of.

 Chapter 75: Some backstory

    "He was pretty famous in the editing industry, I mean among us yers who used to y various games, were used to the YT game videos, and the VR games around three years ago."


    Miss Aloha first covered their faces with a warm towel and wetted their hair before applying some special oils and a unique shampoo to their hair.


    Her long, strong ck hair was one of her favorite kinds of hair.


    She can tell they had faced a lot of turbulence in their long life and though they were not maintained, she can tell they were trimmed from time to time with good sharp objects.


    Not a scissor though. The cuts were too sharp and too unprofessional for them to be something from a professional.


    "He was new, but he got famous with his work for various famous yers.


    Among the many games of that time, <NO> as well as the older games that were still famous back then, the yers who saw the kind of transitions he could make, the choreography of the whole product and of course the precise on point editing that even the creators of the video could not fathom, were all instantly mesmerized by his work."


    Miss Aloha wasn''t quite active in the yermunity since, well, she was old. All her interest was in this town and her work.


    She enjoyed all that she did here more than enough so, she wasn''t really that interested in these yer matters.


    She can surely understand what Alex was talking about, but her knowledge was limited to just that.


    "I shall show you some of his workster."


    "I''d be happy to see them."


    As Miss Alohabed through her thick ck hair, she was reminded of her younger days.


    Her hair right now were still pretty attractive, but they did not have the kind of shine that they used to have.


    Looking at Alex''s pretty, strong, and thick hair made her a little envious as well.


    But she liked these hair more than she envied them. There was a lot that she could do with them so, right now, many ideas were filling her head as she listened to their story.


    "Back then, I was just starting out so, don''t take her words seriously Miss Aloha. The old ones are too shy.


    If anything, you should see theter ones-."


    "Shuddup you dumbass. The older ones had a kind of rawness-."


    "Don''t move please."


    "Oh, sorry." Miss Aloha was still not done prepping her wet hair.


    "The older ones had a kind of rawness that''s just too good. Something that one can tell is pure work of art.


    Yes yourter works got better with time and experience, but they became more refined and serene.


    The imperfections the earlier ones, and some unique ones have are just too good."


    Those early ones were exactly the reason that she sent him her first Email as not a creator, but as a fan.


    She expressed her awe at his work¡­ but she was ignored.


    He never saw that Email of hers until muchter.


    "I''ll show you the old ones and the new ones. You will understand what I mean as well, miss Aloha."


    "Sure. I''ll be happy with anything you believe will be better."


    She was finally done preparing her hair for the cutting, but before moving on to the cutting, she first pulled a unique looking machine that had a special kind of energy emitting jewels embedded on a ring.


    They resembled a ring light, but they were a lot more unique than simple LEDs.


    "Now, Elio, rx your shoulders."


    She moved to the side and sprinkled some water on Elio''s shiny light brown hair.


    Though not long like hers, they surely looked longer than they should.


    They were even, so she can tell they were maintained properly. But, since she could also tell they were never cut until now, she was going to work with a raw specimen.


    And these hairs were pretty strong and thick as well.


    She liked these quite a bit as well¡­ they were a rare kind among the men these days.


    "So, I sent him an Email expressing my fangirl admiration and was thoroughly ignored. Later, when <NO> came and I started ying, I sent him a video of one of my ys-."


    "You started ying when the gameunched?"


    "...there are some circumstances, but yes. I was one of the beta-testers as well."


    "Oh wow¡­ I knew you were special, Alex. But a Beta-tester? My niece calls those special people Extraordinary on par with top rankers."


    She did not dwell deep into why someone so extraordinary was in a starter town.


    In fact, now that she knew Alex was an old yer that had been around even before the normal yers, the fact that she was so good and knew so much made perfect sense to her.


    Everything that she was confused about until now clicked at this moment. And a new smile appeared on her face.


    "Please keep this to yourself."


    "Of course, silly."


    Alex didn''t mind telling all these to her only since she believed she could keep secrets.


    She was Their barber now, so it was her duty to keep their secrets.


    "Alright~. So, as I was saying¡­"


    Their first meeting did not happen until three months after she sent her second Email with her first video.


    "Huhu, you two have quite a unique start."


    "Right~?"


    What happened in these months was some of the best days of their Friendship.


    They exchanged many Mails in the era of short messages and emojis and stickers after that.


    Many of them were rted to their work, but many of them were just casual chats that friends have.


    "When we worked on our first project, I didn''t even know she was such a prettydy."


    "Oh right! Hahaha! For three months he thought I was the agent of the person that he was editing the videos of.


    On our first date, he was looking for a man and I was enjoying his confusion in a cafe full of lesbians."


    She wanted tough out loud as they remembered those old days.


    She teased him a lot¡­ but then when they actually got to know one another, many things changed.


    "I still get chills thinking back to that day¡­"


    He was attractive. And he was dressed as he usually does¨C attractively.


    The way thosedies were looking at him with various emotions was one hell of an experience for him.


    He also owned shops like that cafe, but this one¡­ it was different. He never went near that ce after that day.


    Some things were just... not for him.

 Chapter 76: Special haircut

    -Phrrrrrrr¡­


    Some blows of warm air from not a hairdryer but from the magic of one of her assistants dried their hair, she added some finishing touches to their hairstyle with a scissor and a ckb, and finally removed the cloth wrapped around her neck.


    "Wow¡­"


    Her long hair was straight and she had them tied in a ponytail when she was fighting.


    Open hair was a bother and since her hair was long, she also braided them when she was fighting long battles or was going to travel on foot for a long time.


    She didn''t get much time to look after her hair, but she loved her hair a little too much topletely ignore them, so, whenever she got some time, she trimmed them down as best as she could.


    She was no professional so, in the real world, there were people that she trusted her hair with. In this world though, she never had the luxury or motivation to get such treatments that often.


    Most of her time was spent in ces that were far from civilizations¨C when she was in forests, she had to camp and hunt day and night, when she was on mountains, she had to make strong camps that could withstand the harsh weather.


    When she was in deserts, she had to endure the heat and sandstorms. When she was in cold stormy areas, she had to fight against the cold and keep herself warm.


    When she was deep within some ancient dungeon orbyrinth, she had no time to look after herself since her life was always on the line in those kinds of ces.


    In all her life in this world, she had gone to many ces, traveled much more than most yers have, gone to ces that only she knew about, and she loved every adventure she had by herself, with her Partner, with her asional acquaintances, and with the ones she coincidentally crossed paths with.


    She rarely had done any activities like these.


    A proper haircut was something she had only gotten a handful of times in all her life in this world.


    But, now that she was looking at her pretty, her glowing, her fluffy and sexy hair, she couldn''t help but feel¡­ full.


    "They are so pretty¡­" she touched her new hair gently, and caressed the thin brides Miss Aloha had twisted them in.


    They were still flowing down her west, but they weren''t messed up and unorganized anymore. They were well organized, moved as she moved and even when she moved around the room, moved using {Blink}, or performed some quick movements, they weren''t hindering her anymore.


    Only a few of her hair were braided in long pretty braids, many of them were making an attractive pattern independently as well as when seen as one, and they had a special shine now¨C a shine that they did not have often.


    "Thanks, miss Aloha."


    She almost got emotional seeing her pretty hair, and thanked the one who had made them like that.


    This was genuinely much more than she was expecting. Much more than she wanted. And perhaps much more than she deserved.


    "Huhu. Come back anytime you want. I still want to try a bunch of other things with that pretty hair."


    "Hehe, I''ll try my best."


    She could not promise her, since she did not even know where this journey of hers will take her or when she will get the chance toe back to this pretty ce.


    But she still said she would try. So, she was definitely at least going to try her best toe back this time around.


    "Oh, and thanks for that one as well."


    Miss Aloha was done with both their haircuts.


    And though unlike her long hair, Elio''s styling was much simpler and in, he somehow looked much more attractive than he did before they entered this ce.


    His natural light brown hair was not a mess anymore.


    They were properly short now. Their raw ends were trimmed and set just the way they should, and looking at them now, she did not feel annoyed anymore.


    Now, his pretty green eyes were showing more brightly. The face that they extracted the dirt and oil from was as clear as it was outside the game, with the sophisticated lines of his clean face back to the game.


    "They are perfect."


    "Just as they should, huhu."


    He did not expect her to be so good with this.


    She was even better than his usual stylist that he had been going to for the past five years.


    The way she had carefully cut the unwanted long strands, then set the front, side, and upper sections one by one, not hindering the roots of the hair too much was just¡­ perfect.


    There was nothing for him toin about. And there was nothing for him to criticize.


    From his standards or from the standards of any artist, this was good. Great perhaps.


    "Thanks for this, miss Aloha."


    He bowed to her just like she had a moment ago, and expressed his thanks for not just the haircut.


    [Ding]


    [You have received a special haircut for the first time! Rewarding Exp.]


    [You have received a special haircut from a [Master] for the first time! Rewarding Exp.]


    [Ding.]


    [Resonance effect of the special haircut had resulted in unique effects.]


    [Experience umtion by hunting (+10%).]


    [Experience umtion by quests (+10%).]


    [Charm +12.]


    [Attraction of opposite genders to you will be increased.]


    [Mana umtion rate and spell potency will be increased by an additional (12%).]


    "These are some of my best works, actually. But it''s all thanks to the amazing hair you two have."


    She liked their hair and she liked their story as well.


    She was not going to earn money from them, but getting this amazing couple as her friends was nothing less than a fortune.


    Their story was quite touching to her as well¨C they were good children.


    "Right. You still have to look after a lot of preparations, right? You should take your leave now that we are done."


    However much she wanted them to stay and have another long chat with her young friends, she had already taken a lot of their hours today.


    There was an event and a festival being held in her little town and they were looking after a lot of people, a lot of work, and a lot of preparations.


    "Right. We still have to eat dinner."


    "We had a wonderful time here, miss Aloha. Thanks again for everything."


    She knows she will get her chance someday and when that timees, she will have them all for herself for hours¡­


    "I had a st as well, huhuhu~."


    But for now, they had more important things they needed to look after.

 Chapter 77: The Library event

    Streets filled withughing children.


    Parents who hid the sadness deep within their hearts as they traveled the streets, telling their children to stop running.


    A bright clear blue sky, refreshing air filled with joy andughter, a festive smell in the atmosphere, and voices of vendors announcing their discounted goods to the world.


    An unseasonal festival had arrived in Moongold.


    And the townsfolk had weed it with open arms.


    "Woh! Let''s go there next!"


    "Have you tried the town''s speciality? The white creamy skewers?"


    "Damn, even the cksmith is giving a big discount today! I should have saved some funds for a new sword!"


    There was joy in the air.


    Natives weren''t in their houses today like they had been until a few days ago.


    They walked the streets with their families, offered their condolences to the ones who had lost someone in the battle, and throughout the town, there were events being held in the memories of the fallen heroes; without whom, this town might not have been present as it is right now.


    The main streets as well as the important ces in the town were all decorated not with the simple decorations that would be removed, thrown out, or destroyed after this festival, but with solid wood, rock, and metal¨C things that might not disappear even after a decade of natural corrosion.


    The names of the fallen heroes were engraved on these various structures that were now part of the important ces like the mages'' tower, the knight''s hall, the guard''s office, or of the main townhall.


    These decorations, carved from the wood in the form of an archway, from the stone in the form of effigies, and molded in various objects like gates, fences, post boxes present in some locations, and decoratives of high quality when made from the metals, were now part of this town.


    The loved ones and family members as well as acquaintances of the fallen heroes had worked hard in the creation of these things and their acquainted yers had supported them immensely thanks to either their connection with these natives, or to get the tokens that were being distributed for all kinds of help they provided.


    "Muhahahah! I got a hundred tokens already! Hahaha!"


    "Man¡­ being a woodcutter or fisherman is better. Ughh. I regret not learning anything now."


    "Even the mages are doing well¡­"


    The token could be exchanged for various things.


    Swords with good boosted options, armours with great defense, weapons with various skills, magic scrolls, potions, as the best things, the mayor was even personally offering a small property, a house in this town for the one who managed to collect more than three thousand tokens¨C but, technically, there was only going to be one, or two maximum individuals who will be able to achieve that goal.


    "Miss Rin? Won''t you go out and have some fun as well?"


    Thanks to Alex''s impable ns and documents that she provided to the mayor, they were able to form a kind of reward system that usually takes weeks to create for an event of this scale in just a few days.


    And for her help, they were even more grateful to them both.


    "Oh no dear. There''s too many people outside today and there''s not really anything we have to do outside either.


    We mighte to the libraryter, but not right now. For now, I will be staying here."


    Misha was looking after Az and Miu, ying with them around the streets outside and Miss Rin was just looking after them from the balcony.


    She was enjoying the view outside today, and there was a smile on her face.


    Just seeing her child running around happily down there was fun for her, and she wanted to do that instead of going out for today.


    "Oh¡­ if that''s the case, we will be going ahead."


    Alex was waiting for him downstairs already so he said his polite greeting and walked down as well.


    The Library event was today as well so there was already a festive atmosphere around the town.


    People were all going to gather around the library to see the yers and the natives who participate in the event that will be broadcasted to the outside for the spectators.


    Not many will get the chance to witness the event directly since the library cannot amodate everyone while the event is going on, so, many of those interested would be gathering all around the za surrounding the grand library.


    However, since both of them were going to participate, they will be inside.


    "Took you long enough."


    Today, she was dressed not like a swordsman, or a knight but, as a properdy.


    "You look pretty as well. I''m sure there will be a few that wille to confess their eternal love to you today."


    "I know right? Huuu¡­ being so hot is so exhausting~."


    She was wearing a dark purple dress. A very expensive dark purple dress.


    It resembled the finely made dresses of those nobledies of high society and, if one did not know enough, they would think that the jewels, gold, and tinum this dress was adorned with was all just fake.


    Only the eyes that were familiar with luxury could tell this thing was made with the finest materials and even fewer would be able to tell that this dress was made with the hands of many experienced [Masters] of their fields.


    "Haaa. But look at you, Elio. No elegance, no style, just the same old fashioned stuff."


    He was a picky person that did not just wear anything that he got his hands on.


    There weren''t many options for male clothes in this small town and even the dress that Alex was wearing was something one would only find in a big city.


    They did go around looking for anything that he found interesting, and even asked Miss Aloha for some suggestions. But nothing passed his picky style.


    "You like me in and pretty, so I don''t really mind."


    At the end, he settled with a in white shirt that he found in an antique shop- a one star item that increases stamina and energy regeneration rate.


    A in ck trousers that fitted his fine legs fairly tightly, looking not too big and not too tight¨C it was a perfect fit.


    The trousers weren''t an item but they were bought from one of the most luxurious stores so, he got some Exp for the experience.


    Then, he chose a pair of ck shoes from the Many pairs of special shoes she had, which were an item with the skill {Sidestep} engraved on them.


    To add to that, he was wearing his pretty bracelet with a healing skill, a ring that Alex gave him with a necessary (Spell Slot) ability- a rare consumable item where one could save Three spells of (tier-2) or six spells or (tier-1).


    He looked quite simple in that in outfit.


    The white-ck went perfectly with his light skin tone, his light hair, and those deep green eyes were a strawberry on the cake.


    "You do look hot, yup. I don''t mind that either."


    She actually learned how to dress from him so he was the one with more fashion sense between them.


    If they had the chance, he would have dressed even better to match her shy dress, but sadly, they couldn''t do it this time.


    "Then my great lovelydy¡­ shall we?"


    He gracefully asked for her hand.


    "Of course not~."


    And she gracefully refused his romantic gesture.


    "Hehe, don''t do those funny things lol."


    Afterughing at his funny gesture, she simply shook her head and grabbed his hand as he interlocked their fingers.


    "Oh, wait, should we remove them-."


    "It''s fine with me. I don''t mind them wrapped in these silky things."


    They were also wearing matching gloves to their outfit, so she thought Elio, who adores her hands a little too much, would want them unclothed.


    "You really are one messed up pervert, aren''t ya baby?"


    Sadly, she underestimated her partner''s ''preferences'' this time as well.

 Chapter 78: The Librarian

    "She was happy."


    "You don''t need them for this one. We aren''t going to fight anything anyway."


    "Is that so?"


    Elio did his research on the event that was being held in the library today.


    He did not know how big a deal it was for the yers, but now that he knew about it, he wasn''t surprised after seeing so many yers around the library today.


    "The event is all about knowledge and talent."


    The great library of Moongold did not exist until just over a few decades ago.


    The town itself was not that old, it barely had a hundred years of history.


    "In the past, the Southwesternnds were home to the [Beasts of Bronze Age]. it was a grasnd that extended from the border to the empire''s western gateway to the edge of the western continent."


    "But a few centuries ago, a [Mythical creature] burned that eternal grasnd to ashes."


    "It was something unprecedented. History books record it as [Lamentation of crimson mes]."


    Not much is known about that incident, but overall, the mes burned over half of the grasnds and the creatures that lived here.


    "The rest of the creatures moved down to the south and settled in the area that is now known as [Valley of bronze]."


    One of the highest ranking hunting grounds that few yers in the entire game dares to approach.


    "Well¡­ that must have been some amazing event."


    As they traveled to the library''s entrance for the registration of the event and stood in the long line, Elio was lost in his own thoughts.


    He was chatting with her, replying to her words, but he did not even know that the line was moving forward.


    She was behind him so she was pushing him forward whenever the line moved forward.


    "Wow¡­"


    "He''s so handsome, oh holy lord~!"


    "Are they together? ¡­of course they would be together. Haaa."


    "These are times when you believe the saying ''world is fair to all'' actually makes some sense."


    "The Beauty¡­ truly is eternal, hun?"


    They were receiving all the attention any well dressed attractive people standing in a line withmon yers would.


    He was pretty, and in that dress, with that hair, there was no way anyone would not be attracted to these people.


    Most of them were still new yers so they must not be familiar with the actual beauty standards of this world by which, even with that dress and those looks, she would only be called fairly good looking.


    There were people in this world who were a sky and sea more attractive and charming than either of them.


    She knew they all will see it themselves when they move on to their first city and see the noble society there so, she did not pay much attention to the gazes.


    She knew she was pretty and that her boyfriend was a hottie, so she just pushed him forward and enjoyed his absent expression.


    He was thinking of the glorious past of this world¨C but, what he knew and what one could find in themunity was not even a tenth of what those high level yers who had done countless quests and had been through countless experiences over these past years knew about this world.


    She, especially as a special yer, knew a lot more about this world than even most of the other yers.


    Still, just like many other high rankers, even she could never even hope to achieve the kind of understanding of this world as THEY did.


    The yers did not call them the only true <Honored ones> for nothing.


    "The Empire imed the burnednds of Southwest and after assigning many areas under various regional lords, the crown assigned this particr area to the Viscount family."


    "Moongold was established, and then, one day, an old man came to this not so famous town."


    Moongold was not as popr as it is right now before the arrival of the yers, or a hundred years ago.


    But the first time it started changing was when a library unlike any other the town''s people had seen in their lifetime appeared in the middle of their town out of nowhere.


    "The Librarian, the sole maintainer of this library, was apparently someone that was recently starting to gain poprity in those times."


    "Didn''t you say he received a trial from some god?"


    "No, he must be just a crazy bastard that ''thought'' he received a revtion from the heavens."


    ording to her perspective, the only reason he would ever spend everything he had and build an empty library to fill it with books would be because he had gone senile.


    "He was almost like a Saint in the wars. He could have built his own nation if he wanted."


    When a human evolves into a higher species, they either be a [Saint] who had received the revtion of the world, or a [High Human] who had surpassed the inherent limitations of the world and gone beyond the mortal capabilities¨C as myths says.


    "But instead, he made this Small library."


    No one knew if either of them were true or not, but the yers were always looking out for the authenticity of these myths.


    The event was announced right when she got to this town right after she came back to the inn after checking up the library.


    She did not get to read much, but she knew the library surely was filled with some good things.


    Some of those things were so good they deserved to be showcased in a bigger ce where people could see it, not in this small town.


    Not many people would understand the value some of those items held, but she did. And the fact that they were in this small beginner town instead of some good city just infuriated her.


    "The librarian is just an old crazy bastard."


    Gods existed in this world, sure. She did believe that. The operating AIs were the same as gods here as well.


    But, she did not like how this amazing person¨C someone who had yed a great role in many of the past ''main scenarios'' had tied himself down to this damned ce.


    She did not know what kind of ''trial'' he might have received, but it surely was a different kind of ''trial'' than what she was following.


    "Is he though? Then, why does he look so majestic?"


    "Hmm?"


    [Ding!]


    All the people in the surrounding area of the library including the yers and natives received a system notification as soon as Elio said that.


    And then, a [Familiar] manifested atop the Great Library of Moongold, the archive of forgotten records¨C the Treasury of a Hidden Saint.

 Chapter 79: The Familiars

    Reaching (Level-100) was a big thing even after so many years of the game''s release.


    Those of (Level-100) and beyond were called the elites of the smaller guilds and someone that was eligible to be a member of the bigger guilds.


    The rankers were all people who had received a second awakening, meaning those who had crossed (Level-200). And there were only around two hundred or so such ''known'' people.


    Those who had crossed that level and were not officially on the [Unified ranking] were called ''Hidden rankers''. And, only the top thirty of those in the unified rankings were called a high ranker, those who had crossed (Level-300) and received the recognition of the world and third third awakening.


    Those were the Legends that had achieved a Legendary achievement and were known throughout the world.


    The yers did not know about the existence of any hidden High ranker, however, it was said that they existed in this world.


    Just like the many natives that had also received a third awakening, these special individuals were also more experienced, more knowledgeable, and more special than the known yers of the unified rankings.


    Still, they were merely yers¡­


    [You have been affected with status abnormality: Reverence.]


    [You have encountered a [Spirit beast] for the first time. Rewarding Exp.]


    [All other status abnormalities will be subdued in the presence of Reverence.]


    [In the presence of the Spirit Beast, you witness the profound unity of nature''s raw power and ethereal grace¨C a reminder that the most extraordinary wonders are often born from the most mysterious depths of existence.]


    Familiars are the creatures that a few fortunate ones meet after receiving their very first awakening.


    These unique beings, different from the beasts and creatures of nature, are unique existences that the world recognizes as one''s ''Partner'' a part of one''s soul and existence.


    They are simple beings of nature before meeting their fated partners, but the moment they meet, they evolve and with the blessing of nature, be something unique.


    "A Physical existence that is also a spirit. A rare being born on the boundary of the Spirit world and the physical world."


    Some yers find their familiars in nature, some meet them through fated encounters, some use established methods to meet them, and some¡­ simr to a magic wand, just coincidentallye to one another.


    Some yers take days to find their partners while some take years. But they meet. When the time arrives for their meeting, they do meet.


    "For me, it was three years."


    For three years of in-game time, Alex wandered all over the world in the search of her partner.


    She met many beings, many creatures on her journey, but she only found her partner when she was least expecting it.


    "Let''s quickly reach (Level-100) so that I can finally call my cutie back."


    On the towering library, a bird so big it covered the entire za under its fantastical wings resembling a starry night sky had manifested along with¡­ a man.


    A young looking man with bright fair skin, No beard, deep blue- almost purple hair, and star-like obsidian eyes, behind his round spectacles.


    His sharp face was so handsome that thedies who had alle here just to see him could not help but admire his beauty even under the effect of the strong debuff from the librarian''s familiar Spirit beast.


    The shining silver coat he was wearing along with the matching pants, and those ck gloves upon which he was wearing those rings and jewelries seemed so attractive that neither Alex nor Elio were anywhere close to his standards.


    He was also wearing a blue shirt under his coat¨C and it attracted even more attention.


    "Being a sorcerer in this worldes with quite some privileges, Elio. This world is sometimes just as unfair as the outside one."


    The Librarian of the grand Library and his familiar. Both of them were over a century old and still, the one that they were seeing right now looked in histe twenties.


    He was pretty and the clothes and stuff that he was wearing made her jelly.


    And the familiar¨C she could not summon her little cutie due to the restrictions so that poor little one was just stuck in the special dimension that every familiar goes to in the absence of the yers in this world.


    Familiars be part of the yers, so when the yers aren''t in this world the familiars are not either.


    But, her situation was a little different.


    "You and yourplicated stuff, haaa¡­" Elio was back to the present and he had moved away from the line to get a good angle for a screen shot.


    Almost everything had be frozen after the appearance of the two of them, and the scene right now¨C the majestic Sorcerer wizard, the librarian of the grand library floating above them before his unique partner that Elio could only admire¨C was so amazing that just one angle was not going to quench his excitement.


    He wanted to record it from different angles and click some live screenshots from a higher angle. But it was just not possible with the current state of the things around him.


    "I wish I could fly¡­"


    If that was possible, he would have clicked an amazing photo from high ground.


    "Learn flying magic then, dummy. It''s only a (tier-4) spell so you should be able to cast it by the time you get to (Level-100)."


    "Well¡­"


    Flying magic was a thing, yes he knew. But that was not the kind of flying he was talking about.


    And she knew that as well.


    { "I appreciate your presence in this ce, everyone." }


    A voice resonated all across the za and was heard by every single yer and natives.


    { "It seems like we have more participants this time than what we had expected. The older methods would not work this time." }


    This was inherently different from the authoritative but trustworthy voice of the Mayor.


    The Librarian was not supposed toe out until the end of the event, and summoning his familiar was something even Alex or the other older yers like Miss Aloha were expecting to see.


    The voice that they were hearing right now was purely a voice that indicated deep wisdom and power as well, so new flowers of admiration were blooming across the za.


    All the yers present here could at least tell that the being that they were facing right now was no normal thing.


    Both the bird and the librarian were the same individuals that they had all wanted to meet at least once in this town, and now that they were before these two, they could tell even the exaggerated rumors and stories about the two were severely downyed.


    The old librarian did not look old at all, and his amazing familiar¨C the special creature that had captivated the hearts and minds of most of the individuals present¨C was nothing but a being of admiration.


    { "I''d like to make things a little easier." }


    The za was filled with people right now and all of them were here to participate in the event.


    If they were to stand in this line all day, they would only finish the registration by the end of the day, and they cannot have it.


    They had to wrap up the things by the end of dusk. The Treasury would only stay open in the first few moments when the golden moon is shining down on them.


    The librarian cannot have things going out of their schedule, so he used his powers.


    [Ding.]


    [Do you wish to register for the unique event quest: (Conqueror of mind maze)?]


    [epting the quest would transfer you to the event location directly.]


    He was the strongest individual in this town as well as someone so strong that he was once the centerpoint of a Main scenario.


    He was no simple being either¡­


    "At least he still has his smart ass."


    But Alex still did not like him all that much.

 Chapter 80: A mind maze

    { "We shall start early so that we get some moments to spare before the arrival of the golden moon." }


    Many yers did not even think about anything anymore and just epted the quest as soon as the golden quest window appeared before them.


    They were excited already, and if they were to skip the line and start directly, wasting time would only make them fall behind the others.


    "Wow. Look at these excited people."


    It did not even take five minutes for the za to clear up.


    Only the yers that were still admiring the pretty librarian and his pretty partner were left there along with the two of them.


    The spectators who were finding a ce to sit around the za just rejected the quest and found a nice ce now that the za was empty.


    And, since they knew the event started earlier than it should have, they knew this was their chance to secure the best seats before the others arrived there after hearing the news of the event.


    They were lucky, but unlike them, the ones who still had the quest window open before them were thinking what to do.


    "We will have to do this alone, right?"


    "Some will get together in groups and will have to do things in groups, but it''s mostly random. We might not meet till the end."


    Standing in the line was tiring and the crowd made them sweaty in their pretty clothes, so they first cooled down and drank some water before helping one another tidy up their clothes and hair.


    "What if we do meet?"


    "It would be fun, I guess? It''s not like we will have to fight or anything so if we do meet, we willpete for the better score."


    The event was going to be simple.


    They will be ced inside the library that will temporarily be spatially modified into a highlyplex maze.


    The spectators will see the library as a normal ce, but inside the minds of the participants, it will be a whole different world¨C of course though, the spectators will see what the yers are seeing as well through the disy screens.


    The Mind maze, as the yers call it, was a special technique of the Librarian¡ª the arcane weaver.


    He was born a sorcerer and he studied magic, the world, the truths, and the past into detail, gaining control over the world altering powers of [Arcanum]¡ª the special energy that was like Mana, but more ancient and Natural.


    He created this special energy world for the participants that was as real as any reality for the ones participating in the event.


    "Then, shall we?"


    They would be dropped in random locations throughout the library that had now turned into a giant maze, and they would have toe out of it.


    The system will assign them ''stars'' ording to their performance and since its system is supported, there''s no need for them to worry about anything like cheating or miscalctions.


    The librarian used the quest method exactly because he also understood basic human nature better than the others.


    He was a human at the end of the day as well, so there wasn''t much that he had left to understand about these simple beings.


    "Yeah. Let''s go."


    The two of them knew how yers would have reacted had this not been supported by the system as well.


    "Then, good luck I guess."


    She was smirking right now, and he understood that provocative smirk very well.


    "I''ll do my best, remember that."


    "It depends on the starts you get, darling. And there are more than one kind of star."


    Above them, the librarian was looking down at the ground, at this particr couple dressed in attractive clothes.


    He could tell the boy was a curious one right after he saw him moving freely even in the presence of his familiar.


    And the girl¡­ he had a feeling that he had seen that girl somewhere.


    But he could not remember for certain so he was contemting as he looked at her ck hair, those familiar blue eyes, and especially¡­ that white sword she was carrying as an essory at the back of her dress.


    The attractive sword had somehow be the part of her dress from the way it was set on the dress, it was unique and though one could not tell that it was a weapon with their simple eyes, as the bearer of those unique eyes, he could certainly tell that it was no simple sword.


    But, he could not tell anything more about that weapon.


    It was a sword and that was it. Even his special eyes could not tell how precious or worthless that unique sword was¡­ which confused him even more than his distant memory of the owner of that weapon.


    "Let''s see who gets more than."


    The event was called [Appreciation of blessed talents].


    The venue for the event was going to the mind maze that the Librarian created inside of the library.


    Those who performed well and earn good stars will obtain something that they ''needed the most'' in their current state to move forward depending on their contributions.


    The criteria was unknown, but they knew if they performed well enough, aside from the things that they could obtain from the treasury, they might also get to choose something from the library.


    "Good luck to you too, Miss Alexandra."


    They both pressed the ept quest button and vanished from the za, vanishing from the eyes of the Librarian and the Spirit beast as well.


    "How amusing¡­"


    The librarian was confused but there was a smile on his face right now.


    He looked beside him at his partner before closing his eyes and looking at the situation inside of the library.


    There were hundreds of people participating this time around.


    More than half of the total yer poption of the Moongold and a sixth of natives were participating this time.


    If it wasn''t for his continuously expanding spatial magic, they might not have been able to amodate so many people into that rtively small ce.


    There weren''t many people this time around, just like he knew there would be.


    But, he was only interested in the results that these individuals show to them, to the world, and to the people watching them.


    Last time the event was held, the yer did not have much information about it or knew the actual importance of it, but this time, they knew.


    And since they knew there were amazing rewards waiting for them, without knowing what actually they are walking into, they started the trial that was presented to them, and appeared inside the mage where they will face quests, quizzes, puzzles, and most importantly¡ª trials of the (Forgotten enigmas).

 Chapter 81: Trials of wisdom and talent

    The Library was quite arge ce from the inside, enough to fill the yers that were in there. It could freely amodate hundreds of people daily, and since there were three floors of the grand structure, the ce was certainly one of the most attractive ces in the entire Moongold.


    Most yers that came to this town were interested in books.


    There were certainly libraries in the cities but to have a library in a small town like this one was a rare thing.


    "Looks like I''m alone."


    Participants were scattered all across the Maze that created the magic of the Librarian, and even though they were technically still inside of the library, what they were seeing before them varied greatly from a simple library structure.


    [Ding.]


    [Quest Objective: Escape the Maze.]


    A simple message appeared before Elio as he found himself standing in the middle of a wide road with empty bookshelves on both sides.


    The bookshelves on both sides were tall and though he could see the ss ceiling of the library, there was something more that he could ''perceive'' thanks to his {Mana senses}.


    "Is this what they call Arcanum?"


    As he could feel with his special senses, there was a unique energy surrounding this entire ce.


    The ground beneath him, the bookshelves that looked empty, even the ceiling.


    Everything was somehow covered in this special energy and he could tell this was no simple Mana.


    He looked around and tried using some magic, but there was nothing wrong with anything.


    He could cast his magic just as normally as he could outside of the library, he could also circte his Mana normally so, there really wasn''t anything special going on.


    Aside from this unique dense energy surrounding everything around him, there was nothing wrong with anything here.


    "Well then¡­"


    He folded the sleeves of his white shirt one more time, revealing his muscr forearms, and carefully couched down to the ground, cing his ear to the carpet covered floor.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    There were two ways he could go: forward or backward to where he was right now.


    This was an endless looking straight road so, he had to make a choice, and he had his own ways of doing that.


    "There are no movements around it seems."


    Thanks to Mana, his senses had heightened so he could perceive even the small sounds and vibrations in his surroundings if he focused well.


    He could not see anything or anyone here anyway, so he was going with the traditional method.


    "Hmmm."


    The first trick did not work, everything around him was normal, so he took out a normal twig from his inventory, something that Alex used during her demonstration when she was showing them the magic series, and ced it on the ground while holding it from one end.


    "Going forward is usually the mostmon thing¡­"


    But as he released the twig and it fell to the ground pointing not frontwards but to the back, he had made his choice.


    "Let''s go."


    Instead of the path that was ced right before him, he walked back without hesitation.


    Catching the attention of many of the spectators who had been watching him and the other participants of the trial.


    They were surprised how he was going in a direction after making a conscious choice instead of others who were walking as they liked or saw appropriate.


    He knew the path forward would be the path that was taken most of the time, but that was not where he wanted to go.


    "Hmm? Looks like I was right."


    He chose a path, he made a decision, and that decision of his led him to a book.


    "The article said the books will give tests."


    There were three ways to earn a star in this event.


    First was toplete the trails that onees across, second was to showcase their talents¨C be it anything, writing, singing, simping, sculpting, woodcarving, hunting, weapon techniques, magic.


    There was no ''border'' to these talents.


    Anyone can do anything that they want in the designated ces that they would find on their paths.


    The main objective was to get out of the maze, and passing the trials of the books and getting recognition from the audience for their talent showcase will give them clues.


    The maze was not like the normal mazes since it was made with a special kind of magic, so to get out of there, they would need certain kinds of special methods.


    Everyone was going to have a unique way they get out of this ce, and they will get stars based on how they do it, but the clues were going to y a big role if anyone wanted to follow the traditional method like Elio did.


    "Let''s see¡­"


    He picked up the book, and a bright blue light sted from it as soon as he did that.


    -Oooooooooooooooong¡­!


    The light soon died down, and when he opened his eyes once again, the book in his hand was gone.


    [Q: What does Dawn look like?]


    A message window was now present before him, and in his hand, there was a feather pen.


    "?"


    There was no paper or even inkpot but there was a feather pen in his hands now. And, from how the message window was showing a Question, he could tell he would have to answer that question.


    But, to answer¡­ was he supposed to write on the message window?


    "..."


    He tried it, but that was not the case.


    This was just a normal message window and the tip of his feather pen just passed right through it.


    "Where am I supposed to write then?"


    He was confused about what he was supposed to do.


    There was no quill, there was no paper. All he could see around him was wood and though he had paper in his inventory, he did not think he was supposed to use what he had for this test.


    There was something else. The answer to his question was going to be somewhere around him as well.


    He just had to find it, so he searched the empty shelf where he found the book, but, even after a few minutes of searching, he did not find either paper or any ink.


    And it confused him¡­


    "That''s not it."


    He was given a feathered pen with a sharp and strong looking tip.


    This was not a quill or a pencil but a specific kind of pen that was used in the older times.


    It was specifically used to write important things on parchment or costly paper.


    There was something he was missing¡­


    So he looked around once again.


    "The book is not here anymore."


    The window only had a question so it was not rted to the system directly either.


    "The shelves are empty."


    The carpet beneath his feet was not something one can write anything on even if they had a magical nail that worked as good as a pen.


    He could use magic-.


    "Oh. That''s right!"


    He could use magic.


    And grace series: toughness enhancement spells as well as sharpness enhancement spells were one of them.


    If he paired them with this already sturdy looking feather pen, he could just write on these shelves!


    There was practically an endless paper before him if that was the case.


    "Let''s try it."


    It was a dumb idea, but he at least tried it.


    There was a question that the book left for him, and he just had to answer the simple question. That much was not going to be too difficult.

 Chapter 82: Different objective

    Different from the others participating in the event, Alex found herself surrounded by shelves filled with hundreds of books.


    -Swish.


    There was only enough space for her to move in a square as she was surrounded by wall like shelves full of books on all four sides.


    They were too tall so just jumping up and crossing them was not an option and there was a barrier covering the above part anyway, so climbing was not yet an option.


    -Swish. Swish.


    However, she was not stuck in this ce.


    Many of the books around here were task books that gave out trials and she just had to find those books.


    It was a simple task and she had time.


    She was smart as well so she had already read a lot of books present around her right now. All that she needed to do, thus, was find the books that did not have any title or did not belong in the categories they were organized on the shelves.


    One of the trials will be about the barrier and about getting out of there, so, it was not that difficult of a task at all.


    At least for someone like her this was not that big a deal. She knew how to get out of this test, but that was not what she hade here to do.


    -Swish! Swish! Swish!


    She was here to get the most stars- to get the best possible reward and the opportunity to get something that this bastard librarian had.


    She needed that thing for their future. Their future expeditions all depended on it.


    Things would be a little tooplex and difficult if she fails to get her hands on that thing and the only way she could get it from this library, from this ce protected by someone she could not defeat as she had in the past, was through thispetition.


    She surely would be fighting against some of the most talented people present in this town, and the trials, by their inherent nature, favored those who had unique talent, someone that was smart and was learning new things through these trials.


    Not many people knew it, but these trails were aimed at the growth of the individuals participating in this event.


    The main goal of thispetition was to help these new yers, these stars who were just starting their journey in this new world, these stars who were hot and full of potential grow past their current limitations.


    The trails were not random. They were assigned to one after the system analyzed their past achievements, their current talents, and their ''nature''.


    She knew how these trails and quests worked, so she knew they were not going to be any helpful to someone who had gone past the level of a ''normal'' yer already.


    She was not the same as the rest of the yers. If anything, she was closer to the librarian, perhaps even beyond that person.


    -Oooooooooooooooooooooooong!


    The only thing she wanted from this ce was a certain item that was not in the insignificant treasury of the librarian but on the main disy of his very desk¨C something that everyone saw but none, not even the best yers, not even the librarian himself knew the true value of.


    She wanted that thing, and the only thing she could get it, was through doing something crazy.


    -Crrrr¡­!


    -Krrrak¨Ckrrak¡­!


    Since the moment she arrived in this enclosed space, she had started gathering the energy in her body and channeling that energy through a normal sword that her darling bought her yesterday.


    She had be unfathomably weaker after falling down to the normal level, but she had not forgotten a thing she had with her hundreds of hours of effort.


    She had put her heart, sweat, blood, tears, even soul into learning those things.


    She might not have her Aura, she might not ess her familiar, she might not have the kind of skills she had until just recently, but she was still someone that every single high ranker of this world recognised.


    [Ding!]


    [You have sessfully integrated three skills and created a new skill!]


    [You have earned a great achievement!]


    [Granting total umted Exp!]


    [Granting achievement: Weaver of skills (Rare).]


    [Granting achievement: wless creator of superior skill (Rare).]


    [Achievement boxes will be added to your inventory.]


    "{Energy Smash} is effective, as I expected. I should thank him for giving me the skill."


    If he had not given her the {Smash} skill, she would not have been able to create this new skill by integrating her Sword intent, Energy infusion, and the Smash.


    The simple sounding task of skillbination was one of the hardest tasks in the game and not many yers could do it even if they wanted to because of the limitations of their will, concentration, and ipatibility.


    Skillbination was not as simple as Skill creation.


    Creating something andbining something existing into one and creating a new thing altogether were totally different things.


    Even when it came to skills, it was not easy¡­ at least until you had already done it before. Then it bes as simple as using that skill.


    "Sadly, it consumes an awful lot of energy."


    Her energy level almost bottomed out after using just one skill. Which was bad.


    She had supplements to replenish her lost energy but spending all that energy for just one use of a skill was not effective.


    Consumables were a temporary solution, as she knew the best. She needed to be stronger and improve her energy levels.


    Reaching (Level-50) and obtaining {Aura} was her next goal, but for now, she was going to obtain the most starts in this event.


    "The barrier is gone now."


    She took her time, but at the end, she obtained a skill that could shatter even the strong (tier-3) barrier that was blocking her.


    "Let''s get going."


    When she destroyed the barrier, all the books that contained the trials, as she confirmed, vanished from the shelves.


    "{Blink}."


    The reason she chose to destroy the powerful barrier instead of finishing all the trails present was because of how this ce worked.


    The system and the librarian helped them get better, but if there was someone that was so good that they could destroy even the barrier that even the guard captain might find difficult to breach, then there was no need to block them there anymore.


    She knew the librarian personally so she knew just what kind of person he was, so she knew how he and the designed system would give out stars.


    -Swish.


    She was the smart one between them. She was not going to ve away and do as the trials and He wanted them to.


    She was going to get what she wanted even if she had to do some Unconventional things for it.


    On that note¡­


    "Done. Finally."


    Elio was finally done writing his answer to the question that the book of trial had left for him.


    "Haaaa."


    Writing on Fifteen shelves with the feather pen was not easy, but he finished it in less than an hour. And, though he did not know how they were going to judge it, he was done with his task.


    So he moved forward to the next location on the path of his choice as well¡­

 Chapter 83: Understanding Art

    His long essay began with the description of what Dawn is, what do we mean when we say dawn, and after exining the basics, the word, the science, and the symbolic meaning of the word Dawn, he expressed what the word Dawn meant to him.


    He described how dawn meant a new beginning, how it meant the end of a perilous time, something personal and something that captivated even the Librarian who had read countless books, knew a lot of things¡ª someone with the most experience of this world in this ce.


    He liked the topic, so he poured his heart into the writing that was carved on the empty wooden shelves.


    He had written no more than three six thousand or so words. It wasn''t muchpared to the millions of words he had written in his lifetime.


    And this time, unlike how he would usually do, he had also not written the answer in the way that he usually does.


    He was a good writer, but more than that, he was someone who loved art.


    Someone who appreciated the existence of this world more than any individuals out there.


    "What do you think?"


    "Hruuu?"


    The Librarian was still looking at thepiled copy of the text that was now present on the desk that was created with his own magic.


    "Hruuuu."


    "That''s right. This test did not need one to write on the wood."


    They just had to answer the question, so writing on a paper of his own or something simr that one could write on was going to be eptable. The reason there was no ink or paper there in the first ce, was because the feather pen that he was using did not need something like that.


    It was special so even if he tried writing on the carpet, he would have been able to write with it.


    But, he found a different method that the librarian did not expect he would see.


    "Hruuuu."


    "That''s right. His magic was pretty good."


    He had seen countless mages in his life, so he could tell the casting method that he was using, though it relied on his amazing memory, was something different from simple memorizing.


    "Do you think he will do something simr in this trial as well?"


    As the afternoon approached in the Moongold, the town was bing a little quieter.


    Spectators in arge number had gathered in the za around the Library.


    Magical screen a little different from the system screen was broadcasting things that were happening with those who had participated in the event.


    Even inside the library, the special guests like the Mayor and his family, some special guests from the Viscount noble family, some important Foreigners who had established a special connection with the librarian over the years, were seeing everything through the magical vision of the librarian.


    They were at the top floor of the library, looking down at the various things happening in the various parts of the unique Mind maze.


    Getting the opportunity to watch all this from so close was nothing less than an honor. The Librarian was a special person that did not have any extraordinary connection with anyone.


    He was a simple person, a strict follower of his own rules.


    These people who had been invited here might know that person a little, but he was still not someone any of them could have any kind of close connection with.


    Even a private meeting with him was just as difficult to them as it was for the rest of the people.


    "Hruuuuu."


    The Librarian was also looking at everything happening with his special bird from the top of the library.


    And, though just like the rest of them he was also seeing every participant almost simultaneously with his unique vision, he was paying attention to two particr individuals.


    "I don''t think getting that topic was just luck though."


    Elio was now faced with the second trial that was a little more difficult than the previous one where he had to choose a certain ''caterpir'' from the dozen that was presented before him.


    The trial this time was about a choice, and there were no additional details of it.


    He just had to choose, and that would be enough. But the Stars that he will get willpletely depend on the reasoning by which he chooses the one.


    "Think about it. What if he had some other kind of question?"


    The question that was asked to him first was very simple, yet he answered it in so detail that it did not make any sense from a normal yer''s point of view.


    He did not receive the hint that he was supposed to since the librarian was immersed in reading his answer until now, it was postponed until he clears his second trial.


    "Hruuuu¡­"


    His familiar believed that the answer that he presented was just a stroke of luck. He could write well about something and understood something good enough.


    He was lucky to have that topic as his first question so, the unique being did not give him as much credit as the Librarian.


    And since it was a wrong way of thinking, his master was trying to show his friend what it was missing.


    "Look what he''s doing."


    The Caterpirs that he had to choose from were all of different kinds, colors, race, and they also had a unique power.


    One could not choose one of them until they knew the power that they contained¨C at least to make this kind of decision, they needed a little more information.


    And, trying to gather this information was nothing less than a form of art.


    "Do you remember when I told you about the meaning of art?"


    People would usually try and see what kind of powers the caterpirs had by provoking them into using those powers.


    Some would try established methods that would not harm the individuals, while some would just recklessly choose the one that They found attractive.


    This trial was not about that.


    "Art is not how well you can perform something, how well you can write, or how well you can create something."


    The young man was not provoking the little creatures or was treating them like the repulsive creatures they were.


    He had taken out some snacks from his inventory, and he was chatting with them.


    Someone who could write so well that it could even captivate someone like the librarian had a warm smile on his face, and he was chatting with the creatures that humans otherwise would not even spare a nce to before crushing them under their feet.


    "Art is the humbleness to ept the existence of insignificant creatures. The ability to appreciate the inevitability of change and decay.


    Art, as I understand Heliox, is the ability to let go."


    Letting go of the conventional thinking, erasing the borders and boundaries that were never imposed on mankind by nature, having the intense desire to not be an element of this ill, twisted society.


    "To embrace the present, to admire the past, and to wait for a new moment in our lives while contributing something, anything to this present flow¨C that is art."


    Every being had this inherent right to contribute something to the present, even the beasts that are killed at the hands of hunters every day.


    "Those who know how to contribute to this flow in the right way, in their own way, with what they consciously knew was right¨C those who understood what their creations would mean to the world even after the present bes past in that unseen, known future¡­ these individuals, Heliox, are Artists."


    He wasn''t one of them. He did not have the ability to create anything that would contribute to this perpetual flow.


    That''s why he had made this library.


    That was the sole reason he was cherishing this world more than most others, and helping those who had the ability to contribute something to this world with their arduous task.


    He admired art.


    And he admired Artists like Him who saw beauty even in the most unintelligent, small, insignificant looking creatures.

 Chapter 84: Effects of the titles

    [Task: Choose one of the beings.]


    Twelve caterpirs were summoned before me and, well¡­ they were caterpirs.


    "How do I have to choose one of them? On what basis?"


    There was no answer when he asked the question, only silence. They were not answering and the task window was frozen in ce unlike the previous one that had disappeared.


    "At least tell me something about them? Is this just a test of confidence? Courage? Decision making?


    And what do you mean by being? Do these caterpirs represent something else? Is this a choice of some certain thing?"


    The Trial window had only wanted him to choose one of the creatures, and he could not do it unless he knew what exactly this choice of his would mean.


    "Well¡­"


    He needed more information, and if he was not going to get it from the trial, he would have to figure things out himself.


    "So, what are you, little ones?"


    He sat down before the twelve insects that were moving on the green carpet, crawling like any normal caterpir.


    These creatures were at least not some simple thing that many people might find disgusting or dangerous.


    They were colorful, all twelve of them had their unique color and there was a strange symbol on their foreheads.


    Six of them were as big as his palm, while three were a little bigger.


    The rest of the three were pretty small, but they were the most attractive ones among them.


    "I should do the observation first¡­"


    He needed to know something about them and wasting an appraisal scroll on them was neither appropriate nor suitable.


    He still did not know what this trial wanted from him so he needed to avoid using items as much as he could.


    "Hmmm."


    He decided on what he needed to do, admired the cute caterpirs a little, and then started observing them, what they were doing, trying to look at them from different sides, and while he was doing it¡­


    [Effects of the title <Merciful tamer> will be applied.]


    The caterpirs who were only crawling aimlessly around the carpet started showing some interest in him.


    They started crawling in his direction and in no time, all twelve of them had gathered before him, looking up at this unique yet approachable big human with interest.


    "Oh?"


    This was not the first time the effects of the title were triggered for him.


    Every time he met any creature that was friendly towards humans, was someone else''s pet, or were something that could be tamed, the effects were triggered.


    He could use this opportunity to tame these creatures if he wanted to, but he did not want to take advantage of the creatures that were only attracted to him because of some unique power that made them interested in him.


    They did not need to be forced to do something just because of some title''s effect, so, even though he could, he avoided taking advantage of the interests of the creatures.


    "Hello there."


    Just like him or any other being, they also deserved their freedom.


    "How are you all?"


    He gently petted the little creatures with his gloved hands and smiled at them warmly.


    "Looks like they aren''t very sensitive to touch."


    He can tell they could not understand what he was saying either so ultimately, they were not as intelligent as Az or Miu.


    They were caterpirs and they might soon evolve into a unique lifeform like some butterfly, bee, or something else.


    He did not know what they were, but at least, they did not seem harmful.


    "Can you tell me more about yourself?"


    He ced his palm before them and asked them something that he knew they would not understand anyway.


    Still, as if to have understood his intentions, one of the big caterpirs with white body and spiky blue fibers covering its body walked on top of his palm.


    "Hello."


    He greeted the little creature happily.


    He did not know what he should do with them, but he at least knew they weren''t harmful to him, so he continued his observation while he showed various edible things he had to the creatures in search of something that they might like.


    [Ding!]


    ============


    [White Caterpir]: (Level:12)


    ============


    "Oh? Aren''t you a high level caterpir?"


    At least, he was sure they weren''t normal creatures with this.


    "You''re like a snow leopard."


    The white one was white like snow and the blue spike seemed like the white leopards that the yers could find in the mountain regions around the north of the kingdom.


    Then there was a red one that seemed like a bright red fish that they can find in the great centralke near one of the most popr main cities.


    The three smallest ones resembled jewels of various kinds: A dimon, a blue topaz, and an Aquamarine.


    They were the prettiest of them all and strangely, Elio found them to be especially attractive.


    Surely they were unattractive caterpirs in some normal eyes, but they were a special natural element in his eyes.


    They were special, he could tell just that much from his observations.


    "Oh? Looks like you do eat something after all."


    And, after a while of showing them various things, all twelve of them strangely reacted to something that he was expecting the least.


    "Are you like Az then?"


    The thing that they had reacted to was a Mana crystal, a rare and costly mineral that contained dense Mana inside of them.


    "Hey wait wait. I have more. Don''t be too exci-."


    They got a little too excited when he took out that Mana crystal and jumped the human as he fell backwards.


    It was more costly and special than the Mana stones that Az eats, but he did not mind them having these costly things.


    He was saving them for sometimeter, but he will get some more from Alexter if he needed.


    "Hahaha, you all are funny."


    They shared the Mana crystals and it did not take long for them to finish their meals.


    Watching the little insects eat an important material like these was a unique experience to him, and especially seeing how each of them glowed and produced a unique effect while they were eating.


    "All of you are (Arcane Silkworms) I see."


    He was not certain yet, but the unique nature of these creatures was something that was studied extensively by the [Researchers].


    They could eat Mana crystals, something that contained dense Mana.


    While eating, the fibers around their body glowed, indicating a sessful instantaneous digestion process.


    He had not seen them produce the extremely rare kind of silks with unique properties that they were famous for, but he knew they Might be the same creatures that do produce it.


    And if that was the case¡­


    "I cannot choose just one of them. Not even if I wanted to."


    The test wanted him to choose one of them, but they were so precious that just choosing one of them would be unfair to the rest of these pretty and gentle creatures in every manner possible.


    [Task: Choose one of the beings.]


    But the task window was still in the same ce it froze as soon as it appeared before him.


    "Doesn''t seem like I can choose all of them when they specifically mentioned one."


    This was a problem then.


    But, he had a solution to this problem.


    "I''ve made my choice."


    He did not know what would happen to these precious creatures after his choice, so, did not gamble their lives.


    And just made a choice¡­

 Chapter 85: Among the spectators

    "Hehehehe~. There are so many people around here~!"


    "Muuuu~!"


    "Miu!"


    A young girl with short red hair, pretty looks, and a slime in her hand did not get many chances to be around so many people.


    "Slow down sweetie. You will get hurt."


    Her mother smiled at her young daughter as she found a good spot for them among the many people around library za.


    There were many people here right now.


    A big part of the townsfolk were here right now.


    There were all kinds of noises, cheerful shouts, screams, and shouts of those who saw this as an opportunity and were selling their goods- mostly food and drinks.


    It was not every day that they got to watch such things in this town.


    The two of them moved a lot so they were stillparatively new to this town.


    "Mom! Mom! Look at that! That''s magic, isn''t it!?"


    Her pretty daughter was looking at the big screens present in the air before the library.


    Many scenes of things happening inside were showing on these screens as they changed continuously.


    A section of the screen was dedicated to some more fun things that many people were watching with great interest.


    Aside from the bigger screens showing the scenes inside, they were also looking at the isted screens that were rtively shorter but were showing some special individuals who were showcasing their unique talents.


    "Yes, that''s magic. Magic of Mr. Librarian to be more precise."


    "Oh! Mister Librarian! It''s been days since west saw him~!"


    "Of course, darling. He was busy with all the preparations."


    She patted her head when she came back with her new slime and gecko friends, and made her sit down first.


    Running around so much was not good either. She had been running all around since the morning anyway.


    Now was the time to rest a little.


    "Where''s sister and brother? I don''t see either of them~."


    She squinted her eyes, focused a little to see all the things and people on the big screen and when she did not find the ones she was looking for even on the isted screens, she looked at her mom with a worried look.


    "There are a lot of participants, dear. You see how the ones on the screens are changing right? They should also appear soon if you can''t find them right now."


    "Miu!"


    "Muuuu~."


    The slime and the gecko inside the slime agreed with her mom.


    They were smart and knew when to take her side, so she liked these little ones even moretely.


    "Sit down. Let''s watch."


    "Yes Misha~! Sit down~!"


    "Here! Have some of these potatoes~."


    "Do you want some sweets, Misha~?"


    "Misha! I''ve made this bread just for you~."


    Their neighbors had saved them some ces so they did not have to worry about beingte. They had been here since the participants went inside, so they had a lot of space.


    Besides, the lovely neighbors who also had their own shops in the town and adored her daughter could not miss this special chance.


    It was not everyday an event like this was held in this small town, and it certainly was not everyday that this shy girl came out of her house and smiled so much.


    She was adorable, as well as polite and kind. So many people all around the town loved her.


    "Umm¡­ ah¡­ em¡­"


    Even the girl did not understand what to do when all of the people smiling at her started fighting to give her the gifts.


    She looked at them, their smiles, and could tell this was a show of their kindness. But she was still not used to this kind of situation.


    "Aww¡­"


    So, she just got embarrassed and hid her red face.


    She did not know how to deal with these kinds of situations, so she just left it to her mom.


    "She is thankful for your kindness everyone."


    Everyone found this behavior of hers adorable as well so they smiled at her warmly, just like her mom, and after passing their gifts to her mom, they went back to watching the fun things on the screen.


    "Misha? Look, it''s your big brother Elio."


    "Hmm? Where?"


    She was still not looking up even though they had gone back to watching the event, but as soon as her mom mentioned that name, she looked up excitedly and started searching for Elio in the various screens.


    "There. Look a little down there in the right corner."


    She did not find it before, but after her mom pointed it out for her, she instantly noticed the young man in a white shirt.


    "Az! Miu! Look! Brother Elio!"


    She lifted up the slime so that the two of them could see him as well¡­ but she forgot for a moment that the two of their senses did not work like the rest of them.


    Az did not have eyes and Miu did not see with its eyes.


    Onepletely relied on emotions, environmental Mana signals, and things that were directly in contact with its slime body, while the other relied on fluctuations of Mana in the surroundings and its {Sixth senses}.


    Both of them could not ''see'' something that was too far away, especially the magic screens that Misha was showing them.


    "Miu!"


    "Muuuuu~."


    But even though they could not see it, they still cheered on when Misha tried showing it to them.


    They enjoyed her excitement, and were happy to see their new friend happy.


    "Is he ying with those cool things by himself? How mean!"


    As she could see, Elio was with some unique caterpirs that, to someone like her who did not have the same kind of thinking as the usual young teenagers, was something purely amazing.


    She was happy and excited to see those colorful things. And she wanted to y with them as well, but sadly, he was there all by himself.


    He was having all the fun alone, and there was only one thing she could do as a spectator.


    "And that right there, I think, is your big sister."


    She was bound to this ce, to her seat, with her mom.


    Cheering for them like the others were doing and watching them do all those fun things was all that she could do.


    "She''s having fun as well, it seems."


    She was envious of someone for the first time in her life perhaps.


    She also wanted to have fun like them...

 Chapter 86: Following trials

    The trials for all the participants were different. And, it was not like everyone had received a trial.


    This event focused on the individual growth and evaluation of the talent and wisdom that one possessed.


    One was not limited to anything when they were inside that ce. So all the yers who found an appropriate ce to showcase everything that they had, were showing what they could do.


    The Stars were the end goal here.


    And showing the best they can do, might just be the way to the most stars.


    Many of them weren''t even trying to get out of the Maze. But that was fine as well.


    One of the reasons Alex was able to destroy the barrier blocking her and Elio was able to finish his second trial without harming any of the Caterpirs was through the freedom of ''choice'' that one makes in that unique space.


    Contribution was not calcted based on how much they traveled and how many trials they finished.


    The whole event was about an individual, not their position among the rest of them.


    "Everyone possesses talent."


    After parting ways from the small caterpirs, Elio had moved forward and now he was facing the sixth trial on the path that he had deducted from the various clues that he received in the form of a ''chit''.


    When he received these special pieces of paper, they were nk. However, when he used one as suggested by the window that appeared after he obtained them, he received a clue to his next destination.


    And after passing through many of these destinations, he had reached the ce where the following trials took ce.


    "Talent is not something that one can quantify, or something that one could measure with a set method. It is not a scientific amount that one could measure.


    It can be graded on a set, well defined scale, however one could not measure it."


    In his third trial, he was faced with a unique predicament.


    The first trial that he faced was a simple question, second about a choice, and third one was about his knowledge.


    He had to exin what a creature that resembled a bunny, a simple ck bunny actually was.


    He also had to justify why something so simple looking was considered so unique in the ''environment'' that they live in.


    The third trial was pretty easy looking with the presence of the [Forum] that all the yers had ess to. There was already a lot of information avable there.


    If he could get some information about this creature, he would have obtained whatever information he needed from it.


    However, without even some simple knowledge about this creature, that would not be possible.


    Thankfully, he was good with [Observation] and [Identification] so he was able to get good enough info on it to finish his third trial¡­ only to face the next trial that was simr yet a little different.


    He did not have to tell information about any creature in the next trial, but he had to answer a philosophical question.


    [What would you do if the (Creature) you had encountered in thest trail ever harmed someone precious to you.]


    He understood this question as the ''Trial'' wanting to recheck his knowledge about this creature as well as an attempt to make him question the answer that he had given.


    "Talent and potential are not interlinked.


    It does not matter if someone has talent for magic, for sword, for art, or forplex coding. Every living being has an inherent potential to them.


    And this potential itself¡­ is a beautiful thing."


    He had found out the simple looking ck rabbit was actually a demonic beast that was very famous in the high level hunting zones as one of the apex predators of the corruptednd.


    They were very dangerous creatures that even the yers of (Level-150) and above could not handle easily.


    They possessed great strength and these creatures were considered so dangerous that they were one of the most avoided beings among the yers as well as the natives.


    Infamous for killing anything that came into their set territory, they were one of the top ten creatures with the most deaths to their name.


    Some even called these ''bunnies'' a natural catastrophe.


    Chances of a precious someone being harmed by these creatures was high, and one''s natural response would be hate towards these creatures.


    They would want to get their revenge, kill these creatures, and even perhaps want them obliterated.


    But realistically, there was no way topletely eliminate their kind. And that would just bring despair to the ones who want nothing more than the deaths of these creatures.


    "Finding one''s talent is something highly based on luck and fate¨C on the other hand, realizing the potential one''s body, mind, and soul hold is what actually births strength at the end of the day."


    Elio was a simple person.


    When he was asked a question like what he would do to a creature who has harmed a loved one of his, his natural response certainly was to express his emotions.


    However, instead of harming that creature as much as they had harmed his loved ones, he would want to tend to his harmed people first.


    Forgiving the creature would not be possible, but he would not want to kill them if the creature was acting entirely as it was supposed to do.


    Weakness was an inevitability.


    If someone close to him was harmed by a creature whose pure nature was to harm something that ''only'' intruded into their territory, then there would not be much that he could do.


    The matter would surely be different if someone he is close with is killed by these creatures¨C then he would have no choice but to eliminate their entire kind.


    But those extreme measures would not be needed.


    Realistically, he did not want harm to any of the beings close to him. But even he knew he would need a great kind of strength for that that was enough to protect what was his.


    He did not have that strength, but he wanted it.


    He wanted to be strong. Stronger than he was right now.


    But, he did not want that strength at the cost of a beautiful being''s fair life.


    "I do not wish for more talent, I don''t even know what talent I hold right now.


    All I want if I am given the chance to ''realistically'' have anything I want, would be the opportunity to realize the potential I hold."


    In the fifth trial, he faced a new being.


    A sphinx.


    Yes, the creature from the myths. They existed in this world as well¨C just that the one he was facing was merely a two meter tall replica made with magic.


    Though, for his fifth trial, instead of receiving the puzzle or riddle like it is in the myths, he was asked to convince the creature that he was worth their Trial.


    Thus, he did all kinds of things from casting magic, to singing, ying some music with some strings that he had, reading some poems, to even asking the creatures riddles that he might find fun.


    He took a while, but he was able to somehow catch the attention of the creature.


    He did not know what convinced it, but he received the attention of the creature and along with it, his final trial¨C another question.


    { "So, you want to realize your potential?" }


    The voice of this being was close to the voice of the librarian. Something different, but something that had the same kind of power and wisdom as the librarian did.


    { "Admirable¡­" }


    The question that he received was simple. Very simple.


    [Q: If you are given the chance to have anything that you want, what would you want? Would you want more talent?]


    The connective question was something that indicated that this being before him wanted to hear the answer with some connection to the ''talent'' so, he answered it like that.


    And, he was right for doing it this way.


    -Oooooooooooooong.


    "Oh."


    { "May you receive what you desire, oh merciful foreigner." }


    He did not realize it, but he had crossed the maze as well.

 Chapter 87: Achievement Stars

    The ce that he had ended up in for his fifth and sixth trial looked a little different from the ces that he had been to until now.


    Instead of a road, this seemed like a dead end.


    There were no shelves on the sides, the floor was made of stones instead of the carpet one, and he was facing a being that had a unique air to them for the first time.


    He cleared his two trials.


    And now, the being that had asked him hisst question, was vanishing into unique particles of colorful light.


    It did not happen in the previous trials, so he was a little confused. And the look on the Sphinx was even more ttering to him.


    [Ding.]


    "Let''s skip these for now."


    He just said what he thought was right, so did not think much of the answer. There was nothing to think actually, all that he said was the truth that just came from his heart.


    But, that answer opened a unique gate to him that was hidden behind the sphinx''srge body.


    "Looks like this will take me to the next ce?"


    He did not know yet, so he just crossed the simple wooden door, and was blinded by the light that fell on his eyes.


    "Hmmm?"


    When the light cleared up, he found himself in a new ce.


    "Didn''t say I''d win?"


    A voice greeted him the moment he looked around the open area that seemed to be somewhere inside a library.


    There were walls filled with books on all sides below him, ss walls were filtering the evening sunlight while illuminating the attractive stories contained in them.


    There was a different atmosphere on this bridge situated above all the bookshelves, and the scene before him was something he could only sigh at.


    "You said nothing like that."


    Alex was here already. And, she was sitting on a round table with someone everyone present around the library outside knew closely.


    "You are a unique person as well, mister."


    She was sipping on some tea along with the Librarian, the very person who had perhaps created this entire ce and the event that they were holding.


    "Come, sit."


    He was a little amused by this scene, since seeing his girlfriend with an attractive looking man with that kind of pretty clothes was a new kind of scene for him.


    She was oblivious to fashion, but right now she was wearing a pretty dress. Her hair looked nice, and though she seemed to have run around and did some things that she should not have in a dress like that, she still looked nice.


    And the Librarian was already pretty looking.


    "Don''t click photos, idiot."


    She knew when he had stopped like that and was just looking at them with those eyes, it meant he was setting a good angle for the screen shot.


    She did not like this, but he was already done with his work by the time she said that.


    "So, does this mean I passed?"


    "Yup."


    He did not understand how he was already out when it was onlyte afternoon, but now that he was not in the maze anymore, he knew the event had ended for him.


    "Look there. That''s the scoreboard." Alex ced her cup down, kissed his cheeks and shifted his head to the left of the room where his eyes fell on a unique magical window.


    It was different from the status windows, that much he can tell with the color and the simr kind of energy around it that he had felt in the maze.


    There were many scenes of various areas of the maze ying on this window, along with a certain section to a side that had a scoreboard.


    "Thest answer of yours was unexpected to us, just like your first answer to that simple simple question."


    The librarian lifted his finger and a cup was lifted from the many that were ced on one corner of the table, then the kettle poured some tea in the cup, and the cup flew to Elio.


    "Are those the stars?"


    "Yup."


    There were some stars beside the names of the various people, and he could see some familiar names in that list.


    Many of them were from the contribution list of the town quest, however, what surprised them was the three distinct kinds of stars and the top two names on this list.


    "The normal white stars represent the simple achievements that one makes through their natural actions and decisions, the golden ones are for the trials, while the unique tricolor stars you see there are from the Tests of the Forgotten enigmas."


    Alex did not know all this stuff since this was also her first time participating in this event, but she had understood what these stars stand for when she crossed the Maze and reached this ce just a few moments before Elio.


    She did not do things the way they were conventionally supposed to be done.


    Just like how she destroyed the first test''s barrier, when she came across the other trials that were rted to intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, and so on, she also just brute forced her way through all of them.


    She did not stop and ignored the information chits that she received after clearing these trials so that she could clear as many obstacles in the path as she could.


    "As you can see¡­ I''m going to win by andslide." She was proud of her achievements right now.


    "I think you will, yes." and he was proud of her as well, so he patted her head.


    He had obtained a total of fifteen normal white stars for the natural actions- which he had no idea about- then there were not six but nine golden ones from the trials, and there was a red-blue-yellow star with six pointed ends in front of the rest of them.


    It was a very impressive number that put him on second ce of this list, however, it was nothingpared to the thirty white ones, fifteen gold, and six tri-color stars that Alex had.


    The third ce on this list barely had three gold stars with not even ten normal ones so the two of them were certainly extraordinary.


    "It isn''t everyday that someone clears a trial of the¨C Forgotten enigma. Especially the trial of the sphinx. You not only satisfied them with the answer, you even received their blessing."


    Elio knew what Forgotten enigmas were. But he did not know the magic replica sphinx that he met a while ago was a Spirit manifestation of the world''s myths.


    Meeting those being in the town ormon ces like a library was a very rare urrence, but if what the librarian and Alex were saying was true then, he knew at this moment that skipping the messages that he got after the sphinx vanished, was not a good idea.

 Chapter 88: Talkative librarian

    [Ding!]


    [You have been recognised by a Forgotten enigma for the first time! Rewarding Exp.]


    [You have received the approval of a Forgotten enigma for the first time! Rewarding Exp.]


    [You havepleted the trial of a forgotten enigma for the first time! Rewarding Exp.]


    [Ding!]


    [Forpleting the trial of a forgotten enigma, you will be rewarded.]


    [Intelligence +3]


    [Mana +10]


    [You have earned an achievement!]


    [Recognition by Forgotten enigmas (Rare) has been achieved!]


    [Ding!]


    [You have received a [Blessing] from the Forgotten enigma of Riddle and Protection.]


    [Ding!]


    [You have received a blessing for the first time! Rewarding Exp.]


    [Achievement: Blessed Individual (Common) has been achieved.]


    [Ding!]


    ============


    [Blessing: Fulfillment of a genuine desire.]


    Type: Conditional trigger.


    Effects: The blessing will aid the individual in fulfillment of a certain genuine desire that could ultimately lead to potential growth.


    <Note: The blessing Might conclude upon realization of the triggered desire, or upon death.>


    ============


    "..."


    Elio was shocked how he just casually skipped all these notifications.


    If it wasn''t for them, he might not even have seen these things until this entire event was over or until he received another bunch of notifications.


    "A blessing that aids in individual growth is quite rare." The librarian took a sip from his teacup and smiled at him with an impressed look.


    "And seeing as how this was your first blessing, you sure are one of the special ones as well."


    He could not understand why the librarian that held so much power and so much knowledge would be interested in him when he had not even done anything special.


    But, his experienced partner knew the reason behind the interest of this sly person.


    "He''s mine, mister." She red at him, warning him not to get any weird ideas about her boyfriend.


    And she was serious about it.


    "Keep your talons away from him."


    A [Blessing] in this game was a unique kind of Buff.


    It was different from a Grace series spell that granted a momentary fixed kind of effect.


    It did not particrly enhance or buff something, but a [Blessing] was close to a non-permanent skill of either active or passive type.


    As long as one had that blessing, they could grow stronger in a new way, ept special quests that would give special rewards, and encounter unique things in their journey.


    Blessings varied, however, there were only three kinds of beings that could bless someone or something. And themon factor among all these three beings¨C [{(Divinity)}].


    "I did not recognize you at first, however, seeing that unique swordy was enough to rekindle my not-so-distant memories¡­ <Aber empress of garden of life>.


    Or should I call you¡­ the


    ?"


    The librarian wasn''t just interested in him, now that he had recognized her as well, he was even more excited about something.


    "Don''t call me either of that, bastard. Hmph."


    The gods could bless someone, and that was a normal fact everyone knew since they could do it through their proxies as well.


    In <NO> there were high ranking sses like [< Saintess >], [< Pope >] or sses representing a certain God.


    As the proxies and closest followers of those higher powers, these beings could either manifest their authority into the physical world, or were able to be the vessel that temporarily supports their [Descent].


    The beings who gain power through their mythical significance gain divinity through the shared belief of the other lower beings (Humans), and as a fragment of their power, Forgotten enigmas manifest in the physical world.


    The third kind of creatures or beings who could bless someone are the ones who possess Divinity at their birth, or obtain it after their [Ascension].


    The power of divinity is the power of [Divine realm] that only the [{(Deities)}] could possess. And either through a direct contact, or through a fragmented manifestation of power like ''Forgotten Enigma'' or ''Substitutes'' the blessings are bestowed.


    "To think a ''truth seeker'' would ept even a trial like this and give up everything that they had gained with such efforts-."


    "Wait right there dude."


    One of the reasons she did not like this bastard was because he spoke a little too much sometimes.


    He was nice when he did not speak much. That calm and quiet self of his was much better in her opinion. But when he starts speaking a little too much like this¡­ he starts saying nonsensical stuff and, she just does not like it.


    "First of all, I''ve only temporarily lost what I had. Not permanently. Second of all, I''m not doing this shit because of some ''truth'' or forced trial."


    She did not say she just wanted to be with him and that was the reason she epted this trial in the first ce.


    He was smart enough to realize that from the way she looked at Elio after saying that.


    "Oh?"


    And he did realize it. Just that when he did, the smile and interest on his face turned into a smirk and joy.


    "So, the one who brought down the heavens also had a foolish slide to them, hun?"


    He was happy for some reason. And, not only Elio, it was even Alex''s first time seeing this person like this.


    She wanted to hit this bastard with her sword.


    From the rage in her eyes alone, it was clear she wanted to cut him into pieces or something. But, Elio just grabbed her hand since, well, he knew neither of them were anywhere strong enough to face this person.


    Hurting him in any way was not going to be possible anyway.


    "I see¡­"


    The librarian could see things that normal eyes could not.


    "There was someone who could possess even the impossible."


    He shook his head with a helpless sigh as He could see the two of them were just as close to one another as the (Golden Barn Owl) couples.


    He could see the cohesive, intimate bond that these two had. And, also the unshakable foundations of a rtionship that was not grown, but forged in a scorching furnace.


    "Haaa¡­"


    He seemed to be reminiscing about something, but that onlysted for a moment as he looked back at the two of them.


    "Do you want some snacks? There''s still some time left for the conclusion so would you like to stay with me and chat a little more?"


    Now that he knew who Alex was, he knew why she did not like him so much.


    It was obvious actually, given their unique past.


    But, he also knew she was a reasonable person.


    "What do you say?" She knew Elio was confused about a lot of things and still was not asking her, so she did not bother him too much.


    "Sure."


    She would tell him everything when he wants to know about it, as well as when she is able to tell.


    Until then, things were fine as they are.


    "I want some cake." She demanded with a newfortable look on her face, though she still wanted to at least punch this bastard.


    "I''ll share whatever she''s having so it''s-."


    "No! What do you mean you will share with mine! Get your own!"


    "We will share, so it''s fine."


    Elio did not pay any attention to her since he knew she wasn''t going to finish whatever sweets she was asking for.


    Sweets weren''t her thing anyway even though the ones she made were world-ss. So, if she was asking for the sweets, he knew the one to finish it would be him.


    There were a few things all three of them wanted to talk about with one another. So, with the sudden appearance of new sweets, they started a new, more casual talk.

 Chapter 89: Presence of Evil

    "You know did not help with the town quest."


    "I am not obligated to, you know that better than anyone else."


    As the event neared its conclusion, the spectators outside of the library were getting excited to see who would get the highest scores and who would get the chance to take something away from the library.


    All the town''s people knew about the things that were present in the library. There were all kinds of items of the past and things that were rted to the various civilizations of the past.


    The library was not just a simple ce where the books were sold, it was the main attraction of the Moongold because there were so many unique things here for everyone to see.


    "Still, you could have given out quests at least."


    "And why would I do that? A single low level Dark magician is something the foreigners and town''s people can handle very well on their own.


    Thanks to your presence, actually, the losses were minimized and the positive effects maximized.


    The peace in the town was getting a little too much. A crisis like this will only lead them towards growth and ultimately they will be much better than they are right now."


    They were all watching the yers and the natives showcase their talents.


    Some were painting while some were ying music. There were some disputes where a group was present, but they were little things that were resolved quickly.


    The yers all knew how important the Trials were and for the trials, they at least had to move around.


    So as they showcased their talent, they also moved across the library in the search of a way out of the maze, following the clues they received at the end of each of the trials.


    It was not that difficult for any of them to find a trial, almost everyone had received at least one trial even if they had not moved from the ce they were transported to.


    However, the real challenge was following and deciphering the clues that they received and reaching either the next location or to the ce that had the next trial that they would have to cross for more clues.


    Every action of the ones participating in the trail was counted and the unique ones were given a star.


    Finishing a trial did not give a golden star, the way the trial waspleted was the real factor that decided the kind of stars that one would receive from the trails.


    "You are the same bastard that you were thest time I saw you, hun?"


    "Well, what can I say? I''m too old for change or something like growth."


    "I don''t think you-."


    "Suddup, El. Elders are talking here." she was the one to say that, but she was also blushing as if she had just done something very thrilling.


    "Is that so?" and the surprised smirk he had somewhat exined what kind of roles they had in their personal lives.


    "Anyway¡­"


    Elio had received a total of nine stars after finishing six of his trials so it was at least clear that hepleted each of his quests in a way that was worth a golden star. But, some parts of his trials were so extraordinary that just one gold star was not enough for them.


    Two stars was the maximum that one could receive from a trial, so he had received two stars in his second, fourth, and sixth trial.


    Additionally, for crossing the trial of a Forgotten enigma, he also received a tri-colour star.


    "The unexpected Presence of Evil in this town was a good thing from many points of view. One can just see how positively it affected the town from the way the natives are celebrating this festival."


    Unlike Elio, even though Alex had broken through six of the trials of the Forgotten Enigmas, since she actually speed ran everything and passed with the most optimum answers and actions to the trials that she knew already, she only received a star and not a blessing.


    She knew blessings were a rare thing already so getting one was umon even on the higher levels.


    Even she had not received that many blessings in all her time as a yer. And getting one before reaching (Level-100) from Fragment of a Divinity, and from some bastard of the [Temple] after spending a shit ton of money was a rare thing.


    She was happy for him, but the words of the librarian did not sit that well with her.


    "Why are you like this, Connie?"


    No one knew the Librarian''s given name, but those like her called him <Constance>. And since she was one of the few people close to him, he did not mind it when she called him by that¡­ unique, name.


    "You can help people, but you chose to stay in this ce. You have the strength but you onlye out and use it when the world is ending. You can do some good crazy stuff but instead of doing something like many others, going around the world, why is it that even after having so many options, you just stay in this¡­ in this, cold ce?"


    Peoplee and go in this library. It is almost always open to the public day and night and those who like books sometimes spend days and weeks in this ce.


    As a librarian, he is great at what he does. He did things that not would want to do when they have as much power as he did.


    "Hmm."


    She was not too close to him. They just had some bad history together.


    She did note to Moongold to meet him or have tea with him. She was here for something and she was going to get it.


    This chat was a coincidence, but since things hade down to this anyway, she wanted the answers to the questions that she had always wanted to ask this person.


    "There isn''t any particr reason, actually."


    Elio was eating the cake that she could not finish.


    And even without hearing the answer of this unique person to thatplicated sounding question, he knew what he was going to say.


    "I''m just doing what I find right."


    "Yeah."


    He knew it, and it was pretty simple to guess actually.

 Chapter 90: Conclusion

    "Whatever his initial reason might have been, this library, not this town or this world, has now be his home." He thanked the librarian first for the cake and nodded at him with a familiar understanding before looking at his twinkle.


    "There''s no deep reason for what he does."


    As someone who had gone through a simr stage in his life, he knew what [Stangnency] or aplete blockage felt like.


    "You seem to have experienced something simr." The librarian agreed with his words as well.


    "Not quite, actually." But Elio shook his head negatively at hisment.


    He was a creator, while on the other hand, the librarian was a consumer.


    Elio could tell that much from his observations until now.


    This person¡­ this attractive looking person who certainly had wisdom beyond anyone he had met in this world, someone who knew a lot, someone who understood a lot as well, and someone who had a great lot of strengths¡­ instead of being someone who judges the creations and talents of others, he merely appreciated it like a spectator.


    He understood it, but for whatever reason, he could not create something like they do.


    "I''m not good at many things."


    He could not understand math like she does, create artificial intelligence, modify technology, create new things from wires and small things and machines, stuff that look all the same to him.


    He was not that good at sports even though it was one thing he admired greatly.


    He might be a graduate, but when ites to real academics, he was nowhere near her level.


    And she was not the only one.


    There were many in this world like her. Someone who could do many things that he wanted to be good at much better than he could.


    But even though he could not do what they do, he loved to appreciate what they do.


    "Perhaps one of the reasons I like this pretty human so much is because of myck of abilities."


    The loving look he had as he looked at her while saying that out of the blue almost made her blush, and she tried hiding this embarrassment by pretending to sip on her empty teacup.


    "Is that so?" The librarian was smirking at her.


    This side of this person¡­ this utterly ruthless, destructive, catastrophic person was more than just unexpected to him.


    He was more surprised right now than when he was almost killed by her sword.


    He liked this unexpected talk, and he would have loved to continue it further. But¡­


    "Looks like the time to conclude the event has arrived."


    They had to finish things now.


    He knew this one event had been much more eventful than any others they have had in these past few decades. And he was happy with that much alone.


    "Thank you both for the amazing chat."


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    They had finished with their tea and snacks and it was time as well, so with the bitter look in his eyes, the librarian proceeded with the closing ceremony.


    "You two were the only ones to escape the maze this time it seems."


    In the maze, the ones who were done with their performances or with their trials were starting to vanish from their ces.


    The ones who were not finished with their trials were given thest five minutes before they would be transported outside.


    In the za, as the sun went down and the dusk greeted Moongold, the townsfolk prepared for a unique phenomenon that would soon ur.


    They had enjoyed the event this time as well, the festival would reach its peak at night, however, before they greet the night, they would witness something that not everyone gets to see.


    "In that case, it seems like there will be two things I will be parting ways with." he smiled at both of them happily as he vanished alongside the table.


    -Ooooooooooong.


    The two of them were also transported to the ground floor of the library from the highest top. And, along with them, the rest of the yers and natives who had taken part in the event were also popping up in this ce.


    There were a lot of people, the two of them were there first but it did not take even a minute for the ground floor to fill up with the participants and the rest of them started shifting to the upper floors.


    On the highest floors- not the highest ce where the three of them had been until a moment ago but the highest floors with books- the special guests like miss Aloha, town Mayor and the Viscount''s people who had seen the entire event and especially the two of them were looking down at all the participants with a joyful expression.


    The participants who wereing back to reality, out of the Mind Maze of the librarian that they had been in until now, showed various unique expressions.


    Some were happy, some were sad, some were upset about their performance, some were angry while some were feeling unique expressions altogether.


    For most of them, this was their first time experiencing an artificial space. They were technically present inside this library all this time, and at the same time, they were not here.


    It was logically somewhat strange, but from the magical perspective and from the angle of the [Arcane theory], this entire phenomenon was quite exinable.


    But knowing something like that without foundational knowledge will only mess things up.


    { "Looks like everyone had a great time." }


    Many people had learned many things thanks to the trials, many people had also broken through the limitations or walls that were previously blocking them.


    Many had not expected it, but they had gained more than just some physical rewards from this one experience.


    { "And the moment is approaching as well¡­" }


    Their efforts and their performances¡­ their talents, their wisdom, and their potential was going to be rewarded soon as well.


    However, before that, they were going to greet a unique natural urrence.


    Something so rare and precious that only these lucky individuals present around the Moongold, and perhaps a few more regions of southwest would be able to experience it.

 Chapter 91: The treasury

    As dusk settled over the Moongold, a golden glow spread over the cobblestone streets and old buildings. Excitement buzzed as people gathered around the grand library looked up at the dark¨C or now gold sky.


    The library''s ceiling, once made of colorful stained ss holding the stories of a forgotten era, began to turn transparent.


    "Wow¡­"


    "So, this is it?"


    "Look over there. How beautiful¡­"


    The ones who had just finished the event, the ones who were watching from inside the library, as well as those watching from the za outside all looked up at the sky¡­


    "There is a story about this phenomenon."


    With the sun setting, the sky above the library became visible. Slowly, a golden moon emerged, its light filling the night after years of absence. The moon''s glow bathed the town in a mystical, golden light.


    "[Lamentation of crimson mes] was not only about a mythical creature destroying the valley. It happened because the child of the creature was taken away from her."


    Children pointed at the bright gold in wonder, while the elders watched in quiet reverence a sight they had witnessed before as well.


    The library, now open to the sky, connected the town''s history, history of the books stored within the old wooden shelves, with the celestial magic above.


    "She destroyed all the valley because she could not find the child, and only stopped when a [Hero] brought her child back to her."


    The townspeople, the yers, Alex and Elio, Miss Rin and Misha, Az and Miu stood with their friends and family, faces lit by the moon''s golden light.


    They had seen the bright white and yellow of the moon, sometimes crimson and a milky moon. But, to witness a celestial body covered in bright golden light was a breathtaking experience for many of them.


    "The mother calmed down when she was reunited with her child, and then she thanked the hero."


    The grand library, a proud symbol of Moongold, seemed to open up to the universe.


    The return of the golden moon filled everyone with a sense of hope and renewal. Moongold felt more enchanted than ever, with the night promising endless possibilities, it''s unique warmth appreciating the efforts of everyone present, its mystical presence somewhat appreciating all the efforts made by all the natives and yers.


    "A [Phoenix] is a creature that reborns from its ashes."


    Alex looked up at the sky, at a scene that she once was fortunate to witness from up close.


    "And in theirst moments, they release all the energy left in their unique bodies."


    What one saw as a natural phenomenon was much more unique than one could imagine.


    The moon of this world, just like the moon of the real world, did not have a light of its own.


    The sun of this world was apletely different entity than the sun that they have in the real world as well, since it did not merely convert hydrogen into helium.


    The sun of this world burned a primordial energy of stars and converted it into various natural energies that are present in the nature around them.


    It holds a very special ce in the [{(Prakriti)}]. And though not as significant as the sun, the celestial moon also holds a special position in both nature and human lives.


    "I was not sure before, but I can tell the story of the golden moon being a reflection of the death of a [Phoenix] is true.


    Death of a young one, at that."


    Just like Dragons, Phoenix were also creatures of myths.


    There were not many ways to confirm their hidden existence, but events like these, the events that one sees as a natural phenomenon or a natural disaster gave an undeniable proof of their existence.


    She was fortunate enough to meet a few of these mythical creatures in her lifetime in this world, and she was looking forward to meeting more of them as she goes to various new and old ces along with her partner¡­ who was currently lost in the beauty of the moment.


    "Death of an older one is even more beautiful, especially from up close."


    If she could, she could have recorded it and showed it to him, but she was not able to. She had experienced a lot of things in her life in this world, but she wanted to experience a lot more along with her darling.


    { "Congrattes on finishing the event and experiencing something new." }


    On the ground floor, a void was materializing on the floor beneath their feet. But they couldn''t feel it.


    { "The two people who had obtained the extraordinary results will be given the chance to obtain one item from the library." }


    There were rare books, there were records, there were skill stores and precious things, and there were things that everyone, even the high ranking yers desired in this ce.


    But, Alex already knew what she wanted and Elio had no idea what he should get out of all the things present in this ce.


    { "The [Treasury] contains all that I have gathered over the years. Treasures, items, knowledge, and things that cannot simply be defined as a tool." }


    The leaderboard appeared before everyone and the top achievement holders, people who had managed to get two or more golden stars were highlighted in the grand list that had appeared before everyone present here.


    -Oooooooooooong!


    The list was long, but their own ranks were the first thing that they saw when it appeared before them.


    The stars were listed beside their names, and before the rest of them, high up in the air, before the special guests that were at the top floor, as well as before the biggest magical screens outside of the library, the performance highlights of the ones with the most stars were disyed openly.


    { "The contribution you have made and ording to your needs¡­ may you get what helps you with your journey ahead." }


    The darkness beneath their feet exploded and covered the rest of them inside the library.


    Their eyes got momentarily blinded¡­


    [Ding.]


    [Rewards from the achievements made during the library event will now be granted.]


    [Additional rewards will be granted individually upon iming of rewards.]


    And in the next moment, they saw a unique pouch in their hands.


    A colorful pouch that was of a different color for all of them.


    There was a unique shine and glitter to these pouches, and though they were light, everyone could tell there was something hidden inside of these unique pouches with an expanded inside space.


    This was their reward from the treasury¡­


    Obtaining it was not as eventful as they might have thought, but now that they had obtained this object, they all wanted nothing more than to open these pouches in their houses or inns or in safe spaces outside somewhere, and check what they had obtained.


    { "Let us all admire the wonder of gold as we wee a new tomorrow¡­" }


    Phoenix.


    The symbol of Life, Glory, and a new beginning born from the brightest mes and ashes.


    "Beautiful¡­"


    As the people of Moongold and yers who had obtained their rightful rewards watched the moon covered in the golden light, some shed tears of sorrow.


    After the catastrophe that had hit the town, the town covered in the golden light had lost a lot, suffered even more, and had parted ways with many.


    They had been through darkness¡­


    "So beautiful¡­"


    But, with the new golden moonlight wrath of the new tomorrow, with shedding tears and joyful smiles, the yers and natives alike, greeted a new tomorrow.


    The festivals would go on and the seasons would change.


    They had suffered a great loss, but life goes on¡­ and the ones who are left behind, still had to contribute their verse.

 Chapter 92: Night of festivities

    The golden moon was a unique phenomenon that onlysted for a few minutes.


    People of the Moongold witnessed it, bathed in its warmth, and when it was gone- and when the library event had concluded- the main festival began.


    The town was covered in lights, streets were filled with people, and along with isted mourning, joy enclosed the town.


    They had just lost a lot, but they were not falling to the darkness anymore.


    The people were with those who had lost someone, not leaving out of the festivities.


    The monument that was made in the center of the town was covered in the mementos, flowers, and gifts of the children.


    Streets were filled with young and old as they walked around the illuminated town, there was happiness in the air, the shops were earning from those excited, happy customers.


    The night was young, and yet the inns and bars were full.


    Those who did not or could not handle themselves alone were drowning themselves in alcohol. Those who had someone to rely on were spending the night and those who did not get to experience a festival''s unique atmosphere were enjoying their time with their loved ones¡­ or by themselves.


    "Misha! That''s enough running now¡­"


    "Hehe, let''s go there next~!"


    Elio and Alex were looking after the young child who ran around with the little slime in her hand.


    Her mother had retired home and they were soon going back as well, but before that, the little girl wanted to taste a few more things.


    "How does she have so much energy, haaa¡­"


    Elio was tired after running after the girl for an hour, but since Alex was having fun as well, she did not mind going on a little more.


    There were a lot of things in the market, many vendors were practically giving away some stuff at base price, and even big shops were giving things at a discounted price.


    They were leaving the town soon now that she had obtained what she wanted, but if she had the chance to stock up on a few more things before that, she was definitely not going to miss it.


    "I''ll be back in five. Take her to the toyshop while you are at it as well."


    "What? Where-."


    She had already vanished from his side by the time he looked back up at her.


    The streets were full of people. There were noises all around and it was not easy keeping track of everything even with his heightened Mana senses.


    All he could do was apany them, but if they were going to just run around like that, he did not know what he was supposed to either.


    "Haaa¡­"


    After the golden moon, they had stayed back at the library to collect their rewards.


    He was going to give them anything he wanted from his collection, and despite that, someone like her who understood the actual values of the things that he had, chose a simple world Map that had the power to find whatever one wanted it to.


    It was one of the oldest items he had and no appraisal scroll worked on it so he never knew just how valuable it was.


    He could tell if she wanted something like that, then there must be something to it that even he did not know about. But, now that he has given it away, perhaps, he will never know its true value.


    "Misha¡­" Elio was tired running around with her, but he knew her pocket money would end soon and she would have to go back.


    She was spending her money carefully, tasting things where she can actually buy what she liked, but that would end soon.


    She had only received twelve copper coins from her mom, which was a lot for a child like her, and even that was going to end.


    Alex told him to take her to the toy store¡­ and by that, she wanted him to take the little girl and the two little creatures to the item store.


    There won''t be many things that she could buy with the remaining three copper coins that she had, so he believed she might finish her funds on some silly things.


    He wanted her to end this anyway. The hustle and bustle of the town right now wasn''t that fun for her anymore.


    He was tired already, and after spending an hour pondering what he should get from the library, he was tired even more.


    "Muuuu~!"


    "Miu!"


    "Oh! That looks fun as well~! Brother Elio~. Where did sister go~?"


    "She will join us-."


    "Oh! Look at that! What are those shiny things~?"


    She only stopped momentarily before vanishing once again. She was like a bumblebee, an excited bee high on pollen.


    It was cute, especially with the slime and the excited gecko inside of it. She was enjoying, which was a rare sight that her mother would have loved¨C but she had seen her happy enough times today.


    Now, she was gone and had ced her girl in their capable hands for this night.


    She knew when she came back home, she would be tired. So, she had gone back after enjoying this rare night festival.


    She had her acquaintances that had lost someone close to them that she needed to meet as well, so she was not around.


    The two of them were looking after her daughter, and she knew they would treat her well.


    "Haaa¡­"


    But with Alex running around doing her own thing, he was looking after the children alone.


    And he was getting tired of it now.


    "What do you children eat to have so much energy!"


    He ran behind her, again. Cursing his partner in his head for leaving him alone to deal with these active children.


    The special object that he finally obtained from the librarian was not going to be helpful for him anytime soon.


    At least though, he was happy that the street food here was decent enough.


    His stamina was decreasing with each shop Misha jumped to, but since his fatigue was not increasing in proportion to that, he was doing fine.


    It was difficult, but he knew he could manage the children at least until they got back to the inn¡­

 Chapter 93: So, how about it?

    Alex told him she would join him in five, but she did not specify five minutes or five hours.


    So, even though ten minutes passed and Misha finally finished her pocket money, Alex had note back.


    [{ "I''m sorry. This sudden work came up¡­ haaa¡­ I will be back as soon as I can. Don''t worry about me." }]


    She said she was going to buy something, but she had actually returned back to their inn.


    [{ "You are hiding something from me, again." }]


    [{ "I''m just working, lol. Don''t be like that. I might be back before you even get back to the inn so don''t worry." }]


    She cut the call, and entered the wooden doors of the (Woodleg inn).


    "We are closed-... oh. You''re back~? Where''s Misha and Elio~."


    Madam Rin was waiting for the three, especially her little baby.


    Seeing her so happy and excited all day had been a rare but joyous experience for her.


    This event, this whole day had been very special for her, and her child obviously enjoyed it all.


    She was a shy one, but being with that little Slime and Gecko had been apletely new experience for her.


    They were her friends, and seeing the three of them ying, shouting, running around had been a heartwarming experience for her.


    And she was extremely thankful for the two of them who brought such joy to her little girl.


    "Can we talk for a moment, Miss Rin?"


    Alex closed the door behind her, locked it with a wooden nk, and took out a unique object from her inventory.


    "Hmm?"


    It was a barrier item, one that blocked sound of any kind.


    -Ooooooooooong.


    It was rare, so not many could recognize it. Someone who had just started the game or weremoners from a small town like this would not even know what that object was¡­ but not her.


    "Why are you using that, Alex dear?"


    There was a table with four chairs, and Miss Rin sat down right before hers when she saw the item activating.


    The look this girl had did not seem right to her, so she did not ask any unnecessary questions and just sat down beside her.


    She knew the matter was serious from that new kind of look she had.


    "You know Miss Rin¡­"


    Alex ced her sheathed white sword on the table beside her.


    "This sword is special."


    With calm but extremely serious eyes, afterwards, she caressed the sheathed weapon with one of her hands, and looked at the person before her.


    "It cries with excitement when it senses individuals who are at a level I cannot defeat them."


    Her level had fallen but she still had all her experience, and techniques from her past.


    Her power was limited in many ways, but just like how she was able to stall for time even when going against something like that dark mage, she knew she could defeat most of the individuals in this town if she fought seriously.


    She could even defeat the guard captain if he does not use that special skill of hers.


    She was strong, even if she did not have even a fraction of her power at the moment.


    So, whenever her sword had cried after she entered this town, it was when she was facing someone like the guardian spirit that manifested through the guard captain or when facing the dark magician.


    The librarian made her sword the most excited, after which came the guardian spirit, and after that¡­ it was not the dark magician.


    "You defeated six of the dark minions that entered the town, weren''t you?"


    As soon as she mentioned that, the expression on Miss Rin''s face changed as well.


    "The ''special'' person that was mentioned in the Town quest¡­ it was Misha, right?"


    "..."


    As soon as her name was brought up, the worried expression on the mother''s face changedpletely.


    "There were fifteen minions that entered the town, three were dealt with by the underworld organization''s people.


    Two were dealt with by the guards, three by the yers, and one died because of the mages from mages'' tower.


    The rest that were spotted by the Mayor vanished without a trace and were not found even with theter investigation¡­"


    Where could these creatures have gone?


    She wondered about it for a while. She thought long and hard about it instead of just epting they might have vanished with the dark mage that summoned them, she investigated.


    And still, she did not find anything.


    Anything except subtle trances of a very familiar energy in a dark corner of the town.


    "You''re a remnant of the fallen Holy Kingdom of Archlore, aren''t you?"


    Miss Rin looked at her¡­ her eyes hollow, the calm and worried expression changed into a serious and poisonous one.


    The way she was looking at Alex now told her how she wanted to kill her right on the spot. But, she also knew that she knew that was not going to be effective.


    Alex was not a native. She was a foreigner and they are cursed to be reborn after their death.


    "You found out an awful lot of things in the few days you have been here, hun?"


    The always cheerful, attractive, and positive aura around her transformed into that of the aura of a wounded tiger¨C cold, and deadly.


    She was not sitting before the strong girl that had saved her inn from some thugs. She was now standing before an enemy that she knew she could not kill.


    "You made a mistake, Miss Rin."


    And she knew that as well.


    "The head of the mage tower¡­ he will find you."


    Using her unique power was not the best idea if she wanted to stay in this town for a little longer.


    Alex knew just what kind of troublesome position she was in. And, she was going to leave the town because of it anyway as well.


    "I know he will. That is why we will-."


    "Let me blunt, miss Rin."


    Existence of someone who can protect them and be good with them.


    Someone who was strong enough to help them out of situations that would require her presence, and someone who was already experienced with war.


    She was the perfect guard that they could have found for the following part of their journey and since she had a ''special'' daughter to protect, Alex knew the two of them will be present when the two of them are not around.


    "Join us."


    Miss Rin had strength but that strength was nothingpared to what they might need when they go out of this town.


    "I will give you the strength you need to protect that child."


    She was a single mother who could use a rare power that was sought after by the mages all around the world.


    After her investigation and a little deeper digging into the assistant of the Dark magician that died because of his own foolishness, she knew the entire situation now.


    "Let''s use each other, at least."


    Alex knew Miss Rin would not understand her position with the kind of anger she had right now, but she knew this person¨C the mother who was in a unique position right now was at least smart enough to know what was best for her and for her child.


    "So, how about it?"


    Elio needed someone to look after Miu and Az in their absence anyway, and she knew there would be more special creatures joining them.


    They needed someone here that they could trust, as well someone who could actually look after those special creatures.


    "...you are not really some normal person either, hun?"


    Alex could not think of anyone better for this job other than a Soldier who could partially use the unique energy- Holy power and a being born with the blessing of nature.


    She wanted the two of them¡­ and, the person before her knew this young, fearsome woman was not going to take a no for an answer.

 Chapter 94: Next destination

    "Haaa¡­"


    Misha ended up falling asleep while they wereing back, so Elio carried her back on his back.


    And when got back, Alex was already waiting for him on the ground floor.


    "See. Didn''t I say I''d get back before you."


    She was talking with Miss Rin with her sword on the table, and he could tell there was something strange going on here.


    But he was too tired to think about something like that, so he looked at Miss Rin and she came up to him and carefully took the sleeping girl from him.


    "Thank you for looking after her."


    Miss Rin smiled warmly at him as she usually does and after bowing to him and to Alex, she went back to put her pretty sleeping daughter in her room.


    "Hun?"


    And then, without even looking at Alex, he walked up the stairs.


    "Hey¡­"


    He was too tired to deal with her.


    He could already tell she lied to him when she said she had some work to do. There was also something going on between her and Miss Rin before he came here.


    "Haaa¡­"


    He wanted to ask what she was up to, but he was just too tired for that right now so he at least got back to their room first and fell down on his bed.


    "You can''t even handle a teen child. How will you handle a baby?"


    With a smirk, she came and sat beside him.


    "Let alone a baby, how will you handle the little friends you make going forward?"


    She ced Az and Miu, who he left on the ground floor, in their basket.


    These two were smart so they knew at least a little about how to look after one another, but what will he do when he gets a friend that has no worldly knowledge?


    How will he be a father in the future if just handling an older child like her made him so exhausted?


    "Haaa¡­ Misha is different, Alex."


    She was caressing his hair, he loved it.


    They had been together for a while, but neither of them really believed in the ceremonial marriage.


    They lived together, did everything that a married couple would do, and perhaps much more than that.


    They surely were more than a couple living together, and since they even thought about their future asionally, they knew what they wanted from one another.


    "She had that¡­ bright energy to her. I don''t know how to exin it."


    With his head now ced on herp, he sighed while staring up at the ceiling.


    She was his bliss. He did not need a potion or any items to feel refreshed when she was around.


    "I agree on that point. She sure is special." She smiled at him warmly.


    And the hidden mysterious feeling hidden behind that smile told him how she knew more about this than what she was letting out.


    "You¡­ hide a lot of things in here, you know? Completely different from your ''self'' in the outside world."


    "You''re new here, dear. Telling you everything at once will be no fun."


    She ruffled his hair whileughing and¡­ then ced her head on his forehead.


    "We will be leaving the town soon."


    "Yeah¡­"


    Thanks to all the quests, they had earned a lot of experience and were both (Level-35).


    They could leave the town any time they wanted now that they were done with everything that they needed to do in this ce.


    She already obtained what she needed and he had obtained something that he will be able to use in the future.


    He had some unique talents so that thing will be great for him, but before he could use it, he will have to deal with some things with the dagger that he received from the guard captain.


    "It was a fun experience, Alex."


    When he finished his tutorial quest and came to this town, he did not think it would be so much fun.


    Things here werepletely different from what he had expected.


    The hunting was a special experience, seeing all those cool creatures, seeing this unique town, seeing the various things in this town, meeting so many people, so many good people¡­ meeting a new friend that will apany them, even staying at a ce that he might never forget.


    And the town quest and library event¡­


    "It was unforgettable¡­"


    He did not know how it had been if they had gone to some other town, but the fact that they fatefully ended up in this specific ce where they not only experienced so many amazing things, met so many amazing people, and had such unique experiences, was something that he was thankful for.


    "Elio oh my darling Elio¡­"


    She shook head with a smile on her face that was making fun of him.


    "If you are like that after just this much, you have no idea what awaits you outside this town."


    Forest vaster than deserts, deserts hotter than volcanoes, volcanoes colder than ciers, and ciers house entire civilizations.


    There were so many things in this world that they will need another half a decade just to see all the good things that she had seen in her time here, and more that they were going to see as they traveled the world in search of objects that will give her powers back to her.


    "Didn''t I say we will have a looooot of fun?"


    Their next main destination will be a vast Jungle even bigger than the small ''forest'' that they had in Moongold.


    It was strange how a jungle was going to be bigger than a forest, but while the Great forest of Moongold was called the great forest by the people, their next destination was given the title of <Jungle of Nozama> one of the vastest greends on the western continent.


    However, before they reached the forest, they were going to stop at a city. Get a little stronger, and prepare to go to a ce that is filled with all kinds of dangerous creatures.


    "Anyway¡­"


    How about we open those pouches we received from the librarian''s treasury. I wanna see what it has.


    "Must we do it right now¡­?"


    She turned his head around and buried it in her firm thighs.


    "Yes we have to do it right now. Soe on. Don''t bezy."


    It would not take longer than a few moments anyway.


    He could do at least that much even if he was being lovablyzy right now.

 Chapter 95: Stellar pouches

    The one she had received was of bright crimson color with some unique jewels embedded in the pouch.


    "You know what? These pouches won''t vanish even after we obtain the rewards inside of it."


    The one he had received was obsidian with golden glitter all around it.


    The glitter did not have a texture. The punch seemed to be made from a high quality fabric that itself had this glitter like shine to it.


    "These pouches will start selling at high prices on the Otherworld market as <Ster pouches>. And the demand for the pouches belonging to the people who had more stars in the event would be quite higher as well."


    These pouches were an item as well, however, they only had a little bigger expanded space inside of them.


    They were only used to store the rightful rewards of the participants but, while the natives kept it as a token of honor, the yers treated it as a valuable collectible.


    Unified Rank 10 <The Collector>, one of the richest people of the two worlds and someone that perhaps had the most items, things, valuables, [Relics] and [[Artifacts]] in the entire world would definitely want a specially valuable piece like the two of their pouches.


    Alex had not seen such pouches on the market so she at least knew the ones that the two of them had, had something special about them.


    "Let''s open them together."


    "As you wish, myzy."


    "My Lady, notzy."


    "Oh right¡­ I''mzy, not you."


    She smacked his head when he made that shit joke and pushed him off the bed.


    "We will open it together."


    "Aww... that hurt."


    He did not like falling off of the bed. This has happened more than a few times since he arrived in this town.


    "Why do you keep pushing me, woman? I''m not some rock on the street that you can just kick as you want."


    He got up and smacked her head- got pped in return- then they fought for five minutes and when they were done- they finally got back to what they were actually doing.


    "Hmph."


    His face was red from the ps and she was angry. It wasn''t her fault that he was acting like that.


    None of it might have happened had he not acted like that. For hitting a prettydy like her He was a bastard indeed!


    "Open it now. I don''t even wanna do a countdown."


    She opened her crimson pouch and a golden light sted from it.


    -Oooooooooooong!


    A unique sword slowly floated out of the pouch that had a glow of its own.


    There was a gem as bright blue as her eyes embedded on the handle of this sword. The de of the sword seemed to be made from some kind of blue metal instead of steel.


    The edge of the de was so sharp looking that as Elio looked at it, he could directly feel its unfathomable sharpness on his eyes.


    The sword was one handed, not a great sword or a two handed sword. It was just the perfect weapon for hers.


    The sword was not covered in any sheath, so they could see all of its magical beauty.


    "Wow¡­"


    The sword seemed like one of those mythical weapons talked about in the stories, the weapon of the Hero.


    Elio could also feel the vast energy contained within this weapon with his {Mana senses}.


    As soon as the sword came out of the pouch and fell into her hands, he could also tell how unique this weapon was.


    It was unlike any other sword that he had seen aftering to this ce. It is almost on par with the strange white sword that Alex carried around.


    "What kind of sword is that?"


    This weapon was a unique item, that much one could tell just from the blue body of the de.


    The unique handle that seemed to have been carved by the hands of a Master was also something that attracted his attention.


    This one weapon¡­ he could tell she might have been able to defeat even that dark magician if she had it at that time.


    "Oh? Isn''t this good?"


    A smile appeared on her face¡­


    And then, she took out her white sword, and ced the tip of the new blue sword that she had just obtained on the sheath of her pretty white sword.


    -Oooooooooong.


    The sword that she had just obtained and the sword that she carried around all the time reacted, a red energy then slid out of the sheath covered sword, and wrapped all around the blue de.


    The sword that seemed precious and highly valuable, something that Elio knew was worth more than a few gold coins, vanished along with the red energy that slid back inside the sheath.


    "..."


    Elio had no idea what just happened, but what he had just seen logically meant that the precious sword that she had just obtained was devoured by the sword that she carried around all the time.


    "What the hell?"


    He was confused. But Alex just shook her head without saying anything as she ced the sword back into the corner that she usually puts it in.


    "You are not going to tell me what just happened either, are you?"


    "There wille a time, hehe."


    She was smiling happily.


    There was a unique yfulness in her eyes, one that said she was waiting for a good moment to tell him about what had just happened.


    She wanted to have fun with this oblivious side of him, so she just smiled happily at him. And, he sighed deeply after seeing that smile.


    "Haaa¡­ I''m too tired for all this."


    He just wanted to get this over with, so, he opened his purplish ck pouch with golden shine as well¡­


    -Ooooooooooong!


    Instead of a golden light, this time, a silver light sted from the pouch and what came out of it surprised the two of them¡­


    "Woah."


    It was not a sword, yet it surprised Alex.


    It was an item. This was a very rare item.


    It was so rare that Elio, who was tired of anything and would not have been affected by even a dragon at the moment, got surprised by this object as well.


    "These are precious, Elio."


    "I know¡­"


    Even in her long journey, she had onlye across twelve of these. And of those twelve, six had protected her in critical situations at the cost of their own lives.


    "What¡­ should I do with this?"


    The thing that he obtained from the pouch was a card.


    A precious item that was called <Servent Cards> by the yers, and <Fragments of forgotten epics> by the natives of this world.


    The object he was holding right now was not something simple. Not many existed in this world and all that were known to exist, were already owned by various individuals.


    They were precious.


    Extremely precious.


    "What do you want to do with it?"


    And now that he had obtained one as well, it was entirely up to him if he wanted to put it up for auction and get hundreds or perhaps thousands of gold for it, or ept it as his own and add a new member to their growing party.

 Chapter 96: A servant card

    The same room in the inn, the same bed, the morning after the festival and event, with the sunlight shining in through the windows, the couple who should have woken up by now were still asleep.


    With her one leg upon his and his hand on her back, with the nket thrown away below somewhere, his other hand holding hers, they were sleeping peacefully.


    -Chirp. Chirp~.


    The morning sounds of a lively town filled the atmosphere.


    Their room that was normalst night was a mess once again. Things were a little more chaotic around here for some reason, but one can ignore it thanks to the peaceful atmosphere of the fine morning.


    The table beside their bed was still in a good condition, though there were strange marks of ws, or nails, or something all over it.


    -Swiiiiiiiish~.


    A unique metallic card rested on this table.


    There was an illustration engraved on the metallic surface of the card. A unique illustration depicting a feathered being with hair covering their face, as well as going all the way to the base below.


    An angelic halo floated on the head of this being, and from what one could understand, the being in the depiction was wearing an ethereal thin cardigan.


    One could not tell if the depiction on the card was of an angel or a fallen angelic creature.


    One could not confirm the gender of the being either.


    There were no specific characteristics that confirmed if this being even had any gender¡­


    All one could say when seeing this illustration was the fact that whatever this unique ethereal being was, was something very unique.


    The silver that it was carved on was different from the silver that was used to make the coins, it had something one could only understand as¡­ ancient.


    Just by looking at this unique card, one could get mesmerized by its presence.


    There was no unique energy exuding from it, there was no Mana around it either, and yet, the uniqueness of this object was so special that anyone seeing it would want to possess it for themselves.


    It had a devilish attraction¡­


    Yet, when he obtained it, instead of using it right away, he ced it aside, and decided to think what to do with itter in the morning¡­


    But even though the morning had arrived already, he was still asleep.


    -Crrrr¡­


    There was a unique calm on both their faces. They were sleeping, and the intimate connection and the special understanding the two of them had of one another was pretty much reflected in how they were sleeping.


    It was a unique sight, so¡­


    "Miu?"


    "Muuu¡­"


    When the door to their room crack opened and a little slime jumped in with a little gecko, and a young girl, as they saw this unique sight, they did not disturb their friends and just closed the door behind them.


    They ignored the messy room since they already knew the two cleaned things up as they should on their own, and went down to y.


    There was no need to wake them up like she had been doing for thest few days. The festival and the event had ended, so they did not have any work left.


    They had also worked hard all this time, so they deserved some rest.


    They left them like that¡­ but perhaps they should have made some noise while going out so that at least one of them wakes up and sees the time.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    They had sleptte but it was still not like them to stay asleep for too long.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Perhaps because of the kind of things that they tried or perhaps it was because of the fatigue from the event and festival, but by the time they woke up, it was alreadyte evening.


    "We¡­ should stick to the normal things for a while."


    "Ugh, yeah¡­"


    Both of them were in pain, and, since he woke up before her, he got to see her sleeping face and hear these groaning voices.


    She did not like him seeing her like that, but sadly, there was nothing she could do here either since she was the one to suggest a lot of things that resulted in the pain and soreness that They were feeling.


    "Some of that was fun, regardless."


    "Hehe, right?"


    He helped her wake up and sit down on the bed and though his body ached as well, he used one of the potions that she had bought for him when they went shopping a few days ago, and got out of the bed.


    "You want something?"


    Drinking some water and giving her a ss as well with a forehead kiss, he first got into his clothes and looked around the messy ce with aplicated expression.


    He was at fault this time since he couldn''t take her provocations anymore and went a little overboard.


    He knew fixing things here this time will not be that easy, perhaps they would spend the rest of the day on it.


    "I''m hungry¡­"


    She used a potion as well but she knew she was not going to feel well with just these potions this time.


    She needed to rest a little longer, and he understood that as well.


    "Anything special you want? Or should I just throw some stuff together?"


    "Well¡­ surprise me."


    With a new smile, a happy smile, she rested her head on the wall, and thought back to the wild but fun night that they had.


    "Alright then. I''ll be back in a bit."


    If she could somehow infuse worldly taste in her cooking her partner could present even the simplest things like a cabbage as attractively as a three star dish.


    She liked eating her cooking more, but asionally, they didn''t mind having him make something special for them.


    In times when she could not make anything for them or does not want to, he knows what he has to do.


    "That bastard¡­"


    The Servant card was still beside her on the table so she picked the unique thing up and caressed the cool surface of the card.


    She could tell the card was made from a material called [Primordial silver]. She had never seen a card that was made from something that was only found in the highest difficulty runes of the past.


    She had only seen something made from this material twice before this card.


    The first was a Sword that had been said to be stained with the blood of a God, and the other was a normal ring in the personal collection of <The Collector>.


    Just the value of this card was astronomical.


    But to think a being was trapped inside of this small piece of metal¡­


    "What could you be?"


    She did not know what the being inside this card was, or how it will be, or what it will grow up into.


    She had been with only a few Servants, and all of them were unique.


    They did not have many memories of their past, but they served anyone that summoned them as their eternally loyal servants.


    "Haaa¡­"


    She was looking forward to what the beinging from this card would look like, so, she was now excited.


    As she waited for him toe back, she thought about the many possibilities of how this new individual would be a part of their lives in the world outside this lovely town.

 Chapter 97: Appearance of the first Throne

    "Pretty as ever."


    "Here."


    A special smoothie after their firstte meal of the day, just the way she liked it.


    "Thanks."


    The food was amazing, even though they were simple things. It was not about vors when he made something for her, but more about the emotions and aesthetics.


    He was damn good at it.


    "Alright then, now that we are done with things¡­"


    Miss Rin did not ask them much about anything since she could tell they were tired and were taking their well needed rest, and since she had checked up on them earlier this morning, she knew what might have transpired in that ce¡­


    At least she knew a little about their ys.


    When he went down, he asked Misha to look after the two little creatures as she didst night, and the three were happy to y around as well.


    They were happy and Miss Rin did not tell him anything about what Alex had talked with her about.


    She needed some time to think about it as well, so she left the two of them for the day.


    "Here."


    And now that the time hade for the big thing, she handed him the silver card that had just been left on the table all this time.


    "You want this."


    "Yes¡­"


    He was thinking about what to do with the card all night after she told him the true meaning of having this servant that will do everything in their power to ensure the safety of their master.


    They would kill and they would die if it meant the safety of their masters. The masters can restrain them through orders, but the servants would inherently want to protect their masters and things would beplicated in the situation where things are a little tooplicated.


    The death of the masters meant a great deal to the servants.


    For them, they aren''t just going to be reborn, but their death directly affects them in various manners.


    They lose a part of their memories with their masters, they lose some of their powers, they even lose the levels that they had gained with their masters.


    Having a servant was the same as having a child that one will first have to look after and when they grow up a little with the levels and achievements, they would protect their masters as if they are their everything.


    "Haaaa. Alright."


    For Elio who did not want to see someone he cherished put into harm''s way, the existence of someone who would willingly choose death even above the orders of their master in certain cases, this servant was more of a problem than a strength.


    He would need to resolve himself a lot if he wanted them on this journey, but there are always things that one could not control.


    "ce it on your head."


    If there were some downsides of having a servant, they were one of the closest friends one would ever meet in this world as well.


    They were unique beings that were only a fragment of their true forgotten selves of the past.


    They were different from the Familiars, or any physical being of this world¨C or even spirits, for that matter.


    No one knew how they came into being, but there were some cards like these scattered all throughout the world and asionally, some got their hands on them.


    When they choose to ept them as their servants, they aremitting to a lot of things, and it isn''t good all the time.


    He knew how difficult it might be, so he wanted to think a little more about this, but¡­ she convinced him how it will be good for him and for them going forward.


    "Alex-."


    "No point in overthinking anymore. You are doing it."


    He did not want to kill. But, he still needed strength.


    And this servant would be his answer to that predicament.


    This was what he needed the most right now. A weapon that would fight for him.


    "Haaa¡­"


    She might not be around all the time, so, in times like that, he would need someone to be his sword. And, all servants, ording to what she had known through her experiences, were capable of that much.


    "It''s good. You need this."


    Holding it with two fingers and his thumb, he touched the silver card to his forehead.


    "Call it¡­ your first servant."


    There was a name, a unique identity attached to all the Servant cards.


    And this one had a unique one as well.


    "Oh, Sera Heru Phanim."


    -OOOOOOOOOONG¡­!


    As soon as he called out that name, a blinding bright silver-white light exploded from the card and covered everything around them.


    "Answer my call¡­"


    Words, Runes written in an ancientnguage flowed out of the card and started circling around Elio, and Alex knew this whole phenomenon must be attracting a lot of attention by now.


    "Join me on my journey¡­ not as a servant, but a friend, apanion, as an individual."


    The ancient runes gathered and circted around Elio''s arm, and then got engraved on his right wrist like a tattoo.


    Later, a unique voice spoke up¡­


    [{( "As you wish¡­ my master." )}]


    She had experienced it several times, so she could tell he must have seen a vision at that moment.


    Something only he would see, something he would only see again when the servant that he has just epted would reach their true potential.


    The card in his hand shattered into particles of serene silver light, and this silver light melted inside the Rune markings that had been engraved on his wrist.


    The calling wasplete.


    His first servant had arrived at the calling of his master.


    Elio had seen an ethereal sea of silver in his vision.


    On the surface of these silver waters, a being¨C a person with wings as white as the purest first smile of a newborn child that births a fairy, with sun like golden hair so long that they were endlessly stretched to the silver horizon at the back¨C was expressing theirment as they sat there with their delicate yet mystical fair hands wrapped around their knees.


    Even though that moment had onlysted for a few seconds, He felt the greatest sorrow he had ever felt at that moment.


    It was weird.


    He did not understand how a being could express so much sorrow¡­


    He instinctively wanted to help that being, share some of that weight with them.


    But, he did not stay in that silver sea for long.


    Right when thatmenting being looked up at him with their¡­ indescribable golden eyes, he came back to reality, to their messed up inn room.


    { "Greetings, master." }


    And, what he saw as soon as he opened his eyes, what stood before him was the being that would be known as the <First Throne> of an individual who will hold a unique position in this grand Junction of Origins¡­

 Chapter 98: Sera Heru Phanim

    Standing before him on its two legs was a magical bird, and just being in front of this being made them feel a sense of awe wash over them.


    This bird, this being that had called him master just a moment ago was now looking up at him, and he was looking back into its golden, mesmerizing eyes, filled with a mysterious wisdom that seemed to hold the secrets of the heavens.


    The bird''s white feathers shimmered with a soft, radiant glow, creating an almost otherworldly light around it.


    "Wow¡­"


    Among the pure white feathers, a few golden ones stood out, catching the light in a way that made them look like threads of sunlight woven into its wings.


    As the soft feathers moved gracefully, each flutter of those soft, almost unreal wings added to its enchanting presence, making it clear that this was no ordinary bird. It felt like a creature from a fairy tale, a messenger from a magical realm¡­ an angel in the form of a bird.


    { "I see you, for the first time, my master." }


    Elio couldn''t help but feel a deep sense of wonder and peace, as if he was in the presence of something truly divine. The bird''s beauty and grace were so captivating that it seemed to bring a touch of magic into the very air around them, making the moment feel timeless and almost unforgettable.


    "Hello to you too¡­"


    He was frozen in his ce, so Alex had to give him a pat on her back to bring him out of that state as she greeted the small creature.


    This one had a long blue tail that seemed to be an extension of its own body, like braided hair. The white and gold on its tail were separate yet intertwined, making them seem exactly like some intertwined ribbons.


    They were attractive, and she liked them quite a lot.


    She liked the first appearance this being had taken as well, and since the bird was no bigger than a pigeon, she would not have to worry about carrying it around.


    It was a pretty creature, and pretty things made him go into his own zone sometimes.


    "Hun, oh, oh sorry."


    But she brought him back, and he finally greeted the amazing creature.


    "Hello, Sera."


    The bird¨C the unique servant of his had a neutral name, but, since the voice that they had heard just now was a more feminine one, they had decided to use the feminine pronouns for her for now.


    They were unique beings that were not human or mortal, so things like genders of pronouns did not matter to them in the first ce.


    { "Using Mana is still difficult for me, so I will not be able to speak like this for too long, master." }


    Sera flew up and sat down on his hand.


    Her ws looked sharp, but they did not hurt him at all.


    He could tell she was strong from what he was feeling as he caressed her feathers and looked at them from up close. The strength of her grip on his hand was quite firm as well so, she certainly seemed to be a strong being.


    And, that fact was reflected in her status window as well.


    ============


    ID: Sera Heru Phanim (Level-0)


    Race: Servant (Master: ID: Elio.)


    T-T (Physical stats)


    Strength: 12


    Agility: 12


    Endurance: 12


    T-T (System stats)


    Intelligence: 30


    Luck: 21


    Charm: 22


    T-T (Functional stats)


    Energy: 10/10


    Stamina: 10/10


    Fatigue: 3/10


    Mana: 12/30


    (Stat points: 0)


    {Skills: Mana Senses, Magicprehension, Energy Infusion, Elemental Attack, Light of Grace, IX Longinus.}


    [Titles: <Fragment of the past glory>.]


    ============


    "Aren''t you a strong one, miss." He caressed her feathers carefully, and with a gentle touch, he patted her little head.


    "It''s fine. You don''t have to waste your energy unnecessarily."


    "Chirp~!"


    [{ Thanks for your understanding, master. }]


    The Master and Servant were connected with a unique connection. They did not need to use words to understand one another.


    They could talk through this special connection, just like the masters and a Familiar.


    The connection was not as deep and unique as the connection between a Familiar and their master, but on a scale of cohesiveness, this was the sixth strongest bond that Alex knew the existence of.


    "She''s a cutie alright. You struck big this time as well."


    Alex was envious.


    She has also had some Servants in her life, but they were not like this one.


    The strength of the Servants greatly depended on their masters. And she had only obtained her first Servant card after she was over Level-100.


    None of them were as weak as this one when she met them. She never got to see a cute side of theirs like this one.


    "This is Alex, Sera. My significant other, and the most important individual in my life."


    "Chirp!"


    [{ I will keep that in mind, master. }]


    She hopped on Alex''s hand and Alex caressed her as well.


    She was adorable¡­


    "I think we should leave soon now."


    Her feathers, her deep golden eyes, the light body that was stronger than most (Level-0) that she had ever seen, the power to sense and use Mana and even spells.


    Intelligence stat that was higher than most beings that she had seen was the proof that this little bird was not some normal ''bird''.


    She was in fact a unique existence that might just be as smart as any average human adult. And, she was still at the weakest stage of her life right now.


    "Oh, right¡­"


    Right after Alex reminded him how they would be leaving this town soon, she remembered something important that she had almost forgotten about.


    "I didn''t tell you Miss Rin and Misha will be joining us, did I?"


    He was ying with his new friend, but as soon as she said that, a surprised expression appeared on his face and he looked at her with wide eyes.


    "What did you just say?"


    He had heard her loud and clear, but he still could not understand what she meant by that.


    "Just as I said. Miss Rin and Misha will be joining us.


    Didn''t we need someone to take care of Miu and Az in our absence? The two of them will be perfect for that, don''t you think?"


    She answered him again, and with a new smile this time.


    "Alex¡­"


    This was another unexpected thing.


    "Haaa. Please tell me why they would leave their perfectly happy lives here, their home, ande with us?"


    It did not make any sense to him at all.


    But, she had prepared the exnation that he was asking for right now.


    It contained facts, as they both liked. So, it was going to be pretty easy exining stuff this time around.

 Chapter 99: Fallen Holy Kingdom

    "Holy Kingdom of Archlore¡­"


    Her exnation started with the history of a kingdom that perished two decades ago.


    "You know what ''Holy'' energy means in this world, right?"


    "Of course¡­"


    Holy energy was the third prominent kind of power in this world, something that was used on a smaller scale in the eastern and northern continents of the world, however, in the west where the influence of religion, magic, and the influence of the powers that followed divinities was vast, the holy energy was seen as a special privilege by the big powers like the [Empire] and [Temple].


    Holy energy was essentially the power of priests and believers, those who had faith and earned a unique power through that faith.


    This power was stronger than Mana, was on par with Aura, but was practically a unique power from either of them.


    "So, do you know about the fall of Arklore?"


    Two decades ago, a kingdom waspletely demolished by the Empire and Temple''sbined efforts and almost all traces of them were erased from the continent.


    The reason? The kingdom did not follow any particr god or divinity even though it was called a ''holy'' kingdom.


    It was a kingdom established by a Wise individual that though did not have great strength, was wise beyond their age.


    They were a king, and they made arge inhabitablend into apletely new, functioning nation that had hundreds of thousands of citizens at its peak.


    It did not have a long history, the king was a Half-elf and was only around a hundred and fifty years old when they established the kingdom with their friends and made it into the prosperous nation it became.


    Under the great leadership of the king, they rose to a powerful position and made treaties with the surrounding powers.


    They had power, the subjects and followers of the king gained Holy power through the worship of not some god, but their king that they followed.


    They had faith in the abilities of their leader, so much so that they gained the power of the unique origin that only the faithful could have.


    It was a worship of not a divine being but just the worship of a human, and yet since they gained this power, they were proving the point that any kind of belief, and sincere faith in anything was able to birth the the unique Holy power¡­ however, the mainstream religion and the strongest power who also followed divinities of their own could not ept that some human had be what only those divine beings should be.


    "The Holy kingdom was born on the blood, sweat andughs of the kind people who only wanted a home, a paradise where anyone who wanted peace could escape to.


    It was a unique ce, governed by perhaps one of the smartest people ever born¡­ yet, before the might of absolute power, even the smartest fail sometimes."


    The war was waged and the war was lost. The remnants of the kingdom''s army, the soldiers who had obtained the holy power of an ''impure'' origin, were hunted down even to this day.


    "The wise and kind king made sure that the most of his people survive at the end of his life, and so, there still remain many individuals who had once fought for that brave king and still owe their lives to him."


    But Miss Rin was not one of them.


    She was simply a mother that met someone that she loved, a wonderful man that she apanied till hisst breath, and when he was gone, she had no ''home'' that she could stay in.


    "She is being hunted, just like the rest of them, Elio."


    She was constantly moving, not staying in one ce for more than a year or two.


    Moongold had somehow grown up on her, and she ended up staying here for long, making it a home that she thought she might rest in forever.


    "But then¡­ that dark mage came."


    Traces of the Holy power that she used to defeat those minions must have been sensed by the head of the mage tower, the greedy person who, unlike the librarian, saw no profit in helping the town''s people.


    He was even more materialistic than the yers, and unlike them, small things could not satisfy him.


    "They would have had to leave the town anyway, so I asked them toe along with us."


    She exined to him how the kingdom fell, what had happened, who were the Soldiers that fought in that war, and how the Empire was still offering huge rewards to the individuals who would bring these remnants to them.


    "You know how much she likes us, don''t you~? She was happy toe along with us when I told her we would protect Misha and make both of them stronger~."


    Mages are greedy, especially the upper ranker of the mage towers who need expensive and some very specific materials and ingredients for their experiments.


    Magic is not cheap. And research in any field requires tons of funds.


    And, a simple weak wandering soldier could earn them much more than what they could earn by working their normal jobs.


    "So, isn''t this good? We will have one more proper party member with experience, and someone that Miu and Az like~."


    She promised him she would take care of the matter regarding the two little creatures.


    And, she dide up with the solution. But¡­


    "Will Misha be okay?"


    She had so many people in the town that she is close with.


    Perhaps she doesn''t have any friends and is shy, but will she be alright leaving her home?


    Did they even tell her that they would be going with them?


    "Miss Rin said it would be alright."


    Even Alex did not know how she was going to tell the young girl.


    But, since her mom said not to worry about it, Alex knew that there would be nothing to worry about for the two of them.


    "Really?"


    "Chirp??"


    Yet, even if she understood that, she forgot that her unique bastard would not just sit still and let the mother handle her child.


    As the big brother and the one at the center of this whole thing, he also needed to talk with the child, as well as the mother who was now in a difficult position.

 Chapter 100: Famous people

    Elio walked downstairs and there was already somemotion.


    "Did you see that light just now?"


    "Didn''t ite from the upper floor?"


    "Everyone''s here exactly because of that, dumbass."


    "Someone must have obtained a special item. That kind of light is very rare¡­"


    "It was silver as well."


    There were a lot of people crowding the hall on the ground floor.


    Miss Rin was trying to exin to them how they did not know anything about the light either.


    Some were inly curious about the light, but as Alex and he could see, some were not here with pure intentions.


    "What''s going on here?" She spoke up with a loud voice that everyone present here heard clearly.


    After the battle and the contribution as well as after they saw her destroy pretty much everything in the Library event, she had be well known in this town.


    Her voice was also famous now, so everyone present in the hall including the yers and natives heard instantly knew who this voice belonged to.


    "Why are there so many people here?"


    She knew the answer to that, but she still looked at everyone present with an annoyed look, especially those who came in here with impure intentions.


    Some people instantly left the hall and some who were surprised by her sudden presence also prepared to walk out of the inn.


    Those who had food and drinks on their tables tried avoiding her gaze by focusing on their food.


    While Miss Rin who understood the situation took up the chance.


    "Oh. Alex, good timing. Some of these people saw some kind of lighting out of your room and were wondering what it was.


    Do you know anything about it?"


    As soon as Miss Rin mentioned that the room that the light had originated from belonged to her, a lot of people either choked on their food or almost three whatever fluid was in their mouth.


    They knew how she had beat up some of the higher level yers as a mere (Level-20) a while back, and they knew how strong she was after her performance in the battle and the library event.


    She was the highest contributor in both ces, so it was obviously no coincidence.


    Even the dumbest of them would know what woulde out of messing with her.


    "Chirp~?"


    Sera was still in Elio''s hands, and everyone could see this unique looking bird.


    The smarter ones could tell the light must have had something to do with this special looking creature, but they did not try to look at it for too long.


    The person holding the bird was already famous as someone who had a slime and a strange lizard.


    He was also famous as her lover, and someone who was just as special as her.


    Messing with either of them was not going to be good, and both of them had a good rtionship with the guard captain and the mayor. So, none of them wanted to go to jail and spend the following few days there for doing anything stupid in this stupid game.


    "I see. People saw a light from our room? What about it?"


    She looked at the people who must be here to ask about the light with an annoyed look.


    She was practically telling them to piss off with those eyes.


    And, afraid, some of them did leave the inn without saying anything anymore.


    If the light was connected to her, there was nothing they even wanted to do with it anymore.


    Most of them left, and the room was cleared up.


    Those who were too afraid to move or catch her attention just continued with their food and started ying with the system interface without paying any attention to the two of them¨C or the special bird.


    "Miss Rin? Can we have a moment please? Is Misha in her room?" Elio asked her with a little concerned look as they walked down.


    "Oh, yes. She''s in the back."


    Miss Rin could tell he wanted to talk about something. And from the look Alex had, she could also tell it must be about something rted to their departure.


    "Go ahead. I''ll be there in a minute."


    Now that the festival and event were over, the inn was open once again.


    She was going to leave soon, so she was going to entrust this ce to someone she trusted, so she also had to look after that.


    "Alright."


    She will be bust for a few days, and when they leave, she might not even get to tell the others about her circumstances.


    But, she was familiar with this kind of sudden departure.


    "Chirp."


    Sera greeted Miss Rin and she could tell this new little bird she was seeing for the first time was something unique.


    There was something about this one that caught disturbed something deep within her soul, but they could do their introductionster.


    "It won''t take long, so please join us soon."


    The two of them went in after he said that, and after crossing the kitchen, they reached the back area where they mostly stored things.


    "Miu!"


    "Muuuuuu~."


    "Hey! No! That''s cheating!"


    This storage room had be their yground since a few days ago. They mostly yed either in the hall, or in the kitchen, or in this room.


    This was a pretty spacious ce so there was quite a bit of room to y various games.


    "What are you three ying this time? Hide and seek?"


    When the two of them entered the room, the girl was running behind the slime while Miu wasughing at them from the top of a high shelf.


    The two had no idea what they were ying, but it seemed like just like most of the time, their human friend was losing once again.


    "Brother Elio! Sister!"


    They were lost in their own fun, but as soon as they saw Elio and Alex, they came running to them¨C and while she was running at them, her eyes met the golden eyes of the unique bird in Elio''s hands.


    "Woh!"


    Misha stopped right in her tracks and shouted as soon as she saw the pretty looking bird.


    "Who''s this, brother Elio!"


    Then she ran back to him once again and looked up at the bird with stars in her eyes.


    Her excitement was obvious.


    Seeing this unique being sparked a new excitement in her pure heart, and the first thing she thought when she looked at her was how she might have a new friend to y with.


    { "Oh? An Ichorborn?" }


    But then the bird talked, and the stars in her eyes transformed into a kind of sudden fear that neither of them had ever seen on her until now.

 Chapter 101: A special girl

    "Misha?"


    The sudden look of fear was somewhat shocking to both of them.


    "Th-the bird¡­ it talked!"


    She stepped back as she shouted that, and hid behind Alex.


    She was shaking, as if she was genuinely terrified of a talking bird.


    { "Her senses are good." }


    And when Sera spoke again, the shaking she was feeling intensified again.


    "What¡­?"


    Elio did not understand what was happening with her, but Alex had an idea about what might be happening with the young girl.


    "She doesn''t know much about herself, Sera."


    { "I can tell that." }


    "...hun?"


    This time, when the bird spoke, Misha stopped shaking and instead, looked up at the bird with a confused expression.


    "The bird¡­ talked?"


    She wasn''t afraid because the bird was talking, it was an involuntary response of her unique body to the special kind of Mana that the bird was using for her speech.


    "Chirp."


    [{ For a young child, her perception is quite formidable. }]


    Sera wasplimenting her, but Elio was confused about what she was talking about.


    Alex understood her, but since both of them could tell Elio was still lost here, they exined the situation to them as he ced Sera down to the ground.


    "You know how there are blessed individuals and people who could naturally control magic- the sorcerers?"


    "Yes? What about them?"


    The bird approached the young girl.


    [{ There are a unique kind of individuals that are born with a little unique power among these special kind of people, master. }]


    The girl was afraid of a talking bird a moment ago, but, when the bird approached her this time, Misha looked at it, in its golden eyes, and crouched down before the bird when it stood before her.


    "Misha is an Ichorborn."


    Beings born with the blessing of nature, beings born with a unique connection with the world, and beings who are inhuman in many ways even while being physical beings like the rest of the mortals.


    [{ Since ancient times, they have been called the <Beings born from the womb of Nature>. Creatures not humans or part of their own race who receive more attention, more grace, more privileges and freedom from nature than the rest of its children. }]


    Misha was not afraid of Sera anymore, and even Miu and Az approached them when she had finally gathered some courage to touch the pretty bird.


    The soft feathers caught her attention quickly, and then, the understanding and intelligent nature of the bird washed away all her fear she had towards this unique being.


    "Do you remember the town quest and how it asked us to protect an important person?"


    Alex searched far and wide for any clues regarding this important person.


    All the people that she had listed as the protected individuals were taken care of by the strong groups and at the end, even with the trolling attempts, no one was harmed.


    She did not think much about itter, but after she dug deeper into the identity of the helper that was assisting the dark magician, the one that dies with the magic circle, new suspicions arose for her.


    "That person was also a mage and a magic researcher who was researching natural magic and the origins."


    ording to her findings, she was able to get some information on how the research of this person was somehow connected to the Ichorborns, the unique beings that are more powerful, privileged, and talented than the other beings of the same kind.


    "I still don''t know what that person obtained the information that there was one such being that he was looking for in this town and convinced a dark mage to destroy it in the name of the dark powers."


    She had no idea what he was even up to after he suddenly vanished from the magic tower that he was part of, but at the end, she was able to guess how the whole quest might be referring to Misha.


    "She does not experience Mana poisoning when touching Miu directly, can sense Mana even though she doesn''t have her Mana channels opened, and even though she is young, she has this unique potential to her that even Az finds interesting."


    The slime was a little too friendly with her for some reason and Miu was the mostfortable when it was around her.


    Misha was special, Alex had guessed that much already. But when the angle of an Ichorborn was raised, she connected the dots and came to the conclusion.


    "Hehe, hello there~."


    "Chirp~."


    Sera was a unique being of the past so even though she might not know much about her past self, she had all the basic knowledge of the world that she needed.


    [{ The reason she was afraid of my voice at first was because of the purity and refinement of Mana that I use to speak. }]


    Sera exined to him how she used her own Mana to directly process the environmental Mana and turn it into a voice that one could understand.


    She did not use the direct Mana voice of her own like the librarian had during the announcement of the library event.


    The way she used Mana was much more unique and personal than what one could imagine. And, to the senses of someone like Misha, an Ichorborn, that highly refined voice was like the bloodthirst of a creature tens or levels higher than them.


    "How can you speak~? Are you really a bird, Miss~?"


    { "Not really, dear. I just look like this for now." }


    "Wohhhh! But your voice is so pretty~!"


    When she stopped using her refined technique and used her Mana directly, her voice became something her senses epted and liked much better.


    "It''s quite unique, actually."


    The senses that she has worked quite differently when ites to Mana, Aura, her mom''s Holy power, the demonic energy, or something else.


    She was especially sensitive to those things, perhaps that was the reason she mostly stayed inside the house with her mom when the dark mage invaded.


    She was in a constant fear of that dark power, and both of them knew how bad it was for her back then.


    So¡­


    "Oh, looks like you have already made a new friend, Misha darling."


    Elio was here to ask her how she would like toe with us.


    And, he could only ask that sensitive question when her mom, the real guardian of this little one, was present with them.


    "Misha."


    She was ying with Sera''s pretty feathers when he crouched down before her.


    Az and Miu had arrived there as well and were now standing beside him, looking at him with new curious expressions.


    They would like it if their fun friendes with them as well, so he looked at Alex, then at her mother who understood what was going on here, and after receiving a nod of permission from her, he asked the special young girl.


    "How would you like to join us on our journey?"


    Their time in this town and their time together had been fun.


    But, now that they were about to leave, he wanted these two special individuals toe along with him as well.


    But, he would not force them. Neither the mom, nor her child.


    Everyone had their freedom of choice. So, unless she wanted to, he was not going to force either of them to follow them on this certainly dangerous journey¡­

 Chapter 102 To the next destination

    "Miu! Don''t run around on your own!"


    "Muuuu~!"


    "And you! How can you y around with her when you''re supposed to stop her!"


    "Chirp¡­"


    "Haaa. That''s right Miss Sera. They are a headache!"


    It was difficult for her to understand what he was asking when he asked her if she wanted toe with them. But, then she looked at her mom, and the look she had was a familiar look that she had seen before.


    She could tell it was time for them to leave as well.


    "She''s working hard."


    "I''ve never seen her that happy at the moment of departure."


    They had not stayed in the same ce for as long as they had stayed in this town.


    They had always traveled¡­ from one town to another, from one vige to the other, from one city to the next and from one kingdom to the other state.


    As long as she could remember, in her fifteen years of life, she had moved ces more than twenty times.


    They did not stay in the same state for more than a few months, sometimes, if the ce they were staying at was small, they only stayed there for a fortnight or a month.


    She knew they did not have a set home for some reason, and her mother had always told her how it had something to do with her past.


    She never said too much, but the smart daughter knew it was not easy for her to talk about her past, about her father, about why they don''t stay in the same ce, and why she was so different from the other children.


    "Madam Rin. Do not worry at all. We will maintain this ce for you so that you cane back here whenever you want to."


    "I''m thankful for your help, Lord Mayor, guard captain."


    Growing up, she had epted the fact that they might never stay in the same ce for long enough to call it a home, so the young girl never made any friends.


    She was a soft hearted, friendly child, yet she did not make any friends and stayed detached from most of the things.


    She lived by herself, helping her mom who was doing everything for their sake, and found happiness in things that weren''t for the children.


    She grew up learning a lot of things from her and the people around her.


    But then¡­ when they came to this town, they met a person that somehow understood the specialness of the young child.


    "Take care of her."


    "Fancying from you, Connie."


    Librarian knew at a nce how special this child was more than the rest of the children. And he also knew the circumstances of the mother of this pitiful child.


    "Since when do you care about children? Or is it because she is special?"


    He could not offer them much, but he offered to teach the young girl whenever he had the chance if she stayed here.


    He was also someone well known for his neutrality so Miss Rin knew she would not have to worry about this person.


    If he was offering them something that she had never been able to provide to her child, she would have been cruel to reject that genuine offer.


    She had already be a bad mother to her child, so she did not want to rob that child of this special opportunity as well.


    "Rinny! I know you were nning to sneak away without telling us! How could you do that!"


    "Peoplee and go in our lives. But those who we have been with at least deserve a proper send off."


    "You will have people you can be with going forward, we can see that, but you should at least thank us for looking after you two all these years!"


    Elders of the town, her neighbors, the people that had be her regrs¡­ all the people that she was going to leave behind in the Moongold, even the mayor and the guard captain that she had not been close with¡­ she did not tell any of them, but as they were leaving, all of them had gathered to send her off.


    And she did not know what to feel about this.


    "Yes¡­ I''m sorry¡­ I don''t know how to-."


    "You ungrateful woman. Don''t be all emotional now."


    They all knew the two that they were going with. And, they already knew the two will leave one day.


    She had told them how she liked to move around, they had heard from the young girl multiple times how they had been to many ces all this time.


    She was not Nomadic through her choice. She had her circumstances, they all knew that much.


    Yet, somehow, they spent years together.


    She became a part of their lives, and they became a little part of their lives.


    For them, she was more than a good neighbor. She was a good person that rarely came around.


    All of them including the child and her mother thought they could make this ce a home, but that was never an option.


    Even with all these people looking after her, even with the Librarian being there, now that she had exposed her powers, it was not possible to stay in this ce anymore.


    She would only put the people around her in danger. And she did not want that.


    "Haaa¡­ sister! They are teasing me!"


    "They are just ying dear~. Wait for your big brother~. When he is done with his prayers, they will stop on their own~!"


    They were on the edge of the town, in the graveyard, to offer theirst prayers to the people who departed before them, people that the four of them somehow knew as well.


    Elio was still offering his prayers and his thanks to all those that he had met and lost in this town, including the family of his little gecko friend.


    They were waiting for him, and when he was done, they would depart.


    "Miu~!"


    "Muuuuu!"


    "Chirp¡­"


    "Yes¡­ they are a headache."


    Misha was leaving the ce that had almost made home in her heart.


    She did not know if she would evere back, or if these people and this ce that she knew would still be here when she doese back in the future.


    But, she was not leaving this house alone this time.


    "Did you teach her anything useful Connie?"


    "Sadly, no. All she knows is how to erase her presence. Her Mana channels aren''t open yet so most of her powers haven''t bloomed yet.


    Continue your adventure at empire


    I was hoping it naturally happens and so that I can officially take her in as a disciple. But, it seems like that won''t be possible anymore."


    There were people here sending them off.


    There was a house of hers that might still be here when shees back.


    She was not alone this time either.


    She was leaving with her special friends and big brother and sister.


    "Alex, Miss Rin. I''m done."


    There were people here that would remember her, remember them.


    She did not want anything more than that, actually.


    Just this much was more than enough for her.


    "That''s why¡­ Please look after her when she understands the kind of powers she possesses."


    He did not want this child to suffer more than she already had.


    Not because of her amazing powers. Especially not because of her beautiful potential.


    "Both of them deserve happiness."


    They were taking them on a difficult journey.


    Both of them will be Elio and Alex''s responsibilities going forward.


    So, at least as someone who had crossed paths with these two unique people, he wanted them to find happiness wherever they go.


    "Don''t worry."


    And Elio wanted the same.


    "We will look after them."


    So, Alex will have to do her best to keep all herpanions safe going forward.

 Chapter 103 Travel to the next junction

    After saying their goodbyes to the people around them, they left the town in the carriage that they received at a discounted price thanks to Miss Aloha.


    She wanted to give it to them for free but they did not ept it, she knew they would not ept it even if she insisted.


    She knew them well, and now that they were going, she knew they were going to meet someday in the future as well.


    This was not the goodbye but simply a see you soon.


    Things were not anythingplicated here, they were yers and they were simply going to their next destination.


    The world was vast and they were going out to see all that was present in this vast world.


    There were a lot of things that they needed to see as a couple as well and she knew that very well.


    This was a game and a vast world for all of them to see and embrace, so¡­ she said her warm goodbyes as they parted ways with her in the carriage.


    This carriage was going to be their support and the horses driving the carriage were going to be their winds.


    "You know how to ride a carriage as well?"


    "I know a lot of things, hehe."


    Alex was riding the carriage and the horses were friendly.


    They were fast, but for now, they were going slowly.


    The children had fallen asleep, it was evening time, and they were going to rest in the closest vige to the Moongold.


    There were a lot of viges in Cromwell Viscounty, but there was only one big city in the entire region.


    The whole viscounty was made up of one main city, three towns, and eleven viges three of which were located around the Moongold.


    The one that they were going to stay in for tonight had a path directly connecting to the next town on their destination, and the town would be connected to the city with a highway so they were going to reach the city from that town with only a few night''s travel.


    The travel from the vige to the next town would take them around two days, which was rtively faster thanks to the good horses that were carrying them. Experience more tales on empire


    And then from the city of Cromwell Viscounty, they would move up to the central city of the western region, one of the main cities that are destinations of many of the yers who choose any town of Kingdom of Viv as their first destination.


    { "I think we will reach the vige in half an hour." }


    "Should I wake the children up?"


    "Oh, it''s fine. Let them rest."


    The carriage was small but it was enough for three people and a young girl.


    Alex and Miss Rin took turns riding the carriage while Elio looked after the children along with Sera.


    She had a good understanding of the environment around them thanks to her highly developed senses and her detection abilities, so whenever there was any kind of danger nearby, she informed them ahead of time.


    She preferred to fly instead of being with them so that things are more visible to her, and thanks to her, they avoided a lot of unnecessary confrontations as they approached the vige.


    "Alright¡­ are we really going to the Jungle of Nozama? Isn''t that too dangerous at your level?"


    The creatures in the jungle were no joke.


    It was not rmended to go to that ce before at least receiving the first enlightenment.


    "It''s fine. We will power level in the City and the next city we move to."


    There were hunting grounds, and the Viscount had personally invited them after hearing about all that they did in Moongold, so they were going to receive some kind of big quest from him as well.


    "The Cromwell viscounty is big but it does not have any ce where you could face creatures of high enough level to quickly progress in a small time though.


    We would at least have to stay there for a month-."


    "A week in this city and a month in the next. That is all we need."


    The Kingdom of Viv was divided into nine sections ording to the eight prominent directions and the center being the core of the kingdom.


    The North, East, West, and south were powers that were either governed by a Duke or a Marques. And then there were various feudal lords of various ranks.


    The southwestern region where Viscounty of Cromwell was located was mainly under a Count''s rule, but the southwestern ins that were reimed by the kingdom were all mainly under the western duke and southern marques.


    They protected the region from two sides, and the feudal lords looked after the various cities and towns located in the various regions of this ce.


    The kingdom was one of the only four ces on the western continent that the yers could go to anyway, but it was still special.


    "Really? If you two really achieve your first awakening in a mere two months'' time, I will be genuinely surprised."


    "Oh you can look forward to that, hehe."


    Alex was sure that Miss Rin would be quite surprised when she sees the kind of things that they were going to do.


    She knew what they had to do to quickly increase their levels. Gaining skills and recovering her lost strength would be easy for her, and knowing Elio, she knew he would be strong enough to match up to her in no time at all.


    He was studying magic while they traveled as well, so he was not wasting any of his time.


    He was smart and after seeing the magic of the Librarian, he was even more interested in the various kinds of magic one couldmand.


    "Oh, I see the vige."


    The rest at the vige will be brief and they will start their travels early in the morning.


    The next town that they were headed to was called [Yuta] named after a swordmaster that established it, and simr to Moongold, it also had its unique history and attractions.


    But, their stay in that town will be brief as well.


    Their main destination was the City of Cromwell, the [Kalp].


    Just like all cities, this one also had the [Gate] that was connected to various cities throughout the kingdom, pretty much like a teleportation gate.


    And, they were going to use it to connect with the main city of the western region, the central city of Luthor Dukedom.


    The ce where they would start their next exploration would be the great jungle located between the [Empire] and the kingdom of Viv.


    It was a high level hunting ground that not that many people go to, but they needed to go there.


    The second Key was there, and she needed to retrieve it to regain the next set of her new powers.

 Chapter 104 A new village

    "Excuse me."


    Miss Rin had been to this vige and she knew an inn owner so they directly went there.


    "Oh~. Customer-... Rin? Is that you~!?"


    It was an old man with a friendly face.


    And, as soon as he saw her, a bright smile bloomed on his face.


    "Hey there, Bill gramps."


    "It really is you~!"


    He was so happy to see her that he left the customer that he was attending to and came running to greet her.


    "How long has it been, my god. Thest time I saw you, you were leaving for Moongold."


    "It was only six months ago, not that long."


    She said she used to live here before she moved to Moongold.


    Since this vige was connected to the Town of Yuta, the travelers who went there through the road stopped here often and the trade in this vige was quite good as well, so she had also frequented here in the past.


    She knew this old man that used to be an adventurer in his younger days. And, she was close with him as well as his wife who ran this inn.


    "Hahaha, six months is like eternity to us old folks, you child. You know what, Warma was just talking about you a few days ago.


    Wait here, let me get her from the back."


    The old man seemed to be in his sixties but he had a good build and still looked quite vigorous. The way he ran to the back of the inn by passing through the tables also indicated his joints were still strong.


    "Haaa¡­"


    Elio found this old man fun.


    Even Alex, who was experienced with this world, could tell that unlike many normal natives, this old person had experienced the vastness of this world himself.


    She knew this person used to be an adventurer, and the adventurers were free spirits.


    They traveled throughout the world in search of various new adventures and she liked him for that much as well.


    "Come quick! Look who''s here~!"


    The old man brought an elderlydy who seemed to be covered in flour.


    She must be in the kitchen working from her messy clothing, and from how there was a handprint of flour on the grandpa''s face, they could tell what might have transpired in that back in this short time.


    "There better be a good reason for¡­ hmm? Is that¡­ Rin?"


    The old woman had blue eyes on her brown hair, while the white haired old man had pretty ck eyes.


    They seemed to be a pretty couple, and when the olddy saw Miss Rin, she also came running to greet her¨C showing how even her joints were still strong at that age.


    "It''s you! Rin! Oh my god, how have you been~!"


    The olddy greeted her with a hug, and unlike the grandpa, she also greeted the rest of them.


    "Oh, are these people with you¡­ oh! Is that Misha?"


    Misha had woken up a while back but she was still sleepy so she was just holding Alex''s hand as she walked with drowsy eyes.


    "She''s sleepy, Warma granny."


    "She''s grown up so much since thest time I saw her¡­ she''s even prettier now."


    The warm smile she had when she looked at the little girl was the signature old smiles that the grannies look at their grandchildren with.


    It seemed like she wanted to give the young girl a cookie as well, perhaps a chocte, but she understood how tired they all might be from her sleepy look.


    "Oh, right. You''re here to stay for the night? For longer? Please tell me you will stay for longer."


    "Ah¡­ no. Just the night."


    With a bitter smile, Miss Rin shook her head and the happiness on the granny''s face turned into sadness.


    "Oh¡­ I would have loved to have a chat if we had time¡­"


    It seemed like she really wanted to talk with her old daughter like an acquaintance, but Miss Rin shook her head once again.


    "We are going on a long journey, granny. We even have a carriage outside-."


    "You left your carriage unattended?! You children¡­"


    Grandpa was looking after the customers while the granny was talking with them, but as soon as he heard that they had a carriage, he quickly ran out to take care of it.


    Leaving carriages out on the road was no good idea, so he will first take it to the back where in the stables.


    "That old man¡­"


    Even the granny shook her head at how fast the grandpa ran. And then looked up at the rest of them with a sigh.


    "Come, let me give you the keys to your rooms. How many do you need again? Three? These two look like a couple so they will share one. Do you want a separate one for the child?"


    "Oh, no need. We will share one as well."


    Misha did not like sleeping alone anyway. So, Miss Rin shook her head and then bowed to the granny.


    "I want to talk as well, Granny Warma, but we must depart tomorrow. Though, if you would like, we can talk at night like old times."


    They could not stay here for long since they needed to reach the next town and then move to the city.


    They were invited by the Viscount and there was going to be a big party, so they could not bete for that.


    "You know what, dear? We would love that even more~."


    Granny could tell there were some circumstances from her expressions.


    She could also tell the people she was with, the Girl that looked much more experienced than her age, and the boy who was holding a Slime that possessed a Wand, a Mana beast, and a bird that most definitely was not a bird, were special people, just like her.


    From the looks of it, the two seemed to be herpanions, and¡­ the fact that this pitiful one had foundpanions that she could trust actually was something that the granny could not possibly ignore.


    "Then,e here. You should freshen up and eat something before we wrap things around here."


    The granny was a talkative one. And the grandpa was the loud one.


    Both of them used to be adventurers in their time, but now they ran an inn in a vige.


    "Thanks granny Warma."


    "Huhu, why are you thanking me~. Silly child."


    Apparently, both of them had been together for over thirty years now. And both of them used to be adventurers so, there were a lot of fun stories that they had for these young people.


    Now that they had the chance, they could not possibly miss this fun opportunity to once again talk with this unique mother, and her new uniquepanions as well.

 Chapter 105 Stories of past adventures

    The vige was much smaller than the Moongold town.


    There were only a few houses, and there were hardly any big establishments in the entire vige.


    One of the few big ces was the inn that they were staying in, a ce that was also one of the oldest in this ce.


    The old man and woman that operated this inn were famous people and they provided fairly good services to the people thate there at a reasonable price.


    This was a vige so the prices here were not the same as the town prices or the city prices. Things were cheaper here, and they especially offered quite affordable services.


    The inn that they operated was their house, a three story structure that was a fairly attractive ce in this small vige.


    There was a ce for the horses, the food here was good, they had unique magic enchantment rooms that stayed warm on cold nights, and there was also warm water here¨C a rare service that was notmon even in the towns.


    There were not many rooms so they were mostly full on business days, but, for an old acquaintance, they had made special space, and given the Miss and herpanions the most special rooms on the third floor.


    They only used these rooms for important guests, and she was an important guest to them right now.


    "Your hair is so pretty¡­"


    Grandma wasbing Alex''s hair, Alex wasbing Misha''s hair, and Misha was ying with Sera''s feathers.


    "It''s actually thanks to Miss Aloha and El. He mostly takes care of them."


    "I am the only one that takes care of those hairs. You are a wild animal that has no sense of responsibility when ites to those pretty hair."


    They were long, they were strong, and thanks to Miss Aloha, they were also prettier than they usually are.


    "Oh? Are you two acquainted with Miss Aloha as well? She''s quite famous around this vige, you know?"


    "Hmm? Really?"


    They were going to talk for a little longer now, and since Misha had finished her nap as well, she was going to join in on their talk along with Az and Miu.


    Elio was already by the firece with Grandpa and the two of them were spreading a nket on the floor for the rest of them.


    "You two seem to be quite close¡­ are you two married already? Or just engaged?"


    The grandpa smirked at him as he asked that with his rtively loud voice that the rest of them heard quite clearly.


    "Whaaaat~? Brother Elio and Sister are married~?" She turned around to look at her big sister with a new surprised expression.


    "No, silly. We are just¡­ partners. You know, more than friends. For now." But Alex just smiled at her and turned her head around as she continuedbing her pretty red hair.


    She nced at him, smirked for a moment, and shook her head as she continued with what she was doing.


    "We don''t really believe in the traditional engagement and marriage thing. Well, you can say that we are more than friends, perhaps something simr to a married couple.


    But, no. Officially, we are just a little more than friends."


    Engagement and marriage was something that did not really matter to either of them. They both understood one another, and they had been living together for years now.


    Giving one another rings and doing the traditional marriage thing was still pending, but they were thinking of exploring those things as well.


    His mom wanted them to do a grand wedding with all the traditional things and stuff anyway, but neither of them were ready for those things.


    They were happy with their lives, and even in this world, being together was more than enough.


    "Oh? Aren''t you an unorthodox couple~?"


    The two of them liked their thinking since the two were also somewhat like them.


    They were married for years, yes, but when they were their age and were exploring the world, they were also doing various things that weren''t fit for friends.


    They were pretty open minded back in those days, so both of them had a lot of acquaintances outside this vige.


    "Tell me more about yourself."


    They were donebing and braiding each other''s hair and Miss Rin was here with some snacks for everyone as well. So, they all sat down before the fire and started the conversation with Elio and Alex''s story.


    "Well¡­ there''s not much to tell about ourselves."


    There were a lot of things that they could have told them about themselves, but there really wasn''t really anything from their home world that they would like to know.


    They were a simple couple, so she just told them a few things about themselves, Elio added a few things and corrected a few things that she said, and then they told them about what things they had done until now in Moongold and how they were going to Kalp to meet the Viscount.


    They also told them how they would be going to the Jungle of Nozama.


    And both of the old ones were surprised when she mentioned that.


    "You are going to the Dark Jungle? Will you be joining some expedition?"


    "Nah, just us."


    Alex said that casually but both the old ones got a look of shock at her carefree attitude.


    "How can you say that with that carefree look when you are taking a child in that dangerous ce?"


    Grandma was upset, but she did not shout at them.


    She just asked a question with a louder voice, and Alex answered her just as simply as she had replied to her earlier.


    "We won''t be putting either of them in harm''s way. I know my way through that forest path."


    She gave them a reliable smile¡­ and hidden behind that smile was a deep determination to protect what belonged to her.


    "We will make sure they are safe. You don''t have to worry about them." And, Elio added in her word with a determined expression of his own that was much more serious than hers.


    He was clearly showing how he would do anything within his power to keep hispanions safe.


    And, the old couple who were familiar with the kind of eyes these two young individuals had, understood their desires.


    "I see."


    They had roamed the world as well.


    They had met people and though they did not chase strength like many of their acquaintances did, they had experience.


    And their experiences told them how capable these two individuals were despite their low levels.


    "Well, if they are with someone like you two, I believe they will be fine."


    Granny smiled at them, and the grandpa nodded vigorously with a smile of his own.


    "Enough about them. Rin, tell me about how you have been~."


    The night was young.


    And the stories were abundant.


    Elio was meeting experienced natives who had explored the world as adventurers for the first time like this¡­ he had many questions for them as well.


    And with the flowing gray clouds in the fine night sky, they were going to see how many of these questions of one another they could satisfy in this limited time they had¡­

 Chapter 106 Stories of past adventures (2)

    "Then, granny, tell us a few things about yourself as well."


    Now that Alex and Elio had told them about themselves and a short bit about how Miss Rin''s life had been in Moongold, they wanted to know more about the adventures of this old couple.


    "You were adventurers¡­ How much have you traveled? How many towns, cities, dungeons have you been to?


    The Grandpa seems to be a greatsword user and granny must have been at least a (tier-4) master, right?"


    Alex could tell the two of them were quite strong despite their old age. Their levels were not too high, but they were still higher than the guards of the Moongold.


    Levels don''t drop with age, but the strength of the human body is finite. And old age for the normal humans is an eternal truth that brings them down from their former glorious peaks.


    Still, the experience that one gains through the growing age is priceless.


    Even if they might not have the kind of strength that they might have used to, they undoubtedly had much more experience than any of them did.


    "I wasn''t a master, missy. But yes, I know a little bit of magic."


    The grandma called up her Mana and made a few strings out of it, weaved them together into something new, and made a thread that then vanished into thin air.


    "Wow¡­"


    Her control over Mana was amazing.


    Elio had seen some mages in the town while they were still there after the library event, but he had not seen them do something like this directly with Mana so this surprised him quite a bit.


    "Oh you will be able to do this as well, pretty boy. This is just the basics."


    To create original spells, one needed to have an understanding of magic and the elemental properties. And he was studying that already.


    But the mastery of Mana maniption and the kind of precision that she had just shown just now were something prettyplicated.


    One needed experience. As well as a lot of practice to handle Mana the way she just did.


    "But you know what? I was quite surprised to see a Slime with a wand. It''s not every day you see creatures who cast magic, and ones that have a wand of their own are even more rare."


    "Hmmm?"


    The way she phrased it implied that this was not a one of a kind case.


    "Have you met other creatures who had wands, granny?"


    Not just Elio but even Alex was confused right now.


    As the granny said, the creatures that could cast magic were rare already, but the ones who also had a wand of their own?


    "How did you know it was a magic wand though? That''s the bigger question."


    A wand was a special object that surely contained Mana but it was not something that one could distinguish from the normal objects unless they check it with an appraisal skill and find something peculiar within the information that they obtain.


    "Oh, right. I didn''t tell you, right? Granny has {Eyes of Vas} the skill that-."


    "The special skill that (Blue great apes) possess?"


    Alex suddenly looked at the granny with a surprised expression.


    "Why is someone possessing such a skill here? You could very well be a royal subject or have a noble title if you want."


    She did not know how she had it, but the skill that they were talking about was one of the high ranking skills in the Appraisal skill category.


    The (Blue great apes) are on average (Level-150) creatures that are found on the eastern continent''s high mountain peaks.


    Their famous skill is something so special that not many people in the world possess something like that, and they don''t drop the Skill essence with this particr skill that often either.


    To see this skill in the Kingdom and not in the empire was pretty surprising to her, but for a granny of some vige to possess a skill that only rankers have¡­ this was quite unusual. Read exclusive adventures at empire


    "Well¡­"


    Granny did not have an answer for her.


    Why wasn''t she a noble and just an innkeeper in some vige? Well, she wanted this. Not some life of luxury.


    "I like being here. That kind of life¡­ it''s not for me."


    She smiled warmly at Rein. But, Rein could only shake her head at this absurd revtion.


    "Haha, there are some unique things in this world, as well as some unique people.


    I''m a simple old woman that likes working with her husband in this small vige¡­ but we used to be part of a fun group of people as well."


    Granny caressed the little slime, and looked at the funny gecko with a warm expression.


    "We used to travel together, throughout the world, see ces, live in some, go around helping others, fighting, ying¡­ those were fun times."


    She told them how they were part of a big adventurers group that used to be famous back in their times.


    "Yes, we had met a creature who possessed a wand as well."


    But unlike this little slime, that being was an old Ent. Something that was much older than thebined age of the people of their group back in the days.


    "I can tell this slime is special through my eyes, I can tell that little gecko is special through my experience, and one does not need experience or a skill to tell this adorable looking bird is, in fact, something unfathomable."


    She started her story with them going into a deep forest and stumbling upon an old looking tree.


    There, one of their group members suddenly vanished so they started searching for them and they found the entrance to a hidden dungeon hidden under the roots of the giant tree.


    They went in, and there, they encountered a single creature guarding doors to a great treasure chest.


    "We were young back then, so we challenged the creature."


    "However¡­"


    A bitter look clouded their faces and tears almost slid out on the granny''s eyes.


    "It was a foolish decision¡­ but thankfully¡­ all of us survived."


    She lost her own magic wand that day, the grandpa suffered a great injury as well.


    They all could have died, but thanks to their leader, they managed toe out of that ce alive.


    "We reported that dungeon, but it took the sacrifice of Thirty knights, twenty mages, and ten archers to subjugate that creature.


    Its magic was beyond human. And¡­ it was fulfilling a duty."


    "It was quite a famous incident back in the days, but with time, people forgot about it.


    Our friends went their own way, and we settled down in this peaceful ce."


    Both of them could tell neither of them regret settling down here. They could even tell the two of them were happy here.


    So, Alex just nodded with a helpless smile, shook her head while looking at Elio expressing her understanding, and then, seeing how Misha was sleepy once again, Alex suggested something that would cheer up their mood as well.


    "How about you tell us more about your time together with grandma?"


    The question was directed to grandpa, but they knew it was for both of them.


    And from the inappropriate smile on her pretty face illuminated by the orange warmth of the fire, the adults knew what kind of ''time together'' she was talking about¡­

 Chapter 107 Departure from the village

    "When will youe back then?" Before Miss Rin boarded the carriage with Misha and Elio, she hugged her pretty granny warmly. Find more to read at empire


    "Who knows?" And with a rather happy smile, she said her goodbyes to this kind couple.


    "Weee-hyehyehye~!"


    The horses were ready to depart.


    The night that they spent with this old couple was a new kind of experience for Alex and Elio.


    They were quite different from a normal couple. They were even different from his parents.


    The life that they had lived was different, the things that they did in their lives were different, the things that they had experienced in their lives were different, even the way they had grown up was different.


    The old couple did not have any children, they could not¡­ sadly.


    But they had been together. And they were happy.


    They had a home, and they had helped many that they hade across in their lives.


    They did not have their own children, but many yers who lived in this vige, as well as the children that the vigers had all knew this couple, and were quite close to them.


    They were famous in their vige, and they were loved by many.


    Even though they did not have the kind of strength they had in their prime, even though they could not have the kind of adventures that they used to have, they were happy in this small ce.


    "Alex?"


    Elio had learned a thing or two from the old granny, and he had obtained a unique book from her as a gift.


    "Yes, gimme a minute please."


    A red diary that belonged to her in her younger days.


    It was a diary that contained a lot of things that she had learned as a mage, notes, her life experiences, stories¡­ it was a special item that had magical pages so that one could write three times more in those pages.


    Additionally, one could add more pages to this diary by materializing their own Mana¨C a difficult process, but something possible.


    "I don''t think it will have any meaning at this age, dear."


    While granny helped the young boy, the young girl, his partner, helped the older man.


    "I''m not saying you should have children¡­ well, you can if you want to. Granny is still in great shape, but it is up to you.


    This works. It is possible. And it is up to you."


    They deserved happiness, as well as pleasure.


    She knew they were happy. They were genuinely happy, she knew that. But if they wanted, there could be more happiness, more bliss in their life.


    An injury of the past did not have to necessarily be a full stop in their personal lives.


    She did not know the kind of agony they might have felt in their younger days, just how much they might have suffered together to be indifferent to those feelings.


    "Our happiness is our right. No one can take it from us, and we do not have to give in to any external factor either."


    She said her goodbye to the old man, she received a bitter smile from the granny as she said her goodbyes as well, and then, she bowed and thanked both of them before boarding the carriage.


    She was the only one who had stayed behind after saying their goodbyes. And now that she had told him all that she wanted, she climbed the carriage.


    And before they departed, from the driver''s seat at the front of the carriage, she gave them ast warm smile.


    "You deserve that bliss."


    It was just sad that they could not express their affection, their love in the most simple way, connect their bodies, and experience the most basic mortal bliss through the act of lovemaking.


    They were amazing people.


    And she genuinely wanted them to be happier together.


    "Hiayaa!"


    Their time in this vige was short, but they had a fun night with these fun people.


    "Ba-byeee grandma Warma! Grandpa Bill!"


    Misha also liked these people.


    She was shy around people and took a while to get used to them, but she knew them from her past, so it did not take her long to get used to them.


    She was also not sad that they were leaving so early.


    Last night was fun for her.


    "Miu!"


    "Muuuu!"


    "Take care of those little ones~."


    Granny had strangely gotten attached to the slime and little Gecko.


    One was as curious as a one year old child, while the other smiled so happily that it seemed like sadness, or any kind of negative emotions did not even exist for it.


    "Chirp~!"


    [{ They are nice people. }]


    "Aren''t they?"


    Even Sera found these two unique among the hundreds of people she had seen since she became his servant.


    "They are fun."


    Elio was leaving another fun bunch, and once again, he was carrying with him something that would remind him of them.


    This diary contained what she had experienced and learned.


    She was not able toplete this magical diary¡­ but, now that it belonged to him, he was going to do what she could not.


    ...


    -Tab-dak. Tab-dak.


    ...


    [{ Master, I see some abnormal activities ahead. }]


    "Abnormal activities?"


    The horses were fast, it was early morning, and the road to the next destination, the town of Yuta, was pretty much straight.


    There was no forest and the solid path was well built.


    There weren''t any monster habitats around the vige so, there should not have been any abnormal activities for a few more hours now.


    But, if Sera detected something ahead on an open road, they surely were going to encounter something up ahead.


    "Alex¡­"


    "I know. I can tell something isn''t right either."


    The road was quite quiet.


    There should have been more sounds around¡­ but the straight road seemed like it was experiencing the silence right after some kind of incident.


    "Halt."


    As they traveled a little more, they saw the abnormal activities that the bird had informed them of.


    "Kekeke, another bunny~? Aren''t we lucky today~?"


    And, this was quite a ssic situation¡­

 Chapter 108 Classic bandits

    The rising sun peeked over the horizon, casting a golden glow on the dusty, solid road. Alex, her ck hair pulled back in many braids, steered the rickety carriage with a confident hand. Fear, worry, concern, anxiety¡­ all that was a stranger to those heavenly blue eyes.


    "Ahem. We''ve gotpany, everyone."


    Behind her, amongst the worn cushions, herpanions shifted. Elio looked from the open front, and Sera came back inside from the open back.


    Aical cough escaped from one, a curious nce exchanged between the young girl and her mother.


    Up ahead, a ramshackle barricade of scrap wood, metal, and stones blocked the path. Around ten figures, bandits by the looks of them, lounged with haughty looks, their faces covered in pleased smirks.


    Alex, unfazed, pulled the carriage to a halt just a few feet from the barricade. Anyone else would have stopped a mile away from this barricade after noticing it, but not her. Right now, just like how the ssic bandits had pleased smirks on their faces, she had a smile of excitement on hers.


    "Can I have them?"


    "They look fun, though. Can I try out some magic on them?"


    "Nah. There doesn''t seem to be any mages among them. Lemme have them, hehe."


    The bandits stirred, eyeing the carriage with suspicion. One, a hulking brute with a wickedly curved de strapped to his thigh, lumbered towards them.


    Even to them, this was strange.


    A carriage was almost stopping in front of their faces, and instead of trying to turn and run away, they were chatting among themselves?


    They found it quite funny, actually.


    "Well, well," he rasped, his voice gravelly from years of smoking. "What do we have here?"


    He approached them, his height almost two meters, with arms as big as her thighs, his bicep veins pulsing with vigor as if they had been pumped already.


    He was bald, his skin bronze. The sword was now in his hands, and the aura exuding from him was threatening.


    But, as he stood before the attractive female driver, a rather faint blush bloomed on his clean face.


    "Well¡­" Alex''s lips curved into a wider smirk, a glint ofedy in her eyes.


    "Not today," she said, her voice ringing with a confidence that belied the outnumbered situation. The bandits exchanged surprised nces. This wasn''t the usual scared traveler they preyed on.


    This was not like the group that they had just captured.


    This was different.


    -Dhum!


    They suddenly heard a strange sound, and the towering giant of their group, their shield and protector giant, was suddenly thrown all the way to the back.


    -Dherrrrr!


    "Hello there, fun people."


    She started with the first one, and then she vanished from her driver''s seat.


    -Dhum!


    The giant had crashed a few meters before them, but in a blink of an eye, he started flying once again and was thrown right into their barricade!


    -Bhum!


    Three individuals of the group were hit by the giant body and crashed into the barricade along with him, and this was the moment when the bandits realized¡­


    "We fucked up."


    -Dhum!


    -Dhank!


    -Boom!


    "Wow~. Is that how you fight, mommy~?"


    The young girl enjoyed the show, even though it had onlysted for a few moments.


    "Miu!"


    The gecko liked the fight, while the little slime also wanted to join in on this fun thing.


    But Elio kept it in his first grasp.


    "No, little one. We don''t have to kill them."


    "Muuuu~."


    "No. You are too strong. Perhaps next time, ok?"


    Alex used her {Blink} and her hands.


    She did not need to use any other skill, or even her sword or dagger, or even a twig to deal with these little, adorable bandits.


    They were nothing in front of her anyway, so, this little meeting they had was only going to be a negative thing for them.


    "Huuu~."


    Alex finished them in no time, and then she tied them up with a string rope.


    "That was some good exercise."


    The sun was rising on the horizon. This was early morning.


    The bandits that were just smirking at them and were somehow blocking this road with a strong looking barricade were now bruised and bleeding.


    Some had also fallen unconscious from her beating.


    All of them were alive, and handing them to the authorities would earn them rewards.


    The soldiers that maintain this road should be here anytime now, the time was approaching as well, so they would arrive soon, and with that, the bandits would be dealt with.


    "Just how weak were the people before us that you dealt with, hun?"


    These bandits weren''t that big a deal. They were pretty high level, but they neither had any special skills or even abilities to take down someone that had any kind of protection with them.


    It was actually strange how they were able to deal with someone else¡­


    "Who was it¡­?"


    There should not be that many people traveling on this road this early in the morning. People mostly left the vige to go to the town when they took this road.


    It was also a one way that was rarely used so there were also not that many people around, so¡­ who was it that they dealt with in this ce?


    And, why were they barricading this ce in the first ce?


    How did the soldiers that should be patrolling this ce not see it?


    Actually, if they had barricaded this ce not long ago and had captured someone as they were saying earlier, where was the person, loot, and the carriage that they looted?


    "..."


    {Blink}


    Why were the bandits that should be screaming with high and mighty curses like the peacock before the rain not even saying anything at all?


    This should not have been like this.


    [{ "Elio, get ready with Miss Rin." }]


    This wasn''t right.


    If anything, why did the bandits look so clean if they were bandits?


    [{ "It''s magic. Sera just noticed as well." }]


    They should be disgusting, they should be wearing alcohol stained clothing, they should be smelling like bandits should.


    { "It ismendable you noticed this." }


    This was not right. And she knew it.


    -Ooooooooooooong! Continue your saga on empire


    Natural magic, wind element, Preservation series, (tier-4) spell: (Illusion barrier).


    Since the moment they started feeling that weird sensation, they had entered the magic barrier of a mage.


    To be more specific¡­


    "Greetings, friends from the other world."


    Magic of a greedy mage tower master.

 Chapter 109 Mage tower master

    "You might have heard of me already, but allow me to introduce myself."


    The bandits that she had beaten up vanished into thin air along with the barricade that was created by them.


    The atmosphere around them changed, the window flow shifted, the calmness of the winds also became unstable for a moment, but that onlysted for three seconds.


    -Crrr¡ªek!


    With a shattering sound of ss, they felt the air pressure around them shifting. And when they blinked, someone they had never seen before personally was standing right in front of them.


    "I''m the master of Moongold town''s magic tower, Ryan Von Luliby. A (tier-4) Advanced magician, studying the magic of nature, blessed by the winds, and treading on the path of Preservation."


    Long green hair that seemed to contain a magical glow, White mage clothing that at a nce could be apprised as a high value item, a face that was no less attractive than Elio''s, surrounding air that gave off a magical, almost fantastical feel¨C this person before them, this noble looking man holding a tall magic staff, this strong individual of over the hundredth level¡­


    "The hell are you doing here, you jerk?"


    He was the materialistic bastard that she wanted to avoid and the person that she disliked even more than the librarian.


    "Oho? Seems like you are one of those sharp tongued foreigners."


    He smirked at her, and started approaching them with a unique but calm attitude.


    "Anyway¡­"


    He was walking with calm, slow steps. But, none of them noticed how or when he crossed over six meters in a blink of an eye, and appeared right beside Alex.


    "There seems to be more interesting things here than I expected."


    He looked inside the carriage, at Elio, at Misha, at Miss Rin, at the Slime, gecko, and the pretty bird. His deep green eyes were sparking, glowing with a unique light, indicating he was looking at them with his unique appraisal skill.


    "Who would have thought-."


    She could not react when he suddenly appeared beside her, but he made a mistake if he was thinking they were anything easy to deal with.


    -Swish!


    She instinctively swung her hand and a de appeared in her hands out of her inventory.


    "Woah."


    It was no simple de, it was coated with a lethal poison that could be fatal even to someone like him if it had even so much as touched his skin.


    But it did not.


    He vanished just like he had appeared beside her, and gained some distance from them.


    "Aren''t you a wild one?"


    He smirked once again at them from a distance, but now, he knew he would not be able to deal with them.


    "Stay here with Miu, Misha."


    Elio came out of the carriage along with Az and Miss Rin.


    Alex also took out a unique looking sword from her inventory that most definitely was an enchanted item.


    Az knew the time for him to show his skills had arrived, so it also took out the magical staff that the mage tower master found the most fun.


    "Is that a wand? Damn¡­ just how much more fun is this going to be?"


    "Sera."


    [{ Yes, master. }]


    This person, the mage tower master, someone who was said to be over (Level-100) did note out of his sweetb when the town where his tower was, was being attacked by a dark magician.


    He was famous for being a materialistic bastard, actually he was infamous.


    It was said that there was a time when he wiped out a vige saying themoners who lived there had disrespected him and were working with demons to tarnish the image of the nobility.


    He was from a baron family, the lowest order nobles, and yet he had managed to climb to the position of a tower master in histe forties.


    It was said that he did all kinds of experiments to look attractive and young like the actual mages from the dark novels do.


    And it was said that if it was for his research, for the Preservation of his own self, he would go to any length, even epting assisination tasks from the higher ranking lords.


    "Kehehehe. When I sensed that distinct holy power, I did think some remnant of that wicked kingdom had crawled into my darling town.


    But it was surprising even to me how that person was in fact not someone new, but someone who had been living right under my nose for so damn long~~."


    The winds changed once again, and this time, they were much more violent and sharp than they had previously been.


    "After knowing how my prize money was going away with the ''saviors'' of the town, I felt extremely bad, you know?


    I was heartbroken.


    That bastard librarian was a hindrance, but thanks to some distraction, I was able to slip away from him, hehe."


    Elio cast a magic barrier around them with a scroll, a Preservation spell of water element.


    Then, while that mage was bbering, he cast all the buffs that he could on the sword wielding Alex, and the longsword wielding Miss Rin.


    "Do you know why I did not just kill all of you extras when I had the chance?" Find adventures on empire


    Alex moved, used her sword and aimed at the point that she knew the mage will appear after using his wind magic.


    But, even though she was on point, he was covered by a swirling wind that blocked her attack.


    "I saw a pretty looking bird, and was momentarily awestruck~."


    Miss Rin conjured her Holy power, wrapped it around her sword, and also used her movement technique to close the distance between him and the mage.


    "Then, when you came inside of my illusion, I saw a unique looking sword with a strange girl that I could not figure out the strength of."


    Elio used restriction spells, but they were pretty much useless against a mage that understood his magic on a deep level and could [Dismantle] it with just a drop of his Mana.


    -Ooooooooooooong!


    Even Az and Sera used their magic, their powerful magic, but even that was useless against someone who knew more magic than any of thembined.


    "Then, I got curious."


    He was not using any offensive spells.


    He was just toying with all of them.


    "How could a girl be anything normal when she is surrounded by all these people?"


    -Oooooooooooong!


    He was not showing it until now, but since the start, he was not aiming for any of them.


    "You know what I noticed after that?"


    "No!"


    "Alex!"


    "...!"


    "A simple young girl was holding a Mana beast with her bare hands."


    -Swiiiiiiiiiish¡­!


    A sphere of wind flew to the carriage with downed horses, an afraid young girl, as well as a gecko that was not smiling anymore.


    It was offensive magic, and it was aimed not to harm the girl, but to destroy everything else that was present around this girl.


    "Miu."


    Everything¡­ including the little gecko friend that she was hugging with all the strength of her delicate life.


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