《NEW TESTAMENT REAPER》


 Chapter 0 - Prologue - Those Who Smile Back

    Those Who Smile Back


    <hr>


    Death.


    It was the close stranger that awaited every living thing at the end of their flickering lifespan. Though it was the inevitable end, the majority of those who had such a fate in store for them simply chose to ignore it up until the very last moment; choosing instead to avert their eyes from the slow passage of time that encroached upon them like a prowling specter.


    As comical as it may sound, those who had managed to survive near death experiences often recounted seeing visions of an actual looming specter amidst the entirety of their life¡¯s brief experiences flashing before their eyes.


    They say it was a figure cloaked in a mantle so dark it could easily send shivers down the spine of even the bravest souls. According to them, the crimson gleam emanating from his peering eye sockets would glare down at them with a gaze so blatantly condescending it was as if he was watching worms writhing about in the dirt. Not to mention the intimidating obsidian scythe he lazily hoisted over his shoulder, that chilling image mixed with his demented smile just went to make the experience all the more terrifying.


    ¡°Shinigami, The Dark shepherd, Santa Muerte...¡± the emissary of death went by many names, but the most notable one amongst them all was undoubtedly ¡°The Grim Reaper.¡±  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    After centuries of watching the last embers of mortal lives burn through their fragile brilliance, that particular name had somehow managed to catch on. The only reason it even took so long to begin with was because of the age old saying ¡°Dead Men Tell No Tales". So even if one did manage to catch a glimpse of this so-called Grim Reaper, they certainly wouldn''t live to tell about it, after all there were only so many of those lucky enough to slip through even the welcoming fingers of death itself.


    In their final moments, despite averting their eyes from the cruel reality that had been awaiting them for the entirety of their lifespan, mortals would always end up complaining about their lingering regrets. Seeing as their dying whispers were too weak for any mortal ears to decipher, only one person was able to bear witness to the countless tragic tales, and in spite of he himself not even knowing why he was doing it in the first place, he would listen every time...all the way to the end.


    The Grim Reaper these mortals had dreaded, feared and despised ever since the day they were born would ultimately be the only one able to lend them an ear in the end - Quite Ironic.


    However, even though the majority of the souls he¡¯d guided were often full of regret, ever so often a few anomalies would come up. A rare specimen that had no regrets whatsoever, the ones that had managed to live their lives to the fullest despite the brief time they were given - In truth, those were the stories he¡¯d wanted to hear most of all, because in the end, those were the people who were brave enough to smile back.

 Chapter 1 - Beginning Of Ruin - Part One

    Beginning Of Ruin (1)


    <hr>


    A cold wisp of wind blew over the usually tranquil river that our small wooden boat was now drifting along, despite its old age I¡¯m proud to say that I¡¯d never heard this thing let out even so much as a screech over the passing centuries; not even once.


    Dancing in the midst of nature¡¯s cold embrace was a field of red spider lilies that stretched across the land on either side of my view, as usual the crimson field stood out even when under the full embrace of the moon¡¯s splendor, but I¡¯d gotten used to the peculiar sight of their vibrant beauty long ago, though there was in fact a time when I held an unfound hatred for them, one that smoldered within my heart by the day.


    Looking back, it all feels somewhat comical now seeing as I can¡¯t even remember why I hated them so much in the first place, heh - I doubt I can even feel much of anything that strongly anymore.


    ¡°.......nigami......shinigami are you listening? You¡¯ve been really quiet for a while now.¡±


    The woman sitting directly across from me called out in a voice coated with a tinge of concern. Given the current situation though, the fact that she could maintain such an aloof demeanor was nothing short of amazing. The gentle smile now curling up from her lips seemed to outshine even the orbs of pale green light surrounding her.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m always listening. It¡¯s just been a while since anybody¡¯s called me that.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu...you¡¯re always listening huh? Is that your way of showing compassion?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Humans just seem to like having someone around to listen to their woes one final time. Since I¡¯m already sending them off, I figured that much was the least I could do.¡±


    ¡°.....You can try being a bit more honest with me you know? After all it''s obvious that you love listening to their last words, everything from the good and the bad. Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re usually so quiet?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into it, Luelle...¡±


    After giving that reply I saw her looking over at me with a conspicuous smirk lining her lips. Her mischievous blue eyes peered out at me from between the gap in the two bangs of blonde hair that had managed to carefully frame her small face.


    ¡°Heh-Heh...there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. You should try being a bit more friendly, if you did that then the mortals probably wouldn''t have all those nasty rumors going around about you.¡±


    ¡°How exactly am I supposed to be more friendly? And besides you¡¯re the one who told me to start smiling whenever I appear before them.¡±


    Her cheeks began reflecting a vibrant shade of red, directing her vision towards the blossoming lilies, I heard the subtle chuckles of laughter coming from her.


    ¡°.....Wait was that on purpose?¡±


    ¡°...Hehheh...No but come on, anybody would be scared if you showed up dressed in that mantle and smiling with a scythe across your shoulder. If you want to seem more approachable, try taking that hood off first.¡±


    Even though her chuckling laughter was somewhat irritating, I decided to take her advice one last time. Lifting the mantle that previously focused my vision, I exposed myself to the night sky¡¯s splendor on nothing more than a whim.


    *CLAP*


    After watching me expose my skeletal face, Luelle made that gesture as if to congratulate me on something.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good start, although those gleaming red eye sockets of yours could use a little work. Why don¡¯t you try taking another form?¡±


    After making a strange gesture with her hands, she leaned in towards me, now trying to capture my figure with the strange box like construct she¡¯d made with her fingers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t see the point. More importantly, Luelle.......¡±


    Though it was completely unintentional, for some reason my voice had trailed off just now.


    ¡°....don¡¯t you have any worthwhile stories left to tell me?¡±


    The moonlight flickered across her now glossy eyes, fixing the wriggly smile that was slowly starting to contort, I watched as she took a few deep breaths.


    ¡°Mhmm......Come to think of it, I¡¯ve probably told you all the interesting stories I have to offer. It¡¯s strange, even though we¡¯ve known each other for a really long time, it feels like there¡¯s not much to say between us right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, looking back now I feel like I¡¯ve heard it all.¡±


    ¡°Ah! What¡¯s that supposed to mean!? You¡¯ve gotten really smug over the years you know; I remember when you were just a-¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°That was a long time ago. I¡¯m surprised you can still remain so calm through all of this.¡±


    Her voice lost a bit of its eccentric vigor after hearing my reply. While it was rare to see Luelle go so quiet all of a sudden, it wasn''t that strange of a phenomenon. This river radiated an aura of calmness so profound it could even quell the worries of drifting souls, and yet it was so subtle in the way it operated that you wouldn¡¯t even notice it unless you actually took a moment to pause and listen.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say that I¡¯m not the least bit worried but even Celestials like me aren¡¯t eternal. We do need to reincarnate every now and then so there¡¯s just no helping it.¡±


    ¡°Those wandering spirits are still clinging to you even now huh?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah....It¡¯s about high time I send them off.¡± Rising from her seat, the cascading white dress she wore promptly flopped down to the wooden floor. She gazed up at the drifting moon with one last look of resignation before gently flicking her finger, the green orbs surrounding her began scattering into the wind like luminous lanterns.


    ¡°As flamboyant as ever. Spirits obey you without a second thought.... You¡¯re almost making it look too easy.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that hard once you¡¯re able to understand them, maybe you should try a different approach.¡± Reclaiming her previous poised posture, Luelle sat across from me but this time she was staring off into the field of spider lilies on her right.


    ¡°Do you have any regrets?¡±


    Just then, her slender grip on the boat¡¯s wooden edge tightened for a brief instant.


    ¡°.....You really do see through everything....¡± After muttering those words in a somber voice so faint the drifting winds could barely carry it, she turned to face me once more, a single teardrop glided down her right cheek before falling onto the boats weathered wooden floor.


    ¡°....I wanted to try living a normal life. Not as a Celestial, but simply as Luelle, a normal girl that could go about doing normal things.¡±


    ¡°You....wanted to be mortal?¡±


    Her eyes drooped after hearing my question.


    ¡°....Pathetic isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Although those words sounded bitter and cold, I got the feeling she couldn¡¯t help but want to express them.


    ¡°One of Eden¡¯s best Celestials wanted a normal life, eh? Even I couldn¡¯t have predicted that one, but it¡¯s not pathetic. Almost everyone has regrets at the end, expressing them for the final time is just a part of the process.¡±


    Her eyes slowly widened in shock after hearing those words, soon after she began chuckling to herself, briskly wiping away the steady stream of fluid that had been pooling at the corner of her eyes.


    ¡°Heh-Heh...I suppose you¡¯re right. Leave it to Grimm to give the perfect pep-talk right at the end.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still using that name huh....... The pep-talk is just standard practice at this point.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.....¡± She stared at me with a hint of suspicion in her eyes.


    ¡°So what about you Grimm....do you have any regrets?¡±


    ¡°I wonder......¡±


    I¡¯d heard many a confession over the long centuries I¡¯ve spent seeing souls off. From tales of grandeur and conquest to absolute travesties....I¡¯d pretty much heard it all. But If I were to have any regrets myself, they must''ve parted from this realm a long time ago.


    ¡°Regret huh? I¡¯ve already forgotten what that feels like.¡±


    Just then, a faint azure glow began illuminating Luelle¡¯s body like a thin sheen of wax. The wispy coating soon began emitting faint particles of blue light, illuminating the stagnant water¡¯s below in a veil of delicate light that moved with us as we drifted downstream.


    ¡°So it¡¯s begun huh....¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± She gave a faint nod, the motion obviously being pressured by the reluctance now weighing over her.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you off, just like I promised.¡±


    ¡°Thank You...¡± Her voice now sounded remarkably somber, like that of a small child offering their earnest gratitude.


    For a while, it was silent. There was still much for us to say to each other but even though this was the perfect time for it, there was no urge to prolong our conversation. This serene silence was ironically the perfect fit for the current mood.


    ¡°Haaah....what am I doing? This isn¡¯t how things usually are.¡±


    Luelle¡¯s voice sounded like it was drifting farther and farther away, but her tone had perked up considerably like she¡¯d just remembered some grand idea.


    ¡°Hey Grimm listen, I¡¯ll be going away for a little while but that doesn¡¯t mean you should go back to your usual drab routine.¡±


    ¡°Are you really trying to give me advice at a time like this?¡±


    ¡°Agghhh!!......there you go again with that flat tone of yours. If I ever see you again, I hope you won¡¯t still sound like that.¡±


    Even though more than half of her lower body had now dissipated into fading particles of light, this girl still insisted on pestering me to the very end.


    ¡°Who knows if that will even happen.¡±


    ¡°Just promise me you won¡¯t be so gloomy if I ever see you again.¡±


    ¡°......................¡±


    ¡°Oh come on! You should be answering immediately at a time like this....or what are you afraid you won¡¯t be able to change?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°Then promise me. A reaper always keeps their promises, right?¡±


    This ridiculous request was nothing more than an attempt to satisfy one of her own personal whims that may never even come true, but seeing as this was a one-time thing there was no real harm in accepting. I¡¯ll just write it off as a century old favor to a friend.


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    After hearing my admission of reluctant compliance, her glistening figure, now just a head bore a bright grin despite the pooling fluid leaking from the corner of her eyes.


    ¡°Thanks a lot Grimm, for everything!¡±


    Bursting in a flash of violent light, the final fragments of Luelle¡¯s essence scattered across the night sky by way of nature¡¯s nightly whims.

 Chapter 2 - Beginning Of Ruin - Part Two

    Beginning Of Ruin (2)


    <hr>


    Slowly coming to a halting stop, the wooden boat previously acting as my mode of transport came to a complete rest against the river''s gentle current, precisely lining up with the river dock now on my right.


    Stepping out of the drifting craft, my feet made contact with the solid ground once more. For some reason the ground below me felt somewhat ethereal after travelling that short distance by water. Laid out in front of me was a paved path that perfectly divided the rows of red spider lilies on either side.


    Strewing the familiar weapon across my shoulders, I flicked the timeless hood over my head before traversing the vacant road with no particular destination in mind, as I walked by, the spider lilies blowing in the wind would halt their swaying motions in an unnatural display of primal fear.


    No matter how much I tried to tone it down, it seems the ominous pressure being emitted by this body couldn¡¯t help but inspire fear in the hearts of living creatures. Even here in this Celestial realm, it was still the domain of the living so my presence here was hardly ever warranted, nor welcomed for that matter. It wasn¡¯t hard for me to see the effect my presence had on a given setting, it would always elicit a combination of three reactions from those around me.


    It was either fear, hatred or anxiety.


    That was the case for all but one....just a single girl didn¡¯t seem to mind me being near her at all.


    Just as I was about to rescind myself to the inevitable fate that came along with this existence, I saw something or rather, someone approaching in the distance.


    It was another young female wearing glasses and speeding towards me as fast as her nimble legs could carry her. She was holding something like a scroll in her right hand and given how awkward her tumbling strides were, it was clear that athletics weren¡¯t her forte.


    As soon as she¡¯d gotten within range, her eyes sparked with a sudden realization, and she abruptly placed her right leg in front of her to slow her awkward sprint. Kicking up a fit of dust in the process, the green haired girl stopped just a few footsteps away from me before immediately bowing in a trembling motion.


    ¡°G-G-good evening, Sir Shinigami....or would you prefer Sir Reaper instead?¡± That timid question trailed behind her upturned eyes.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What is it Minerva? I doubt you sprinted all the way here just to give me such an awkward greeting.¡±


    ¡°Eh....you-you know my name?¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    I saw her face lose a bit of its color after I spoke those words, but she soon collected herself before correcting her posture.


    ¡°Ah! I wanted to ask you about something. You see I¡¯m in charge of managing the souls that get sent to reincarnate from both the overworld and Eden, but something odd has come up.¡±


    ¡°Something odd you say?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was going through the archives just now and from what I¡¯m seeing, none of the celestial souls that were sent to reincarnate have entered the cycle. Our souls usually tend to take a little longer to recycle but this is just an anomaly, for the past four hundred years very few of the celestial souls have managed to successfully reincarnate. That¡¯s why I was rushing over here, I wanted to see if you could somehow properly escort Luelle instead of just letting things happen the usual way.¡±


    ¡°I saw her off just as she¡¯d requested, she didn¡¯t want me to personally send off her soul for some reason.¡±


    Minerva¡¯s neon eyes drooped a little lower just then, it almost seemed as if she was staring at the scroll now in her hands but after a few seconds it quickly became clear that it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    ¡°I see...so she¡¯s really gone then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The distant silence that fell over us seemed to drown out even the humming winds now passing through the field of lilies.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°That scroll...doesn¡¯t it automatically record everyone who enters the source?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was just about to check it myself.¡±


    She unraveled the thick parchment like material, scanning the myriad of letters that were appearing on its surface.


    Her eyes widened in anticipation and after a while, a careless stream of words escaped her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s.....not....here.¡±


    That was the beginning of it.


    ¡°Not there? You mean her soul....hasn¡¯t returned to the source?¡±


    The edges of the well-aged scroll crumpled under the force now being exerted by her slender fingers.


    ¡°Usually if I want to search for a particular soul, I just need to concentrate on the name of the person I''m trying to find. Even a vague image would usually be enough but....no matter how hard I focus, nothing comes up when I skim through the archive for Luelle¡¯s name.¡±


    This was a problem. All souls were originally supposed to return to the source, a realm even beyond reach of the Celestials for reincarnation, but for some reason that just wasn¡¯t happening this time.


    Souls did occasionally lose their way along that journey and eventually become evil spirits, but that kind of thing only happened by coincidence, the mere prospect of it ever occurring for a Celestial spirit like Luelle was simply absurd.


    ¡°Well, this is a problem. I¡¯m certain I witnessed Luelle¡¯s soul drifting off just now, but I¡¯ll have to look into this. For now, you shoul-¡±


    Before I could even finish speaking, a strange mechanism appeared in the skies above us.


    It was a large white crack, the kind of thing you¡¯d almost exclusively see on a mirror. The sprawling white lines spread across the sky, leaving an ominous screeching sound behind every time they expanded their jagged paths. Each fissure seemed to tear through the fabric of the heavens, revealing glimpses of an otherworldly darkness beyond. As the cracks widened, a sense of foreboding filled the air, suffusing the atmosphere with an eerie tension that seemed to reverberate through every fiber of existence.


    ¡°What....is that?¡± Minera barely managed to mutter those words in astonishment.


    Soon after, a litany of white cryptic markings began escaping from the jagged openings, spreading across everything from the skies above to even the waves washing below. The strange symbols glowed with a demeaning white light, emanating a strange kind of energy each time it cast its ethereal glow.


    ¡°U-Uhm....Shinigami...do you know what this is?¡± Minerva asked from beside me, timidly surveying our unusual surroundings.


    ¡°No....but you should head back just to be-¡±


    Cutting me off once again, the strange markings etched on to the world itself began emitting bright white sparks like a timid, yet persistent firework display. The sparking lights grew fiercer and fiercer by the second, and before I could even execute my next move, the entire world was seemingly engulfed in a blinding cascade of light. It was as if the very essence of existence had been ignited, and we were just insignificant specks adrift in the vast expanse of creation.


    Before my vision was completely overpowered by the tormenting flash, I saw Minerva extend a hand towards me with tears flowing from her eyes. I wasn¡¯t able to hear the words that escaped her, but for a second it looked like she was calling out to me.


    Apparently, even Celestials found solace in my presence at the end.


    <hr>


    The world was divided into three realms. The first of these was the lower realm that the humans inhabited, we called it ¡®Terrania¡¯. It was a land festering with humans, a world where only they were able to dominate and reign supreme - Or at least that¡¯s what they thought anyway.


    In reality, that realm had only managed to continue functioning because of the efforts of the beings known as ¡®Celestials¡¯. These Celestials resided in a realm that was far above Terrania known as ¡®Eden¡¯. They were responsible for overseeing the various aspects of the world these humans inhabited and that just meant that they were in charge of maintaining its balance. If things ever started getting out of hand, then they would intervene to re-establish that balance, but that would only happen if it was absolutely necessary. Though they could influence aspects of the world itself, the Celestials weren¡¯t gods but rather akin to something like a superior version of humanity, the humans of the lower realm often referred to them as ¡®angels¡¯.


    The only thing in the entire world that came close to mirroring anything even close to that level was the entity known as ¡®Akasha¡¯ or the ¡®Source.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an actual person but rather, the mechanism in place that managed the influx of both mortal and Celestial souls accordingly, managing them in a timely manner and allowing them to reincarnate given time.


    It resided in an exclusive realm that surpassed both Eden and Terrania. Akasha was the recycling mechanism put in place to cleanse and return souls to the mortal cycle. Every time a human died, their souls would naturally return to Akasha over a number of years given that they hadn¡¯t become an evil spirit or deviated from the natural order in some other way. That¡¯s why even as a Reaper, I didn¡¯t actually need to guide the souls of every single mortal that had perished, but rather just the ones still clinging on to the mortal realm or those that had deviated from the natural order.


    Seeing as only pure souls could pass between the realms without restrictions, very few Celestials had ever gone directly to Akasha, but just about anyone who wasn¡¯t mortal could detect its overwhelming essence radiating from some far-off place. The same went for me and I was neither mortal nor a Celestial.


    That was how it had been, the way in which the world managed to maintain some amount of balance even without outside intervention, but the moment I saw those strange cracks appear in the sky I could already tell that the fragile balance keeping this world afloat was beginning to crumble.

 Chapter 3 - Beginning Of Ruin - Part Three

    Beginning Of Ruin (3)


    <hr>


    I don¡¯t remember much of what happened after that blinding flash, but what I do remember was the groggy sensation that kept on gnawing at my mind for what had felt like an eternity. It was like my mind had entered a semi-conscious state ever since that incident, and I could only remain fully conscious for a few seconds at a time before that feeling would once again try to usurp what little mental vigor I¡¯d managed to muster. That feeling shouldn¡¯t have even been possible for me and yet something even stranger than that had somehow managed to envelope what ought to be my senses.


    Even though my body didn¡¯t have organs per say, I was still able to experience the various stimuli around me. The only senses I hadn¡¯t been privy to before were touch, smell and taste but now I couldn¡¯t detect anything around me at all. I couldn¡¯t see, speak, hear, or even tell if I was still in Eden or not.


    The only vague sensation I could get from my surroundings was the inclination that my body was somehow moving ¨C But it wasn¡¯t moving in the typical sense. Instead of me moving on my own or something carrying me, it felt as if the world itself was now moving around me. I didn¡¯t feel nauseous, not that it was even possible for me in the first place but judging by the way things were going I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if ¡®anything goes¡¯ was the new rule in this topsy-turvy world.


    With no way to get any reliable answers, my own questions paraded around the forefront of my mind like a maddening carousel, if I was a normal being that was prone to emotions then this would have certainly driven me to despair. After all, it seemed as if a ludicrous amount of time had passed whenever I managed to fully regain consciousness. But seeing as everything was already pitch-black in the first place, not much had changed in my surroundings. It was as if time itself had taken on a new dimension, stretching and contorting in ways that defied all logic and reason. That was until it happened......


    ¡°Look...he¡¯s waking up.¡±


    A tender voice had somehow managed to breach the vast darkness.


    ¡°A-are you certain he¡¯ll be alright, Vreena?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm...well his heart did stop for a few minutes earlier, but it seems like he¡¯s doing just fine now. You can try holding him now.¡±


    A few strange voices reached my ears, but something seemed off about the whole experience. It wasn¡¯t so much about the voices themselves but rather the way my body was experiencing the current situation.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    First of all, I still couldn''t see anything, not because I didn¡¯t want to, but because it felt like my eye sockets had been welded shut. That shouldn¡¯t have been possible either and what was even stranger was the way my body interpreted the sounds now reaching my ears.


    It sounded like the entire world was resonating with a constant echo, each and every sound being uttered seemed to be ricocheting around me in a torrent of swirling madness before finally reaching my ears.


    That wasn¡¯t even the end of it either, when those sound waves finally did make their way over to my ears, my body seemed to be taking longer than usual to process the information, like it had to re-translate the already familiar language letter by letter.


    ¡°There we go.¡±


    I felt the strong sensation of something gripping me by my side before displacing my position. It seems I was now being held in the air but again, something was off about this. I hadn¡¯t really taken any note of it since I was trying to get a handle on the sounds swirling around me but the sensation coursing through my veins could only mean one thing - blood.


    That crimson fluid was now flowing through my veins, veins I shouldn¡¯t even have in the first place. That soft feeling from earlier must have been coming from my skin, my body did feel unusually moist for some reason but now this was finally starting to make sense.


    No wonder my body was now experiencing a rush of different sensations, my newfound senses weren¡¯t tuned enough to isolate or even regulate the amount of sensory information my body was receiving. It felt as though the sensations I¡¯d been deprived of for centuries now were finally returning to me en masse, and I could do nothing but await the oncoming chaos they would bring.


    First it was my hearing, then my sense of touch, one by one, my new senses slowly began to awaken in a torrent of overwhelming stimuli.


    ¡°Hey there Liam......how¡¯s the outside world so far?¡± A deep sounding voice called out, but naturally, I couldn¡¯t respond.


    Liam? Don¡¯t tell me......


    Although I could''ve easily guessed the implication behind that sentence, I had no choice but to confirm it form myself.


    Struggling with all my might, I began forcing my eyelids open through nothing but sheer force of will, to my surprise, this body was surprisingly hard to operate.


    After finally getting them open, the room¡¯s lighting flickered in my vision in an almost overwhelming display, it had taken well over ten seconds for it to adjust normally, but when my sight attuned itself, I was finally able to get a good look at the bigger picture.


    The mirror on the far side of the room conveyed my current situation so clearly it was almost comical. I was now an infant being hoisted into the air by a man that was undoubtedly this body¡¯s father.


    After surveying the three humans looking up at me in the room there was only one conclusion left for me to draw, the one I''d been well aware of for a while now.


    This was reincarnation.

 Chapter 4 - Beyond The Grave

    New Beginnings


    <hr>


    Liam Irving Rocco.


    Apparently, that was now my name. The figure lauded as the infamous grim reaper was now reduced to nothing more than a wailing child. This situation was filled with so many ironies that I didn¡¯t even bother examining them all, that would only serve to cement my bleak reality even further.


    ¡°Oh Liam, you¡¯re awake!¡±


    A gleeful voice echoed from above me, though I¡¯d only been here for a short while, I¡¯d grown accustomed to hearing that overly zealous tone. It belonged to the woman currently looking down at me, she had pastel green hair that seemed faded at the top but otherwise pronounced down at the tips, it stopped short just above her nape with two thin bangs framing her somewhat round face. A pair of deep neon green eyes were subtly peeking out from the thin enclave formed by her own hair, and although they were alluring, Julia¡¯s most notable trait came in the form of a strange green marking centered on her forehead.


    The cryptic symbol boasted a lighter shade of green than what her eyes reflected, but its thin sheen detracted nothing from the conspicuous nature of the marking itself. It took the shape of a small arrowhead, curving slightly at its tip as if poised for flight. Maybe it was because I¡¯d already been familiar with a similar structure, but it was the first thing to catch my attention whenever her face came into focus.


    ¡°Are you hungry, Liam?¡± She chuckled with that question despite knowing full well she wouldn¡¯t get a response.


    Based on my current position, I could only assume that she was holding me rather close to her bulging bosom, so I couldn¡¯t really get a good look at anything else. The only thing I could say for sure was that it was very bright, that much was obvious after seeing the shadow being cast on her face.


    She smiled at me with glistening eyes, making some ridiculous sounds and faces in the process despite knowing I wouldn¡¯t be able to communicate with her.


    ~GROWL~


    My stomach made an unearthly sound, the issue of actually having to eat was foreign to me up until coming here, but this body wouldn¡¯t allow me to go on without sustenance.


    ¡°Heh-Heh....right on cue little man. It¡¯s time for your lunch.¡±


    I knew exactly what she¡¯d meant by that. I saw her slender hand that was still somehow five times larger than mine begin to unbutton the fastened blouse that was practically bulging from the pressure her supple skin was straining against the fabric. It was that time of the day again and despite my reluctance, I had no other choice in the matter, I needed those things for survival.


    ¡°Come on Liam, say ~ahhhh~¡±


    My body responded to her command almost as if on reflex and in no time at all my mouth had already clamped down on the woman¡¯s surprisingly springy skin.


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    Her voice sounded oddly condescending for some reason, wanting to get this over with as fast as possible, I was somehow able to get my infantile limbs to obey me for just a few seconds. Taking full advantage of that opportunity, I sank my small hands into her skin, and she let out a strange sound the moment my hands made contact.


    Now this was just a matter of extracting as many nutrients from her as possible, from what I¡¯ve learned over the last two weeks of having this body, that was what it took to make the agonizing sensation in my stomach go away.


    I¡¯d always been curious about bodies that were comprised of both flesh and bones ever since my days as a reaper, but my expectations had been a far cry from reality. These things were nothing but inconvenient, they required far too much maintenance and care that your body itself was practically forcing you to carry out by way of these nerve signals.


    Rest, food, water, shelter etc.... Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    All these needs had to be met in order for these mortal bodies to function properly, but I had none of those issues in my days as the grim reaper. My skeletal frame was always one hundred percent efficient even when I hadn¡¯t consumed anything. That being said though, these bodies did come with a few fringe benefits that managed to somewhat even out the unfair trade off.


    My senses were still being attuned even up to this point, but I could catch whiffs of the stagnant scents drifting through the air, I couldn¡¯t exactly say what they were just yet seeing as I hadn¡¯t adjusted to this new sensation as of yet but the one thing I could say for certain was that the ability to perceive my surroundings through more than just sight had given me a world of options in how I was going to approach things in the future.


    Just as I was about to re-align my focus on the task at hand, a voice resonated throughout the entire room.


    ¡°Julia, aren¡¯t you overfeeding him a little? I mean he¡¯s just two weeks old and this is already your fifth time feeding him today.¡±


    I saw Julia¡¯s face contort into somewhat of a solemn frown after hearing those words. Originally it had taken me a few seconds longer to figure out the reason behind her expression''s sudden change, because these senses of mine weren¡¯t up to par just yet.


    Every time they spoke, it would always take a few seconds longer for my mind to decipher the content of those words, so I always ended up on the back end of whatever conversation was currently taking place.


    ¡°Oliver, his stomach was growling just now you know.¡±


    After a few seconds, the figure she¡¯d been speaking to suddenly waltzed his way into my field of vision. The man known as ¡®Oliver¡¯ looked to be a few years older than Julia given the faint traces of grey popping up in his otherwise well-kept head of chestnut brown hair.


    I couldn¡¯t get a good look at his eyes because of the well-placed contraption resting on his nasal bridge. I believe the humans called them ¡®glasses¡¯, the peculiar device reflected a pristine sheen of silver light when he looked down at us, and from his stature it was blatantly obvious just how much the domineering man towered over both me and Julia.


    But it never once felt intimidating. That was likely because his face was stern, but his overall features were otherwise kind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just be mindful of how often we¡¯re feeding him. I know you enjoy it a lot, but you might end up spoiling him at this rate.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± Julia agreed with him somewhat reluctantly, her puffed cheeks now boasting a prominent crimson color.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to wait until dinner to finish up Liam.¡± After speaking those words, she promptly plucked the tender sac of nutrients from my gaping mouth. The instant I felt the strange organ leave my lips; a burning sensation began to swelter inside my body. I wasn¡¯t all that familiar with the frivolous concept known as ¡®emotions¡¯ but if I had to take a guess as to what I was feeling right now, this was certainly the emotion they called ¡®rage¡¯.


    On reflex my delicate hands curled up into a burled fist, the damning sensation was now reaching a boiling point, and as I prepared to unleash my juvenile wrath, something completely unexpected happened. A totally different scene played out from the grotesque imagery I¡¯d conjured in my mind.


    Instead of lashing out at them, I had instead begun............crying?


    The high-pitched sounds escaping my throat were so unbelievably crude that even I couldn¡¯t believe what I was doing. My eyes squinted on their own and had even begun to leak tears. While this was a reaction I¡¯d seen many a times after wandering spirits had learned of their own demise, it was never something I¡¯d expected to see from myself.


    I had a ways to go before I could completely gain control of this body, at times it felt like this hunk of flesh was completely disregarding my own will and acting on its own.


    ¡°Come on Liam, you¡¯ll get the rest in just a few hours.¡± Julia began gently rocking me in her arms, while I could feel my own wrath subsiding, she still hadn¡¯t gotten the job done just yet.


    *CLAP*


    Oliver made an obtrusive clapping sound with both hands; he stooped down to our level and flashed me a smile that was practically doused in sincerity.


    ¡°Alright Liam look here, daddy¡¯s got something to show you.¡±


    Extending his palm towards me, the man began chanting a few strange words that my brain couldn¡¯t even register much less decipher. What I did manage to take note of however was the spectacle those few words had managed to produce in the next few seconds.


    After his illustrious chant, a few orange sparks began to flash into existence in the space just above his palms, their tendency to flicker in and out of reality for just a brief instant reminded me of the strange sparking devices the humans in my old world used to create ¡®fireworks¡¯.


    After a few seconds, the dim flashes began to spark in unison, coming together in a single spectacle that managed to produce a bristling flame in the center of his palm. The moment that orange light graced my watery eyes, the wailing sounds escaping my throat immediately came to halt.


    ¡°Heh....that caught your attention, didn¡¯t it? Watch closely son, this is what we call magic.¡±

 Chapter 5 - The Small Stuff

    The Small Stuff


    <hr>


    Honestly, humans were still a mystery to me.


    Even after centuries of escorting them to the other side, I still didn¡¯t understand them all that well. Over the course of their lives, the concept of death was mostly foreign to them so most humans either paid it no heed or simply brushed the topic aside without giving it much thought.


    Watching them from afar made me feel somewhat familiar with them yet estranged at the same time. Looking back, it was pretty much pointless for me to try and understand them as long as they still drew breath. With the status quo being the way it was, we would always remain as beings that were literally realms apart, there was no feasible way to understand anything they got up to.


    Yet I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, what was it that drove those creatures to the extreme lengths they often pursued? Was it power? Fame? Envy? Or perhaps a sense of duty?


    Over the years I¡¯ve watched the evolution of human futility and ignorance, only around half of it ever made sense to me but it was always intriguing.


    What foolish action would mankind take next?


    I suppose that question is the sole reason for my apparent fascination with mortals. Humans were beings capable of endless possibilities, whether that be love, hate, war, kindness, murder, or even cruelty.....humanity was capable of it all.


    They always seemed to have something up their sleeve especially when they were backed into a corner. Predicting the erratic behavior of such creatures was all but impossible, and that¡¯s why I decided not to spoil all the intrigues of their lifelong journey. At the end, I figured it would be much better for them to tell me about the life they¡¯d lived themselves.


    My current situation was certainly odd to say the least, but while I did need to find out what exactly happened to Eden and the other Celestials, this was also the perfect opportunity to observe human nature up close. Mastering this infantile body along with the mystic art Oliver had flaunted right in front of my face were my top priorities given the circumstances but my senses were still syncing up with this new form so that would take time, but nevertheless, the real goal here was magic.


    The concept of magic did exist in Eden, but you needed to be ¡®alive¡¯ in order to use it, so the mystical force had managed to evade me for centuries, but apparently, with this delicate form I could change that.


    After forming that thought, a smile unintentionally curled up from my newborn lips. Witnessing the sight, Julia began making a fuss about something with blushing red cheeks.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Liam, what¡¯s making you smile like that?¡±


    I was already vaguely familiar with the figures known as ¡®mothers¡¯, especially when it came to how much they loved their children but even I didn¡¯t expect Julia to be infatuated with the whims of a newborn child to this extent.


    She enjoyed every moment I was in her arms, even if we were doing nothing at all.


    How strange......No, I don¡¯t have time for this.


    Re-aligning my focus, I recalled advice from a certain girl who¡¯d been somewhat of a prodigy with magic in the past.


    ¡°Listen Shinigami, magic is all about visualization. If you want to use magic, you¡¯ve got to have a concrete image of how you want to channel your mana and what form you want it to take. If you can do that much then the rest is easy~¡±


    Visualization huh.......


    Closing my eyes, I began circulating a few deep breaths throughout my body and after a while, my haphazard senses began to fall into the same motion as my breathing rhythm. The vague sensations I¡¯d been feeling moments earlier gradually began growing stronger and stronger, to the point where it felt like I was isolating myself from the entire world.


    And then.... I was finally able to grasp it.


    My first step towards utilizing magic, the mystic power known as mana. Even though my eyes were closed, I could now strangely visualize the form of the ambient energy now surrounding me.


    Mana took the shape of small flickering particles that were about as common as the air itself, the small spheres tended to pulse in a rhythmic motion, giving off a little bit of energy in the process. Now that I was starting to get the hang of sensing mana, I could also sense it coming from Julia and even the small portion of it leaking from my own body.


    It felt as if I was previously walking through the world with a blindfold on now that my perception had once again reached new heights, but that wasn¡¯t the only change I¡¯d undergone.


    It was still faint, but after that brief routine, my vision had increased significantly and because of that I was now able to see what was once a typical sight for me ¨C Souls.


    When I glanced up at Julia, I saw a bright silver light flickering in and out of existence around where her stomach was. That was the core of her being, her very soul and after an entire month I was finally able to perceive its existence, though my current level of perception still wasn¡¯t up to par.


    The ability to see and interact with souls didn¡¯t have anything to do with any magical properties and was simply an innate ability my soul possessed, so it was sure to return to this body given time.


    Though it still needed refining much like everything else, I was undoubtedly making progress. Learning to gather that mana within myself was the next step and that was bound to take me to even greater heights. Heh-Heh....perhaps my days as the reaper weren¡¯t completely over after all.


    Honest to a fault, my juvenile form couldn¡¯t help but reflect my true nature in the form of yet another smile. Witnessing the small gesture once again, Julia immediately began to storm off with me in tow.


    ¡°Dear! Liam¡¯s smiling!¡±


    She was probably misunderstanding something, but that much was fine for now.

 Chapter 6 - What A World

    What A World


    <hr>


    A moderate sized room dimly lit by the flickering light source affixed to the ceiling. The stone walls of the space were evidently aged yet somewhat comforting. Heavy tapestries adorned the walls, depicting scenes of heroic battles and noble deeds, their vibrant colors muted by age and dust.


    In one corner, a sturdy oak table stood, weathered and scarred from years of use. Upon it lay parchments and quills, remnants of scholarly pursuits and bureaucratic duties. Nearby, a set of worn wooden chairs offered modest seating for those engaged in discussions or negotiations.


    In the center was a well-worn rug and to the right of it stood tall bookshelves that lined the walls, their shelves laden with dusty volumes and leather-bound manuscripts, each of them inviting visitors to linger and lose themselves in the pages of forgotten lore.


    After four years in this world, this was now my usual scenery, save for the fact that Oliver wasn¡¯t currently scribbling away at the stacks of paper lined up on his desk. The man seemed to be out quite often but given the peculiar uniform ¨C like clothing he usually wore, it must¡¯ve had something to do with his occupation.


    This was section of the small house they¡¯d regarded as the ¡®living room¡¯. Julia was sitting on one of the wooden chairs knitting away at something, so she was hardly keeping track of my every move at the moment, seemingly lost in the melodic hum that subtly resonated from her.


    My second greatest achievement after coming to this world had undoubtedly been developing my motor skills, after four long years I now possessed the ability to walk once more. It was a far cry from what I¡¯d been used to but still far better than being forced to follow this woman around all the time.


    Slowly rising to my wobbly feet, I made my way over to the large bookshelf on the right side of the room, passing by a vertically oriented mirror that stood sentinel like a silent guardian. Its reflective surface captured my passing figure and immediately began projecting the appearance I was still wholly unfamiliar with.


    I began to take note of this body''s still developing features for just a brief instant. It wasn''t something I''d done often but rather an action spurred on by a sense of pure curiosity. It was something akin to a reward since I could now finally use my own two feet to see myself in the reflective pane of glass affixed to the wall.


    ¡°Heh-Heh....Haah......¡±


    After giving myself a once over, that exasperated sigh mixed in with a faint chuckle managed to somehow escape me. That reflex reaction was spurred on purely by the sight of the figure being reflected back at me. This body wasn¡¯t completely hopeless, but if I was going to make this work then it did need some major improvements. For starters -


    This vessel looked incredible fragile; a notion that actually wasn¡¯t very far from the truth. The hair on my head was both short and spiky, the strands of it were dyed in a jet ¨C black sheen so dark it rivaled the night sky itself. The texture seemed similar to that of Julia¡¯s hair, except it held a much, much darker hue. My face on the other hand appeared quite round and perfectly fit the confines of my features, perhaps because my body was still developing, the manlier aspects of it hadn''t become as pronounced on my face as of yet.


    Looking closer, I could see trace aspects of both Oliver and Julia''s features subtly peering out, but even more surprising than that was the deep crimson color being reflected by my Irises. At a glance you¡¯d never be able to tell that we were blood related given the stark differences in appearance, but trace amounts of both their features were in fact there. I¡¯d figured as much from the brief glimpses of myself I¡¯d managed to get over the years, but it was now undeniable, the crimson hue of my Irises had seemed to only deepen with time.


    The reason behind that was becoming more apparent to me by the day, after I¡¯d begun interacting with mana all those years ago, my soul had started using those mana particles as a link to strengthen its influence over this body, it was a good thing my soul didn¡¯t have the same overpowering essence it did when I was still acting as the reaper, or else this body would have died the moment I got too close to it.


    The sole reason this body had even been so abhorrently hard to control in the first place was because my weakened soul had been locked in a constant struggle with the soul of a newborn child, but after harnessing the power of mana and strengthening my connection, my soul was finally able to assert its dominance over this body and assimilate that hindrance.


    It wasn¡¯t particularly my style to go around robbing people of their bodies, but this was an emergency so it couldn¡¯t be helped. If I was going to make any progress in this world, I needed a vessel and information, and it just so happens that Oliver was something of a ¡®bookworm¡¯, or at least that¡¯s what Julia often called him anyway.


    Running my slender finger along the hard spines of the musty books on the bottom section of the shelves, my now dusty finger stopped on a particular book, its contents encased in a worn led cover of velvet design, the faded symbols practically screaming hints of its arcane origin.


    ¡°Hm? Liam are you playing with your father¡¯s books again? You know those are too hard for you to understand.¡± Julia somehow detected my intentions without even facing my direction.


    ¡°Mother I¡¯m just going to look at the pictures inside....Can I?¡±


    After hearing the childlike innocence my voice, I heard the sound of a relieved sigh escaping her. Turning to face me, she wore a conflicted expression but had still decided to give in nonetheless. If nothing else, this woman truly had remarkable skill, even when looking away from the garments in her hands she had still managed to somehow continue knitting away at it without a single hint of hesitation.


    ¡°.....Just try not to mess anything up. Are you taking it outside again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Conjuring a ¡®smile¡¯, I nodded in agreement before prying the book from its position.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Fufu...I suppose you do take after your father. You can take it outside but just make sure to put it back when you¡¯re finished.¡±


    Even though she seemed conflicted over the idea just moments ago, a thin smile was now curling up from the corners of her lips.


    Addressing these people by their designated parental titles wasn¡¯t something I was particularly looking forward to, but for now it would have to do. I wasn¡¯t really sure how to mimic human children because their souls hardly ever needed guidance, but this was also something I needed to refine. Acting erratically would just draw unnecessary attention to myself and ultimately make it harder for me to reach my goals.


    Walking over to the large wooden door that acted as the entrance, the lumber floor beneath me creaked under the weight of my lightly placed steps. Standing on tiptoe I restlessly struggled to unlock the fragile frame barring me from the outside world but doing that was much easier said than done in this body.


    Stifled chuckles reached my ears, Julia was watching my futile struggle with pure delight. I wasn¡¯t sure as to why, but she seemed to find a great deal of pleasure in watching me carry out the most mundane of tasks.


    After a while my fingers had just barely managed to get the job done, the barrier that had inconvenienced me to such an absurd degree finally creaked open with a trembling sound.


    Stepping onto the ¡®patio¡¯ as they called it, my body was once again enveloped in nature''s embrace. This body did have a few upsides that made this entire experience slightly more tolerable, the first of those was the fact that I now had access to all five of my senses.


    The stagnant winds drifting by carried a scent of damp earth, mingling with the distant aroma of wood smoke and wildflowers. Each breath of air brought with it a symphony of nature''s fragrances, dancing on the breeze and whispering tales of the world beyond. Experiencing this glorious sensation just didn¡¯t seem like something I was going to ever completely get used to, not after spending all those centuries with nothing to compare it to.


    These new senses of mine were only growing sharper by the day, in the past I usually just relied on detecting the presence of souls to navigate my surroundings, but to my surprise, this fragile body was somehow able to deliver the full experience.


    Taking a few steps forward, I slowly lowered myself into a sitting posture, one that gave me a full view of the human settlement nestled in front of me.


    It was known as ¡®Zale.¡¯


    Even without much thought, I could tell that this town was on a smaller scale compared to the cities further inland, but despite that there was surprisingly a lot of traffic here. The houses were, for the most part, just the same as the one I now occupied.


    They were small wooden constructs boasting triangular roofs that neither seemed to be clumped together nor extravagantly spaced. Their sizes did vary but the ones that did were few and far between, coated in a ceremonious mix of contrasting colors they surprisingly came together to form a cohesive blend.


    Stretching out in front of me was a brick paved road that led to the ¡®town square¡¯ and now trodding along it were pedestrians maneuvering pedaling carts, riding on horseback and even walking on foot. That much was normal for me, but the otherwise drab scenery soon began to deviate from what I had grown to know as the ¡®norm¡¯.


    Mixed into the chaotic mob of pedestrians was....a wolf.


    Or at the very least a creature that resembled one. The beast, coated in a sheen of white fur that seemed to disregard every speck of dust being carried by the steady stream of wind towered over the other passerby''s at least three times their size. It held a stern expression, those split pupil yellow eyes conveyed nothing but a sense of apathy, locked onto a single target as it walked along somewhat reluctantly, after all if it refused the metal chain currently fastened around its neck was now lodged in the hands of a man I could only presume to be the owner.


    He seemed to be far younger and far more fragile than Oliver, a blue-haired youth that rode atop the large creature, his curly hair was slicken back with to the extent where it was almost glistening, and his lanky build swayed with a sort of unfathomable confidence stemming from the very core of his being. He sported a smile as his way of responding to the gestures of admiration and envy he was now getting.


    Judging by the way he was now dressed in plates of silver armor that only seemed to cover the core aspects of his body like his chest and forearms, he must have had at least some experience on a battlefield.


    There was a small white carriage strolling alongside the conspicuous pair of man and monster as they walked, and beside the coachman of the vehicle, was a woman dressed in a frilly white dress that covered everything from her bosom to her ankles. There was a large white broad hat sheltering her slender frame from the sun, so her face wasn¡¯t completely visible, but she seemed to be around the haughty young man¡¯s age, and she too was grinning in sync with the flamboyant man in an almost rhythmic display of arrogance.


    The carriage was undoubtedly carrying others like them, given the formation of the other four men that encircled them on all sides, their eyes scanning the surroundings with a mixture of vigilance and suspicion.


    ¡°So those are raiders huh....¡± Somehow my own thoughts had unconsciously wandered out of my mouth.


    The scene unfolding in front of me had temporarily managed to garner my focus, my eyes locked onto the conspicuous gathering like a lurking prowler, maybe it was because I wasn¡¯t used to having actual eyes, but I could feel my Irises gently gliding across the scene, absorbing every detail with an intensity that bordered on obsession. While I was used to observing others from a distance, it somehow felt uncanny given my current situation. It was a good thing this house wasn¡¯t that close to the main road, so nobody was really paying any attention to me.


    Because of the beast¡¯s size, the young man simply led in the front so that the beast could hastily clear out all the other travelers slowing their passage. Many of them didn¡¯t take too kindly to this of course, but after gazing up at the large silhouette looming over them, they hastily cleared the way for the man now reigning over them like a king.


    Narrowing my eyes, a veil of black and white encased my vision and I saw the flickering lights being emitted from their bodies disappear towards the city. Although that was the most obvious case of it, the group just now weren¡¯t the only ones walking around with mystical creatures of that nature. Plenty of the people that now passed me by had similar creatures in their entourage, though they were far less daunting.


    They were known as ¡®monsters.¡¯ Beings that came about as a result of mana mixing with nature and distorting the natural order of the world.....or at least that was my hypothesis anyway.


    Monsters and mana, nothing of the sort existed in the lower realm of my former world, but here they were tangible and palpable, weaving themselves into the fabric of reality with an unsettling ease. In this new realm, the boundaries of possibility seemed to blur, and the laws of nature bent to the will of arcane forces beyond comprehension. It was a world where the unimaginable walked among mortals.


    The moment I realized that I finally came to terms with the true scale of this daunting task and along with it, the long, long road ahead.

 Chapter 7 - The Stage Is Set

    The Stage Is Set


    <hr>


    Rakia


    That was the name of the continent now serving as my ¡®birthplace.¡¯


    The first thing I¡¯d started looking into ever since I attained the ability to walk on my own was my location.


    Where was I?


    The answer to that question was conveniently embedded into Oliver¡¯s bookshelf. Since I attained full control over this vessel a year ago, I¡¯d begun silently reading a few of these books once the sun had faded. As hard as it was to collect them all, the payoff was well worth it and thankfully, the language here wasn¡¯t very different from what the humans in my old world had been using.


    After a few weeks of repeating the process, it had become abundantly clear that this place was definitely a different world. Rakia was supposedly one of the most prosperous continents to ever exist, and just like the rest of the world humans weren¡¯t the dominant species here, a far cry from what I¡¯d been calling the norm.


    Going by the books, there were numerous races here that I''d never heard about or even thought could possibly exist ¨C Elves, dwarves, dragons, monsters, Nereids, Vampires.....all of these things were now a real possibility, but from everything I¡¯ve read the most interesting case I came across by far spoke about something you¡¯d be hard pressed to find even in a fantasy.


    Deities.


    Apparently, beings above the mortal order freely roamed this world. The reason for this was solely due to the fact that superior beings here operated in a completely different way than those of my old world. Back in Eden, the Celestials weren¡¯t deities, but they were in fact superior to humans, which also meant that they weren¡¯t allowed to freely roam the mortal world.


    Celestials were procreated in a similar manner to humans, but the difference was a Celestial could only be born if the forebears had existed for at least five hundred years, and even then, it was still a very arduous process and that was why they were so few in number.


    However, things were different here. Deities were apparently the manifestation of large collectives of belief and not the result of ancestral lineage. They would manifest if a given concept had garnered enough faith over centuries to even millennia, but this too seemed to be just as arduous a process as it was for the Celestials because if that faith waned or was disrupted for a long enough time period then the entire thing would result in nothing but failure.


    Despite those crushing odds, six deities apparently ruled over this entire continent. Supposedly they were the saviors of this land, and those six figures were the ones leading the majority of its population and that included mortals that also possessed formidable magical abilities in their own right.


    Surprisingly, not all six of those deities ruled their own nations and some of them even preferred to be left alone in obscurity, that was the approach lesser deities supposedly took. Choosing to either isolate themselves or offer protection to the citizens of small villages and towns, receiving offerings as their reward.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Heh - Heh....¡±


    Despite the chaotic nature of the current situation, I somehow found myself smiling at the thought of what lay ahead, the gesture came to me so naturally it almost made me forget that it had been impossible for me to pull off only four years ago.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what these so ¨C called deities were like........


    Rakia had six prominent nations, Ekin was the human domain and it¡¯s capital city of Orna was supposedly ruled over by a deity. That was just about as much as I could gather regarding the layout of these nations, I still had a lot to learn but it would have to wait until later, my focus was now on magic.


    I¡¯d been slowly accumulating its natural essence over the years, and I could tell that when it came to absorbing magic, my proficiency was steadily increasing. Although mana flourished in the atmosphere, it was surprisingly hard to absorb it if your life force wasn¡¯t potent enough. In other words, mana was attracted to the very essence of souls and seeing as my soul was weakened right now the process wasn¡¯t going as smoothly as I¡¯d hoped.


    To be able to use magic, you needed to ¡®awaken¡¯ your ¡®core.¡¯ This core was the center of the body¡¯s energy circulation and was also the vessel that housed your very soul, though not many people seemed to know about that last part. In order to awaken your core, the first thing you needed to do was absorb magical energy into your body, and after it travels to your core you temper it through breathing techniques and meditation.


    The concept was similar to a forge, your soul was a flickering ember burning at the center of your core, and you needed to absorb and temper mana in order to intensify its heat and get it to a level where those flickering embers could transform into a self-sustaining inferno.


    From what I¡¯d learned, this process didn¡¯t seem to be an absolute necessity since mana was naturally attracted to the essence of souls, the majority of people who awakened to magic did so with little to no effort. That was why the average age for awakening here was around ten years old.


    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have that kind of time, the earlier you started to refine your core the stronger it would get and the larger your mana pool would be. My only option was to keep absorbing mana and tempering it with my own stagnant life force day after day.


    After subconsciously scanning the dusty pages of the well-aged tome in front of me for only a few short minutes, I heard the solemn step of footsteps approaching from behind me.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°E-EH!?¡± Julia abruptly froze in place, still standing on one leg, she was surprisingly good at maintaining her balance.


    ¡°L-Liam how did you know I was sneaking up behind you?¡±


    ¡°It was....the floor.¡±


    ¡°T-the floor? I barely made any noise you know....and here I was trying to surprise you.¡±


    Correcting her posture, the expression she wore now seemed somewhat dejected for some reason. Closing the scholarly scribe, I turned to face her with the cheerful expression I¡¯d gotten so used to mimicking.


    ¡°Can I.......come with you?¡±


    Julia¡¯s expression slowly began contorting into something much more mellow, her cheeks slowly being dyed with a hint of red.


    ¡°Mhm, let¡¯s go.¡± After placing the text back on the bookshelf, I took the slender hand she¡¯d extended towards me, I¡¯d held it countless times before but despite that, the feeling I got always managed to surprise me in the end.


    It was surprisingly......warm.

 Chapter 8 - Step By Step

    Step By Step


    <hr>


    Traversing through the town of Zale felt somewhat surreal, in the entire time I¡¯d been here I hardly ever ventured outside the bounds of the small wooden house that now served as my current dwelling and the few times I did, it was always under the condition that I was hoisted over Julia¡¯s shoulder.


    However, things were different now, my control over this body had strengthened significantly, and I was now able to walk the paved brick streets of these foreign lands on my own two feet.


    Given how small this place was, the atmosphere here was surprisingly bustling. Both people and monsters were passing us by and heading in some arbitrary direction, but not once did it ever feel congested. The main road we took had led to the ¡®town square¡¯ that was nothing more than a broad circular space sporting a stylish fountain at the center of the path where two other roads had converged, making it the perfect reference point for this intersection.


    The fountain had been carved into the shape of a large aquatic creature spewing water from its mouth, and the sparkling stream of liquid that glistened in the midday sunlight seemed unnaturally clear for some reason.


    The town of Zale had been crafted with an immaculate level of precision, whoever had designed this place had undoubtedly taken the compact land area of the surroundings into consideration. The buildings were crafted from a mix of either wood, concrete or both. They were perfectly placed along the sides of the road, or rather, the roads themselves were crafted to be just wide enough to allow them to seamlessly map every ounce of the townscape without ever compromising on the cohesiveness of the urban design.


    The buildings themselves weren¡¯t needlessly large either so they didn¡¯t cast any overbearing shadows, which meant that the town itself had something of an uncanny brightness to it. If you took the eccentricity of the town itself into consideration, then all the elements came together to form a seamless blend that cemented my first real experience with a modern civilization in this foreign land. Peddlers passed us by with clattering carts and jingling items, small ¡®monsters¡¯ ran through the streets, and some were even flying overhead, almost everything here felt alien to me.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the large paw-like imprints now carved into the sunken patches of the brick laden road, this small town would¡¯ve managed to leave an almost perfect first impression on me.


    As we approached the fountain and met up with the oncoming streams of other pedestrian traffic, murmurs began to circulate through the crowd. The once apathetic, disinterested and even exhausted faces of the humans surrounding us soon began mellowing out into ones projecting glee and joy, following their line of sight was all I needed to discern the cause behind their sudden reactions.


    ¡°L-Lady Julia!¡±


    ¡°Madam, It¡¯s been a while...¡±


    ¡°Is this your son!?¡±


    A barrage of questions assaulted the woman now holding my hand, she seemed somewhat embarrassed, lightly scratching her flushed cheeks, seemingly struggling to construct a cohesive answer.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s been a while everyone, sorry about that. I¡¯m stuck watching Liam at home during the day so I can¡¯t really move around that much unless Oliver¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°No there¡¯s no need to apologize over something like that, we know how busy you two can get after all.¡± An old woman that was undoubtedly decades past her prime responded, making her way to the front of the small crowd that had gathered before Julia. The woman was dressed in white robe-like garments and supported herself with the use of a worn-down wooden staff that reached all the way up to her chest. Despite the obvious signs of time wearing her down, the wrinkled smile she wore conveyed an odd sense of vigor about her.


    ¡°E-Elder Vreena....¡± That name quickly began resonating through the gathered crowd but given the demeanor she¡¯d just displayed by way of a single sentence; it wasn¡¯t that hard to figure out. This was obviously someone of a high status.


    ¡°Vreena.....out on a stroll again, are you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Well I do need to stretch these old bones every once in a while you know.¡±


    ¡°Fufu...Just don¡¯t overdo it.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    As Vreena made her way towards Julia, the crowd slowly began parting for her as a sign of respect and yet, the tone she exchanged with Julia wasn¡¯t one of a superior talking down to a subordinate, but much closer to something like two old friends reuniting.


    ¡°You people should learn to hold back a little, I know Julia¡¯s easy on the eyes, but she¡¯s already spoken for. Look, she¡¯s even brought her son with her this time.¡±


    Vreena spat those words coated in a tinge of sarcasm, a sly smile formed on her face afterwards. After hearing her sly remark, the onlookers soon began to dissipate and seeing as the majority of them were men in the first place, Vreena¡¯s tactic had been all the more effective.


    ¡°Heh-Heh....that one still works like a charm.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Vreena, I was trying to be a little less conspicuous this time around but that didn¡¯t seem to work out at all.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. There¡¯s no way you could ever be conspicuous with something like that on your face.¡± Vreena pointed to the strange marking on Julia¡¯s forehead, narrowing her eyes as the flickering glint of the daytime sun flashed across it.


    ¡°Oh, you know sometimes I forget it''s even there in the first place.¡± Julia shifted her eyes as if to gaze up at her own face but that was obviously an impossible feat to pull of.


    Vreena heaved a heavy sigh after seeing the absurdity behind what she was about to do. Taking a few steps closer, she placed both hands on her knees and leaned over, lowering herself to my stature. It was almost like she wanted me to peer into my unflinching soul.


    ¡°Black hair and red eyes, eh? That¡¯s not quite what I was expecting to come from these two. You¡¯ve gotten a lot bigger Liam, last time I saw you Julia had to be carrying you around but now you¡¯re walking on your own two feet.....Hm? You look a little confused, don¡¯t you remember me?¡±


    In truth, I did have a vague recollection of her, but now was the perfect time for me to pry for more information. ¡°Mhm.....I think so......Are you the leader here?¡±


    After hearing my words, Vreena paused for a moment before suddenly contorting her features to form a smile. ¡°Pffft! Heh-Heh-Heh....Well you¡¯re not wrong, but how did you figure that out?¡±


    Wiping the pool of fluid now building at the corner of her eyes, she softened her expression in response to the thin smile I was now forming.


    ¡°Everyone here likes you. It feels like you have a lot of....friends.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...I suppose you would see it like that. I¡¯m not sure if everyone here feels that way, but if nothing else, I¡¯m sure your mother does.¡± Julia chucked before finally lowering her eyes to meet mine.


    ¡°Go on Liam, introduce yourself just like we practiced.¡±


    She let go of my hand, and following her directive, I took two steps forward before conjuring the motion known as a ¡®bow¡¯, this was one of the few things that had been drilled into me day after day ever since this body turned four years old.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Elder Vreena. My name is Liam Irving Rocco, the oldest son of the Rocco family.¡±


    The moment I concluded my brief introduction, Vreena proceeded with her own.


    ¡°You can call me Vreena; Liam, while I am somewhat in charge around here you can just think of me as a nice old lady.¡±


    So, my guess was right on the mark then.....


    ¡°Okay I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    Her thin smile widened ever so slightly after hearing those words.


    ¡°By the way Julia, where are you two going? You hardly ever come out into town like this unless you¡¯re helping out with something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just out for a little shopping so I thought I might as well bring Liam along since he hardly ever leaves the house. He¡¯s already four years old so I¡¯d like him to start making some friends around his age before we head back.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh......now that you mention it, his presence around here is even scarcer than yours.¡±


    ¡°Heh -Heh...well Oliver and I have to take turns watching over him, but for the most part all he does at home is rummage through his father¡¯s old books.¡±


    The conversation between these two felt like it could go on indefinitely if they were left to go on like this, since they were talking about nothing at all, it made no sense for me to idly stand around here.


    Grasping Julia¡¯s slender finger, my upturned eyes had met hers.


    ¡°Mother...are we going to see dad again today?¡±


    She paused before answering.


    ¡°Of course, he should be returning any minute now.¡±


    Cutting in between us, Vreena lightly tapped her wooden staff on the ground before taking the lead in front of us. ¡°We¡¯ve been stalled here for some time now, why don¡¯t we continue this while walking? I¡¯m sure Liam wants to look around this pace some more.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure he does. Let¡¯s go, Liam.¡±


    Following the old woman¡¯s lead, the two of us took off further down the winding streets of the bustling town.

 Chapter 9 - Mortal Delights - Part One

    Mortal Delights (1)


    <hr>


    The eyes of the townsfolk were consistently watching us no matter how far we treaded. Vreena being here was definitely a contributing factor towards all of that, but the one who¡¯d actually managed to captivate them was none other than Julia herself and the reasoning behind it was somewhat foreign to me.


    Apparently, Julia wasn¡¯t human.


    There was quite a bit I¡¯d learned after spending all those months gathering information about this world, and the existence of non-human species being here was one of them. Rakia was subsequently divided into nations based on who ruled where and which species predominantly occupied that region. Here in the human Kingdom of Ekin, humans were of course the dominant species that roamed these lands, but that didn¡¯t mean other races couldn¡¯t cross between these borders as well.


    That was supposedly the case for Julia, as she belonged to a race known as the ¡®druids¡¯. They had a stark resemblance to humans, but they weren¡¯t humans themselves, in fact they were closer to the beings referred to as ¡®spirits¡¯. The only difference between druids and spirits was the simple fact that the druids had a physical body and didn¡¯t need a vessel to maintain their existence in this world.....according to the texts at least.


    Druids supposedly had the strongest connection to spirits and the strongest elemental affinity for water amongst all the various races of this world, in addition to that they were also said to possess enormous mana reserves but after being around her for several years now, I could easily tell that I¡¯d only seen a fraction of what she was truly capable of.


    The only thing I was certain about however, was that this woman certainly had a strong connection with metaphysical entities like spirits and souls. Even now, twinkling white orbs of light were gathering around her, I don¡¯t know if she could perceive them as well, but the fading souls seemed unnaturally attracted to her presence.


    Since she was the mother of his body, then it undoubtedly carried some of the same traits that came along with being part druid because a few of the faint souls were even gathering around me as well.


    In the past, souls fled in fear of my presence, but now they were hovering so close to me it felt like they could latch onto my body at any time. My soul being weak right now and this body being part druid had somehow managed to concoct this strange situation, I didn¡¯t dislike it but the whole thing just felt unnaturally amusing for some reason, so much so that a smile had appeared on my face out of pure reflex.


    ¡°Hm? Are you enjoying this Liam? You¡¯ve been smiling for quite a while now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah walking around like this is teaching me a lot.¡±


    Vreena raised her eyebrow but eventually dismissed my odd remark after a few seconds.


    ¡°I see...then make sure you get a good look around. You¡¯re going to be here for at least another year so you might as well start getting familiar with this old place.¡±


    ¡°A......year?¡± The way she phrased that sentence just now made it seem as if we were on some sort of deadline.


    Just a few steps later, a peculiar sight came into view. There was a large crowd gathered in front of a small stall by sidewalk, the people there were pushing, pulling, haggling and doing their very best to get to the front of the bulging mob like a group of wild beasts.


    ¡°Ohh...here it is! Excuse me, how much do these sell for again?¡± Before I could even finish my train of thought, Julia had made her way over to the stall on our right. Her decision just now seemed somewhat random given the state it was in, but the reasoning behind it soon drifted to my nostrils, riding the flow of lukewarm air.


    My nose twitched slightly, picking up on the fragrant scent that filled the air. I still hadn¡¯t gotten all that used to having a nose, but this thing did have its uses. If it was the old me here, then even such a tempting smell would have completely passed me by unnoticed. That aroma, it was one I¡¯d already been familiar with, it belonged to the human delicacy known as ¡®bread¡¯ but something about this smell was a little different. It wasn¡¯t a complete one-to-one match with the fragrance I¡¯d already familiarized myself with by way of Julia¡¯s whims.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    It was strange, despite not even seeing what sort of cuisine was giving off that tempting aroma, this body had already begun reacting to it, I could feel the subtle movement of my stomach syncing up with the fluid now escaping from the corner of my mouth. Needless to say, it was somewhat shameful.....


    ~GROWL~


    A bellowing sound came from my stomach, it immediately drew Vreena and Julia¡¯s attention towards me, and after staring in silence for a while, the two of them burst into a stifling laughter. Every time this happened that woman, Julia somehow found it amusing....


    ¡°Heh-Heh....that''s rare. Liam you don¡¯t usually get so fussy about food....do you want to try this?¡±


    ¡°....Yea I¡¯d like to try that.¡± Lowering my head in shame, my reddening cheeks seemed to have warranted another chuckle from her.


    Vreena ruffled the hair on my head before stepping up beside me, her wooden staff firmly placed before her. That single action demanded the attention of everyone here, and as soon as the bundled crowd of people turned to face us, they immediately crafted two perfectly parallel lines in mere seconds, quite the admirable feat given the spontaneity of their reflexes only kicking in just now.


    ¡°Elder Vreena...what brings you here today?¡± A woman at the back of the line spoke up, the angst in her face was nothing short of conspicuous.


    Vreena heaved a small sigh before responding.


    ¡°I know just how tasty these can get, but it wouldn¡¯t kill you to just line up properly right? You¡¯re putting the poor girl under a lot of pressure.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes I suppose we did lose control for a second there, my bad Emma.¡± She gave a small bow, not to any of us at the back of the assortment, but to the one standing behind the stall, looking out at us with a hint of satisfaction on her face.


    To my surprise, the one who¡¯d been handling this rampaging crowd was curiously....a small child. It was a young girl slightly taller than me, if I had to guess her exact age couldn¡¯t be that far off from this body of mine.


    Dark brown hair that fluttered down her back, deep blue eyes that rivaled the clarity of the daytime sky itself, and a stature that barely surpassed mine. The girl before me, now clad in a white apron that served to shield the blue dress she was wearing, gently wiped the few beads of sweat now forming on her face.


    ¡°Welcome, Madam. What will you be having today?¡±


    The young girl flashed us a carefree smile, despite being slightly out of breath it was clear that she¡¯d actually been enjoying the chaotic swarm that was only a few members short of completely encircling her just now.


    ¡°We can wait, Emma. Deal with those people there first.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be with you in a minute then.¡±


    Following Vreena¡¯s discretion, Emma began tending to the orderly line formed from instinct.


    ¡°Mother that¡¯s.......not bread right?¡±


    ¡°Oh Yea I guess you wouldn¡¯t know about those. They¡¯re called ¡°Faerie Buns¡±, it''s kind of similar to bread but this one is a lot tastier.¡± Julia was always one to be zealous but when it came to food, she was always willing to go the extra mile for her long-winded explanations.


    ¡°Is Liam not a big eater?¡±


    ¡°No he really isn¡¯t all that fussy about food. If I don¡¯t sit with him to eat he¡¯d probably just ignore his stomach growls for the entire day, its almost like he forgets that he needs to eat sometimes.¡±


    ¡°.....I actually do forget......¡± Was what I¡¯d wanted to say.


    ¡°Hah-Hah....you should try exposing him to some of your druid cuisine.¡±


    ¡°If only I had the ingredients....¡±


    A slight hint of rejection once again emerged from within her voice, but this seemed more like her intuitive response whenever things weren¡¯t going her way.


    ¡°Uhm.....it¡¯s your turn to order.¡±


    Drawing our attention, the small girl beckoned us over with a peculiar hand motion.

 Chapter 10 - Mortal Delights - Part Two

    Mortal Delights(2)


    <hr>


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten pretty good at this Emma.¡±


    ¡°Eheh-Heh....well it¡¯s been over a year now, so I¡¯ve had a lot of practice.¡± The reddening color on Emma¡¯s cheeks grew a bit brighter the moment she gave that response, lifting her head she surveyed our strange gathering before tipping over the counter to look down at me.


    ¡°Madam...is this...your son?¡± Considering the obvious hint of confusion now on her face, my contrasting appearance must have been responsible. Imagine her reaction if she¡¯d seen what I looked like before.


    ¡°Yea this is Liam, he¡¯s four years old......by the way you don¡¯t have to keep calling me ¡®madam¡¯ you know, Julia will do just fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then you can just call me Emma then.¡±


    The tender smiles this girl gave us felt nothing less than natural, and yet there was something curiously strange about all this.....


    ¡°My you two seem to be getting along quite well...and here I thought I¡¯d have to introduce you to each other.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s stopped by here a few times, so I¡¯m a little familiar with her.¡±


    ¡°I guess its not all that strange...this town isn¡¯t that big anyway, so you¡¯d be hard pressed to find any strange faces around here.¡± Reaching into her robe, Vreena took out a single silver coin and placed it on the wooden countertop.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have two of those Faerie buns.¡±


    Emma¡¯s gave a blank stare to the piece of metal now on the table, after the shocking realization hit her she entered into something like a flustered panic.


    ¡°W-w-w-wait a minute elder Vreena! That¡¯s way too much money for a few-¡±


    Her fit of confusion came to an abrupt end after the old woman extended her wrinkly palm. It wasn¡¯t meant to be anything intimidating or threatening, coupled with the gentle smile on her face the gesture had actually come off as being quite reassuring.


    ¡°Take it. If you don¡¯t want it for free then give me as many buns as that can buy, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s someone out here who¡¯ll appreciate it.¡±


    After taking a deep breath, the girl had no choice but to comply.


    ¡°What an honest girl....¡±


    Julia¡¯s words were just barely within range of my earshot, without even looking at her I could easily guess as to what expression she now wore.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll have two Faerie buns. Let¡¯s see if Liam will end up liking these.¡± Following in Vreena¡¯s lead, Julia placed her order with an aura of anticipation. She¡¯d just mentioned my name earlier, but I got the feeling that out of everyone here she was the most anxious to receive her order.


    <hr>


    ¡°Here you go, this is about as fresh as you can get em¡¯.¡±


    After five minutes, Emma had finally finished the human cuisine and placed a few strange boxes on the countertop. Wafting from them was a white trail of murky steam that seemed almost viscous in its erratic motions, the aroma from the freshly made pastries was riding along that captivating stream of hot air, once again inviting a reply from my now human body.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Fufu...Looks like you can¡¯t wait anymore.¡±


    Julia immediately opened the thin box, placing it in my hands with an ecstatic look on her face.


    ¡°Go on...try it.¡±


    At her word, I took a bite from the surprisingly soft pastry, the delicate structure melted in my mouth and a flood of new sensation temporarily blanketed my mind. The next thing I knew.....the box I¡¯d been holding in my hands was now empty, both my hands and mouth were now covered in sticky residue.


    The three people before me stared in amazement, holding back their mellowing expressions for as long as they could before bursting into laughter.


    ¡°Heh-Heh-heh....was it really that good Liam?¡± Julia, now chuckling to herself with glossy eyes stooped before me with a handkerchief.


    ¡°....It was sweet.¡±


    Emma¡¯s face sparked red with the brightness of the evening¡¯s sunset. It seems she¡¯d inadvertently ended up taking my off-handed comment as a compliment.


    ¡°Look at that, Emma it looks like you¡¯ve actually got me beat here. It''s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen Liam eaten anything that quickly. Is there some secret ingredient in your recipe?¡± Julia¡¯s words sounded both intimidating and earnest.


    ¡°N-no not at all. I just made it the usual way.¡±


    The bashful girl timidly replied, her face still a beet red color.


    ¡°I see. Well either way, you still did a really good job...there¡¯s no going around that. Good work, Emma.¡±


    She flinched after hearing those words from Julia. I was starting to get a handle on what was going on here so now was the best time for me to test my hypothesis.


    Stepping forward, I posed a question to the child now looking down on me -


    ¡°Emma....are you sad?¡±


    Just then, the young girl¡¯s face went completely blank, it was like all traces of the emotional torrent present on her face only seconds ago were usurped in an abrupt wave of silence. She stared at Julia, eyes widening and lips quivering, it was hard to tell at first from where I was standing but her entire frame seemed as if it was shaking slightly, like a delicate leaf rattling against the midsummer breeze.


    There was an odd crunching sound, and from the corner of my eyes I saw the old woman, Vreena clutch down hard on her round-top staff, casting her down casted gaze to the side.


    ¡°Emma....?¡±


    ¡°Ah!.....My bad...it looks like I zoned off there. Oh, I don¡¯t know if this will help or not but here, have a few more of these. It¡¯s on the house.¡± Reaching over the counter, she extended a few more of the conspicuous thin cardboard boxes to me. The objects rested heavily in my small hands.


    ¡°Are you sure, Emma?¡± Julia asked with a hint of concern in her voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Liam seems like a nice boy so I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    ¡°Well..... if you insist. Although I must apologize for earlier, I have no idea why he¡¯d ever ask you something so strange.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I suppose it''s time we head out. I¡¯ll see you some other time then, Emma.¡±


    ¡°Yea take care, and Liam you¡¯re free to come back any time, we¡¯ll always have more pastries for you.¡±


    Her face had somewhat returned to normal, the only one here who¡¯s visage hadn¡¯t softened up yet was Vreena, she was stuck staring at the ground this entire time. It was certainly contrasting with the previous display she¡¯d been putting on just now, but because of that I was able to see something rather interesting.


    ¡°Yeah I¡¯ll definitely come back!¡±


    Trodding alongside Julia, I declared my intent as loudly as these thin vocal chords would allow. Those humble words still managed to leave a bold impression behind, reaching Emma¡¯s ears amidst the resonant sounds of the bustling townscape.

 Chapter 11 - One Step Forward

    One Step Forward


    <hr>


    After stopping by Emma¡¯s stall, we ended up wandering around Zale to find whatever niche items or ingredients Julia was looking for. Even the vegetation in this world was different from what I¡¯d been used to, there were of course the typical apples and carrots here but some of these fruits seemed like amalgamations that shouldn¡¯t even be real in the first place, but somehow, they ended up being surprisingly delightful in their own right.


    There was a particular fruit called ¡®Jinga¡¯, it had roughly the same shape as a typical apple, but they were slightly smaller, and blue in color and instead of eating it in small portions as you normally would, you had to swallow the entire thing in one go. If you ever bit into it, the contents that spewed out would instantly transform into a deadly poison the moment it entered your mouth......That was what Vreena had said anyway, I¡¯d only gotten a glimpse of the strange fruit from afar.


    Jingas were supposedly meant to be used for medicinal purposes, so they were both hard to come by and expensive. Though the thought of such a thing should have usually been frightening for these humans, they actually reveled in the idea of getting their hands on one of those dicey fruits. It seems the nature of human curiosity had ultimately remained the same even in another world, these creatures got some kind of euphoric thrill from teetering on the edge of death.


    ¡°~Ahhhhh~ That was a nice little shopping session¡±


    Stretching her hands overhead, Julia cocked her head all the way back, marveling at the sight of the cawing crows now parading across the reddening sky. At her feet were two bulky bags filled with just about everything that had ended up catching her eye today, even after all the money she¡¯d spent, the woman showed no hint of regret.


    ¡°Speak for yourself, you¡¯ve got me and Liam here straddling with bags.¡±


    ¡°Oh if you''re worried about Liam, he actually wanted to help out and asked me for some of them. I wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d be able to carry any of that, but he actually pulled it off. You¡¯re stronger than you look you know.....but then again you are my son....¡±


    She puffed out her buoyant chest in a childish display of pride, Vreena¡¯s eyebrows twitched after watching her carry on, a ridge was now being formed between her now furrowed brows.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even a little bit concerned for the elderly huh?¡±


    ¡°Heh...I know better than anyone, a light little walk like this isn¡¯t anything much for you.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m enjoying this though.....You and your convenient interpretations.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Their bickering continued as we walked along the paved brick road leading to our small wooden house. Thankfully, I¡¯d already been walking a little ways in front of them so I somehow managed to escape their meaningless squabble, the trivial words echoing from behind me were hardly even registering within my earshot after a few seconds.


    Just up in the distance, a little ways by the roadside I could see it, our house. The place now serving as my home was on the outskirts of Zale, what we were walking on now was a small stone bridge that connected the town itself to the wider stretches of the surrounding land. The house was on the left, and to my right was a small pond that extended about halfway across the bridge''s span. Its waters shimmered under the fading light, reflecting the colors of the sky like a tranquil painting.


    Along the pond''s edge, clusters of water lilies bloomed atop their drifting lily pads, swaying ever so slightly in the gentle onset of lukewarm evening air that whiffed passed us like a mirage. Even with a handful of boxes and bags, looking out at the hue of the setting sun disappearing below the horizon had somehow managed to calm my dubious state of mind.


    Ever since coming to this world, my focus had been locked in a perpetual cycle of gathering information and finding the answers to my own questions, but.....it was times like these that made all the confusion swirling about in my mind seem trivial.


    Back in my old world, I didn¡¯t interfere with the mortal realm unless my duty bound me to do so. I was mostly alone in Eden and while that place did have a day and night cycle, that was about it. The seasons there didn¡¯t change, it was either day or night. What made the scenery there all the more drab was the fact that not much ever really happened outside the scope of that monotone cycle -There was no rain, storms, drought or any other significant variations in the natural order to break that monotony......The place was the textbook definition of a static existence.


    I arrived in this world not expecting much from it but.....things were in fact different here. Despite the struggles and atrocities that are sure to plague this land, a world where just about anyone could use magic, the suffering must have been immeasurable. I hadn¡¯t witnessed it firsthand as of yet, but I could tell, there were a lot of suffering souls crying out in this new world of mine and that didn¡¯t just go for living souls either.


    Ever since I started cultivating my mana core, I could hear them. The voices and in some cases ¨C haunting cries began growing louder and louder in my mind. Mana was an integral part of the soul in this world since it was the beacon that inadvertently attracted mana to your core in the first place.


    The two of them were linked together, which explains why I couldn¡¯t detect or even see souls as easily as I could in my old world. If I wanted to do that, I¡¯d have to refine my mana core to the highest level, but even in my current state, the voices of the damned still reached me. Whether they were hateful, remorseful or even regretful...the more I refined my mana core, the better I could see and hear them all.


    Unless the soul was particularly strong or potent, they¡¯d just appear as a hazy blue flame to me, but the more I developed my mana the clearer that image would become. Heh~ with all these wailing cries reaching my ears from beyond the grave, it felt like my duty was literally calling out to me.


    It was a daunting thought, one that was bold enough to put a smile on my face. After four long years, it feels like I¡¯ve only just begun to grasp the true meaning behind Luelle¡¯s words from back then.

 Chapter 12 - Footsteps To Home - Part One

    Footsteps To Home(1)


    <hr>


    After helping us across the bridge, Vreena went her own way as soon as she¡¯d managed to leave the heavy haul of items within a comfortable distance of the small house, waving overhead all the while. Now it was just me and Julia here, mere footsteps away from the humble abode.


    Our shadows grew longer with the sun¡¯s now fading essence caressing our backs, this ¡®shadow¡¯ of mine was an interesting gimmick that came along with this body. Maybe it was just because I didn¡¯t have one before, but I felt strangely captivated by the sight of my own opaque frame dragging along the ground behind me, if nothing else, it felt like irrefutable proof of my existence in this world.


    ¡°Mother, are you famous?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Do you think I am?¡±


    ¡°Well....you did get a lot of attention today.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so...but that''s mostly because humans don¡¯t really see us druids all that often. You remember all those stories I told you about my village?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...you said it was far away.¡±


    Her eyes, still fixed on our destination, narrowed with a reminiscent glint of satisfaction. Just from that I could already tell that the next words that came out of her mouth would undoubtedly be coated in nostalgia.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s still here in Ekin but it would take a really long time to reach it from here, plus all the formalities and uncertainties that come with traveling between nations like that make it all the more tedious.¡±


    ¡°....So you¡¯re like a traveler then? Don¡¯t you want to go back home?¡±


    Once again, she¡¯d found my response amusing.


    ¡°Yea that¡¯s right Liam, your mom¡¯s a traveler. Of course I¡¯m going to go back home one of these days but there are a few things I need to do first, but don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll get to meet your grandparents soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Grand....parents?¡±


    ¡°Mmhm~ I¡¯ll be taking you to see my parents soon. Or maybe they¡¯ll be coming down here? I¡¯m not too sure how it¡¯ll all work out.....¡±


    Apparently, this detour had been brewing on the itinerary for quite some time now. I guess there was just no way out of this........


    ¡°Can dad come?¡±


    A small sigh escaped her after hearing my question.


    ¡°I want all three of us to go but that might be tricky.....humans and druids aren¡¯t the best of friends you see.....¡±


    Ahhh....so that¡¯s what¡¯s going on here. In a world filled with such a wide variety of sentient races, disputes between them would naturally arise. If humans could barely manage getting along with their own kind, then they¡¯d certainly have problems with people who could spit fire.......


    Julia stopped in her tracks after getting those words out, and the reason for it was now walking triumphantly towards the two of us, the fading glow of the evening¡¯s sunset was just barely enough to properly illuminate his massive frame.


    Armed in his bulging black muscle shirt and trousers that perfectly fit his frame, he approached with a confident smile, the usual brown vest still hoisted over his shoulder and a reflective gleam of brilliance shining through the glasses resting on his nose bridge.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Though it¡¯d been a few days since I last saw him, it kind of felt like he hadn¡¯t left at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m back a little earlier today.¡±


    ¡°Fufu...welcome back Oliver. Would you be a dear and help us carry some of these?¡±


    She wasted no time suggesting that cunning gesture with her slender outstretched hand, it was one so polite it seemed almost irrefutable......


    <hr>


    ¡°Mage¡±


    That was how they referred to those who¡¯d awakened to magic in this world. Despite the abundance of mana flourishing across this land, being a mage was something of a coveted existence. The reasoning behind it wasn¡¯t all that complicated either, just because there was a lot of mana here, it didn¡¯t mean everybody could use it, some would naturally be more favored by the mystical energy than others and a myriad of factors ranging from your family lineage to even your species could influence how attuned your body was to mana. Fortunately for my case, Julia¡¯s druid heritage made wielding mana second nature for her, and in Oliver¡¯s case he was simply just someone on the rarer end of the human spectrum who¡¯d managed to awaken to mana through sheer effort.


    I¡¯d read about various methods linked to the awakening process, whether it be through means such as elixirs, arranged marriages and even esoteric rituals, but by far the most common approach was to curate the specifics of your own family lineage. I couldn¡¯t say for sure if that was the reason behind this body¡¯s creation, but the fact still stands that it was an irrefutable success.


    I could feel the essence of the magical energy around me pooling into my core with greater ferocity each day, it was almost at the point where I didn¡¯t even need to intently focus on pulling in mana and instead concentrate my efforts on circulating that energy with my core.


    This attraction to mana certainly came about by way of Julia¡¯s druid heritage, a trait I couldn¡¯t be more proud of. In Oliver¡¯s case, he didn¡¯t have any remarkable hereditary traits to offer but in place of that was the vast expanse of knowledge nestling within his mind. The litany of books and bookshelves occupying the majority of this small wooden house was clear proof of the man¡¯s dedication to his craft.


    Many a nights, I would leave him here in the ¡®living room¡¯ scribbling away at the papers on his desk, locked in a vigorous mental battle that would perpetually continue until the stack of documents on the table in front of him had ultimately dwindled away.


    I wasn¡¯t completely sure as to what he¡¯d been working on for all that time but the one thing I could say for certain was that it definitely had something to do with his profession ¨C a ¡®Raider.¡¯


    <hr>


    The dim orange glow of a shining crystal cast a blanket of warmth throughout the small house. The single, jagged shard of the material was about as big as an apple, yet it was still more than enough to grace every nook and cranny of this house. It was known as an ¡®Aether crystal¡¯, the supposed product formed when mana was allowed to condense over a long number of years and whenever it was stimulated with even the smallest bit of magical energy, it would begin giving off its radiant essence in an unwavering display of emanating light. The small crystal was contained inside something like a lantern and was now casting away the faint traces of the night¡¯s creeping shadows.


    It was quiet inside. Oliver was at his desk scribbling away as usual, and I was sitting on the floor, pretending to skim through the pages of one of his many arcane looking books. The only sounds that reached my ears came from the howling, screeching and croaking of the creatures outside, given how unnerving all of those sounds were, I couldn¡¯t even discern the true identities of the creatures they came from.


    Just then, the sound of Oliver¡¯s scribbling quill came to an abrupt halt, he looked over towards me before posing the question I¡¯d been eagerly waiting for.


    ¡°So Liam, what did you do today?¡±


    The typical question was prone to come my way every time he returned.


    Seeing as it was only the two of us in the ¡®living room¡¯ right now, then this was the perfect time to sate my curiosity.


    ¡°We went shopping in the town and I met a bunch of people, and the elder even followed us around.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you enjoyed yourself... I¡¯ll be sure to take you out once I¡¯m done with all of this.¡±


    His voice trailed off a little just now, given the faint hint of exhaustion I could see in his narrowing eyes, this was the best time to begin my ¡®mission¡¯.


    ¡®.....Father why do we live so far away from everyone else?¡±


    He paused for a moment before relaxing his confused features into a smile.


    ¡°.....How about we go outside for a bit?¡±


    To my surprise, the first phase of my plan had been a remarkable success.

 Chapter 13 - Footsteps To Home - Part Two

    Footsteps To Home (2)


    <hr>


    The nighttime air gently graced my cheek, passing me by in a subtle display of its frigid brilliance. The thing I enjoyed most about these bodies made of flesh and blood was the shocking degree of sensitivity that came along with them, even the slightest touch from so much as an ant would cause a rection from me, whether it was voluntary or not.


    Looking out from the small ¡®patio¡¯ as they called it, I could see the faint glimmers of Aether crystals coming from across the bridge. They did have candles here, but seeing as Aether crystals could be used for illuminating the streets at night and also due to them lasting far longer than typical candles and torches, they were the go-to method of illumination in this world.


    Directly across from me, the small pond that contained the scarcely floating lily pads now had some sort of strange yellow glow coming from a select few of the floating structures. I couldn¡¯t exactly tell what they were, but from here, they resembled frogs with tails and esca lights protruding from their foreheads.


    Oliver stretched both hands in front of him, fingers now interlocked. Standing beside him I could hear the faint sounds of creaking coming from his now relaxed joints, it was a given considering just how much his massive frame was already stretching the buttoned up short-sleeved shirt he was now wearing.


    Pulling in a deep breath of fresh air, he turned to face me with an expression beaming with vigor, it wasn¡¯t the peak of his condition, but it was still far better than the dreary look his eyes held only a few minutes ago.


    ¡°Alright Liam, it¡¯s been a while so let¡¯s have a little talk.¡±


    ¡°O-okay....you sound kind of sleepy father.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it''s this obvious then I guess even you could tell.....Its true that I am a little worn out right now, but this shouldn¡¯t take too much out of me.¡±


    The dry laughter that followed his last sentence completely contradicted the words he¡¯d just spoken.


    ¡°.....Why did we have to come outside though...?¡±


    ¡°Just for a change of pace, let''s talk it out in the great outdoors until your mother gets done making dinner. Besides, I could tell that you were already getting bored of looking through those dusty old books, so let''s try something different for a change.¡±


    ¡°Heh-Heh....alright let¡¯s do it!¡±


    The innocent laughter that came from me just now was starting to make this performance all the more convincing.


    ¡°So you want to know why we live so far out from everyone else right?¡±


    ¡°Mhm...... everyone else lives inside the city but we¡¯re the only one who stay so far out here.....¡±


    Apparently, my juvenile voice had some sort of effect on him, as soon as he heard my words trailing off, Oliver took a few steps closer before placing his large hand on my head.


    ¡°You know about my job as a raider right?¡±


    ¡°Mother told me about it, she said that¡¯s you fight monsters and go on adventures.¡±


    ¡°Well that is true, but fighting monsters is more like a side effect of being a raider, at least for me anyway, other people may have different reasons. For me, my duty as a raider is to protect others, and that includes everyone from you and your mother to all the people of Ekin......¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    He exhaled a heavy breath, releasing yet another burst of the built-up tension nestling within his body.


    ¡°Liam we¡¯re not actually from this town, we came here on a mission before you were born.¡±


    A strange silence filled the air between us, I¡¯d known about Julia not originating from here, but for Oliver to be a nomad as well was something of a surprise.


    ¡°Hah-Hah-Hah...don¡¯t look so confused. Your mother¡¯s a druid so she isn¡¯t from anywhere near here either, her homes to the north of here.¡±


    He pointed in some arbitrary direction with absolute certainty, clearly not something you could pull off if you weren¡¯t absolutely sure of it.


    ¡°So then.... where are you from father?¡±


    ¡°Hm? My hometown is Orna, the capital city. We¡¯ve been here ever since you were born so I¡¯m sure this is all a little confusing for you. Let¡¯s go back to the beginning, before you were born our raid party ¨C I mean, me, your mom and our other raider friends came here on a secondary mission to defeat a certain monster, but the fight ended up dragging on and it got away. We couldn¡¯t beat it because your mother was carrying you at the time Liam.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®carrying¡¯ father?¡±


    On instinct my head cocked to the side in a fit of confusion, I saw Oliver direct his gaze elsewhere as if to avoid making eye contact with me.


    ¡°Ahem! It means you were still a baby back then.¡±


    Ahhh...he must have meant human conception; it wasn¡¯t something I was overly familiar with, but I did at least know the principles surrounding it. That must be why his voice now sounded so docile, completely unlike the usual commanding tone it normally carried.


    ¡°Y-You see, druids like your mother take longer to make babies than humans, for them it takes about a year and a half, and since she was already getting weak because of it we decided to stay here for the time being and not risk the danger of going back with her in that condition. Since this place has next to no raiders, they ended up relying on me for protection and our stay here dragged on for way longer than I¡¯d planned, especially since your mother was still recovering.¡±


    ¡°So...when are we going back to that Orna place father?¡±


    ¡°Oh it shouldn¡¯t be too long now, in fact we were supposed to have left already, but a while back I found traces of that monster that we¡¯d let get away all those years ago. It looks like its still weakened but I¡¯d hate to leave that thing roaming around here, especially since it was our mess to begin with. There¡¯s no warden around here either so if that thing does show up, then things would get ugly real fast.¡±


    He finally gazed down at my peering expression after going off on his own little tangent. Strengthening his grip on my now disheveled head of hair, he chuckled in a tone that sounded both indulgent and amused.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be so stiff about all of this, with me around here there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. I¡¯ll finish what our party started all those years ago, that''s why I have to check the town¡¯s entire perimeter every day, having this house out here just makes that a little easier.¡±


    ¡°Uhm......father what''s a warden? Are they different from raiders?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I guess you¡¯ve never really heard about them since Zale isn¡¯t all that in touch with the capital. Wardens are the people who were granted power by the deities of the land, raiders are mostly tasked with exploring dungeons and the like, they don¡¯t really stay in cities for too long unless its for a mission and they don¡¯t act under the orders of any deities. Wardens on the other hand are tasked with overseeing and protecting the territories that are managed by a particular deity''s sect so.....¡±


    Oliver abruptly stopped himself before he could go off on yet another lengthy tangent. It was one of the few habits I¡¯d gotten used to seeing since coming here.


    ¡°Ahem!....You¡¯re probably still too young for this, but let me finish what I was saying anyway, the wardens are basically the head members of whatever leading sect is in charge of carrying out a deities will.¡±


    That explanation was rather concise, but I still got the gist of it. With all the different nations and factions spread across this continent it''s no surprise that they¡¯d have something like that in place.


    (You two! I¡¯m almost done making dinner.)


    Julia¡¯s echoing voice barely managed to make its way to us on the outside.


    ¡°So Liam? Is there anything you want to do before heading back inside?¡±


    The answer to that was obvious.


    ¡°Can you show it to me one more time? .......Your magic I mean.....¡±

 Chapter 14 - Footsteps To Home - Part Three

    Footsteps To Home (3)


    <hr>


    The prospect of being able to wield magic was one of the few perks that genuinely made having this body an overall net positive. While I had no intention of completely discarding my old style of combat, being able to use magic would undoubtedly give me a larger repertoire and that was something I couldn¡¯t pass up on, especially since I was now in a world where ordinary humans could crush boulders with their bare hands.


    Oliver took a few casual steps towards the large pond nestling across from the house, even though he was tired, a sense of profound confidence still oozed from every pore on his body.


    ¡°This should be far enough.¡± Stopping just in front of the tranquil body of water, he looked back at me from over his shoulder, morphing his bearded face to form a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been asking about my magic a lot since recently; do you want to be a mage?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you and mother can do so many cool things with that ¡®mana¡¯ stuff. Maybe if I copy your moves my magic will awaken too...?¡±


    ¡°Hah-Hah-Hah...Liam that¡¯s not how magic works but at least you¡¯re motivated......so that''s good enough for now.¡±


    I was well aware of how ludicrous my statement just now sounded, but I had to act in accordance with how this vessel was expected to behave. There were very few human children who I¡¯d needed to guide in the past, it was mostly because of their soul''s innate purity and innocence that inevitably caused them to immediately find their way to Akasha as soon as they¡¯d died.


    Being exposed to the wonders of life for an even shorter period of time than what most humans had been granted hardly left any of them with desires strong enough to bind them to the mortal world. The personality I¡¯d been putting on up until now was nothing more than the culmination of my brief experiences with the souls of human children. I didn¡¯t think something like that was ever going to come in handy, but this world really is just full of surprises.


    ¡°Alright Liam, watch closely.¡± Oliver drew my focus back to him with those words, his voice just now made it seem as if I was about to watch a seasoned maestro perform his age-old craft, given the traces of magical energy that were subtly leaking from him, that might not have been too far from the truth.


    ¡°Tempest¡±


    That word quietly escaped Oliver¡¯s mouth. In its wake came a devastating gust of wind that began to encircle his body in a violent swirl. Leaves began dancing, dust began swirling and the once docile body of water now at his back roared to life, the ripples now emanating from it rising like tidal guardians responding to his command.


    The intimidating display now being put on right before my very eyes was a captivating spectacle to behold, but something seemed off about this. Oliver was standing at the center of what now appeared to be a miniature tornado, but no matter how the miniature vortex surrounding him assaulted the environment, none of those adverse effects ever seemed to make their way to me. I couldn¡¯t be sure of it, but if he¡¯d deliberately done this then his control over magical elements was nothing short of being remarkable.


    The most I could feel from here was the slight rustling of my clothes and hair that came along with the chilling sensation of the humid air behind me being summoned into the vortex he¡¯d conjured just now. And what was even more confusing than all of this was the fact that he hadn¡¯t uttered a single chant, just one word was all it took for him to manifest this turbulent vortex.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The faint hint of a smile could now be seen on his murky silhouette, now standing at the center of his own miniature cyclone.


    SNAP


    With that simple gesture from his fingers, the towering swirl immediately subsided, forming a small ring of rippling air that now swirled around his feet.


    ¡°Liam you look confused. Didn¡¯t I show this one to you yet?¡±


    ¡°....Father....I thought you could only use fire. Just how did you-¡±


    Before I could even finish speaking, the man beckoned me over with a subtle gesture from his hand. Obliged to follow his directive, I stepped into the cyclone of swirling air no taller than a wisp of smoke.


    ¡°You¡¯re still young, but since you¡¯ve got druid blood in you, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll awaken to magic sooner or later. There are people known as dualists, they are born with the ability to control more than one magical attribute and in my case, fire is the primary element I control but I also have access to wind as a backup.¡±


    ¡°So does that mean I¡¯ll have fire and Wind magic when I grow up!?¡±


    His expression contorted with confusion, now folding his arms it was blatantly clear that even he didn¡¯t know the answer to that question.


    ¡°Hmm....I¡¯m not sure to be honest, there are a lot of things that could influence that process so nobody can really predict the outcome, but...¡±


    Adjusting his glasses, the man formed a devious smirk on his face.


    ¡°The one thing I can say for sure is that you¡¯re definitely going to be powerful no matter what kind of magic you awaken to. With the two of us as your parents then that¡¯s basically guaranteed, so you don¡¯t even need to worry about the kind of magic you¡¯ll get. Heck, you might even end up as a radical....¡±


    ¡°Radical...? What¡¯s-¡±


    Once again taking the initiative, Oliver placed his hand on my head like a sage about to impart his ancient wisdom. ¡°Radicals are people with special magic like tamers, not the usual elemental kind that most people develop.¡±


    Yet another concise but succinct explanation. If nothing else Oliver was a master at filling in the gaps of my limited knowledge about this world.


    ¡°Alright Liam let¡¯s move on to the main event. Let me show you what a dualist can really do.¡±


    From the tone of his voice just now I could tell that this would be where I got my very first glimpse at the true depths of magic in this world.


    ¡°Ignition Gust¡±


    Just then, a small sphere of smoldering flames appeared in his right hand, it was about the size of a twinkling star, yet the heat being radiated by the miniature furnace felt like that of a blazing forge, I could tell that much just from the shimmering orange glow now being cast on the surrounding atmosphere. That in itself was quite an impressive feat, but the theatrics apparently weren¡¯t done yet....


    The swirling cyclone that had been encircling our feet this entire time began rising into the air, drawing closer to the orange sphere by the second. In no time at all, it had enveloped the shimmering construct in a thick veil of pressurized air like a second coating of protective armor.


    Upon its completion, Oliver glanced down at me with a beaming childlike grin on his face. Extending his palm out towards the small pond, he released the small sphere, allowing it to float freely in the air.


    ¡°Watch this¡±


    You could pick up on the excitement in his voice even if you were completely oblivious to what was going on right now.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    With that dull sound, the dangling orb of light erupted into a fiery pillar of flames that cut through the air with the precision of a shooting star. Flying over the listless body of water and causing it to evaporate with nothing more than its radiance, the pond had seemingly been split in two from the sheer force of the blistering attack.

 Chapter 15 - Black Swan

    Black Swan


    <hr>


    Three days had passed since I witnessed Oliver¡¯s gleaming spectacle. I couldn¡¯t shake the imagery of the devastating attack I¡¯d witnessed that night even if I¡¯d wanted to, as ironic as it was, the attack itself had seemingly been burned into my own mind. If anything, it only went to remind me of how weak I was right now, if I¡¯d been on the receiving end of such a devastating blow then there was little I could do to avoid it, but fortunately for me, it doesn¡¯t look like such a grim reality will come to pass.


    But that didn¡¯t change the fact that I was still a weakling, and only I had the power to change my own detrimental fate, and the only way to do that was through diligent training. That was the one activity that had taken up the majority of my uneventful days and the one thing that managed to keep me occupied even now.


    Mimicking the form I¡¯d often seen being used in Eden, I sat crossed legged on the small outdoor area of the wooden dwelling, controlling my breathing and letting my body indulge in the rich essence known as mana. With each deep breath I could feel the mystic power moving throughout my body, heading towards the dormant ¡®core¡¯ now housing my soul. Though it was still inactive, I could tell that the sparking embers of mana within it were burning brighter by the day.....my awakening wouldn¡¯t be long now.


    That was what I¡¯d thought anyway, the tranquil ripples of serenity drifting through my mind were about to be disrupted......


    ¡°Julia!¡±


    That echoing cry made its way to my ears from somewhere that seemed close but far away at the same time.


    ¡°Julia....are you...theeeeeeeeere!?¡±


    My focus had been completely shattered, slowly opening my eyes I saw the figure of a young girl now hastily making her way across the stone bridge. She had dark brown hair reaching down to her back, though it was now fluttering wildly with each of her rapid strides. She was wearing a soiled white apron that covered almost the entirety of the blue, frilly ended dress she wore, but despite her odd attire, it didn¡¯t seem to be having any effect on her unwavering dash at all.


    Her deep blue eyes were welling up with a transparent fluid and with every step she took, it blatantly heightened the emotional distress now clouding her mind. It was almost as if she was on the verge of crying.


    ¡°Emma?¡±


    A few drops of the built-up liquid escaped her eyes just then, promptly being swept away by the brisk gust of wind the girl had seemingly conjured with her teary charge. Planting her right leg in front of her, she killed the excess momentum, kicking up a swirl of dust before coming to a halting stop right in front of me.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Even with the deep, heavy pants she was fervently trying to suppress and the beads of sweat dripping from her entire body, she somehow managed to quickly dismiss the built-up fatigue in what seemed like no time at all.


    ¡°L-Liam....is your mother here?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah she was just here a-¡±


    ¡°Can you please go and call her for me!? This is an emergency!¡± Emma¡¯s voice was unusually commanding, I didn¡¯t know her all that well, but it was easy for me to tell that she wasn¡¯t used to acting out like this. Before I could even respond to the teary-eyed girl before me, Julia¡¯s figure once again came into view from the direction of the rippling pond, it had seamlessly returned to its original form mere seconds after being split in two by Oliver¡¯s heated attack.


    Her hair was now neatly tied to one side, and as she approached, her knee length skirt, still slightly wet at the hem and her rolled up sleeves gave her a completely different impression that what I¡¯d been used to. With each of her lightly placed steps, a few of the fluttering creatures she now held in one hand came into view. Their streamlined, scaly bodies were now being held upside down, still flopping and failing to secure even one last breath of oxygen. It had become something of a habit for her to enter the nearby pond and hunt those aquatic creatures with nothing but her bare hands but considering how proficient she seemed to be at it, then one could only assume that such a thing had inherently been a part of her nature since the very beginning.


    ¡°Alright Liam, we¡¯re having these for dinner toni-¡± Abruptly cutting her own sentence short, she stared at the trembling girl now standing before her, clutching the ends of her apron with quivering fingers.


    ¡°........Emma....what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Clenching her own garments in an attempt to quell the shivering of her own body, she took a single step forward before giving the sincerest appeal she could offer in this state.


    ¡°Please help me.....my brother is dying.....¡±


    Those words were spoken in a tone so low the passing winds could barely carry them.


    Julia was silent for a few seconds, but the state of the trembling child now standing before her had immediately grounded her thoughts in reality. Once again forming the thin smile she usually wore, Julia took two steps forward and embraced the young girl with her free hand.


    A ¡®hug¡¯ huh......It had been done to me many times before, but looking at the interaction from afar made it seem a lot less commonplace.


    ¡°Just let me put these away, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Making her way over to me, Julia¡¯s smile lost a bit of its innocence as she passed through the wooden doorway.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going out for a bit Liam.¡±


    I could tell that she was trying to keep up appearances for my sake, but no matter how you looked at this situation, nothing good could ever come of it. It was as if a looming sense of dread and distraught had now stained the air and in its onset had managed to wipe the smiles off both of their faces. This feeling was one I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, maybe that''s why my body was twitching with a sense of excitement. These mortal bodies were nothing if not interesting, despite my best attempts to suppress the gesture of joy my face was now forming, I could still feel the lingering traces of a smirk on my lips. It was a good thing neither Julia nor Emma could see the expression that was now on my face, if they had I imagine it would paint me in quite the villainous light.


    Now then.......what flavor of despair does this world have in store for me?

 Chapter 16 - Silent Noise - Part One

    Silent Noise (1)


    <hr>


    "Please help me¡¯"


    Those three words were all Julia needed to hear before she made her abrupt decision. It was hard to even call it a decision in the first place, right now, her actions were incentivized not by logic or reason, but by the elusive concept of ¡®emotions.¡¯


    The second Emma had asked for her help, the only actions she took prior to following behind her was securing her freshly caught batch of what I could only assume was now going to be my dinner. Without even changing her clothes, she immediately asked Emma to lead the way, saying she could ¡®fill us in¡¯ later.


    Right now, I was running alongside the two of them as we made our way through the bustling crowds of the small town. Just like the last time we were here, Julia was still getting a lot of attention, but the only difference this time was that she hadn¡¯t even bothered to spare them a glance. It wasn¡¯t out of disrespect, but simply a result of her sharpening her concentration. Her expression grew more stern and with every breath I could hear her breathing conforming to a single, monotone rhythm as we all dashed through the compact streets, weaving through pedestrians and passengers alike with nothing but determination and focus.


    As embarrassed as I was to admit it, my fragile frame was lagging behind their swift strides. Julia noticed the steady decline in my pace and flashed me a tender smile over her shoulder before saying -


    ¡°We''re almost there.¡±


    And as if right on cue, Emma cut in to support her claim.


    ¡°This is it! We¡¯re here.¡±


    Once again coming to a halting stop, we¡¯d arrived at some part of the town that I¡¯d never seen before. This place wasn¡¯t bustling with as many people as the town square, but we still had curious heads turning in our direction the moment we made our brazen entrance onto the scene. It seemed to be some sort of residential district, so only a few horse drawn carts were passing by at the moment, along with the usual gathering of onlookers stationed around the various shops the area had to offer. What stood in front of me now was a large house that boasted a mixture of both concrete and timber segments, it was undoubtedly the biggest house in the entire area and was at least three times bigger than mine.


    Separating the extravagant dwelling from the outside world was a wooden gate that barely managed to surpass my height. Nestling behind its timid borders and leading the short distance to the house itself was a small road in pristine condition that managed to perfectly divide the lush shades of lawn grass on either side of it. Despite its obvious age, you could easily tell that this makeshift barrier had seen little in the way of wear and tear given how polished its timber frame was.


    There was even a nameplate attached to the forefront of this gate, and written on it was the word ¡°Ashwell.¡±


    For some reason, there was an unusual number of horses gathered outside and around the place, but they weren¡¯t entirely left unattended. In fact, it would appear that this large gathering of horses had been the ones to initially garner the attention of the stationary onlookers.


    ¡°This is my house....my older brother¡¯s inside.¡±


    Emma discreetly tried to suppress the immense sense of fatigue she was now feeling by placing a hand on her chest, but that gesture was ultimately meaningless at this point. Just one good look was enough for anybody to see that she was exhausted.


    Her body was now leaning forward, and her hands were firmly latched on to her knees. If not for that clever tactic, I could easily imagine her falling face first onto the rigid ground we now stood atop. The beads of sweat now dripping from her face had formed something of a dark spot on the dry patch of land beneath her.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Given how far we¡¯d come ever since we started running, that much was a given. Even I could feel the involuntary expansion and contraction of my organs, the hot breaths of air that escaped me were indeed proof of life, but at the same time I couldn¡¯t help but see them as proof of my own weakness.


    Compared to me and Emma, Julia on the other hand didn¡¯t seem very fazed by what was going on at all. But now that we were here, one thing became abundantly clear to me


    (There were definitely people dying in this house.....)


    ¡°Oh, Lady Julia thank goodness!¡±


    A voice I had no recollection of reached out to us. It was a man around the same age as Vreena, he hardly even had hair on his head but yet still, he was loosely dressed in armor that seemed to only cover the core aspects of his body. He even had a shortsword lazily hanging from his hip.


    Making his way over to us, the metal joints lining his body let out a high-pitched grinding sound. ¡°We really need your help..... a lot of my men are seriously injured!¡± His expression wasn¡¯t panicked, but it wasn¡¯t relaxed either. It was like his emotions were currently vying for the right of manifestation.


    ¡°Captain Owen....what happened?¡±


    Julia immediately skipped all the formalities with that brazen question.


    His gaze dropped the moment Julia spoke up, he stared at the ground as if his head was too heavy to even lift.


    ¡°I-It was the Basilisk. We received word that it was lurking in the nearby forest, so we rounded up our forces and headed off to dispatch it-¡±


    Julia flinched for a second before regaining her composure.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to the details after I¡¯m done here. Where is he, Emma?¡± Julia asked in a hurried tone, clearly not wanting to waste even a moment.


    Barely managing to lift her face, she pointed towards an open window on the upper right end of the building. ¡°T-Third floor....hah....hahh¡±


    It was starting to sound like she could barely even get her own words out, but then again, a creeping sense of lethargy was also starting to chip away at my own vigor. The backlash that came with pushing these bodies too far was certainly a steep one.


    From where I was standing, getting to that ¡®third floor¡¯ Emma mentioned just now seemed like it was going to be a daunting task in my current condition.......or at least that was what I¡¯d thought anyway.


    Before I¡¯d even realized it, Julia had somehow managed to lift me off my feet and hoisted me under her arm like I was some sort of burdensome load. Without even a word, she walked right up to Emma and did the very same, our legs now dangled in the air like we were nothing more than restless children.


    ¡°J-Julia?¡±


    ¡°Uhm...Mother... wha-¡±


    Her expression was still serious, fixing her eyes on the destination Emma had indicated just now, she responded without even looking at us.


    ¡°You two, stop talking and press your tongue against the roof of your mouth....also I¡¯m sorry about this Emma, I don¡¯t mean to be rude.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± That stupid sound was the only thing that escaped Emma''s mouth before our abrupt displacement. In an instant, Julia kicked off the ground and launched herself up to the height of the inviting window, landing on the windowsill with a poised posture, our bodies barely even shifted even after that immense burst of speed.


    It was a good thing she¡¯d warned me about keeping my mouth closed in advance, or what happened just now might have caused my own teeth to sever my tongue.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re here, I assume your brother is down this hall?¡±


    Even though her hands were still shaking, Emma nodded her head in agreement. Given everything that''s happened in the last few minutes it''s no wonder she¡¯d be surprised and yet still, I saw her clutching her own trembling fingers, still trying to compose herself.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Darting off with us still in hand, the pitter-patter of Julia¡¯s feet made a series of conspicuous echoes each time they collided with the well-aged timber floors.

 Chapter 17 - Silent Noise - Part Two

    Silent Noise (2)


    <hr>


    With a loud THUD, the wooden door at the end of the winding hallway was flung open.


    ¡°Julia....you¡¯re late.¡±


    ¡°T-This is lady Julia?¡±


    Inside the room were three people, two of them were completely unfamiliar to me, but it didn¡¯t look like Julia was familiar with everyone here either.


    ¡°Vreena is that him?¡± Julia called out, fixing her eyes on the young boy now lying on his back, clad in robust, clunky armor that must have doubled his own weight, wincing in pain. The bed sheets that I could only assume were once white, now had prominent crimson stains scattered all over it, to the point where the viscous fluid was even trailing off onto the wooden floor.


    Vreena was standing over him, applying pressure to his shoulder wound with a piece of fabric that had long been dyed in the color of the young boy¡¯s innards.


    ¡°Isaac!¡±


    Emma shouted in a voice that sounded like it was on the verge of breaking. She wrestled herself from Julia¡¯s grasp, falling limply to the ground and tumbling a few steps forward before inevitably falling flat on her face.


    The other woman in the room, who I didn¡¯t know, bore a stark resemblance to both Emma herself and the youth currently grimacing in pain. Everything from the brown hair down to her azure blue eyes made it a dead giveaway.


    The bucket of muddy-red water immediately fell from her hands, surprisingly though, hardly any of its contents had been spilt. ¡°Emma...you need to calm down, Isaac will be fine. Lady Julia here will heal him, she¡¯s the best healer in all of Zale after all.¡±


    I know those words were meant to give her daughter comfort but given the steady stream of tears now gliding down her cheeks I couldn¡¯t accurately determine who actually needed reassurance here.


    ¡°Okay, mother...¡± Emma responded with teary eyes, mimicking the woman¡¯s expression.


    Although Vreena was still focusing on the task at hand, I could tell that the situation unfolding right now wasn¡¯t one she enjoyed.


    ¡°Gaaaah!....Ack!¡±


    Now writhing in agony, Isaac¡¯s body shot up from its original position, bringing into view the very reason behind his now frantic movements. ¡°Damn it Isaac hold still!¡± Vreena pinned both of his arms with hers, despite her age she somehow had enough strength to force the half dead youth into submission.


    ¡°Isaac, hold on we¡¯ll-¡± Emma rose to her wobbly feet but couldn¡¯t even take a step forward.


    ¡°Stay back! He¡¯s poisoned so don¡¯t get too close, even inhaling the vapor from this thing for too long is a bad idea...Tch! Julia I can¡¯t keep this up forever you know.¡±


    Vreena¡¯s words had seemingly halted Emma on the spot, instead of advancing, she¡¯d been forced to do the opposite. Looking closer, the source of Isaac¡¯s agony had become abundantly clear; there was a gaping hole on his left shoulder that was so wide you could almost see straight through it if not for the intertwining mix of purple and red fluids lining the inside of the wound.


    In a metal container over on the nightstand was a pricked object coated in a thin sheen of the very same purple fluid, it wasn¡¯t made of metal, nor was it particularly bulky but instead bore a streamlined shape and was curved near the tip.


    It was a little longer than Owen¡¯s shortsword. The purple markings that lined the circumference of the boy¡¯s wound meant that this was undoubtedly the object that had reduced him to such a perilous state.


    I couldn¡¯t be sure as to what it was, but my best guess would have to be.....This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°A Basilisk¡¯s fang is it....¡±


    Julia murmured in an uninterested tone. Tying her hair up, she walked over to the trembling boy, his own sweat now gliding off his body and mixing with his already spewed blood.


    This entire time, Emma¡¯s mother had been too shocked to even speak, she turned to Julia out of pure instinct.


    ¡°Please....can you save my son? I can¡¯t lose him too....¡±


    ¡°I can.¡±


    It was the first time I¡¯d ever heard Julia give an answer that had been imbued with such unshakeable confidence. Closing her eyes, she extended a hand towards Isaac and took a deep breath before chanting ¡°Spirits of dawn, I summon you now, burst forth and bestow us with your radiant glow - Fairy Light¡±.


    Just then, Julia¡¯s body was enveloped in a veil of neon green light that soon overpowered everything in the room with an aura of absolute tranquility. It felt as if all my previous fatigue had been effortlessly washed away with nothing more than a few words from her.


    Isaac¡¯s flailing immediately subsided after she cast that one spell, and so too did the tense atmosphere that had previously weighed over us all.


    ¡°I-Is it over?¡± Emma asked in an overly curious voice.


    ¡°No, I just lessened the pain. It wouldn¡¯t make any sense for me to heal him right now since he¡¯s still poisoned. After we extract all that nasty stuff then he¡¯ll be just fine~¡±


    Julia¡¯s demeanor was still quite serious, but her usual tonality had returned just now, if only for a second.


    ¡°Emma...can you wait outside with Liam for me?¡±


    Emma stared at her absent mindedly before answering, her slender arms fell limply to her side like all the strength had been instantaneously drained from them.


    ¡°Mhm. I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    She¡¯d put on a comforting face for me and Emma just now but we both knew that it simply meant we weren¡¯t needed here, if anything we were actually in the way.


    Taking my hand in hers, Emma promptly escorted me away from the hollow room once dominated by screams and sorrow.


    <hr>


    It was now evening. The once blue skies had been dyed into a bright orange color by way of the fading sun¡¯s will. Right now, the entire world seemed to be donning the color of the descending ball of light, it even managed to permeate its way into this obscure hallway, casting shadows that now seemed to be far more conspicuous than usual.


    I couldn¡¯t decide if the scenery unfolding out the window behind me was beautiful or ominous, but the only creatures who seemed to find pleasure at this time of day were the flock of cawing crows now whiffing by overhead.


    After leaving Vreena and the others inside that room, they¡¯d managed to sort out Isaac¡¯s condition in under an hour, but there were dozens more people suffering from the same fate as him who¡¯d all been carried here, so both me and Emma ended up spending the entire time alone in the hallway.


    Emma hadn¡¯t said a word to me ever since we left that room. She sat on the floor across from me, curling up into a strange posture and resting her head on her knees. I had no intention of annoying her but there was something I wanted to confirm before making any moves. Still....I had no idea how to approach her, especially since we were both alone like this and given the state she was currently in.


    I had very little experience with whining children, so it was all but impossible for me to predict exactly how this was going to go, the fact that I¡¯d even dragged this out for so long was starting to get to me. Still, it had to be done, just the thought of a certain someone mocking me for being unsociable was more than enough to spur me into action.


    ¡°Emma....are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Yea...what is it Liam? Are you hungry or did you finally start missing home?¡±


    Her head was still hanging low even as she spoke, she clearly wasn¡¯t very interested in anything I had to say.


    ¡°No....I was just checking to see if you were alright.¡±


    ¡°.....I¡¯m a little tired.....¡±


    That reply was all I needed to hear, it was all or nothing now.


    ¡°Can I ask you about your family?¡±


    She paused for only a few seconds before answering, but in this vacant space it almost seemed as if time had stopped for the two of us.


    ¡°Why do you want to know about something like that?¡±


    ¡°W-well your older brother¡¯s a raider, isn¡¯t he? I just wanted to hear more about him since he fights monsters and goes on adventures. Didn¡¯t he tell you any stories you can share with me?¡±


    ¡°Liam....it¡¯s really not that great you know. That¡¯s exactly how my dad used to talk.¡±


    ¡°....Your dad?.......¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he was a raider too.....but he died a year ago.¡±


    (Alright, time to lay the groundwork.)

 Chapter 18 - Silent Noise - Part Three

    Silent Noise (3)


    <hr>


    The human body required many things in order for it to function at its optimum capacity. There were the obvious contributing factors playing a part like food and water, but one of the most overlooked necessities was rest. Ever since reincarnating into mortal flesh, the most overwhelming obstacle standing in my way was the concept of ¡®sleep.¡¯


    That lethargic feeling would wash over me like a sudden tidal wave and immediately force my body into a comatose state against my will. I wasn''t particularly fond of it because it just felt like I was wasting time, but as with all things, even this accursed concept had its upsides.


    In the case of drowsiness, it was honesty.


    The phenomenon was similar to what I''d often observed when humans were on the verge of death, for some reason, when humans were close to losing consciousness, they were surprisingly more truthful. I could only assume it was because they lacked the mental vigor to find loopholes in arguments or flat out deny certain requests but either way, that was the main reason why I¡¯d initially waited until both Oliver and Emma were on the verge of dozing off before conversing with them. Oliver would have likely agreed to it either way given his personality, but the added touch of him being low on mental vigor was just a bonus to make the entire process flow a lot smoother without giving away too much.


    I couldn¡¯t rely on my other method of seeing through lies just yet, so for right now this crude tactic would just have to do.


    ¡°Your dad......died?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it''s been a little over a year now.....Ah! Wait Liam do you even know what that means?¡± It seems a sudden realization had just dawned on her, she immediately lifted her head and stared at me with her still strained facial features. Her eyes now had a glossy sheen to them and there were a few sleep wrinkles forming under her eyes. I did hear the occasional sob coming from her ever so often, but with this it was now abundantly clear that she¡¯d been crying the entire time.


    Still, the question she just asked me was one so ironic I couldn¡¯t even muster a laugh even if I''d wanted to.


    ¡°Yeah my mother told me about it a long time ago. She said it means that you¡¯re going to sleep forever.¡±


    Emma stared blankly at me, I¡¯m certain my words reached her just now, but it was like her brain wasn¡¯t registering the meaning behind them. After a while, she formed a thin smile, rising to her feet and walking over to the window beside me. She placed a hand on the windowsill, using it to support her face, she leaned over the edge, promptly greeting the steady stream of lukewarm air that was now flowing into the passage.


    ¡°Yeah.....dying means you go to sleep forever, so I won¡¯t be seeing my dad again. Not anytime soon at least.¡±


    She was gazing out at the setting sun in the distance with an expression of both serenity and sorrow. ¡°Y¡¯know he used to be the village elder up until just recently, but you were only a baby back then so it kind of feels like you just missed him.¡±


    ¡°What was he like?¡±


    ¡°Mmhm....Well he was pretty much the strongest guy around here before your parents started living here. Most of the time he was off in the nearby forest hunting any monsters that were causing trouble or strayed too close to the town. Every day he would come back around this time covered in dirt and monster goo, my mother was running our stall back then and he¡¯d always stop by and wait for us before going home.......¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Her voice got weaker with each word that came out, but despite that she still carried on, ignoring the obvious changes in her tone.


    ¡°.......That was how things were until a year ago. That Basilisk monster suddenly showed up and made its way into town one day. Lots of people got hurt, so my dad called in his old raider friends and headed off to fight it one night......but he never came back. The only thing those guys brought back was the sword he always used to carry around. My mother took it the hardest, she¡¯s gotten sick ever since he died, and now my stupid brother¡¯s started training to become a raider even though he¡¯s only been a mage for a few months. He goes to train with Owen¡¯s group every day, saying he wants revenge.....honestly, It''s so stupid.......¡±


    I was facing the other direction but the sound of crunching timber along with Emma¡¯s tender sobs still reached my ears. That along with the salty droplets now being blown onto my skin by the stagnant breeze was more than enough for me to surmise what kind of face she was making right now.


    ¡°Sometimes just remembering about that day makes my chest hurt, but I can¡¯t give up. I know dad¡¯s watching over me.¡± Even with all the sniffles and sobs, her voice had still managed to sound oddly convincing.


    ¡°Haaah....what am I doing? Complaining to a little kid. This isn¡¯t like me at all.¡± Wiping away her own tears, the usual perky color in Emma¡¯s expression slowly began to return.


    ¡°No, thanks for telling me about your father Emma. What was his name?¡±


    She seemed shocked that I¡¯d even asked that question just now.


    ¡°Fufufu......Y¡¯know Liam, you¡¯re a pretty strange kid. Most four-year-olds would cry after hearing a story like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not four and you were crying just now.¡±


    Those words had somehow offended her, without so much as a warning she grabbed my cheeks and began pulling them apart with all her might.


    ¡°Twelve-year-olds cry too you know!¡±


    "Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow! Okay, okay, I get it¡ªyou can cry."


    After releasing that deadly grasp on my face, she wore a triumphant expression for some reason.


    ¡°Lennon.......Lennon Ashwell, that was his name.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll remember that.¡± I replied meekly, rubbing my sore cheeks.


    Her smile brightened with a red color after hearing those words.


    ¡°Now then-¡± Dropping to the floor, I braced my back against the concrete wall behind me before closing my eyes.


    ¡°...What are you doing?¡± Every single one of those words was coated in confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep, none of us were saying anything earlier, that actually kept me up the whole time.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Y-you mean you¡¯ve been trying to start a conversation with me all along?¡±


    ¡°.........¡±


    I didn¡¯t have a rebuttal to offer but I could already anticipate her incoming reply.


    ¡°Pfft! Ha-ha-ha-ha!! You really are a funny kid....¡±


    An unfamiliar hand suddenly grasped my head and pulled it into the soft embrace now positioned on my right. It was undoubtedly Emma, perhaps because of the difference in our perceived ages she felt some sort of superiority over me.


    ¡°......but that¡¯s not a bad idea. It¡¯s almost nighttime and I just so happen to be tired, let¡¯s take a nap.¡±


    ¡°Yeah....I¡¯m on it.¡±

 Chapter 19 - Silent Noise - Part Four

    Silent Noise (4)


    <hr>


    ¡°Now then, shall we begin?¡±


    Vreena commented from her position at the large round table now situated in the center of Emma¡¯s living room. It was a bit surprising to see that they even had something so perfectly suited to the occasion but given the size of the house we were now in, it wasn¡¯t too far-fetched.


    There were five chairs at the table, sitting across from Vreena was the man we¡¯d seen earlier today, Owen and on their left was Emma¡¯s mother Beatrice, timidly sitting with both hands resting on her lap. The meeting that was about to convene here made the woman seem oddly out of place despite this being her own house.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, that last patient was in particularly bad shape.¡±


    Julia walked up from behind me, now wiping away the droplets of sweat from her forehead.


    ¡°Hm? Since when did you get so close to Emma?¡± Stopping just ahead of us, she cast a mischievous look over her shoulder.


    ¡°.... Emma¡¯s really fun to talk to so it just kind of happened.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Come to think of it I did catch you both sleeping in the hallway earlier....ehe-he....good for you Liam you¡¯ve made your first friend.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t actually considered that fact until Julia brought it up just now.


    ¡°Emma...are we friends?¡±


    ¡°Friends.....Heh - Of course we are!¡± For the first time today, she¡¯d donned that innocent childlike grin she was so accustomed to wearing. I wouldn¡¯t say she¡¯d completely adjusted to the current situation, but she was definitely doing better than before.


    ¡°Lady Julia, are you sure its a good idea to have those children here? We¡¯re about to engage in a very serious discussion.¡± Owen spoke up, clearly perturbed by our presence here.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s fine, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t be interrupting us and we are using Emma¡¯s house right now, it wouldn¡¯t be right for us to dismiss her like that seeing as we¡¯ve even got wounded troops occupying the spare rooms here.¡±


    ¡°Very well then.....Beatrice, I¡¯m really sorry about intruding like this, I know you¡¯re not quite back on your feet just yet.¡±


    Apparently pleased with the answer he¡¯d gotten from Julia; Owen offered that apology to the woman sitting on his left.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize, I¡¯m happy to help you mages in any way I can. Besides, just knowing that my son will survive the night is more than enough for me.¡±


    ¡°You have my thanks.¡±


    Vreena lightly tapped her wooden cane onto the floor, drawing everyone¡¯s attention back to the issue at hand. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re ready now Julia. Originally, Oliver should have been here right now but he¡¯s still patrolling the forest, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be coming¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Instead of showing any sort of hesitance or even concern, Julia simply smiled upon hearing the news.


    ¡°I see. Let¡¯s get started then.¡±


    Julia took a seat at the head of the small gathering, she¡¯d instructed me and Emma to come a bit closer, so we were now sitting on the blue semi-bedding construct known as a ¡®sofa.¡¯


    ¡°Now then, Captain, how about we start this off with your summary of the events that led up to this.¡±


    ¡°For the past week or so, people have been reporting sightings of the Basilisk that showed up a year ago and in the following days the sightings only kept increasing and the travelers moving in and out of the town were either going missing or getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°Owen, I¡¯ve been wondering about this but, if it was that monster then why didn¡¯t any of you reach out to my husband!? He¡¯s been looking for that thing ever since it re-emerged a year ago, he would have definitely come to help you.¡± Julia spoke up in a somewhat flustered tone.


    ¡°We did reach out to him, unlike a year ago when he hadn¡¯t been around at the time, Oliver had instantly agreed to join forces with us, but there was a problem. The information we were getting was contradicting itself, some of the reports said that the beast was nesting in a cave to the east of the forest, but the other reports said it was hiding in the swampy region up north. People who were traveling through both parts of the forest even had legitimate wounds to show, so we couldn¡¯t just dismiss the entire thing as a hoax, and we couldn¡¯t wait for backup from the capital either, since Basilisks tend to go on a feeding frenzy as soon as they finish hibernating, so we decided to split our forces in two.¡±


    Owen remained steadfast in his speech patterns, perfectly capturing the attention of everyone here with nothing but the meticulous details he had to offer.


    ¡°Twenty-Five of us mages headed up north to investigate the swamps, and Oliver made his way to the cave in the East on his own. Whether by luck or by fate, we were the ones who¡¯d ended up finding that monster, or should I say it found us. We were ambushed and our forces were decimated, the last time that thing came here it wasn¡¯t that big or that strong so it must have been hibernating this whole time. If I¡¯d have to guess, then right now it was getting close to B-Rank.¡±


    ¡°B-Rank!? Do monsters that strong even occupy this region?¡±


    Beatrice spat those words in utter shock, the sudden revelation had undoubtedly caught her by surprise. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure; this one might just be an irregular, but the case still stands, that thing is lurking out there and we need to deal with it, and fast.¡±


    Owen sounded resolute in his conjecture, observing the meeting from here like this made it obvious that he was the only one here that was completely free from all traces of anxiety.


    ¡°I agree with Owen, but the problem is, how do we find it?¡± Vreena interjected, placing her burled fingers close to her mouth as she sunk deep into her own sea of swirling contemplations.


    ¡°That¡¯s simple, Elder Vreena. We simply need to find what it¡¯s after, monsters like that don¡¯t just lurk around human settlements for no reason you know, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re the only things they eat, and this place doesn¡¯t even have that many mages anyway. Which means.....¡±


    ¡°It must be after something, right Owen?¡±


    ¡°Precisely, lady Julia. Monsters like that are rarely motivated by anything other than satisfying their own palate, but I doubt the populace here could ever hope to meet that demand, we all know regular humans aren¡¯t very appetizing to them. In that case, it must be after something else, something in the nearby area that possesses an enormous amount of mana.¡±


    After Owen uttered those words, I was suddenly thrown off the rails of the conversation. Everyone gathered here began casting their vision towards Beatrice, and Emma¡¯s expression had once again gone sour.


    ¡°Haah....so that¡¯s how it is then....I had a vague feeling it might be something like that.¡±


    Heaving a resigned sigh, the woman in question didn¡¯t seem all that perturbed by the silent message that was now being conveyed.


    ¡°So it''s after the rune then......¡±

 Chapter 20 - Silent Noise - Part Five

    Silent Noise (5)


    <hr>


    (¡°Emma.....what¡¯s a rune?¡±)


    Doing my utmost to avoid drawing the eyes of the officials now gathered at the literal round table, I called out to the young girl seated beside me in a hushed tone. My juvenile voice seemed to have eased some of the tension she was feeling, so her features gradually began to relax in its onset.


    Curling her hand and placing her half open palm close to her mouth in an attempt to dampen the sound waves, she leaned forward in a motion that seemed almost comedic.


    (Runes are powerful magical fragments that were scattered across the continent a long time ago when the ¡®Aether fall¡¯ happened, they can apparently boost your strength twofold and some of them supposedly have powerful spirits sealed inside. Since runes usually hold a lot of mana, the thing that monsters feed on, it usually ends up attracting large concentrations of them.)


    (¡°Wait...Emma what¡¯s ''Aether Fall?¡±)


    She heaved an exasperated sigh the moment I asked that question.


    (¡°You seem really into this for a little kid.¡±)


    (¡°I-I just want to know more about the important stuff the grown-ups are always talking about.¡±)


    (Fine whatever. ''Aether Fall is something that supposedly happened hundreds of years ago, right around the time when the deities first started coming down to Rakia, apparently, they couldn¡¯t really interfere or interact with us all that much before then. As for what had happened, they say that ¡®cracks began forming and spreading across the sky¡¯ and that the runes ended up here after falling through them.)


    (¡°Huh? That happened here too?...Ah!¡±)


    Emma¡¯s face was contorting with more and more suspicion by the second, her eyes were narrowed to the point where it felt like she was trying to peer into my very soul.


    (¡°What are you talking about?¡±)


    (¡°Never mind, I was just thinking about one of my dad''s books.¡±)


    (¡°You can read at four years old?¡±)


    (¡°Yeah......mother reads me a lot of bedtime stories....¡±)


    Forming a thin smile, she patted me on the head, it looks like that answer just now was enough to subvert all of her distant suspicions.


    (¡°That¡¯s actually pretty cool, good for you Liam.¡±)


    Before I could even respond, Owen¡¯s voice had inadvertently drawn my attention back to the scene unfolding to my right, luckily, I¡¯d been monitoring most of what had managed to reach within my earshot so not very much was lost.


    ¡°Beatrice, I hate to ask you such an insensitive question, but it seems I have no choice. Do you know where the rune is?¡±


    Beatrice¡¯s strained eyes steadily began drooping to the floor.


    ¡°Unfortunately, even I don¡¯t know where my husband kept that thing. He was always very secretive whenever the topic would come up, so I tended to avoid the subject altogether. Seeing how things turned out though.... maybe I should have done a bit more after all....¡±


    A droopy silence had once again washed over them. Given her tone just now, Beatrice was obviously in no position to offer up any valuable information.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no helping it now, Lennon¡¯s already passed on and if anything, he did a damn good job at keeping the darn thing hidden.¡±


    Vreena¡¯s somewhat crude comment had remarkably managed to lift the sour atmosphere.


    ¡°Haaah....so that¡¯s a no-go huh? I suppose we¡¯ll just have to try something else then.¡± The shift in Owen¡¯s expression just now removed all traces of vigor, if anything it seems like he was getting closer to some sort of breaking point.


    ¡°That reminds me, lady Julia, how¡¯s Isaac¡¯s condition? He ended up taking quite a deadly blow to his nape......¡± Owen had somehow managed to ask that question in an impeccably polite tone despite it being blatantly obvious that all traces of luster were now being drained from his solemn visage.


    ¡°Nape? Oh no it wasn¡¯t his nape; the basilisk¡¯s fang had pierced straight through his shoulder, near his collar bone, but we managed to neutralize the poison from its attack and seal the wound. He hasn¡¯t woken up just yet, but he should be fine in a few days.¡±


    ¡°T-thank the gods...¡± The man¡¯s tranquil voice seemed to have cracked just then, placing his glove covered hand onto his face as if to hold back the emotion, he took a deep breath before addressing us once more. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I have a suggestion....¡±


    Owen had commanded the entirety of the room¡¯s focus onto him with just that one sentence.


    ¡°We¡¯re listening, Owen.¡± Lightly tapping on her cane, Vreena¡¯s carefree gesture was now acting as her sign of approval.


    ¡°I think we need to call them in for back up.........Br¨¹nnhilde that is.¡±


    THUD


    The moment Owen mentioned that name, Vreena slammed her staff onto the ground, the motion was so abrupt it made the young girl next to me flinch so hard she almost fell over.


    ¡°Absolutely not! We don¡¯t need those stuck-up little brats here, especially not Ulric.¡±


    For the first time, I caught a glimpse of Vreena¡¯s smoldering rage, veins were now forming on her wrinkled temples and her eyes narrowed in discontent. Given how she usually acts, this was quite the dramatic shift in her disposition, at least that was how it had seemed for everyone except Julia and Owen. It seems those two had expected this to happen, which was why Owen had even asked the question in such a docile manner.


    But given the current situation, it appears that I was once again the only one not keeping up with the flow of this conversation. Even Emma was now clutching the hem of her large frilly dress in what I could only assume to be a manifestation of her flaring emotions. Beatrice cast her solemn gaze in her daughter''s direction, before clutching her fists in indignation.


    ¡°But elder Vreena, we clearly need all the manpower we can get after what happened today. I know you¡¯re counting on Oliver and he¡¯s strong without a doubt, but that''s just one human. He isn¡¯t even here right now so if something happens when he¡¯s not around then....¡±


    Vreena cut him off with a sneer.


    ¡°I know what you''re saying Owen, but I refuse to ask anyone from that rag-tag group for aid ever again, there was hardly any purpose to it last time since Lennon isn¡¯t even here anymore. Every time those bastards show up, they do nothing but flaunt their arrogance and terrorize the people here with that giant wolf monster.¡±


    Her trembling voice coated each and every one of those words in blatant discontent.


    Those last few words had managed to perfectly cue me back into the reins of this discussion. The mention of a certain wolf monster was all I¡¯d needed to hear for my memory to bring me back up to speed. (So that¡¯s what''s going on here.....)


    Following that remark, Emma¡¯s gaze sank even further, it was like she was being buried by the weight of this conversation.


    ¡°I get what you mean Vreena, but this situation isn¡¯t getting any better. We really do need the extra hands and that party is well equipped for a mission like this, so even if you don¡¯t trust them completely at least consider hiring them for border patrol.¡±


    Vreena clutched the wooden staff in her hand so hard it let out an odd creaking sound. ¡°Are you actually on board with this, Julia?¡± She asked in a tone that sounded both malicious and confused, like a small child seeking guidance.


    ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m on board with it. As long as we lay down the rules this time, then I think everything will work out.¡±


    Hearing Julia¡¯s comforting reply, Vreena released her trembling grip on the wooden staff. She heaved a sigh before speaking ¡°....I¡¯ll think bout it....¡±


    The odd silence had captured the room in its quieting embrace once again, making it feel like the air was growing thicker by the second.


    ¡°........Well, it¡¯s gotten pretty late, and I don¡¯t want to intrude any more than I already have. Shall we close here for today?¡± Owen broke through the quieting veil with his now distraught voice.


    Vreena glanced at the other two women around the table before sighing in relief. She was the first to rise to her feet, taking Owen up on his offer.


    ¡°We might as well, these two have been treating people all day so I¡¯m sure they¡¯re tired, we¡¯ll just have to pick this up some other time.¡±


    ¡°Alright then everyone, the next time we meet like this I¡¯ll be sure to drag Oliver along.¡±


    Julia¡¯s comment had insighted laughter from those now surrounding her, she strolled over to me with her usual tender smile still on her face.


    ¡°Ready to go Liam?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. I¡¯ll come back to your shop again Emma.¡±


    ¡°Heh-Heh, sure anytime you want, bye-bye.¡± It seems the girl''s usual demeanor had now returned, if only partly. The strange hand gesture she was now making was still one I wasn¡¯t all that used to seeing, but then again there were many things about Emma that I just didn¡¯t understand.


    <hr>


    Walking hand-in-hand with Julia along the luminous streets of Zale was a first for me. The glimmering light sources known as Aether crystals were attached to just about everything here, from street signs to the timeworn stone houses and hangouts here. It was quite the lively environment even this late at night.


    ¡°Mother, will we really find that Basilisk thing?¡±


    Her grip on my small hand tightened with that one question. ¡°So you were listening that closely huh.... don¡¯t worry everything will be fine, I won¡¯t let anything bad happen to you or the people here.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±


    Her grin widened, falling perfectly within the confines of the womans now mellowing expression. ¡°Because I used to be a Raider too so we know how to fight off scary monsters like that. And besides" she trailed off with a deep breath.


    "....With Oliver here, I don¡¯t think things will get that out of hand.¡±


    Those words conveyed a sense of unwavering faith, it was undoubtedly because she was now speaking about Oliver. I knew the man was strong, but as of right now I couldn¡¯t truly grasp the depths of his capabilities. It was always good to have more cards to play but if my assumption is correct then Oliver may not be able to pull off any grand feats of heroism this time around.


    ¡°How strong is dad? Have you ever seen him try his best?¡±


    ¡°Heh-Heh....I have, he¡¯s super strong, Oliver¡¯s a court mage.¡±


    Julia carelessly spat those words, unbothered by the fact that a typical four-year-old wouldn¡¯t have the slightest clue in regards to what she was actually talking about, that was just one example of how different Oliver and Julia truly were at their core. Still, that bit of knowledge was quite helpful.


    (¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to get my hands dirty....¡±)

 Chapter 21 - Forge

    Forge


    <hr>


    The most surprising thing I¡¯d learned from all that chaos last week was the historic event Emma had mentioned, ''Aether Fall.¡¯ What she¡¯d described was exactly what I¡¯d seen before the fall of my old world, so assuming time passed the same way here then that means it''s been well over a century since then. As much as I¡¯d wanted to forget, every once in a while, the memories of all those stagnant years spent in that semi-conscious state would always come rushing back to the forefront of my mind. If I was to be completely honest, these last four years had felt like they¡¯d gone by in a flash.


    Still, the fact that such a prolific event had still managed to elude me even after all the time I¡¯d spent reading was honestly shocking, but that just went to show how much I still had to learn about this place. Apparently, the deities here had simply referred to that fateful day as being ¡®the advent of their descent¡¯. It didn¡¯t seem to matter too much though, seeing as these ¡®deities¡¯ were being revered on a continental scale and the commonfolk here had already grown used to all the strange and otherwise supernatural forces colluding in the erratic world they inhabited. Compared to the things that often happened here on a daily basis, magical runes raining down from some far-off world didn''t seem too far from the norm for them.


    Aether Fall had occurred so long ago that it was now becoming something akin to an urban legend, something this world had no shortage of, but I suppose even a far-fetched fantasy land like this had its limits. The average person simply opted to regard the deities as being a normal part of their world without further questioning.


    <hr>


    Today was different from the usual monotone rhythm I¡¯d been stuck adhering to for the past four years, the bright rays of the sun were still raining down on the town of Zale and Julia was once again hunting the scaly creatures in the small pond just across from the house with a childlike grin on her face. Everything had seemed ¡®normal¡¯, and the standout factor this time wasn¡¯t because of another great crisis spawning out of nowhere like what had happened with Emma the other day, although I couldn¡¯t completely let my guard down after that.


    The truly interesting part was actually happening inside my body as I sat cross legged atop the ¡®patio¡¯, my eyes were closed, and my back was facing Julia¡¯s direction. It was actually much easier for me to meditate at times like these since she would often question me about my strange posture whenever I sat like this, so the best times to refine my mana core was usually after hours or when both my ¡®parents¡¯ were distracted.


    After meditating like this for a few years, Luelle¡¯s advice had once again come in handy. Magic really was all about ¡®visualization¡¯. I¡¯d found out over time that visualizing the mana core in my mind actually sped up the entire refinement process quite a bit. As soon as I started to liken the entire thing to a forging process, the cultivation of my mana core was starting to become a lot easier and a lot more practical, given that I could now actively feel the changes taking place inside my body.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    First, I imagined my mana core itself as a large metal sphere that was similar to a furnace and contained flickering embers in the form of small sparks that served to represent my soul being housed inside the core. The goal was to get these embers hot enough to the point where they would transform into a raging blaze and eventually heat up the silver sphere to the point where its radiant heat would be distributed throughout my entire body, and thus activate my mana channels. But to do this, the embers in the furnace needed fuel, and that was where mana came in. I imagined mana itself as the small particles of light I needed to guide into the furnace using nothing but my mind. The more mana I put inside the furnace, the brighter the flames would burn, or at least that was the idea behind it anyway. Ever since I¡¯d started meditating like this, my mind was constantly envisioning a constant stream of glowing particles feeding the inferno that was being conjured by my very soul.


    Three hours a day was the quota I needed to fill in order to make any significant progress, but it was well worth it because today was the day it would all pay off. I could feel it, the flames raging inside my mana core had gotten so hot it felt like the core itself was out to burst into flames.


    With each bit of mana I gathered, I could feel the pressure inside my core approaching critical mass. For the first time ever, my ¡®heart¡¯ began racing inside my chest, the rhythmic thumping was certainly something I¡¯d have to get used to, but I didn¡¯t dislike it, in fact it actually felt oddly suited to the occasion. The beads of sweat now gliding down my forehead did nothing to cool the heat now being emanated from my body, each passing second only served to intensify this odd sense of anticipation, but it wouldn¡¯t last long. Once the inferno raging on inside my core had reached its zenith, the fruits of my labor would finally reveal itself in a theatric display for all to see.


    ¡®Something¡¯ cracked.


    It wasn¡¯t a physical object, but rather, it was the core inside me. I could feel the miniature fractures spreading all over the small sphere housing my soul and soon enough the pressure being smoldered within burst forth in a brilliant flash. My body was immediately enveloped in a veil of the shimmering blue light, causing my limbs to twitch in a sort of euphoric glee as the surge of nature¡¯s magical essence began coursing through my veins, it felt as if I¡¯d finally awakened to some sort of sixth sense. The ground beneath me shook violently and I could hear a strange clattering sound, it had no doubt come from the pieces of the small wooden house that had been blown away by the abrupt shockwave I¡¯d unintentionally released just now.


    The energy emanating from my body formed a condensed sphere of light that began dissipating its radiance in mere seconds. The sudden pressure given off by my abrupt awakening had immediately dispersed the winds in the surrounding area, sending the rather tranquil pond nestling nearby into a frenzy. Still despite everything that was now happening, the one thing that managed to capture my attention above all else was Julia, without even a hint of hesitation, she was already charging towards the veil of light now enveloping my body.

 Chapter 22 - New Horizons

    New Horizons


    <hr>


    ¡°Liam are you alright!?¡±


    Clutching onto my body with a face full of panic, Julia had now crouched down to my height, touching me all over and keenly examining everything from the hair on my head to the bottom of my feet. My body was being pulled, turned, lifted and oriented in just about every way possible.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine mother, see...I''m not hurt at all.¡±


    Waving my arms around with that sentence was enough to subdue her panicked gestures, if only for a moment. She gazed at me intently, struggling to restrain the tears now welling up in her eyes, before bringing me into the familiar embrace I was slowly getting used to.


    ¡°Thank goodness.....¡±


    No words were said between us for a few brief moments, judging by how hard she was holding onto me I could only assume she was somehow trying to reassure herself.


    ¡°Mother does this mean I can use magic now?¡±


    ¡°Ah! T-that''s right, your core just awakened, I can feel a lot more mana coming from you now.¡± She released me from her embracing grip, still teary eyed. It would seem that my safety had been the only thing at the forefront of her mind this entire time, I doubt she would have even noticed the mana subtly seeping from my body if I hadn¡¯t brought it up.


    ¡°Congratulations Liam, you¡¯re a mage now.¡± She rustled my hair after wiping the trickling fluid that had been pooling at the corner of her eyes, it was a gesture both of my ¡®parents¡¯ seemed to enjoy so it must have been some way for them to show affection.


    <hr>


    I watched as the sight of a familiar figure came rushing towards the house from across the stone bridge connecting our house to Zale. It was a man with chestnut brown hair and eyes, now dressed in his strange uniform, ragged breaths escaped him as he increased the intensity of his strides. The closer he got the more apparent his confusion became, especially since a part of the house behind me had now been reduced to rubble.


    Oliver¡¯s confusion soon began mellowing out into something a lot less perturbed, seeing as Julia was still smiling nonchalantly behind me that must have been some form of reassurance in its own right. He gradually began reducing all the momentum he¡¯d been building up until now, slowly coming to a halting stop, he asked the question we¡¯d both been expecting before he even took a deep breath - ¡°Are you two alright!?¡±


    Those words escaped him almost immediately, like it was the only thing he could say to us right now.


    ¡°Fufu...we¡¯re fine dear, Liam was just showing off a little.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    That nonchalant reply had seemingly eased all of the tension in his body, pausing for a moment, Oliver stopped to catch his breath.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Haah...Haah.....what do you mean.....Haah...Liam was showing off?¡± His eyes drifted over to me with that question.


    ¡°Heh-Heh....well you see -¡±


    Bracing myself for the ecstatic performance I was about to put on, I began focusing all my efforts on portraying the child like enthusiasm a typical four-year-old ought to have been feeling. ¡°I can use magic now father!¡±


    Boldly stepping up in front of Oliver, I announced the breaking news, watching as a surge of emotions suddenly flashed over his face in the few seconds that passed. First it was confusion, then recognition, and after cycling through a myriad of other emotions he finally settled on disbelief. His eyes widened as he processed the information, his brows furrowed in a mixture of surprise and concern. It was as if a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions swept through him in that brief moment, leaving him momentarily speechless. Yet, amidst the turmoil of his reaction, I could see a glimmer of understanding dawning in his eyes, a realization settling in as he grappled with the implications of the news I had just delivered. Soon enough, a thin smile had begun spreading across his face -


    ¡°Well done, Liam!¡±


    ¡°Heh-heh-heh...I knew you¡¯d react like that.¡± Julia had somehow found this amusing but in my case, it was quite a bizarre situation. Without warning, Oliver had lifted me off the ground and was now throwing my body into the air, each time I began my descent he would catch me and repeat the process all over again. It was my first time ever experiencing something like this, so I wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of it, in fact I initially thought he was going to attack me.


    After tossing my body into the air more than five times, he finally decided to end this little charade, catching me one last time before allowing me to stand on solid ground once more.


    ¡°Awakening at four years old, eh?.....It¡¯s honestly a little hard to believe.¡± The man¡¯s eyes scanned me from head to toe, his gaze now bearing a mix of astonishment and intrigue. Regardless of the reason for the elation in his eyes, it was now undeniable that he now harbored a deep sense of pride at my recent achievement.


    ¡°By the way Oliver, what made you think that we were in danger?¡± Now walking up behind me was Julia, the other towering figure now shielding me from the sun¡¯s rays.


    ¡°While I was in town I felt that huge surge of mana coming from this direction, I didn¡¯t know who it was and considering that the basilisk¡¯s still on the loose I ended up just rushing over here on instinct. I guess my fears weren¡¯t entirely grounded but still......¡±


    Oliver diverted his gaze over to our now fragmented house.


    ¡°....Liam, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re the one responsible for that too?¡±


    ¡°Am I.....in trouble?¡±


    ¡°No not at all......These things usually happen when kids awaken for the first time but.... I''ve never seen it get this bad.¡± His voice trailed off just now, it seems he was only just coming to terms with the scale of destruction I¡¯d inevitably caused. Broken timber frames, shattered glassware and a destroyed patio was just grazing the tip of this iceberg.


    CLAP


    Julia drew our focus back to her with that gesture.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s done is done. The good thing about this is that Liam¡¯s fine so let''s stop worrying about that for now, we might have to spend a few nights inside the city though. Will that be alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve put a few measures in place so if that thing shows up again, I¡¯ll be ready to head out. Given the way things are right now though, I think I¡¯ll call it a day, and besides it looks like we¡¯ve got visitors.¡±


    ¡°Ahh...looks like they¡¯ve caught on as well.¡±


    Now approaching from the same direction Oliver sprinted across, the familiar figures of Owen and Vreena steadily made their way across the large stone bridge. Looks like today was going to be far more eventful than I¡¯d initially anticipated.

 Chapter 23 - Kick-Start

    Kick-Start


    <hr>


    ¡°He awakened!?¡±


    Vreena blurted those words out almost unconsciously, her mouth agape and her eyes still quivering in shock. She took a few steps back unconsciously, staring at me with a look of utter confusion. Owen was also having a hard time processing that bit of information but given the abhorrent display of shock Vreena was putting on right now, his reaction seemed far tamer in comparison.


    ¡°Eheh-heh...We¡¯re honestly just as surprised as you two, I mean, even I didn¡¯t awaken until I was eight years old.¡± Julia chuckled, lightly placing a hand on her now reddened cheek. Though she was being humble about it, I could tell that she was in fact feeling relentless pride in my recent achievement.


    ¡°Your awakening huh? And just how long ago was that exactly?¡± Vreena sarcastically remarked.


    ¡°It has been quite some time since then, if I¡¯m remembering correctly, you probably weren¡¯t even born yet.¡±


    ¡°.....and they say I¡¯m old....¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m still a maiden at heart~¡±


    Julia spoke those words rather carelessly so I couldn¡¯t even tell if she was being serious or not.


    ¡°Hah-Hah! Well, whatever the case, its undeniable that our son here is a prodigy, I mean he can already read so I suppose this is just a natural step up from there.¡± Oliver once again began relentlessly ruffling my hair, unlike Julia he had no intention of feigning humility, his broad grin and vigorous tone was all the proof one needed to see.


    ¡°Still....that¡¯s quite a bit of mana you¡¯ve got there Liam, when I felt that surge of power coming from over here, I thought there was some sort of epic duel underway.¡± Finally coming to terms with the situation, the elder stooped to meet my eye level before lightly pinching my cheek. ¡°Well done kid, now you get to finally be like your mom and dad...though it''s a little earlier than planned.¡±


    ¡°Father, will you teach me how to use magic now?¡± I directed that clueless question to the man now smiling proudly beside me.


    ¡°Heh - you¡¯ve got spirit Liam. I wasn¡¯t expecting to start your training so soon but seeing as you¡¯re a mage now, there¡¯s no reason for us not to get started, right Julia?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. You can start training tomorrow but just remember to take it easy on him, he hasn¡¯t even been a mage for a day yet.¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯ll take a while, but it''s time to start whipping you into shape kiddo. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yeah I am!¡±


    ¡°Just what I wanted to hear, you¡¯ve got a lot to learn you know, you¡¯re leaking way too much mana right now.¡± He stuck a finger to my chest with a smug grin, I hadn¡¯t even realized it up until now but the mana circulating throughout my body had been subtly leaking out this entire time. The rampaging inferno that had been swirling inside my body just moments ago was now starting to dissipate into nothing more than a tender blaze. The more my surge of power dwindled, the more I felt the claws of the dreaded sensation known as lethargy begin tightening its grip on my mind.


    Oliver wasn¡¯t wrong about me needing better control, I was never versed in the art of magic, in fact, this had been my first time experiencing it so my control right now really wasn¡¯t much better than a four-year-olds.


    Refining my core and controlling my mana were clearly two different things, before my awakening just now all the mana in my entire body had been concentrated into my ¡®core¡¯ but now that it was flowing through my mana channels and was fully distributed throughout my entire body, it felt like the floodgates to my very own dam of power had finally bust open.


    After a few seconds of sharpening my focus, I was able to somewhat halt the rapid depletion of my own mana, but this was a far cry from a perfect solution, you could barely even call it a stopgap measure.


    ¡°Ohh...looks like you¡¯re catching on, as expected of my son, but you still need a lot of work. For now, just try to suppress it as best as you can.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Su...press?¡±


    This was one of the very few times where Oliver¡¯s succinct explanations just wouldn¡¯t cut it.


    Taking note of my confusion, Oliver¡¯s features mirrored my own perplexity, he folded his arms in a pondering gesture as he attempted to make the concept easier for me to process. The fact that I even had to resort to such a tactic in the first place filled me with nothing but shame, but as the humans used to say, ¡®desperate times called for desperate measures.¡¯


    ¡°I guess you can¡¯t keep up with all your father¡¯s magic gibberish just yet Liam. What he means is that you should close your eyes and focus on collecting all the bright lights in your body into one place.¡± Julia made her way over to me with an amused look on her face. Just like Vreena had done earlier, she kneeled to meet my eye level and extended a finger towards my stomach.


    ¡°When you see the bright lights in your mind, try collecting them here.¡±


    ¡°Okay....I¡¯ll try...¡±


    Abiding by her directive, the moment I began directing the mana in my body towards my core, the lethargic feeling that had been growing more present in my mind by the second subtly began to fade.


    ¡°There....see it wasn¡¯t that hard right?¡± I couldn''t tell if it was because of her voice or that fact that I was now looking directly at her, but something about her words seemed oddly compelling.


    ¡°It wasn''t hard at all, thanks mom.¡±


    ¡°Fufu you¡¯re very welcome.¡±


    Rising to her feet, Julia glanced back at Oliver with a triumphant look in her eyes, she flashed him a bold ¡®thumbs up¡¯ as if to say, ¡®that¡¯s how its done.¡¯


    The man¡¯s shoulders drooped in response, being bested by Julia seemed to have caught him completely off guard. ¡°Y-you really did make it easier for him to understand.......¡±


    Those mumbling words escaped Oliver¡¯s lips, inciting laughter from the people now gathered around me.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to learn things from you a lot faster when he grows up, but for now, I¡¯m in the lead~¡± Those words were coated in a thick veil of sarcasm, smiling in resignation Oliver could do nothing else but accept his defeat.


    ¡°Hah-Hah, you¡¯ve got a wonderful family here Oliver, this is the first time I''ve ever heard of any child awakening at such a young age, well done little one.¡± Owen, who had been frozen in a state of shock up until now sent a subtle gesture of approval my way.


    ¡°It''s good to hear even a little good news considering the situation right now. By the way, what kind of mage is he? I doubt a child so extraordinary would only end up being a savant, so I¡¯m guessing he belongs somewhere along the lines of a radical...or maybe even a dualist?¡±


    Oliver stared blankly at him for a moment before finally grasping the meaning behind his words.


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s right, we haven¡¯t checked his affinity yet, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re very far off the mark.¡±


    ¡°Savant....radical? Mother what are those?¡± Tugging on the hem of Julia¡¯s clothes, I timidly asked the innocent question. From where I was standing, I heard Oliver¡¯s dejected voice mutter something along the lines of ¡®So you''re automatically just going to her with you questions now huh......¡± But I decided to ignore that. My ¡®parents¡¯ had this strange fascination with trying to show off their level of competence, but none of that ever really mattered to me. Just getting the correct answers to my questions was enough to sate my curiosity, I didn¡¯t actually care who they came from.


    ¡°Savants and radicals are just different kinds of mages, the magic you get will depend on what kind of mage you are.¡±


    ¡°Then....what¡¯s different about them? Can you show me?¡±


    The four of them froze for a few seconds after hearing my question, but in that looming silence I heard Vreena heave a sigh before placing a hand over her face. ¡°Haaah.....I wasn¡¯t expecting you to ask something like that Liam, but then again, I can¡¯t blame you. Let¡¯s just hope these two idiots don¡¯t take this too far.¡±


    ¡°......Our house has already been banged up quite a bit, so I doubt things could get any worse than this. Come on Liam, let¡¯s step back a bit.¡± Julia clasped my small hand in hers, taking the lead as she pulled me back from the atmosphere now filled with palpable tension.


    Looking back, I saw both Owen and Oliver mirroring the mischievous expressions on their faces. For some reason, the moment I asked for a demonstration their expressions instantly warped into ones of eager anticipation.


    ¡°Heh - hear that, Oliver? Your son wants a demonstration, so how about a light spar to commemorate his awakening as a mage?¡± Owen stepped forward, sharpening the battle hungry gleam now in his eyes, it didn¡¯t take much for me to realize that he was itching for a fight. This must have been what Vreena and Julia were sulking about, they probably didn¡¯t want them getting carried away and destroying something in the process, but to me this was the perfect opportunity to observe mages up close rather than through the pages of some dusty old tome.


    ¡°That''s some confidence you¡¯ve got there. Very well, I¡¯m in a good mood right now so there¡¯s no harm in me putting on a show for my son. Show me what you¡¯ve got.¡± Adjusting his glasses, Oliver steadied his hulking frame, clearly undeterred by the presence of the opponent now standing before him.


    Responding to his gesture in kind, Owen did a few stretching motions before adjusting the metal bracers on his arms. There wasn¡¯t a sliver of hesitation emanating from either of them, in fact it almost seemed like they were being giddy about this. Locking eyes, the two men armed themselves, steadying their breathing for the literal clash of magic vs might that was about to unfold.

 Chapter 24 - Duel - Part 1

    Duel (1)


    <hr>


    The two men stood sentinel, staring each other down from an equal distance in the space before my now fragmented home. Without context, this situation was bound to seem hostile, but given the nonchalant smirk on Oliver¡¯s face right now, this obviously wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary for him. Adjusting his glasses, he exhaled a fervent breath, suppressing the excitement that had previously been coursing through his veins and sorted himself for battle with that simple gesture.


    ¡°Alright Owen, let¡¯s make this quick.¡± Oliver carelessly tossed those words to his opponent, and in the next instant, blue particles of light had begun to emit from his body like sparks from a forge. At first, the mana escaping his body resembled small bubbles being carried off by the wind, but after a few seconds the intensity of their emission suddenly tripled, and soon enough the small orbs of mana escaping from him conformed to a uniform state, enveloping his body in a dense veil of blue aura that swayed like the flame of a low burning candle.


    ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    Owen answered in a calm, yet commanding voice. Unlike Oliver, his expression was a lot more tense, his gaze was solely focused on the glimmering visage of the opponent now standing before him. Reaching for the short-sword firmly affixed to his waist, he took an offensive stance, couching down low and angling the bladed weapon mere inches away from the ground.


    As I stood side by side with Julia and Vreena, the three of us could only look on in anticipation at the spectacle that was about to unfold. Strangely enough, even though the both of them were still towering over me, I got the feeling that there was hardly any difference in the perspectives we currently held.


    ¡°Liam, I know you¡¯re excited to see your dad fight but don¡¯t stray off too far from me. It¡¯s about to get a little dangerous out there.¡±


    ¡°Mhm...All right mom, I¡¯ll keep close.¡±


    Without even turning around, those shallow words escaped me almost unconsciously.


    ¡°Good grief, you really do take after him. As soon as either of you hear even the slightest mention of a fight you start tuning everything else out.¡± Julia sighed in resignation, while her voice had sounded somewhat strained just now, I could tell she hadn''t spoken those words out of dejection.


    ¡°Looks like those two are already quite a handful, if he¡¯s this into fighting at four years old who knows what he¡¯ll get up to in the near future.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about that Vreena, but then again....¡± Julia halted her words just then, and after a few seconds I once again felt the gentle embrace of her tender hand resting on my head.


    ¡°.......I suppose boys will be boys. Liam didn¡¯t I just tell you not to wander off?¡±


    Without even realizing it myself, it seems I¡¯d instinctually reacted to the unbridled display of power in the distance.


    ¡°Ahh..... Sorry I just wanted to get a closer look...¡±


    Tightening her grip on my head, Julia closed the distance between us before squatting down to my height. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to keep an even closer eye on you little man.¡±


    ¡°I won''t go anywhere this time.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Fufu, so you say. Ahh...Vreena can you deal with the stray shots? I have a feeling things are about to get a little wild.¡±


    ¡°That was my intention, you¡¯re obviously too lazy to bother with it yourself.¡± Vreena murmured somewhat absentmindedly.


    ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to, but right now I¡¯m watching Liam~¡± Julia pulled my body closer to hers after saying that, but no one here had bought into the appeal of her melodic tone.


    ¡°If you say so.¡± The elder¡¯s reply was doused in sarcasm.


    ¡°Lady Vreena! Can you give us the signal to start?¡± An anxious voice echoed across the would-be battlefield. There was no need for a verbal retort, raising her wooden staff, Vreena slammed the archaic looking object onto the floor as the prelude to her next command - ¡°Begin!¡±


    After that one word, Owen vanished ¨C No, that was just how it appeared at first. Channeling the strength from the soles of his feet up to the very bones in his knees, he lowered his stance even further before darting off the ground with enough force to rattle the space around him. In the wake of his dash, countless blades of grass were immediately displaced from their rooted position.


    Darting over the sunlit field like a charging hawk, he firmly clutched the shortsword with both hands, angling it for a deadly thrust that was sure to pierce his foe clean through if it ever connected. Crossing the gap between him and Oliver in the blink of an eye, the glistening blade he held was now inching closer towards its target with each passing second, and yet, Oliver did nothing. He simply stood at attention, hands by his side with the same confident smirk from earlier curling even further up his lips.


    Up until the moment where the sword was within less than a finger¡¯s reach of his chest, he hadn¡¯t taken a stance, drawn a weapon, or even chanted anything. It had seemed absurd at first, but the reasoning behind his careless demeanor was revealed before I could even finish processing the current situation.


    With a casual stomp from Oliver, a dull sound echoed across the battlefield. Following in its wake, Owen¡¯s body was immediately blasted away like a flailing leaf in the wind, his armored body bounced on the ground like a carefree stone numerous times before finally coming to a halt at the very spot he¡¯d originally been standing in.


    ¡°I figured as much, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d ever get the drop on Oliver with a straightforward attack like that.¡± Stepping past us, Vreena mumbled aloud as she narrowed her eyes on the unfolding clash.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but maybe he was just testing the waters to see if he could bypass Oliver¡¯s reaction time with sheer speed. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s got much of a choice, I mean he¡¯s a close-range fighter after all, he has to close the distance between them somehow.¡±


    ¡°I know, but still straightforward tactics just aren¡¯t going to work in a one-on-one match like this.¡± Both Julia and Vreena were commenting on this supernatural fight as if it was the most natural thing in the world, regrettably, I had no concise input or predictions to offer.


    With that thought, I tilted my head back, only to see Julia¡¯s neon green Irises staring down at me.


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right you wanted to know about Savants and Radicals. Well, in a nutshell, Savants are the people who control elemental magic like fire and water, while Radicals possess magic that¡¯s different from the elemental kind. So, your dad¡¯s a Savant and Owen¡¯s the radical, I don¡¯t know if you saw that just now, but Oliver used wind magic to blast Owen away.¡±


    ¡°I saw that.....but mom, dad told me he was a dualist. Isn¡¯t that something different?¡±


    She placed a hand to her cheek, taking a few seconds to decipher the essence of the concept she was about to convey.


    ¡°A dualist is just someone that''s able to use more than one type of elemental magic. Did you get that Liam? Or should I go again?¡±


    At some point Julia¡¯s focus had completely shifted from the ongoing battle and was now centered on to me.


    ¡°No...I think I get it now. Thanks again mom.¡±


    I formed a gentle smile, inciting the spread of the crimson color on Julia¡¯s cheeks, it wasn¡¯t hard for me to figure out just how much she loved seeing me make this face, to her it was something of a reward.


    ¡°They''re going at it again you two.¡±


    Vreena¡¯s words immediately drew our attention back to the tense clash, despite being flung more than twenty feet across the round, Owen was already continuing his fierce assault without even so much as a scratch on him.

 RAKIAS MAP

    Hey everyone, check it out - I finally whipped up the first draft of the Rakia map! Took a bit longer than expected, but hey, better late than never, right? I think it''s turned out pretty decent, but there might be a few tweaks here and there as we get further into the story.


    Speaking of which, I''ve got a ton of ideas brewing for where the story could go next. Could be a long saga or a quick adventure, depending on what vibes with you all. So, drop a review and let me know your thoughts. Your feedback is like gold to me, seriously.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Now, about the update schedule - still figuring that out. Got some loose ends to tie up, but I''m aiming to ramp up the updates starting next month. Bear with me while I get everything sorted out. This is my first litrpg series so I''m still getting a handle on this but if all goes well this book should turn out pretty decent. Stick around if you''re even a little curious.


    -cosmicslime

 Chapter 25 - Duel - Part Two

    Duel (2)


    <hr>


    After finally awakening my core, it was now much easier for me to sense the magical energy in my surroundings. Before, I could only get vague sensations whenever I tried to scout my environment, but things were different now. I could easily feel the warm embrace of the mythical energy flourishing in the environment, as well as within the bodies of others.


    That¡¯s why it was painfully obvious to me who the stronger combatant was here. While Owen had also cloaked himself in a thin veil of mana that was now boosting his physical prowess, it still paled in comparison to the aura of the man he was now facing. In my estimate, Owen was around ten times stronger than the humans of my old world and yet he still couldn¡¯t land a single strike on Oliver.


    The power gap between these two was just about as obvious as it could get. The display Oliver had put on earlier with his aura, while it was impressive, I could tell that it was only a fraction of his true power, this battle was shaping up to be little more than sport for him.


    <hr>


    BANG!


    The trembling echo of an explosion rang out, sending plumes of dust and smoke rising into the air.


    ¡°I knew this was going to get heated one way or another...¡± Vreena watched on in amusement as the mounds of dust swirled and danced along the span of the yard space. Although she had sounded exasperated at the thought of a duel earlier, she was now clearly enjoying this.


    ¡°Let''s just hope they wrap this up soon, I think Liam¡¯s seen enough action for one day.¡± Julia remarked with slightly puffed cheeks, it seems she wasn¡¯t very fond of my absent-minded gaze, but that was of little consequence to me right now, the important thing was the battle underway.


    Owen¡¯s expression was now contorting into a grimace, each time he closed the distance and attempted to attack Oliver, his body was abruptly blown away by the dense sphere of rotating air that was now acting as his shield. To make matters even worse for the weary knight, Oliver had begun firing compressed wind bullets at him, since Owen was a close quarter combatant the intention here was obviously meant to keep him at a distance.


    Given the circumstances, one would naturally assume he was out of options, but instead of giving up, Owen smiled.


    ¡°Owen, It¡¯s about time we wrap this up, don¡¯t you have any other tricks up your sleeve?¡± Oliver asked in a cunning tone, confidence still brimming from his voice.


    ¡°Just one. I can¡¯t let you show me up like this in front of your family Oliver.¡±


    ¡°Heh! Show me what you¡¯ve got then....captain.¡± That one sentence sounded both jeering and respectful.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Crouching down low, Owen began his sprinting charge, gradually building up speed before kicking off the ground in a burst of superhuman physicality. Oliver extended his right arm just then, aligning his index finger with his target and curling back his thumb, the surrounding air quickly condensed to form a dense bubble at the tip of his finger.


    With a simple twitch from his finger, he fired the compressed air bullet, it cut through the open space with a screeching sound; even though my eyes could track it, this body could never hope to withstand such an attack. Not yet anyway.....


    Just before the attack made contact with Owen, he used his left leg to abruptly change course, leaning to the right with the entirety of his body weight, he narrowly managed to avoid the blast.


    With a loud bang, the compressed bullet crashed into the ground, once again displacing large amounts of rocks and dirt from their original position. Oliver fired off three more wind blasts in rapid succession, but it was ultimately futile, none of them made contact with the intended target. Altering his trajectory with a zigzag dash, Owen had managed to narrowly avoid the attacks being thrown at him, steadily increasing his speed with each one he avoided.


    It wasn¡¯t until he was once again within striking distance of Oliver that I¡¯d discovered his strategy. Unlike his first attack, he wasn¡¯t charging towards Oliver with the intention of delivering an all-or-nothing surefire strike. This time, he opted to steadily increase his momentum and make it seem as if he was already moving at top speed. By initially starting off in a predictable way, he purposefully opened himself up to Oliver¡¯s head on attacks, and each time he dodged one, he would increase his speed a bit more, not to the extent where it was painfully obvious, but just enough to get Oliver to misjudge the distance between them and the time it would take for Owen to reach him.


    Owen was now only a few steps away from his target, planting his right foot firmly in front of him, he tilted his upper body backwards, just by looking at his current stance and the weapon now in his right hand, his next move was obvious.


    Using all the momentum he¡¯d been building up until now, he braced himself and with perfect form, he threw the polished short sword like a boosted javelin. In response, Oliver fired yet another wind blast at him, but the force behind the bladed weapon was enough to split the fearsome attack in two, colliding with the ground it conjured a dust cloud around where Owen stood.


    The now familiar sound of an expanding air bubble rang out. The blade Owen had thrown at the last second had once again been denied by its target, but something was different this time. That desperate throw just now was nothing more than a feint, and Owen, now clad in a veil of blue mana had positioned himself in Oliver¡¯s blind spot on his right, mere seconds away from landing a decisive blow.


    Swiftly turning his body, Oliver¡¯s expression betrayed neither shock nor confusion, but rather, admiration. ¡°Not bad!¡± The bespectacled mage ecstatically shouted.


    ¡°HAAAAHHH!!!¡±


    Clenching his fist, Owen threw a devastating right hook towards Oliver¡¯s face, but to his surprise, instead of retreating Oliver had instead advanced. Ducking under the passing blow, Oliver gripped his now outstretched arm, and before Owen could even react, a devastating palm strike had connected with his chest, forcing a dry gasp of air out his mouth.


    Taking full advantage of the opportunity, Oliver opted for a finishing move. Conjuring a violent swirl of flames at the point of impact, he unleashed the explosive attack less than a second later, sending Owen¡¯s body hurdling through the air once more, though this time his final destination wasn¡¯t solid ground, but rather, the tranquil pond in the distance.


    With an abrupt splashing sound, his body disrupted its serene surface with chaotic ripples.

 Chapter 26 - Defeats Embrace

    Defeat''s Embrace


    <hr>


    ¡°Damn....I really lost again huh....¡± Owen mumbled those words to himself, a lingering glint of disappointment now obvious in his down casted eyes.


    ¡°That was a good match, I honestly wasn¡¯t expecting that trick you tried to pull at the end there.¡± Oliver extended his hand to the soggy man now sitting on the edge of the small pond, after being briskly pulled to his feet a sudden shift in his demeanor preceded the temporary suppression of the look of disappointment now in his eyes. ¡°Guess I¡¯ve learned my lesson for good this time, looks like there¡¯s just no getting around you Oliver.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, I mean you did come pretty close at the end there. If I¡¯d reacted a second later then who knows how that match just now might have turned out.¡±


    ¡°Spare me the pleasantry, you were hardly even trying, I mean you only used your fire magic just once at the end, it was almost like you forgot about it.¡± Scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, Oliver¡¯s response to that statement was stark contrast to the answer Owen had been expecting.


    ¡°......I wasn¡¯t really trying to go easy on you but....Julia gets really worked up whenever I use those kinds of spells near the house, she went off on a tangent the last time I showed Liam my attributes by the lake, so I was just trying to avoid that.¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes widened in amazement, he chuckled to himself almost as if to dismiss the inadequacy he¡¯d previously been feeling.


    ¡°Hah-Hah!!...If you have to hold yourself back like that then it''s no wonder you¡¯ve got such proficient control over your elements.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it.....¡± That dry reply escaped the bespectacled victor, his voice didn¡¯t sound boastful in the least.


    The tonality of his words was surprisingly humble given the extraordinary combat prowess he¡¯d displayed only moments earlier. There could only be two reasons supporting the foundation of such modesty ¨C Either he was truly underestimating the depth of his own strength, or he was simply just used to winning.


    Patting him on the shoulder, Owen oriented his now dripping body to face the direction of the large stone bridge, freezing for a moment after seeing the three of us spectators now standing before him.


    ¡°.....I suppose it wouldn¡¯t make sense if any of you were surprised to see me lose to Oliver, but I was hoping to get some sort of reaction from at least Liam here.¡±


    ¡°Of course dad was going to win, mom never stops talking about how strong he is.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Is that so Julia?¡± Vreena was hardly trying to mask the sarcasm in her voice anymore.


    ¡°W-well it is true....but Liam might be exaggerating the details a bit.¡± A slight sheen of red had begun to emerge on her cheeks, slowly growing more prominent as the seconds passed. There were no significant changes in Oliver¡¯s expression, but just from a glance I could tell that he felt a great sense of pride in the fact that Julia thought highly of him, after all a thin smile had even begun forming on his lips.


    ¡°Heh-heh....this kid is awfully straight forward; I have a hunch he¡¯ll grow up to be an even bigger monster than you.¡±


    ¡°Monster?¡± My mind had instinctually reacted to that word.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t mean that literally, Liam, its just a word they like to throw around.¡±


    ¡°O-ohh...so it can be used like that too....¡± Julia¡¯s explanation had once again cleared the air for me, but for some reason she was now smiling uncontrollably, as if she found some sort of delight in my own ignorance.


    ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s about time I head back into the city now but, aren¡¯t you all going to come along too? Judging by the looks of things, you¡¯ll probably have to spend a few nights in one of the inns.¡±


    Stepping onto the main road in his now dripping armor, Owen threw that question at us with his vision still locked on the small town in the distance, but the moment he¡¯d mentioned the sorry state of what was once my home, a creeping sense of guilt began washing over me.


    ¡°Sorry....¡±


    ¡°Ah! Liam, this isn¡¯t your fault you know, you don¡¯t need to apologize for something like this.¡± It felt as if Julia had reacted to my solemn demeanor even before I¡¯d completely gotten that word out.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I apologize for breaking things?¡±


    ¡°Yes...but this time''s a little different, there''s no way you could have intentionally caused your own awakening, and besides nobody was even expecting it to get this bad.¡± Her assumption just now had only been half true, but I decided to keep quiet about that for now, she would have a hard time believing me either way.


    ¡°Mhm, alright mom.¡±


    ¡°Geh- Enough with the sentimentality, are you coming back with us or not?¡± Vreena dismissively remarked, trying her best to feign indifference in the wake of our brief exchange just now.


    ¡°Fufu, Vreena, you don¡¯t have to be so bashful you know, it¡¯s alright to loosen up every once in a while, you¡¯re gonna get wrinkles if you keep acting so grumpy all the time.¡±


    ¡°I''ve already got wrinkles and stop acting like you¡¯re not the older one here!¡±


    ¡°I told you I''m still a maiden at heart~¡±


    Yet another meaningless conversation had sparked between these two for seemingly no reason at all, given their attitude though I was starting to think that they both enjoyed it to some degree.


    ~GROWLLL~


    An otherworldly bellow began emanating across from us. Turning around revealed the source of it to be none other Owen, now flashing a wide grin after holding his stomach in embarrassment. The odd sound coming from his stomach just was surprising in and of itself, but what truly stood out to me was the condition his body was currently in, with his last attack, Oliver had slammed his palm directly onto Own¡¯s abdomen, fracturing his armor plate on impact, before following through with a blast of fire that sent him hurtling through the air.


    After blows like that, his body should have suffered far greater wounds than what I was now seeing, in fact I was half expecting Julia to step up and heal him after the match but apparently, that wasn¡¯t necessary.


    The thin armor plate guarding Owen¡¯s abdomen had in fact been destroyed, right now only fragments of the metallic attire were clinging to his body from his chest down to his solar plexus. Hs abdominals were completely exposed, the only vestiges of the garments that should have been there were the slightly charred ends of his ripped clothing.


    And yet, there wasn¡¯t a scratch on him.


    His rigid abdominals were seemingly indifferent to all the fearsome blows they¡¯d recently been subjected to ¨C In fact, his entire body had sustained no visible form of injury, even if you chocked up his resilience to Oliver¡¯s last two attacks to nothing more than luck, it still wouldn¡¯t explain why he was completely unscathed. His body was constantly being repelled by Oliver¡¯s wind barrier, and each time he was blown away, the impact sent his armored frame carving a path through the ground; so then how exactly had this man somehow managed to emerge unscathed?


    ¡°......am......Liam....¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes mother?¡±


    My absent-minded gaze was abruptly cut off by Julia¡¯s visage now blocking my view, her eyes carried a hint of curiosity and concern. ¡°That¡¯s rare...you¡¯ve never really spaced out like that before, are you alright?¡±


    Her question had initially been a surprise, but it quickly dawned on me that musing over these strange abilities on my own would get me nowhere, this was another world after all, any expertise I previously had would hardly amount to anything here.


    ¡°How is he fine after dad beat him up?¡± Extending a finger towards the beaten knight, it promptly caught the attention of everyone gathered around me.


    ¡°Heh-Heh...Good one Liam. I suppose that question is well warranted for those who don¡¯t know you considering the beating you just took.¡± Vreena sarcastically remarked, clearly enjoying the implications of my question.


    ¡°Ohh about that Liam, Owen¡¯s a radical so -¡± Abruptly cutting off Oliver, the man in question made his way towards me. ¡°That¡¯s a bold question little man, most kids wouldn¡¯t have the guts to speak up to me like that....but I like it! You¡¯ve got spirit!¡± Judging by the overbearing tone now in his voice, it seems his demeanor had now completely recovered.


    ¡°My technique is regeneration. It means I can heal all my wounds almost instantly, so that''s why I¡¯m still fine even after your dad defeated me.¡±


    ¡°Should you really go around telling people your own power like that?¡± Vreena chimed in with a conspicuous tone lining her words.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, he¡¯s just a child and besides the majority of people here already knew that much.¡±


    ¡°Regeneration.....you mean you can heal yourself like mom?¡±


    ¡°Well, my power is a little different, I can only use it on myself so its not as versatile as what your mother can do.¡± This brief exchange had confirmed one of my biases, now that my core had finally awakened, it was finally time to start making preparations, as with all things, time was of the essence here.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool.¡±


    Laughing at that comment, Owen stretched his soggy limbs overhead. ¡°Let¡¯s head back now, shall we?¡±


    ¡°I guess so, are you two ready?¡± Oliver asked, looking in the direction of our now destroyed house.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± Taking my hand in hers, Julia led the march as we headed off towards the small town I¡¯d gotten so used to seeing in the distance.


    ¡°¡®That''s pretty cool¡¯ huh? Where exactly did you hear that?¡± With her signature smug grin, Julia glanced down at me with expectant eyes.


    ¡°From my friend Emma.¡±

 Chapter 27 - Vendetta - Part One

    Vendetta (1)


    <hr>


    As we approached the town square, a sudden realization had begun to dawn on me. At first, it was just a vague feeling of uncertainty, but the closer we got the more apparent it became that something was obviously wrong. There was a large crowd gathered around the fountain that usually boasted streams of sparkling water spewing from some large aquatic creature¡¯s mouth. However, right now that didn¡¯t seem to be the case, there was a palpable sense of tension in the air, one so thick you could almost cut it with a knife.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡±


    ¡°I''ve got a bad feeling about this...¡±


    The people behind me, who¡¯d been engaged in idle chatter up until now were slowly starting to catch on to the conspicuous situation. Just then, a peculiar scent drifted over to my nostrils and even though this was my first time experiencing it, somehow, I could instantly discern its true origins. It hung heavy in the air, thick with a metallic tang that seemed to cling to every breath.


    Despite it being my first encounter with such a scent, there was an instinctual recognition, a primal understanding that sent a shiver down my spine. It was unmistakable¡ªthe unmistakable scent of blood. That realization alone was enough to put a smile on my face, but even more so was the scenery I witnessed after tuning my vision.


    With a blink, the world went dark, reducing everything around me to a black and white canvas. The obsidian color served as the backdrop to my surroundings, while the silhouettes of every living creature took on a transparent, white hue as if they¡¯d been reduced to nothing more than a crude sketch. Tuning my vision like this allowed for a much better perception of the souls around me, within each and every one of these sketch-like figures was a small white flame, burning lazily like a dying candle. That was in fact their very soul; whenever I looked at a mage with my vision tuned like this, I could even see their mana channels, they took the form of needle eyed tubes that branched out like intricate webs pulsating with energy. The soul acted as the point of origin for these channels, they carried the magical essence it produced to whatever part of the body the user desired.


    However, the majority of the crowd gathered in front of me had yet to awaken as mages, so it was rather easy for me to see past them. On the other side of that blockade, there was an interesting spectacle unfolding, to say the least. Three mages were standing over a man whose back was now leaning against the crystalline fountain. He was clutching the area just below his shoulder, where his left arm should have been, but the three people standing over him seemed to have no desire to render assistance.


    Needless to say, the truly interesting part in all this was the fact that his flame was now starting to go out, whoever was writhing in pain over there was drawing closer to the edge of death by the second.


    Come to think of it, in the four years I¡¯d spent here this was the first time I¡¯d ever actually been in the presence of a dying human. If the circumstances hadn¡¯t changed so drastically, I¡¯d be playing a completely different role right now, but for the time being I was simply an observer.


    ¡°What happened here?¡± Vreena called out, drawing the attention of the panicking crowd back towards her.


    ¡°E-elder Vreena, Captain Owen, Oliver - We need your help! It¡¯s David these bastards just took his arm!¡± It was one of the very same men who¡¯d been fawning over Julia the last time we came here.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    The only difference right now though, was the fact that he wasn¡¯t trying to curry favor this time, right now, he lacked the initial sense of flattery he had only a few days ago. His eyes were widening in a mix of terror, fear, confusion and even anger, by all accounts he couldn¡¯t be anymore indifferent to Julia¡¯s presence right now.


    ¡°Calm down Eric, tell me what -¡±


    ¡°Pardon the intrusion but allow me to give that account on his behalf.¡±


    That voice immediately cut through both the chaotic chatter, as well as the crowd that had previously been blocking our view. Mere seconds after the gentle voice called out, the bystanders swiftly began to open up a path to reveal the origin of those eloquent words.


    ¡°.....A girl?¡±


    Somehow Julia had managed to utter the exact phrase that was brewing in my mind. Despite the initial shock I¡¯d felt after seeing her, she was also another familiar face, I saw her on the same day Julia and I went on her so¨Ccalled ¡®shopping trip¡¯. At the time it looked as if she was accompanying those domineering raiders from before, and judging by the situation, that status quo had yet to change.


    Donning her frilly white dress that covered everything from her bosom to her ankles, her small face and round eyes cast a mischievous look in our direction. On her head right now was not the matching white broad hat I¡¯d seen her with before, but something much smaller, one that allowed for a clear view of her cascading azure hair.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be seeing you again so soon, Vreena.¡±


    Scowling at the young girl''s remark, Vreena tightened her grip on the wooden staff now firmly planted before her. Just before the odd sense of tension in the air could thicken any further Julia began sprinting towards the haughty girl on the other end of the onlooking crowd. Her reaction had sent waves of confusion into everyone here besides me and Oliver.


    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Stunned by the druid woman¡¯s charge, the young girl ultimately began fumbling her own words, yet Julia hadn¡¯t even been looking at her, from the very beginning, her focus was centered on the scenery behind her.


    It was only after Julia had sped past the stunned girl that Vreena, Owen and a few others had begun to catch on.


    The crystalline fountain that once spewed crystal clear streams of water from the mouth of an aquatic statue was no more. The majority of that statue had been destroyed, along with a portion of the waist height crystal barrier that served to isolate the fountain from the rest of the environment.


    The water now pooling at its base had taken on a crimson color, but despite the obvious destruction that had recently taken place here, there was still someone within the vicinity of the ravaged construct.


    It was a man with blond hair that seemed to be around the same age as Owen, he was currently slumped to the ground, leaning his back against what remained of the crystal wall and clutching his now dismembered right shoulder. Panting heavily and wincing in pain, he clutched at the crude bandage now being used to suppress his own bleeding, judging by how frequently his eyes were rolling back it was obvious that he¡¯d constantly been fighting for his own consciousness.


    A viscous fluid was dripping through the gaps of his remaining fingers, falling gracefully to the ground before staining the bricked streets of Zale with vibrant crimson droplets.


    Julia stopped just beside him, before stooping down and uttering the same cryptic chant for her ¡®Faerie Light¡¯ spell. After the ensuing neon glow that enveloped the man¡¯s body, the enigmatic girl slowly turned her head to look back at the desperate scene unfolding by the fountain.


    ¡°Oh? So that¡¯s what you were worried about?¡±

 Chapter 28 - Vendetta - Part Two

    Vendetta (2)


    <hr>


    ¡°Amaris....are you the one responsible for this mess?¡±


    Calling out to the young girl across from us, Vreena imbued her usually indifferent voice with the chilling essence of authority, yet, despite the ominous undertone of the elder¡¯s words the girl merely smiled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so weary of us you know, I mean, they¡¯re the ones who started it.¡±


    ¡°They?¡± Even Vreena¡¯s questions sounded intimidating right now.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that guy over there. He and some other idiot was trying to start a fight with us the moment we got here.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a second Amaris, I¡¯m the one who requested aid from your party, but Ulric never mentioned anything about you arriving today. How did you even get here in the first place? I¡¯m just coming back into the city after spending some time out by the bridge, I¡¯m sure I wouldn¡¯t have missed your group if you were passing by, so how exactly did you....¡± Owen added vigor to his voice as he slowly made his way forward, staring down the haughty girl clad in her snow-white attire.


    ¡°So you really went through with it huh Owen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry elder, it¡¯s just a precaution but I don¡¯t want things to get out of hand again.¡±


    ¡°Tch - fine have it your way then, but look where that¡¯s already gotten us, I told you we didn¡¯t need Br¨¹nnhilde¡¯s help.¡±


    Even in the midst of her displeasure, Vreena hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off Amaris even once.


    ¡°Heheheh.....so that''s what we¡¯re doing huh? Well, no matter, how we got here is a trade secret so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t say old man.¡±


    ¡°Amaris enough of this, where¡¯s Ulric!?¡± Seemingly fed up with the charade Amaris was now putting on, Vreena blurted out that question, her eyes had now narrowed to the point where Amaris was practically the only thing left in her field of vision.


    ¡°My brother should be back here soon; he¡¯s just gone to fetch another one of these worthless defects, if you don¡¯t believe me just ask one of your little followers.¡± Pointing a finger at the onlooking crowd, the cowering civilians almost shrieked at that simple gesture, the unintentional display of authority had coincidentally managed to put a smile on her face. The two men standing on opposite sides of her soon mimicked that crude smile, no doubt taking pleasure in the fearful looks being directed towards them.


    ¡°Should we go get Ulric?¡± The man standing on her left ask, judging by his metallic attire and the sword neatly affixed to his hip, he was something more in the way of a bodyguard than a raider.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine Lucas, I¡¯m getting a lot of nasty looks right now so I would rather you not wander off just yet, I¡¯m sure my brother will be back soon enough. In the meanti-¡±


    DUM .......DUM......DUM.......DUM........DUM


    That dull, rhythmic sound lingered in the air each time the ground below me shook in the wake of those fading tremors. The atmosphere swiftly fell into a state of dead calm, nobody moved, but I could easily tell that all the people who¡¯d gathered here had wanted to do nothing more than run away.


    The reason they hadn¡¯t done so, was because of the piercing gaze now being directed towards us from a short distance away. What made the situation all the more daunting was the fact that we weren¡¯t even meeting that murderous gaze at eye level ¨C No, the beast was looking down on us.


    ¡°Oh my, speak of the devil.¡± Gleefully uttering that remark, Amaris smiled cheerfully at the sight that had now left the other humans here terrified. Coated in a thick layer of pristine white fur, piercing yellow slit pupil eyes that inspired nothing but fear in the heart of its prey, and canine fangs oozing with a lust for blood. Now gazing down at me was the gigantic wolf I¡¯d seen forcing its way through the civilian crowds a few days ago, the same could be said for the blue haired young man now riding atop it, these were all familiar faces.


    Without a doubt, they were the members of that dreaded party ¨C Brunhilde.


    The houses and buildings inside Zale weren¡¯t abnormally large or tall, so this monster could easily tower over us seeing as it was taller than four of these small houses stacked on top of each other when walking on all fours.


    The blue haired young man who I could only assume to be Ulric, was sitting at the base of its neck, tightly gipping the chain fastened to the monster''s metallic collar in his hands. Behind him was another man around his age wearing a white sleeveless shirt with a leather armor plate strapped to his chest. After sizing us up for a few seconds, the large beast began weaving its way through the paved brick streets that now seemed much smaller, leaving a devastating imprint on the city itself in the form of its canine paws.


    Stopping just short of the fountain, the two men leaped off the towering creature, landing near Amaris with a dull thud. Still, that bland stunt wasn¡¯t getting much attention from the onlookers, their attention was still fixed on the large predator. It wasn¡¯t being done out of a sense of awe, nor was it because of fear either, this time, what had managed to vehemently capture their attention was the human now dangling by the arm that was now stuck between the beasts'' teeth.


    ¡°O-Oi....isn¡¯t that Roy?¡±


    ¡°Roy!¡±


    Immediately after the initial terror had settled, countless cries of sympathy called out to Roy. His only reaction to them was in the form of brief spasms and winces, his entire body seemed to be battered and bruised so the current state of his arm must have only been half the reason why he wasn¡¯t conscious.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t in much better shape than his friend lying over by the fountain, but Julia¡¯s quick treatment seems to have quelled his agony, if nothing else.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Took you long enough, things were getting pretty heated around here you know.¡± Amaris muttered her complaints, still completely indifferent to the horrific sight of what her brother had just returned with.


    ¡°Well this guy was really good at running away, and besides its not exactly easy for tyrant to move around in this cramped place, without Gavin¡¯s help he might¡¯ve gotten away for good.¡±


    ¡°Thats why I told you to finish him off from earlier.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was there to help him catch the guy so it''s no big deal, right?¡± The man wearing the sleeveless armor gleefully interrupted them, he was undoubtedly pleased by whatever degree of punishment they¡¯d inflicted upon Roy before coming here.


    ¡°Hey you three.¡±


    Julia immediately ended their conversation with her melodic voice, but this time it wasn¡¯t carrying the pleasant tone I¡¯d grown so used to, but instead gave off a chilling feeling that made the three of them instinctually freeze in place.


    ¡°Just what did these two do for you to harm them this badly?¡± Still kneeling beside the amputated man from earlier, Julia had been maintaining her healing spell this entire time. But even with half of her focus devoted to saving the life before her, the other half of her concentration was being used to suppress both the immense grief and anger that she now felt.


    Her neon green eyes locked onto the parading party with a dangerous gleam emanating from them.


    Ulric stared at her for a moment, before swallowing his angst and equipping his confidence.


    ¡°That symbol on your forehead...you¡¯re a druid, aren¡¯t you? Heh - yeah, I think this guy did mention something about there being a druid that could heal him being here.... Julia, was it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Julia Rocco. I¡¯m temporarily acting as a healer for the people of this town.¡±


    Hearing those words, Ulric gave an extravagant bow -


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, my name is Ulric Meyer. I¡¯m the leader of the Brunhilde party that this town is requesting assistance from. As for your question, these two men here had some sort of vendetta against me, saying I killed some close relative of theirs a while back. I have no recollection of ever doing such a thing, so when they ganged up on us, I couldn¡¯t help but defend myself you see, they even managed to get blood on my sister¡¯s dress after I painstakingly saved up the money to buy it for her the other day. I¡¯m only trying to teach them a very simple lesson - ¡®You nulls are inferior to us mages¡¯ and to that end, all I¡¯m asking for is an arm; a fair deal wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t agree at all, you beat these men half to death for something so trivial!?¡±


    Ulric stared blankly at Julia, then everyone else here before shaking his head in admission.


    ¡°I suppose we just don¡¯t see eye to eye on this then, I was planning to have his friend there watch as I make Tyrant rip his arm off, but it looks like that might cause some problems.¡±


    SLAM


    Vreena jammed her staffed to the ground so hard it cracked beneath the impact.


    ¡°Enough of this Uric! You don¡¯t have the authority to dish out punishment to anyone here on a whim. You damn brat, after what happened with Lennon, I thought you might have changed your ways, but it doesn¡¯t look like that going to happen anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Vreena, you''re still alive huh? You weren¡¯t happy to see me the other day either, but it''s fine, I¡¯ve gotten used to your tendencies by now. As for these two, I¡¯d say their actions warrant a little punishment, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want scum like this running around your town.¡±


    Ulric glanced up at Roy, the sight of his arm stuck between the monster''s teeth had once again filled him with a sense of joy.


    ¡°She¡¯s right Ulric, there won¡¯t be much point in you coming back here if this is how you¡¯re going to start things off.¡± Owen made his way over towards the haughty young man, stopping just short of him before clenching both fists.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it''s going to be, huh captain?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you either stop this on your own or I force you to stop.¡±


    Ulric chuckled the moment those words reached his ears.


    ¡°Try me.¡±


    SNAP


    Drawing the monster¡¯s attention with that gesture, Ulric proceeded to give a merciless command.


    ¡°Tyrant, bite his arm off.¡±


    Immediately after those words left Ulric¡¯s lips, the giant wolf began grinding its own teeth, causing spurts of crimson droplets to gush out from the gaps in its canines.


    ¡°AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡±


    Not long after, Roy was suddenly jolted back to reality by the searing pain of having his entire arm slowly gnawed off by the wolf now holding him captive.


    I was standing a good distance away from Roy, and yet I could still hear an odd crackling sound, it was oddly reminiscent of a tree falling down after being hacked away at by an axe, except this time it wasn¡¯t a tree that was creaking, but Roy¡¯s bones.


    ¡°A-AHHH ¨C It hurts! It¡¯s gonna tear my arm off !!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡± Ulric sarcastically retorted.


    Roy screamed in agony, his blood now splattering across the ground as his comrades helplessly watched him get devoured right in front of their eyes. Amid Roy¡¯s agony, and the atmosphere of despair that was now being cultivated, a dignified voice cemented its presence to everyone here.


    ¡°Oi.¡±


    The one who¡¯d commanded Brunhilde¡¯s attention was none other than Oliver, veins now pulsing on either side of his temples.


    ¡°Let him go.¡± Those three words were enough to send a wave of pressure through the atmosphere.


    Ulric instinctually took a step back, before abruptly composing himself and resolving to hold his ground.


    ¡°O-Oh, it looks like we¡¯ve got another tough guy here hu-¡±


    Just then, a glimmering flash of light whipped past Ulric¡¯s face, colliding with the fountain behind him and immediately evaporating the entirety of its contents. A thick veil of vapor was now beginning to emerge from where the extravagant fountain once stood, but despite the fact, Ulric had yet to move.


    Standing firmly in place, his legs wobbled like ancient pillars, his quivering eyes now made it seem as if he couldn¡¯t even register what was now happening. The same went for just about all the Brunhilde members gathered before us. A black smear was now present on Ulric¡¯s right cheek, it gave off a sizzling sound as soon as smoke had begun lazily wafting from it.


    The attack Oliver had launched without warning just now had left the haughty man paralyzed by fear, he wasn¡¯t even registering the pain from the scorching wound now on his cheek.


    Turning around, I saw Oliver adjust his glasses with his index finger. He took a few steps forward, his demeanor calm yet charged with an unspoken intensity. As he reached Owen''s side, he exhaled deeply, releasing all the tension that had built up within him. With a voice steady and measured, he spoke, his words cutting through the silence like a knife -


    ¡°I said, let him go.¡±

 Chapter 29 - Vendetta - Part Three

    Vendetta (3)


    <hr>


    For a few seconds, nobody moved, the impact of what Oliver had just done was clearly still weighing on them. It was a surprisingly bold show of hostility, one that wholly contrasted with Oliver¡¯s usually laid-back demeanor, but given the intense aura silently radiating off him he clearly had no qualms about throwing down right here and now.


    In the end, I suppose he was still just a human after all.


    ¡°So....you¡¯re Oliver Rocco, what''s a court mage from the capital doing all the way out here?¡±


    Ulric slowly uttered those words, his face now silently contorting into a mix of both shame and anger.


    ¡°It just so happens that I have a score to settle with that monster, I¡¯m just staying here until I can repay my debts to these people. Which is why I can¡¯t allow you to just waltz in here and start acting like you own the place. I¡¯ve heard a lot about your mercenary group, if you¡¯ve come to render assistance, then I won¡¯t stop you but you¡¯d best tread carefully from now on.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that a threat¡±


    Taking a step forward, Ulric tightened his armored fist with that sarcastic remark.


    ¡°You¡¯re free to interpret it however you like but, just know that I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on your party.¡±


    Oliver¡¯s words only served to irk Ulric¡¯s already festering anger, he glared at the man towering over him with a simmering intensity.


    ¡°Owen, this isn¡¯t what we agreed on! How are we supposed to do our job with this guy hawking over our every move?¡± He blurted those words out whilst maintaining his deadly gaze.


    ¡°Alright, that''s enough.¡± Cutting through the tension, Owen extended a hand between the two men now staring each other down. ¡°Ulric, I believe we¡¯ll still need help from your party, there aren¡¯t a lot of mages here in Zale, and the majority of them got wounded in our last mission so we really could use your help to cover the extra ground. We can discuss the details of all this later, but first, I suggest you release that civilian before things start flaring up again.¡±


    *SNAP*


    With another one of those hapless gestures, the beast that was standing sentinel in the town square like a detached guardian promptly released its grip on its captive. Now falling from the jaws of death, the man named Roy was aptly caught by a gathering of civilians who¡¯d promptly rushed to his aid.


    ¡°U-Ulric are we really just going to let him get off scot free like that, I mean he just attacked us without warning!¡± Amaris¡¯ small frame suddenly came rushing through the dispersing plume of vapor, Oliver¡¯s attack hadn¡¯t harmed any of them but there was some truth to her words.


    Had Oliver been blood lusted or if his aim was off by so much as a few centimeters, then Ulric¡¯s head would have been sent flying.


    ¡°Are we really just going to just let him go after something like that? He could have killed you just now!¡± The dainty young girl was now tugging on Ulric¡¯s clothes with blatant rage in her eyes, the murky emotion now being projected onto her face had seemingly washed away the innate aura of purity she once resonated.


    ¡°I agree with her Ulric, we do have a reputation to defend you know, we can¡¯t just have people like him making a fool of us like that.¡± Gavin, Ulric¡¯s accomplice chimed in to aid Amaris¡¯ cause, her two bodyguards had also drawn closer to Oliver, but they had yet to bolster the cause of their client. The tension in the atmosphere was all but assured to peak if this continued, however, Ulric simply raised is hand to dismiss their claims.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re getting at, but this isn¡¯t the time for it.¡± He spoke slowly, exhaling a deep breath after that short sentence as if to convince himself of his own train of thought right now.


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough Amaris, we won¡¯t get anywhere like this.¡±


    It had been obvious for quite some time now, but that brief interaction was more than enough to confirm my suspicions. Ulric undoubtedly wielded unprecedented authority of those four. However, despite their heated discussion the target in question was now casually strolling past them without even sparing them so much as a glance.


    ¡°Tch - Mark my words, I¡¯ll feed you to my pets one day.¡± Amaris uttered those word in a bitter tone, grimacing at the sight of the man who¡¯d managed to invoke her ire in only a few short minutes.


    ¡°Heh~ We¡¯ll just have to see about that.¡± Paying them no heed, he headed straight for Julia who was still kneeling by the now destroyed fountain. Following in his lead, I walked across the same path, earning myself a few hateful glares along the way.


    ¡°So that¡¯s his son huh....¡±


    Those bitter words rang out just within my earshot ¨C for better or for worse, it appears I now had a target on my back.


    Owen heaved a sigh; he didn¡¯t seem to favor the current situation at all. Now in the midst of the fading tension, a loud voice rang out -


    ¡°All of you, listen up! That Basilisk is still hiding in the nearby forest, Lennon couldn¡¯t finish it off last time, so it¡¯s come back for the rune. Unfortunately, Lennon is dead, and we don¡¯t know where the rune is, so if you know anything about the location of the rune tell us so we can get this over with, I¡¯m sure you all don¡¯t want to die, and I don¡¯t intend to drag this out any longer either!¡±


    After issuing that bold declaration, Ulric and his party promptly straddled the large monster now surveying the area. The peculiar group headed off in the direction of the stone bridge, but not before giving us one final hateful glance.


    <hr>


    THUD


    That dull sound echoed as Vreena¡¯s fist made contact with Oliver¡¯s ribs.


    ¡°You idiot! What were you thinking firing off an attack like that!? You almost hit your wife!¡±


    ¡°Elder Vreena-I-I had it all under control, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d ever mess up something like that.¡±


    ¡°How exactly are you so sure about that? And even if you are a hundred percent certain, there¡¯s still the off chance that-¡±


    ¡°Heh-heh-heh...¡±


    The sound of Julia¡¯s delightful huckles interrupted Vreena¡¯s tantrum, plastering a look of confusion on the old woman¡¯s face. ¡°Vreena, I know what Oliver can do, I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t ever mess up like that, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I couldn¡¯t miss from that distance.¡±


    The old woman gave him a suspicious stare before heaving a sigh.....


    ¡°Well, whatever, you two don¡¯t really seem bothered by it to there''s no point in me getting worked up.¡±


    ¡°Umm.....are we still going to the inn?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Liam....are you alright? All that stuff just now must have been really hard for you to watch.....¡± After finally calming down, Julia immediately defaulted to her parental role.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine mom, you don¡¯t have to worry, I just feel a little sleepy that''s all.¡± The three adults exchanged glances after hearing that response, I knew full well that a normal child should have been recoiling in fear at the scene that had just unfolded here but mustering up my energy for something so trivial seemed deceitful and felt like a waste of time.


    ¡°I suppose we do need to take a breather after all that, alright I know just the place~¡±


    Coincidentally, I knew exactly where she was referring to.

 Chapter 30 - Vendetta - Part Four

    Vendetta (4)


    <hr>


    ¡°.....And that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    Vreena nonchalantly finished her recap of the day¡¯s events with a light smile on her face. We were now within the familiar confines of the Ashwell family home, at some point this place had become the default location for this kind of rendezvous.


    The recipients of Vreena¡¯s condensed torrent of information, Emma and Beatrice, stared at her with gaping mouths and widening eyes. The reaction was somewhat warranted given how fast things had escalated in a matter of hours.


    ¡°W-wait, you mean to tell me that Liam¡¯s a mage now, and there¡¯s a giant monster roaming the streets? Wait you just said Ulric''s back too didn¡¯t you and he brought the rest of Brunhilde-¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Beatrice, I know it''s a lot to take in.¡± The old woman calmly mumbled; her usual laid-back expression had now returned but her voice carried an endearing tone of weariness.


    ¡°I suppose so, worrying about it won¡¯t do any good at this point. So, I assume you all came here to discuss this then?¡± Beatrice exhaled a deep breath, tilting her body back on the wooden chair now acting as her support.


    ¡°Yeah, given how things got heated between them and Oliver just now, we won¡¯t be able to continue like this...I¡¯d even go so far as to say it''s just going to make the situation worse.¡± Julia lamented; her downcast eyes were starting to lose even more of their fading vigor.


    ¡°I see your point, but still, someone needs to keep those guys in check, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re having an easy time with them Owen, didn¡¯t you go on the hunt with them the last time they came here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did, but that party is a little peculiar. Since Ulric and his sister are from noble families in the capital, they tend to have a hard time taking orders from anyone that''s not equal to or above them in status. It pains me to say it but, even though I''m acting as the current leader of the mage unit here, I¡¯m still relatively new to all this, if Lennon were still here then-¡±


    ¡°I know, you¡¯ve only been here a little longer than us, considering the fact that you came from the capital as hired help I¡¯d say you¡¯ve adjusted to things here quite well.¡± Oliver¡¯s abrupt interjection had single-handedly saved this conversation from devolving into its usually dreary mood.


    ¡°Yeah, even though I¡¯m still lacking, you¡¯ve all been a great help.¡± Modestly bowing his head, Owen offered his reserved show of thanks to the adults now gathered here.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for all this mushy stuff, you¡¯ve been managing things on your own quite well this past year so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll only get better with time.¡±


    Vreena dismissively interjected, intently avoiding all the curious stares now being directed towards her.


    ¡°Fufu...You know, I still can¡¯t believe you have such a hard time expressing your gratitude Vreena.¡±


    ¡°It''s the truth, I wasn¡¯t offering anything....¡± The way her voice conspicuously trailed off just now had sent Julia and the others into a fit of laughter, I wasn¡¯t aptly versed in mortal humor, but I suppose the comedic effect had come about because of the sudden change in her tonality just now.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention this, but it looks like Isaac¡¯s going to wake up soon. His wounds have healed up and I think just about all the poison¡¯s gone from his system so it''s only a matter of time now.¡±


    Beatrice enthusiastically clapped her hands, the wide smile now stretching across her face was only growing brighter by the second.


    ¡°Come to think of it.....I¡¯m not really sensing the presence of all those wounded soldiers anymore.¡± Vreena lifted her head slightly, staring dead at the wooden ceiling above us. She wasn¡¯t actually trying to use her eyes to locate her former patients, but instead trying to ¡®sense¡¯ them via the faint traces of mana being unconsciously emitted by their bodies.


    ¡°I figured they¡¯d all be leaving soon since Isaac was pretty much the only one here with any major injuries, the others were just suffering from the adverse effects of the Basilisk¡¯s poison. Owen, I¡¯m assuming it ambushed your troops with poison fog then, since that''s how they tend to hunt large amounts of humans.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d expect nothing less from a former raider like you lady Julia, that poison fog was the main reason behind why we suffered so many losses, but it looks like there¡¯s a silver lining to all this. I¡¯m glad the rest of those guys managed to pull through.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d say it¡¯s all thanks to you captain, if you hadn¡¯t rushed back here with the rest of them as fast as you did then there¡¯s no telling how bad the situation would¡¯ve gotten.¡±


    Boasting a dry smile after hearing that remark, Owen promptly rose to his feet.


    ¡°Eh?.....Captain Owen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit early, but I think I¡¯ll go have a little chat with Ulric¡¯s party, if you do whip up any effective countermeasures while I¡¯m away then I¡¯ll get Oliver here to fill me in.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind but...are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like to clarify where we stand with each other as soon as possible. Originally, we were supposed to be working together in this Basilisk hunt, but it doesn¡¯t look like things will go over that smoothly anymore. Depending on their response, it might affect whatever plans we make here so I¡¯m going to get this out of the way before we settle on anything concrete.¡±


    Oliver closed his eyes in contemplation for a few moments before finally speaking -


    ¡°Alright that doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea, so I¡¯ll leave it to you. It''s not like we have anyone else here who can negotiate with them that easily.¡±


    Just then, the dry smile on Owen¡¯s face grew even more constricting. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment then. There¡¯s no telling how this is all going to work out but, I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± With those words, Owen turned his body now covered in fragmented armor towards the door, giving a brief wave overhead before finally departing.


    ¡°It¡¯s weighing on him a lot huh.....¡± Julia mumbled absentmindedly


    ¡°He¡¯s a bit on edge right now, given everything that''s going on, I''m sure he¡¯s pushing himself a lot more than usual.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean.....¡± Seemingly catching on to Oliver¡¯s train of thought, Beatrice tightened her grip on the silky fabric of her frilly ended skirt.


    ¡°Yeah....he¡¯s trying to fill the gap left by your husband.¡± Oliver¡¯s solemn tone painted a stern expression on the faces of Beatrice and her daughter. It must have been weighing heavily on Emma, seeing as she hadn¡¯t said a word ever since Ulrics name was mentioned. Even now, she simply sat beside her mother, fixing her vision on her small hands that were now gently resting on her lap.


    ¡°The situation is quite similar to what happened five years ago, but the difference this time is that.... Lennon isn¡¯t around, and he was the only one who¡¯d been on relatively good terms with that lot.¡± Veena uttered under her breath, just getting those words out seemed to have put quite a bit of strain on her voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be abrupt, but can you go over how exactly Lennon knew those guys? If you don¡¯t mind sharing that is; I¡¯d like to be a bit more informed just in case we end up working together.¡± Oliver¡¯s question immediately drew their attention, biting down on her quivering lips, Beatrice steeled herself before speaking.


    ¡°Very well, it''s not a particularly good story though.¡±

 Chapter 31 - Wait And See

    Wait And See


    <hr>


    ¡°Before he became the elder around here, Lennon used to be a raider back when he was living in Orna.¡± Beatrice had now summoned the strength to continue her story, with her back now braced against the wooden chair and a face full of resolve, she spoke slowly and concisely, recounting the conjoined intricacies that have led up to the current situation.


    ¡°He told me that he first met Owen around that time too, they were both training to become raiders, but it was a lot easier said than done in Owen¡¯s case. Since his technique didn¡¯t offer much in terms of combat, and because he could only heal himself and couldn¡¯t use any other forms of magic, it made people start to look down on him. Apparently, the only times Owen ever got invited to join a party was to act as a human shield, so he slowly started to give up on being a raider. That¡¯s why Lennon accepted him with open arms when he turned up one day saying he wanted to join the ranks of his mage unit.¡±


    The room seemed unnaturally quiet right now, especially when considering the extravagant size it boasted. Instead of interrupting, the entirety of our focus was now being projected onto the woman now speaking at the helm of the round table. Even with the grim details being recounted right now there didn¡¯t seem to be any sort of uneasiness emanating from anyone, not even Emma, a twelve-year-old child. Perhaps it''s because they all knew deep down that such atrocities were commonplace in their reality, so for just this brief moment, nobody would say anything.


    ¡°Still, Owen wasn¡¯t the only one my husband had spent time with in the capital. That¡¯s also where he met Ulric and his sister Amaris, I¡¯m told they¡¯d even formed a party for quite some time. That party was eventually disbanded after Lennon came back here to settle down, but I don¡¯t know much of what happened to Ulric after that, when Lennon asked for his help a year ago...he did mention joining some sect but that was pretty much it.¡±


    After allowing the stiffness in the atmosphere to quietly dissipate, Oliver adjusted his glasses before finally commencing the discussion.


    ¡°Thanks Beatrice, I feel like I¡¯ve gotten a better understanding of this whole situation now. If I¡¯m remembering this correctly your husband was around level two, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes that''s right.... why did you ask?¡± Her timid voice now edged on the line of intrigue and curiosity.


    ¡°It''s nothing serious, I was just making a quick comparison in the back of my mind.¡± She stared at him, confusion subtly mellowing into her expression once she¡¯d started to take note of the stern expression he now wore -


    CLAP


    Swiftly rising to her feet, Emma garnered the attention of everyone here with that abrasive gesture.


    ¡°Umm...S-Sir Oliver....¡± Her clenched fists were trembling as if to match the sway of her knee length dress, yet still she persisted with clattering teeth and her head hung low.


    ¡°....Emma was it? Oliver is fine.¡± Apparently, he¡¯d already figured out what the young girl was trying to say, seeing her like this made him loosen his expression almost instinctively.


    ¡°Those guys...¡± tightening her own slender fists with each of her ragged breaths, she fervently tried to fend off the impending urges of her own emotions.


    ¡°Wi-Will you-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t let them hurt anyone else, Emma, you have my word.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    She immediately lifted her head mere seconds after the man¡¯s bold declaration, it was apparently enough to dispel al the angst she¡¯d been feeling just moments ago. Though her eyes welled up for a brief instant, she managed to hold back her tears of gratitude -


    ¡°Thank You.....¡±


    Emma had given her thanks with just about every ounce of sincerity she could muster, and yet Oliver couldn¡¯t wholeheartedly accept it. Although he was trying to hide it, based on the slight shift in his demeanor it gave way for one to assume that he¡¯d naturally understood the implication behind her noble request.


    <hr>


    ¡°Ahem, so with that being said Beatrice, is it alright if we stay here for a bit? Just until we finish the repairs.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Julia, I wouldn¡¯t mind at all. I¡¯m sure these two would appreciate the company.¡±


    Beatrice nonchalantly waved her hand, signaling her dismissal of such a trivial request.


    ¡°Ooh so Liam¡¯s gonna be staying here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just for a little bit. Judging by your interactions the other day I''m sure you''ll get along just fine, he¡¯s even taking after you Emma.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always wanted a little brother, so this is perfect~¡± She made her way over to me with a mischievous smile, before leaning in close to cement this new reality of mine.


    ¡°You should sleep in my room tonight; I¡¯ve got a lot of stuff planned since I''m off today.¡±


    ¡°I want to see everything. That¡¯s what friends do right?¡±


    Her cheeks flushed red for an instant; my reply seems to have caught her off guard but given that reaction I must''ve been on the right track. She folder her slender arms as if to suppress the reddening of her own face before pointing a finger at me -


    ¡°That¡¯s right but as long as you¡¯re here you¡¯re going to be my little brother, so that means you have to listen to everything I say.¡±


    ¡°....Really?¡±


    ¡°Hahahah!....looks like you¡¯ve gotten yourself into a tight situation already Liam, but you¡¯ll be living with Emma for a few days so try to follow her lead alright?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand the logic behind asking a child to lead another child, but I suppose this was just another aspect of human culture that I was yet to fully comprehend.


    ¡°Alright Emma, I¡¯ll be your little brother.¡±


    ¡°That was fast...you really don¡¯t hesitate, do you?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t this what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°Well...it is but I wanted to tease you a bit more before signing off on it.¡±


    ¡°Emma don¡¯t take your teasing too far, remember he¡¯s still only four years old.¡± Beatrice¡¯s intervention wasn¡¯t exactly warranted but then again it was something engrained in her very nature when it came to her child. She was actually very similar to Julia in that regard.


    ¡°I know mom, I¡¯m just trying to figure out what triggers his reactions, he hardly ever smiles and usually just sits here with that blank look on his face.¡±


    ¡°Well...that is true, sometimes even I can¡¯t really tell what¡¯s going on in his little head.¡±


    Julia¡¯s words had caused Beatrice to throw me a curious glance, it seems I was now the focal point of this conversation. Emma had in fact been spot on in her deduction, even after four years I was still a far cry away from completely ridding myself of my old habits. The idea of having a body made of flesh and blood body was all but foreign to me, so constantly keeping track of the muscles comprising my face and managing them wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d mastered yet. Doing so would ultimately result in me delineating a portion of my consciousness to keep up the act, which was ironically even more tiring than just keeping a straight face, still it was something I''d have to master eventually ¨C I did make a promise after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you all seem to be having a fun time but, I think we should get back to the issue at hand.¡± Finally rising from her seated position, Vreena joined Emma and the others in their peculiar stance, looming over me with hopeless curiosity in her narrowing eyes - ¡°Liam, it''s time to check your attributes.¡±

 Chapter 32 - Milestone

    Milestone


    <hr>


    A small glass of water, a few pebbles, a metal spoon and a single piece of paper. These objects that wholly contrasted each other had now been placed on the table in front of me.


    ¡°Alright Liam, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡± Oliver gleefully commented from his position on my right. I was no longer seated, but instead standing at the edge of the table I could barely even see over, the others were standing close behind me and although I couldn¡¯t see their faces, I felt the intensity of their curious gazes that were now practically stabbing me in the back.


    ¡°Liam let''s start off by testing out your elemental affinities.¡± Vreena spoke up from behind me, out of everyone here, she¡¯d been the one closest to me this entire time.


    ¡°Affinities? Does that mean I¡¯m a Savant?¡± I asked with my back still turned to her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain yet, but if you do end up possessing any elemental affinities then you¡¯ll more than likely have two elements at your disposal, in which case you¡¯d be a dualist.¡± Right after she finished speaking, I felt the strange sensation of her wrinkled hand gripping my shoulder. Despite her supposed fragility there was a surprising amount of strength now being channeled through her grip.


    ¡°It goes without saying, but I''m hoping he has an affinity for fire magic, there¡¯s tons of spells I¡¯ve been meaning to pass on to him.¡±


    ¡°And just what kinds of spells did you have in mind Oliver? I¡¯ve seen how destructive your little tricks can get.¡± Julia interrupted the man''s self-serving fantasy; I could clearly envision the conspicuous face she was making right now.


    ¡°I meant beginner level stuff of course, it''s not anything too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°You mean that ¡®ignition gust¡¯ spell, right? Isn''t that a beginner level spell?¡±


    ¡°Well....¡±


    For some reason they¡¯d now started a feud over my prospective power and Oliver was already on the losing end of it.


    ¡°Already a mage at four years old huh? As expected of my little brother.¡± I heard Emma¡¯s prideful response echoing from behind me, it hadn¡¯t even been five minutes since I''d offhandedly decided to conform to her strange demands, but she was already running with it.


    ¡°Usually, when a savant mage awakens, there¡¯s some clear indication of what element they¡¯re able to exert control over. If it was fire then flames would start enveloping their body, if it was earth then the ground beneath them might crack open or something like that. However, in the case of mages who could use more than one element, there was no obvious change. That¡¯s why it''s so hard to tell them apart from radicals.¡± Vreena gave that brief summary to no one in particular, but it was more than likely an accurate description of my current situation.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, I didn¡¯t see any significant changes when I awakened either, so it actually took me quite a while to figure this whole mage thing out.¡± Oliver nostalgically remarked.


    ¡°That niche effect comes about because new mages aren¡¯t very good at controlling their own mana and manifesting two different elements at the same time is impossible, so in that regard it''s a lot easier for regular savants to discover their affinities since their mana doesn¡¯t need to manifest in more than one way.¡±


    ¡°So what exactly is he going to do then?¡± Emma chimed in; she was getting more curious by the second.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to do a test.¡±


    ¡°A test...you say?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s called the ¡®essence gauge¡¯, an old trick that''s been used all around the continent for years in the rare event that a dualist managed to awaken. Liam¡¯s going to release all of his mana and Vreena will use some of her own mana to direct his mana flow. While his mana flow is under control, he¡¯ll pick up each of the objects on the table and we¡¯ll know which elements he can control based on the ones that react to his mana.¡±


    ¡°Ohh if that''s what he''s going to do then this might even be better than I thought. But wait, why does Elder Vreena need to help him control that ¡®mana¡¯ thing? Can¡¯t he do that on his own?¡± Emma¡¯s enthusiasm and confusion were somehow starting to blend together, the girls'' emotions were subject to change at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Well as you¡¯ve heard just now, new mages can¡¯t control their own mana very well, that''s why Liam ended up accidentally destroying our house earlier. If he was to do this on his own then the same thing might happen here, that paper might spontaneously combust and start a huge fire or something.¡±


    ¡°Ehhhhhh!?¡±


    ¡°....Pardon?....¡±


    The mother-daughter duo voiced their confusion in unison.


    ¡°Wait, wait- That won¡¯t happen, Vreena¡¯s good at directing the mana flow of other people since she¡¯s been doing this for years now so I''m sure it won¡¯t come to that.¡± Even though Oliver was trying to calm them down right now, the childlike excitement in his voice was still palpable.


    ¡°Take it down a notch will you, I¡¯m trying to adjust my mana flow here. Liam are you still trying to suppress it?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, I''ve been trying to control it this entire time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, good. You¡¯ve got quite a bit of mana so this might get tricky. I¡¯m starting now, when you feel something like a shiver going up your spine, I want you to stop suppressing it alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ¡°Alright kid here it comes.¡±


    ¡°Hck!¡±


    Three seconds later, the jittery feeling of Vreena¡¯s foreign magical essence disrupted the crude control I''d been exerting over my own mana, following her directive I immediately released all the mental restraints that had been limiting the output of my core up until now, and the moment my own mana began ramping up its intensity, Vreena used her own power to manipulate that flow, causing the entire thing to blend together in a single harmonious mix that now flowed with a viscous intensity through my mana channels.


    The entire thing had lasted only around ten seconds, but that vivid sensation was exaggerated far beyond that by my own inexperience in controlling this power. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Liam are you alright?¡± Julia asked, concern was once again starting to surface in her tone.


    ¡°Haah...Haah....Haah...I¡¯m....fine mother, that just felt a little strange but....I can do this.¡±


    ¡°Thats my boy.¡± Oliver was boasting a wholly different attitude towards this situation than his wife, even I could feel the conspicuous glare she was giving him right now.


    ¡°Alright Liam, your mana flow...haah..... has stabilized. Try.....picking those items up one by one.¡± The fact that Vreena was a little out of breath herself meant that this was certainly taxing for us both.


    My body was now covered in a dense blue veil of magical energy that cast an azure glow throughout the entire room, shadows grew longer and stretched across the adorned walls, and I began hearing the countless gasps of admiration coming from behind me. Stretching out my now glowing arm, I started off with the glass cup of water, lifting it a few inches off the table only to watch the surface level ripples cascade from end to end in the transparent container.


    ¡°No good huh....next Liam.¡± Vreena quietly issued that command from behind me, her breathing still sounded ragged, so I assumed she wanted me to get this over with as soon as possible. Next was the stack of pebbles, I lifted a handful of the pint-sized rocks off the table only to watch them roll down on each other, stopping dead in the center of my palm.


    ¡°Next....¡±


    I reached for the blank piece of paper lying on the table, the moment I touched the thin sheet, the area around my fingers instantly turned black, and less than a second later an orange glow enveloped the entire thing, it started burning with a vicious intensity, but something strange happened right before the paper was completely reduced to ashes. The orange flame that had consumed the majority of the paper in my hand suddenly took on a different hue at the opposite edge of the paper. Instead of a bright orange color, it had instead started to burn with an intense dark purple color.


    ¡°For real!?¡± I heard Oliver¡¯s dumbfounded shout echo from behind me.


    ¡°Haah...well it looks like you were right Oliver, he ended up being a fire mage after all.¡± Julia offhandedly commented.


    ¡°N-no that¡¯s not it.... look, those purple flames at the edge of the paper....isn¡¯t that plasma...¡± It was the first time I¡¯d ever heard such a stuttery voice come from Oliver when he was talking about magic of all things, hearing him too stunned to even speak had somehow left me filled with a sense of pride.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, that does look like plasma...but isn¡¯t plasma supposed to be blue?¡±


    ¡°Yeah......that¡¯s definitely plasma but as for the color-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not done yet, right?¡± I asked with my vision still locked on the charred piece of paper now crumbling to ashes in my hand.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s still the spoon left but lightning magic of all things.... wouldn¡¯t that be a shocker.¡± Oliver laughed dryly at his own comment.


    ¡°Pick it up Liam, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to match your mana reserves like this anytime soon, so we might as well get it out of the way.¡± Vreena responded from behind me, her once vigorous grip was now loosening its dominant hold on my shoulder.


    ¡°Alright, here goes.¡±


    Extending my hand, I reached for the metal spoon on the other side of the table, but just before my fingers could wrap around it, the object suddenly sprung up of its own volition, sticking to my palm in an impressive display of telekinetic obstinance. However, in this particular case it hadn¡¯t been telekinesis at all, but rather -


    ¡°Lightning magic....¡±


    The room was surprisingly silent after Oliver unconsciously uttered those words. Soon after, Vreena completely released her grip in that moment and in the next instant, I felt a collage of bodies suddenly rush over to embrace me.


    ¡°Good work Liam! You¡¯re even more amazing than I originally thought!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, now you finally get to be like your dad.¡± Julia was now earnestly smiling at me, seeing that proud look in her eyes must have meant that I¡¯d reached quite the milestone.


    ¡°Well done little brother of mine.¡± Curling her arm around my neck, Emma pulled my body closer to her for yet another ¡®hug¡¯.


    ¡°Haah...Hah...¡±


    Those gasping cries immediately caught their attention. It was Vreena, she was now slumped to the floor and breathing heavily with moisture now dripping off her forehead.


    ¡°You druids certainly have some absurd mana reserves....I had to use almost all of my mana just to match his output. If he¡¯s got that much mana at four years old, then it''s no wonder he¡¯s not very good at controlling it. Julia what exactly are you going to do when he awakens his ¡®Signum¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Well that''s...¡±


    As I awaited her reply, my legs suddenly gave out under me, I fell to one knee, barely managing to retain my own consciousness admits the lethargy that was now creeping in.


    ¡°W-what''s wrong Liam?¡± Emma crouched down beside me looking even more worried than Julia.


    ¡°Heh...I¡¯m fine Emma...I just feel a little tired.¡±


    ¡°You decide to smile now of all times?¡±


    ¡°Playing the tough guy, are we? After releasing almost all of your mana just now I know exactly how tired you must be feeling.¡± Vreena slyly cut off my smug response with a smirk of her own, I suppose it only made sense for her to see right through me since neither of us was in the best condition right now.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re just about done here, both Liam and Vreena need to rest for a bit.¡± Julia extended her hand towards me, and the moment I took hold of it she slowly began pulling my back to my feet.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then I¡¯d like to have a little celebration here if it''s alright with everyone. I think it¡¯ll be a good way to ease some of the tension that''s been building up.¡± To my surprise, it was actually Beatrice who had just made that generous offer.


    ~GROWLLL~


    Before anyone could even process it though, my stomach had once again unleashed that bellowing sound. The laughter that ensued in its wake seemed to have been more than enough of a response in its own right.


    ¡°That sounds nice, I mean; this does perfectly fit the bill for a joyous occasion, no?¡± Oliver accepted her offer with a beaming smile on his face.


    ¡°Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped then. I''ll help you prepare whatever you have in mind.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll get the utensils, wait right here Liam, you¡¯re about to experience the true power of the Ashwell-style cuisine real soon.¡± Leaving those words behind, Emma immediately darted off in some arbitrary direction, her pattering footsteps soon started echoing from the wooden floor above my head.


    ¡°Fufu...I suppose we should get started as well Beatrice.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t know much about druid cuisine, but I¡¯ll try to put on a show tonight, it''s the least I can do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it then.¡±


    ¡°Wait up, I¡¯m tagging along.¡±


    ¡°Vreena? I thought you hated cooking?¡± Julia stopped to give the old woman a perplexed stare.


    ¡°I need a change of pace after all that effort just now, so I¡¯ll humor you.¡± Only seconds later, the three women would also disappear into the winding halls of the Ashwell home.


    And then....


    Oliver¡¯s large hand suddenly landed on my head, weighing down my now angled neck to the point where I was almost being forced to look straight ahead. I didn¡¯t even see when exactly he positioned himself to rustle my hair like this, but I¡¯ve experienced this feeling one too many times to ever mistake it.


    ¡°Good work son, you¡¯ve really made me proud today.¡±


    ¡°Thank You.....¡±


    For the next two weeks, my daily life continued to follow its usual regimen inside the Ashwell home. Excluding things like my newfound ability to use magic, and venturing into the town alongside Emma, Julia and Beatrice, nothing perilous enough to disrupt that rhythmic cycle ever occurred.


    That was all set to change in the coming days, after finally taking the first step into the world of mages, it was now time for me to make my move.

 Chapter 33 - Prep And Practice

    Prep And Practice


    <hr>


    Two weeks later......


    The darkness of the night now held a near complete grasp on the sky, save for the twinkling dots of light that shined through its all-encompassing veil. I was now "Upstairs" in a room on the far-right corner of the large house, designated as my living quarters, or simply "my room." This was something I¡¯d requested a few days after discovering my own attributes, I had no problem sleeping in Emma¡¯s room but there was only so much I could do whilst also considering the ever-present gaze of such a curious girl.


    None of them had been all that excited about me staying in a room by myself, still Beatrice eventually agreed to it after confirming with Julia, but it was under the condition that I still had to sleep in Emma¡¯s room now and then. That was enough to dispel the faint traces of Emma¡¯s sadness as well as the overwhelming concern of my parents.


    The light that was being emitted from the small crystal on my right cast a dim glow throughout the entire room, and while I could have easily used the one fixed in the center of the ceiling to instantly illuminate everything here, doing that would attract nothing but needless attention.


    After all, as dictated by my "parents" I was supposed to be sleeping right now, but the thought of wasting so many hours of precious time simply slumbering wasn''t particularly appealing to me, I had done more than enough of that.


    There was something else I needed to do right now; it had become something of a nightly routine, and one I thoroughly enjoyed doing at that. Now open on the small wooden desk in front of me was a book on mana and magic, or the subject matter commonly called "magecraft." While I fully intended to find out how and why I¡¯d ended up in this world, magic was now a major factor in my new reality, and I wouldn¡¯t get very far without knowing all the intricacies this mystical power had to offer, especially since I¡¯d recently found my calling as a fledgling savant mage.


    After spending countless hours secretly reading and practicing with mana over the past two weeks, the skillset now at my disposal as well as my potential weaknesses and limitations were becoming glaringly obvious.


    From what I¡¯d learned so far -


    Savant Mages Specialized in the manipulation of the world¡¯s natural elements. The elements these mages could interfere with depended entirely on the levels of affinity they had for each one, and this was why some savant mages could wield more elements than others.


    The five basic elements of this world and the various combinations they offered served to represent the entire lineup of a Savant mages arsenal, but in the case of some mages with particularly high affinities in addition to a large mana pool, they could also utilize the higher forms of these elements that were known as ¡®aberrants.¡¯


    Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Lightning ¨C Those were the basic tools granted to a Savant mage upon their awakening, and their higher forms went in the order of:


    Fire ¨C Plasma, Water ¨C Ice, Earth ¨C Gravity, Wind ¨C Sound.


    Incidentally, lightning magic was said to be the most destructive of the five elements as well as the rarest element a mage could awaken, this was supposedly why there were very few lightning mages in this world. That being the case though, lightning was also the only element that had no aberrant variation but the potential power of this element even at the most basic level was still more than enough to offset such a trivial issue.


    Mastering the basics of anything would always lead to a higher level of proficiency later down the line. The same could even be said for the rudimentary knowledge I now wielded. This surface level knowledge of magic was in fact the product of my nightly reading sessions and frequent bouts of training with Oliver. Two weeks ago, when I watched Owen and Oliver duke it out with their supernatural skillset, I was far less knowledgeable on this topic, but seeing as I wanted to confirm the mechanics of these strange powers in real time, I had no choice but to ask Vreena and Julia about them.


    All things considered though, radical mages operated in a completely different way than Savants, so clearly, I still had much to learn. Oliver had been the first one to illustrate that, just a few days ago he revealed some crucial bits of information that I couldn¡¯t afford to overlook.


    ¡°Possessing more than one element wasn¡¯t a complete advantage over less talented mages.¡±


    Out of everything he¡¯d said that day, that line had stuck with me the most. That line of thinking was perfectly reasonable due to one simple fact.


    Dualist mages couldn¡¯t utilize the aberrant forms of more than one element, so if a mage possessed earth and water magic, they would only have access to the aberrant form of the element they had a higher affinity for. In my case, I had an affinity for plasma, which was the higher form of fire magic. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    A dualist mage knowing exactly which element they had a higher affinity for during the essence gauge was apparently a rare thing, it only happens when a mage has a particularly strong affinity for that element as well as the mana reserves necessary to trigger its aberrant state. Otherwise, the higher affinity would either have to be determined or developed through training.


    Judging by my particular skillset, the only theory I could come up with was related to my lightning magic. Even though it was rare, the element had no aberrant form which is likely why my aberrant had manifested so easily. It was just a theory, but no one seemed to have a better explanation.


    I¡¯d spent well over two hours reading through the complicated text now open on the wooden desk before me, and in these last few hours I''d learned of something far more daunting than elemental magic. The deities of this world had the ability to bestow power onto those who swore fealty to them in the form of ¡®Emblems¡¯. It was a form of ¡®high-magic¡¯ and it granted one power far beyond the limits of what a typical savant or dualist could ever hope to possess.


    The true extent of these powers wasn¡¯t widely known, but the magecraft text before me described them as being ¡®Divine.¡¯


    "Perhaps the gods weren''t completely fair after all...."


    Tilting back the sublimely polished wooden chair at my desk, it let out a dull creek in the wake of my lackluster comment. That woman, Julia, she would definitely try to scold me if she ever saw me sitting like this, but thankfully I hardly ever got any visitors once the night had fallen.


    I closed my eyes in the now tilted chair, sharpening my focus and concentrating on the strange essence that flourished in the atmosphere. The mana swirling around me began entering my body bit by bit and soaking it all up like a sponge, I simply embraced the warm feeling now coursing through my body.


    I could feel it passing through the channels in my body known as the "mana channels" and each time my mana capacity grew, I could feel them develop in response as if to facilitate my growing mana pool. The stomach was the point of origin of these channels, and once the human body began unconsciously absorbing mana in small amounts, they would then branch off from there, spreading throughout the body and ensuring that mana could seamlessly navigate the pre-determined path they had paved.


    In my case, I was fortunate enough to have been favored by the famed concept of ¡¯luck¡¯, most people couldn¡¯t directly oversee the development of their own mana core before awakening as a mage because they couldn¡¯t perceive their own soul; which was in fact the catalyst that eventually led to their awakening. Once that core had absorbed enough mana and finally shattered, it would seamlessly integrate with the soul in order to adjust itself for efficient absorption of mana from the environment.


    On average the humans here awakened their cores at around age ten but based on all the magecraft text I''d gone through; mana channels became fully developed by the age of sixteen. That assessment was subject to change depending on the species, but for the average human, they only had a meager six years to accommodate for the crude development of their mana channels up to that point and once that deadline arrived, nothing could mend or fix the damage already done. If by that point their mana channels couldn''t properly facilitate the flow of their magical energy or had some other impediment, then it would remain that way forever.


    In the dull silence of my room, a diabolical smile had begun forming on my face. My time in this world had only been a brief four years so far, but despite the unpredictability of this whole situation, there was some genuine humor to be found here. No matter what world they were in it seemed humanity couldn¡¯t help but find itself at a disadvantage.


    Opening my eyes, I concentrated on the mystical essence flowing throughout my body and condensed it in my palm. Orange sparks danced in the space above my hand and soon enough a bright orange flame had manifested in my hand. After a full two weeks of training to exert greater control over my mana, I was now able to enforce my fire magic at will. I couldn¡¯t manifest its aberrant form completely just yet, but with enough training that too was sure to come. As for lightning, I was still relatively inexperienced with it and the most I could do right now was channel an absurd amount of my mana into one massive electrical discharge that would envelope my body and anything in my immediate vicinity.


    Still, progress was progress.


    THUD


    A dull noise resounded from the corridor and following that, the flickering flame in my hand was promptly extinguished. Turning towards the source of the sound, my eyes immediately glanced at the white door only a few steps away, given my knowledge of the upper floors, this could only mean one thing. After closing the broad book on the desk, I continued my preparations with a simple tap on the small device to my right, it immediately lost its luminescent glow and a veil of darkness had returned in its place.


    Lying on the soft bed in the very center of the room, I closed my eyes in anticipation.


    With a dull creak, the door slowly opened, and I could hear faint whispers coming from its entrance.


    (See Julia I told you he was sleeping.)


    (I-I just wanted to make sure he wasn¡¯t scared sleeping all by himself, especially since this isn¡¯t our house.)


    (Hahah.....quite the doting mother aren''t you. It¡¯s been two weeks)


    (Shhhhh....not so loud.)


    In only a few short moments, they had come and gone like a pair of nighttime specters.


    Oliver wasn¡¯t always here, he still had to spend days at a time in the nearby forest looking for that basilisk, but today wasn¡¯t one of those days. However, there was still something I had to do in a few hours, and he certainly wouldn¡¯t be happy about me sneaking out at night like this. As fate would have it, avoiding the prying eyes of my parents right now was one of my top priorities.

 Chapter 34 - Veiled Machinations - Part One

    Veiled Machinations(1)


    <hr>


    My eyes were fixed on the hands of the antique-ish clock to the right of my bed, after keeping this up for three hours the ticking hands on the device finally centered on the appointed time. Rising from the soft comfort of the welcoming bed, I made my way over to the window on the opposite end of the room, for something so intricately designed, it was surprisingly easy to open.


    Climbing through the window I made my way into the open space, the cold night air rustled both my clothes and hair in a sudden updraft. The moon cast a silvery glow on the surroundings, revealing a landscape shrouded in shadows. As I stood there, the echo of distant city sounds, and nocturnal creatures created a haunting symphony in the background. Jumping off the high-rise construct, my feet landed firmly on the lawn cut grass, sending the rippling shockwaves from the impact running up my body, but after reinforcing my body with mana the rash motion I''d taken just now had little in the way of any lasting effects. Being outside when the land was covered in a shroud of cascading darkness felt strangely nostalgic, it was the perfect way to set the stage for what I was about to engage in. After adjusting my vision, the world once again took on a monotone color scheme, and what awaited me on the other side of my own concentration was a scenery that filled me with even more nostalgia.


    Roaming the streets right now were countless silhouettes emitting an azure glow, they passed me by on each street, parading around and engaging in all manners of horseplay that only I would ever witness. No matter how loud they got, no one would ever hear them for they weren¡¯t beings that belonged to this realm. These silhouettes had no shadow or legs, they simply floated above ground as they made their way through the now empty streets of Zale.


    ¡°Look, that kid over there, he¡¯s staring at us!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a druid.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°For real?¡±


    It seems my presence had been discovered by one of the passing specters after noticing my gaze fixed on him, and the unconscious smile on my face the ghastly specter drew closer.


    ¡°Y-you...can you see us?¡± The man pointed to himself out of shock.


    ¡°Yeah, I can see all of you.¡±


    The moment those words left my lips a crowd of these specters had immediately assembled in front of me, firing off an endless torrent of questions and queries that I just couldn¡¯t attend to right now.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m in a rush, I can¡¯t help you all right now, but I¡¯ll come back some other time. There¡¯s someone I''m looking for. Do any of you know the old swordsman that used to live here? He hasn¡¯t been dead for very long.¡±


    A brief moment of silence followed my question.


    ¡°Ohh you mean that old guy, he always stops down this main road around this time, you shoul-¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    I darted off the moment I confirmed my own suspicions. I already had a vague feeling he would still be somewhere around here, but the confirmation I got just now only served to cement that fact. I raced down the brick laden street that had become all too familiar to me at this point, I¡¯d been here countless times over the past few weeks so there wasn¡¯t the slightest hint of uncertainty in my mind right now. ¡®He¡¯ would definitely be at that spot.


    My bare feet slammed onto the stubby road one after the other, creating a strange symphony of ¡®pitter-patters¡¯ to echo from behind me, the harder I ran and the further I went that strange sound only seemed to increase its intensity, almost as if it was trying to match my pace. The eeriness of the now empty town was exaggerating the sound effects of my sprinting motions, the echoes travelled along the alleys and branches of the main road I was now sprinting down. The closer I got to my destination, the more familiar the scenery unveiling before my eyes became - The plants, trees, buildings and intersections were all things I''d taken careful note of in the past but now that my destination was in sight, a single oddity began to stand out.


    No ¨C Calling it an oddity wouldn¡¯t exactly be right, it was always here, he was always here, even from the very first time I¡¯d visited this place. Firmly placing my right foot in front of me, it began acting as a sort of anchor to my momentum as I abruptly halted my sprinting charge. The backlash for using up all my stamina in one go just now was starting to catch up to me, I slumped forward, placing both hands on my knees and began concentrating on controlling the series of ragged breaths now leaving my mouth.


    ¡°Haah....haaah...haaah...¡±


    Even in my current state, the figure floating right in front of me paid no heed to my perilous condition. He was staring at the stall in front of him, almost as if he was lost in a tranquil daze. After finally catching my breath, I stood upright, allowing the beads of sweat on my forehead to effortlessly glide off. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Lennon Ashwell.¡±


    A few seconds after those words reached him, his eyes widened, and his neck slowly turned to face me like it was operating on rusty gears.


    ¡°You...you can see me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve come all the way here to meet with you.¡±


    ¡°Meet me? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever met before child. Who are you?¡±


    A more appropriate name came to mind, but that wasn¡¯t the role I was serving right now.


    ¡°I¡¯m Liam, Emma¡¯s little brother.¡±


    <hr>


    Certain rules from my old world still applied to this one.


    The first thing that struck me was how the souls here operated.


    Souls were hardly active during the daytime; if they were active any at all, they would be reduced to small orbs of light that aimlessly floated around with no sentience behind their actions. During these hours the majority of them were confined to the realm of the dead, the place housing the souls of the damned - ¡®Limbo¡¯.


    After nightfall, during the hours of two a.m. to four a.m., the boundary between the realm of the living and the dead was at its weakest, that was a coveted rule in my old world, and it seemed to hold even more weight here. Given the number of regretful souls I saw floating around just now, the boundary keeping the world of the living and the dead separated was far weaker here. I couldn¡¯t say for sure why that was, but something was certainly amiss.


    It was during these opportune hours that the souls with particularly strong desires would cross over into the world of the living and regain some semblance of their original appearance as well as their sense of self through their lingering attachments. A soul without any lingering attachments couldn¡¯t take on their original form and they didn¡¯t remain in the realm of mortals for very long either, they simply just passed on.


    Still, even though souls couldn¡¯t act with any sentience during the daytime, their unconscious actions were still being guided by old habits, which was why they tended to linger and lurk around the places they held strong attachments to when they were alive.


    I noticed it the first time I came to this stall, even in broad daylight Emma was being orbited by one particular soul. No matter how many times I revisited the place, that looming soul was always close to her. It was even following her around town, with the only exemption being places that were too far from this exact location. It made sense for wandering souls to be attracted to someone like Julia because of her strong life force, but Emma on the other hand was a completely different case. She was just a regular human girl, one that couldn¡¯t even use magic, let alone compare to a druid in terms of her life force. The only thing extraordinary about Emma was her cooking skills, and yet, that one soul was only interested in following her around, not Julia.


    That soul had in fact belonged to this man, Emma¡¯s father, Lennon Ashwell.


    <hr>


    ¡°Emma¡¯s little brother?....¡± Lennon absent-mindedly repeated my words.


    ¡°Ah!¡± It was only after a few seconds had passed that I finally realized the absurdity behind my own statement, Emma had made me repeat that line so many times over the past two weeks that it was  being cemented in my memory.


    Julia was right, that girl really was making me learn from her.


    ¡°Emma doesn¡¯t have a little brother.....wait, are you telling me Beatrice has found another man already!? It¡¯s only been a year! Or wait...maybe time is passing differently for me since I''m dead now....¡± After clutching his intangible face in a panic, Lennon started to speculate on and on in an effort to rationalize my existence.


    ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m four years old there¡¯s no way she¡¯d have a child as big as me in that short period of time.¡±


    My reasoning had somehow got through to him, he paused for a minute before coming up with yet another absurd theory-


    ¡°So that means time is passing normally for me then, so that means.....infidelity!? Has this been going on the whole time, even while I was alive? But that would mean....¡±


    Despite his initial stoic impression, his actual personality was a far cry from the stoic demeanor he initially projected. This man seemed to go off on endless tangents at the drop of a hat, it was similar to how Oliver acted when talking about magic, but the conditions necessary to trigger Lennon¡¯s self-centered ramblings seemed a lot more vague. I¡¯d have to tread this conversation carefully, or else we¡¯d both end up just wasting time here.


    ¡°Ahem, sorry for the misunderstanding, allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Liam Rocco, I¡¯m friends with your daughter Emma.¡±


    ¡°Emma is twelve years old you know, aren¡¯t you a little too young to be friends with her?¡±


    ¡°Is that really what you want to ask after finally getting the chance to speak with someone that¡¯s still alive?¡±


    My question just now must have sparked something in his mind, he finally turned to face me head on, so this was in fact signaling the actual start of our conversation.


    ¡°Liam, was it? You¡¯ve got my attention kid. The fact that you can see and converse with a wandering soul like me must mean you''re not just some ordinary brat. You¡¯re not human, are you?¡±


    ¡°You could say that, I am part druid though.¡±


    A thin smile appeared on his transparent visage; he floated over to me before staring me down and posing his next question -


    ¡°So, what brings you here? I¡¯m sure didn¡¯t sneak out bare feet, in your pajamas and ran all the way here just to have a friendly chat.¡± His tone had now grown more serious, and in response to the tension now in his voice, my face formed an unconscious smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep this brief; who killed you?¡±

 Chapter 35 - Veiled Machinations - Part Two

    Veiled Machinations (2)


    <hr>


    A strange silence lingered in the air after I asked Lennon about his own death, he didn¡¯t show any overbearing reactions this time, instead, he just stared down at me with furrowed brows.


    ¡°.....That¡¯s an interesting question, in fact, it¡¯s almost too interesting. It¡¯s almost as if you find the circumstances surrounding my death suspicious. I died in battle against the basilisk, isn''t that the story that¡¯s being passed down?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that is the official story. If you just took that at face value, then that story definitely holds up, but....the more I learn about your situation, the less believable it sounds, there¡¯s just too many loose ends.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then why don¡¯t you enlighten me child, what about my death do you find so perplexing?¡± Lennon¡¯ voice rained down on me with a mix of authority and intrigue, even though we were standing in a wide-open space, it sounded as if his voice was echoing from all around me, ricocheting off nothing but the vast expanse of the pre-dawn sky.


    ¡°This town, Zale, it''s a good distance away from the other major cities in Ekin and is relatively small compared to them. On top of that there isn¡¯t much in the way of a fighting force here, not when compared to other cities and it''s not under the protection of any wardens either. At face value this place really didn¡¯t have anything to offer in terms of value, so the lack of security could easily be overlooked.¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°Heh....You heard me, ¡®at face value¡¯ there really wasn¡¯t much in the way of an incentive to attack this place, but you have something here that could completely change that perception don¡¯t you Lennon...... The rune.¡±


    His eyes narrowed just then; the moment I mentioned the rune I could feel the subtle shift in his aura.


    ¡°You know about the rune? Just how-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet. The rune is certainly valuable, if anyone with malicious intentions knew it was here, they¡¯d jump at the chance to get their hands on something so valuable, after all this was just a small town, if it was to ever face an all-out invasion then it would be ravaged before any reinforcements could even cover half the distance to get here. But such a straightforward tactic wasn¡¯t a surefire way to secure the rune. In the worst-case scenario, you¡¯d likely just entrust it to someone and have them flee from here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite perceptive for your age, I¡¯ll give you that, but how does any of that tie into my death? There¡¯s never been any attempt at such an invasion.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, you were a level two Raider after all, one that even had a reputation in the capital. Word must have spread about the mage unit you established here so given your reputation and the people under your command, it wasn¡¯t that hard for your mere presence here to act as a deterrent for bandits. Am I right, Lennon?¡±


    His eyes slowly began to widen after hearing my explanation, but he quickly composed himself. Narrowing his eyes at the sight of the smile now on my face, he paused for a moment before speaking.


    ¡°......Continue.....Let¡¯s see just how far you can take this.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m sure you know a man by the name of Oliver Rocco.¡±


    ¡°Yeah he-wait, you said your name was Liam Rocco just now, If I''m remembering this correctly his wife was pregnant back then....so that must mean...¡±


    ¡°Correct, I¡¯m his son. Since you were alive when they came here, that means we barely missed each other.¡±


    Lennon grasped his hazy face with his glowing palm, I heard a dry chuckle come from his shrouded visage before he promptly released his grip and muttered something.


    ¡°Fate really is a funny thing. Go on son of Oliver, show me where you¡¯re going with all this.¡±


    The subtle tension coming from him just now was gradually starting to dissipate, I suppose I owe that to Oliver, using his name just now sparked a favorable reaction from Lennon that even I couldn¡¯t predict. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Then let''s go back to when my father first came here on a mission a little over four years ago. That was around when the Basilisk first started attacking this place, but the ¡®party¡¯ my father was a part of managed to fend it off. They couldn¡¯t kill it because my mother wasn¡¯t in the best of conditions at the time, and my father had to constantly be by her side. So you, the only other person capable of defeating it requested aid from your old party members, Brunhilde. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hadn¡¯t seen them for a while and they just so happened to be in the area, what of it?¡±


    ¡°Just happened to be in the area, huh? The way I see it, that¡¯s a little too convenient. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve realized it, but that Basilisk is back, the mage unit that you¡¯ve left behind is pretty much crippled after it ambushed them a few weeks ago...even your son Isaac got caught up in it.¡±


    ¡°Isaac!? Is he alright!?¡± The mention of his son¡¯s name threw the lifeless man into a panic, it seems as if the flustered expression now on his face could hardly even convey the distress he was feeling.


    ¡°Yeah, there a few casualties, but he wasn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    ¡°Tch!....Damn it.....¡± Lennon¡¯s gaze fell to the now shimmering ground, it would be hard for him to deny any of my claims given how hard he was clenching his own fist right now.


    ¡°......What about your father? What was he doing?¡±


    ¡°My father agreed to join the hunt, but multiple sightings of the basilisk were going around so they were forced to branch out, my father went to a secluded location to face the monster on his own, but that ended up being a dead end. And now, Zale¡¯s fighting force isn¡¯t in any condition to defend this place, so they have no choice but to ask for outside help, and that help coincidentally ended up being your old party members.¡±


    ¡°..................¡±


    His silence was enough of a response on its own, without a doubt; he knew exactly where I was going with this.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you realize by now, but this is starting to seem a little too convenient- No, its not even making sense anymore. Having the exact same party show up here twice to bolster the towns defenses against the same monster clearly isn¡¯t working, they couldn¡¯t even watch your back the last time so how exactly are do they plan on killing it this time?¡±


    The specter heaved a sigh, it wasn¡¯t done out of necessity, but more so out of habit.


    ¡°So its that obvious huh? And here I thought the story seemed plausible.¡±


    That sigh just now must have been his subtle declaration of surrender.


    ¡°You win. Four years ago, when I went after that basilisk, I was killed. To think a little brat like you would be the one to figure it out.....¡± His somber tone radiated an aura of utter defeat, it was far sooner than I¡¯d anticipated but that simply meant this conversation was now finally on track.


    ¡°No, I think Vreena and the others have already figured out that much, but from their reactions it seems like they just don¡¯t plan on asking for any outside reinforcements since it could lead to other people hearing about the rune that''s here. Conflict was always going to be the end result; they were probably just waiting until after the basilisk was dealt with.¡±


    ¡°Vreena huh? I haven''t heard that name in a long time....¡±


    He stared up at the twinkling sky with a hint of regret in his eyes, that look was something I¡¯d seen far too many times to ever mistake it.


    ¡°You were testing me just now, weren¡¯t you?¡± My abrupt question snapped him out of that tranquil daze.


    ¡°So you realized....I had to be certain you see. Just to make sure this wasn¡¯t a ruse to get information out of me.¡±


    ¡°So? Is this starting to seem a little more reasonable in your eyes?¡± He gave me a once over, uncertainty now blatant on his face.


    ¡°I suppose so, I¡¯ve seen a lot of things after being dead for so long. A cunning child sneaking out at night to question the dead doesn¡¯t seem too far-fetched.¡±


    ¡°Heh-Heh....I¡¯m glad you see it that way so let me ask another question. Are you willing to cooperate with my plan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean by that, but I want you to tell me something first....¡±


    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Since when did you start being suspicious of all this?¡±


    ¡°From the very beginning. It was far too suspicious for Oliver to be missing in action whenever that monster showed up, and besides, those Br¨¹nnhilde guys are using a giant wolf monster to search for the basilisk. Even though that was far too conspicuous for a supposedly discreet mission; nonetheless, with that monster''s sense of smell they could have easily found the basilisk if they really wanted to.¡±


    Lennon floated closer towards me, his glowing visage now portraying an expression that conveyed the purest essence of shock. He chuckled to himself almost mockingly before finally calming down.


    ¡°You¡¯ve piqued my interest Liam, tell me more about this plan of yours.¡±

 Chapter 36 - Veiled Machinations - Part Three

    Veiled Machinations (3)


    <hr>


    ¡°Although I¡¯m asking for your ¡®cooperation¡¯ I really just need you to give me some more information about the Rune and that basilisk.¡±


    After preparing myself for the negative response that was certain to come, I spoke up, filling my voice with earnest desire as I returned the specter¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°So this really was just an attempt to get information out of me huh?¡± Lennon remarked, judging by his tone he clearly wasn¡¯t amused.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not the best way to ask for help, but we don¡¯t really have a lot of time here. The members of Brunhilde are using that wolf monster to parade around the forest, hoping that it starts reacting to the mana from the rune. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s where you¡¯ve hidden it, but they¡¯re definitely searching for the rune under the guise of hunting the basilisk and they¡¯re starting off by combing through the places you frequented in and around Zale. They¡¯ve been at it for two weeks now, if this drags on any longer, they¡¯ll start searching the town itself, I¡¯m sure you can guess what¡¯ll happen if that comes to pass.¡±


    Even though he was dead now, Lennon still held the key to resolving all of this, it only made sense for him to be suspicious of anyone who came to ask him about the very thing that sent him to his grave.


    ¡°I can understand why you¡¯d want to know about the basilisk, but the rune is an entirely different matter. After dying a year ago, I¡¯d thought the best course of action was to simply leave it as is so no one would ever find it, eventually all those rumors about a rune being here would start to fade with time but, looking at the state of things right now, I suppose I was being a bit too optimistic.¡±


    Avoiding my gaze as he spoke, Lennon cast his attention towards the forest in the distance. He was still looking in my direction but seeing as he wasn¡¯t standing on solid ground, looking over my head must not have been that difficult.


    ¡°Liam, I can tell you what I know about that basilisk but, you¡¯re not going to find it.¡±


    ¡°What....do you mean by that?¡± I asked in a voice drooping with curiosity.


    Lowering his gaze to once again meet mine, he continued, speaking with a sort of detached luster in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen a girl in the Brunhilde party, her name is Amaris, she¡¯s the key to finding the basilisk.......because she¡¯s the one controlling that monster.¡±


    That one sentence from Lennon just now had abruptly flipped all the information that was now swirling around in my mind. ¡°She¡¯s controlling it!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Amaris is a radical, more specifically, a tamer. She has the power to dominate any monster that she¡¯s significantly weakened, as for how she got her hands on the basilisk, I guess you could say it all came down to luck. After Oliver brought it to the brink of death all those years ago, she somehow managed to find the creature in its weakened state and use her power on it.¡±


    The mechanics of that party were now starting to make a lot more sense after hearing what Lennon just said, the reason that girl had those two guards by her side must have been due to her power being unsuitable for a direct confrontation.


    ¡°If she could do that then the story does hold some truth to it after all, they staged your death using that basilisk didn¡¯t they?¡±


    His eyes subtly winced in the wake of my question; this clearly wasn¡¯t a very pleasant topic, but it still had to be broached nonetheless.


    ¡°No, they used it to threaten me once we¡¯d gotten deep enough in the forest. I don¡¯t think they wanted to outright kill me just yet, not until they got the rune at least. My body was consumed by that monster to destroy the evidence, but I was killed by the hands of a human, one of the last memories I have from when I was alive was the feeling of my neck being pierced from behind with a metal blade. Unfortunately, as for who it was-¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Without even realizing it, Lennon had still given me the answer I''d been looking for, that last bit was the final piece of the puzzle surrounding his death.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to say anything else.¡±


    ¡°Sorry......¡±


    ¡°No, its fine if you can¡¯t remember anything else about that but can you tell me more about the other members of Brunhilde? Like what kind of techniques do they use?¡±


    Lennon once again seemed to be at an impasse, even after dying he was still holding on to his morality.


    ¡°What are you planning to do with that information? I hope you¡¯re not thinking of confronting them, even though they¡¯re all level one the members of that party are still leagues above regular people in terms of strength. Druid or not, you¡¯re still just a child.¡±


    Lennon had seen through my obvious front from the very beginning, still, just going off appearances it was to be expected. That was one of the major disadvantages of possessing a body of such small stature, if things went on like this then nobody would take me seriously for another ten years.


    Exhaling a deep breath, I relaxed the muscles in my face, dissipating the casual expression I¡¯d been sporting the entire time. I retuned his looming gaze, summoning every ounce of sincerity this body would allow before imbuing it into the words that were about to leave my mouth.


    ¡°You know, I haven¡¯t told anybody I can see souls, I don¡¯t think anybody would believe me if I did, but that doesn¡¯t matter right now. I can help them with this power, even if its just in a small way, but I need your help before I can help anybody else. I don¡¯t know if this will carry any weight, but you have my word, I won¡¯t do anything unless the situation gets out of hand, I¡¯m just trying to help everyone.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a lie, but it wasn¡¯t exactly true either.


    I extended my right hand towards him, allowing it to reach as far as my juvenile limbs would allow before stopping in midair. I opened my palm shortly after, unwinding my curled fingers and signaling my intention to perform the gesture known as a ¡®handshake¡¯.


    Lennons eyes trembled upon witnessing the sight before him. A young child was earnestly asking for help from him, an adult. Whether he was alive or not didn¡¯t matter right now, his parental instincts wouldn¡¯t allow him to dismiss me that easily, not after seeing the lengths I''d gone to.


    Shortly after, a cold sensation enveloped my hand, Lennon had firmly grasped it in response, meaning that this ¡®handshake¡¯ was now complete.


    ¡°.......Fine....I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know, but only under the condition that you avoid acting recklessly. Don¡¯t even think about confronting them Liam.¡± His voice had sunken even deeper into regret, but this had to be done, there was no other way right now.


    ¡°Yeah, I promise.¡±


    Heaving another sigh, Lennon composed himself before he spoke.


    ¡°The members of Brunhilde are all level one, Ulric the leader is a wind mage that uses dual swords, but his swordsmanship is rather rough. They''re from rich families so they¡¯ve hardly been in any life-threatening situations, to them, being a raider is mostly just for show.¡±


    I allowed him to speak freely, staying competely silent until he was comfortable enough to continue. I don¡¯t know if he was just venting his frustrations, but either way there wasn¡¯t much for me to add here.


    ¡°Amaris isn¡¯t really a combatant, she¡¯s usually at the flank commanding whatever monster is under her control, but at any given time two people are always protecting her. And finally, there¡¯s Gavin, he¡¯s a level one earth mage but unlike Ulric he doesn¡¯t use any weapons. The big problem is that wolf you mentioned, Amaris is a level one tamer so she must be using an artifact to keep it under her control, she¡¯s not strong enough to handle both the basilisk and that wolf at the same time. To get around that thing one would need to clear their formation and subdue Amaris, killing her is out of the question since there¡¯s no telling what it¡¯ll do once its free.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, that was a lot of information.¡± I turned my back towards him just then, facing the opposite end of the stubby road that brought me here.


    ¡°Are you going back now?¡± Lennon asked in a curious tone.


    ¡°Well, I did sneak out after all....But it was worth it, I¡¯ve been wanting to meet Emma¡¯s dad for a while now. I¡¯ll come looking for you again if I need to know anything else.¡±


    I took a few steps forward before his voice halted me in place.


    ¡°Wait, Liam. Isn¡¯t there something else you need.....¡± Judging by the way his voice trailed off just now, it could only mean one thing. My eyes widened almost out of instinct as I turned to face him.


    ¡°......You¡¯re going to tell me about the rune?¡±


    His subtle nod silently gave the approval I was waiting for.

 Chapter 37 - The Calm Before - Part One

    The Calm Before (1)


    <hr>


    ¡°......iam.....Liam......wake up Liam!¡±


    A sharp sensation ran up my arm before I could even collect my own thoughts, on pure instinct, my body jerked in response, forcing me to sit up in my loose-fitting sleeping garments. As I blinked, my surroundings slowly came into focus. The room was dimly lit, with shadows dancing on the walls. Confusion washed over me like a wave, and I soon began taking note of the figure adamantly standing beside my bed, puffing her cheeks in indignation.


    ¡°...Emma....what is it?¡± I asked, still wiping away the teary fluid from my eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to go shopping today, but it¡¯s already nine O¡¯clock and you¡¯re still half asleep. Did you train with Oliver this morning? I thought today was supposed to be your day off. What exactly were you up to?¡± She fired off a barrage of questions, staring me down with a gaze lacquered in curiosity.


    ¡°No......I wasn¡¯t training but I did stay up too late....¡± My body reacted on its own just then, indulging itself in the gesture known as a ¡®yawn¡¯ despite my reluctance. Besides fatigue, it was one of the few things about this body that I could never exert full control over, whether I¡¯d wanted it or not, they were going to overpower me eventually.


    ¡°Oh? Then what kept you up after-hours dear little brother of mine?¡± Her gaze sharpened and a crude smile was now starting to stretch across her lips, still, this too was something I¡¯d grown used to over the past two weeks.


    ¡°After thinking about everything we were going to do together, I just couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± Lifting my covers off, I slowly rolled over to the other side of the bed, dangling my feet in the air before I was finally able to disembark from the soft structure.


    Emma had been left stunned by my reply just now, that velvet color I''d gotten so used to seeing had once again started spreading across her cheeks. ¡°I-I see, well then if that¡¯s the case, I suppose I can let you off just this once. Now go wash up, we¡¯re running late.¡±


    Despite the obvious front she usually tried her best to maintain, this girl was unironically weak to compliments.


    ¡°Mhm¡± Lazily giving her an overhead wave, I made my way down the winding halls of the Ashwell home, finally arriving at the ¡®bathroom¡¯ at the first right turn. The human need to cleanse themself within the confines of a private room honestly made no sense to me, but as for right now it was considered crude to do otherwise.


    As I opened the slightly screeching doors, I began to take note of this body''s still developing features for just a brief instant. It wasn''t something I''d done often but rather an action spurred on by a sense of pride, since I could now finally use my own two feet to see myself in the reflective pane of glass affixed to the wall, although this notion only applied from my head down to my shoulders.


    This vessel looked incredible fragile; but the more time passed, the more I could see trace aspects of both Oliver and Julia''s features subtly peering out. The true standout factor here, however, was the crimson color being reflected by my Irises. They¡¯d sunken into an even darker hue ever since my awakening and were now serving as clear-cut proof that my soul was undoubtedly intermingling with the magical forces of this world.


    After all, it was only after my awakening that I could clearly see and converse with souls, though it still wasn¡¯t to the same degree as what I was capable of before. Perhaps that was for the best though, partly because my soul is weakened right now and thanks to this body being part druid, I was no longer feared by living creatures. In fact, they seemed to be rather fond of my presence. If anything, the biggest drawback to having this body was the fact that it was ¡®alive¡¯. That wouldn¡¯t have mattered to most people, but in my case, it was severely limiting my own skillset; it was solely because this vessel was ¡®alive¡¯ that I¡¯d hesitated to use or even try out my old techniques.


    What I¡¯d wielded in Eden wasn¡¯t magic, but something akin to the essence of death itself, the literal bane of all living things in existence, after the dramatic change I''d been subjected to however, utilizing that power was no longer an option. My old body was neither alive nor dead, so I had very little in the way of ramifications to worry about whenever I used that power, but things weren¡¯t so fortunate now. I was mortal, and all mortal lives are prone to death, so using that power in this body could very well end up in me spelling my own doom.....thankfully though, this body of mine was particularly gifted.


    I suppose being able to wield two of the most powerful elements a mortal could ever hope for was some kind of compensation for losing my original powers, so for the time being, I would just have to master those elements.


    It was a distracting thought; one I didn¡¯t need to have right now. Promptly folding my clothes after removing them just like Julia had taught me, I gave the glass pane another sidelong glance before commencing the ¡®bathing¡¯ process.


    Somewhere along the line, I had grown quite fond of this appearance, I was starting to grow distant from the memory of what my previous form looked like, so this was the only way for me to truly confirm my physical presence in this world.


    I felt an unusual emotion as I prepared to commit to the day''s activities, because today I would finally be putting an end to all this. If what Lennon had told me about the rune was indeed true then even this simple outing could be used as a steppingstone and as that thought ran through my mind, soon after my body was enveloped in steam.


    <hr>


    After spending a bit too much time in the bathroom, I hurriedly rushed to my own room where Julia had already prepared my clothes for the day. For some reason, the action of bathing had always left me feeling fulfilled after I¡¯d finished. Luelle used to mention something like that all the time, but now that I could finally feel each and every last droplet for myself, I was finally starting to catch up to the meaning behind those cryptic words.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Making my way down the arched staircase, I drew the attention of the small gathering now dining at the table centered in the middle of the large room.


    ¡°Good Morning...¡± I uttered in an unusually loud voice.


    After taking note of the smile now on my face, Julia¡¯s eyes narrowed in suspicion, she smiled at the sight of my descending figure holding on to the railing as I paced each and every one of my docile steps.


    ¡°You woke up with a smile this morning.... what¡¯re you so excited about Liam?¡±


    ¡°I just really want to go shopping with Emma today, that¡¯s all...¡± I replied with an earnest grin but despite my intentions being pure, it only attracted more suspicion from the dining trio.


    ¡°You¡¯re excited to go out with Emma? I know how capable she is, but Emma can be a klutz sometimes too you know Liam.¡± Beatrice cut in, gently patting the corner of her mouth with a white handkerchief. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to come with you?¡± she asked, casting her gaze over to the fuming girl sitting on her right.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine mother. I¡¯ve been running errands on my own for months now, I can keep an eye on him while I shop its no big deal.¡± Beatrices comment just now must have sparked something within her, she was now even more determine to prove herself but in the midst of her facade, her bold expression softened as soon as a sudden realization dawned on her -


    ¡°By the way...,,how are you feeling? Are you sure you want to go back to work today? I can keep going for a bit longer you know, I¡¯ve gotten really good at -¡± Beatrice cut her off, she placed her hand on Emma¡¯s head before patting it a few times. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about me, but I¡¯m fine now.....right Julia?¡± She lifted her right sleeved and curled her arm in a strange show of vitality, and in response Julia gave a strange symbol of her own, forming a small circle with her index finger and thumb.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Emma, I¡¯ve been looking after her. Your mom''s not in any danger anymore.¡±


    Emma''s eyes widened in shock and a transparent film began forming over her Irises, but she soon shrugged it off with a chuckle. ¡°W-well just so you know, I¡¯ve sold out our entire stock three times in just this past month so I''ve already beaten your best sales record.¡±


    Beatrice stared at her for a moment, before chuckling to herself ¡°Emma, I can pull that off in two weeks you know. Are you forgetting just who exactly it was that taught you how to bake?¡±


    ¡°T-Two weeks!?¡± Emma forced her stuttered reply out on pure instinct.


    ¡°You have a lot to learn dear daughter.¡± That merciless retort left the young girl completely frozen in place.


    ¡°Liam, aren¡¯t you going to take a seat? You breakfast is getting cold.¡± Julia called out to me; her thin brows had slowly begun converging so I instantly knew the emotion spurring on that conspicuous expression she now wore.


    It was ¡®concern¡¯.


    I couldn¡¯t see exactly what was on the table, but it didn¡¯t particularly smell appetizing to me, still, my mother¡¯s expression was compelling me to oblige.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever eaten that before, but I¡¯ll try it....¡±


    ¡°Ohh that¡¯s right, I guess you¡¯ve never tried wyrm meat huh...¡± She pondered aloud


    ¡°Wyrm?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Wyrms are low level-¡± Before Emma could finish, Beatrice pulled her close, covering the young girl''s mouth with her slender fingers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her Liam, we¡¯re just playing a little game here.¡± That obviously wasn¡¯t it, but there were no real benefits to prodding any further.


    I made my way to the vacant chair on Julia¡¯s left before swiftly climbing atop it with my small frame. We exchanged glances for a split second before I turned my eyes to the charred concoction on the silver dish before me, she flashed me a thin smile which must have been some form of silent approval so without any further hesitation, I took a bite from my strange meal.


    It was nothing like what Emma and the others usually served up, in fact, they seemed to be eating something completely different from us. The meat was both crispy and hard, it took an enormous amount of strength just to chew it properly and every time I bit down on it, I heard the sound of my teeth grinding against the rough texture of my meal. After somehow managing to swallow it, I hurriedly reached for the glass of water on my right, chugging it down as fast as I could.


    Emma and Beatrice were watching on in horror the entire time I was engaged in mortal combat with my own meal, but I could hear them heaving a sigh of relief the moment I¡¯d managed to swallow the first bite.


    ¡°Haah...haaahhh....Mother.... what was that?¡± My panting voice lacked all traces of the luster it had carried only a few minutes ago, rather than chewing meat, it felt like I just finished using my teeth to cut through a tree trunk.


    ¡°Fufu...it¡¯s a secret, this is something every growing child needs.¡± The smile on her face hadn¡¯t shifted whatsoever, I wasn¡¯t particularly picky about food but the fact that she was now keeping the ingredients of my own meals a secret did seem a bit odd.


    Th door on the opposite end of the room creaked open, giving way for Oliver¡¯s gallant approach. He was still clad in that strange uniform, so that could only mean he was once again going out to search for that monster.


    ¡°Morning, I see you¡¯ve all had breakfast already.¡± He greeted us with a broad smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, would you like to join us before you head out?¡± Julia replied, extending a fresh plate of that strange meal towards him.


    ¡°Well of-¡± His gaze dropped down a few inches, and the moment his mind registered the strange sight being offered to him his beaming smile from earlier morphed into something much more crooked.


    ¡°.....Of course I''d love to, but I¡¯m already running late as it is, so I¡¯ll pass today. I¡¯ll be back by evening, so we¡¯ll continue your training then Liam....¡± Leaving those words behind, the man made his swift exit without even sparing us a second glance.


    (¡°Don¡¯t mention it Emma¡±)


    Those words landed right within my earshot; I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what Beatrice meant by that, but I suppose it was something I wasn¡¯t meant to hear given the low tone she was now speaking in.


    ¡°He left without eating any....how odd...¡± Julia unconsciously pondered aloud. After only a few minutes, things were already taking an unpredictable turn, maybe today wasn¡¯t going to go as planned after all.

 Chapter 38 - The Calm Before - Part Two

    The Calm Before (2)


    <hr>


    ¡°Alright we¡¯re here!¡± Emma boldly declared to no one in particular, glancing over her shoulder the moment I¡¯d begun to descend from the carriage that brought us here. Curiously enough, the mobile contraption wasn¡¯t being pulled by horses but rather, a strange reptilian creature that boasted crimson scales.


    ¡°Emma....this is.....¡± Those words unconsciously escaped me after I''d taken my first real look at our surroundings.


    Stalls adorned with silken tapestries fluttered in the gentle breeze, displaying artifacts of untold power and beauty. Enchanted creatures flitted between the stalls, their iridescent wings shimmering in the sunlight. And amidst it all, the vibrant energy of our surroundings pulsed like a heartbeat.


    ¡°Heh-Heh that¡¯s right~¡±


    She flashed me a bold grin, puffing out her chest as if to emphasize her own confidence. ¡°This is the local market, you can find just about anything around here, so that¡¯s why we¡¯re going on the hunt for these.¡±


    She lightly dangled a thin piece of paper in front of my face for a few seconds before retracting it.


    On instinct, my head tilted to one side after processing the brief glimpse of our objectives.


    ¡°So we¡¯re just here to pick up vegetables and food then?¡± I asked in confusion. Her shoulders jerked in response to my question.


    ¡°Geh-Ahh that¡¯s right sometimes I forget you can read........I wanted to keep these items a secret, but I guess there¡¯s no helping it.¡± She shrugged, losing a bit of her initial enthusiasm in the process.


    ¡°Listen Liam,¡± Pulling me out of the incoming traffic¡¯s reach, she leaned in close with a fervent desire burning in her eyes.


    ¡°This may not seem all that interesting now, but you¡¯ll see just how fun it is after we get started, so just hold on tight and trust me okay?¡±


    I tightened my grip on her slender hand, it wasn¡¯t because her words were especially comforting but more so because I agreed with her, neither of us could afford to let the other go right now.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go Emma.¡±


    Trying my best to keep up with Emma¡¯s enthusiasm as she pulled me along, I began concentrating on the mana circulating inside my body. Bit by bit, I slowly began easing the mental constraints I placed on myself and with each one I loosened, the subtle traces of mana leaking from my body began intensifying in response. My control over mana was far from being perfect, just suppressing it down to level where I wasn¡¯t just passively losing enormous amounts of it was the most I could do for now, but that was nothing more than a stopgap measure at best.


    However, this was one of the very few times where I didn¡¯t need to hold back as much. This plan relied on me using myself as live bait, Emma would unfortunately get caught up in the mix, but I¡¯d already resolved myself to keep the attention solely focused on me. It would take some time, but seeing as I was out in the open like this, they were sure to come.


    <hr>


    ¡°Haaah....Haaah....¡±


    The dry gasps of air escaping me definitely weren¡¯t a good sign, but I had no choice but to interpret it as being the fruits of my own labor. It had been well over three hours since we started this charade, and our quota was still nowhere in sight.


    Unbeknownst to Emma, I was slowly releasing my restraints and emitting concentrated mana the entire time we were searching for these items, slowly whittling away my own stamina and eventually resulting in the sorry state I was now in.


    ¡°Here you go, drink this.¡± A container of some sorts was now being offered to me, it was made of some strange material that definitely wasn¡¯t glass, but that minor detail was the least of my concerns right now.


    I gulped down the flavorless beverage without a second thought, out of the corner of my eye I saw Emma¡¯s smiling visage circle around to take a seat beside me. We were still in the market area, but seeing as it was getting late, the liveliness here had died down quite a bit, giving way for secluded spots like the empty stall we were now resting at to open up.


    ¡°Do you.....feel any better?¡± Emma asked as she dropped her gaze to the floor.


    ¡°Mhm, thanks a lot, I was getting really thirsty.¡±


    ¡°............................¡±


    ¡°Emma?¡± I leaned in closer to get a better look at her expression, but she was trying her very best to avoid my gaze right now, so it was ultimately a futile endeavor.


    ¡°Hey Liam, I¡¯m sorry for dragging you around like this. I guess I got a little caught up in the moment.¡± She finally lifted her head, giving way for the evening winds to rustle her hair which inevitably resulted in the entirety of her solemn visage being revealed. As entrancing as those blue eyes were, seeing them quiver against the backdrop of the setting sun left nothing but a grim impression on me.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°You know, I overheard your parents talking about leaving as soon as this whole Basilisk thing is over with, so that means you won¡¯t be staying here much longer. I guess I got a little carried away after realizing that.¡±


    Refusing to let that dreaded silence take hold once more, I inevitably burst out laughing.


    ¡°Pfffffttt-Heh-Heh-Heh-Hah-Hah.....¡± This humorous feeling wasn¡¯t one I was very used to, but this odd situation had sparked this peculiar reaction from me. Leaping onto my feet, I clutched my stomach in my first ever fit of childlike glee.


    ¡°W-What? I¡¯ve never seen you laugh like that, what''s so funny?¡± She stammered, staring me down with a beet read color now emerging on her cheeks.


    ¡°S-sorry it¡¯s just.... you¡¯ve never apologized to me like that before, so I thought something was wrong.....but it turns out you¡¯re just sad because I¡¯m leaving.....¡±


    She stared blankly at me for a few seconds, allowing my words to sink in before bursting out into her own fit of laughter, my reaction just now had undoubtedly inspired hers.


    After exhausting my reserves of that strange emotion, I turned to face the teary-eyed girl now wiping away the transparent fluid pooling in her eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how soon I¡¯ll be leaving here, but we¡¯ll definitely see each other again, I promise.¡± I said with a confident smile, imbuing each of those words with nothing but sheer confidence.


    Emma gave a small chuckle, dusting herself off before taking a few steps closer to rustle my hair.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be looking forward to that Liam.¡± Her sparkling eyes fell to meet my own confident gaze, as strange as it was the height difference between us right now seemed drastic, yet insignificant.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back now, it doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯ll be able to get all this stuff today.¡± I silently nodded as Emma once again took the lead, tightening her grip on my hand as we returned to the main roads.


    ¡°Li-Liam, Emma!?¡± Our names were shouted in unison, and soon after a torrent of conspicuous stares and murmurs began circulating throughout the marketplace. It was none other than Vreena, she was, to my surprise ¨C running towards us.


    Her face was pale and sweat profusely glided off her wrinkled skin, yet the woman showed no signs of stopping. As soon as she¡¯d gotten within range, she dropped to her knees, gripping both my arms at the elbow.


    ¡°Li-Liam so it really was you huh...¡± Her quivering eyes shook violently in their sockets, almost as if they were about to pop out.


    ¡°E-Elder Vreena...what¡¯s wrong? Did Liam do something?¡± Emma asked, taking a step back out of confusion.


    ¡°No.....It would have been fine if not for the current circumstances....¡± Inhaling a deep breath, Vreena forced both her emotions and her expression into uniformity, her weighty gaze was one so heavy it almost pierced the very depths of my being.


    ¡°Liam, I know you¡¯ve been training with Oliver, but it seems you still can¡¯t control your mana very well. For a while now I¡¯ve sensed an enormous amount of mana coming from this area and I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m not the only one. You and Emma need to leave here right now, get back to the house by any means necessary, in fact, run if you have to.¡± Neither her tone nor her expression had shifted in the least, making it clear to us both that this obviously wasn¡¯t a joke.


    ¡°W-we were just about to head back but, what¡¯s this all of a sudden, can you explain what¡¯s going on?¡± Emma stammered.


    Vreena exhaled another heavy breath with her back still turned to her, she slowly released her overbearing grip on my arms before rising to her feet. ¡°Emma, you¡¯re not a mage so you wouldn¡¯t understand but, whenever there¡¯s a large concentration of mana pooling in one place, it usually means something bad, whether it¡¯s a rune or not - In this case it¡¯s both, the two of you need to leave here before Ulric and his party show up.¡±


    ¡°Sorry....¡± I uttered under my breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Liam, just hurry up and head back.¡± A kind smile had now graced her features, but it was nothing more than a means to help us adjust to the current situation ¨C All things considered, it was just a kind lie.


    ¡°A-Alright, I¡¯m not really sure what''s going on but, I¡¯ll do as you say. Come on Liam.¡± Taking my hand, Emma steadily began increasing her pace, speeding up until she was engaged in a light sprint ¨C dragging me along by proxy.


    I glanced back to see Vreena maintaining that forged smile, rather than serving its intended purpose, her expression conveyed nothing but sorrow.


    Emma and I had gotten less than ten steps away from her when a loud screech cut through the air, it was immediately followed by the sound of mayhem as the scenery before our eyes was abruptly blown away by an immeasurable impact. The force from the collision tore apart stalls and civilians alike, conjuring a tempest of chaos as bodies and rubble were sent flying in all directions.


    The explosion just now had destroyed everything in our path, but we were still a fair distance away from ground zero. Still, that didn¡¯t mean we were completely free from harm as the shock wave had knocked both me and Emma back to where we started. Our bodies bounced off the ground, tumbling in a whirlwind of dust and debris.


    Vreena¡¯s panicked expression was the first thing I saw the moment I opened my eyes; she was staring at something in front of her with a mixture of horror and disbelief. I was lying flat on my back, but after forcing my body upright, my eyes immediately registered the source of her angst.


    Now standing in the dust cloud conjured by that explosion was a beast ¨C A wolf to be exact.


    The large silhouette prowling within the veil of dust towered over everything here from the small buildings to the stalls, the yellow gleam radiating from its narrowed eyes must have invoked a feeling of despair in the recoiling civilians that were now trembling at the horrific sight.


    Before the beast could fully emerge however, a group of human shaped silhouettes burst through the dust cloud, the blue haired man standing at the front boasted two longswords fixed to his back in the form of an ¡®X¡¯.


    He approached us with a cynical grimace on his face, all the while slowly clapping his hands together before speaking -


    ¡°Well, Well, Well ¨C What do we have here?¡±

 Chapter 39 - The Calm Before - Part Three

    The Calm Before (3)


    <hr>


    A throbbing sensation was now sending waves of agony through my head, the tremors ricocheting from one end to the other of my skull like a barrage of thunder. As I slowly rose to my feet, I noticed the crimson veil of my own blood that was now gliding down the left side of my face, obstructing my vision in the process. Apparently I was bleeding, for the very first time in centuries, I was having my first real experience with the sensation known as ¡®Pain¡¯. For a few seconds it seemed as if the world itself was pulsing in sync with this persistent feeling, but as soon as I noticed the group of silhouettes now descending from the back of the large beast, I had no choice but to dismiss my body¡¯s involuntary reaction to the ceaseless waves of agony intent on amplifying my suffering.


    It looked as if there was a group of six approaching us, but one blink later and that number had dropped to five.


    ¡°Liam, Emma are you two alright?¡± Vreena asked from her position in front of us, her silky white robe now lightly flapping in the wake of a knee level dust cloud as it rushed past us.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m bleeding a little, but I¡¯m fine.¡± I answered in a shaky voice.


    ¡°Owwwww! What was that just now?¡± Emma groaned as she slowly rose to her feet, patches of brown now soiled both her face and her lightly colored dress, but other than that she was doing just fine.


    ¡°Emma you¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡± I asked the redundant question nonetheless.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little dirty that¡¯s all, but- Liam you¡¯re bleeding, I should be the one asking you that!¡± After noticing the stream of fresh blood on my face, she propped herself up in one smooth motion before using one of her white handkerchiefs to put pressure on the wound.


    ¡°Jeez....you choose to smile at the weirdest times....just what exactly is going on here?¡± Her usual enthusiasm was now at an all-time low, even with half of my face being covered by the now crimson cloth, I could easily tell that all three of us were now looking at the same thing.


    ¡°Well, well, well.....what do we have here Vreena?¡± Ulric stopped a short distance away from us, his expression now bordering on a grimace and a crude smirk.


    ¡°Ulric....just what the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Vreena hadn¡¯t shouted, yet she still couldn''t hide the venom in her voice, judging by the amount of magical energy that was now being emitted from her body, the old woman clearly wasn¡¯t pleased.


    Most of the shops and stalls surrounding us were now destroyed, what was once a vibrant marketplace had somehow morphed itself into a scene of carnage in the wake of a single monster¡¯s charge. I could feel countless embers of life slowly dwindling away as we stood amidst the wreckage, I doubt Vreena could do the same, but given the way she was acting right now; it was hard to find a better line of reasoning.


    ¡°I should be the one asking you that you old hag, I rush over here after sensing all that mana, thinking you were finally going to use the rune, only to find this....¡± Extending his armored hand the man aligned his index finger with the target now in his narrowed sights. ¡°Why does a child like her have the rune?¡±


    ¡°What?....What are you going on about?¡± Shrugging off her initial confusion, Vreena maintained the subtle pressure she was now emitting.


    ¡°Ahh...Are we really going to do this?¡± Amaris replied in annoyance.


    She walked up beside Ulric and reached her hand into one of the pouches strapped around his waist, mimicking her brothers gesture she extended her palm towards us, slowly unwinding her fingers to reveal a sight that made even Vreena take a step back out of disbelief.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s......¡±


    Ulric smirked as he snatched the item away from his mimicking sibling, much to her displeasure. Holding it between his index and thumb, he proudly boasted the object for us all to see.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, this is a fragment, tyrant wasn¡¯t the only thing we were using to search for the rune you know. I¡¯m sure you can guess what that means right....Vreena?¡± Ulric¡¯s taunting words sounded harmless, but they were in fact coated in malice.


    A bead of sweat glided off Vreena¡¯s cheek just then, she slowly turned her head to look at Emma, before gritting her teeth in frustration.


    ¡°That fool....¡± she muttered under her breath before once again locking eyes with Ulric.


    Noticing the grimace on the old woman¡¯s face, his crude smirk was starting to spread even further across the confines of his jaw.


    ¡°Y¡¯know the good thing about fragments is that they¡¯re just small pieces of a rune, so if you¡¯re close enough to the real thing then it will start reacting to the original.¡± He took a few steps forward with the glowing object still spinning in his hands. It resembled something like an oddly cut crystal in the shape of a small prism with a deep blue color that was marginally darker than the noontime sky.


    The closer he got, the slower the object would spin in his palm, until it eventually came to a complete halt with its tip pointing right at Emma.


    ¡°GRRRR.....¡±


    The large beast staring us down from only a few yards away let out a sinister growl the moment the fragment¡¯s tip had stopped on Emma, looking over his shoulder, Ulric chuckled at the sight before turning back to face us. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°See...even tyrant is up to speed, there¡¯s no use denying it at this point, that girl has the rune....or maybe she is the rune. I¡¯m not really sure, and I don¡¯t really care either way, but now that we know what¡¯s going on, you''re going to have to come with us Emma.¡± Ulric dismissively spat as if he didn¡¯t even need any kind of confirmation.


    In response to Ulric¡¯s claim, Emma hurriedly stepped back out of pure instinct, tripping over her own feet and falling on her backside. She was panting heavily; fear and confusion had now usurped her features as they contorted in terror. ¡°N-no....stay away from me!¡± She yelped, crawling away on her slender hands in a desperate bid to escape.


    ¡°Calm down Emma, you¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± Vreena reassured her, summoning a wisp of wind that began swirling around her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go get Oliver, enough is enough, we¡¯re done playing your games you little brat.¡± Intensifying the speed of the swirling winds now surrounding her, Vreena cracked the space beneath her feet, as if responding to her own bloodlust, both her mana and wind magic were flaring up like a tempest from the very depths of her soul.


    ¡°Woah there!¡± Ulric jokingly muttered, leaping back a few yards to clear the range of Vreena¡¯s magic.


    ¡°Heh....you say you¡¯re about to go get Oliver huh?¡± He sneered at the thought, continuing only after his own Ire had dwindled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s busy right now. It doesn¡¯t matter what you want, or what you try to do, one way or the other, she¡¯s coming with us.¡± Those words carried a frigid undertone, one brazen enough to convey a bold message to us all.


    This was bad, the original plan was to draw them here with my mana, then when that monster started reacting to Emma, I would reinforce my body and lure them to wherever Oliver was. That much seemed doable, but now that Vreena¡¯s here the situation¡¯s changed, at this point I''d be surprised if this didn¡¯t break out into a fight.


    ¡°Liam I know it¡¯s shameful for me to ask this of you but.... you¡¯ve been training with mana over these last two weeks right?¡±


    I nodded my head in confirmation, she turned away in shame before continuing.


    ¡°Do you think you can carry Emma on your back? I think we¡¯ll have to make a run for it.¡± Vreena¡¯s question came with her back still turned to me, just going off her tone, I suppose there was no going back now.


    My eyes instinctually shifted over to Emma, her right hand was now crumpling the fabric of her dress as she desperately tried to calm the rapid beating of her own heart. It was getting to the point where I could hear it despite the space separating us.


    ¡°Yeah I can do that.¡± My reply carried a sense of fervor even I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    ¡°.....Good. The two of you stay close to me, things might get a little rough.¡±


    I made my way over to Emma, taking her trembling hand in mine before embracing her with the gesture known as a ¡®hug¡¯. I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work or not, but whenever this body would start crying in my days of infancy, this was something Julia often did in a bid to soothe my juvenile wrath. To my surprise, it actually worked, I could feel the beat of Emma¡¯s heart slowing down to match the rhythm of my own pumping organ.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay...you¡¯ll be fine...¡± I whispered in her ear.


    In response, she tightened her grip around my back, giving way for those moist droplets to gracefully glide off her cheeks, soaking my shirt in the process. Her sniffles were muffled, but I could tell that she was trying her very best to hold back the tremendous amount of emotion now nearing its breaking point.


    Mixed in with her periodic sobs were a few words drenched in overflowing sorrow.


    ¡°......T-that man, Ulric......H-He killed my father......When they brough back his broken sword, he was smiling.....¡± That wasn¡¯t exactly correct, but seeing as she was recounting some rather tragic memories right now, I decided to stay quiet.


    ¡°Emma is my face that scary? Are you really crying after seeing me up close? That¡¯s kinda rude you know, Lennon, wouldn¡¯t approve of that!¡± Ulric shouted from a few yards away. Gavin, Amaris and the other two guards chuckled in response to the man¡¯s crude taunt.


    Vreena clicked her tongue in irritation before ramping up the intensity of her magic. ¡°Liam....get ready.¡±


    Vreena took a deep breath, before chanting more of those cryptic spellbound words but this time they were completely indecipherable to my ears -


    ¡°#@!@#&^%+`$#@¡±


    Suddenly, I felt the force of all the air in my surroundings being drawn towards Vreena, forming a dense sphere of air in the space between her overlapped hands. The vibrations being emitted by the small object were so fierce I saw her body being rattled from head to toe, as if she was struggling to contain the raw power surging within.


    Her mana level had spiked to an unbelievable height, withstanding the barbaric force being emitted from her own attack, she extended both arms towards her target, the malicious gathering now standing a few yards away from us.


    With her gaze still focused, Vreena issued a direct command to all the nearby locals -


    ¡°All of you, Clear the area! Things are about to get ugly, help the wounded and injured where you can and convene in the town square. We¡¯ll meet there after this is all over!¡± With no further questioning, I heard the sound of countless bodies scattering from within my earshot. Her qualifications as a leader were quite impressive, even amidst all this chaos, she still held the lives of her citizens in high regard.


    Amidst the scene of swirling winds and rampaging dust, I saw Ulric¡¯s expression contort into one of utter terror, his face had lost the majority of its color, finally deciding to acknowledge the killing intent being emitted from the woman now bearing her fangs at him, he immediately began barking orders at Amaris and Gavin.


    Intent on striking first, Amaris hastily yanked the dangling chain that was attached to the wolf monster¡¯s neck. Just then, I watched as a few glowing incantations emerged on the monster¡¯s collar, the creature released a pained growl, but that mattered little to the domineering girl. After that brief interaction, its eyes were filled with nothing but intent to kill.


    Ulric darted to the side, opening up their formation and clearing a path for the beasts rampaging charge. Even with all the noise in my surroundings, the bellowing order Amaris gave seemed to overpower them all.


    ¡°Go Tyrant! Kill the old woman!¡±


    With that single command, the ground beneath the monster¡¯s feet cracked - It dashed towards us like a rampaging juggernaut, each of its footsteps shook the earth like a relentless drumbeat. Tyrant leaped at us once it had crossed half the distance, intending to devour the old woman now acting as our shield from the waist up. Still, she didn¡¯t flinch, she simply adjusted her aim and released the embracing grip she¡¯d been using to keep the deadly sphere under control.


    ¡°Tempest Core¡±


    Immediately after uttering those words, the maddening charge of the large canine was brought to a complete halt. It was blown back by a blast so fierce that its body danced through the air before falling prone to the effects of gravity and landing even further than its initial starting line.

 Chapter 39.5 - Between The Lines (1)

    Between The Lines (1)


    <hr>


    A Few Minutes Ago........


    The forest surrounding Zale was a rather tame environment when it came to the supposed dangers it posed, or at least that was how it ought to have been. The ever-present low level mob varieties would pop up now and then, but they never amounted to anything more than the town¡¯s own forces could manage. That was how it had always been up until a few years ago.


    Still, in spite of the supposed danger lurking inside these woods, the forest was relatively close to the town itself, but because this particular forest went on for miles, it was somewhat hard to navigate.


    That didn¡¯t seem to pose a problem for the two men now treading through its overgrown paths, however, the brilliance of the evening¡¯s hue was now starting to dissipate and was now being replaced by a much darker color scheme.


    Even with the veil of darkness now having an almost complete grasp on the sky, neither of them seemed to mind it, they simply stood amidst a large oval clearing that was seemingly being bordered by the well-aged barks of the surrounding trees. They towering structures hummed like haunting cries in the wake of nature¡¯s nightly gales, however, not once was it ever overbearing, the ambient sounds were all being kept under a certain threshold, almost as if nature itself wanted to observe how this particular interaction would unfold.


    ¡°You want to talk out here of all places?¡± Owen asked the man standing a few feet away from him, a pristine white light flickered across the pair of glasses now resting on his nasal bridge.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you this in private for a while now, but we usually search this place separately, so the opportunity never really came up.¡±


    ¡°I see.... Were you heading back into the city after sensing all that mana?¡± Owen raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    Oliver nodded in response, adjusting the glasses that had been disturbed ever so slightly by his gesture. ¡°That surge of mana felt a little familiar, I can¡¯t be certain from all the way out here, but I think it¡¯s Liam. The source didn¡¯t feel potent enough for a rune and if it was, then the Basilisk would have already reacted to it.¡±


    ¡°I see...I did hear something about him awakening as a mage. Congratulations......¡± The passing winds could barely carry his dry remark.


    Oliver narrowed his eyes before speaking, sensing the tension now building up across from him, Owen took a step back out of instinct.


    ¡°Owen....what exactly are you up to?¡± Oliver asked, his tone devoid of any sarcasm.


    ¡°W-what am I up to? What do you-¡±


    ¡°Five years ago, you came here from the capital after giving up on being a raider. Then shortly after, the Basilisk attacked this place for the second time and you along with Lennon and the rest of Brunhild went to subdue it, but only Lennon, someone who was already at level two, died....¡±


    Owen stared blankly at Oliver, before slowly shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°Oi,Oi, Oliver....what exactly are you suggesting?¡± The knight¡¯s tone stiffened in sync with his now piercing gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying...these circumstances are a little convenient....I mean, after only five years you¡¯ve already usurped the rank of knight commander and had Lennon not hidden the rune before his death...it would be in your possession right now.¡± Oliver¡¯s demeanor seemed to be shifting by the second, before Owen could even respond, he continued his verbal assault like a relentless storm.


    ¡°Not to mention....you and those Brunhild guys...you¡¯re all from the capital, aren¡¯t you? And you¡¯re all level one to boot. If you look at the bigger picture here, then something obviously isn¡¯t right. The information about the Basilisk hiding in a cave up north was definitely a ruse, one meant to lure me away, and the second I wasn¡¯t here the entirety of Zale¡¯s forces were crippled by that monster, leaving us with no choice but to request aid from your former allies.¡±


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t prove anything....¡± Owen dryly spat, his brows now converging in anger. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Perhaps not....¡± Oliver heaved a sigh, tilting his head back to gaze upon the celestial body now drifting across the sky. ¡°.......But you can never be too sure. If I wasn¡¯t here then Vreena would be the only one who could confront any of you, her level isn¡¯t any higher than yours so I doubt she could put up much of a fight against you all.¡± The pressure in Oliver¡¯s voice was one so potent it cast a sentinel trance on their surroundings.


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this......¡± Owen said in a somewhat begrudging tone.


    ¡°Well, whatever the case is, we¡¯ll know for sure in a few days.¡±


    ¡°What...do you mean by that?¡± His stuttery words trailed off in the wake of Oliver¡¯s bold declaration.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t just wasting time these past few weeks you know. It¡¯s a little earlier than planned, but we¡¯ll be leaving this town as soon as I¡¯ve finished that thing off, and since this is taking far too long, I¡¯ve sent a letter out to some old friends of mine. With their help I should be able to wrap this up quickly and then I¡¯ll have an escort party for me and my family ready and waiting. Depending on the circumstances, the journey from the capital to here can take anywhere from two weeks to over a month, but they were closer than I thought so they should be here in a few days.¡± A bit of vigor had returned to Oliver¡¯s voice, his lips were now slowly curling up to form a bearded smile.


    ¡°I see...then I wish you all the best.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not exactly what I was trying to say. You see, one of my old friends just so happens to be a Faerie, and as I¡¯m sure you know....Faeries can see through lies.¡± That last sentence was one so menacing it sent shivers through the air.


    Owen¡¯s widening eyes trembled in their sockets, and he exhaled a deep breath before covering his face with his right hand.


    ¡°Damn it....¡± He muttered bitterly ¡°Gifted people like you and Lennon always act like you¡¯re a step ahead of everyone else...heh.....well I guess Lennon isn¡¯t so gifted anymore.¡±


    Oliver¡¯s fist burled in the wake of his cold remark, Owen slowly released the menacing grip on his own face, his bloodshot eyes stared down Oliver with a gaze that oozed bloodlust so potent it could poison the air.


    ¡°So it¡¯s true.....Owen, why did you kill Lennon?¡± Oliver asked through gritted teeth.


    The man formed a crude smile before responding - ¡°He was in the way; though now that I think back on it, killing him then and there was a pretty bad move.¡±


    Sensing the sudden shift in Oliver¡¯s aura, Owen turned to face him with a cynical grimace.


    ¡°Oliver....you seem to be under some kind of misunderstanding....¡± Owen took a few steps closer after adjusting the cynical look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to take over this place, I¡¯m only here for the rune. And another thing....as for Brunhilde, while we are technically working together, it¡¯s every man for himself, so first come, first served.¡± There was no longer any sort of pleasantry in his tone, it now sounded crude and unforgiving.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve just been biding your time here huh? Why wait five whole years?¡± Oliver calmly asked, his fists were now clenched so tight the bones in his own hand had started creaking.


    ¡°Why?¡± Owen asked with a raised eyebrow, before completely overhauling his entire expression. ¡°Because you showed up, that¡¯s why! If you and your wife hadn¡¯t shown up here, I wouldn¡¯t need to waste years waiting for that monster to recover! I wouldn¡¯t need Amaris to tame it to use as a distraction! I wouldn¡¯t need to suffer the humiliation of wasting five whole years out here, all for one single rune! I could have just killed Vreena and then take my time combing through this place...but you-!¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡± Oliver cut off the panting knight, rage now seeped from every pore in his body.


    ¡°You want to use the rune and boost your level, is that it? Are you still trying to get some kind of approval from those raiders back in the capital?¡± Oliver questioned, but immediately decided to dismiss that train of thought. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter. Nothing justifies what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Someone like you would never understand.¡± Owen cursed ¡°I¡¯m apart of something much bigger than that, Gehenna¡¯s goals are far beyond the scope of what you could ever imagine.¡±


    ¡°Gehenna?¡± Oliver mused, toning down the intensity of his rage.


    ¡°Forget it Oliver, it¡¯s too late now. We both know there¡¯s only one way this plays out.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t beat me; you should know that by now.¡± Oliver remarked, casually adjusting his glasses as if to cement the fact.


    ¡°Heh-Heh-Heh....I know, but I don¡¯t need to beat you, I just need to buy time. And besides, I haven¡¯t exactly been completely honest about my own strength either.¡±


    Owen¡¯s body began emitting a faint blue glow that soon overpowered the dim illumination of the moonlit forest with its own brilliance. In response, Oliver simply opened his left palm, and with barely any effort, he gathered a swirl of resplendent flames that danced lazily in the space above his hand.


    In the wake of his adversary¡¯s charge, Oliver¡¯s eyes widened from behind the thick frame of his well-adorned glasses. ¡°So that¡¯s your true power huh....¡±

 Chapter 40 - Steeple Chase

    Steeple Chase


    <hr>


    A loud crash echoed through the ruins of the marketplace in the wake of Vreena¡¯s devastating attack, it was a blast so powerful it left behind a miniature trench that served as lasting proof of its trajectory. A large dust cloud was now rising up from the impact site, so the silhouettes previously staring us down were being masked by the wave of dust and debris.


    ¡°Haah....Haah....¡±


    Vreena dropped to one knee, using her wooden staff to support her now hunched frame. The sharp spike in her mana only a few seconds ago had now completely vanished and she was back to, if not below her usual mana capacity. That opening move just now was well warranted, but the repercussions of using such a deadly attack were starting to take hold. Her hands were quivering wildly as if she had temporarily lost control of her own motor functions, a side effect that likely originated from her withstanding the recoil and vibrations from that blast just now.


    Quickly shrugging off her exhaustion however, she immediately issued her next command to me-


    ¡°Its not over yet! Liam, grab Emma, we¡¯re making a run for it!¡±


    I followed her directive without any hesitation, rushing over to Emma, I grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet before crouching down and making way for her to climb onto my back.


    ¡°Li-Liam, there¡¯s no way you can-¡±


    BANG


    Before she could even finish, a large crash echoed from within the rising dust cloud and a familiar golden gleam was peering at us with no regard for the murderous intent it was oozing. Soon after, the shockwave from a blood lusted growl blasted away the veil of dust like a conjured storm, sending waves of pressure and hostility back at us as our adversaries boldly made their way back to the forefront of the makeshift battlefield.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that old woman.¡± Gavin scowled, cracking his knuckles against his open palm.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just do this, she¡¯s lived more than long enough anyway.¡± Carelessly shrugging her shoulders, Amaris responded from her seated position atop the rage filled beast.


    The tension in the air was growing by the second, so much so that I could gradually see the faint glimmer of hope leaving Vreena¡¯s eyes, she obviously couldn¡¯t keep this up for much longer.


    ¡°Emma, get on now!¡± I chimed through gritted teeth, snapping her out of her stunned daze with my irritant voice. ¡°Eeek!¡± She yelped, throwing herself onto my back as if she was about to fall flat on her face. Her small fingers dug into the thin fabric of my clothes, holding on for dear life.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready, Elder Vreena.¡± Filling my tone with resolve, I called out to the strained old woman that was now rising back to her feet. She stared at me for a few seconds before giving me a nod and smiling to herself.


    ¡°You¡¯re one hell of a kid you know....¡± muttered Vreena.


    Now orienting the wooden staff horizontally in both her hands, she took a few steps forward as if to once again shield us from the destined onslaught. ¡°Liam, on my signal make a run for it.¡±


    Not even waiting for my reply, Vreena quickly spat another one of those coded spells.


    ¡°@#$%$*&^%¡±


    Immediately after, the air around her danced as if it was being sucked into a vortex, although this time it wasn¡¯t a single sphere, but rather several pricked constructs made from vicious spirals of parading winds.


    They formed along the horizontal edge of the staff now firmly clutched in her hands, spinning like malevolent spirals of doom. Ulric, boldly staring us down scowled in contempt. ¡°So, you don¡¯t plan on giving up huh!?¡± He shouted from across the ruined marketplace.


    ¡°Not a chance!¡± Vreena retorted, and in the next instant, she unleashed the torrent of gale bound arrows conjured from her own mana, the rotating blades of wind shot forth like sentient daggers, intertwining and overlapping their respective flight paths like a lethal symphony of chaos.


    However, the members of Brunhilde were hardly fazed, none of them even looked like they were about to move until Ulric firmly clutched the dual longswords on his back. Dashing forth like a madman, he unsheathed the bladed weapons from his back and in one smooth motion, he countered Vreena¡¯s attack with an overlapping cut in the form of an ¡°X¡±.


    Of course, he was too far away for his own blade to intercept the raging barrage, but following along the trajectory of his gleaming silver blade was a projected slash of wind mimicking the motion of his swords.


    Cancelling out five of Vreena¡¯s seven cyclonic shafts, the tempestuous clash unleashed yet another loud ¡®BANG¡¯ that shook the surrounding area, the fierce clash discharged a bubble of violent winds that quaked the air itself with an ominous hum. Vreena¡¯s two remaining projections had slipped past Ulric¡¯s counter with little difficulty, forcing the members of Brunhilde to finally act.


    That was my cue.


    ¡°Now Liam!¡± Vreena bellowed at me.


    Inhaling a deep breath, I circulated my remaining mana throughout every orifice of my body, from the blood rushing through my veins to the very bones forming my core. The muscles in my body bulged as soon as the surge of mystical power had begun reinforcing them and without wasting a minute, I kicked off the ground with all the force this body could muster.


    Emma¡¯s wailing cries rang in my ear, but I had no choice but to ignore that for now, my body cut through the air like a soaring lance, and in the wake of my abrupt departure, I heard Ulric¡¯s aggravated voice barely echoing within reach of my earshot. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Holy Shit! Don¡¯t let them get away.¡±


    Before they could collect themself however, Vreena shot two more of those swirling arrows at them, before promptly following in my lead by surrounding herself in a swirl of wind and darting off in a burst of speed that made it seem as if she was being guided by nature¡¯s grace.


    Now in the midst of my deadly sprint, I began filling each of my steps with more and more vigor. With the steady increase in my pace, the mild sensation of the evening air soon began washing over my face and I could feel it starting to circulate in my body, invigorating my blood flow and speeding up the rhythmic thumping of my heart. Soon afterwards came the euphoric sensation that followed in the wake of my body slowly heating up when being pushed to the limits of its physical potential.


    Vreena was boosting herself with the aid of the surrounding winds, so she managed to catch up to my pace in no time ¨C Even with my initial head start, she still managed to usurp the lead in under ten seconds.


    ¡°Think you can keep up with me Liam?¡± Her muffled voice called out from a few yards in front of me.


    ¡°Yeah I can manage this much.¡± I answered calmly.


    ¡°Wait, wait waiiit.....I can¡¯t believe this is happening!¡± Emma squealed; she¡¯d been squeezing her eyes shut up until just now, but I suppose travelling like this would be rather uncomfortable for anyone. Her body was much larger than mine and her hair was flailing about in the wind so seeing the path ahead of me was rather difficult. Instead of doing that, it was much easier to just block out the useless information and just focus on tailing Vreena¡¯s soul. I suppose it was thanks to her order just now why we¡¯d hardly ran into anyone even in the midst of all this chaos.


    Dashing through the narrowed streets, I followed the flicker of Vreena¡¯s soul as we cut through corners, alleyways and even entire buildings. She was using her wind magic to blast straight through them and secure the fastest route possible. Ever so often, she would glance over her shoulder just to check up on us, and every time she did, I would widen the edges of my thin smile.


    ¡°Liam! They¡¯re gaining on us!¡± The girl''s voice sounded as if it was on the verge of breaking.


    ¡°How close are they!?¡± I asked, exhaling the hot vapors of exhaustion through my mouth.


    ¡°Really realllly close...they¡¯re just plowing straight through everything!¡±


    ¡°Tch...damn it...¡± I spat those words on instinct....just who did I even pick that up from...


    BOOM....BOOM......BOOM


    The thunderous explosions resounded from behind me, without even looking I could already guess as to how they were catching up to us that quickly. That wolf was larger than just about everything in this town so it must have been childsplay for it to carve a path straight through whatever obstacles were blocking that murderous dash.


    Reacting to the strange sounds, Vreena abruptly halted her momentum, swinging around to take the rear guard.


    ¡°Go on ahead, I¡¯ll slow them down Liam! Once you get past here, stick to the rooftops and head for the forest!¡± Vreena urged like a chief at war.


    Emma¡¯s grip on my clothes tightened the moment she gave that lonely order, still, we had little in the way of a choice right now. Obeying her order, I dashed around an adjacent corner leading to a blocked off alleyway. Quickening the pace of my steps, I charged towards the dead end, kicking off the ground and bouncing off the adjacent walls as I ascended onto the top of the building.


    I heard a gasp of admiration come from the girl now firmly clutching my back, but it was soon drowned out by the sound of artillery fire. A devastating impact collided with the building I just mounted, disrupting my balance and completely throwing off my rhythm. I could feel the concrete structure beneath my feet breaking apart by the second, so I had no choice but to muster a gargantuan leap with whatever little momentum I had remaining.


    ¡°Kyaaaaaaah!!!¡±


    Emma¡¯s piercing screams were immediately drowned out by the sound of my feet cracking the concrete roof of another building, the riveting impact sent shivers through my body, but ignoring that was the best course of action right now.


    ¡°Emma, stop screaming so much or you¡¯ll bite your tongue off.¡± I responded to her wailing with a voice steeped in temptation. She must have misinterpreted the meaning of my words because she immediately released her hold on my neck to cover her mouth with both hands.


    Her legs wrapped around my waist like a coiling serpent, if this went on, she wasn¡¯t going to make it. ¡°No not like that! Hold onto my neck like you were doing just now but try to keep the screaming down.¡± I said as I leaped towards another building, this time perfecting my landing and setting my sights on our supposed destination.


    Emma wrapped her arms around me for dear life, it was almost as if she didn¡¯t quite know what to do in this situation, though I couldn¡¯t blame her. ¡°O-Okay, I¡¯ll try to hold it in.¡± she stammered.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then.¡± For some reason, getting her to calm down had somehow managed to improve my own concentration.


    ¡°Liam!¡± Vreena¡¯s voice echoed from above me.


    She defied the natural order of gravity by forming a small vortex below her landing site, using its updraft to cushion her fall and continue her escape as if nothing ever happened.


    ¡°Elder Vreena you''re alright!¡± Emma happily chimed in, but her initial enthusiasm wasn¡¯t even meant to last five seconds.


    ¡°W-what happened to you!?¡±


    ¡°Tch! Those bastards just started firing back that¡¯s all.¡± She cursed, pulling out a stone spike from her shoulder.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s....¡± I could practically feel Emma¡¯s emotions spilling into me, I don¡¯t know what she wanted to say but this girl obviously wasn¡¯t used to bloodshed.


    Yet another thunderous howl echoed from behind us, it had no doubt belonged to the beast that was now knocking over concrete structures as if they were nothing more than playing cards. Although we were effectively the prey in this situation, the sound of a bloodthirsty howl was oddly suited to the current atmosphere seeing as the full moon was now peeking out from behind the dark clouds.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine Emma, once we get to the forest, we¡¯ll lose them and meet up with Oliver.¡± Before Vreena could even craft another one of her signature smiles, she was forced to quickly switch gears.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± She shouted in a panic.


    Reacting at the last second, I dashed along an arc to the right, opening up the space between me and Vreena before leaping off the building. Just then, a bright ball of orange flames crashed into a spot that perfectly lined up with my previous trajectory.


    ¡°Hey watch it! Remember we need the girl alive!¡± I heard Amaris¡¯ high-pitched voice shouting at her lackeys from behind me.


    Somehow, my own curiosity got the better of me. I gave a faint glance over my shoulder, only to see the murderous party hot on our trails with beaming smiles lining their faces. The one who¡¯d launched that attack just now seemed to be one of Amaris¡¯ bodyguards, I wouldn¡¯t mind teaching him a lesson with my own flames but that would have to wait until I was no longer carrying Emma.


    ¡°Liam, we¡¯re almost there.¡± Bursting through the dust cloud from the explosion just now, Vreena once again took the lead, acting as the beacon of light that was about to guide me through these harrowing woods.

 Chapter 41 - Signs Of Truth

    Signs Of Truth


    <hr>


    The hollow darkness shrouding the forest hummed with an eerie symphony that grew all the more prominent the deeper we ventured, like cornered rats we were now racing through the overgrown maze searching for any semblance of respite. The trees here were enormous, and had almost no branches on the way up, but they fanned out like parasols at their peak which only seemed to strengthen the swaying shadows now stretching across the landscape.


    Sticking to the treetops had apparently given us some leverage over our frantic foes, that monster was going to have a much harder time plowing its way through all this rooted timber.


    Even though it was dark right now, I had no problem perceiving my surroundings, that was never something I struggled with but Vreena on the other hand was having a much harder time. Her pace had slowed considerably, and she now had to periodically stop to assess which direction we were going to head in. On top of her growing fatigue, bleeding and ever-growing angst, she was also having trouble discerning the layout of our environment. This would have all been much easier under less turbulent circumstances but right now all we could do was stay silent and follow her lead.


    Using my fire magic to create a torch was a tempting idea, but that would lead to nothing more than our doom, as I wrestled with the ideas now popping up in my mind Vreena abruptly came to a halt on the high-rise branch of the large tree ahead of us.


    ¡°Haaah....Haah.....damn it.....¡± She fell to her knees, clutching her chest with one hand and using the other to brace against the century old tree bark.


    ¡°Are you okay!?¡± Emma rushed to her side the moment we landed next to her; she was obviously trying to provide some sort of aid but alas, her visibility wasn¡¯t much better.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe....I¡¯ve been reduced to such a pathetic state....how careless of me.¡± Mustering a dry laugh, the woman forced her body upright with renewed conviction.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be out of here soon alright? I know this is taking a while, but I can¡¯t seem to get a good lock on Olvier¡¯s mana. I know he¡¯s around here somewhere but I''m having a hard time pinning his location down. Liam....can you sense your father?¡± She didn¡¯t even turn to face me with that question, either because her visibility was strained right now or because she already knew the answer.


    ¡°No...I can¡¯t sense his mana...¡± I answered shamefully.


    ¡°I see....well, it doesn¡¯t look like we have a lot of options here. The most we can do is just keep moving, even if Oliver¡¯s already gone back to town the second he hears about what¡¯s going on he''ll come rushing right back.¡± The gravity of our current situation was certainly starting to weigh on Vreena¡¯s shoulders, but she was still putting up a bold front to stave off our concern.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s get going, shall we?¡± She jovially announced.


    ¡°U-um....¡± Before we were able to resume the grim journey, Emma¡¯s shaky voice had commanded our attention. ¡°Emma.....what¡¯s wrong?¡± Vreena asked between ragged breaths.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all of this.... You two are suffering so much because of me. I really don¡¯t know what ¡®rune¡¯ they¡¯re talking about, but it doesn¡¯t look like they plan on giving up without getting what they came for.¡± Her pent-up emotions were slowly spilling out with every word, almost as if to mimic the murky state of the dark clouds now giving way to the moon¡¯s splendor.


    ¡°Emma it¡¯s not your-¡±


    ¡°I hate this.....¡± Vreena¡¯s attempt at consolation was immediately blown away by the girl¡¯s rather morbid choice of words. The faint traces of moonlight peeking through the treetops illuminated her solemn visage now lined with tears, it was almost as if her true feelings were finally being laid bare. Her gaze slowly dropped to the thick wooden branch now serving as our foothold, sparkling droplets glided of her face as she clutched the frilly ends of her dress with trembling hands.


    ¡°This situation....it¡¯s all because of me, I¡¯m the one they¡¯re after. I¡¯m the one that''s putting you through all this Liam...¡±


    She paused for a moment, just long enough to allow the passing winds to flutter the strands of her chestnut brown hair and reveal the true depth of emotions now being conveyed by her eyes. The two azure irises that once sparkled like the precious gems were covered in a transparent fluid that dulled their brilliance with each passing second, the bright sparkle they once carried was now reduced to a dim glow that equated to nothing less than despair.


    However, her regretful glare wasn¡¯t being directed at me, it was instead meant for the woman at my side. I could clearly see it before, but now that the faint traces of moonlight were slipping through the dense veil of darkness, the facade she¡¯d been trying so hard to maintain was immediately shattered. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    The robe covering her body ought to have been white, but right now two prominent crimson stains were corrupting the uniformity of her outfit. The point of origin seemed to be her left shoulder and the right side of her stomach, blood was soaking through the thin fabric of her outfit and staining our well-aged foothold with its crimson brilliance.


    That same crimson color was now dying the hem of Emma¡¯s dress, the exact same spot that her hand was now clutching. That must have been the reason behind her emotional turmoil, she immediately saw through the old woman¡¯s facade the moment she got Vreena¡¯s blood on her hands.


    ¡°I-I couldn¡¯t do anything for my dad, and I was completely helpless when Isaac was poisoned, but there¡¯s something I can do now. There¡¯s a way for the two of you to escape, since you have mana, I''m sure you can pull it off. Leave me and-¡±


    ¡°No! That¡¯s out of the question, we¡¯re not leaving you here.¡± Vreena countered, her expression hardening on the spot. The startled girl took a step back as if recoiling from her sudden rejection.


    Still, she pressed on.


    ¡°But I¡¯m the one they''re after! They need me alive so if I surrender here then you and Liam can go back and get help.¡±


    Vreena tilted her head towards the drifting sky before taking a deep breath. That was enough to calm both her ragged breathing and frenzied mind, she approached Emma with a remorseful expression and stopped just within reach of the moonlit pillar of light now raining down on her.


    ¡°Emma, there¡¯s something you need to know about your birth.¡± She spoke slowly, allowing the weight of her words to sink in, each syllable measured and deliberate.


    Emma¡¯s confused stare was interpreted as her inquisitive reply.


    ¡°First, let me tell you a little about runes. The things we call ¡®runes¡¯ aren¡¯t from this world, but they have an enormous amount of mana so there are a lot of different ways to use them. One of those methods is in medicine, runes can be used to enhance the effects of potions and so on but.....¡±


    Slowing her montage, she raised a hand to wipe away the stagnant flow of tears gliding off Emma¡¯s cheek. It left a lasting impression on the right side of her face in the form of a crimson smear, yet Vreena simply smiled at the sight before continuing.


    ¡°......It¡¯s impossible for a single person to completely absorb the power stored within a rune. They have to be diluted by being grounded into small bits and turned into special elixirs that can counterbalance the excess of foreign mana. It¡¯s said that a person who does this will have their power raised exponentially by leveling up.¡±


    ¡°.....Level up? What does any of that have to do with me? I¡¯m not a mage.¡± asked Emma, her teary eyes were practically begging Vreena for answers.


    ¡°I know, the leveling up part isn¡¯t related to you, but the medicinal effects still apply. The potions that are enhanced by runes are called ¡®high potions¡¯ but they aren¡¯t made using an entire rune. Small fragments of the real thing are enough to enhance these potions and that brings me to the differences between an ¡®elixir¡¯ and a ¡®potion¡¯. Elixirs are concoctions made in the hopes of boosting a mages power, while potions, regardless of their quality are simply magic items with the sole purpose of ¡®healing¡¯, so anyone can use them. However, the opposite isn¡¯t true, if a normal person were to consume an elixir, then they would die because their body doesn¡¯t have any mana to counterbalance the diluted essence of the rune.¡±


    I already knew where she was going with this, but the entire forest seemed to have slowed to a complete halt, giving way for Vreena¡¯s words to resonate like a distant echo.


    ¡°Emma.....before you were born, your mother, Beatrice was extremely frail. Giving birth to you and your twin brother Isaac was putting a considerable strain on her body and her poor health was starting to affect the two of you as well. The high¨Cpotions we fought tooth and nail to get were hardly having any effect and if things continued like that then Lennon would have lost his entire family.¡±


    After hearing that, Emma¡¯s conflicted expression slowly started morphing into disbelief.


    ¡°Your father was getting desperate......that¡¯s why Lennon resorted to the unthinkable. He made an elixir and gave it to his wife under the pretense of it being just another high potion.¡± Vreena delivered the startling revelation in a tone steeped in bitter regret.


    Her words had stolen the very breath from Emma¡¯s lungs, she stood there speechless, mouth agape and her eyes recoiling in shock. She had probably forgotten how to even breathe right now.


    ¡°It was a gamble, one that was sure to fail if it wasn¡¯t solely for the fact that you and Isaac were twins. Even if Beatrice herself wasn¡¯t a mage, it seems the diluted essence of the rune was yet again watered down after being split between the three of you. Beatrice¡¯s health significantly improved, and Isaac awakened as a mage at the late age of twelve. I can¡¯t say for certain, but a similar fate might be in store for you Emma.¡±


    ¡°.....I had no idea....¡± she replied, now sounding more confused than ever.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to drop this on you so suddenly, but now was as good a time as any to come clean about it. That¡¯s why Emma.....¡±


    Extending her arms, Vreena pulled the confused child into her embrace as if to bear the brunt of all her rampant emotions. Overpowering Emma¡¯s sniffles and sobs, she spoke with a tone doused in unwavering resolve.


    ¡°It¡¯s my job as the elder to protect both the rune and all the people here in Zale, and you fall into both of those categories. I understand how you feel, I felt the same way when those bastards backstabbed Lennon, so now, I¡¯m going to right my wrong. It¡¯s the least I can do as his friend.¡±


    As I observed the melodramatic scene unfolding in front of me, a single outlier managed to completely bypass my guard.


    ¡°~What a touching tale~¡± That dreaded voice had originated from somewhere I least expected and before I could even react, a shining silver blade had already lodged itself in Vreena¡¯s back.

 Chapter 42 - Pretty Puddles

    Pretty Puddles


    <hr>


    A shining silver blade more than a meter long was now following a diagonal path up from the shadows and straight through Vreena¡¯s chest. It wasn¡¯t a typical longsword; the edges of the blade were jagged and formed a rather crude zigzag pattern, almost like the teeth of a ferocious beast, and much like a wild animal, what ought to have been pristine white edges were now covered in a murky red smear that spanned the entirety of the blade¡¯s length.


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    A surge of built-up blood escaped Vreena¡¯s mouth, soiling her once white robe beyond any form of recognition. After being shoved onto her backside at the last minute, Emma stared at the scene in front of her in sheer horror, her legs were quivering, and her breathing was getting even more erratic but despite the apparent buildup of her emotional turmoil, her explosive reaction never came.


    Too many of her pent-up emotions were vying for the right to manifestation and the end result had unsurprisingly been inaction.


    The moonlight raining down on us was the only real way to confirm the identity of the aggressor. It was a young man, one I¡¯d seen before in fact, he was one of Amaris¡¯ bodyguards. However, instead of riding atop the giant beast that his master was so fond of, his upper body was now emerging from within the confines of Vreena¡¯s own shadow like a vivid specter breaking free from a nightmare.


    ¡°Many a thanks for stopping somewhere with this much moonlight, this place can get really dark so I was starting to think I missed my chance~.¡± There wasn¡¯t any hint of regret in his voice as he applied more force to the sword now locked in his bloody grip.


    The cynical grin on his face sparked some kind of hostile reaction from me, my body moved on pure instinct and within seconds I had already lowered my posture and was engaged in a fierce lunge towards my target.


    His upper body had only partially emerged from Vreena¡¯s shadow, but that wasn¡¯t a problem since he was standing in between me and Emma, so I was effectively in his blind spot. By the time his head turned in response to the sound of my body cutting through the air it was already too late. I slammed my knee dead in the center of his face and even though my form was rather poor, his head still rattled from the crushing impact. Before I could continue the onslaught however, his body slipped back into the confines of the dark spot on the ground like it had been sucked into a whirlpool, then, it branched off from Vreena¡¯s shadow and moved over to the opposite end of the large branch we were standing on.


    It was only after his body had retreated into the darkness that I finally caught on to the true nature of that power. It wasn¡¯t normal for him to just sneak up on us like that, and hiding from me was almost impossible, even if he was suppressing his mana to the utmost limit, I could still perceive his soul, but that wasn¡¯t what he was doing. That shadow ability was acting as a way for him to separate himself from the physical world, almost like stepping into a dream, so his presence was essentially erased the moment he used it to conceal himself.


    ¡°I let my guard down.... He must have slipped into my shadow earlier.....¡± Vreena mumbled through her now gritted teeth, her eyes were bloodshot and the apparent exhaustion from before was now all the more prominent in her features. Just going off the slow-paced sound of her ragged breaths, it wouldn¡¯t be all that surprising if she keeled over after taking two or three more steps, but no, that wasn¡¯t going to happen just yet.


    She slowly turned around to face the now disarmed aggressor who¡¯d previously gotten the better of her as his body cautiously ascended from within the veil of darkness. His right cheek was swollen, and a palpable rage was being conveyed through the lens of those hateful eyes.


    ¡°Damn it, nobody told me that kid was a mage....You¡¯ll pay for that kid, I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a target or not.¡± Rising to his feet with a bloody grin, the man adjusted the joint I¡¯d knocked loose in his neck.


    ¡°Think again, you¡¯re not getting your hands....on either of them...¡± taking a step forward, the old woman spoke up, sword still lodged in her chest.


    ¡°Your time¡¯s almost up you old fool, you won¡¯t be suffering much longer.¡±


    Ignoring his remark, Vreena simply steadied herself with the wooden staff now keeping her body upright, after mumbling a few words under her breath, she locked her gaze on the target only a few yards away.


    ¡°What? Have you finally realized just how-¡±


    She slammed her staff onto our thick foothold to signal the initiation of her attack; from the point of impact, large blades of wind emerged and rushed across the branches'' entire surface, fragmenting the age-old timber in mere seconds.


    A sense of weightlessness immediately enveloped my body as the platform beneath me gradually lost all semblances of structural support, breaking apart in a rain of shattered wood and twisted branches. Before my fate could be decided by the whims of gravity however, Vreena plucked both me and Emma by the wrist before boosting herself off the crumbling platform with us in tow.


    Glancing over my shoulder, my eyes scanned the rain of debris for any signs of our startled foe, but his flailing body was nowhere to be found. It goes without saying but someone with a radical ability like that wouldn¡¯t go down that easy, so the only thing we had right now were the few seconds of time that little parlor trick had just bought us.


    A loud impact echoed through the forest as we attempted our gale guided escape but -


    ¡°Tch!....Not right now....¡± Vreena cursed, tightening her grip on us in the midst of what was now becoming our descent, both her life force and mana were dropping at an incredible rate, so the most she could do was get us as close to the ground as possible before her spell eventually gave out on her.


    The sudden halt in our momentum sent the three of us tumbling forward, I was able to regain my balance rather quickly by diverting my momentum into a roll but the other two weren¡¯t so resourceful, their bodies were sent skidding across the ground like empty barrels. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    This situation was getting worse by the second, but the stagnant dust cloud conjured from that descending impact was at least able to provide us with some cover for now.


    ¡°Elder Vreena, Emma!¡± I called out in the midst of my dash towards them.


    ¡°Owowowow.....I¡¯m alright Liam, it¡¯s just a few scratches, let¡¯s go help Elder Vreena!¡± Emma hastily replied after rising to her trembling feet. Just a short distance away was the elder in question, lying in a pool of her own blood, her hands were planted firmly into the dirt, but despite her best efforts she obviously lacked the strength to stand on her own two feet right now.


    ¡°Emma....can you....pull out this sword for me?¡± Her dying tone perfectly conveyed the severity of that request, there was no room for refusal here.


    Emma circled around behind her, staring at the lodged weapon in angst before commencing her attempt.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m pulling it out now alright?¡±


    Though her dedication was noble, she clearly wasn¡¯t cut out for this sort of thing. Her hands were trembling even before she made contact with the blade.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± I affirmed as I walked towards the hunched over old woman, it was obvious that they¡¯d both wanted to reject my offer, but the current circumstances wouldn¡¯t allow for us to play niceties.


    ¡°This might hurt a little.¡± Grasping the silver hilt of the bloodied weapon, I slowly pulled the jagged blade from its lodged position in her chest, ignoring the steady stream of muffled groans coming from her.


    ¡°It¡¯s out, do you feel any better?¡± I asked as I flicked the jagged weapon now in my hand.


    ¡°Yes, a little....thank you Liam.¡±


    Even while battered and bruised, the old woman was still feigning a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to stay here like this, that guy can slip into people¡¯s shadows, and he somehow slipped into mine when we were leaving town earlier.....Lets-¡±


    ¡°Woah there! That was easier than I thought.¡± That nonchalant remark had once again heightened the tension in the atmosphere, as soon as that arrogant figure came bursting through the conjured dust cloud he instantly amassed the attention of everyone in the clearing.


    ¡°I knew you were injured but to think you could barely even make it this far.¡±


    DOOM.....DOOM....DOOM.......


    That familiar sensation had instantly stopped him in his tracks, without even turning to identify the source, the man smiled. ¡°Well would you look at that...¡±


    A yellow gleam of hatred pierced through the surrounding darkness and the stronger those miniature tremors got, the heavier the air seemed to become. We all knew full well the meaning behind the odd sensation and yet, seeing the familiar beast emerge from the shadows was still daunting.


    The giant wolf hung it¡¯s head low, drool leaking from its¡¯ mouth like a geyser as it followed the bloody trail.


    ¡°So this is where you¡¯ve been Lucas, looks like you¡¯re just about to wrap things up.¡± Amaris¡¯ voice echoed from her saddled position.


    ¡°Yes, as you can see, I¡¯m pretty much done here but, what should we do with the other kid?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh that-¡± Stopping mid-sentence, Amaris leaned over to get a closer look at her companion. ¡°Wait...what¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± She asked with an outstretched finger.


    ¡°......don¡¯t tell me this half dead granny and those two brats somehow managed to get the drop on you.....¡±


    Unable to respond, Lucas could only look away in embarrassment.


    ¡°Pffft! Hahahahahahah! Hey, Hey, Gavin, Wallace...are you seeing this!? That¡¯s pathetic- Hahahaha!¡± Her laughter bounced off the barricade of surrounding trees in a mocking symphony that was only growing louder by the second.


    ¡°I have to admit, that is rather pathetic Lucas.¡± Ulric chimed in the moment his feet made contact with the lush soil.


    ¡°Nobody told me that kid was a mage alright! It was just a lucky shot.¡± Retorting out of anger, Lucas shot us a deadly gaze oozing with malice.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve known that from earlier, how else could he have moved like that?¡± Amaris¡¯ other guard, Wallace replied in her stead.


    Apparently, that wasn¡¯t enough of a reason to diffuse the conspicuous stares Lucas was now getting.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s got the old hag beat so I suppose we can let him off with just that. As for what to do though....¡± Ulric pondered aloud, completely unbothered by our presence.


    ¡°Ulric...I won¡¯t let you...take them.¡± Vreena bitterly spat through her bloodstained teeth.


    He formed a wicked smile after glancing over her current appearance. ¡°I know we were just mocking Lucas and all but you¡¯re actually the pathetic one here Vreena, I¡¯ll have a harder time catching those two kids than I¡¯ll have killing you.¡±


    He halted his approach after mulling over the details and finally clapped his hands together the moment some brilliant idea had sparked in his mind.


    ¡°Lucas this is your chance to redeem yourself, bring ¡®it¡¯ out¡±. Ulric¡¯s smile widened after giving that order, it could hardly even be called a ¡®smile¡¯ at this point, his expression was now treading the thin border between joy and sadism.


    ¡°Heh-Heh....I¡¯ll give you what you¡¯ve been asking for Vreena.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute Ulric! If you bring that out now, then it¡¯s going to use up all of my mana!¡± Amaris shouted after hopping off the large monster ¡°Can¡¯t we just make Tyrant eat them or something?¡±


    Her brother sighed before placing a hand on her head - ¡°Amaris, it¡¯s just for a little while, and besides, she¡¯s going to die anyway so why not send her off with the truth?¡±


    ¡°......Fine, but just for a bit.¡±


    After getting her approval, Ulric gave Lucas the nod to proceed. He walked over to the center of the clearing we were now standing in, a spot where the moonlight was able to perfectly shine through and clapped his hands together. The shadow beneath Lucas¡¯ feet began swirling like a muddy pond and after a while it expanded to form a large circle around him.


    It was only just then that I finally realized the true scope of Lucas¡¯s power after seeing him perform such an extraordinary feat, I was well aware that the quest to find the basilisk had been nothing more than a ruse this entire time but now that I was seeing it emerge from Lucas¡¯ shadow, it made the entire two week search in this forest seem like nothing more than some elaborate game of cat and mouse.


    The large serpent was seemingly being pulled from the depths of Lucas¡¯s shadow, but that was nothing compared to the figure that had emerged alongside the large beast. Clad in scantily placed armor, the man stepped forward to greet us with a casual smile.


    ¡°Yo Vreena, it looks like you¡¯re having a tough time.¡±


    Seeing that face must have shocked her back to life, even with the hollow breaths escaping her, she still managed to stammer the one word on her mind.


    ¡°.......Owen.....why?¡±

 Chapter 43 - Tide Turns

    Tide Turns


    <hr>


    Gleaming Obsidian scales, split pupil eyes scurrying to and fro in the hopes of spotting prey and a jaw so wide it could easily swallow the three of us whole.


    That was the true nature of the serpentine monster that had just emerged from Lucas¡¯ shadow. In terms of overall width, it was slightly smaller than the monster known as ¡®tyrant¡¯ but that inadequacy was easily accounted for by the sprawling length this monster boasted.


    The trees in this forest were both taller and wider than tyrant, and this basilisk could easily span more than half of the average length of these trees in a single go.


    Basically, it was just a really big snake; the only thing that made it a bit different from the serpentine creatures I was used to seeing were the two violet horns sprouting from either side of its head and the undoubtedly poisonous vapors subtly wafting from the corners of its jaws.


    And to think they were hiding this thing inside Lucas¡¯ shadow the entire time....


    ¡°T-that¡¯s the basilisk....the monster that almost killed Isaac?¡± Emma let those absent-minded thoughts slip through her lips, my back was turned to her but I could make a fairly accurate guess as to what she was feeling right now. In spite of all that¡¯s happened, I could only commend her for controlling her emotions to such a tame degree, at least I didn¡¯t have that to worry about right now.


    ¡°Captain Owen...why do you have that thing? No...why are you siding with those guys, they¡¯re trying to kill us you know...¡± she asked in a wailing voice, her disbelief was overpowering the instinctual denial swelling up within her.


    It must have been the same for Vreena as well, she couldn¡¯t say anything even after the whole truth had been laid bare before her very eyes.


    ¡°Looks like you owe them an explanation, captain~¡± Ulric mockingly added, his crude comment had in fact inspired laughter from the rest of their party, even Owen was now callously smirking at the thought of his own betrayal.


    ¡°Emma, the world of adults is a lot more complicated than you think. I¡¯m doing this for a cause, and I need the rune to achieve my goal, no ¨C I need you to achieve my goal, that¡¯s why I''ve been biding my time for all these years, but to think the prize was in front of me this whole time, no wonder Isaac was the only one who got seriously injured back then, this thing must have sensed the rune¡¯s essence coming from him.¡±


    Glancing up at the large serpent, he shrugged his shoulders in resignation, that was only something he could do if he was completely unfazed by the current situation.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Emma...you should-¡±


    A dull sound resounded the moment Owen began extending his hand towards the weeping child.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®achieve my goals¡¯, we¡¯re the ones who figured out the secret behind the rune so back off! We''ll be the ones who bring her back, it¡¯s first come first served remember.¡± Amaris scowled after slapping Owen¡¯s hand away in frustration.


    Owen glanced over to Ulric and awaited his input, but the man simply shrugged his shoulders, giving his half-hearted reply only after mulling over the dynamics of his two companions.


    ¡°She¡¯s right y¡¯know, that was what we initially agreed on after all.¡±


    ¡°But if that''s the case then I¡¯ve been here longer than all of you, and besides Amaris, I¡¯m the one who found this thing after Oliver injured it, so without me you wouldn¡¯t even have your precious pet basilisk right now!¡± He pointed to the fuming monster in irritation, but Amaris had no intention of accepting his retort.


    ¡°This and that are two different things Owen, we both needed the basilisk for this little ruse to work. The original plan was to cause chaos with these monsters and force them to use the power of the rune, but that¡¯s already failed twice so it doesn¡¯t count.¡±


    ¡°Owen!¡± Vreena¡¯s voiced cut through the stagnant air, drawing the attention of the dysfunctional party.


    ¡°.....What is it?¡± The man begrudgingly answered with a scornful gaze.


    ¡°These last five years, this town, your duty....did-did they all mean.....nothing to you?¡± Her dying voice was practically lacquered in sorrow.


    Emma¡¯s angst filled gaze flickered between the two adults in that instant, out of everyone here, she was undoubtedly the one most interested in the answer Owen was about to give.


    After heaving a heavy sigh in resignation his expression changed, it wasn¡¯t the usual half-hearted, monotone gestures he often forced himself to muster up, but instead, a genuine change.


    It was like the thin veil that had previously been covering his visage for all these years had finally cracked, melting off his face to reveal the true features of the man known as ¡°Owen Ryder.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little late to be asking that? It should''ve been obvious by now but, you people mean nothing to me. The only reason the majority of you are even still alive is because we didn¡¯t want to get the wardens involved, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Vreena¡¯s arms fell limply to her side after hearing those words, Emma on the other hand seemed to have completely blocked them out, her mind was in the midst of refuting the harsh reality of the current situation.


    ¡°Heh- Look at you, acting like a bigshot. I suppose we¡¯ll let you have your moment; this is one of the rare occasions where you actually get to shine for once.¡± Amaris jokingly added, covering her mouth in a fit of humor as her mischievous eyes glanced over the rogue knight.


    ¡°Huh? What was that? You need this rune to level up just as much as I do you little-¡±


    They were supposedly allies and yet the tension between them wasn¡¯t dissipating in the least, taking advantage of their tomfoolery, I steadily walked back over to the despair filled souls now slumped in the dirt.


    (Lady Vreena, can you use your any more spells? Even just one is fine but it has to be flashy....) I asked in a hushed tone. She lazily raised her head to glance at my upturned lips. I¡¯d thought a jovial expression was best for this sort of situation, but that faint smile had apparently drummed up a fresh batch more self-loathing inside the old woman.


    (¡°Liam...what exactly are you planning? I¡¯ve never...seen you smile like that before, aren¡¯t you scared?) The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    (¡°No, I¡¯m fine. These people aren¡¯t all that powerful and besides, I have an idea, but I''ll need a distraction to make it work, can you do that?¡±) Wiping the smile off my face, I matched her wincing gaze with a determined one of my own. It certainly wasn¡¯t normal for a four-year-old to be acting so calm in this situation, but this was an emergency, so the fallacious persona I had meticulously crafted over these last four years would unfortunately have to go.


    All bets were off right now.


    (¡°I think....I can, but....what exactly is this plan you just mentioned?) she asked, still grappling with the sudden shift in my demeanor.


    (............................)


    After I whispered that single sentence to her, Vreena¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    (¡°No Liam! Absolutely not! There¡¯s...no way I¡¯ll agree to something like that...¡±) Another one of her dry coughs sent blood splattering across both the ground and my clothes, she clenched her teeth in irritation before slamming a fist to the ground.


    (¡°Trust me, I can handle this. I pulled it off not too long ago even while carrying Emma remember? This forest has a lot more cover, so I¡¯ll be fine.¡±)


    After a few seconds, those words seemed to have cemented themself in her mind.


    She mustered up every ounce of strength left in her dying body, then her soul flickered in one last surge of defiance.


    Forcing herself to her feet with the aid of that well-worn wooden staff, her eyes once again cast a glimmer of hope.


    ¡°My goodness....I really am pathetic, to think I didn¡¯t realize something so obvious even after all these years. Thank you, Liam, you¡¯re one hell of a kid. Julia and Oliver definitely have something to be proud of.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this Vreena? I take it you¡¯re getting ready for one last hurrah?¡± Ulric asked in a condescending tone, but the old woman simply smiled in response.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame I never really got to teach you a lesson one-on-one Ulric, I¡¯m sure a brat like you could stand to learn a thing or two.¡± Vreena murmured as she slowly stumbled her way over to the large tree behind us, the footsteps carrying her there weren¡¯t being fueled by anger nor hatred, but instead, pure determination.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that...why don¡¯t you teach me in his stead?¡± Gavin replied, now coating both of his arms in gauntlets made of bedrock.


    She chuckled after hearing his response. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s much too late for that child.¡±


    Extending her free hand, she placed it on the well-aged bark of the old tree before silently whispering a command to the  winds in our surroundings. This was the crucial part, taking the chance, I moved to the forefront of our gathering, stopping directly behind Emma and placing a hand on her shoulder.


    Even while slumped, she was still taller than me.


    ¡°Liam huh? What¡¯s with that serious look on your face?¡± Owen asked in a mischievous tone.


    ¡°Ohh that¡¯s right, this brat was that guy¡¯s son....Oliver was it? It¡¯s just coming back to me. That bastard humiliated us a few weeks ago, but this is the perfect chance to get back at him, let¡¯s go sell his kid as a slave.¡± Amaris enthusiastically added, clapping her hands together in a fit of joy.


    ¡°Well, his mother is a druid, so he¡¯ll probably fetch a high price....alright, let¡¯s go with that.¡± Ulric nonchalantly chimed in.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait....I owe that kid some payback, he almost knocked a few of my teeth loose!¡±


    ¡°Ahhh...well I suppose that¡¯s doable. Lucas you¡¯ll get your chance to redeem yourself but just don¡¯t kill him, we need his body in working condition alright?¡±


    ¡°Gotcha!¡± Slamming his fist into his open palm, the man nodded in agreement. These humans were actually brazen enough to discuss my own demise right in front of my face, what an amusing bunch.


    I inhaled a deep breath before addressing the despair filled child that now seemed to be rejecting the entire world.


    ¡°Emma, these people are planning to destroy us for their own gain, they killed your father, injured your brother and now they want you. You have something they want, and they came here because of that. It doesn¡¯t matter if Owen was someone you were close to, he¡¯s your enemy now and that won¡¯t ever change, but......¡±


    She turned to face me with a bit of vigor now being clearly conveyed through her teary eyes. After that brief exchange, I could easily tell that she wanted to respond based on her trembling lips but unfortunately, that reply would have to wait.


    ¡°.....It¡¯s not your fault, that¡¯s just how humans are.¡±


    Following those words, I overwhelmed the essence of Emma¡¯s soul with a fraction of my own, knocking her out in the process. It was a risky move and one I hadn¡¯t ever tried before but with this weakened soul of mine, I was able to pull it off.


    She fell limply into my arms as I lifted her body and carried it back over to Vreena¡¯s side.


    ¡°O-oi Liam....what was that just now?¡± Owen asked, his tone laced with confusion.


    ¡°You can¡¯t escape all of us, there¡¯s nowhere to run, give it up kid.¡± Ulric spat in irritation.


    But just then, as if perfectly on cue, Vreena had responded to him in my stead.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s always a way..........I¡¯m ready Liam.¡±


    ¡°Shit! She still had enough strength left to use magic!?¡± Ulric shouted in disbelief after sensing the abrupt surge in Vreena¡¯s mana.


    ¡°Heh-Heh-Heh.....You were right Ulric; this is my last hurrah, so you can bet I¡¯ll make it count.¡±


    A malicious swirl of dense air immediately enveloped us both at the root of the large tree, but this time it was a lot weaker and a lot less turbulent than the spells she¡¯d been using mere moments ago. From behind the barricading borders of the rabid air, I saw the figures of the Br¨¹nnhilde members arming themself in response to Vreena¡¯s taunt.


    ¡°I really am sorry about this Liam....¡± Her somber voice was surprisingly clear inside the tempestuous space.


    ¡°Heh - Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll manage.¡± She shifted her concerned gaze between me and the armed foes on the other side of the barrier, a deep look of hesitation and regret were now present in her listless eyes, but she still decided to press on all the same.


    Channeling the last semblances of her built-up mana into the hand she¡¯d been resting on the giant tree behind us, she issued yet another command to the swirling winds.


    ¡°Tempest Cutter.¡±


    The swirl of wind previously surrounding us was instantly sucked into the tight space between her wrinkled palm and the large tree, and the moment she applied pressure to her palm, the recoil from her attack instantly spawned a dust cloud around us and an ominous hacking sound followed suit.


    The strange noise was in fact coming from the roots of the large tree, it echoed like a creature awakening from a long slumber, but it was in fact the sound of the condensed air digging its way through the century old timber. Within seconds, a large crescent shape hole had been hollowed out on its right side, and shortly after that the gargantuan mass of lumber came tumbling down to the Earth.


    ¡°Crap! Take Cover!¡± That was the only command Owen could give before the slanted tree fell horizontally, creating a makeshift blockade that sectioned off this portion of the forest.


    ¡°Damn it, where¡¯d they go!?¡± Ulric yelled amidst the subsiding tremors, but before anyone could even respond to him, the freshly felled mass of lumber immediately sparked into a bright orange color.


    ¡°How......?¡± Amaris murmured, her jaw now slipping as her mouth fell open in astonishment. ¡°Damn It! Everybody form up, we can¡¯t let them get away!¡±


    Owen once again bellowed another order, but now it was finally my turn to respond to these panicked cries.


    ¡°No need to panic captain, I haven¡¯t gone anywhere.¡±


    With the raging flames of the burning timber now bright at my back, I made my way over towards the dysfunctional party with a rather crude looking blade strewn across my shoulder.

 Chapter 43.5 - Soliloquy - Deaths Detour

    Death''s Detour


    <hr>


    In the short span of these past few minutes, a startling realization had once again dawned on me. It seems I''d gotten careless after emerging in this world as a supposedly ¡®new¡¯ being, but in reality, nothing had changed. To my own detriment, I was still viewing the people around me as being nothing more than mere mortals, the exact same way I had viewed them back when I was still walking around as a skeletal frame. They were nothing more than amusing puzzle pieces to me, and that century old mindset had withstood the test of time and was now following me across worldly boundaries.


    Still, that was a mistake, because of my own carelessness, Vreena was dying. It wouldn¡¯t have been that big of a deal had I not been graced by her presence so often but, at some point, she had become a normal part of this new life I¡¯d somehow wound up with. Only now did I realize that I¡¯d been taking that for granted, and she was now paying the price for it with her short, mortal life.


    Yet in her own mind, she was still berating herself at the thought of leaving me behind like that, when in reality, this situation was all my fault. She was forced into the role of both a guardian and protector for the sake of me and Emma all because I was careless and weak.


    This place wasn¡¯t like Eden, I was no longer someone looking down on them from above, from the moment Liam Rocco was born I was simply just another mortal meant to reside on these lands just like any other.


    I was somewhat gifted, but that still didn¡¯t change anything, in fact, it only served to drive home a crucial point even further.  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    I couldn¡¯t ¡®save¡¯ anyone. Not Luelle, not Vreena, not even the countless lives I¡¯ve watched dwindle away over the passing centuries. The very notion of me even having these conflicting thoughts in the first place was starting to seem ludicrous, there was no cure for death and there certainly wasn''t any escaping it either. I should know that better than anyone.....


    And yet, something about the thought of watching the lives of the people closest to me being toyed with and simply waste away in front of my very eyes just didn¡¯t sit right with me. It wasn¡¯t something I was especially prone to before, but that sinking feeling was becoming all the more pronounced ever since I''d incarnated into this body.


    Were these feelings even my own to begin with?


    I couldn''t tell, but it didn¡¯t matter, I was stuck with them either way. This incorporeal sensation was probably just some sort of delayed reminder, a mechanism put in place to once again force feed me the harsh truth I''d almost forgotten about.


    The truth about this ¡®power¡¯.


    With the power I wielded, whether it was magic or not, the most I could do was just wave my arms around and bathe in the blood splatter. That was the sole purpose behind my existence, the entire reason I was even created in the first place, up until I sensed Vreena¡¯s life force depleting just now, not once had the thought of ¡®saving¡¯ anybody ever cross my mind.


    Perhaps I was just a fool, a listless phantom bequeathed by the gods, now searching for a place among the mortals. Whatever the case was, I refuse to just let things end like this. The mortals were right, old habits really do die hard.


    The only things these hands of mine were ever good for were killing and reaping, but right now, those two things were all I needed.

 Chapter 44 - Deathmatch - Part One

    Deathmatch(1)


    <hr>


    My footsteps carried an odd sense of heaviness as I approached the six people pompously staring me down with their faces drenched in utter confusion, but I wasn¡¯t paying much attention to their theatrics right now....In fact, I wasn¡¯t paying that much attention to anything other than the flickering lights swaying inside their bodies. My vision was already locked onto the image of their souls so right now all other forms of excess information were being filtered out. I could feel the heat from the recently collapsed pyre on the right side of my face, but it wasn¡¯t enough to evoke any sort of reaction from me.


    The only thing my mind was actually paying any attention to was the image of the six ¡®targets¡¯ now standing before me.


    ¡°KRIIIIEEEKKKK!!!!¡±


    ¡°H-hey, Gorgon, settle down! It¡¯s just a little fire!¡± Amaris frantically yelled at the large serpent now thrashing about in a fit. After turning his head to glance back at the hissing monster, Owen returned his narrowed sights to my approaching visage.


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re using the flames from that tree to act as camouflage for Vreena¡¯s escape by dulling the basilisk¡¯s sense of temperature. Not bad, not bad at all.¡± He didn¡¯t sound particularly dissatisfied by that revelation, but he clearly wasn¡¯t amused either.


    ¡°W-wait, you¡¯re saying he¡¯s here to buy time for Vreena¡¯s escape? That¡¯s ridiculous he¡¯s just a kid.¡± Amaris retorted in indifference.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him Amaris, I heard he recently awakened as a mage, but I don¡¯t know the specifics of his awakening. We can all see for ourselves what he just did to Lucas, and it goes without saying but, he¡¯s not completely harmless so we might have to cop off a limb or two just to be safe....¡±


    ¡°Pfffft! Hahahahaha! To think that woman, the town elder would abandon him here like that all to save her own skin, you¡¯re really having a rough day kid; I almost feel bad for you - Hey wait.....come to think of it, Lucas isn¡¯t that your sword he¡¯s holding?¡± Gavin enthusiastically chimed in. That tonality didn¡¯t match up well with the earth woven gauntlets now clinging to his arms at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Gavin, he won¡¯t be holding anything much longer.¡± That irksome remark came from my left, and it belonged to none other than my primary target.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t abandon me.¡± I replied flatly.


    ¡°Huh? You say that but you¡¯re here all by yourself right now. Don¡¯t you know what abandonment is, or are you still too young for that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here by myself because I chose to remain as a decoy. I was just supposed to get your attention with some flashy magic and then run off, but I¡¯m not going to do that, I wasn¡¯t ever planning to.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you saying you plan to fight all six of us by yourself then, Liam? You¡¯ve barely been a mage for two weeks. This must be hard for you to understand since you¡¯re still a child, but you can¡¯t possibly win, you should have just-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll win. You people aren¡¯t all that powerful, and besides, I knew I¡¯d end up fighting you sooner or later Owen.¡±


    ¡°Owen! Are you stupid or what!? This is exactly what they want, the rune girl is getting away!¡± Another high-pitched scowl came from the fuming Amaris, at this point she was starting to seem even more bloodthirsty than the two monsters under her control.


    ¡°Wait Amaris, Vreena¡¯s injured so she won¡¯t be making it very far and that Oliver guy is distracted right now so we¡¯re not in that much of a hurry.¡± Ulric interjected, still maintaining his nonchalant posture.


    ¡°....Alright if you say so.¡±


    ¡°Its six of us against one rookie mage that hasn¡¯t even gotten his adult teeth yet, we¡¯ll finish this up in no time.¡± Ulric remarked in his ever-confident tone.


    ¡°And besides, I want to know what he meant by that just now, you made it sound as if you were suspecting Owen from the very beginning.¡±


    ¡°I did, it was obvious to me, but I suppose Vreena and the others trusted him far too much to ever cast those suspicions onto him.¡±


    ¡°What gave it away?¡± The disgruntled knight asked with a grimace.


    ¡°That.¡± I pointed to the vapors subtly leaking from the corners of the Basilisk¡¯s jaws. ¡°You said that your radical ability was regeneration, but if you think about it, that power would almost be completely useless against this monster.¡±


    Ignoring the sound of his clenching fists, I continued.


    ¡°When Isaac was getting healed, my mother had to extract the poison from his body before she could heal the actual wound, and Vreena herself had mentioned just how contagious the vapors from that poison were. That being said, if your power was actually regeneration then it would have certainly had some effect on you, after all, regeneration is mostly just for healing physical wounds, not dealing with toxins. Yet you somehow managed to miraculously fight off this monster that ambushed your entire unit with poison gas and haul the infected bodies back to town all by yourself? That¡¯s absurd.¡±


    ¡°Well done, that¡¯s a pretty solid deduction kid. He¡¯s been one step ahead of you this entire time Owen. He¡¯s not just some ordinary brat after all.¡± Ulric added, slowly clapping his hands together as if to emphasize Owen¡¯s oversight.


    ¡°No matter, this will all be over in a minute-¡±


    ¡°Mortals, allow me to share something interesting with you.¡± My stern voice immediately cut off whatever directive Owen was about to dish out. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Did he just call us...mortals?¡± Amaris murmured aloud for the first time after falling off the trails of our conversation long ago.


    ¡°I assume you know what reincarnation is, yes?¡±


    The two men both gave me a stifled nod, stepping back almost instinctually after sensing the subtle escape of the ominous power I¡¯d been trying my very best to contain.


    ¡°To put it simply, reincarnation is just a way for you mortals to experience the world under a different frame, providing that your souls were deserving of it of course. But for such a thing to happen, there needed to be a ¡®system¡¯ in place to guide those souls or else everyone who died would be granted the same opportunity, a second chance at life, whether they were saints or sinners.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, I glanced at their fear-stricken faces before continuing the eulogy.


    ¡°However, this world doesn¡¯t have a ¡®system¡¯ in place for reincarnation. When you die here, you either pass on or you end up stuck in Limbo for eons before your ego finally dries up and puts an end to your existence. Either way, your soul will end up being assimilated by nature itself after all¡¯s said and done - There is no ¡®second chance¡¯ here.¡±


    Lifting the bloodstained blade off my shoulder, I aligned its jagged tip with the head of my traitorous foes. ¡°That means after I kill you lot, you won¡¯t have any hope of ever coming back to the mortal plane as a living being. Rejoice mortals; you lot get to have the pleasure of being the first set of humans I''ll kill with my own two hands.¡±


    As if to emphasize that revelation, the crackling flames at my back suddenly flared up in accordance, flashing a brilliant veil of orange light across the fearful figures standing across from me.


    ¡°.....O-Owen, are you sure he¡¯s just four years old? Don¡¯t druids have ridiculously long lifespans or something? I get the feeling he¡¯s not acting his age.¡± I heard Ulric¡¯s stuttery murmur as he took yet another step backwards.


    ¡°Yes I¡¯m sure....But you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know what this dark feeling is, not even Oliver has an aura this fierce.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? Are you two freaking serious right now? We¡¯re wasting time here!¡± Lucas shouted in contempt. After abandoning his position on my left, he approached me with malicious intent oozing from every pore in his body.


    ¡°Ulric I¡¯ll deal with this kid! He might be able to use a little magic but it¡¯s nothing I can''t handle.¡± Loosening his joints as he approached, Lucas casually stepped inside the ethereal glow of burning timber that was now shimmering throughout the humming forest.


    ¡°Alright brat, it¡¯s payback time.¡± he said with a sneer, glancing briefly at the spot below his feet before locking eyes with me.


    I flicked four of my outstretched fingers at him a few times, mimicking the gesture I¡¯d seen Oliver often use as if to say ¡®Come on¡¯.


    His gritted teeth clenched with rage, disregarding anything but his own killing intent, Lucas crouched down low before charging towards me like a wild beast. Infusing my body with mana, I did the very same, kicking off the ground with my right leg and dashing towards him at an almost inhuman speed.


    Before our bodies could collide in a blunt display of pure barbaric force, I ducked under his right hand that was no doubt aiming to grab me by the neck. I used my left hand to deflect his outstretched appendage and watched as his stance shifted to accommodate the sudden change in his position.


    Twirling the hilt of the jagged blade in my right hand, I thrust the crimson coated tip of the blade towards his neck, but the blade¡¯s trajectory was abruptly halted mere inches away from its target. Lucas¡¯ free hand was now firmly gripping the blade by it''s jagged edges and without wasting any time, he immediately took advantage of the current opportunity. Following through with his attack, he grappled on to my left hand after swiftly adjusting the course of the arm I¡¯d deflected just now.


    ¡°~Gotcha~¡± That cheeky remark was underscored by the crushing force of his mana enhanced appendages now clamping down on my wrists.


    With both hands now bound I had no other choice, planting my feet firm on the ground, I extended my body back as far as possible all while ignoring the split sensation of pain from the skin being peeled off my wrists. The second these joints of mine had reached their limit, I willed mana into my legs and directed the entirety of that physical force into adjusting my tilted posture.


    My body sprang up from the ground like a frightened sparrow, but Lucas was still maintaining a firm grip on my limbs, a feat which was even better than anything I could have hoped for. Taking advantage of the limbs now holding me captive, I flung my head back whilst still airborne and with nowhere else to go, I slammed my forehead into Lucas¡¯ skull with the force of a cannonball.


    ¡°Wha-¡± That faint murmur was the only thing he could utter in the wake of his eyes glazing over. Just now I felt a subtle shift in the hard structure of his skull as if it were sinking, and a spurt of blood was now spewing from my forehead, but I forced my body to press on without giving him any time to recover.


    Twirling the jagged blade in my now free hand, I took advantage of gravity and put the entirety of my bodyweight behind a singular thrust, stabbing straight through his knee and pinning him to the ground in a sickening display of brutal force.


    A weak groan escaped his throat, but I wasn¡¯t expecting much more from someone who¡¯d already lost consciousness.


    Dry gasps of shock were now coming from his comrades, but before any of them could come to his aid I was already executing my next move. Just as Oliver had taught me, I quickly cycled through my arsenal as if I was switching gears in my mind. In less than a second, my desired affinity had solidified itself at the forefront of my consciousness as the flashing sparks that were conduit to the very wrath of the heavens.


    Soon after, red crackles and sparks began springing up from my bangs, serving as the prequel to the surge of lightning that would soon envelope my body in a torrent of power. Without wasting a moment, I tightened my grip on the blade now fastened in Lucas¡¯s knee as I channeled the entirety of the destructive force now surging through my veins into one massive electrical discharge.


    The excessive force behind those sparks had sent even his comrades startling back, but as soon as the dust cleared, they¡¯d all quickly come to the same harrowing realization.


    Lucas was dead.


    Watching the fading embers of his soul finally flicker out of existence was something I was dead set on seeing with my own two eyes and after that last blow, he certainly wouldn¡¯t ever be drawing breath again.


    ¡°Haaah.....¡± I exhaled a warm puff of smoke much like what was now wafting from the charred body in the small crater at my feet. The once proud mercenary was now nothing but another stiff corpse in my path, even the burning timber behind me had more lushness to it than whatever the thing staring up at me in horror was supposed to be.


    Both his skin and hair had been burned off and without closer inspection, you¡¯d have a hard time figuring out if this corpse was even supposed to be human or not. The only clues you had to go on was the rather putrid scent still coming from it, along with the sound of whatever bodily fluids he had left evaporating.


    Plucking the crude blade from the charred corpse of its master, I turned the murderous red gleam in my eyes over to the rest of his comrades. I approached them with the blade firmly gripped in my right hand, its tip just barely angled above ground. They stared at me in shock as if they were still trying to process what had just happened but the next words I spoke seemed to have snapped them all out of that shared delusion.


    ¡°One Down.¡±

 Chapter 45 - Deathmatch - Part Two

    Deathmatch(2)


    <hr>


    Out of these six targets Lucas was undoubtedly the one I needed to get rid of the fastest, that shadow technique had the potential to single-handedly turn the tide of this fight against me. It was no doubt powerful, but I''d seen it far too many times to dismiss all the potential weaknesses that came along with it.


    The first was the fact that his technique heavily relied on ambient lighting, if there was no light then no shadows would be cast, that was why he¡¯d been stuck inside Vreena¡¯s shadow for so long without being able to make any moves. He couldn¡¯t manipulate the ¡®shape¡¯ of his own shadow or other people¡¯s shadows either, the most he could do was just use them as a medium to hide himself and wait for his chance to attack.


    The most dangerous part of that power though, was its ability to act as a separate space for storage, that was what they¡¯d used to mask the presence of these two monsters when breaking into Zale. I¡¯m not sure if there was any kind of limit to it, but there was always the chance that he could simply just shove all of his comrades into his own shadow and use that as a means of escape.


    It was a possibility, but it wasn¡¯t likely, I knew that much from the moment I watched him retrieve the basilisk from his shadow, in order to pull that off he was forced to make use of the light raining down through the clearing.


    That could only mean one thing, he needed to be directly under some significant amount of light in order to fully utilize the power to store things in his shadow, that was why he couldn¡¯t just pull Vreena and Emma into his shadow earlier, the light being cast by the moon was too dim, and on top of that it was being filtered out by the treetops here.


    Since it was already dark out, I could have simply just fought him whilst avoiding the bright spots in the forest, but that would put me at a disadvantage and open my defenses up to numerous blind spots. It was best I avoided that and in reality, that¡¯s what the burning tree was actually for.


    Owen¡¯s deduction wasn¡¯t completely wrong, I had in fact heard something about snakes being sensitive to temperature but that was just a bonus if anything.


    The real reason I started that fire was to make use of the light it would produce, since those flames were burning at ground level, it meant that Lucas¡¯ shadow would be cast behind him, and since he couldn¡¯t manipulate its shape then it wasn¡¯t feasible for him to use it as a trap. There was still the possibility of him using it to submerge himself though, so as a precaution I decided to pin him to the ground to prevent that.


    All in all, it was his own arrogance that led him down the path of his own demise but judging by the all the killing intent now being directed towards me, it was blatantly clear that I wouldn¡¯t be getting so lucky again.


    The faces that were coated into confusion and fear just moments ago had instantly morphed into something far more sinister, their pent-up rage was practically being transmitted through the air and the first one to act on that unstable emotion was Gavin.


    ¡°Change of plans Owen, I¡¯m killing him right now!¡±


    Quickly lowering himself into a frog-like stance, he placed his palm on the ground to act as a support beam for his strange posture. After exhaling a short breath of the hate filled air inside his lungs, he applied mana to the ground by using his arm as a conduit.


    A dull tremor quaked the small clearing I stood in, the pebbles and plants danced in its wake as though they were being forced into submission by the power of nature¡¯s whims.


    There was a sudden shift in the air filling the space around him, it sent jarring cracks sweeping cross the ground before his body was abruptly launched into the air after the spot beneath him fragmented into a jagged rock formation that was forced upright by some unseen power, it flicked him away like a giant catapult.


    My vision was locked onto the image of his body as it soared across the moonlit battlefield, but that wasn¡¯t the only source of danger brewing in the works for me.


    ¡°Damn it!! Forget this, Wallace follow my lead ¨C Gorgon Kill him!¡± Amaris barked those orders in rage, not sadness.


    In response to the oncoming onslaught, I pivoted the entirety of my weight onto my right leg just in time to dive out of the spot Gavin¡¯s stone clad fist had just made contact with.


    The crushing impact from that blow unleashed a wave of pressure and debris in the wake of the large crater that had just been created. My body was sent skidding back after that crushing blow, the fragments of debris still coming my way were relentless and it was practically impossible to dodge them all so the best course of action was to deflect what I could with the sword in my hand.


    Yet even that still wasn¡¯t enough, the screeching hiss of a large predator echoed from beyond the dust cloud blocking my view, without wasting any more time I immediately gave way to its oncoming charge and pushed forward with a leap, before instantly transitioning that motion into a twirl mid¨Cair, and as my body adjusted itself to my now rotating motion, I felt a violent rush of the wind whiff pass my abdomen as the fangs from the Basilisk¡¯s loose jaws ripped open the front end of the shirt I was wearing.


    A loud crash echoed from behind me, and although I was in no position to turn around, I could easily tell that the monster had chomped through the large tree that was once standing proud behind me.


    Once again ignoring the sound of quaking timber I continued the charge, fully intent on taking advantage of the dissipating dust cloud. What was left of my bloodstained shirt soon flapped off my body the moment I began putting more force into these small steps.


    With a well-timed leap my body flew over the bending barrier of hard scales separating me from Gavin, the dust was still rising from his attack but that wouldn¡¯t be an issue, I could still see the image of his soul flickering from inside the crater. From what I could tell, he was stuck, he¡¯d gotten careless earlier with that opening attack and put too much force behind it so now his fist was buried beneath the ruins of his own creation.


    I angled the horizontal edge of the jagged blade in my hand, fully intending to lop off his head but mere seconds away from taking his life an ¡°X¡± shaped blast of frigid winds collided with my body, forcing me to change my approach and instead orient the blade vertically to dissipate the force behind the attack.


    It was somewhat successful, but my body was sent bouncing across the ground, I was only able to regain my position after jamming the blade into the ground and using it as a crutch to support my body.


    ¡°Tch! Just a little more¡± My tongue clicked in frustration.


    Although I had blocked the attack just now, I didn¡¯t exactly get off scotch free. Two thin lines had now been carved into my forearms, splitting them open and allowing another fresh batch of my blood to pour out.


    My breathing was getting heavier by the second and these eyes of mine weren¡¯t holding up too well either, it seemed as if everything in my line of sight was slowly being distorted.


    I guess this is what happens when you start losing too much blood. The sooner I put an end to this, the better it was for everyone.


    After raising my head, I was finally able to spot the one who¡¯d initiated that troublesome attack just now. Even with my vision now being stained red from my own blood, I wouldn¡¯t ever mistake that face ¨C It was Ulric.


    ¡°Not today kid!¡± He shouted through gritted teeth before lowering his stance and clutching onto the blade angled at his hip, no doubt preparing to unleash more of those slashes at me.


    In the midst of Ulric¡¯s charge, the sound of quaking rubble came from the crater on my right and not long after, Gavin leaped out of the earthen dent in the ground. He knocked his gauntlets together as if to exacerbate the hidden meaning of the bloodthirsty look in his eyes.


    Dead ahead, at the back of their formation, the mage known as Wallace had finished chanting his spell beside Amaris. He had conjured six flaming orbs that were dancing in the space in front of him.


    Without a doubt those orbs would be sent flying over here in a bid to destroy me and as if that wasn¡¯t enough, the Basilisk had recovered from its charge just now and was now slithering around to position itself right in front of me.


    Ulric, Gavin, Amaris, and Wallace huh.....


    Owen was the only one here who wasn¡¯t bearing any fangs at me, but I wasn¡¯t particularly upset about that.


    His time was coming.


    I sucked a deep breath of air into my lungs in a bid to stave off the chaos being stirred up inside my body, my eyes were still focused on the targets in front of me but for some reason they decided not to attack me in those ten seconds. After what just happened to their comrade, they were probably being more careful this time around.


    That was all I needed though, after releasing that breath of exhaustion my vision was beginning to stabilize. The best part about it was the fact that the mirror images I''d been seeing were now overlapping onto a singular figure. This temporary state of cohesion definitely wouldn¡¯t last long, but I still needed to strike while the iron was hot.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    At my word the large serpent reared its head, slowly climbing higher and higher into the air as if to cement the staggering difference in our stature. The beast had once again loosened its large maw to reveal two jagged rows of bloodstained teeth that wafted with the scent of decay. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to label the scene in front of me as being the literal ¡®jaws of death.¡¯


    ¡°Go Gorgon!¡± Amaris¡¯ command had served as our starting signal.


    In a flash, I sidestepped the bull-headed charge coming my way, only managing to narrowly avoid getting caught between the Basilisk¡¯s jaws and the fertile soil. The impact was one so great my feet had been temporarily lifted off the ground but the instant I regained my balance I broke into a maddening dash.


    I wasn¡¯t heading towards my foes but instead I chose to run parallel to the rows of sprawling trees on my right. It would be foolish to charge in there given the current situation and with things now being the way they were, Brunhilde was sure to chase after me. Before I could even clear my first twenty steps a shiver ran up my spine as if my sixth sense had just been activated.


    Without even looking I could already tell that a large torrent of magic was now heading my way, and the only thing I could do in response was increase the dwindling amount of mana I had pumping through this body.


    Ramping up the speed of my dash, I shoddily executed almost every evasive maneuver the human body was capable of in a bid to keep my body in one piece.


    Running, jumping, ducking, rolling.... One after the other I switched tactic after tactic as the magical torrent of fire, wind and earth tore through the rows of trees I was now speeding past.


    As soon as I''d gotten enough distance, I hastily changed directions, once again pivoting on my right leg and using the force generated from my abrupt motion as the means to propel myself up the large tree on my right.


    That initial leap only got me about a quarter of the way up, but it was enough, the second my feet made contact with the rough bark I defied gravity through sheer grit and effort, running along the tree¡¯s surface like a small animal fleeing from its natural predator.


    The magical torrent was slowly starting to subside given the distance I¡¯d put between us, but a quick glance out of the corner of my eye alerted me of the oncoming approach of both Gavin and the Basilisk monster. The large serpent was already slithering its way up the tree bark and as for Gavin, he was getting ready to execute that crude catapult maneuver.


    Right on cue, the dull ¡®pop¡¯ sound erupted from his direction, no doubt indicating that he¡¯d already launched himself over here.


    He was surprisingly accurate with that technique because not only did he clear all the distance I''d put between us in such a short time, but he was also heading right for me.


    Just as planned, I slowed the pace of my dash as I approached the peak of the large tree. The moment my body was perfectly aligned with his trajectory, I performed a hasty twirl and leaped towards him. Gavin¡¯s eyes winced in shock for a second but through sheer rage he managed to overpower the brief surge of that emotion.


    Now that we were both airborne and a good distance away from his comrades, I could finally follow through with what I was on the verge of doing just moments earlier.


    I knew he¡¯d be the first one to chase after me given his nature and though it may have seemed like the optimum choice, it was a mistake.


    None of his comrades could cast spells that boosted their speed like what Vreena had been doing, and his catapult trick was seemingly the only way to cut off my retreat.


    However, Gavin was an earth mage, one who couldn¡¯t properly project his magic at that and right now we were both airborne, away from his comrades. There was no way for him to change directions midair or even effectively counterattack.


    In this situation, taking his life was childsplay.


    After ducking under the earth-shattering blow headed my way, I deflected the poor excuse for a punch coming from his left hand with the flat of Lucas¡¯ blade. Though the attack itself was bad, it still sent a jarring amount of force up my arm, his lack of control over his own power was almost astonishing.


    Still, now he was wide open, and the panic was finally starting to cement itself in his mind. That realization had come far too late. Tightening my grip on his comrade¡¯s weapon, I jammed the jagged tip into his throat, ignoring the spurt of blood that was splashed on my face out of reflex.


    Gravity had taken notice of both our combined weight and position and just like that we were both now falling towards the ground like a comet. Using my own body weight, I pushed the soon to be corpse over on its back in the midst of our descent, before climbing atop it and plucking the bloodied weapon from its throat.


    Gravity was the least of my problems right now.


    ¡°KRIIIIEEEEK!!!!!!¡±


    The now familiar screech of the basilisk rang in my ears before the monster ultimately revealed itself after coiling around the large tree like some kind of ancient guardian. It was still fully intent of killing me even if that meant snatching my body from the air.


    The creature hadn¡¯t slithered all the way up the tree¡¯s span, but it was instead waiting for us halfway up its reach and extending its head outwards like a predatory branch, waiting for me to fall within the range of those lethal fangs.


    This evasion would once again be close, just like what happened when it tore my clothes earlier, but this time, I was ready.


    The moment we entered its domain, the monster''s neck sprang out at us as if it were a spectral horror, but with the use of my new foothold, Gavin, I was able to evade the monstrous prowl just in time. Just as before, the scaly figure narrowly passed me by, but before it could devour the lifeless body now being thrown about in the wind, I took advantage of its own short-sighted hunger and jammed the blade into its eye socket.


    ¡°Vreaaaaaaah!!!!!¡±


    The cries of agony coming from this thing were almost unbearable, but it was now or never. With the amount of mana I had, I could only use lightning magic one more time and I was saving that for later. I held on to the blade in its eye socket for dear life, ignoring its tossing and flailing about as the monster rocked the very roots of the tree it was now coiling around.


    ¡°Come on, Come onnnnnnn.......¡±


    I clenched my teeth and forced my eyes shut in frustration, summoning the last remnants of power from the very depths of my being. As soon as my mana was spiking again, I switched gears and channeled it into the blade now in my hands, it sparked into a bright orange color.


    The basilisk¡¯s tantrum was ramping up, but I could feel the blade cutting through the marrow of its very bones. Whilst holding on to my weapon, I used my feet to push off the creature¡¯s scales and channel the entirety of my bodyweight into the weapon now sparking with flames.


    ¡°HAAAAAH!!!!¡±


    The more force I applied to the blade in my hand, the more I could feel my body sliding downwards as the blade cut through the creature''s skull. Then, I felt it, as if I¡¯d just passed some breaking point, the initial resistance I was feeling immediately disappeared, and my body began following the path of the crude cut now being carved into its frame. My blade was cleaving through its body like a river flowing downhill, smooth and relentless. The pressure vanished, replaced by the sickening ease of slicing through flesh and bone.


    Before cutting through the tail end of its body, I removed the blade and leaped off what I could only assume to be a dead monster. The vigor of life had now left its limbs, so the basilisk¡¯s coiled body abruptly loosened itself before falling to the ground in a tangled heap of scales and sinew. The impact from that fall was relatively tame compared to the ones from all the explosions that were being thrown around earlier.


    ¡°A-are you serious? Did he really just kill both of them...¡±


    ¡°No way...no way this is real.¡±


    Muffled voices were coming from the stunned faces up ahead, but I wasn¡¯t able to tell them apart thanks to all that screeching earlier.


    Gathering my breath as I sped towards them, I angled the now chipped blade behind me as I prepared to even the odds.


    ¡°He¡¯s coming back! Get ready to fire again Wallace, Owen and I will hold him off!¡± Ulric dashed at me with a thirst for murder in his eyes, but he wasn¡¯t exactly a priority right now.


    In response to my approach, he and Owen came storming at me from both sides, but just before they could get in my way, I stopped myself by placing my right foot in front of me and using it as an anchor. Then, I leaned my body back and channeled my fire magic into the sword I was now angling like a javelin.


    It seems they¡¯d both caught on to my intentions, but it was too late.


    Ulric stooped himself and flung his head behind him at an almost unnatural angle, his voice teemed with angst as he spat a lethal order at the man standing next to his sister - ¡°Wallace, protect Amaris, he¡¯s aiming for her! You two hop on tyrant and get out of her-¡±


    Before he could finish, I aligned the burning weapon with my shoulder blade before launching it towards my target with Herculean might. Ulric and Owen both attempted to get between the blade and its target, but they were both off by a fraction of a second. It shot past them in a brilliant glow of defiance, cutting through the air with heated precision as it locked on to the duo at the back of their formation.


    Amaris squatted down, using her hands to cover her head like a defenseless child and Wallace, her supposed bodyguard, looked as if he didn¡¯t even know what was happening. A ranged mage such as himself could never hope to counter an attack of such speed.


    With a loud ¡®BANG¡¯, the burning blade was fragmented in a momentary flash of glory, sending its metallic fragments scattering across the battlefield. As for Amaris, she was still trembling in fear for a few seconds, but after barely managing to open her eyes and take note of her own body, tears of joy had begun gliding down her cheeks.


    ¡°He missed...?¡± Ulric absentmindedly uttered, embracing the crooked smile that was now starting to form on his face. But after realizing the true intent behind my attack earlier, that melodic expression soon began contorting into one of sheer horror.


    His lips were quivering, and it looked as if he didn¡¯t even know how to get the words out of his own throat, but after stumbling forward, he barely managed to utter his sister¡¯s name.


    ¡°A-Amaris watch out-!!!!!¡±


    SPLAT


    A disgusting sound filled the air, it was the kind of thing you¡¯d only hear when flesh was being crushed. It quieted the raging sounds of battle and had now filled the atmosphere with the somber melody of despair.


    None of them moved, they were all staring in horror at the sight of their once haughty comrade Amaris....or at least what was left of her. The top half of the girl¡¯s body had seemingly vanished, leaving only a crimson fountain of blood to spew out from her waist and soil what was supposed to be a silk white dress beyond recognition.


    Now adamantly towering over her corpse was the giant wolf she¡¯d been making use of this entire time; its fur was originally white but right now the entirety of its snout had been dyed in the same color as the fluids seeping from Amaris¡¯ body.


    After my last attack destroyed the collar previously keeping this monster captive, the vindictive gleam of hatred in its eyes had grown even brighter despite the source of it already being dealt with.


    Ulric¡¯s armored fist pounded the lush grass in disbelief, he was finally starting to see the true meaning behind my attack just now. In reality, I wasn¡¯t aiming for her, but rather, the artifact being used to keep that monster prisoner. The fact that she¡¯d even needed to use such a thing in the first place was an obvious warning sign, but one I was happy to take advantage of.


    As the remaining three members of Brunhilde watched on in horror, I drew their attention back to me for what would now be the last time.


    ¡°That makes three.¡±

 Chapter 45.5 - Soliloquy - A Fruitless Endeavor

    A Fruitless Endeavor


    <hr>


    OWEN RYDER


    What.....is this?


    What exactly is even going on right now?


    I¡¯ve spent years in this backwater town slowly building trust with these people, shaping my image and portraying myself as a worthy leader. I did whatever I could to raise my standing in hopes of one day getting my hands on that rune. At first, I thought it was going to be easy, nobody here knew of the stigma that plagued me in the capital and most of the folks here weren¡¯t even mages. Anything I did could easily be written off as magic, and if not for the fact that Vreena and Lennon were here, I could have gotten this whole thing done in a year at most.


    That was what I''d thought anyway, but as time went on the situation slowly started to get more and more out of hand. I couldn¡¯t have possibly predicted the Basilisk''s initial attack, but at the time I thought it was an opportunity I could actually make use of. With a C rank monster that dangerous, there was always the chance that Lennon would be forced to use the rune to either boost his own level or lure it away, but he never did.


    No ¨C He couldn¡¯t.


    If I''d only known that at the time then I wouldn¡¯t have needed to waste so much time here, but going back to Orna empty handed would just result in the others making a fool out of me. It was practically an established routine at that point but tolerating those demeaning taunts never got any easier no matter how hard I tried.


    I was determined to make this work, even though taking over a year to obtain a single rune would still cause me problems, as long as I produced results then everything should have been fine. It should have, but then, he showed up.


    That man, Oliver Rocco, a level three mage who¡¯d been granted the title of ¡®Ashbringer¡¯ after becoming a court mage directly serving under the royal family. There was hardly ever any reason for someone like him to be this far outside the bounds of the capital but through sheer coincidence, he ended up here with his B rank party after finishing up another mission.


    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, his pregnant wife was also preparing to deliver their son, so he had no choice but to remain here while she recuperated. Luckily, his other friends decided to head back ahead of him but that still didn¡¯t change much, because he was the real danger here. The first time I met him, he walked over to me and Lennon with unwavering conviction brimming from his body and extended his hand out to me, beckoning for a handshake. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    I still remember the broad grin that was on his face that day, one beaming with innocence and valor. Just from that expression alone I could already feel his morals and ethics spilling out around me, and after seeing that I knew this was only going to get harder.


    I had to act fast while he was still tending to his family.


    Tracking that injured basilisk down was no easy feat, but because Oliver had brought it to the brink of death, it was still recuperating, so it was rather easy for Amaris to put it under her control. Next was Lennon, I had to at least get rid of him if nothing else, having a level three and a level two team up on us was nothing short of a death sentence.


    With the rest of Brunhilde and these two monsters at my back, I thought I had a chance. We couldn¡¯t possibly beat that guy, but we could buy ourselves time, even if it was just a distraction. That was all we needed, even if the rune is technically gone now, as long as I bring that girl back, as long as I have something to prove my worth then this would all work out somehow.


    I could deal with Brunhilde later, all I had to do was kill them off and pin the blame on Oliver, that would add more credibility to my story and reduce the competition, but until this job was done, we were allies; I''m sure Ulric and the others were thinking the same thing too.


    Vreena was hardly a threat at this point, and I was keeping Oliver busy.


    There were six of us and two monsters, a C rank Basilisk and a D rank Fenrir. Even with the ups and downs, this plan still had a high chance of success, we just had to kill Vreena and capture those Ashwell twins and Oliver¡¯s kid.


    So why?


    Why is half of my team dead?


    This kid, Liam Rocco, he must be some kind of monster. There¡¯s no way a normal four-year-old should be that comfortable with killing, he just slaughtered a group of raiders more than three times his own age without even batting an eye. He wasn¡¯t hesitating, right now I doubt he even recognized us as humans, as absurd as this may sound, he was dangerous.


    Getting careless here could very well end up putting the rest of us in our graves, Gavin and the others have already paid the price for that.


    Ever since his tone shifted just now, something felt off. It was almost as if I wasn¡¯t even looking at the same person I''d grown used to - That presence, that aura, even the way he moved....everything about it just seemed off. The worst part about all of this was the oppressive look in his eyes, they were the eyes of a killer, but not just some run of the mill assassin, this was different, I couldn¡¯t even meet the boy¡¯s gaze. Every time our eyes met, it felt like his gaze was draining all the heat out of my body, almost like I was now standing before some unstoppable force of nature.


    If looks could kill, I''d already be dead.


    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with him, but this wasn¡¯t a child anymore, it was something else.....

 Chapter 46 - Wind Up

    <hr>


    My gambit worked, Amaris was dead and without much deliberation the monster called Tyrant had also crushed the man known as Wallace underfoot. Without any time to successfully rattle off his signature chants, he was nothing more than easy prey. His death was brief but efficient, the conspicuous red splatter now staining the ground was the only sort of significant impact his meek presence had left behind on the battlefield.


    ¡°TSSSHHH¡±


    The gaseous stench of death was now escaping from either side of tyrant''s blood smeared snout, it seems the death of its master wasn¡¯t exactly enough to calm the monster''s adamant rage. The first time I saw this creature I knew it didn¡¯t recognize Amaris as its master but now the hate filled gleam in its eyes was being directed towards the three of us here.


    ¡°You....I¡¯m going to kill you....¡± Ulric casually spat that murderous taunt; I don¡¯t know if it was meant for me or the monster, but I suppose he wasn¡¯t particularly concerned with the order.


    Rising from his slumped posture, he began willing the mana in our surroundings into his body. The wind danced around his trembling frame, rattling his loosely clad armor plates and the dangling swords on his back.


    ¡°Ulric don¡¯t get careless! There''s something off abou-¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Ulric barked


    ¡°How am I supposed to keep my composure right now!? This kid ¨C No, that thing just had my sister killed! Forget the niceties, I¡¯m killing them both, I don¡¯t care if your dad¡¯s a court mage!¡±


    An explosive torrent of swirling winds immediately enveloped Ulric¡¯s body in a pillar of compressed air, it cracked the ground beneath his feet and sent emanating waves of frigid winds pushing back both me and Owen. Given the surge in his magical power, there wasn¡¯t any more room left for doubt, he wasn¡¯t holding back anymore.


    ¡°GWAAAH!!!¡±


    Tyrant unleashed a fierce howl in response to Ulric¡¯s abrupt display of aggression, even while the very fur coating its skin was being rattled by the tempestuous winds emanating from its foe, the monster still showed no signs of backing down. From within the violent swirl of his own creation, Ulric drew the two longswords from his back, and after widening his arms he jammed the tips of both weapons into the ground and used them to form a sort of guiding frame to keep his body on course.


    With both hands tightly gripping the hilt of the two silver blades and his right leg slowly extending behind him as if to stabilize his peculiar stance, he set his sights on his murderous target before dispelling the conjuring batch of winds previously parading around his body. The moment that tempestuous intensity disappeared, Tyrant lunged at the armored man with its mouth opened wide enough to swallow a small boulder, all the while its bloody fangs glistened with a deadly sheen as the bloodthirsty monster moved in for the kill.


    Responding just the same, Ulric channeled all the strength he could muster into his forearms before leaning his upper body back and pushing off the ground with the very same right leg he¡¯d been using as an anchor. His body burst forth like a tightly wound spring as he launched himself straight at the large beast with deadly precision thanks to the frame he¡¯d formed with his swords earlier. Now all that was left was for him to clash head on with the chomping jaws that were now closing in on him by the second.


    Even with such a monstrous presence fast approaching, Ulric was unfazed, his rage was completely overpowering any sort of hesitant emotion that was sprouting in the back of his mind and because of that, he was already prepared. He wasn¡¯t just lunging himself at the creature without a plan, both of his weapons were already angled and waiting.


    Using the initial burst of speed from earlier, he twirled his entire body in a sort of rotating motion and had now formed something like a bladed cyclone that could no longer be veered off its initial trajectory.


    *SLASH*


    That metallic sound drowned out all semblances of the malevolent growl that had previously been emanating across the battlefield, in its place came something that sounded far less sinister, yet it didn¡¯t match up with the gruesome sight I was now bearing witness to. It was the drab sound of a splatter; a rain of blood and chunks of fur coated flesh were scattered about the battlefield as the whirlwind of steel tore through the once domineering foe, bones and all. The creature¡¯s bisected head fell to the ground in an admission of defeat, and only then did the glimmer of hate finally fade from its upturned eyes.


    Ulric, still unable to halt his charge, crashed into the ground before his body was sent bouncing a good ways off in the distance, he was much like Gavin in that regard, neither of them seemed to have much control over their destructive power.


    Before his flailing body could even come to a complete halt, a sudden spark went off in my mind and I immediately shifted my posture to intercept the oncoming foe. It was Owen, he was already positioned on my right and in the midst of dishing out a deadly blow, one I had no chance of completely evading.


    Instead, the moment my body had adjusted to his wind up I immediately performed a cross block with my forearms. The force behind the sweeping kick rattled the bones in my arms and sent my mana enhanced body staggering backwards.


    Owen wasn¡¯t letting up, he closed in on me again and swung an overhead punch strong enough to send cracks spreading though the ground. Though I could evade these attacks, engaging him in straight up hand to hand combat was something I wanted to avoid. That was never my forte and I was more than a foot shorter than my original height in this body, not to mention the overall advantage he had when it came to his experience as a mage.


    Beating him like this just wasn¡¯t very feasible right now, out of all the members of Brunhilde so far, he was surprisingly difficult to handle. I was constantly being pushed back, blocking whatever blows I could whilst patiently watching for any openings in his defense.


    After ducking under two more of his sweeping kicks, Owen thrusted his fist at my chest, but I managed to block the calculated strike by angling my bloody arms in the shape of an ¡°X¡±. As soon as I''d settled my staggering body, he rushed in to close the distance between us and was already in the midst of delivering his heaviest blow yet, an overhead axe kick.


    The attack slammed down on my body with a crushing force, and I managed to block it using the exact same maneuver from earlier, but that was a mistake. Instead of adamantly trying to force me to the ground with that kick, Owen had instead followed through with the motion and used the kick to divert both my arms to the side.


    I fell for his feint, before I''d even realized it the man was already executing his next move.


    His armored fist dug into my abdomen, forcing the air out of my lungs and sending blood spurting from my mouth. The impact from the blow sent my body flying through the air, however, upon crashing into the ground, I used my hands to perform a well timed leap in a bid to negate some of the damage. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Owen stared at me with contempt in his eyes, it wasn¡¯t the kind of look one ought to give a child, but then again, I was probably doing the very same.


    Now that we were both drenched in bloodlust and looking to kill each other at the drop of a hat, a sliver of understanding suddenly spawned in my mind. For the very first time over the long span of my existence, I could somewhat grasp the mortal desire for war and destruction. To my surprise, it didn¡¯t take much for a conflict as simple as this to spiral out of control and start raking up the death toll.


    That was something I could understand.


    I understood it very well and yet every fiber of my being refused to let this human leave here alive. Although it was barbaric, although it was cruel, and even if it may be uncalled for; I was determined to see this human die by my hands.


    That much was a certainty at this point, it had taken me a rather long time to figure it out but by now, I was nothing more than just another cog in the wheel.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is huh....¡± I murmured between ragged breaths before rising to my feet.


    Owen was still vigilant, but his stern expression gave way for a brief instant, it was just enough for him to raise an eyebrow in inquisition.


    ¡°Liam, I don¡¯t know how you learned to fight like that, but you really shouldn¡¯t have taken it this far. You and Oliver completely ruined my plans, I may not be able to kill him right now, but you¡¯re a different story.¡± He snorted with a vindictive leer.


    ¡°Says the one trying to kill me; you must be joking.¡± I retorted, tilting my head with a scornful gaze.


    After that last blow shook me to the core, my legs were now starting to wobble under my own weight and my body temperature was steadily rising in response to the collapse of the fragile equilibrium inside me. All that damage was starting to catch up to me, even with more than half of Brunhilde dead, all my efforts up until now wouldn¡¯t amount to much if I couldn¡¯t finish these two off.


    Just a bit longer.....


    ¡°You¡¯ve reached your limit, haven''t you?¡± Those words weighed me down with an unseen burden.


    ¡°......¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re almost out of mana, I can tell. Even if you had a lot to begin with, you¡¯ve already expended the majority of it when you were trying to draw us out earlier and the attacks you used to kill Lucas and Amaris pretty much dried up the last of your reserves.¡± He mockingly added before cracking his knuckles against his open palm.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± I asked in the midst of stomping out the tremors coursing through my right leg. ¡°With or without mana, this won¡¯t be over until one of us dies.¡±


    ¡°If you understand that; then let¡¯s finish this.¡±


    Just as I was about to accept his begrudging invitation, Ulric¡¯s voice disrupted the tension sparking in the space between us.


    ¡°Owen! He¡¯s mine, let me finish him off!¡± He roared


    Arming his familiar longswords, Ulric unleashed a fervent slash without even waiting for his comrade¡¯s reply. The whistling blade of wind shot towards me with almost no warning, I hurriedly forced my body into a backwards leap right before the gale projectile could connect with its target. The projected blade sliced through the earth and sent plumes of dust afloat ¨C A golden opportunity if I ever saw one.


    On instinct my body dashed in the direction the attack had come from, killing Owen would be a bit more difficult but as for Ulric, he was fair game. The target in question wasn¡¯t very concerned with my approach, one after the other, he sent blades of wind hurtling my way.


    Just dodging them wasn¡¯t very difficult, they weren¡¯t all that fast and could only move in a straight line, and on top of that these slashes were earthbound so predicting and evading their projected paths was fairly simple.


    I shifted my weight onto my left leg and used it to dart out of the way of an oncoming slash, I was mere footsteps away from reaching Ulric but now that I was this close, he gave up on firing off more of those predictable attacks. Instead, he rushed in with a wide swing from the blade in his right hand. Without a doubt, he was aiming for my neck, if I continued to charge in like this then the only thing I¡¯d be running into was a decapitation.


    That would have been the case if I didn¡¯t have this small body, instead of continuing on like that, I allowed myself to fall backwards; only inches away from its target, the silver blade whooshed past my face in a moonlit flash. My back hit the grassy plain just moments after and my body, still retaining its momentum from my initial charge, was able to slide right between the gap in Ulric¡¯s fierce strides.


    ¡°What the-¡± he frantically stuttered, but it was too late.


    As his towering figure swayed over my head, I grabbed onto his ankle and yanked it in the direction I was now headed - With a single swing of my arm; I managed to pull Ulric flat onto his face.


    Then, I jumped onto his back and used my knee to pin his neck into the ground, a strange cracking sound came from his sunken face, but his body had yet to go limp under the influence of my reinforced frame.


    As soon as I raised my head, I noticed the bulky figure of Owen swooping in to rescue his comrade, he was only a few footsteps away at this point and within three blinks he was already in range and winding up yet another punch. This time, his arm wasn¡¯t swung along an arc and was instead headed straight for my face. Using my left hand to support my other wrist, I was just barely able to stop his fist from rattling my brain.


    I grappled onto his large hand and focused the entirety of my dwindling mana supply into one final charge. The destructive red sparks soon began erupting from all over my body, prompting Owen to pull his hand back out of reflex, but I had no intention of letting him get away, my grip was tight enough to dent metal.


    ¡°Y-you were suppressing the last of your mana!?¡± He managed to stammer.


    ¡°Die.¡± I replied scornfully.


    Another electrical discharge was fired off at ground level with my body serving as its focal point, almost the entirety of my mana was used up in yet another brilliant flash of light.


    ¡°Haaaaah....Hah....Haah....that was..harder than I thought...¡± Those fragmented words unconsciously escaped me.


    I rolled off Ulric¡¯s lifeless back immediately after my surroundings had returned to normal.


    Two crisp bodies were once again wafting a putrid scent in the air, one was planted face down in the dirt, never to look up again, and as for the other......


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not dead Owen.¡± I murmured after catching my breath, and right on cue, the once charred visage of the knight commander shattered like crystal shards before dissipating into the air.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± The man''s voice sounded from behind me.


    After lazily turning my head, I replied ¡°You¡¯ll need a lot more than that if you want to sneak up on me, I won¡¯t let my guard down that easy since I know what your technique actually is.¡±


    ¡°You really think you¡¯re all that huh? That attitude is what I hate the most about you and your father.¡± He spat, emphasizing the last word.


    ¡°You can say that after you¡¯ve beaten us, I know your other half is acting as a decoy somewhere in this forest.¡±


    Owen¡¯s grimace stiffened, but rather than lashing out, he simply drew the short sword affixed to his hip.


    ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll kill you both at the same time.¡± His bitter scowl was the prelude to what would come next.


    After calming himself and directing the flow of his own mana, Owen¡¯s body started to ¡®divide¡¯ in every sense of the word. Right before my eyes I watched as a singular body became two, then three, then four until there were ultimately six people standing in front of me with the exact same face, clothes, height and temperament.


    This was his trump card, Owen¡¯s actual radical didn¡¯t grant him the power of regeneration, but instead duplication. He could essentially make more of himself up to a certain point, this was the power he used to cripple the entirety of Zale¡¯s forces. In reality, his real body probably wasn¡¯t even there when the basilisk attacked.


    Right now, I was almost out of mana and completely surrounded; but the only upside here was the fact that I didn¡¯t need mana to deal with something like this.

 Chapter 47 - Hollow Victories - Part One

    <hr>


    My huffing body feigned a grimace at the sight of the six armed foes now surrounding me.


    Each of them aligned the tip of a stubby short sword with my body before slowly drawing closer to me, all while attempting to mask the preemptive strike that was certain to come from my blind spot.


    They made a small circle with me at the center and steadily began marching around its circumference with perfect coordination, I couldn¡¯t possibly keep track of them all with just my eyes, but I still had a near perfect grasp on all their positions.


    That was all due to them having a fragment of Owen¡¯s soul embedded inside their body, now that I was seeing it up close, the way this technique worked was fairly simple.


    He could essentially ¡®split¡¯ his soul into fragments and place those fragments into copies of himself brought into existence through his own mana.


    In that sense, none of them were actually ¡®clones¡¯ more so than just being a part of the original since they all contained a portion of his soul. There really was no ¡®original¡¯ here, it didn¡¯t matter who I killed or in what order I did it because this power didn¡¯t rely on a central body to function.


    That was the main reason why he was even able to pull this scheme off in the first place, he took advantage of the flexibility his radical power offered.


    Before they attacked Zale earlier, Owen split his soul into two equal halves, the first half stayed here in the forest as a means to stall Oliver while the second half hid itself inside Lucas¡¯ shadow moments after they confronted us inside the local market.


    Since there was no ¡®original¡¯ body designated to coordinating the efforts of these clones, then he could easily be in two places at once without even breaking character.


    All of these bodies were ¡®Owen Ryder¡¯, that''s the only way they could ever act with such cohesion and the only way for him to keep someone as powerful as Oliver at bay for as long as he did, all he would have to do is make more of these clones and try to prolong the battle.


    Since there was no fake and original when it came to these bodies, whenever one got destroyed, he just needed to retrieve that fragment of his soul and start the process all over again.


    Oliver was definitely somewhere in this forest, but that other Owen must be luring him away from here to keep the facade up.


    This power was an interesting gimmick, but that was all it would amount to when up against someone who could actually perceive souls.


    <hr>


    Owen was constantly looking for a way to catch me off guard with this formation, but every time one of them circled behind me and tried to take me by surprise, I just shifted my posture to prepare for the attack.


    Whenever I did that, I saw him flinch in surprise and fade back into the dull array of his marching assembly.


    ¡°Owen....are you afraid of me?¡± I asked between labored breaths.


    ¡°Not at all. You¡¯re just a kid who got a little lucky at birth, that¡¯s all.¡± His frigid reply was laced in scorn.


    ¡°No, you are afraid of me....I¡¯ve seen that look before, the anger you¡¯re feeling right now is stemming from your fear.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd.¡± he callously spat ¡°But if you¡¯re really that curious then let¡¯s prove it right now; whoever dies here was in the wrong, simple as that.¡±


    ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll prove it to you.¡±


    It was the truth, but that taunt only served to fan the flames of his already raging ire.


    I couldn¡¯t use any more flashy magic, but I still had these feeble hands and just enough mana for reinforcement, that was all I needed.


    Bam!


    Came the sound of Owen¡¯s feet stomping on the ground, without warning, the entire formation surrounding me abruptly morphed into an unruly mob, all six of my armed foes were now rushing towards me with murderous intent in their eyes. Blocked off in every direction, I quickly cycled through my options as I prepared to intercept the diagonal swing coming from my right. As soon as I tilted my body to evade the blow, I realized something crucial about how this radical worked.


    The attack just now was slow, very slow.


    Compared to his speed from earlier, this must have been far below even a quarter of his real strength, these clones lacked both the power and precision his merged body possessed so they hardly amounted to anything more than moving dolls.


    Dividing his soul like this was certain to come with some serious ramifications, if he could only make six clones from half of his soul then Oliver must be up against the same number of duplicates somewhere around here, so in truth each of these bodies only held about one twelfth of his original power.


    After recklessly dishing out that diagonal swing with all his weight behind it, the clone stumbled forward after losing balance, but the bladed tips that swiftly approached me from all four cardinal directions prevented me from taking advantage of that opening.


    I dashed towards the double coming from my right and slipped between the gap in his flawed stance the moment he tried to pierce through my body with that awful form, as soon as I¡¯d cleared the attack I sprang up on my feet and transitioned into a leaping roll.


    That was enough to clear their formation, but it didn¡¯t take long for their squinting eyes to trace my movements.


    Separated by about twenty feet, the status quo of our standoff had been reset, but the odds were now in my favor. While I could sense their oncoming approach thanks to the soul fragments embedded inside each one of them, it wasn¡¯t a good idea to rely on that when they were caging me within the confines of a circular formation.


    It wasn¡¯t always possible to react to the attacks coming my way even if I could sense them, especially since I was so drained of mana right now, but with all six of them in my sight like this, the winds of fortune were now blowing in my favor.


    One of Owen¡¯s clones gave a nod to his lookalike; the body on the receiving end of that gesture readied his form and dashed to the forefront of their formation, I suppose there was hardly a need for words when working with literal copies of yourself.


    The clone charging forth was alone in his pursuit, but this was nothing more than a decoy, a ruse meant to keep me occupied until his lacking counterparts could cage me in again and make up for the difference in dexterity with sheer numbers.


    The intent behind this taunt was obvious but I was prepared to respond, not with brute force, but with something far more poised.


    After widening my stance and pouring what little strength I had left into these fragile limbs, I braced myself and with impeccable timing, my two hands halted the downward slash of Owen¡¯s sword.


    Neither of us were at our best right now so the strength from his swings weren¡¯t carrying the overbearing force they were otherwise prone to.


    My open palms gripped him by the wrist and before the clone could even consider exerting more force with his hand, his fragile body shattered like stained glass before crumbling away in the stagnant air.


    His counterparts, who were all but ready to jump in for the kill dropped to their knees just then, clutching at their armor-plated chests.


    Even the expressions on their faces were all the same, a look riddled with fear and confusion, it overhauled the menacing visage they were trying to uphold and morphed it into something much more pale and frightened.


    ¡°W-what...did you....just do?¡± One of them grumbled, still wincing in pain.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± I said flatly, ignoring his suffering.


    I flung myself at the dismembered gathering amidst their confusion. Two of them immediately sprang to their trembling feet to charge at me from both sides.


    A thrust on my left and a downward slash on my right, the blows were sharp but unfocused, it didn¡¯t take much for me to pivot on my right leg and whip around both of their attacks, circling behind them in the process.


    By the time they¡¯d spun their defenseless bodies around to confront me I was already meeting them at eye level, a simple leap was really all it took to get in this close where making physical contact wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue.


    Before either of them could react, my tiny palm had already been planted dead in the center of their faces.


    Mana rushed to the contracting muscles in my arms, strengthening my grip before I ultimately slammed both aggressors to the ground in a burst of superhuman strength, their bodies once again shattering like brittle twigs under the force of my juvenile might.


    ¡°Gah!¡± The three remaining bodies cried out in agony.


    ¡°St...op it.....stop doing that!¡±


    The clone that seemed to be in the most pain stumbled towards me in a rage fueled charge; there was no longer any semblance of experience and finesse behind their attacks, it was hard to even call this attempt a ¡®charge¡¯.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    It was more like he was flinging his body along whilst stumbling and tripping, doing whatever he could to close the distance between us while writhing in agony.


    ¡°Don¡¯t engage him alone!¡± Another one cried, he was the only one not attempting to attack me right now, a second clone was now following in the first one''s lead, but he was doing even worse than his counterpart.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll kill you-¡± He yelped


    Since there wasn¡¯t a main body that held authority over the others, then independent action like this was prone to come given the right circumstances.


    Finally in range, he clasped the sword in both hands, getting ready to deliver the final blow but he simply couldn¡¯t match my speed anymore, by the time the blade was raised over his head my palm was already touching his shoulder.


    The blade fell from its master¡¯s shattered hands just as my feet made contact with the ground, that was my second time leaping to make physical contact with his body but apparently it wasn¡¯t needed for the last duplicated foe closing in on me.


    Following in his lookalike¡¯s lead could only get him so far, the clone that had been lagging behind his better half fell to his knees only three steps away from his target.


    Even the body that had chosen to keep its distance was feeling the effects of their comrade''s death, so the sensation must have been shared across all the clones whenever my hand made contact with one of them.


    The clone now slumped to his knees in the dirt before me didn¡¯t even have any resistance to offer, the last thing it would ever feel was the sensation of my hand touching his hanging head before its body shattered into a myriad of fragments.


    ¡°Gccck!¡± That aching cry echoed directly across from me.


    ¡°You....what have you been doing...since just now?¡± He grumbled, steadily rising to his feet with sweat dripping from his forehead.


    ¡°A magic trick, one I''m very good at in fact. Consider it your parting gift.¡± My reply was steeped in apathy.


    His eyes squirmed about in their sockets as if they were looking for the answers locked away in his own mind. When that failed, Owen stepped forward with burled fists, spitting a breath of hatred into the air.


    ¡°Forget it, you¡¯re far too dangerous for your age. Oliver can wait, I have to at least get rid of you before you grow into an even bigger threat.¡± He grimaced.


    His heated remark was followed by six small orbs of light that whizzed past my face and returned to his body, merging with the dim ember burning lazily at his core.


    Once the fusion was complete the ember sparked into a gentle flame, though it was obvious that this wasn¡¯t the true depth of its radiance.


    This could only mean that the clones he was using to distract Oliver had unanimously agreed to merging into one body and concentrating all their efforts on destroying me once and for all.


    After what I''d just done, I¡¯m pretty sure even they were all starting to feel the same agonizing effects.


    Owen couldn¡¯t perceive his own soul, so it only made sense for him to deem me a threat after I dismantled five of his clones with a simple touch from my hand.


    Surely the thought of me ripping the fragments of his soul from those duplicated bodies hadn¡¯t crossed his mind but that was only possible because of the way his technique worked.


    Normally, you couldn¡¯t just rip a soul away from a living body because souls were intrinsically linked to the state of the physical body, meaning that it would cling to its host body and strongly reject whatever was trying to peel it away.


    It was still possible to brute force your way through the entire thing but in my current condition that was nothing more than an idyllic dream at best.


    The usual way to go about this was to just beat them half to death and slowly pry the soul away from the weakened body, but that just wasn¡¯t happening right now.


    However, in Owen¡¯s case it was different.


    The fragments of his soul were being contained in duplicate bodies that had a far weaker connection to them than his merged body, so all it took for me to extract those fragments was a simple touch of my hand.


    Even though his soul was divided, the fragments were still connected on a spiritual level, that¡¯s why each time I tore away a piece of that connection, the other clones would also recoil in agony from the harrowing sensation of having their literal soul ripped apart.


    Now that he¡¯d merged with the other fragments, Owen was back to around half of his full strength. Close combat still wasn¡¯t an option here, so only one viable course of action was left for me to take.


    Focusing my thoughts with a deep breath of air, I charged at the man now readying his familiar weapon, he spun the blade in the air before catching it by the hilt and launching it at me with enough force to cave my skull in.


    My body, still locked in a frantic charge, was just barely able to shift my neck to the side, allowing the metal weapon to whizz past my face like a deadly whisper.


    He wasn¡¯t moving, he widened his stance and braced himself as if he was preparing to accept any attack I was going to throw at him, but as soon as I¡¯d gotten close enough my body jerked on instinct before leaping back out of reflex.


    With those two primal responses acting as my crutch, I was just barely able to avoid the deadly uppercut he¡¯d fired off at the last minute.


    That too was a feint, he baited me to close the distance of my own free will but the second I got close enough he swooped in for the kill.


    His fist flashed past my face in a violent blur, and as soon as my feet were back on the ground, I arched my toes and launched myself at him before he could properly correct his posture.


    ¡°Grrrgck!¡± The man groaned in agony


    Two of the fingers on my right hand had found themself lodged in his eye socket, squishing something that felt like goo in the process, but not even two seconds after making contact my body was abruptly slammed onto the ground after he¡¯d managed to fire off a punch with his right hand.


    The strike came in like a hammer, from above and below.


    Blood spurted from my face as my body recoiled from the impact with the ground, bouncing up into the air before crashing down once more, pain shooting through every nerve like fiery tendrils seeking escape from my tortured form.


    ¡°Gccck!¡± Enduring the agony, I rolled onto my side before springing up onto my feet as fast as I could, coughing up a fit of blood in the process.


    Between my involuntary huffs and puffs I watched as Owen¡¯s eye, the one I¡¯m certain I gouged out just now, completely healed itself. It would have been hard to believe the sight unfolding before me if I wasn¡¯t looking at his soul with my own two eyes, but now it all made sense.


    Owen could use that cloning power in more than one way, the main way he chose to utilize it was rather standard, but this quirky way was more versatile. It was the reason why Owen managed to keep his real power hidden for so long.


    In a way, it worked kind of like a waterwheel.


    Whenever Owen got seriously injured, he would split his soul, that fragment of his soul would naturally be accompanied by one of those cloned bodies, but instead of allowing the clone to manifest outside of himself, he immediately superimposed the cloned body onto his original damaged body, thus ¡®overwriting¡¯ the state of his damaged body and giving the illusion that he was healing in real time.


    It was akin to him using a sort of ¡®backup¡¯ to repair himself, but the entire thing only took a few seconds to complete so to the naked eye, his claim about being able to regenerate wouldn¡¯t seem fraudulent.


    Judging by the size of the fragments inside those clones, he could only duplicate himself around twelve times or so, but that just meant he was twelve times harder to kill.


    There weren¡¯t many ways to deal with someone like this, the two most efficient methods were either damaging his soul directly or just destroying all of those clones at the same time.


    I didn¡¯t exactly have the firepower on hand for the latter, so the former option was the only way to go here.


    Wiping away the stream of bloody tears from his now non-existent wound, my foe sneered at me before crouching down low, and in a single burst of speed he managed to close the distance between us before I¡¯d even managed to clear ten steps.


    Both his arms were spread wide as he charged at me head on, my usual trick that involved pivoting my weight onto my back leg and using it to change directions didn¡¯t work this time.


    The instant I tried to veer over on my right, he did the very same, matching my pace and cutting off my means of escape. As we both drifted in the same eastward direction he moved in with his outstretched arms, it was undoubtedly an attempt to lock me in a death hold where he could then take his time squeezing the life out of me.


    I was almost out of mana and given how small this body was, it was certainly a possibility. If I ever got caught with that, I was doomed.


    Jamming my heels into the dirt, I slowed my pace before leaning my upper body back to dodge his death hold. It was a success, but a very short-lived one, while I had succeeded in avoiding his grasp for the most part, he still managed to grapple onto my right hand with a grip tight enough to make my bones creak.


    ¡°~Gotcha~¡± He uttered through a blood smeared smile.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve got you.¡±


    I clamped down on his tightened grip with my free hand and as soon as he saw the familiar red sparks springing up from my bangs, he broke out into a cold sweat before stepping back out of fear.


    ¡°Not again!¡± He cursed


    This was the exact moment I¡¯d been waiting for, even though he only had half a soul right now, since he wasn¡¯t a clone there was still a rigid link between his soul and body.


    That link was strong enough to refute my influence over it, but thanks to the nature of his own power I could use that very same link against him.


    Just as I hoped, he gave up on prying himself from my grip and was instead trying to flee through cloning. Like a snake shedding its skin, he was about to spawn a cloned body with the greater portion of his soul piloting it and leave the captured vessel behind as a decoy.


    That''s exactly what I¡¯d been waiting for, the brief window where his soul was about to split and disrupt the connection it had with his body.


    The sparks just now were only a means to an end, a flashy feint designed to lure him into lowering his guard and try cloning himself while I was still making contact with his body.


    He could probably sense that my mana reserves were low, but given how I¡¯d deceived him with that notion not too long ago, he probably decided against taking any chances.


    I quickly dispelled the bogus display of sparks crackling up from my body and watched as his expression morphed into one of sheer terror.


    ¡°W-what are you-¡± He grunted in anguish


    Now that his soul was being divided of its own accord, it was easy for me to hijack that interaction and grasp the core of his being with my own two hands, this was my gateway in, so now all I had to do was pull.


    On the first tug, his struggling hands went limp before falling lifelessly at his side.


    On the second tug, the strength in his legs abruptly vanished as if it had evaporated, forcing him to plop down to his knees.


    As I got ready for the third and final tug, a wave of anguish washed over his face and tears began welling up at the corners of his eyes


    "Wait, wait, Liam, don¡¯t do this! I apologize! I was mistaken. Please, just stop!" He pleaded like a wailing child. He probably had no clue what I was up to right now but I¡¯m sure the only thing he was certain of was the fact that his death was imminent.


    ¡°Owen...¡± I spoke slowly, measuring the ferocity behind every word.


    His teary eyes winced up at me with a short-lived glimmer of hope.


    ¡°.....I was right after all; you are afraid of me.¡±


    Pouring more strength into my grip, I ripped the small blue flame from the man¡¯s tanden, dulling the murky light in his eyes.


    No magic mojo could save him from that, it was death in every sense of the word.

 Chapter 48 - Hollow Victories - Part Two

    <hr>


    A desolate battlefield littered with blood and bodies; a gruesome sight for most, but it was something I was more than used to seeing. Still, in recent years I was slowly growing out of touch with this sort of harsh reality so perhaps this conflict was just leading up to a long overdue wakeup call.


    My head tilted back almost unconsciously, forcing me to gaze upon the twinkling dots in the sky, that radiance really could stand out against anything, even the backdrop of all this blood and gore wasn¡¯t detracting from its beauty in the least.


    Taking a few steps back, I gave the lifeless figure now slumped to its knees one final glance, it felt somewhat strange looking at this particular corpse given how often I¡¯d been interacting with him.


    This new life of mine wasn¡¯t ever going to be easy, I already knew that much, but only now did I realize that this was just the starting line. I wasn¡¯t exactly livid about the thought of killing humans, it wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d ever directly participated in before now, but things were different here.


    Back in Eden, my main role was reduced to little more than a ¡®guide¡¯ for these mortal souls, but now that we were both on the same playing field, situations like this were bound to pop up from time to time. The humans here weren¡¯t as helpless as those in my old world, they had the power to wield magic and it wasn¡¯t just them either, the wide array of races populating this world also held that same degree of power. In a way, the status quo here was similar to what it had been in my old world, the mortals who were all on a somewhat similar level were constantly competing for more power and control, while the deities who were far beyond the means of those mortals simply watched on in either indifference or amusement.


    The only thing different about my circumstances this time around was the fact that I was now being thrown into the midst of the mortal struggle. My days of looking on from beyond the veil of worlds had long passed, killing mortals was no longer ¡®off limits¡¯ so whenever that time came, I was prepared to act without hesitation.


    <hr>


    One after the other, my wobbly steps carried me across the battlefield, I stopped by Ulric¡¯s charred body to retrieve a certain item before heading into the forest. My body still felt incredibly heavy, like all four of my limbs were being weighed down by anchors, but I had to press on with whatever little vigor was left in them.


    I needed to at least catch up with Vreena, but that was a lot easier said than done. I didn¡¯t have much of a problem seeing in the dark, but the real issue here was just the sheer size of this forest. The massive trees, swaying shadows and howling cries just went to dampen my already dulled senses even further. I wandered around aimlessly for a while before finally latching on to the faint traces of a familiar presence. Heading towards the source of it, I dragged my body along like a wounded soldier, using the towering trees lining my inconspicuous path as support. After a few minutes I finally reached the rigid foot of my destination but before I could even summon the strength to make the arduous journey up the wooden sentinel, my eyes caught a glimpse of a bright read smear trickling down to the roots from the nearest branch.


    There she is.


    As soon as I''d seen that then it was obvious what was to come next, as much as I wanted to banish the creeping thought about to surface in my mind, I knew I couldn''t avoid the inevitable truth.


    This was something I¡¯d seen far too many times.


    Strength rushed to my legs in a burst of vigor as I launched myself towards the large branch with all my might, just barely managing to reach my target with my outstretched hand. After grappling myself up, my eyes drifted over to the node my right, and just as I¡¯d expected, both Vreena and Emma had their backs braced against it.


    Emma was still out cold, but as for Vreena, she was hanging on by a very thin thread thanks to the constat stream of dying breaths she¡¯d been trying her best to maintain. Her eyes were only opened halfway and the red smear soiling her robe had spread to just about everything on her right side. The only reason it didn¡¯t spread any further was because she was using both hands to apply pressure to the wound, and out of consideration, she¡¯d set Emma to lie on her stomach a short distance away from her.


    ¡°Li...am?¡± She muttered in a weak voice.


    ¡°Mhm, it¡¯s me.¡± I gave my melodic response before taking a few more steps.


    ¡°......¡±


    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s pretty bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± That question was nothing but pure sarcasm.


    Vreena leaned forward to look down on her wound before forcing a weak grin through her bloodstained teeth. Just watching this scene unfold before my eyes conjured a bitter feeling in my chest, one I couldn¡¯t swallow. I bit down on my lips out of reflex, but that was of little use, especially since the ones responsible for this could no longer be held accountable.


    Those debts had already been paid.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll go get-¡±


    I knew it was futile, and so did she, before I could even run off to who knows where, her words anchored me on the spot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    My head slowly turned in response to see a thin smile curling up from the corners of her lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s.....too late for that.¡±


    She was right, I knew that better than anyone, and yet my head still sunk under the weight of those words.


    ¡°....................¡±


    ¡°Liam.....can you....come over here?¡±


    Her bloody fingers beckoned me over and I slowly approached her with my settled gaze before crouching down to meet her quivering eyes. ¡°What about....Ulric and the others? Did you get away safely? Are you hurt?¡± She fired off one final barrage of questions despite the occasional cracking of her voice.


    ¡°Well, they were chasing after me, but I got away without a scratch, just like I said I would.¡± I practically forced a thin smile with that reply just now, but it was enough to ease the faint look of concern in her eyes.


    ¡°Thank...goodness....¡±


    Her trembling hand staggered as it moved through the air, drawing closer to my face before finally clasping my cheek. I could feel the heat slowly leaving her fingers even with all the dried splatter on it, and yet she didn¡¯t look very worried at all.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot....to think the brat I helped Julia deliver....would end up being the one to witness my end....fate truly is ironic.¡±


    I clasped her shivering hand in a bid to stave off the maelstrom of emotions pooling in my chest. Without even realizing it, my gaze had long since been fixed on the dying light in her eyes, her hand was losing heat by the second so it wouldn¡¯t be very long now.


    If the situation was different, I would have known exactly what to say at a time like this, but we were in a world that was far removed from all the norms I¡¯d long since grown used to. The way souls in this world passed on was different since neither Akasha nor Eden were here.


    If there wasn¡¯t a ¡®system¡¯ in place to facilitate the traversal of souls, then the only logical thing for them to do was become one with nature or find themself locked in limbo, but even if that was the case, at best I only had a vague idea as to how that would work here.


    I was completely on my own this time, but I couldn¡¯t guide her; I didn¡¯t know where her soul was going, I didn¡¯t know if anyone was coming to collect her soul, I didn¡¯t even know if she was going to pass on immediately....


    To think a day would come when I would be this clueless about death of all things, I was created solely to oversee this process and yet, right now I couldn¡¯t even give her any concrete advice. The only thing I had to give right now was vague reassurance, just like every other mortal, in this situation, that was all they could do. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Take Emma and head back to the others Liam, I don¡¯t want to force a child to watch my death....cough*...cough*¡± Her dry cough stained the wooden surface


    ¡°No, I¡¯m staying here. Emma hasn¡¯t woken up yet, so at least let me.... let me see you off...¡± My reply was drenched in somber


    ¡°.....That¡¯s the first time.....I¡¯ve seen you make that face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is....¡±


    With all the rampant thoughts running loose in my mind and no surefire way to confirm or deny any of them, I ended up defaulting to my usual way of dealing with this.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re a smart child, so you must know what¡¯s going on here. Are you.....really going to wait around....to watch my death of all things?¡± she asked that question with a loosening grip.


    ¡°Yeah. Wouldn''t you be lonely, dying out here all by yourself?¡± I questioned, still locking eyes with her trembling gaze.


    ¡°Heh...you might be.... right about that, I never did like this forest.¡±


    I allowed her to catch a few more of those wheezing breaths before posing another question.


    ¡°Do you.....have any regrets?¡±


    She paused for a moment before answering.


    ¡°What a thing for a child to ask....well, now that its come to this, I suppose the least I can do...is make my final answer a tad bit interesting.¡± She mused in solemnity


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Oliver......will deal with those punks in due time, so the only thing I¡¯m really worried about is who will take over in my stead. I can only pray that someone... turns out to be a far better leader than I ever was.¡± My grip tightened in response to that cruel analysis.


    ¡°You were a fine leader!¡± I exclaimed ¡°Whoever ends up taking after you will have a lot of room to fill.¡±


    That was more than just reassurance, after everything that¡¯s happened today, she didn''t deserve to go out with such a cruel assessment of herself.


    ¡°You think so? Well, for a temporary position...I guess I didn¡¯t do too bad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...you did good.¡±


    Her eyes glossed over, slowly building up the transparent fluid before it ultimately started to leak over the edges of her eyelids.


    ¡°...Are you satisfied?¡± I asked, my voice barely above a whisper


    ¡°I will be....after you and Emma get home.¡±


    ¡°We will, I promise.¡±


    Vreena let loose a weak laugh, one tainted with joy and sorrow.


    ¡°Liam...do me a favor...¡±


    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°My vision is going dark, so before my eyes give out...can you show me....your smile one last time?¡±


    ¡°Sure, take a good look.¡± I clutched her shaking hand even harder, summoning the brightest grin I¡¯d ever dawned in the process.


    ¡°You really do look nicer...like that. You should...try smiling more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±


    ¡°Oh Liam....One more thing...Tell Julia...I¡¯m sorry.¡± Those words hung heavy with remorse


    ¡°I¡¯m sure my mother wouldn¡¯t blame you, not one bit. You¡¯ve really done a lot for my parents over these last four years, so on their behalf, let me say this ¨C Thank you, for everything.¡±


    The transparent light in her eyes flickered bright for the last time before the floodgates to the dam of tears finally spilled over.


    ¡°That''s nice to hear......you¡¯re.... very welcome.¡±


    Vreena¡¯s responses were growing weaker by the second, I kept holding onto her for what felt like a springing stretch of time, listening to whatever woes and worries she had left unsaid but, just under five minutes later, she stopped responding. The sound of her heartbeat had gone completely quiet, and her once ragged breathing went silent, leaving a profound stillness in its wake.


    Incarnating into this form came with a lot of drawbacks - I was weak, I needed both sleep and sustenance, and I could no longer use the full extent of my original powers. Those were all major setbacks on their own, but one of the biggest hindrances that came along with having this body was the ability to feel emotions. Assimilating this body¡¯s original soul in a bid to strengthen my influence over it seemed like a good idea at the time, but apparently it came with both the good and the bad. Now that I was the ¡®true owner¡¯ of this vessel, my emotions were subject to change based on the circumstances around me, especially in the case of what was happening right now.


    A wicked feeling washed over me, it felt like a mix of sadness, rage, and anxiety, yet it was far removed from the typical one-off bouts of spontaneity that usually preceded those emotions. This was something different, it lingered in my throat like a bitter taste, refusing to be spit out or swallowed. The sensation tightened its grip on my heart, slowly clamping down on it like a thorny vine. Only after the initial wave of bitterness had passed did I discern the true meaning behind that sensation just now...


    It was regret.


    ¡°Damn it...¡±


    <hr>


    I brought down the two bodies resting on the large branch one after the other as soon as I escaped from my slumped daze. I couldn¡¯t exactly tell how much time had passed since Vreena died, but I¡¯m sure I was stuck staring at her lifeless body for at least ten minutes.


    THUD


    I landed on the ground with Vreena¡¯s body in hand.


    Now there was just the issue of bringing these two back to town, but in my current condition that was looking - ¡°Gck!¡±


    My body lost its balance, tilting over to the side just before I crashed into the bark of the tree now acting as my support. I almost toppled over just now, and my vision was starting to break apart as if it were a whimsical haze.


    I could barely even take two steps forward, it felt like every muscle in my body had started to contract all at once, tightening every fiber in my frame from my chest down to my toes. The drawbacks of using up all my mana and pushing myself this far were finally starting to catch up to me.


    That alone would have been bad but the moment I gave my shirtless body a quick once over I found the source of that stinging feeling. There was a thin red line stretching along a diagonal arc on my abdomen, it wasn¡¯t particularly painful but the only way I could have gotten such a wound was from my near miss with the basilisk¡¯s fangs earlier. It was honestly just a scratch but that still didn¡¯t change the fact that I was poisoned. It must have taken a while for the effects to really kick in given how shallow the wound was but either way, it was bound to only make things harder.


    DOOM


    A large rumble shook my surroundings.


    The trees swayed in the onset of wind now rushing past my body, it almost seemed like they were shaking in fear as the rumbling continued to draw closer with every breath. From where I stood, it looked as if something was carving a path through the Earth and heading straight for us and just a short distance from me, a familiar serpentine frame burst through the dust cloud of smoke and rubble.


    ¡°GWOOOAHHH!!!¡±


    Sure enough, it was the half dead basilisk, upon its emergence it let loose a pressuring roar that seemed to span miles. I was in no condition to fight this thing, heck, even at my best the odds were still stacked against me, and to make matters worse, on top of being poisoned I still had Emma and Vreena to look after. Although her body had long since gone cold in my arms, I had no intention of leaving it behind.


    The monster reared its ugly head to look down on us with a menacing one-eyed gleam, but with my vision already being this hazy, I couldn¡¯t even feel the full brunt of its ire. From what I could tell, half of its face was hanging loosely thanks to that sweeping slash I¡¯d managed to deal earlier. The cut seemed to only get shallower further down its body, but even so, it would still need a miracle to survive with those injuries.


    Alas, I suppose one final rampage was in order.


    That dying instinct must have been what led it here by pure coincidence.


    ¡°Yo¡± I called out in a somber voice.


    ¡°We¡¯re both at death¡¯s door right now...do you really want to do this? I think I¡¯ve had enough fighting for one day.¡±


    A venomous hiss came flying my way, surely that was the only kind of response I was going to get from this thing.


    After winding up its body, the beast looked ready to spring at us, but just then -


    A brilliant flash of light passed a little ways over my head, rising up into the air the further it traveled. The heat from the attack was enough to scorch even the swaying branches of trees that lined either side of its path and without warning, it slammed into the basilisk¡¯s head, completely incinerating the monster¡¯s upper half in a single shot.


    Plumes of ashes quickly began crumbling way from the spot where the monster¡¯s head ought to have been, and not long after, the remainder of its gargantuan body lifelessly plopped to the ground, reduced to a heap of nothing but smoldering remains.


    ¡°Ignition...gust?¡± I murmured in awe.


    With Vreena¡¯s body still in hand, I slowly turned my head in the direction of the path lined with flame filled destruction. At the center of the dousing flames was a bespectacled man that approached us with a look of ferocity and grit in his eyes.


    Before he could even cover half the distance between us, another surge of agony coursed through my veins, I couldn¡¯t even summon the strength to squeal. My vision darkened and I welcomed it, because I knew it would put an end to all this pain and suffering.

 Chapter 49 - Hollow Victories - Part Three

    <hr>


    OLIVER ROCCO


    Our son was special.


    I know that sounds arrogant, but it was the truth. It didn¡¯t just stem from the fact that he was part druid, although that was a major factor to consider, but what truly made him special had more to do with his own character than the circumstances of his birth.


    At first, I questioned my own abilities, would I really be able to raise a child with druid blood running through his veins? After all, druids were rather reclusive by nature and if it weren''t for the rather fervent circumstances I found myself in a while back, I wouldn¡¯t have come across his mother.


    When I saw our son for the first time, those creeping doubts in my mind only started growing stronger. He had jet black hair, deep red eyes and shared almost no resemblance with either of us, so I thought it was the first sign that we were destined to grow apart as time passed but, to my surprise, nothing of the sort ended up coming to pass.


    Liam was honestly a bit of an oddity.


    He rarely ever cried and the only times he did was when he got too hungry, a quick five minutes on his mother¡¯s bosom was really all it took for him to settle down. On top of that he wasn¡¯t very afraid of the dark for some reason, well to be clear, he wasn¡¯t very afraid of anything at all.


    As much as I¡¯m embarrassed to say this, there were times when I deliberately tried to test the limits of his apathy by telling him spooky stories or turning off the Aether crystals in his room, but none of that ever got much of a reaction from him.


    That much was fine, but what really started to concern us was the fact that he hardly ever smiled. At first, we thought it was because he wasn¡¯t really interacting with the kids his age, but there were very few of them in Zale to begin with.


    Julia was far more distraught over that small fact, but I simply thought it was something he would eventually grow out of. Its not like he never smiled though, on the rare occasions where he did, it was almost always under the condition that he was skimming through the books in the living room whilst lying flat on his stomach, smiling at some vague passage of text about monsters and deities.


    Whenever that happened, Julia would jump for joy, she enjoyed seeing it so much that she would often sit in the living room knitting away whilst also keeping her eyes locked on him like a hawk. Just in case he felt like putting one of those innocent expressions on his face.


    At the time I couldn¡¯t have guessed that he was somehow learning to read all on his own, but when I found out that he could actually read, it didn¡¯t surprise me all that much. Somewhere in my head, I heard a distant voice say, ¡°Of course he can read.¡±


    That was just the start of it, after that the boy would go on to pop more surprises than I could even count. First, he awakened as a dualist with the lightning and fire attributes of all things, two of the most powerful elements a mage could ever wield. That alone would have been enough, but what truly surprised me was the amount of mana Liam had as a fledgling mage, it was almost enough to rival my own reserves.


    I¡¯m sure that absurd mana of his had something to do with his druid heritage, but with time he was certain to surpass me in both talent and skill. Even while we were training, in just a meager two weeks he managed to grasp the fundamentals of reinforcement and manifestation of his attributes.


    He wasn''t necessarily good at everything though, there were times when he struggled, but the big difference here was the fact that he simply just refused to give up. Every time he failed at something, he would hack away at it to no end, almost to the point where he was entirely drained.


    Still, thanks to those two weeks we spent training together, I was able to observe my son¡¯s true character from up close and the conclusion I ultimately came to was that....I was wrong. The truth is that, despite appearances, Liam and I weren¡¯t all that different. The two of us held the same tenacity and interest when it came to magic, but not only that, he also seemed to have a budding interest in seeing how far he could take his own spells. Of course, I¡¯m fully committed to reeling him in and showing him the ropes but that¡¯s pretty much all he needed, in due time the boy was certain to figure out the majority of it himself. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I wanted to watch over him, to see every step of his growth no matter how small it was. I¡¯m sure Julia wanted the same, she wouldn¡¯t ever object to something like that.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to put a stop to all of this right now, for the sake of all the people here, as well as for my family.


    <hr>


    I¡¯d incinerated several of Owen¡¯s cloned bodies for the umpteenth time now, but no matter how many times I did that more of them would continue to spawn regardless, though the total number of clones never seemed to surpass six for some reason.


    I was growing tired of this, I wanted to take him alive if possible, but this was just getting ridiculous. Just as I was getting ready to set the entire forest ablaze, all six of Owen¡¯s clones abruptly shattered like glass before fading into the wind.


    ¡°Damn it what now?¡±


    I frantically spun my body, carefully scanning my eerie surroundings but despite my fervent efforts, I couldn¡¯t sense anything out of place. Whatever Owen just did must have been a desperate move, even if he was still at level one, I doubt he¡¯d just keel over and die like that, something was going on here.


    Coating my body in a surge of wind, I hastily propelled myself through the spooky jungle. Owen was definitely working with the other members of Brunhilde, so if I could just catch one of them....


    After thinking that, I found myself hastily rummaging through the maze of trees and underbrush in a desperate attempt to find my foe. It had been well over fifteen minutes and yet nothing of note was coming into view. This place was just way too big for me to get a good grip on anything all on my own.


    Tch.....Should I head back to town?


    As soon as that thought crossed my mind, the sign I¡¯d been so desperately hoping for finally decided to show itself. A rumbling explosion tore through a spot in the forest a short distance ahead of me and only moments later, a familiar screeching sound would reach my ears.


    ¡°KRIIIIEEEEK!!¡±


    That was the only clue I needed, only one monster around here could ever stir up that much pressure with nothing but a simple roar. ¡°There you are!¡± I shouted in anticipation. ¡°It¡¯s been a while....Basilisk.¡±


    On command my body shot towards the source of the commotion, with my wind guided trajectory I narrowly shot past the trembling trees that were now quivering in the wake of the tyrant''s appearance.


    The Basilisk was steadily rearing its injured head, climbing higher and higher into the air as if it was about to strike at something but, who exactly was it aiming at? I was still a few seconds away from confronting the beast so just what ¨C Before my stimulated thought process could run amok in my head, my own two eyes would betray the answer to that question.


    His back was turned to me, but I could tell. There was no mistaking that prominent sheen of jet-black hair. It was Liam, his shirt ripped from the waist up, covered in a multitude of cuts, bruises, and gashes. And in his hands... was Vreena¡¯s lifeless body.


    My heart ached just seeing my son like that, I couldn¡¯t bear it. Just what exactly happened here?


    A myriad of thoughts were once again swirling in my mind but at this point, I¡¯d completely lost interest in the monster looming over my son, the only thing I wanted to do was vanquish it from this world.


    My blood boiled with rage, so much so that I didn¡¯t even need to form a clear image of the spell I was about to fire off. Compressing the winds surrounding my body had brought me to a gentle halt, as soon as that was done, I added a compact sphere of smoldering flames into the mix before firing off the scorching blast at my target.


    It was a direct hit, and though I had obliterated the monster I¡¯d been so desperately searching for in one shot, I didn¡¯t feel any sense of accomplishment. I wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind right now, that much was obvious from the shoddy attack I threw out, it had even gone so far as to set the surrounding trees on fire.


    The moment the Basilisk¡¯s body came tumbling down, Liam slowly turned around to face me. Blood was splattered all over the front half of his body and it was riddled with even more cuts and bruises, but what truly surprised me was the expression on his face. It looked strained, and uncertain, like he was grappling with a maelstrom of emotions that neither of us could quite decipher.


    He looked like a soldier who''d just finished waging a war all by himself... or at least that was what I thought at first. However, one detail disproved that assumption. A single tear rolled down his right cheek, overflowing from his right eye.


    For the first time in two years, my son was crying.

 Chapter 50 - Black Light

    <hr>


    I emerged from my lethargic awakening, my mind slowly shaking off the remnants of a deep slumber before I could even fully register my surroundings. Through a process that I could only describe as ¡®somehow¡¯, I now found myself sitting in the midst of a distant memory. My body was resting on a pristinely polished obsidian throne crafted from the finest of volcanic glass, its smooth, dark surface reflecting the ambient light with a mesmerizing sheen. To my right was a dazzling scythe, over two meters long, planted firmly in the ground and slanted at an eastward angle.


    Unsurprisingly, the body I was inhabiting right now wasn¡¯t made of flesh and blood, but rather, bones. It was a fairly simple skeletal frame, almost similar to that of a human¡¯s except for the floating crimson sphere locked in place at the base of my ribcage.


    It wasn¡¯t just a decoration, but rather, a seal imposed upon me since the very moment of my creation but seeing as I hardly ever needed to undo the rigid shackle, it could easily pass for just another gimmick given how this seal was the very thing imbuing my eye sockets with such an ominous red gleam.


    Luckily, that orb was never on full display thanks to the dark mantle blanketing this body of mine, it was practically impervious to all forms of illumination. After removing the chalk white knuckles supporting my jaw, I examined the state of my spindly hands under the eerie glow of crimson moonlight. This body of mine felt natural yet alien at the same time; the duality of that sensation also went for the bland monotony of my surroundings that seemed to span all the way beyond the horizon¡¯s edge.


    This place was Eden and at the same time it wasn¡¯t.


    It was Limbo, an inversion of the celestial realm of Eden, and also the space created to house the souls of the damned. Simply put, it was an alternate dimension created by Akasha to serve as a storage unit for the souls that were undeserving of reincarnation. Calling it an ¡®alternate dimension¡¯ was wording it nicely, it was more like an impregnable prison that was crafted just for the sake of convenience and order.


    Since the entire purpose behind the creation of this place was confinement, not much thought was given to anything else, as long as it could hold the souls of those that were deemed to be vile, just about anything would do.


    Only evil spirits were ever sent to this place, the souls that were set to reincarnate or pass on weren¡¯t confined here, they were simply reduced to small orbs of light during the day, but often times they would get lost in their subconscious behaviors from when they were alive and end up roaming about, but in that case all they needed was a bit of guidance to steer them in the right direction.


    The landscape here, curiously shaped like a giant canyon, was barren and devoid of any semblances of life, this place was locked in a perpetual nighttime cycle, so the light of day had never once pierced the veil darkness shrouding the sky. Since it was an inversion of Eden, just about everything here was flipped on its head; eerie terrains were swapped for lush planes of grass, vile spirits were swapped for angelic beings...even the color of the moonlight was switched from being an azure glow to a crimson hue. The only thing that didn¡¯t seem to be affected much by the inversion here were the beaming dots in the sky.


    Considering the state of my surroundings, the sight of me sitting so pompously on a polished throne in the middle of this hellscape must have seemed like a sick joke. Regardless of the circumstances, it was still the role I''d been given so there wasn¡¯t much to complain about; in a way, the anguished cries that often filled this place were much more soothing than the panicked stares I would have gotten in Eden.


    The throne was perfectly positioned on a large, jutted rock formation to give me a clear view of crimson moon in the distance as well as the hellish landscape down below, though the only things to be seen were a few shadowy figures writhing in the dirt like worms amidst a pitch-black lake situated at the center of something that resembled an impact crater.


    My role in all of this was to maintain order among the restless souls fervently seeking a way out of here, but I was just as much of a prisoner here as any of them. They were simply acting out of an unconscious desire to return to the living plane, meaning that they were sentient, but not conscious.


    When a human died, their soul typically left the body to journey through the higher realms and enter Akasha¡¯s cycle of reincarnation. However, souls with strong lingering attachments or an ''ego'' could resist this natural order and anchor themselves in the human realm. While these souls could still wander Terrania, their attachments, if too strong, would necessitate regulation.


    In cases like that, I was forced to descend to the lower world and subdue those souls before bringing them back to Limbo, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Developing a strong ¡®ego¡¯ was the first step towards becoming an evil spirit, and any soul that crossed the line couldn¡¯t enter the cycle of reincarnation, so they were confined here until their ¡®ego¡¯ dissipated, regardless of however long that was going to take. Depending on how malicious the ego keeping them rooted here was, after it evaporated, they would either be cleansed of their lingering desires and finally gain access to the cycle of reincarnation, or if their intentions were too malevolent, they would simply cease to exist the moment their ego faded.


    A strong ¡®ego¡¯ was the catalyst required for a soul to regain its original form and it was also the key to escaping the shackles of Limbo and re-entering the living world for a brief period, but that was only if the ¡®ego¡¯ was centered on the place of death, or an ¡®unfinished task¡¯ related to the place of death since souls couldn¡¯t move between geographic locations. Egos that were centered on individual people had a weaker connection to the outside world, so it was much harder for souls with hateful desires stemming from past transgressions to cross between worlds.


    However, there was a workaround to this.


    Since the souls here that shared similar egos brought about by repugnant desires such as revenge and murder had a much harder time breaking into the realm of the living even when the boundary between the two worlds was at its weakest, the only chance they had at making it back to Terrania was through a cooperative effort. That cooperative effort just so happened to be cannibalism.


    For the evil spirits here with vile egos the easiest way for them to boost those desires was to simply devour the other spirits with weaker egos. It was an arduous process that spanned decades to centuries to produce any viable results, but if it was successful, the resulting amalgamation of souls containing the boosted egos of thousands of evil spirits could easily brute force its way into the realm of the living once the appointed time came.


    After escaping this place, they were free to wreak havoc for about two hours until the boundary closed, at that time they would be forcefully pulled back into Limbo but until then, they would go on to devour both living humans and the wandering spirits of the world.


    Such a thing hardly ever came to pass though, since I was specifically placed here to prevent them from needlessly devouring each other. Even if they weren¡¯t completely conscious, my presence here could still inspire fear and obedience since I was the one that brought them all here.


    ¡°Mmghmm! Come on, Come onnn...¡± The struggling sounds of a particularly meddlesome girl echoed from a short distance behind me, without even turning around I knew exactly what she was doing right now. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    A swift snapping sound whizzed by me, signaling the end of her futile endeavor.


    ¡°Almost thereee...Finally! Phew, I came to hang out Shinigami!¡± She gleefully strolled around my right side with that carefree remark.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Luelle?¡± I asked in a daze fueled tone


    ¡°Hm? Like I said, I¡¯m here to hang out.¡± Puffing out her chest in a prideful display, her blonde hair fluttered gracefully as she walked by me with an earnest grin on her face.


    ¡°Hang....out?¡± For some reason my mind couldn¡¯t quite process that sentence. ¡°You always say that, but there¡¯s really nothing to do here you know.¡±


    ¡°Of course there is, I mean we could pass loads of time just talking like this ¨C Oh! before I forget!¡± She spun around and leaned forward to glare at me with puffing cheeks ¡°Can¡¯t you make it a little easier to get in here? I almost tore my dress just now you know.¡± She said with a sneer of annoyance, her voice dripping with sarcasm.


    ¡°That¡¯s not my fault, this place is directly connected to Akasha so that¡¯s who you should be asking for favors.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.....hardly anything is worth that journey.¡±


    ¡°Then bear with it.¡± I retorted, lowering my gaze to the scenery below.


    ¡°Well never mind that! Today I¡¯ve actually got something even you might enjoy.¡± She completely ignored my reply just now.


    ¡°The last time you said that you brought me an evil spirit in a jar.¡± I replied, scanning her face as the once proud expression plastered on it began mellowing out into a visage of embarrassment.


    ¡°Pffft! T-T-That was an honest mistake! I mean, that¡¯s what everyone else told me to get you.¡± She frantically replied, flailing her hands in the air as if trying to dispel that memory.


    ¡°Well? Since you¡¯re already here at least show me what you¡¯ve got this time.¡± I said, correcting my posture in the bulky throne.


    ¡°Oh right!¡± Clapping her hands together, she tilted her head back and pointed a finger to the sky. ¡°The stars, let¡¯s see if we can find any constellations.¡±


    ¡°Constellations? Wait, isn¡¯t that something the humans get up to?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, Mhm.¡± She nodded in excitement like a curious child.


    ¡°I found out about it the last time I went down there ¨C It''s a good way to pass the time, besides, you¡¯re just brooding right now.¡± She said with a sarcastic smirk lining her lips, before extending a hand towards me.


    I accepted her gesture, though she was having anything but an easy time pulling me to my feet. In the end, the only thing she managed to do was tire herself out.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re...pretty heavy....¡± Those words stammered out between labored breaths.


    ¡°We both know you¡¯re not physically gifted.¡± I replied from beside my huffing companion. ¡°So, are we going to do it here?¡±


    ¡°N-No, let¡¯s go down to that lake.¡± She affirmed after regaining control of her breathing. ¡°Meet you there!¡±


    Without even waiting for my approval, Luelle hastily leapt off the large rock formation and began flying through the moonlit skies, she wasn¡¯t using wings or anything of the sort, it was something far more majestic than that. The evil spirits writhing below in the depths of darkness immediately started to flare up in discontent the moment they caught wind of her radiant life force.


    For some reason, the girl didn¡¯t seem to particularly mind the countless tendrils of malice that were now reaching for the skies.


    ¡°Made it!¡± Her elegant descent along with that bold declaration spawned cascading ripples along the lake¡¯s surface.


    ¡°Now what?¡± I asked in an eager tone, her shoulders jolted in confusion as soon as my words reached her ears.


    ¡°H-How did you get here before me?¡± Flustered, she frantically spun her body around to try and confirm my presence with her own two eyes, that narrowing gaze was practically begging me for an answer.


    ¡°I just got here, you won.¡± I said flatly, giving way for her ego to inflate.


    A hint of satisfaction immediately usurped her features in the wake of my response. ¡°Of course I was going to win, after all ¨C W-What is that!?¡± Just one brief glimpse at the murky waters beneath her feet was enough to send her floating in the air again. Circling our position in a whirlpool of malice were amorphous, vaguely humanoid figures with twisted features and an iridescent indigo glow.


    ¡°They¡¯re evil spirits, I have to thin them out a bit or else they¡¯ll start eating each other. I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d catch you off guard like that, you didn¡¯t seem very upset when you were flying over them just now.¡±


    ¡°These things are everywhere so this place kind of dulls my senses. Since you¡¯re keeping them trapped here, does that mean they have really strong ego¡¯s or something?¡± She asked with her tilted gaze now floating in the space above me.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s only a few of them in here, but they¡¯ve all consumed thousands of other evil spirits so it¡¯s easy for them to escape this place. Their egos will dry up given time but until then, its best to just keep them here like this.¡±


    For just an instant, her melodic expression loosened into something much more serious.


    ¡°.... This is a lonely path, isn¡¯t it?¡± She murmured, her eyes reflecting a hint of sorrow.


    ¡°We all have our roles, you¡¯re supposed to watch over the humans, and I¡¯m supposed to keep these guys from getting in your way.¡±


    The blank stare I was getting from her completely vanished as soon as her usual demeanor regained its dominance. She placed a hand to her chest as if to elaborate on the subject, before once again reigniting the mischievous gaze in her eyes that was prone to flicker on at times like these.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that quite a few of them have gotten in my way, but it was nothing I couldn¡¯t handle.¡± A confident smirk followed that prideful declaration.


    ¡°Of course, there aren¡¯t many Celestials as strong as you.¡±


    She let out an embarrassed chuckle before adjusting her posture to properly face the starlit sky.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get started. Oh! There¡¯s my favorite star! Look, Look, right between those two constellations.¡± She exclaimed in excitement, using her hand to beckon me over in a bid to share the joy.


    Regretfully, I had no idea what she was even pointing at, the stars all looked the same to me.


    ¡°What are you-¡±


    ¡°Ohh! There¡¯s Orion! Pegasus too and Sagittarius!¡±


    My voice clearly wouldn¡¯t get through to her right now but that was fine. Even as I stood atop a literal maelstrom of evil, the sight of her frantically pointing out stars amidst this crimson backdrop seemed somehow fitting. I never took notice of it before, but even the surface of this pitch-black lake could sparkle like diamonds under the moonlit veil.


    ¡°Luelle....¡± I called out, my voice echoed softly against the stillness of the night.


    She turned to face me with peach-colored cheeks and blatant excitement on her face.


    ¡°Tell me ........the name of your favorite star¡± That question wasn¡¯t warranted, but I decided to ask anyway since I¡¯d already been dragged all the way over here.


    Her lips curled up to form a half grin before she responded -


    ¡°Vesper.¡±

 Chapter 51 - Cherry On Top

    <hr>


    Gentle rays of light slowly beamed through my separating eyelids; my consciousness was starting to return to this mortal body, grounding me further and further into my new reality whilst seamlessly dissipating those memories from a distant past.


    As soon as my foggy vision adjusted itself, I immediately realized that I was once again inside the Ashwell family home. The extravagant space coupled with this needlessly large bed was more than enough to give that away.


    A quick glance around the near empty room soon turned into an abrupt examination of my body, I didn¡¯t feel any more pain and there were no visible scars to be seen anywhere but I still wouldn''t call this a complete recovery just yet.


    While my body was free from any apparent wounds, an exhaustive sensation was still coursing through my veins, almost like my body had just completed an hour-long sprint. Everything that happened after Oliver destroyed the Basilisk was still a blur to me, but this miraculous recovery was undoubtedly Julia¡¯s doing, the same went for the change of clothes too.


    I¡¯m not sure where she got it from but this thin white gown that was around two sizes too large for me felt oddly comforting for some reason. Rising up from under the insulated covers, my half-closed eyes winced and narrowed in a desperate attempt to restore my vision.


    Seconds before I was able to succeed, the sturdy oak door on the opposite side of the room opened with a screeching sound. A young girl emerged from the other side of the swinging doorway, she had chestnut brown hair and vibrant blue eyes, donning an apron of matching color that extended a few inches past her knees. In her hands was a metal tray with countless necessities from damp white cloths to ointments and salves, as soon as her eyes met mine, the thin metal tray promptly fell from her small hands.


    She was staring at me like I was some kind of apparition, but before long, her suspicions had been cleared and she immediately started charging towards me with teary eyes and trembling hands. I knew exactly what was coming but unfortunately, I just didn¡¯t have the strength to dodge.


    ¡°Liam!¡± Leaping off the floor, the girl tackled me onto the welcoming bed, tears endlessly streaming down her cheeks that had now been dyed a bright red color.


    ¡°Li...am...I was so...worried...¡±


    Between all the sobs and sniffles I could hardly even make out every fifth word of what she was trying to say, since this wasn¡¯t going to get very far, I opted to give a typical response.


    To her surprise, my index finger was already swiping away at the stream of tears. I responded to that frantic expression with a chuckle before leaning forward to utter my first word of the day - ¡°Good Morning, Emma.¡±


    <hr>


    After the commotion Emma had stirred up, it was only a matter of time before my parents, and frankly everyone else, came rushing in. Julia was the first to bolt inside the room at a breakneck pace, she stumbled forward in disbelief before hastily coming over to pull me into her embrace. It had been well over ten minutes now, but tears were still leaking from her eyes, she was clutching the thin white gown covering my body so hard it almost felt like she was trying to wring it out.


    Emma was doing a bit better in that regard, her tears had already dried up for the most part.


    Between Julia¡¯s muffled cries and mournful sobs, I could only make out a single sentence.


    ¡°Liam.....don¡¯t.....don¡¯t scare me like that again.¡± Those words burdened me with an unseen weight, right now I was at a complete loss for words so the only thing I could do was return her embrace with a hug of my own. Sadly, she was requesting an oath I couldn¡¯t keep, an idyllic life like that was far beyond my means, if anything, I was barely even scratching the surface of what this world had in store for me.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right mother, I¡¯m fine now, see.¡± I waved my arms around to ease the unrest swelling up inside her, Julia covered her mouth in both shock and relief, desperately trying to hold back the flood of emotions.


    She clasped my cheeks in her hands, pulling me closer to press my forehead against hers. I don¡¯t know what kind of soothing effects this practice had but it certainly worked; even if it was only a little, Julia was starting to calm down.


    In the midst of our tearful reunion, another large figure swooped in to cover the two of us in an even wider embrace than before. It was Oliver, he wasn¡¯t crying but his face was painted in a mix of relief and sorrow, with gritted teeth that almost betrayed a smile, he rustled my hair for the first time in a while. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Liam...Thank goodness your back....truly. I¡¯m sorry, I should have come sooner.¡± He told me with a trembling frame, clearly, my actions had taken a great toll on them both. Those words set off a series of nightmarish flashbacks in my mind, ones too cruel to recount in great detail.


    ¡°You came just in time to save me at the end father....isn¡¯t that what heroes do?¡±


    Surprised by my comment, Oliver found himself chuckling through the sorrow.


    <hr>


    ¡°A week!?¡± I asked with a dumbfounded stare


    Julia nodded in response. ¡°Mhm, an entire week''s gone by since that whole thing with Br¨¹nnhilde happened. Honestly, even after all this time, it still doesn¡¯t feel real to me.¡± The vigor was still being drained from her eyes, but it was losing out to solemnity, not sorrow.


    ¡°Well, we still don¡¯t have all the details but the picture I''m piecing together in my mind doesn¡¯t seem that much more believable.¡± Oliver paused, his brows furrowing in concentration. ¡°Liam, I need to ask you a few questions about this whole situation, but for now rest up, you¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±


    As soon as I gave my nodding response, a few faces, both new and old, stepped across the room¡¯s entrance. The first one to catch my eye was Beatrice, her frilled blue dress trailed across the floor as she approached us with glossy eyes.


    ¡°Welcome back Liam.¡±


    ¡°Good to be back, Lady Beatrice.¡±


    She smiled and lowered her vision to the young boy standing at her side, giving way for him to introduce himself. Stepping forward, the young lad got ready to do just that. Introductions were certainly in order, but just from a glance I already knew who he was, the deep blue color of his eyes were a dead giveaway. Unlike Emma¡¯s chestnut brown hair, the strands on his head were walnut colored and parted into two distinct segments that gave way for two prominent bangs to plop down from the peak of his forehead to his eyebrows.


    The innocent face he wore didn¡¯t exactly match up with the body he¡¯d obviously built through hours of grueling training.


    ¡°Hmm...so you¡¯re Liam huh? Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Isaac! Isaac Ashwell, my mother tells me you¡¯re good friends with my sister...¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not a friend, Liam¡¯s my little brother.¡± Emma sporadically chimed in with a dismissive sentence and a menacing glare.


    ¡°Emma, you don¡¯t have to look at me like that you know; weren''t you the one bawling your eyes out when I was unconscious.¡±


    ¡°T-T-T-That''s only half true, I was just confused that¡¯s all!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Yeah, whatever you say.¡±


    She clearly wasn¡¯t prepared for her brother¡¯s cheeky assault; she quickly whipped her head around to mask the shades of embarrassment now springing up on her face.


    I tapped on her leg with the last bit of strength left in my veins, her gaze dropped to meet mine but before she could even question it, I managed to squeeze out the fragmented words that were building up inside me.


    ¡°E....Emma...Can you..get off?.....Can¡¯t breathe...¡±


    She was straddling me the entire time, and as soon as that realization hit her, she bolted off my body in a panic. If it wasn¡¯t for Isaac standing so close to the bed she would have probably tumbled across the floor.


    ¡°Are you okay, Liam!?¡± Emma asked in a panic the moment she regained her footing.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just need to....catch my breath a little.¡±


    I heard her unleash a sigh of relief; thanks to her little stunt just now the atmosphere inside the room had lightened up quite a bit.


    ¡°Liam, I¡¯ll need to check your body a few more times but before that, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Julia question, her hands now gripping me by my shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure, you don¡¯t have to worry so much.¡± My reply was earnest, but I doubt this strained expression of mine could ever convey that.


    Her eyes remained locked on my face; she stared me down as if she was trying to peer into the depths of my very soul. ¡°The Signum...it¡¯s not causing you any pain, is it?¡±


    I felt my brows furrowing at that strange question.


    ¡°Sig...num?¡± I unconsciously muttered


    Betrice gave a silent command to Emma with nothing more than a glance, as soon as she received the directive the young girl made her way back over to the oak door to retrieve the shiny metal tray she had dropped earlier, all while ignoring the clattering mess she¡¯d made back then of course.


    Emma came back over on my right with the shiny metal tray and held it up in front of my face, the reflective sheen of the shiny item displayed the juvenile face I was expecting to see, but with one slight modification.


    In the center of my forehead, just above my eyebrows, lay a cryptic symbol reminiscent of the one adorning Julia¡¯s face.

 Chapter 52 - Guilt And Grace - Part One

    <hr>


    The symbol on my forehead took the shape of three interlocking comma-like shapes arranged in a circular fashion. Each comma had a unique orientation, with one pointing upwards, one downwards, and one to the side. Although it was a little strange, the odd design gave off the vague impression that the three shapes were aiming for a sort of balance amongst each other.


    The design was very different from the one on my mother¡¯s forehead, the same went for its color, hers was a light shade of green while mine matched the color of my hair, but according to her, there was nothing too strange about that.


    Julia never really got into what this ¡®Signum¡¯ thing was, whenever I asked about it an expression of unease would spawn on her face that would pretty much signal the end of whatever conversation was to be had, even before it started.


    I decided not to pursue the issue after considering the circumstances, especially since she¡¯d just lost a close friend. Vreena¡¯s death was obviously weighing on everyone, but it felt like they were being considerate of my childlike stature and avoiding an open discussion around the subject.


    I¡¯m sure Vreena would have had some smug remark to make if she ever saw them like this, but mourning was just a part of human nature, there wasn¡¯t much that could be done about that. Even I wasn¡¯t immune to such feelings of grief anymore, although the matter had been settled, I still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that her death was unwarranted, especially when considering the events leading up to it.


    A murky feeling of regret still hung heavy in my chest, like a burden that was too great to swallow, this sensation was sure to haunt me in the days to come, but Vreena probably didn¡¯t want anyone to agonize over her passing. The smile she wore in her final moments was one I rarely ever saw, but it wasn¡¯t the kind of expression someone who feared death could form, that much I was certain of. If nothing else, I¡¯ll atone for my carelessness by living up to her final wishes.


    <hr>


    ¡°~There we go~¡± My mother nodded enthusiastically


    As soon as she¡¯d completed the final hour-long examination of my body, she abruptly decided that I needed a ¡®good scrubbing¡¯. I wasn¡¯t opposed to the idea since I was more than capable of cleansing my own body, but to my surprise, Julia had something different in mind.


    With an expression of relief on her face, the woman hoisted me under her arm and hauled me into the spacious bathroom. Before my senses could adjust to the dim lighting of the Aether crystal affixed to the ceiling and the resonant effect of the towering walls, I¡¯d already been stripped of all my clothes and placed in the bathtub.


    Without further ado, the water from the bird shaped faucet rained down on my sweltering body with merciless intensity, washing away the heat and fatigue in the process. Julia was squatting outside the confines of the bathtub, after slicking back her hair and tying it into the vague shape of a ponytail, she rolled up the sleeves of her oversized shirt that seemed like it belonged to my father - As soon as that was done, she squeezed out a handful of the aromatic cleansing agent, the ¡®soap¡¯ before proceeding to the next step of her cleansing conquest.


    I stood there in a limp daze, relinquishing the strength in my limbs and giving in to the sensation of the damp cloth gliding along the surface of my skin as it conjured a veil of foamy bubbles in its wake.


    Water was dripping from every inch of my body and yet I could still feel the subtle sensation of my face heating up. I don¡¯t know how, but she must have sensed what I was feeling while she scrubbed away at my forearm.


    Her green eyes peered up at me with a hint of mischief


    ¡°Fufu...Are you embarrassed, Liam?¡± She asked with a chuckle.


    Shamefully, my eyes fell to the drifting trail of puffy white clouds at my feet. ¡°I can shower on my own you know.....¡± That response came out in bits and pieces, lacquered in modesty.


    ¡°I know that, of course you can shower on your own.¡± Her weak words signaled the cessation of the damp cloths gliding motion, it slowly came to a halting stop in the middle of my chest. ¡°Your mom¡¯s just being a bit pushy right now.....this is more for me than it is for you, alright?¡± She whispered aloud.


    Now that we were alone like this, and given the state she was in, I felt a bit compelled to bring up the issue at hand. ¡°Mom, about Vreena...¡± I paused, searching for the right words that just weren¡¯t falling into place.


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± She nodded, ignoring the sudden shiver that jolted her arms. ¡°She¡¯s gone.... I-Vreena and I were really good friends, but I know she wouldn¡¯t want to see me moping around like this, so I¡¯m going to smile, that¡¯s what she would have wanted.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    The burden on my chest was somehow lessened after she¡¯d said that out loud, it was something I was already aware of but knowing that everyone else was aware of it too filled me with a sliver of reassurance.


    ¡°She was smiling the last time I saw her.¡± I said, adjusting my gaze. ¡°She told me to smile more...¡±


    Julia slowly lifted her head to glance at the thin curvature of my lips - ¡°I see...that¡¯s very much like her...¡± With her pupils still dilating, she replied with somber eyes.


    The tilted smile she flashed me just now definitely wasn¡¯t genuine, but it couldn¡¯t be called deceitful either. Now that she was being forced to feign a gesture that would have otherwise been second nature for her, something flipped in my mind that made me want to lift her spirits.


    ¡°Never mind about the whole shower thing, I¡¯m alright with it.¡± Both of my arms extended to their elastic limit as I widened my stance. ¡°You can wash me all you like mom.¡±


    After bursting into a sporadic fit of laughter, Julia floated to her feet with a smug grin.


    ¡°Goodness....I wasn¡¯t expecting that from you, but alright.¡± Emphasizing the last word, she arched her fingers like a hawk''s talon and wiggled them in the air with eerie anticipation.


    ¡°Heh-Heh-Heh.... You better not back out of this~¡± She remarked with fierce determination burning in her eyes, her soap coated hands prowled at me with slimy intent. The sight of her drawing closer to me with that mischievous look and a devious smile made me realize that I¡¯d probably made a mistake somewhere, but alas, it was too late now.


    ¡°Alright little man, C¡¯mere!¡± Her soapy hands lunged at me like a predator, coating everything from the wet strands of my hair to the soles of my feet in a sea of white foam. Consumed by the tickling gesture, I could do nothing else but surrender, surprisingly, I found myself laughing through it all.


    <hr>


    After that relieving bath, I followed behind Julia as she stepped across the door frame that gave way to the wider world, the sky was being dyed in a veil of red and as usual, a flock of cawing crows just conveniently happened to be flapping by right on cue as if this was their scheduled time or something.


    She was now wearing something a bit more ¡®fitting¡¯ for the occasion, a pleated skirt that surpassed her knees and a lightly colored, short sleeved blouse. As soon as I¡¯d cleared the door frame behind her -


    ¡°Ohh! Looks like your mom really did give you that scrubbing.¡± My father began laughing at the glistening sheen of my skin, right now it was probably smoother than ever before. I foolishly assumed I was prepared for the worst, but I didn¡¯t actually think Julia was going to take the word ¡®scrubbing¡¯ literally.


    ¡°I think I did a pretty good job, right Liam?¡± She winked at me, her face beaming with pride.


    ¡°Is my skin supposed to sparkle like this?¡± I asked, pinching my glistening forearm.


    ¡°Yes¡± My mother laughed, ¡°You¡¯ll need it to sparkle like that from time to time.¡±


    I had no idea what she was even talking about, but she seemed fairly confident in her own words.


    ¡°So I take it you''re both ready to go?¡± he questioned, dimming his smile.


    ¡°More or less, I just didn¡¯t want Liam walking around with all that sweat and fatigue sticking to him.¡± Julia answered in her own benevolence


    ¡°Are we going somewhere?¡± I asked, tugging on her skirt.


    ¡°Just a little walk¡± She said, taking a few steps forward and offering me her hand ¡°It¡¯s not that far from here.¡±


    Rubbing my eyes, I accepted the gesture and matched her pace as she led me towards my father on the other side of the gate barring the Ashwell family home from the rest of the world. Like clockwork, the instant we met up, a dreadful yawn escaped my mouth, one too loud for these small hands to conceal.


    Embarrassed, my gaze suddenly dropped to the floor, but my parents thought nothing of it, they just looked at each other and smiled.


    ¡°Guess it can¡¯t be helped....¡± A manly murmur echoed from above me.


    Before long, my body was enveloped by a weightless sensation as I got lost in the thrill of being lifted off the ground and positioned to sit just above the base of Oliver¡¯s neck.


    ¡°There we go!¡± He brazenly declared, ¡°That¡¯s better isn¡¯t it, Liam?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm; but the sun¡¯s too bright.¡±


    ¡°One after the other huh?¡± Obviously dejected by the failure of his futile plan, I felt his shoulders sink a little. ¡°It¡¯s fine father, you can go.¡±


    Spurred on by my words, he straightened his posture and aligned his body with the other passerby''s on the scanty road. ¡°Alright, honey we¡¯re all set so let''s move. Liam, careful not to fall off.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± I answered immediately despite the feeling of dethatched luster creeping over me, from my elevated position I heard a chuckle escape my mother, followed by her saying ¡°How long has it been since we¡¯ve done something like this....¡±


    Her whisper, almost too weak for even the drifting winds, set off a flood of memories in the back of my mind, from the early days of my incarnation to the most recent scuffle with those mercenaries, all of it blurred through my mind like a sudden tempest.


    In hindsight, it felt like a great deal had happened over these last four years but at the same time, not much at all. Like the setting sun in the distance, I could easily deduce that my dull days in this small town were coming to an end.

 Chapter 53 - Guilt And Grace - Part Two

    <hr>


    On our way through the town, the scent of grief hung heavy in the air, although greetings and well wishes were still bombarding my parents from every direction, the majority of the time it felt hollow, like a programmed response.


    Judging by the solemn looks on the faces of the people that passed us by, it didn¡¯t take much to deduce the kind of feelings that must have been sweltering inside them. Vreena¡¯s absence had left that much of a void here, it was the kind of thing one could only grow used to with time, from what I''d witnessed over the years, that was how it tended to go but, for the first time ever I¡¯d have to truly experience that for myself.


    <hr>


    To my surprise, both of my parents had actually been spot on in their estimation earlier when they said that we weren¡¯t going very far.


    We were just about to cross the small stone bridge leading to the outskirts of Zale, and in the distance, I could see the small house I¡¯d grown so used to, standing rigid and firm. There wasn¡¯t a scratch on it, in fact it looked even better than before with brand new timber frames, they must have gotten to work on it at some point during my week long coma.


    ¡°We¡¯re here¡± Oliver announced as he descended the slope leading to the small pond on our right. ¡°Recognize this place Liam?¡± he asked, his upturned gaze oozing with sarcasm.


    ¡°Of course, it''s our old house, you fixed it.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, with some help.¡±


    ¡°Heh-Heh-Heh...You mean with a lot of help, right dear?¡± I don¡¯t know why, but that playful chuckle from my mother had left him at a loss for words.


    ¡°Ahem! A-anyways, this is it, I¡¯m setting you down now.¡± Brushing aside her joy, he carefully lifted my body over his head before setting me down on the marshy soil.


    It must have been because I¡¯d spent all that time away from this place but the serene sight of the pond¡¯s waters being illuminated by the dawn lit rays inspired a feeling of awe in me ¨C in us all, for the next few seconds, that sight alone was enough to entrance all three of us in a world of melancholy.


    ¡°Liam, you remember how I said I needed to ask you a few questions?¡± My father inquired from my right, but a quick glance to my left revealed the tension building up on Julia¡¯s face.


    ¡°I do....you want to ask about those guys, right?¡± With a stern gaze and clenched fists, I resolved myself to face his inquisition.


    ¡°Yeah, but first, I need you to answer something. Among the bodies we recovered after the incident, two of them were charred almost beyond recognition, and from what I understand, Vreena was the only mage with you and Emma at the time....¡±


    He took a brief pause to adjust his glasses, and just then, my mother drifted closer towards me with an expression of grief in her eyes, it was a clear sign that she didn¡¯t exactly like where this conversation was going, but it had to be done.


    A monstrous gulp was all I needed to prepare myself for the question he was sure to ask next.


    ¡°.....Vreena was a wind mage, and Emma isn¡¯t a mage at all so the only one who could have done something like that was you. I know it''s hard for you to talk about this, but I need to know the truth.....Liam, did you kill those mercenaries?¡±


    The brazen question left me a bit stunned, but with nothing else to say I simply answered ¡°Yes¡±.


    A gasp of shock immediately escaped Julia, her hand now slowly approaching her mouth as if she wanted nothing more than to swallow the bitter realization. My father tried and failed to suppress the eruption of shock on his face, despite all the evidence he must have wanted nothing more than to deny it and instead bet on the one in a million chance that they might have had a falling out or something. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°.... Let¡¯s go sit down, I¡¯d like to hear the full story.¡± His utterance directed us to take a moment of respite on the well-polished patio. As soon as we arrived, he sat on my right, while my mother placed me to sit on her lap, making me into a sort of focal point for the story that was about to be told.


    From there, I recounted the entire story of the brutal struggle that must have lasted no more than four hours, certain details were deliberately left out of the mix, it wasn¡¯t exactly because I didn¡¯t want to tell them but more so because it would only complicate things further. Telling them that I was actually responsible for all six of their deaths and about how I had the power to rip out souls wasn¡¯t going to do much good right now.


    Partly because it felt like a disservice to Vreena and how hard she had fought that day, but also because to them, my account of the events was already far beyond the realm of what a four-year-old should be capable of.


    By the time I''d finished my account, their expressions had somewhat returned to normal, but I could clearly feel the moist sensation of tears raining down on me, she was trying to hold it back as best as she could but I suppose the story I just told was enough to make any parent worry.


    Julia could only take so much after all.


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s what happened....you ended up being forced to use your power to take two lives...¡± Oliver grunted in admonition.


    ¡°It''s okay Liam, don¡¯t beat yourself up about it.¡± Julia¡¯s arms locked me in a domain of comfort, I couldn¡¯t see her face, but she must have had tear-streaked cheeks by now.


    ¡°Thanks for telling us the truth; I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d ever end up going through something like that, and to think you managed to pull through all by yourself too....¡± Oliver remarked as he sunk to the depths of a contemplative whirlpool.


    ¡°I wanted to tell you, but I just didn¡¯t know how.¡± I answered in a low tone, mirroring his lamentation. His eyes blinked at me and before he could respond, he stopped himself by biting down on his quivering lips.


    With that initial response suppressed, he planted a hand on my head before saying - ¡°I understand, you did what you had to do.¡±


    I nodded, accepting the discomfort of his large hand.


    As soon as he gathered his thoughts, Oliver rose to his feet to address me with his back still turned ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this Liam, I¡¯ll take responsibility for their deaths, it¡¯ll be a lot easier for the towns folk to swallow that way. Besides, I should''ve seen something like that coming...¡±


    His bitter tirade ended with a deep breath, one that was in sync with the strange feeling of Julia¡¯s fingers tightening their grip on my clothes.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep it a secret.¡± I answered, agreeing meekly


    ¡°Did they say anything about an organization called Gehenna?¡±


    Surprised at the question, I blinked absentmindedly before giving my reply.


    ¡°N-No, they didn¡¯t mention anything about that.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    There was a lingering trace of some emotion in his voice, whether it was relief or distress, I couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°Liam¡± My mother¡¯s somber voice called out


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I need you to do for me, can you.....show me your magic, it doesn¡¯t matter what kind.¡± She set me down on the wooden floor just in time for me to catch a glimpse of her wiping away the moist ends of her eyelids.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to cry mom, I¡¯m fine now.¡± I said, reassuring her as I stood on tiptoe to offer assistance, it was enough to earn a chuckle from her.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that.¡± She said, brightening her smile ¡°I¡¯ll have to spoil you for a bit just to be sure.¡±


    ¡°Heh-Heh, It''s a promise.¡±


    Adjusting my posture, I extended my palm and focused on the magical power flowing through my veins, since she said it didn¡¯t matter what kind of magic I showed her, I was just going to go with my default setting, fire. Mana rushed towards the focal point of my concentration, but rather than a bright orange blaze sparking into existence above my hand, a sharp, aching pain instead ran up my body, making it almost feel like my core was being ripped apart.


    The sensation rattled my consciousness and sent me tumbling forward straight into her open arms that had already been spread wide in anticipation. She stooped to the floor after resting my head in her lap and flipping me face up; I clutched at my chest and tried to fight off the dulling pain, but between my wheezing breaths I heard her final utterance.


    ¡°I knew it, this isn''t good.¡±

 Chapter 54 - The Road Ahead - Part One

    <hr>


    I managed to subdue the involuntary wheezing breaths escaping me after a few seconds but I couldn¡¯t do the same for my now flustered parents, well, flustered father was more like it.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong Liam!? Is he alright Julia?¡± The man hastily questioned upon his swift turn.


    Between my labored breaths, I was able to dispel his concerns by raising my hand to give him the ¡°thumbs up¡± gesture despite the blatantly crooked smile tilting over on one side of my face. The pitiful attempt at reassurance was well on its way to being accepted, but before it even got to that my ever loving mother decided to interject with her calming voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, he¡¯s not in any serious trouble right now, just relax and control your breathing like that Liam.¡± She said, her voice still tender.


    ¡°For now?¡± Oliver asked, his brows slowly forming an arch. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this has something to do with-¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­It¡¯s the Signum¡±


    I was already used to hearing her say that word but right now it felt like the term was meant to send a shiver up my spine.


    ¡°Mother, is there something wrong with me?¡± Curiosity or confusion, I wasn¡¯t sure which one, but something unsettling laced my tone.


    ¡°No there¡¯s nothing wrong with you, you¡¯re just a little sick that¡¯s all.¡± Her gentle smile beaming down on me could easily pass as the pinnacle of reassurance.


    ¡°A sickness?¡­.I¡¯ve never gotten sick before¡­¡± I stiffly remarked


    She gently stroked a hand through my hair with a trembling smile. ¡°Well there are different kinds of sicknesses, the ones I told you about before were the type that affected the body but, in your case the sickness is affecting your mana core.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s happening¡­because I have this thing on my forehead?¡±


    She smiled


    ¡°Yeah, not every Druid can get that mark, if you¡¯re not born with it then it¡¯s really hard to bring it out. Although in your case it¡¯s not all that strange since I¡¯m your mother but¡­.¡±


    Her words trailed off, following along the subtle swerve of her eyes that slowly came to a stop on my father who was now a short distance away from us.


    ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s half human isn¡¯t it?¡± Oliver somberly questioned


    ¡°Mhm¡± she affirmed with a nod. ¡°Liam wasn¡¯t born with the Signum and he¡¯s never trained with lesser spirits either so I¡¯m not even sure how he was able to manifest it in the first place, but I think his human half is having a hard time accepting it and that¡¯s causing an imbalance in his mana core.¡±


    Julia¡¯s explanation sounded perfectly reasonable and yet, Oliver¡¯s gaze solemnly fell to the floor. The pleasant scenery combined with the backdrop of the setting sun must have wholly contrasted with what he was actually feeling right now.


    ¡°Oliver, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± My mother spoke up, her voice now firm. ¡°There aren¡¯t any spirits around here so he¡¯s never done any form of Druid training before now, that¡¯s something he¡¯ll need to get used to but regardless, he¡¯s never actually been taught how to wield his power as a Druid. His Druid half isn¡¯t perfectly in sync with his Signum either, so nobody should take the blame here.¡±


    Stunned by her vigor, he stood there absentmindedly, only taking a moment to adjust his glasses and cast off his doubts with a chuckle.


    ¡°Well that was a rather quick change of heart¡­¡± Julia chimed, matching his smile.


    ¡°I could say the same for you, sometimes I forget how fickle you are.¡±


    ¡°Only when the situation calls for it.¡± She replied, leaning over me with a satisfied expression.


    ¡°Liam, we¡¯re going to get you all fixed up but, until we get your sickness cured, I want you to avoid using magic alright? Can you do that for your mother?¡± Phrasing her request like that just made refusal seem all but impossible.


    ¡°Okay mother, but who¡¯s going to cure me?¡± She glanced over at my father, who had no choice but to nod in approval.


    ¡°Well, we were originally planning to return to Orna after all of this was over, but going back with our son like this is definitely a bad idea.¡± He sighed


    ¡°Father?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little earlier than planned but we¡¯ll be paying your grandparents a visit in Sylvan, my village.¡± Julia replied, her face brimming with joy.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Sylvan¡­That¡¯s the place where they¡¯ll cure my sickness?¡±


    ¡°Yep! I¡¯ll just need to have my dad look at you. He¡¯s probably upset that I didn¡¯t come by earlier but I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t turn his poor grandson away.¡± For some reason her expression right now seemed rather sly.


    ¡°Sylvan is westbound from here so we might have a slightly longer journey on our hands, teleportation gates aren¡¯t really an option either so I suppose we¡¯ll just have to do this the old fashioned way, and on that note¡­.¡± Oliver extended a hand that briskly pulled me back to my feet. ¡° I¡¯d like to introduce you to some people, they¡¯ll be our guards along the way.¡±


    As soon as he guided me over to the edge of the sun lit patio, I stood on tiptoe, sheltering my eyes from the descending sun all while trying to steal a glance at the three figures pompously approaching our position.


    ¡°We¡¯re a little behind schedule aren¡¯t we, old friend?¡± Calling out to Oliver with an overhead wave was a young man with fiery red hair that was slicked back as if to give way to his youthful appearance. His grey eyes almost matched the color of his collared white shirt that had two brown pouches wrapped around his right arm.


    Dangling across his back was what seemed to be something like a perfectly polished silver lance. He wasn¡¯t as big as my father but I could easily tell that his body wasn¡¯t any less developed just off his ferocious strides.


    It was my first time seeing these people in person but I had heard of them before. My parents had somewhat of a habit that made them rattle on and on about their days as raiders whenever my supposed bedtime was approaching, the tales only grew taller as soon as they started mentioning their party members.


    These people were the other members of their B rank party - The Ember Fangs.


    Just from the man¡¯s appearance, I instantly recognized him as Flynn Nolan, the earth mage of the group.


    ¡±Isn¡¯t it fine?¡± The young girl riding atop Flynn¡¯s shoulder carelessly asked. ¡°I mean, without our help you¡¯d never be able to patch this place up would you, leader?¡± She leaned forward with a sneer before floating off Flynn¡¯s shoulder and lingering in the air.


    Oliver shrugged off her taunt, something he was clearly used to doing, but Julia on the other hand, seemed to endorse it quite well, it had even earned a chuckle from her.


    Out of everyone here, the small girl¡¯s appearance was by far the strangest. Her shoulder length azure hair barely reached down to the nape of her neck, it formed a prominent bang that almost blocked off the entirety of her forehead.


    Everything from the color of her eyes, to her loose fitting, frilly ended dress and even the painted nails on her bare feet matched the azure color of her hair. Still, there was nothing too strange about that, the differences became apparent when taking note of her height since she was no more than twenty centimeters tall.


    Her focused, yet playful gaze left an impression of absolute confidence subtly hidden behind her well-placed smug features and her thin smile was one so peculiar it seemed to draw attention away from her stature.


    Although the compounding effect of all those attributes made this woman stand out quite a bit, they all paled in comparison to her most defining feature.


    That title would of course belong to the pair of translucent blue wings extending from her back, resembling the ones found on the creatures called "butterflies." If not for the faint traces of magical energy constantly trickling off her wings, they could quite easily compete with the original.


    I recognized the Owner of those conspicuous wings as Myra, she belonged to the race known as the Faeries.


    ¡°Hm?¡± She paused midair, placing a hand beneath her cheek before floating over to me and stopping inches away from my face.


    ¡°This kid¡­.doesn¡¯t look like you at all Oliver.¡± She spat flatly, leaning closer as if trying to gaze into the depths of my being.


    ¡°That¡¯s what everyone says¡­¡± Julia spoke up with a laugh ¡°¡­.But I have a feeling he¡¯ll grow into it, he¡¯s probably just a late bloomer.¡±


    ¡°Ever the optimist aren¡¯t you Julia?¡±


    ¡°But I mean it¡¯s true isn¡¯t it? Or what¡­.do you think I¡¯m lying Myra?¡±


    ¡°Geh! W-we¡¯ll see about that!¡± The small creature shrugged, floating back a few paces.


    ¡°Myra, that¡¯s bad manners y¡¯know¡­. Or at least that¡¯s what Allen says anyway.¡± Her companion spoke up from a short distance behind her. It was another girl decked out in a short sleeved orange top that was completed by the addition of armor plates along her shoulders and forearms, with a silky white pants that seemed quite flexible at a glance.


    Just like Flynn, she too was carrying a weapon strapped across her back, but it wasn¡¯t a lance this time, contrary to her companion, she was carrying a quill full of arrows. Though she highly resembled a human, she clearly wasn¡¯t human herself given the pair of fluffy orange ears peeking out from the top of her head and her wagging tail that perfectly matched its color.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Jytte, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s around anyway.¡± Myra scoffed at the mention of that name just now.


    ¡°I guess I really shouldn¡¯t be surprised, looks like none of you have changed all that much.¡± Oliver said with a smile, stepping off the patio to perform a ¡°high-five¡± with his red haired companion.


    ¡°Now then, you all know him but he¡¯s never formally met any of you. Come on Liam, say hello to them.¡±


    Seeing the different counterparts to humans had somewhat left me at a loss for words, I¡¯d almost forgotten that introductions were in order.

 Chapter 55 - The Road Ahead - Part Two

    <hr>


    ¡°Nice to meet you, everyone. My parents have told me a lot about you all, thank you for escorting us.¡± I recited the finest introduction I could muster, just as my parents had been meticulously drilling into me over the past year.


    This time around my speech pattern felt a lot more fluid and natural as opposed to my previous attempts at a proper introduction, so the key factor here must have been consistency.


    Then again, I seldom had any opportunity to practice this kind of greeting on anyone.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to say I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s already this polite, but weren¡¯t we all expecting something like this?¡± Flynn giggled


    ¡°If he¡¯s already this strait laced then he¡¯s not too far off from his old man after all.¡± Myra shrugged, amused by my greeting.


    ¡°Well I say that¡¯s a good thing! C¡¯mere little man!¡±


    ¡°Woah! Wai-¡±


    Before I even had time to react, my body was already being pulled in some arbitrary direction. I was immediately hit with two contrasting sensations, the first was a familiar soft embrace pressing against my cheeks, and the second was the stifling restriction of my body''s airflow.


    Jytte, the orange haired vixen had begun smoldering me in her embrace without so much as a warning, to my surprise, her body felt quite soft even with all the protective gear she was wearing.


    ¡°Mmgh!!¡±


    ¡°Jytte, you¡¯re being a little too rough on him.¡± My fathers voice came piercing through all the squishing noises ruffling around my ears.


    ¡° I¡¯m almost done~¡± she melodically replied before take a deep, lasting whiff of my scent.


    ¡°¡­.Aaaaaand done!¡±


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    As soon as I was released from her predatory grip, I staggered backwards, placing my hands on my knees to regain balance.


    ¡°There¡­ see it wasn¡¯t that bad right?¡± My hunched posture made that childish question sound like a taunt.


    ¡°Sorry about that Liam, beastfolk can be a little¡­.aggressive with their greetings.¡± Flynn patted me on the shoulder, making amends for his careless comrade.


    ¡°Umm¡­Lady Jytte, what was that?¡± I asked, wiping away the bead of sweat rolling down my cheek.


    ¡°Ahh I just needed to memorize your scent, Y¡¯see it¡¯s a custom where I¡¯m from, it basically means we¡¯re friends.¡± She puffed her armored chest, leaning her head back and twitching her nose as if she was still trying to catch a whiff of something lingering in the air.


    ¡°Y¡¯know Liam¡­you actually smell kinda yummy. You have that rich Druid scent mixed with the tangy human flavor.¡± She said, using her hands to guide the stagnant airflow towards her face.


    ¡°Yummy?¡± I turned to face my parents, asking my next question with upturned eyes ¡°Did she do that to you too?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah a few years back¡­.¡± My father replied in embarrassment.


    "Jytte can be a little passionate Liam. I hope you two can get along.¡± My mother added, a hand now pressed to her cheek.


    ¡°Oh well, if it¡¯s just this one time then I don¡¯t mind; you don¡¯t have to do that again right?¡± I asked the unbothered lady.


    ¡°Oh no-¡±


    She paused midway through that sentence to contemplate something, but before long another crude, sly smile was already starting to slant across her face.


    ¡° Y-Yeah, I¡¯ll need to repeat the process a few times¡­to update your scent and things like that¡­..hehehehe¡­..¡± Her reply was teetering at the pinnacle of indecency, she licked her lips lasciviously before wiping the drool leaking from the corners of her mouth.


    ¡°Eek!¡± Jytte squealed after suffering a deadly chop to her cranium.


    ¡°Flynn! W-what was that for!?¡± She yelled angrily.


    ¡°You¡¯re being a pervert.¡± The man sighed.


    ¡°She¡¯s lying Liam, she just wanted to sniff you again.¡± Myra commented, staring down her wobbling companion with a hint of disgust in her eyes.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Looking at Jytte in this teary eyed state had actually started to make me feel a bit curious. I tried to give my own body a whiff, much to everyone¡¯s surprise and amusement but, regrettably, I didn¡¯t find my own scent to be as enticing as I¡¯d hoped.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­¡± I said, facing my parents for answers.


    They both burst into laughter, giggling at me in delight.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of scent, beastfolk like Jytte and some other races like vampires are attracted to people with strong life forces so it¡¯s not something you can just smell like that, and since you¡¯re part Druid you¡¯ve got a really strong life force. To her, you probably smell like a walking treat.¡± My mother slowly expounded on the details as she made her way over to me, taking my hand in hers.


    ¡°Ahhh but don¡¯t worry about it¡± she said in the midst of flailing her arms around. ¡°Jytte isn¡¯t planning to eat you or anything like that, she just likes how you smell, right?¡± She asked the slumped girl who shamefully nodded in response.


    For some reason, seeing her like that made me feel a tinge of pity for the poor creature.


    ¡°Lady Jytte, if it¡¯s just that then I don¡¯t really mind as long as you don¡¯t squeeze me that tight.¡±


    Her ears immediately assumed a perked posture as soon as those words registered in her rattled cranium, they flapped to and fro in sync with her fuzzy tail.


    ¡°Really!? Are you sure!?¡± She grabbed my free hand almost like she was seeking salvation.


    There seemed to be something like stars twinkling in her eyes, so by now it was far too late. I couldn¡¯t say no to that.


    ¡°Every once in a while is fine.¡± I murmured after prying my clutched hand from her grasp.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s fine right?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, Mhm.¡± She nodded ecstatically.


    ¡°Looks like your son¡¯s already getting some first hand experience with negotiation Oliver.¡± Flynn nudged him by the shoulder, barely holding back the laughter erupting from him.


    ¡°Yeah¡­looks like it¡­¡± Oliver replied with a smile.


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s with that self satisfied look?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was making that kind of face huh?¡± My father said, looking off in the distance.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯m watching him grow up so fast, but even with all that¡¯s happened, he¡¯s still just a child, I almost forgot about that just now.¡±


    Flynn gave him a conflicted look before firing off an exhaustive sigh. ¡°There you go getting all philosophical again.¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­sorry I didn¡¯t mean to kill the mood.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Answered their floating comrade.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known you both long enough to know when something¡¯s bothering you, but from the looks of it you¡¯ve already started feeling better, right Julia?¡± Myra tossed the question with a smirk.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re busted dear.¡±


    ¡°I guess so, but since they¡¯re going to be escorting us anyway, this is the perfect time to fill them in don¡¯t you think.¡±


    Oliver wiped the faint trances of melancholy off his face with nothing but a blink.


    He approached his comrades with a look of thrill and vigor, spreading his arms wide before posing the anticipated question. ¡°Say, are you all up for a meal?¡±


    <hr>


    The veil of night had once again been cast, and to no one¡¯s surprise we were still using the Ashwell family home as a sort of rendezvous point.


    If nothing else, Beatrice¡¯s accommodative nature was commendable, she didn¡¯t even bat an eye when my parents showed up at her doorstep with a group of armed strangers. Instead of panicking, she welcomed us all in with a smile.


    The large round table was now decked out with an array of steaming hot dishes that made it seem like Beatrice was already anticipating our arrival.


    ¡°Woah! Are these weapons enchanted? Is all of this custom gear!? What¡¯s your level?¡±


    Now that we were all occupying the familiar confines of the living room, Isaac was bouncing around from member to member, gushing over the thought of their stature as raiders.


    ¡°Calm down Isaac¡±Beatrice reprimanded him with a motherly spark in her eyes. ¡°Our guests need to have a serious discussion¡±


    His shoulders drooped for a moment, but as soon as Flynn promised to answer all his questions later, the childlike glint of hope immediately returned to his eyes.


    While all of that was going on, Emma and Jytte were locked in a fierce standoff, both of them shooting fierce gazes at each other.


    I couldn¡¯t say for certain what was causing all of this but it all started the moment we entered the house and Emma saw her snuggling up to me. From then, it seemed as if they both started exchanging silent dialogue.


    If it was just their usual gimmicks then I really wouldn¡¯t have cared that much but since they were both seated on either side of me, I was trapped in the middle of their silent confrontation.


    No words were being said between them, but they were both trying to one up each other by feeding me food. I¡¯m not exactly sure what they were competing for but at times their clashing gazes were so fierce that it ignited sparks in the space above my head.


    Favoring either of them over the other would have probably made things even worse, so for the sake of peace, I decided not to get involved.


    ¡°Alright, on to the issue at hand¡­¡± Oliver seized control of the atmosphere as soon as we¡¯d all finished eating.


    With just that one sentence, he commanded the attention of everyone present, hardening his expression in preparation for the wave of shock and awe that was soon to come.


    ¡°Originally, we were supposed to head straight for the capital after leaving here but there¡¯s been a slight change of plans. We¡¯re going to the land of Elves and Druids - Sylvan.¡±

 Chapter 56 - The Road Ahead - Part Three

    The Road Ahead (3)


    <hr>


    Sylvan?


    If I''m remembering this correctly, that was Julia¡¯s birthplace.


    A torrent of crooked necks and scrunched stares aligned themself in Oliver¡¯s direction. The confusion in the atmosphere was now palpable, but it seemed like he¡¯d been prepared for it.


    ¡°I know what you''re all thinking, but the current situation really leaves us with no choice. There¡¯s been a whole slew of unexpected developments with Liam in the past few weeks you see....¡±


    His gaze almost fell to the floor with those fumbling words.


    ~Siiiiiighhhhh~


    The red-haired man sitting directly across from me bellowed that unearthly sound after giving a glance to the strange symbol on my face.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re already here¡± Flynn shrugged before correcting his posture in the wooden chair. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it now, and I''m sure no one here has a problem with it, right?¡±


    The ecstatic smiles lining the faces of their comrades made that question seem all but rhetorical.


    ¡°You have my thanks.¡± Oliver said, before giving a solemn bow.


    ¡°Now! Now! - There¡¯s no need for all that melancholy. Just how long have we known each other? This little favor is practically nothing compared to what we¡¯ve been through~¡± The floating Faerie chimed from her upside-down posture, a bold smirk now lining her mischievous lips.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you someday, Myra.¡± Julia muttered


    ¡°Heh-Heh! I¡¯m holding you to that!¡±


    *CLANK CLANK*


    The tinkling sound of silverware knocking on glass rang in my ears. It sounded from directly in front of me, where Flynn, spoon still in hand, was deliberately trying to suppress the once vibrant traces of playfulness in his features.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice that we¡¯re all in agreement here, but as for the issue at hand, the problem isn''t going to Sylvan, it''s actually our route. Since the druids and elves live in isolation, away from the governance of humans, we can¡¯t just teleport over there.¡±


    ¡°Then that means we have to go through Fallon, right?¡± Jytte asked in anticipation.


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s the problem, Fallon isn¡¯t exactly normal right now, looks like our last visit there wasn¡¯t enough to do the trick.¡±


    A tense silence filled the air, it felt like all the adults present had suddenly locked onto the same train of thought. I could feel the uneasiness welling up inside my mother despite the distance between us, but she was managing to suppress that unpleasant emotion, in spite of herself. Instead, her concern was being directed towards Oliver.


    His face had now dawned a ghastly mask of shock and awe. It was an expression I¡¯d never seen him make before.


    ¡°....What...do you mean by that? Didn¡¯t we defeat the irregular there all those years ago...before coming here?¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    ¡°Flynn...what¡¯s going on?¡±


    His tone was brash, yet somehow still calm. The eyes gathered here scurried to and fro between the two men, making it seem as if this was some kind of weaponized word game. That analogy would hardly suffice though, seeing as Flynn simply sat there lock-jawed with interlocked fingers supporting his chin.


    Anybody could see that he wanted to say something, but the problem here was how he was going to convey that something, given the current situation and all. It was a rather precarious position to be in, and while I did feel a tinge of pity for the young lad, this was a good learning experience for me.


    ¡°Alright, let''s just get this over with.¡± Myra said with a sigh, she floated between the two men, garnering all the attention in the room with nothing but the flamboyant pair of translucent wings flapping at her back.


    ¡°Myra, please! I need to kno-!¡±


    ¡°Okay, Okay, I got it, I understand.¡± She said, waving her hand dismissively.


    Lowering herself to the round table, the small Faerie¡¯s feet made contact with solid ground for the first time today. She looked as if she was pondering something, but after a few seconds she completely ditched the empathetic tactic that had yet to fully form in her mind.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the truth Oliver...we did actually kill the irregular in Fallon before coming here four years ago, but, we¡¯ve got another one of them on our hands. Well, its not just one, the guild¡¯s been receiving more and more reports about irregular sightings in Ekin over the past few years. The current situation in Fallon is just one example of that but, apparently, the irregular that¡¯s there now is even stronger than the one we fought last time.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°About B rank, they say...¡± Flynn chimed in from the side, filling the gap in Myra¡¯s monologue.


    ¡°Then this is a lot worse than I thought. Is that why you all got here later than we planned?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we had to make a little detour on our way here. Just like back then, the guild has issued an extermination order for the irregular that appeared in Fallon, but things aren¡¯t exactly going smoothly this time around. The advance party was decimated, so now the quest¡¯s been bumped up to a raid, and every raider in the immediate vicinity, levels two and above are eligible to participate.¡±


    Gasps of shock filled the air, although the expressions were also coiled in a web of fear and confusion, the overall message was relayed loud and clear.


    This was not something good.


    ¡°Why weren¡¯t we notified beforehand? Isn¡¯t this a serious threat?¡± Julia piped up, her features slowly began contorting into a gentle intensity.


    ¡°I suppose you could say it was just a matter of priority. Based on those letters we exchanged, I thought you all had your hands full. Besides, we don¡¯t know much about those things, but we do know that they only show up near heavily populated areas. Zale doesn¡¯t exactly check all those boxes.¡±


    Her eyes flickered with a hint of disbelief before she ultimately swallowed the disappointment.


    ¡°Flynn, how long has the guild been aware of all this?¡± Oliver asked with a stern stare.


    ¡°Mhhmmm.....For at least the last two or so years, things did calm down a little after our last battle in Fallon, but that didn¡¯t last very long. Irregulars are becoming more common nowadays and the guild is dead set on resolving this before it starts getting out of hand.¡±


    ¡°How many casualties have we suffered?¡±


    ¡°As of right now, ninetee-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s twenty-five" Jytte answered abruptly, the fluffy ears standing atop her head went limp with her reply. ¡°I overheard Allen confirming the identities of the other six bodies when we were leaving Fallon earlier.¡±


    ¡°Damn it...¡± The wooden table creaked under the weight of Oliver¡¯s burled fist.


    ¡°If I¡¯d known earlier then -¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯d what, Oliver!?¡± Myra exclaimed in irritation.


    She floated up to meet his burning gaze with a pensive stare of her own.


    ¡°You¡¯re a father now, you have a wife and child, there would¡¯ve been no point in you rushing off to fight something like that. We all know how strong you are, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re invincible. You had your hands full here, that¡¯s all it was.¡±


    Her words must have penetrated all the self-loathing that was usually absent from his calculating mind. A dreadful sigh escaped him, but it was enough to return the glint of hope to his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re right Myra, I got a little carried away there; thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it~ I''m just reeling you a little, we all know you need it every once in a while, right, Julia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose you beat me to it this time...¡± Julia replied, smiling in admonition.


    ¡°Well, there you have it!¡± Flynn exclaimed before explosively throwing his hands into the air.


    ¡°The fastest way to Sylvan is through Fallon, but another irregular¡¯s popped up in that city. Judging by your reactions, I trust you want to get Liam treated as soon as possible, no?¡±


    Both of them turned to spare me a glance before nodding in agreement.


    ¡°Well then, I suppose we have no choice then do we? Nobody knows what¡¯s wrong with Liam, but we don¡¯t know all that much about the irregulars either. I suppose it''s best to just kill two birds with one stone.¡± The Faerie¡¯s words echoed through the room, resonating with all who were present.


    ¡°Flynn, is Allen still in Fallon?¡± Oliver quizzed despite his mounting anxiety.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s the one coordinating the efforts for this raid. It should take place in a little over a week from now, so if we leave early, we might be able to make it in time.¡±


    ¡°I see, we still have a few loose ends to tie off before leaving here, but we should be able to make it in the nick of time ¨C What? What is it Myra?¡±


    Without warning, she abruptly cut off his sentence to float up in front of his face with a determined look in her eyes. Just going off the way she was staring, it was almost like she wasn¡¯t even looking at him at all.


    ¡°You don¡¯t usually get this anxious about a fight. Is it because you¡¯ll be bringing your family along this time?¡±


    ¡°Myra - that¡¯s....¡±


    The small creature giggled at the startled sight of my flustered father.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t exactly blame you, this is an emergency after all. But hey! We¡¯ve got your back; it¡¯s been a while, but we haven¡¯t exactly been doing nothing all this time you know. Julia should be able to handle herself, and I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have any problems watching over Liam. This might get a little rough but, we¡¯ll protect your family for you ¨C leader.¡±


    That word she used at the tail end of her sentence was rather new to me, but it only served to remind me that Oliver was a man of many talents despite how he usually acts.


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± He said with a smirk that betrayed confidence.


    ¡°Pardon me....¡±


    Just when it seemed as if the rather foreboding discussion was about to conclude, Beatrice spoke up at the last second. As soon as the curious stares aligned themselves in her direction, she posed the question that had been keeping me on the literal edge of my seat this entire time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you use that word before but...what exactly is an irregular? Is it some kind of rare monster?¡±


    The Ember Fangs exchanged brief glances with each other before chuckling at the realization. Their entire conversation was taking place above our heads this entire time.


    ¡°Well, I suppose you deserve an answer to that, Beatrice.¡±


    Oliver answered with a flick to his glasses. ¡°Let''s see, where exactly should we start?¡±

 Chapter 57 - Until Dawn

    Until Dawn


    <hr>


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be wrong to assume that irregulars were just some ultra-rare monsters, because to this day, nobody really knows what they actually are. They just randomly spawn in large cities, cause chaos and then vanish before daybreak.¡±


    Confusion returned to the tense space.


    ¡°You...don¡¯t know?¡± asked Beatrice with a tilt of her head.


    ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s the situation. They only started showing up a few years ago, so there¡¯s not very much information on them since they¡¯re rather sporadic. We do have a few leads to go on though, for one, we know that they tend to appear near heavily populated human settlements.¡±


    She heaved a sigh of relief upon getting that answer, as expected, these people had seen far too much excitement in the past few weeks.


    ¡°Wait...do you know why they appear in human cities?¡±


    Oliver flinched at the question. It wasn¡¯t just him, it looked as if all the members of their party were left at a loss for words.


    ¡°To feed on humans of course¡± Flynn answered nonchalantly ¡°Why else would monsters ever go out of their way to step foot on human grounds?¡±


    ¡°.............¡±


    ¡°Ahem! Well, that''s only a single possibility.¡± said Myra, flapping up into the air.


    ¡°It may also be because humans are just an easy target. Typically, monsters killed mages and fed on their mana cores, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case with irregulars. They don¡¯t seem to have a preference when it comes to mages and null- I mean, regular people, so for now, we can just assume that their motive is driven by the urge to feed....I guess?¡± The Faerie scratched her head in deep thought, swiveling above the table with near perfect grace.


    ¡°Either that...or...they¡¯re summoned creatures....¡± muttered Flynn, narrowing his eyes on the now empty spot beneath his winged companion.


    ¡°You think so too, Flynn?¡±


    ¡°Oliver I¡¯m sure you of all people must¡¯ve caught on to it. This doesn¡¯t make sense, there¡¯s just no way monsters like that can just pop up in the middle of entire cities without anyone noticing. Even if we exclude the fact that they only appeared at night, it''s absurd for them to go completely unnoticed without anyone even sensing anything until they started wreaking havoc.¡±


    ¡°I agree, it does make sense if you consider how much time usually passes between reported sightings but as of now, Allen hasn¡¯t found any magic circles or anything of the sort over there, right?¡±


    ¡°No, but since this is shaping up to be a full-on raid, I hear they¡¯re planning to do a sweep of the city once everything¡¯s in order. If it really is a summoned creature, then the magic circle in play shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡± mused Oliver in a steadfast tone


    ¡°We¡¯ll confirm all the facts once we get there, I just wanted to lay the groundwork for what our next course of action will be. Sorry for boring you three with all this nonsense, this is the last time.¡± He said, turning towards the Ashwell trio with a grin on his face


    ¡°No,no, it¡¯s quite fine.¡± Beatrice responded with a wave of her hand. ¡°At least I get to know where you¡¯re all headed next.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for your hospitality Beatrice, truly.¡± Julia chimed in with a smile.


    ¡°Same here, if it wasn¡¯t for you, I''m not sure what would¡¯ve happened to this little rascal.¡± The young boy at her side awkwardly diverted his vision over to something in the distance, clearly feeling the pressure behind those words.


    ¡°By the way, how soon are you all planning to leave?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡± she stopped in her tracks, taking a moment to survey our supposed party before giving an answer.


    ¡°Two days from now.¡± Oliver answered in her place.


    ¡°Sorry but the raid is set to commence in a little over a week, and even if we hurry it''s still going to take some time before we can make it to Fallon. We¡¯re a bit pressed for time right now, I hope you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I get that you¡¯re in quite a tight spot. You¡¯ve all done a lot for us over the past few years, so it is a bit sad to see you go like this.¡±


    Even I could feel the sincerity lacing Beatrice¡¯s words. I suppose it was only natural for her to feel like this, in just the short span of a few weeks, we had all gotten quite fond of each other. In a sense, it was quite peculiar to see just how easily these human bonds could be forged.


    ¡°Well, we can at least try to give you all a good sendoff. Our mages are mostly back on their feet now, so you don¡¯t need to worry about us. We¡¯ll get back to rebuilding this place as soon as we all settle on a new Elder.¡±


    ¡°About that....I have a few connections inside the Asteria Faith, so I¡¯ll see if I can get this town some additional protection, just in case.¡±


    ¡°......Ah....¡±


    The disbelief on Beatrice¡¯s face slowly melded into gratitude, giving way for her to gesture a bow as soon as her emotions had settled. ¡°Thank you so much....¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that settles it then!¡± Flynn flamboyantly declared with a boisterous shout. ¡°Lady Beatrice, the food was great, but it''s time for us to take our leave. Myra found an old inn down the road - well, what¡¯s left of one anyway. We¡¯ll be staying there for the night, and then get started on helping with the repairs tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Very well then, tomorrow it is.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Shall we all turn in for the night too?¡± My mother asked after the successive series of farewells had ended.


    ¡°I agree! Let¡¯s do that!¡± Emma eagerly answered before hauling me off to her room. She was being just as over the top as usual, but somewhere along the line, I''d gotten used to it.


    She was my very first human friend, and in just two days, I would be leaving her behind.


    <hr>


    Three hours.


    That was the total length of time the young girl had kept me up in her room, prattling on about nothing in particular. It was a good way to kill two birds with one stone, I was able to pass the time and ease her angst, though she was trying her best to hide it.


    I only had a few hours left in this place, so there was no better time to tie up my loose ends. This would only be my second time sneaking out of the house before dawn, but it already felt completely natural to me.


    The streets were quiet, roads shrouded in soft moonlight, and the delicate fog of morning dew drifted lazily along the ground. I walked past a few spectral silhouettes along the way, garnering their attention as soon as they realized I could see them. Despite the constant pleas assaulting me from all directions, right now there was something I had to get done before tending to anything else.


    Just as I came within reach of the familiar stall, the looming figure of a particular man emerged from the foggy shadows.


    ¡°Oh? You came back huh? A little later than I was expecting, but I¡¯ll take it.¡± He said with a somewhat relieved look on his face.


    ¡°Some things came up....¡± I responded awkwardly


    He looked at me with a notched brow that betrayed nothing but confusion.


    ¡°I came to give you my thanks Lennon, this is the last time we¡¯ll be meeting.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What.....do you mean by that? - Don¡¯t tell me-¡±


    ¡°Mhm. It¡¯s over.¡±


    His pale blue face immediately went slack jawed, if he could shout normally then a few dozen people would have surely gotten an unpleasant wakeup call.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start from the beginning.¡± I said, taking a cross-legged seat on the stone-cold floor.


    <hr>


    ¡°I see; so Vreena¡¯s dead huh?¡± Said the somber voice looming over me


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry......¡±


    That was all I could say, even though I was still giving him the same story I told my parents, the burden wasn¡¯t any easier to swallow this time around.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I know just how stubborn that woman can be, if she died then I can very well bet she went out on her own terms. There¡¯s no need for you to beat yourself up about this kid, you know she wouldn¡¯t want to see you like this either.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± I replied hesitantly


    ¡°I wonder if we¡¯ll end up seeing each other again?¡± He said, chuckling at the thought


    A snapping sound filled the air, and sure enough, it was one I''d already been familiar with. As soon as I lifted my down casted gaze, my eyes were met with the sight of Lennon¡¯s crumbling body. A myriad of small, thread-like cracks were now spreading across his entire frame just like what had happened with Luelle all those years ago.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± He questioned, staring at his crumbling palm.


    ¡°You¡¯re passing on, you don¡¯t have any more attachments tying you to this place.¡±


    ¡°.....Is that so? Then I may as well oblige, for real this time, I mean.¡±


    ¡°You accepted that pretty easily, most people have a hard time letting go. What changed?¡±


    My curiosity had somehow gotten the better of me. Even after doing this for quite some time, a few pieces of the puzzle hadn¡¯t quite fallen into place yet. Though that may be for the best, after all, I was playing on a completely different board now.


    ¡°Everything changed.¡± He answered boldly.


    ¡°My main concern was those guys from Brunhilde, but they¡¯re completely out of the picture now. I just wanted to keep my family safe and protect this place that I came to know as my home, that was it. With everything you¡¯ve told me just now, it doesn¡¯t look like I have very much left to worry about ¨C in fact this almost feels too perfect.¡±


    ¡°Well why don¡¯t we just call this one a miracle?¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Heh, you think I¡¯ll buy that? Things started to change after you were born, I don¡¯t even think most miracles line up that well.¡±


    ¡°Then chalk it all up to luck if you want.¡±


    A burst of laughter escaped the fading man, even at the very end I still couldn¡¯t quite figure him out. Then again, I guess that¡¯s where his daughter got all her spontaneity from.


    ¡°Liam, before I go, there¡¯s something I want to ask you...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He stared at me, tilting his head in deep thought. That was all he could do at the moment because everything from his shoulders down had already vanished.


    ¡°Mmhm...How do I put this? You¡¯re a hybrid, a mix between a druid and a human, but I''m sensing something else from you, something dark. You''re clearly not just a normal child Liam, just what exactly are you?¡±


    My face twisted into a mild surprise, he actually managed to see past the solid facade of my druid body. Most souls usually just took my appearance at face value, but I suppose I underestimated him.


    My biggest secret had come to light, yet, I couldn¡¯t help but smile in resignation.


    ¡°A Shinigami.¡±


    ¡°Shinigami huh? Heh, Its my first time hearing that one, but it doesn¡¯t really matter what you are, you¡¯ve done enough good for me to overlook that. I do have one small favor I''d like to ask of you though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure If It''s something I can do, but I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Take care of Emma for me, she¡¯s a smart girl, but she can be a bit restless sometimes. Isaac acts like a loose cannon every now and then too, but I trust his intuition. It would be nice to have someone watching over them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking a four-year-old to look after your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, after what you just pulled off, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll manage in due time. Besides, aren¡¯t you her little brother?¡±


    He saved his strongest card until the very end, what a clever guy.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it a shot. Thanks for everything Lennon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it kid....¡± He answered with a sticky smile that almost seemed reassuring.


    Like clockwork, the man¡¯s silhouette burst in a brilliant flash of light, surely after that, Lennon Ashwell¡¯s presence had departed from these mortal lands.


    ¡°A man who smiles back in the face of death huh?....¡±


    For some reason, my spirits felt elevated after that last interaction. As soon as the moment¡¯s melancholy had departed, I turned to face the numerous other drifting silhouettes moving through the city¡¯s streets, my lips curled up in anticipation and a sense of nostalgia washed over me like a wave.


    ¡°Now then, it''s about time for you all to head out as well.¡±


    The cold city streets made for the perfect atmosphere, the boundary between our dimensions would only stay open for around two hours, so there was much work to be done.

 Chapter 58 - Departure

    Departure


    <hr>


    ¡°Liam, do you have everything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done packing mother!¡±


    I answered that melodic voice with a tinge of excitement in my tone. The first light of dawn was just starting to peek over the horizon, giving way for just the right amount of light to illuminate what was essentially my now empty room. I never kept much in here to begin with, excluding my clothes, the only things I was actually going to bring with me were a few of the magecraft books I ¡®borrowed¡¯ from Oliver¡¯s study without his permission.


    As soon as I got everything into the brown knapsack that was given to me the night before, I tied the sturdy thing across my chest and made my way outside the premises.


    ¡°I might end up missing this place way more than I thought.¡± Julia remarked, staring up at the small structure with a thin smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s true" said the man in uniform as he quietly took his place by my mother¡¯s side. ¡°We¡¯ve been here for a while now so it has grown on me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see someone¡¯s raring to go!¡± He grinned at my appearance from his towering stature, but my eyes had unconsciously wondered back over to the sight of my mother¡¯s unusual outfit.


    ¡°Mother...your clothes?¡±


    ¡°Oh this?¡± She smiled in delight, and gave a twirl to showcase the full impact of her sudden wardrobe change. It wasn¡¯t like the usual, frilly ended garments she usually donned. It was a sleeveless blouse that was seamlessly fused with something like a scarf around her neck, it blended well with her fitted pair of leather pants and the matching leather gloves on her hands.


    If nothing else, she was more than prepared for the occasion, even her usually free flowing hair was parted into twin tails on either side of her face.


    ¡°These are my old raider clothes. I haven''t dressed up like this in quite a while, but since we¡¯ve got a long journey ahead of us, I figured I might as well dress for it.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of what we¡¯re about to get ourselves into, seeing you like that again does help to set the mood.¡± Oliver remarked with a hint of pride on his face as if to say ¡®that¡¯s my wife¡¯


    ¡°Hmm...you think so?¡± She answered bashfully with reddened cheeks.


    ¡°Say Liam, what do you think? Don¡¯t you have anything to say about your mother¡¯s outfit?¡±


    Her question sounded rhetorical, but I knew it wasn''t simply because I¡¯d actually been in this situation before. It was that thing, she wanted me to compliment her appearance almost as if it were some kind of reward for all the effort she had to put in. It was the first time this was happening with Julia in particular, but I suppose it was simply a trait shared by all women.


    ¡°I think it looks good on you.¡± I said, gesturing for a ¡®high five¡¯.


    Flustered, she returned the gesture with an even brighter smile on her face. ¡°Well, you¡¯re certainly lively today if nothing else. Are you going to miss this place too?¡±


    ¡°I think so, but I want to see lots of other places.¡±


    I saw Oliver give a vigorous nod in the corner of my vision; one could only assume he was expecting that response.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re all ready?¡±


    Right on cue, our supposed party members came boldly marching over the damaged stone bridge. Flynn and Myra were casually strolling towards us, while Jytte on the other hand was actually in charge of guiding the wagon that was undoubtedly going to be our method of transport. In a similar fashion to before, when I visited the marketing district alongside Emma, the creatures being used to pull the contraption along weren¡¯t horses, but instead a pair of crimson scaled monsters known as ¡®newts¡¯.


    Apparently, these newts were a far more efficient method of transport since they could cross longer distances without rest and traverse a number of different terrains. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°More or less, we might even be a little early.¡± Oliver replied to the red-haired man.


    ¡°Hahhh...early morning missions are such a dragggg......¡± Said Jytte with a yawn, her furry ears twitched in sync with the dreariness of her voice.


    ¡°Hmph! I told you not to stay up drinking so late, now look at you.¡± Myra shrugged in annoyance.


    ¡°But it was sooo gooood~¡±


    ¡°Jeez, how dumb can you be?¡±


    ¡°What was that!?¡±


    Even with all their incessant bickering, there was still a genuine sense of camaraderie among them, almost to the point where it reminded me of a certain duo.


    ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡± I spoke up, grabbing their attention. ¡°I look forward to traveling with you all.¡± Blank stares were immediately exchanged above my head, the silent stares seemed to have conveyed some sort of cryptic message, because shortly after that, they all burst into a fit of laughter.


    ¡°No need to be so uptight kid!¡± Flynn exclaimed as he stooped to my eye level. "Just try to relax and enjoy the trip, we¡¯ve got your back.¡±


    At my own expense, I¡¯d almost forgotten that I was still nothing but a child just now. That last fight must have clouded my judgement, either that, or some of my common sense must have been knocked out of me.


    For a second, I was under the impression that I would have some role to play in the journey, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. If anything, I was the only passenger here since I couldn¡¯t even use any magic right now.


    ¡°Oh right! I¡¯ll leave it to you then...¡± I answered meekly.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s nothing if not honest¡± said Myra in amusement.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    A fervent yell halted us in our tracks, it came from the same direction that Flynn and the others had come and, without a doubt, the figures approaching in the distance were all very familiar.


    ¡°Sorry about this, everyone. They insisted on seeing you off.¡± Said Beatrice between labored breaths. All three members of the Ashwell family were still wearing their pajamas, so things must not have gone as smoothly as they¡¯d planned.


    ¡°Liam, here!¡± Emma thrust a small brown bag towards me without warning, even with all the insulation I could still feel the blazing heat seeping into my chest.


    ¡°These are....¡±


    ¡°Faerie buns.¡± She said, cutting me off with a smile. ¡°I stayed up all night making these you know, you¡¯d better be thankful.¡±


    The brown bag slipped right into my hand, the temperature from earlier now felt more on the side of warmth rather than unbearable heat. ¡°They smell good, thank you Emma.¡±


    She sighed in relief, before coming in for a hug. After spending so much time around her, she didn¡¯t seem as tall anymore.


    ¡°Take care of yourself.....¡±


    ¡°I will, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not worried alright! You just have a tendency to get yourself into trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not worried, I thought you were going to cry again.¡±


    ¡°She spent the whole night all teary-eyed, you should''ve seen it.¡± Isaac spat with a smirk


    ¡°Shut up Isaac!¡± She yelped in embarrassment.


    ¡°I think Liam¡¯s gotten over all your little tricks now Emma.¡± Beatrice giggled at the sight of her flustered daughter. Left without any more clever cards to play, the poor girl was completely defeated, it even looked like steam was starting to puff from her beet-red face.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame we didn¡¯t really get to hang out Liam, but I think we¡¯ll see each other again, so until next time.¡± Isaac said, stepping forward for a handshake.


    ¡°Heh, who knows maybe we could even have a spar, I¡¯ve heard the rumors about your talent.¡±


    ¡°Sure, when the time comes.¡± I answered with a firm grip.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long four years, but I¡¯m glad I met you all, I hope we can meet again someday.¡± My father chimed at the top of his voice, adjusting his elaborate uniform amidst the declaration.


    ¡°Likewise, we wish you all the best.¡±


    As we boarded the oddly designed wagon, I gave a final wave to the people I was now leaving behind. At the start of this whole ¡®reincarnation¡¯ thing, I was unsure of what my role here was supposed to be, and I still am. Heck, I wasn¡¯t even sure if I was capable of living amongst these people in the first place, but; little by little, I feel like things are slowly starting to fall into place.


    It might take ten years, it might even take a hundred, but someday, I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be some sort of meaning behind all of this.


    ¡°We¡¯re all set, Jytte!¡±


    On command, the drowsy girl serving as our chauffer whipped the scaly creatures into action, and with a galloping sprint, the two monsters sped off towards the sprawling lands in the distance.


    [NEW TESTAMENT REAPER ¨C VOLUME ONE ¨C END]

 Chapter 58.5 - Between The Lines (2)

    Between The Lines (2)


    <hr>


    One Month Ago


    In a certain region of the human domain of Ekin, a town only a few square miles larger than Zale was pumping plumes of ash into the air. From afar, it might have seemed like festivities were underway, but in reality, the growing piles of ash were being churned up by the burning buildings, flaming stalls and dying bodies.


    A bright orange glow cast a veil of despair throughout the ravaged streets, and yet, even with all the death and destruction currently taking place, hardly any screams could be heard. Given the number of burning bodies lining the streets, one would assume that there must have also been those who were smart enough to run for the hills ¨C Unfortunately, no such thing could come to pass anymore, and that was because, at the center of all this chaos was a small crater no more than thirty feet wide.


    It had remnants of what appeared to be runic markings running along the circumference of its scorched perimeter, though it was now hard to tell what exactly those strange symbols were because of the ¡°creature¡± now slumped to its knees at the heart of all this destruction.


    It had a humanoid figure, quite a feminine one in fact, with all the curves and contours one would expect, but it was the exact opposite of what a ¡°human¡± should be. Its body was covered in a squirming dark mantle from head to toe, but the composition of this body flickered like the flame on a small candle, making it seem as if this thing could evaporate at any given moment.


    The only thing relatively human about its face were the two circular purple spots that one could only assume to be its eyes. All in all, the current circumstances would suggest that this thing wasn¡¯t even supposed to exist in the first place.


    The being examined itself under the dim moonlight, but since it had no mouth, only muffled groans came out, and even that was still unusual. It sounded like dozens of people were trying to half-heartedly mumble something all at once.


    ¡°Man....you sure did a number on this place...¡±


    A calm voice came just a few steps away from the devastator. Its crooked neck turned like bolted gears to face the man now approaching it so boldly.


    Clad in a hooded silver coat, the fearless youth strode the flame filled path of destruction with nothing but a confident smile on his face, this chaotic scenery must have brought him some sort of guilty pleasure.


    Everything around the impact site, from the dead bodies to the burning buildings, had all been haphazardly cut apart and now resembled what could only be described as a grotesque puzzle of destruction.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re having a hard time controlling that radical of yours - but well, I can understand. It¡¯s not like you could use any magic befo - woah there!¡±


    He yelled, shifting his neck to the side had just barely given him enough leverage to avoid the incoming blow.


    At a glance, it only resembled the dull flicker of light, but that analogy couldn¡¯t possibly be true seeing as a portion of the ground now had a sword-sized gouge spanning a few dozen feet in it.


    ¡°.....That was dangerous...¡±


    The man murmured, licking the thin trail of blood gliding along his cheek. The attack just now had slashed off the hood previously covering his face, so now the thin strands of muddy brown hair on his head were on display for all to see. He must have been somewhere in his late twenties given the fierce, yet playful look in his eyes. His ocean blue Irises glowed with a tempting, almost chaotic hue.


    Yet, the monster in question seemed to have little interest in that.


    What appeared to be confusion had frozen the creature in place, but as soon as that brief hesitation was shrugged off, the being continued its assault. A flurry of flickering blades suddenly shot towards the unbothered youth, he chuckled at the sight before skipping between them with a casual ease.


    The more he dodged, the more erratic the creature¡¯s attacks became, mincing up the long dead bodies to the point where they resembled nothing more than thin strands of paper.


    A wrathful roar emanated from its mouthless face and in response, the flurry of blades seemed to get even more chaotic.


    The young challenger was undoubtedly experiencing a flood of emotions, but they were nothing close to fear. It was much closer to amusement than anything else, in fact, he almost resembled a child now locked in a high-stakes game of jump rope.


    With each flicker of his silhouette, he positioned himself further and further into the monster¡¯s cleaving grasp until the deadly beast, still on its knees, was no more than two steps away. His body lunged forth as he ducked under the final horizontal sweep of light aiming for his neck.


    ¡°Right there.¡±


    His outstretched hand was all it took to direct an overpowering wave of pressure at his foe, the slumped creature fell flat on its face like it was suddenly being forced to bear the weight of the entire world.


    An unsightly squeal erupted from the thing now slowly being submerged into the ground, much to the annoyance of its captor.


    ¡°Yeah, Yeah.¡± He mused in annoyance.


    Even as its body was being forced into solid bedrock, the creature was still defiant in the face of the oppressive force now submerging its body.


    ¡°Irregular, huh? What a fitting name, it looks like this level of magic isn¡¯t enough to restrain you for very long, but...¡±


    The man fiddled with something under his coat, and before long his arm emerged with an oddly cut blue crystal that was about the size of a clenched fist.


    ¡°I need you to behave for a little while; these things aren¡¯t exactly easy to come by you know, and we can¡¯t keep doing this forever.¡± He spat, strolling over to the column of pressure keeping the irregular flat on its face.


    ¡°Here we go!¡±


    With a powerful shout, he shoved the glowing item into the upper back of his bested foe, his arm sank into its body like a muddy swamp and once again, the beast railed in a sporadic fit of agony. Its limbs thrashed about as an otherworldly light began emanating from inside its body, overpowering the dim orange glow of the subsiding flames.


    ¡°Looks like it worked...¡± He mumbled, lowering the arm previously used to shield the light from his face.


    Now, in the center of the small crater where a monster of unknown origin had once been slumped to its knees was the figure of a woman. She didn¡¯t have a single thread of clothing on her body, but the flowing strands of black hair reaching all the way down to the ruptured ground were enough to shield her slender figure from any would be onlookers.


    Not that there were very many to begin with.


    The woman blinked at her own hands in awe, looking up at the moon overhead as if she¡¯d just been reborn.


    ¡°Where...am I?¡± She mumbled aloud, directing the question to no one in particular ¨C but, fortunately for her, someone was there to give an answer.


    ¡°This is the town of Tiran ¨C well, it was anyway, this place might need some remodeling after that little fit of yours. That being said, welcome to the new world! A pleasure to make your acquaintance malady.¡±


    He bowed in an extravagant gesture, but it didn¡¯t quite have the effect he was hoping for.


    ¡°New world?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s right. This place is a little different from the world you grew up in -¡± He stopped himself at a sudden realization, raising his curled fingers to his chin in a moment of deep thought.


    ¡°Umm...sir? Is there something wrong?¡± The woman asked through the veil of her cascading bangs. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°No, it''s just.... not having a name to call you by is pretty inconvenient y¡¯know? If you don¡¯t mind, would you allow me to do the honors?¡±


    She paused in contemplation before answering ¡°Feel free.¡±


    The man surveyed their surroundings and clapped his hands together as soon as the beaming lightbulb of inspiration had appeared above his head.


    ¡°Well considering the current situation, what do you think about Nephthys?¡±


    Most of her face was still being blocked by her dangling bangs, but the only thing on blatant display was the smile being forged.


    ¡°Yes, that works. I think...it¡¯s a lovely name.¡± She answered in a soft whisper


    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided, Nephthys it is.... And with that being said, would you like to come with me, Nephthys, I need your help.¡±


    She surveyed their surroundings once more before nodding in agreement. No sooner had she done so was the man¡¯s aiding hand being offered to her, the smile on his face matched hers, but only seconds before their arms could touch, a dull thud shook the ground.


    Two new figures, clad in their matching cloaked clothing had appeared.


    ¡°Back already Broin, Demir?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was just checking the perimeter, it looks like most of the remaining citizens have already fled the area.¡± A deep voice echoed the answer to his question, it came from the bear-like man who towered over his other companion.


    ¡°Just so you know Vidar, this guy let a few of them go out of pity.¡±


    The slender man beside the hulking giant answered. The hood of his cloak wasn¡¯t drawn at the moment so his most defining features were currently on display as well. As captivating as his flowing blonde hair was, the standout trait here were his arched, pointed ears that were each fitted with two pairs of silver rings. The man¡¯s green eyes showed only apathy for the destruction afoot, he frowned at the sight like an impatient child.


    ¡°Not this again; couldn¡¯t you stop them Demir? I thought you hated humans.¡± Vidar asked in astonishment.


    ¡°My hatred for humans stems from only one person, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll just go out of my way to kill them all. And besides...¡± The elf answered with a scowl before looking up at the stone-faced giant on his right.


    ¡°...This guy was doing his absolute best to let them get away so there wasn¡¯t much of a point to it.¡±


    ¡°Damn it Broin! What were you thinking? We could¡¯ve used a few more sacrifices you know, what if this one had failed?¡± Vidar cursed at the giant man


    ¡°Vidar, I despise the needless killing of civilians. If it failed then it would have just meant that this woman simply wasn¡¯t worthy in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Again with the self-righteous mumbo-jumbo" Vidar responded with a heavy sigh


    ¡°Well, it worked out in the end so I guess it¡¯s fine. You two, go get her something to wear.¡±


    ¡°Understood, but...are you really sure about this? About her, I mean....¡±


    ¡°Hm? Ah, that¡¯s what you meant.¡± He smiled, glancing over his shoulder at the woman now staring in awe.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine don¡¯t worry about it; we need the extra hands right now anyway.¡±


    For a moment, Broin froze before turning his back to the conspicuous duo, leaving the words ¡°I¡¯ll trust your judgement¡± behind.


    Demir followed alongside him, still apathetic to the chaos. Unlike his comrades, he hadn¡¯t even glanced at the woman for a full three seconds in spite of the bewitching stares she was throwing at them.


    ¡°Now then, Nephthys, I believe you were about to accept my offer, no?¡± Vidar asked enthusiastically, his words seemed both measured and firm.


    ¡°Mhm, I don¡¯t think I have much of a choice.¡±


    Her answer made him chuckle, and her own reddening cheeks made her look away in embarrassment.


    ¡°Here; take my hand¡± he said, resuming his gesture from moments earlier.


    ¡°Thank you....¡±


    The instant their arms touched; he briskly pulled the woman to her feet before using his free arm to support her back.


    ¡°Oh and one more thing Nephthys...¡±


    Confused, she cocked her shielded face to one side.


    ¡°You can drop the act now.¡±


    ¡°Act?¡± Her soft answer oozed with skepticism.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re a killer, aren¡¯t you? No normal person could ever remain so calm with all these bodies lying around. Not to mention your bloodlust, this whole time you¡¯ve been looking for openings in my defense ¨C You want to kill me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°..............¡±


    ¡°Tehe-¡± Soft laughter squealed through her lips.


    ¡°TEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡±


    A loud, boisterous, outburst of madness escaped the lips of what was initially thought to be a fragile young woman.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what gave it away huh!? Damn I thought I had you there...¡± She exclaimed in a mix of euphoric anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m flattered milady, but you¡¯re a ways off from even hoping to kill me.¡± Vidar retorted, tightening his grip on his nude captive.


    ¡°So it seems, but...¡±


    *LICK*


    ¡°....this is good enough.¡±


    A slurping sound rang in Vidar¡¯s ears, Nephthys had leaned in close enough for a kiss, but had instead opted for licking the dried blood clean off his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had this~¡± She murmured, using the vermillion fluid to dye her own lips. With a hint of grace, she broke free from Vidar¡¯s charming grasp and slipped into a frolicking dance inside the oval crater.


    ¡°I¡¯m back! I¡¯m free! Finally free from that wretched place! - Now, it¡¯s time to get my revenge! I¡¯ll definitely murder that thing! Where is he!? Where the hell is that Grim Reaper!?¡±


    She yelled her somewhat repulsive desires in a burst of joy. Clearly, her brief moment of modesty was over.


    Vidar watched on in amusement, nodding his head as if he was sure of something.


    ¡°Unfortunately, that won¡¯t be possible my dear.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± She paused, standing on tiptoe to stare in astonishment.


    ¡°Remember what I said at the beginning? This is a different world, so that guy isn¡¯t here, if we¡¯re lucky, he might even be long dead¡±


    A mask of despair spawned on her face.


    ¡°...No...way...After I finally got out...¡± Her words mumbled out, drenched in sorrow.


    ¡°Now, Now, no need to get so moody. I have a proposition for you.¡±


    ¡°And what would that be?¡± She asked, turning to face thin man with a pronounced look of indifference.


    ¡°I have something I need to do, and I need your help to do it, so as long as you help me with that, I¡¯ll keep your new body in good condition so you can kill whoever you want, alright?¡±


    For a few seconds, she stood there, gazing at the far-off moon, the cool nighttime air must not have been much of an issue for her.


    ¡°This one¡¯s not red....¡±


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s not red?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Never mind, I¡¯m just talking to myself.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, can I have your answer little miss?¡±


    She smiled, heaving off the burden previously weighing on her bare chest.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite the charmer, but it''s bad manners to rush a lady, you know? I have a hard time dealing with bossy men.¡±


    ¡°I tend to prefer the quicker side of things¡± He replied, shrugging in indifference


    ¡°All right, I suppose that¡¯ll do for now. You did free me from that place after all, and I need information before I can start anything on my own.¡±


    ¡°How kind of you.¡± Vidar smirked ¡°You¡¯re the only one who made things this easy for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment¡±


    ¡°Ack!¡± A rumbling sound interrupted them, it came from the right, where a disheveled young man was just now freeing himself from a pile of rubble. He had more than just a few bones broken considering his limply hanging left arm, but despite that, the man still shot a hate filled glare at his target.


    ¡°Y-you...how could you do this to us? I thought you were here to help, so why!? Answer me, Vidar!¡± He roared, filling the area with the purest form of malice.


    ¡°Ahem! Nephthys...¡± Vidar pointed to his right in annoyance. "You missed one.¡±


    The girl daintily chuckled before lazily waving her hand.


    Before the intruder could even react, his upper body was already slanting off his torso, it fell to the ground with a horrific splat.


    There wasn¡¯t even time for the man to squeal.


    ¡°Well I guess things are settled here now.¡± Vidar said, removing the coat draped across his shoulders and instead draping it around his newfound comrade.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here Nephthys.¡±


    ¡°My, how kind of you..." She smirked in delight.


    ¡°Oh, right, right - One more thing Nephthys....¡± He stopped himself to give a glance over his shoulder.


    ¡°Welcome to Gehenna.¡±

 Volume One Afterword

    <hr>


    I''m not really sure what to put in this afterword section, so I''ll just go off the top of my head.


    Let me start off by saying thank you to all the readers, even if you aren''t following the book, I appreciate the support. As for the comments, I appreciate every single one of them even if I can''t reply to them all. I''ve barely been writing for a year now so I''m thankful for the feedback.


    I came up with the idea for this story in about three days and ever since then the ideas revolving around the plot have kept on coming so its a little tricky to streamline everything. I don''t plan on shoving a whole bunch of things in here that aren''t ever going to be explored, so it takes a little while to get everything right.


    Now, as for the story itself - magic, enchantments and a bit of Rakia''s lore will be explored in the upcoming volume. There wasn''t much worldbuilding in volume one but I didn''t really see any way to shove all of that in there without it just feeling like an info dump. In time, I plan on exploring the lore and what not so there shouldn''t be too much confusion after volume two.


    Something I''d like to point out about the levels is that, in this series, the levels don''t go absurdly high like in most books on this site. The main reason is because this isn''t a LitRPG so its not really a standout feature here. Secondly, the bar to levels is kept simple because in most of the stories I''ve read, it kind of becomes pointless after a while.


    Like, if a character levels up, cool they get experience points to boost certain attributes and stuff but after a certain point it becomes kind of meaningless? Well that''s kind of how it seemed to me, in the sense that, what''s the difference between level 25 and level 70? The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    It might just be a nitpick but I want to set the foundation for a clear path of progression. You level up - you get something new, and you can only climb so many levels. If this works out the way I want it to, then it should keep everything nice and simple. Radicals are another thing that will be explored so by the end of volume two the foundation of this series should be pretty solid.


    I think I lost a lot of readers because of the slow pacing in volume one so that''s something I''m trying to improve. Volume two will be a bit faster than the previous volume since the plot this time is a bit more...chaotic. One question I get a lot is about the raven that''s on the cover - Yes, it is a real thing and it''ll appear in volume two.


    I want to solidify my release schedule so, for now, lets say - At least three chapters a week, from Friday through Saturday CDT. It''d be nice if I could get this series on rising stars here so feel free to share and comment, I appreciate it!


    Lastly, as for the name of this series the people who''ve been following this book for a while know that it went through quite a few name changes. First it was rookie reaper, nether neophyte, etc.....


    They were all really bad but eventually I settled on ''New Testament Reaper'' just because that title stills holds weight when considering the overall plot and it also spells ''NTR'' if you abbreviate it and I found that hilarious.


    Thanks again for reading!


    Cheers,


    CosmicSlime


    Also, here''s the cover for volume two :

 Chapter 59 - Another Step Forward (1)

    Another Step Forward (1)


    <hr>


    After more than a week of continuous travelling, the small town of Zale had completely vanished over the horizon. The humble image of tranquility fostered by that place was now being overwritten with all the shifting scenery that whizzed us by each day.


    It wasn¡¯t all that spectacular when compared to the norm, but the region was becoming more and more mountainous, a stark giveaway that we were heading into foothill territory.


    The view outside the arched flapping cloth of the wagon¡¯s back end often gave me a glance at the ever-increasing knolls that were becoming more frequent as we trotted along the dirt road.


    However, the journey hadn¡¯t been as grandiose as I was expecting since we hardly ever passed anyone by on these solitary trails. I thought a monster horde or two would come prowling at us once the veil of night fell, but apparently, that wasn¡¯t how those creatures operated.


    Monsters were territorial by nature and preferred to occupy the regions known as ¡°dungeons¡± or ¡°labyrinths¡± to benefit from their abundant mana concentrations. Incidents with strays like the basilisk were supposedly few and far between, but as it so happened, we¡¯d been on the unluckier side of fate this time around.


    The wagon shook violently after passing over what I assumed to be a stump in the road, it disrupted my balance and caused me to fall face first onto Julia¡¯s lap. I lifted my head to see her smiling down at me, and sure enough she asked ¡°are you alright?¡± in just about the sweetest voice one could muster.


    ¡°I-m fine but I don¡¯t think I like this wagon thing very much.¡± I pouted


    I could tell she wanted to laugh but had instead swallowed the outburst of joy that had subtly built up in her chest.


    ¡°How about going out front to take a look then? I know you don¡¯t like staying cooped up in here all day.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a good idea to me!¡± Came the ecstatic voice ringing from the coachman¡¯s position.


    I had a pretty good idea of just how brash that woman could get after being around her for a few days, but clearly her ears weren¡¯t just for show.


    ¡°Oh, looks like Jytte¡¯s up for it Liam, what do you think?¡± Julia asked with a wink


    Unable to hide the delightful grin forming on my face, I rushed towards the clattering sounds echoing from the front of the wagon as I shouted ¡°Be right back!¡± to my resting parent.


    Alas, I couldn¡¯t exactly hide the excitement in my voice even after all this time. I¡¯d been stuck in that small town for the entirety of my new life and this, more than anything else was starting to feel like the real ¡®first step¡¯ of my journey.


    My hair fluttered in the wind as soon as stepped onto the coach box, there I saw Jytte, gripping the reins to the scaly monsters trotting along the ground. Her eyes scanned the shielded horizon with a familiar, fierce sort of determination that actually left a different impression on me.


    What I assumed to be our destination was a bold sight in the distance. It was an array of scarcely spaced parallel mountain ranges that varied in their respective sizes, a place commonly called the ¡°Fissure Falls.¡±


    The particular mountain we were headed towards seemingly doubled in size by the day, it wasn¡¯t exactly a long shot away from being the most imposing thing here.


    ¡°Back again Liam?¡± Flynn asked from my right as he lazily strolled along to match the monsters pace.


    ¡°I want to see when we get there¡±


    I answered vehemently, taking a seat beside the fluffy eared driver. Still dazed by the scenery, my own reply was little more than an afterthought.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there now, if all goes well, we should arrive by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you said two days ago....¡±


    ¡°......A miscalculation on my part, that¡¯s all it was really! I could¡¯ve sworn there was a shortcut somewhere back there!¡± He shouted in dejection


    ¡°So you say you liar, it''s our fault for listening to you.¡±


    Myra answered in a voice that was nothing but sarcastic, the sidelong glance she was shooting in Flynn¡¯s direction practically forced whatever excuses he¡¯d wanted to offer back down his own throat. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that big of a detour, was it?¡± Jytte questioned from her leading position


    ¡°Not that big of a detour? We lost two whole days because of his careless advice!¡±


    Myra was subtly starting to ramp up the intensity of her airborne tantrum; something her comrades must have been used to given their lack of rebuttals. Frankly, from my position the entire thing just seemed humorous.


    Seeing someone who was barely the size of a glass bottle get so agitated in mid-air just came off as being amusing to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny kid?¡±


    She flew up to my face with a very scrutinizing look in her eyes, snapping me out of my inaudible chuckle.


    I could see her left brow twitching in irritation as her gaze remained sharp and unrelenting.


    I swallowed hard, scurrying through the last four years of my life as I searched for the solution to the situation. Eventually, the flood of memories came to a halting stop when I looked to my left only to see Oliver giving me a snarky wink.


    Then, I remembered.


    Every time my mother would put him on the spot like this, there was a certain tactic he always seemed to use.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny seeing you scold the adults like that, you¡¯d make a good leader.¡±


    Innocence brimmed from my tone as my juvenile words promptly extinguished the smoldering flames of Myra¡¯s irritation. Her expression quickly went from one of suspicion to confusion, shattering her tirade in an instant.


    At once; her eyes flashed with a brilliant glow.


    ¡°H-hmph! I¡¯m not really cut out to be the leader here or anything, these two are just no good without me.¡± She whipped around to give that answer with her back turned, although just from her shaky tone I could tell that my genius plan had worked.


    Credits to the mastermind of this strategy though ¨C whenever my mother would get on his case about him starting random fires or something, he would always seize control of the conversation with a subtle compliment.


    It was clearly an artform I needed to learn; however, my first attempt must have been decent enough seeing as the mastermind himself was now flashing me a ¡°thumbs up¡± as he walked alongside us.


    His cheeks were puffed to the limit as he struggled to restrain the stifled bout of laughter that had built up on his chest.


    ¡°Oliver.¡±


    ¡°Pwah!? - Ahem! Ah, yes, Myra what is it?¡±


    ¡°Uhm....are you okay? It kind of looks like you¡¯re out of breath.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just been a particularly long walk today that¡¯s all.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how, but he somehow managed to mask his previous expression in an instant, his usual cool cut demeanor was being restored at an astonishing rate.


    ¡°Well anyway...¡± Myra carelessly shrugged before flying over to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should set up camp soon? It¡¯s almost nightfall, and the newts could use some downtime right about now.¡±


    ¡°I second that idea!¡± Flynn yelled from the other side of the wagon


    ¡°Me too! My back¡¯s starting to feel a little stiff....¡± Jytte¡¯s dejected tone seemed to have resonated the shared sentiment


    Oliver stopped to stare at our elevated destination before returning Myra¡¯s gaze


    ¡°Sigh....you heard them leader¡± She grumbled offhandedly


    He scratched his head in resignation before finally addressing their woes.


    ¡°Alright!¡± he exclaimed in agreement. ¡°I suppose we¡¯ve been pushing ourselves a little too hard to try and make it in time for the raid, but there¡¯s no need for that anymore, right Jytte?¡±


    ¡°Ah! You see it too!?¡± Her furry ears began twitching ecstatically as she leaned forward to point at something off in the distance.


    Soon after, the others began heaving gasps of relief and surprise at the murky sight.


    I had a good grasp of our pace after being on the road for a week so even I could tell that it was only about a day''s distance away. The man-made sight at the mountain¡¯s plateaued peak left me with a feeling of longing for somewhere I''d never even been to before.


    It was a city; one that was much larger than Zale in terms of sheer scale and architecture at that, but the most surprising thing here was its layout. Unlike the humble outpost that had once been my home, the juxtaposition of this elevated city seemed somewhat off for some reason.


    Almost like two halves that just couldn¡¯t quite fit together.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there Liam, that¡¯s our destination - The fissure city of Fallon.¡±


    His timing was impeccable, the name alone was one of the last pieces to this puzzle.


    ¡°Oh! We¡¯re at the base of the mountain!¡± Said Julia as she sporadically popped her head between the wagon flaps.


    ¡°Yeah, it won¡¯t be long now.¡± My father responded nonchalantly. ¡°...By the way, how are you feeling?¡±


    A bit flustered, she waved her hands apologetically before responding.


    ¡°Much better now; thanks to you all. I should be able to keep up again.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s good to know.¡±


    Pleased with her response, he addressed our woeful party with a reassuring smile.


    ¡°The sun¡¯s about to set soon and we need to find a good camping spot, let¡¯s spread out and get to work! We¡¯ve got a long climb ahead of us!¡±


    The command was met with a resonating answer ¨C a chorus sounding ¡°understood.¡±

 Chapter 60 - Another Step Forward (2)

    Another Step Forward (2)


    <hr>


    By the time the stars had begun peeking down at us, we¡¯d already managed to find refuge just underneath the canopy of an oddly convenient oak tree. Its bark was rigid and its roots weaved through the earth like ancient veins. They were of course perfect for fastening the ropes of our tents, and the fallen branches scattered about the place kept our raging campfire going.


    We¡¯d even found enough logs lying around the place to use as our temporary seating, forming a rough circle around the fire that crackled and popped, sending occasional sparks into the cool night air.


    All in all, our journey had been pretty smooth so far ¨C my not so comfortable seating was the only detractor to this pleasant experience at the moment. Still, even that was starting to lose its effects thanks to the strange concoction I now held in my hands.


    Myra claimed that it was some form of exquisite beverage or something like that, but given the current situation it feels like she just gave me this to keep me occupied. The warm beverage was both bitter and sweet, hard to swallow, yet comforting in its own strange way.


    Apparently, it had some kind of magical gimmick that altered the drinks properties each time you took a sip, so you ended up never really knowing what you were going to get. Truthfully, this was only something you¡¯d give to an overly curious child to keep them quiet for a while, and as shameful as it was for me to admit it ¨C I couldn¡¯t get enough of this.


    I was only two or three swigs away from finishing my third cup.


    My parents were locked in idle chatter with the other ember fang members, talking about their version of ubiquitous things that included diving into dungeons and what not.


    Jytte and Flynn in particular were taking their idle chatter up a notch; a poignant smell was drifting over from their direction and given the eruption of froth escaping from their wooden mugs, they clearly weren¡¯t drinking the same thing I was.


    I saw Myra yelling at them moments before her rage took over and she started chasing them around the pit of flames.


    After about three laps, she finally managed to talk some sense back into her frivolous companions. Myra¡¯s scolding prowess had actually managed to overpower their brief moment of tipsiness.


    ¡°Ta-da!¡± Jytte shouted in sobriety as she placed something resembling an unsealed scroll unto the ground.


    The parchment scrap had an arcane, circular arrangement grafted in the middle that soon began to emit a faint blue light seconds after she placed it on the ground. Within moments, something had begun to rise up from the magical construct like it was forcefully being pulled to the surface.


    ¡°Eh!? You kept that thing!?¡± Flynn exclaimed in excitement


    ¡°Of course, these go for around two silver coins you know.¡± She answered pridefully, running her finger along the scales of her summons.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Steel Jaw, isn¡¯t it?¡± Julia whispered in awe This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Without a doubt.¡± Oliver replied, clapping his hands in elation. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen one of those in a while, where¡¯d you pick that up Jytte?¡±


    The vixen huffed triumphantly, before slamming a fist to her chest.


    ¡°In a dungeon of course! I told you we¡¯ve been busy these last few years.¡±


    ¡°It was a C-rank dungeon Oliver, just so you know.¡± said Myra nonchalantly as she lazily floated above Jytte¡¯s head.


    ¡°So what if it was a C-rank dungeon?¡± Jytte yelled angrily - or at least that''s what she¡¯d wanted to do anyway, but the effects of all that alcohol hadn¡¯t quite worn off just yet. Ultimately, her complaint had just ended up sounding like a whimper instead.


    ¡°These things are really hard to catch in the water you know, it almost took me three shots just to hit this one.¡±


    Myra¡¯s eyes drifted over to the lifeless carcass, its body resembled that of a typical eel except for the fact that it was around six times bigger and had hard, jagged scales that shone like pristine sapphire shards.


    A single yellow eyeball rested in the center of the monster''s face, right above rows of jagged teeth at the front of its streamlined body. Its ivory-colored eyeball was glazed over, clearly from the large puncture wound that went all the way through the side of its head.


    ¡°Fair enough I suppose.¡± She remarked humbly, before floating down to stand on the creatures shining scales.


    ¡°Even I¡¯ve never managed to land a headshot on one of these things, they really are too damn fast in the water, nice work Jytte.¡±


    I saw Jytte¡¯s face brighten up in elation, her ears started to flap in unison with her wagging tail.


    ¡°W-w-w-weeellll.......it wasn¡¯t that hard now that I think about it~¡± She muttered through a squiggly smile.


    ¡°You liar, don¡¯t let that go to your head, these monsters aren''t even that strong, they''re just a pain to deal with.¡±


    ¡°O-of course I know that!¡± came Jytte¡¯s offbeat reply. The hint of pride she felt from Myra¡¯s last compliment was still smeared all over her face.


    ¡°Do you really?¡± Asked the Faerie girl as she inched closer to her comrade, still doused in suspicion.


    ¡°Who cares about that now!¡± Blurted Flynn as he dashed over to the center of attention.


    ¡°Hey don¡¯t you guys know why these things are so expensive? It¡¯s because they¡¯re delicious!¡± He said those words with an unfound certainty. It probably wasn¡¯t stemming from confidence, but rather, his own greed.


    The corners of the man¡¯s jaws oozed with the drool of a glutton.


    ¡°.....I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try it since you already brought it out. They¡¯re not very easy to find or catch anyway.¡± Said Myra with a gulp


    ¡°You all can have some, but just make sure Liam gets to try it, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s never had dungeon meat, right Julia?¡±


    ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t had any dungeon meat yet, but...¡± She must have paused to finish a rather ominous thought, because her next words literally sent shivers up my father¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Fufu....we¡¯ll get there one day~¡±


    Get where exactly, dear mother?


    I¡¯ve been wanting to ask that question for well over a year now, but the modesty I was being taught here would never permit me to do such a thing.


    "So, Oliver..." Flynn said merrily, tugging at one of the creature''s sharp scales.


    "...Will you do us the honor like you used to?"


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re fine with grilling or roasting, then no problem old friend.¡± He answered through a grin.


    ¡°Hah! Like we have a choice!¡±


    I found myself indulging in the laughter that erupted afterwards, it almost made me forget what we were even doing all the way out here.

 Chapter 61 - Another Step Forward (3)

    Another Step Forward (3)


    <hr>


    After about an hour of slow roasting, the meal was finally done.


    I was now on my fifth shot of the drink Myra called a ¡°Mysticap¡±, but this time my hands were also occupied by a plate full of marine flesh. This Steel Jaw thing was surprisingly good, it was neither too tough nor too chewy, so my stomach was experiencing a sense of elation at the moment.


    ¡°Awww! No,no,no,no,noooooo!!!!¡±


    I heard a squeal from across the campfire, one that I couldn¡¯t help but investigate. It was of course, Jytte, who was currently on her knees and frantically scraping at the fragments of her dissipating scroll.


    ¡°Jytte...is that...?¡± Oliver questioned with a stark look on his face


    ¡°Its my dimension cache, its breaking apart and I''ve only used it once. This thing costs three gold coins - I can¡¯t lose it like this!¡±


    She rummaged through the fading scraps of parchment with an even greater intensity, I had no idea what a dimension cache even was, but judging by the despair in her voice it must have been pretty important.


    ¡°Give it up.¡± Flynn mumbled as he placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Once these things start dissipating it''s all over.¡±


    She stood up to reveal the profound look of sorrow in her glossy eyes, the fact that her ears and tail could also droop in sync with her dejection was making it almost impossible to not feel sorry for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a new one as soon as we reach the capital Jytte, it''s the least I could do.¡± Oliver cut in with a determined tone, setting the girls beady eyes aflame once more.


    ¡°Thanks a lot Oliver!¡± she yelled in elation.


    ¡°Next time....¡± Flynn interrupted as he stooped to pick up the final piece of the disintegrating scroll.


    ¡°...Try not to buy any more dimension caches that come in the form of scrolls or things like that. Your much better off just getting the ring-shaped ones that can only hold your essentials like potions and stuff. The scrolls have more storage capacity, but they¡¯re a lot more expensive and they can only be used once.¡±


    She stared at him in awe like a curious child ¨C If I didn''t know any better, I would have guessed that this must have been the first time she was hearing all of this.


    Flynn shook his head and let out a sigh that soon turned into a chuckle.


    ¡°Well, you know, just stick to buying the cheaper ring or bracelet shaped ones from now on alright? This is a scam.¡± He finished by dangling the disintegrating piece of parchment in front of her face.


    ¡°G-Got it¡± She answered rather attentively.


    ¡°Sorry, you used that scroll for me, didn¡¯t you?¡± I mumbled through a yawn; this body clearly wasn¡¯t taking my overnight activities very well.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that Liam, I used it because I wanted to, alright?¡± She smiled with a gentle tilt of her head.


    ¡°Not a big deal huh?¡± Myra interrupted with a smug grin


    My gaze flickered between the two of them before the revelation snapped in my mind.


    ¡°Is that true, Myra?¡±


    She looked down at me and smiled before waving me off and saying ¡°It¡¯s not something you need to worry about kid.¡±


    How odd.


    Despite appearances, she did know when to dial back her usual bravado.


    The two of them had gotten into another dramatic quarrel, this time over their current financial status, but I wasn¡¯t very interested in that. There was something else I¡¯d much rather get the answer to.


    ¡°Uhm...lady Myra-¡±


    ¡°Just Myra is fine, there¡¯s no need to be so overly polite anymore, even I''m not that prickly.¡±


    That was a rather abrupt change of heart, but a welcome one nonetheless.


    ¡°Then, Myra...how exactly do Faeries see through lies?¡±


    That was a question I never thought I¡¯d have to ask, but given my current situation, it might be best to just go back to the basics.


    <hr>


    Myra Hazel


    I always had a feeling that Oliver¡¯s son would turn out to be the overly curious type, and as fate would have it, I wasn¡¯t very far off the mark.


    People say that children are easy to impress, but it''s the first time I''ve ever seen anyone actually chug down five of those Mysticaps in a row. I only gave it to him because I wanted to see him make some funny faces, but at some point, he¡¯d actually started to enjoy it.


    Most people get tired of that little enchantment by the fourth sip¡ªbut this boy? It¡¯s my first time seeing anyone look so happy drinking something so cheap. It was basically just enchanted water, but just seeing that look of satisfaction on his little round face was starting to make me think that he wasn¡¯t used to tasting very much at all.


    Druids definitely had their preferences when it came to flavor, especially in Julia¡¯s case, so I couldn¡¯t help but wonder - Just what exactly had she been feeding this kid?If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    In a way, I wanted to know the answer to that question and at the same time, I didn¡¯t. The important thing right now, though, was the question the boy had just asked me.


    ¡°Then, Myra...how exactly do Faeries see through lies?¡±


    My mind instantly began filtering out all the useless words I didn''t need, so it had only taken a few seconds for me to condense all of this down to something a child could understand.


    ¡°That¡¯s a strange question. Why do you want to know something like that Liam?¡± I remarked sarcastically, peering down into his deep red eyes.


    The boy lightly swirled the drink in his right hand before taking another sip that forced his expression into a grimace. He quickly shrugged off the bitterness and smiled his way into his next reply


    ¡°I want to see if I can do it too.¡±


    ¡°You want...to do it?¡±


    He nodded without a hint of hesitation on his face.


    ¡°Pfft!Puhahahaha!!¡±


    My body barreled into a laughing fit as I rolled around in the air, even though he was just a child, he was actually being dead serious about this.


    ¡°M-Myra what¡¯s so funny!? He just wants to know!¡± Jytte cursed at me before stooping to the boy¡¯s level to comfort him. That¡¯s what she wanted it to look like anyway.


    ¡°Listen up Liam, you too Jytte...¡± I said after calming down


    ¡°Seeing through lies isn¡¯t something you can just ¡®do¡¯ like that, it''s not that simple. Lies aren¡¯t even physical in the first place, you need a spiritual connection in order to perceive them.¡±


    ¡°A spiritual connection? ¡°


    ¡°Exactly.¡± I answered, floating down on his hand.


    ¡°I know when people are lying because I can see their anima, it¡¯s that simple.¡±


    Confusion was starting to creep across their faces, a blatant mix of skepticism, ignorance and curiosity. It didn¡¯t take much for me to anticipate their next question, so, a bit to my own credit, I beat them to the punch.


    ¡°You¡¯re wondering what ¡®anima¡¯ is, right?¡±


    They both nodded vigorously.


    Jytte was surprisingly into this for some reason, but despite her initial enthusiasm I wasn¡¯t expecting her to remember much of this for long. Outside of combat, there was hardly ever much she actively paid attention to.


    ¡°Well, let''s see, how do I put this...¡± I mused, glancing over to my right only to see Flynn and Oliver clashing about who deserved the Steel Jaw¡¯s eyeball.


    Julia ¨C who was now acting as their mediator - waved me off with silent hand signals that meant something to the extent of ¡°everything¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry¡±, so their lack of interjections at the moment wasn¡¯t very concerning.


    ¡°Anima is an emanation of will and desire. Simply put, it¡¯s an extension of yourself, kind of like an aura that mages give off when they¡¯re leaking mana.¡±


    ¡°Will and desire huh? I think.......I understand, but what does any of that have to do with lying?¡± He quizzed intently.


    I highly doubt he actually knew what I was talking about, but seeing him try so hard to figure this out was refreshing, and honestly, it was kind of cute.


    ¡°Well...¡± I said, clearing my throat earnestly.


    ¡°Since your ¡®anima¡¯ is an extension of who you are it also means that it covers all your core aspects, like your beliefs and what not. Even things you don¡¯t know about yourself can supposedly be read from your own anima. That¡¯s why, when you lie for example, you¡¯re doing something that¡¯s going against what you actually believe or want, so it causes a distortion in the field of anima surrounding your body. I can see that distortion, so I know when people are lying, that¡¯s all it is.¡±


    ¡°OOH! I think I kind of get it now.....sort of...er...go over that last part again?¡±


    ¡°Right, right. I¡¯ll do that some other time Jytte.¡±


    She laughed off the embarrassment for a while, but stopped after peering down at the boy in deep thought by her side.


    He really was taking this seriously.


    ¡®Liam, its fine if you don¡¯t get it you know. Stuff like this is really complicated so you might have to wai-¡±


    ¡°I understand it well enough; I just need some way to practice it.¡± He mumbled through a smile.


    ¡°Huuh!? For real? You actually understand all that stuff?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. Pretty much.¡± Liam nodded contently; a mischievous spark of some sort had now been set ablaze in his eyes.


    As overly dramatic as Jytte was being, this was one of the few times where I could actually agree with her. This kid was smarter than he looked.


    ¡°Myra... is there any way for me to learn how to see anima like you?¡±


    ¡°E-Eh? Well, no not that I know of.¡±


    That determined look in his eyes had startled me for some reason, to the point where I¡¯d unconsciously found myself fluttering backwards a bit.


    ¡°Faeries are ¨C well, we were ¡®blessed¡¯ by a certain deity a long time ago, so that¡¯s why we¡¯re able to see anima. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any other way for a normal person to gain spiritual insight like we have....¡±


    I tried my best to hide it but, sadly, I couldn¡¯t fully contain the ire lurking in my tone.


    ¡°I see. Can I ask you one last thing before I go back over to my mother?¡± His gaze was unnaturally serious.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I replied curtly, it wasn¡¯t their fault but, that last question now had me inadvertently wishing for the end of this conversation.


    ¡°Can you see souls?¡±


    ¡°Souls...no; of course not.... There¡¯s no way I can do something like that.¡± His question left me stunned, my broken sentence came out in startled bits and pieces.


    ¡°Is that so? Thank you for answering my questions, I learned a lot.¡± He turned away with a smile as he walked towards his feasting parents who had just called out to him.


    I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of unease building up on my chest as I watched him walk away like that, so in spite of my own frustration, I felt compelled to stop him.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted; my voice brought the boy to a halt.


    ¡°M-Myra what¡¯s up?¡± Jytte asked sincerely, if only she could understand the implication behind his question just now then this would have been a lot easier to explain.


    He turned around, revealing an expression that betrayed his confusion. However, his overall features had in fact returned to their usual childlike wonder.


    ¡°W-why did you ask me that? The question about seeing souls, I mean.....¡±


    His lips curled up slightly as he began moving in the direction of his mother¡¯s incessant calls, but his answer came before his face had faded from our view.


    ¡°Oh that? It¡¯s because I can.¡± He replied nonchalantly, as if throwing those words into the wind.


    I felt my face twisting in astonishment.


    The corners of my jaws were losing strength by the second, all because of what this boy had said just now. That wasn¡¯t the scary part though, what had actually left me at a loss for words was the scene unfolding right in front of me.


    I watched as his anima flowed gracefully around his body, cool and undisturbed.


    He.....wasn¡¯t lying.

 Chapter 62 - Arrival (1)

    Arrival


    <hr>


    Liam Rocco


    The intensity of Myra¡¯s stunned gaze boring into my back hadn¡¯t faded even after I¡¯d returned to my mother¡¯s side. The words I left with her on a whim must have had a significant impact, I was hoping they did, given how useful that ability of hers could prove in the future.


    Judging by her reaction just now; I was certain that she could in fact see through lies.


    That power was an indispensable asset in this world since I had yet to fully grasp even the basics of common sense here.


    Once upon a time, I had no problem seeing through deception, but that was only thanks to my direct connection with the source. Now that I was on my own, outside aid was no longer an option so the best I could even hope for here was a compromise.


    Myra had mentioned something about seeing distortions just now but that wasn¡¯t how it worked back in Eden. I didn¡¯t actually see any visible changes; it was more like an alarm went off in my mind every time I was being lied to.


    Losing that power was certainly a setback, it felt as if I was missing one of my senses. In hindsight, it kind of feels like I was just taking it for granted.


    If I¡¯d been able to do it back in Zale, it would have certainly made things easier considering that entire ploy was only being wound together by deception in the first place.


    As my eyebrows twitched in deep thought, I stole a glance at the figure looming over me ¨C The woman I was now using as a lap pillow. She must have sensed my drowsiness even from yards away because the second I made it back to the tent we pitched; she smiled at me before saying that it was past my ¡®bedtime¡¯.


    Before I even knew what was happening, the low humming of her voice had all but defeated me. It was the one clever tactic I could never quite get around ever since my days of infancy. Even now, as I rested my head on her lap, I could barely even feel the sensation of her fingers running through my hair.


    All the strength I could muster was constantly being drained from my limbs.


    While laying on my back and waiting for my vision to blur, I hear the dull sound of our tent flap opening. ¡°You put him to sleep already?¡± Oliver asked with a giggle.


    ¡°He dozed off just now. You know, ever since we left Zale Liam¡¯s been acting kind of different.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, he seems a lot.....livelier than before. I¡¯m starting to wonder if he just didn¡¯t like that place.¡±


    ¡°Well, the way I see it, that¡¯s not quite right...¡± She mused in thought


    ¡°It''s more like, he¡¯s just figuring out how to be a child. That¡¯s what I¡¯m getting from his new attitude, but who can say for sure? I¡¯m just a doting mother after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the kind of thing mothers are good at picking up on.¡± Oliver replied modestly, before taking up his position on my right and leaving me trapped between them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine what my father¡¯s reaction to all of this is going to be, he¡¯s probably upset that I didn¡¯t bring Liam back sooner.¡±


    ¡°Well, even if he is mad, he probably won¡¯t stay that way for very long. He dotes on you quite a bit, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡± She chuckled


    ¡°You don¡¯t have very much to worry about but, me on the other hand.....When I get back to the capital, I¡¯ll probably have to answer a few questions myself.¡± Oliver sheepishly remarked


    Ever the optimist, I heard Julia mutter a well-timed ¡®good luck¡¯ before pulling out the covers. That was the nail in the coffin, once the covers were drawn, I no longer had the mental vigor to prolong this semi-conscious state.


    My final thoughts for the day circled back to the contents of their conversation.


    I pondered my plights and progress ever since coming to this world along with all that was sure to come. It certainly hasn¡¯t been easy so far but somehow, having these people around made the load feel a bit easier to carry. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Perhaps I was actually becoming somewhat of a ¡®normal¡¯ child.


    <hr>


    The next few days into our journey had solidified my suspicions about our destination. At the break of dawn, the answer to those speculations were becoming that more obvious. As the mountain¡¯s silhouette drew closer, I could clearly see the horizon¡¯s light starting to seep through it and not over like what one would normally expect.


    Once we reached the base, the roaring sounds of a waterfall could be heard growing louder and louder the further up its span we traveled. Noticing my perked-up ears, Oliver chuckled before giving his input.


    ¡°That sound is probably coming from a stream somewhere around here, but it gets much louder on the other side because that¡¯s where the ¡®fissure¡¯ is. ¡± He said jokingly


    ¡°A fiss...ure?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. This mountain is basically on the edge of Sylvan and because of something that happened a long-time ago, it''s kind of broken.¡±


    I made a mental note of that.


    No matter which world you were in, there was hardly any chance of something commonplace possessing the power to outright ¡®break¡¯ a mountain.


    ¡°Liam!¡± Flynn yelled enthusiastically ¡°You¡¯re in for one hell of a view kid!¡±


    ¡°No need to spoil the surprise for him Flynn, let¡¯s just save it for the top. He¡¯ll see it when we get there.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll wait then.¡± I remarked, keeping my gaze fixed on the winding dirt road that weaved itself through the slightly overgrown forest paths.


    ¡°Haah....talk about a lack of tension.¡± Flynn¡¯s dejected sigh immediately drifted off with the wind.


    Although I was interested in seeing what exactly was going on with this thing, it seems my lack of excitement had something of a gloomy effect on him. Apparently, that was something I needed to work on too.


    ¡°Aaaagh! I forgot how much of a pain this climb is....¡± Jytte grumbled out her lackluster thoughts, earning herself a sigh from Myra in the process.


    Ever since I mentioned the whole thing about souls, I could feel the subtle shift in Myra¡¯s attitude towards me. It was a slight shift in her demeanor that suggested I was now being watched.


    Ever so often, I caught her stealing cautious glances at me from afar.


    ¡°By the way, why am I always the wagoner?¡± quizzed the furry eared girl to my right. At some point, this had become our default orientation with me sitting in the middle, accompanied by Julia and Jytte on either side.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a ranged warrior.¡± Myra answered through a yawn. ¡°If we get flanked, it''s harder for you to get hit when you¡¯re at the front and you¡¯re good enough to hit anything that pops up ahead of us, so stop complaining.¡±


    ¡°Y-you yawned just now didn¡¯t you!? I knew I wasn¡¯t the only one that hated climbing this thing!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really all you got from everything I said just now huh?¡±


    Despite appearances, these people were in fact professionals. From the moment we left Zale, our formation was completely geared towards protection. Oliver and Flynn were each positioned on one side of the wagon to ward off both ranged and melee assaults, while Myra usually road on top of the wagon to watch for threats coming from our flank.


    It was a smooth, yet surprisingly effective arrangement, one that you wouldn¡¯t ever notice if you weren¡¯t paying keen attention to your surroundings. However, I had yet to see just how efficient this formation would prove to be in combat.


    ¡°What¡¯s a warrior?¡± I piped up from between my two guardians.


    ¡°They¡¯re superhumans¡± answered Julia


    She saw my head cock in confusion, and as if to anticipate the question ¡°How is that different from a regular mage?¡± she chuckled before continuing.


    ¡°They¡¯re not exactly mages, but they are stronger than regular humans. Warriors have semi-awakened mana cores so they can strengthen themself with mana but they don¡¯t have any affinities or radicals. That¡¯s why they usually carry enchanted weapons and things like that.¡±


    I glanced at Jytte, and she winked in return before saying ¡°Yup that¡¯s about right!¡± with a bold thumbs up.


    ¡°Oh that reminds me!¡± My mother clapped her hands enthusiastically for some reason. She fiddled with one of the pouches strapped to her side before bringing out a plain piece of white cloth.


    ¡°All right Liam, c¡¯mere~¡± She gestured delightfully, and within a few seconds she was already tying the piece of fabric around my forehead.


    ¡°Hm? Mother?¡± I muttered, looking up for answers


    ¡°It¡¯s just a precaution, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    There could only be one real reason behind her actions just now.


    ¡°Better safe than sorry, who knows what kind of creeps are taking advantage of the chaos up there.¡± Myra remarked indubitably


    ¡°Oh! We¡¯re getting close!¡±  Flynn exclaimed.


    As we neared the plateaued top of the gigantic landmass, I caught my first real glance of what the civilizations of this world truly had to offer.

 Chapter 62 - Arrival (2)

    Arrival (2)


    <hr>


    Only a few minutes were left until the sun would completely dip below the horizon, yet we had nothing to fear this time around. Our destination was only a few feet away thanks to our brisk pace.


    Perhaps all that hurrying was worth it after all.


    A large wooden gate spanning about fifteen yards was perfectly positioned at the center of a rampart that boasted two outposts atop its perimeter. This was the entrance to the city of Fallon, and currently, it was being swarmed by a quarreling mob.  Just from their attire and accessories, you could easily tell their profession - ¡°Violence¡±


    That was the word that came to mind the instant I saw all those sharpened blades and stacked quills. We passed a few of them on our way up here, but it wasn¡¯t until we reached the very edge of the city¡¯s limits that the majority of them actually came into view.


    Other than their obvious affinity for aggression, one other thing stood out about these people. They each had a single digit number somewhere on their body, and so far, I hadn¡¯t seen any that went higher than three.


    Among everyone here however, the one who stood out the most to me was a man boasting ivory tinted hair and hazel-colored eyes carrying an axe almost twice his size. His physique was rather robust, but his only noticeable means of defense was a thin looking breastplate of leather armor that actually made him appear quite defenseless.


    That didn''t seem too far off either because on both of his arms, from his wrists up to his shoulders, were numerous unfading scars. The moment we made eye contact he all but scowled at me, hoisting the weapon across his shoulder and disappearing into the walled city like he had just seen something unpleasant.


    Our fervent pace slowed to a leisurely stroll as the wagon rolled along towards the foreboding entrance. There must have been some kind of issue here, because even though it was wide open, no one here showed any signs of advancing.


    No one except us of course¨CJytte, Flynn and Myra continued their casual conversation despite all the stares we were now getting, and it wasn¡¯t just them either. Not even my usually doting parents seemed to have thought very much of our situation.


    It was a bit strange but, our entrance felt overwhelmingly arrogant seeing as it abruptly calmed the boisterous chatter and had even parted the crowds.


    One of the dozen or so guards by the gate, a man seemingly in his late fifties sighed before walking over to us and saying ¡°I¡¯m the one in charge of security at this post; the name¡¯s Fergus. So? What¡¯s your story?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here for the raid. I take it everyone else is here for the same reason, no?¡± Oliver answered curtly


    ¡°That¡¯s what they all say¡± shrugged Fergus.


    ¡°I have a feeling most of you are just bandits looking to take advantage of the chaos, we¡¯ve gotten more than a few reports about people getting attacked on their way up here you know. The way I see it, the majority of you are just here looking to plunder before nightfall.¡± His voice carried a strong sense of authority at the end of his declaration.


    Snorts and giggles reached my ears, even with all the serious implications behind the guard''s statement just now, someone here was enjoying this. Apparently, Myra had hit the mark with her earlier assumption. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    A voice shouted from the back, sarcastically saying - ¡°Aww c¡¯mon sentry, we won¡¯t do nothin¡¯ like that, right boys?¡±


    It evoked a deceitful chorus of laughter.


    ¡°I see your point; I suppose proof of our level alone wouldn¡¯t exactly serve as valid identification in this case.¡± Oliver sighed before reaching into his coat pocket and retrieving something that looked like a golden pendant engraved with a stylish insignia.


    The inscription supposedly read ¡°Basileus.¡±


    ¡°Wha-!¡± Fergus gasped in shock, his lackeys, the other men wearing similar attire now mirrored his expression.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s the royal family¡¯s insignia!¡± He sputtered before dropping to one knee.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t informed about anyone of such status coming all the way out here, if we had known, one of our trained wyvern units would have been awaiting you at the base of the mountain.¡±


    ¡°At ease.¡± Oliver replied calmly


    ¡°This little trip was planned in a hurry so no one¡¯s at fault here. We just want to enter the city, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°O-Of course! Right this way.¡± Fergus sprang to his feet and before I could even blink twice, he¡¯d already taken on the role of leading us to who knows where.


    ¡°I-If I may be so bold as to ask what your name is sir?¡±


    Oliver paused, clearly a bit embarrassed from the far too sudden shift in Fergus¡¯ tone.


    Everyone else - except Fergus, who was a bit too high strung about Oliver¡¯s status - noticed how awkward he must have felt from the swift change to formal treatment. By some miracle, they all managed to stop the laughter from bursting out their chests.


    ¡°O-Oh my apologies, it seems I got lost in the moment and forgot to introduce myself. Oliver Rocco, at your service.¡± He said awkwardly, before going on to introduce the rest of us in the order of Wife, Child and friends.


    ¡°O-Oliver Rocco....you mean the Ashb-!¡±


    ¡°Shhhhhhh!!!!


    Before Fergus could finish, he was abruptly halted by Oliver putting a finger to his own mouth.


    ¡°Ahem, very well, I understand. Please follow me, I¡¯ll take you to the temporary stronghold.¡± uttered Fergus in a sheepish tone.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if he was just extremely obedient in the face of authority, or if it was simply the ability to adjust himself to the current situation.


    ¡°Oi! What about us!? We were here first!¡± Shouted another stick-looking raider, his dual daggers dangled in the onset of his rage.


    ¡°Quiet fool! He bears the royal family¡¯s insignia, for your own sake I suggest you watch your tone.¡±


    Fergus silenced the enraged man as if he was scolding a spoiled child, even with those two daggers at his disposal, that one outburst made him seem quite helpless.


    Jytte giggled at the sight of the man literally losing his spunk, if it wasn¡¯t for Myra silently reeling her in, she would have probably made this situation a lot more threatening.


    ¡°Now then, shall we be off?¡± asked Fergus, quickly switching to his professional tone.


    Oliver stood in place as the rest of us marched on, our procession only halted once we¡¯d all heard him shout the words ¡°All of you listen up!¡±


    The declaration made even the guards stand at attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know what''s been happening here recently. This city currently needs all the help it can get, even if it''s not related to fighting. However, if you came here under the guise of offering help while your real intentions lay elsewhere, I suggest you reconsider your priorities, we don¡¯t have any time for games right now.¡±


    The atmosphere fell into a dead calm as the unruly mob seemingly took an unconscious step back in unison.

 Chapter 63 - Arrival (3)

    Arrival (3)


    <hr>


    ¡°Finally!¡±


    Jytte groaned in the midst of her stretching motions.


    From where I sat, I could even hear a few of her bones creaking out of turn. The uphill climb must have not been very easy on her given the upright sitting position she was forced to maintain.


    ¡°From the looks of things, we barely made it too. Thanks for all your hard work everyone~¡± Julia cheerfully remarked as she stepped down from the wagon.


    As I did the same, a loud clanking sound echoed in my ears from just a short distance away. It came from the other lanky guards who had just finished closing the two hefty looking wooden gates.


    Passing us by now were large crowds of people heading in the same direction as us. Given that last interaction with Oliver, they were undoubtedly the ones who had resolved themselves to a cause.


    Just about every one of them had a weapon, whether it be axes, swords, shields, bows or whatever else they could use to inflict harm. The clattering of their armor, the dragging of their feet and even the casual conversations they held all came together to form an indecipherable cacophony of sounds.


    Something the city of Fallon seemed to be lacking at the moment.


    To no one¡¯s surprise, we were late. The raid was apparently scheduled for tomorrow and every single raider we passed at those gates was here for the exact same reason we were. Or at least that was the general assumption anyway.


    Oliver took the lead with Fergus at his side, who seemed intent to go on and on about the inner workings of this place. I followed behind them, neatly tucked in the center of this familiar formation all while my stunned eyes scanned the surroundings.


    Even I could tell that this place would have been far livelier under normal circumstances, but as things currently stood, the streets were awash with a palpable sense of fear and dread. A large portion of the buildings here were constructed from brick, with a square base and a triangular addition on top for those who could afford it.


    Yet, the majority of them were damaged. Broken glass and small craters littered the ground ¨C some of these supposedly extravagant buildings even had the roofs blown off. I still didn¡¯t know what an irregular was, but some of these people had suffered the misfortune of having it ravage their houses to the point where it was even hard to describe what was still left standing.


    If one was to examine this entire situation without context, they would have certainly wondered what Fergus and his lackeys were so dead set on fervently guarding in the first place.


    As we progressed, we garnered the attention of the ragged humans roaming the streets, their lifeless gazes trailed behind us, and their bodies swayed slightly with each step as if they¡¯d lost all sense of purpose. Some were injured, some clearly malnourished, and as for the other¡¯s, they had all but given in to the despair. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Julia gripped my hand firmly in hers, an obvious attempt to distract me from all the crimson splatters and stains on the ground. It was strange, although the scent of death here was sickeningly thick, I had yet to see, or even hear a single vanquished cry.


    The silence, both physical and ethereal was eerily oppressive.


    <hr>


    The cobbled streets continued to pave our way forward, but at a certain point, all the roads that branched off from the city¡¯s entrance either veered to the left or the right. If not for the few brick-built shops, stalls and inns, the center of this place would have been left vacant.


    As we walked along the scarcely populated roads for what felt like an eternity, we eventually arrived near the city¡¯s dividing point.


    It came in the form of a massive ''V'' shape¡ªThe arms of the divide fanned out, carrying with them the fragmented remnants of the city. A blatant byproduct of design had left the pivot just up the road from us.


    Unconsciously, my body stumbled forward, eyes wide and mouth agape as I stared up at what was undoubtedly the boldest thing here. Somehow, it managed to escape my notice before now given the state of disrepair this place was in.


    ¡°There we go! That¡¯s the enthusiasm I was hoping to see!¡± Flynn conjured a grin, patting me on the back as my eyes whizzed around in wonder.


    ¡°What...is that?¡± I managed to stammer.


    It was still a few feet away, and only around half of it was visible above ground but you could clearly see it from just about anywhere around here given its size and position.


    This was the very thing serving as the city¡¯s focal point, and perhaps thanks to a marvelous feat of mankind¡¯s ingenuity, it was strategically placed inside a deep ¡®fissure¡¯ at the mountain¡¯s forefront.


    I suppose this place was living up to its name after all.


    ¡°They call it the Brimwell. That¡¯s the main source of the sound you were hearing earlier.¡± Oliver answered in delight. Just from the look on his face I could tell he really wanted to elaborate on the subject.


    The object in question was a waterwheel, whether it was just a single gargantuan version of the device I was used to or a series of exponentially large ones working in unison was still unclear, but the only thing that was irrefutable right now was the fact that this was the focal point of Fallon¡¯s apparent division.


    If you were to look at Fallon from afar; It might have even seemed like the Brimwell was slowly cleaving its way through the mountain.


    From what I could make out, its half-submerged structure was partially concealed by the broadening streets. The visible segment was a mere fraction of its full grandeur¡ªa towering silhouette with gnarled wooden spokes and ancient iron bands. The surface of the wheel was encrusted with layers of sediment and moss¨CWhatever the reason for it being here was, this thing had certainly done its time.


    Water from some unseen source poured over its blades with a muted roar, creating a cascade of frothy white that shimmered in the evening sunlight. The sight was both awe-inspiring and.....a little unsettling.


    ¡°Since it''s your first time here, how about we have a closer look?¡±


    ¡°If you would father.¡± I responded, nodding enthusiastically.


    I took his outstretched hand, watching as he gave a mischievous wink to the others.


    By way of our own childish whims, we both barreled a few dozen feet into the air with nothing more than a little magic trick.  As soon as Oliver hoisted me around his neck, the horizon¡¯s light met my eyes in a blinding flash and I watched as it cast a radiant glow unto the fading landscape.

 Chapter 64 - Arrival (4)

    Arrival (4)


    <hr>


    This fissure city was, in a word, a very dangerous idea. Not just because of potential outside threats and what not, but it was more so because of its design.


    I only realized that thanks to Oliver, who had just casually scaled a few two-story buildings and used his flames to propel himself off a water tank, all to give me a view that would probably just terrify most children.


    We were now dozens of feet in the air, just barely high enough to peek over the Brimwell. Whilst still airborne, I finally got a brief glimpse of what laid on the other side of the large wooden wheel.


    The entire front end of this mountain was missing, or perhaps ¡®destroyed¡¯ was a better way to describe it. The destruction had left nothing but a crude, triangular shaped ¡®fissure¡¯ that must have disrupted the streams that once flowed within the mountain.


    The Brimwell was at the center of the raging torrent, it was the sole bastion standing between what remained of Fallon¡¯s streets and a sudden flash flood.


    Rather than cleaving through the mountain, it now looked as if it was a simple, massive cog trying to keep this entire thing from falling apart.


    As for the rest of the city, the term ¡®remnants¡¯ seemed more than fitting for what little remained of Fallon. Which in fact were nothing more than two small forts; both well past their prime, on each end of the ¡®V¡¯ shaped divide.


    They clung to the northernmost ends of the V-shaped structure that extended only a few hundred feet. The two forts were both relatively small, which is why they were perfect for the post since the mountain¡¯s modest size could barely fit anything else on its narrowed surface.


    Whatever had ¡®broken¡¯ this mountain, had inadvertently formed an artificial waterfall, one that had no plunge pool at its base so the torrent of water being redirected by the Brimwell was eroding the surrounding terrain.


    Countless years of this cycle must have been what formed the makeshift ravine that extended into what must have been elven lands.


    ¡°Tch!¡± grunted Oliver after pulling off our rather poised landing


    ¡°Looks like someone¡¯s still got it....¡± A snarky comment like that would have usually come from Flynn or one of the others but apparently, that wasn¡¯t the case this time.


    ¡°Long time no see huh? Well, maybe not so much for the rest of you but it sure has been a while - Oliver, Julia.¡±


    A middle-aged man with a physique that seemed similar to both Oliver and Flynn¡¯s was approaching us all whilst dishing out a leisurely overhead wave as he weaved through the oncoming crowds.


    He looked to be the oldest member of the ember fangs, with neatly cut blue hair that fanned out like a parasol and clean-shaven sideburns growing down to meet his slightly unkempt beard.


    With each step, the saber at his side dangled incessantly in rhythm with his footsteps and as soon as he was close enough, my startled gaze was abruptly torn away from his sunken smile. Instead, my eyes chose to focus on his empty sleeve flailing around in the wind.


    It was the spot where his left arm should have been.


    ¡°I suppose the last five years really did whoosh us by. A lot¡¯s changed since then, Allen, but it''s still good to see you.¡± Julia answered, giving him a gentle bow in the process.


    ¡°As expected of a druid, your sense of time is still that far gone.¡± He chuckled slightly as he exchanged a handshake with my father.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like any of us have changed very much though, old friend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯ve changed plenty. Isn¡¯t that your son?¡±


    Registering my cue, I acted swiftly.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Liam.¡±


    He stared at me for a while, then couched down to peer at my face with his only arm being left to caress his stubby beard.


    A coordinated sigh came from my parents.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it, we know the resemblance isn¡¯t all that striking yet.¡± Pressed Julia as she emphasized the last word.


    Sensing the danger that lurked behind her dubious smile, Allen decided to pursue it no further.


    ¡°R-right, well anyway, I''m glad I finally get to meet you Liam. Betcha haven¡¯t seen anyone this banged up before huh?¡± He jeered, laughing at his own plight.


    ¡°Your arm...can¡¯t you fix it with healing magic?¡± I questioned sincerely


    ¡°If only healing magic was that convenient kid, it doesn¡¯t work like that. The Irregular that did this refused to go down without a fight, and we didn¡¯t plan on losing either so something like this was bound to happen. But hey, we won so at least I got a cool story from it.¡± He shrugged with an expression caught somewhere between a grimace and a grin.


    Giving in to the impulse, my mouth carelessly set my next sentence loose.


    ¡°Do you....mind sharing it with me sometime?¡±


    ¡°Ah....I¡¯ve changed my mind Liam, you do sort of remind me of your parents, in a quirky sort of way. Alright, you''re on, the drinks are on me!¡± His declaration was rather fierce, and the deal was cemented with my very first ¡®fist pump¡¯.


    ¡°By ¡®drinks¡¯ you do mean orange juice or something like that, right?¡± Julia raised a twitching brow; her tone was only half-joking, but that question still sent a chill through the air.


    ¡°O-of course that¡¯s what I meant, right Oliver?¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Naturally.¡± He replied without hesitation, cleverly aiming to kill the tension.


    ¡°Oh? Well then in that case you can give it a go~¡±


    That shift in tonality was way too sudden.


    ¡°KRIIIIIEKKKKK!!!¡±


    A roar echoed through the skies. I looked towards the fading sun only to see what resembled a flying flock of reptiles leisurely circling above our heads. Their pattern, although repetitive was extremely well coordinated.


    Ever so often, they would take turns switching positions to swoop down to the top of the Brimwell and indulge in a drink of the dazzling water being propelled up the large water wheel.


    ¡°Ahh.....you still had that many wyverns left?¡± Flynn mused as he shielded his face from the evening¡¯s fading glow.


    ¡°You know Allen...¡± Jytte began, her voice loosening. ¡°A few of those would have really helped us save some time with the whole trip to Zale......and with the climb too.... whoever¡¯s up there now must have it good¡±


    Myra nodded in agreement, looks like she wasn¡¯t too fond of the climb up the mountain either.


    ¡°Your eyesight never falters, does it? Sorry but we just can¡¯t right now. We¡¯re using them to transport our healers around and if worse comes to worst ¨C evacuation. I know you¡¯ll need them for the drop off in Sylvan, but as of right now we just don¡¯t have much to spare.¡±


    ¡°Then we better finish this up quick huh? From the looks of it, even the lords have fled from this place.¡± Oliver remarked as his eyes continued to scan the desolate surroundings.


    ¡°They have. The residents started fleeing from this place ever since the city of Tiran fell a month ago. Most of the civilians you saw on your way here came from Tiran, they made the journey by foot and as I''m sure you can guess....this place wasn¡¯t exactly the haven they were hoping for.¡±


    ¡°What a disappointment that must have been.¡± Myra muttered indignantly


    ¡°It''s what you¡¯d expect, I mean, we all know Sylvan is technically off limits for us.¡± Flynn added solemnly


    Julias smile crumpled after hearing that, her lips could barely keep the crevices from forming.


    ¡°There were a few other high-leveled raiders around at the start of all this, but, as soon as the irregular showed up our numbers started to fall drastically. Once the lords saw that, they fled this place before we could even regroup. Since I¡¯ve been here the longest, the role of authority just sort of got passed down to me since no one was willing to stick with it for too long.¡±


    ¡°If they have you in charge here then the situation must really be dire.¡±


    ¡°......Thanks for the compliment, Flynn.¡± He responded, sarcastically of course.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it was genuine. But anyway......¡± Flynn continued


    ¡°How¡¯s our backup looking? Minus those scrubs that just came in of course, I¡¯m not expecting much from them. Is there anyone else here that can put up a fight?¡±


    ¡°Well-¡±


    ¡°RAAAAGH!!!¡± A crackle split the air.


    Usually, that would have been fine since there were currently wyverns circling above us, however, that particular shrill sound was getting louder by the second as if to signal that something was getting dangerously close.


    The tension around us peaked, and no sooner than it did had Jytte unsheathed the recurve bow previously strung across her back. In less than two seconds, three metal looking arrows had already been nocked in the twanging bowstring.


    Her eyes sharpened as they followed the flock of Wyverns now dive bombing like a swarm of vengeful shadows.


    She pulled back her fingers and muttered softly - ¡°Enchant¡±


    As soon as her aura enveloped the bow, the nocked iron spikes slipped through her grip at a near untraceable speed, whistling through the air with deadly precision.


    Then, muffled groans rang out before a gargantuan mass of hardened scales came falling from the skies. After that swift, triple pronged headshot, the wyvern strayed off target by a considerable margin and careened into the broken path behind us.


    ¡°Not bad Jytte, that¡¯s a solid eight points, but....¡± Flynn paused briefly, casually twirling the double-edged lance with a flick of his wrist.


    Perhaps Jytte¡¯s latest move had sparked a desire for vengeance within the rest of the flapping flock, because another one of the scaled vipers was continuing the assault with its wings cocked as it charged in from the side.


    The metal pronged lance clanked against the earth as soon as Flynn swung it overhead. The second it hit the ground; a tile-shaped earthen slab sprang up with the vigor of a spring-loaded trap. It lingered in the air, swirling slightly before -


    Wham!!!


    Came the impact that echoed as soon as Flynn launched his newfound projectile towards its target with a furious swing. The large lizard wailed from the sensation of hard stone crumbling against its snout, it swerved and swayed in mid-air before crash landing through the roof of a supposedly abandoned home.


    ¡°....it lacked oomph; you need a bit more style.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I got it done!¡± she retorted angrily


    ¡°You pass.¡±


    That last voice came from above, it sounded blunt and oppressive amidst the subtle tension in the air. Remarkably, the speaker made his entrance just as the night began to drape the world in its dark mantle.


    The final wyvern landed softly with a dull sound, perking up its neck to scour its surroundings with a split-pupil gaze, sharp and alert. Its amber colored scales gleamed in the dim moonlight peeking through the clouds.


    Perhaps it was because its scales were reflecting the moonlight back onto its pilot that made his entrance seem so over-the-top. His face, and more notably his weapon was very familiar. It was the axe-wielding brute I''d seen at the gates a little while ago.


    In that short span of time, he seemed to have found some sort of authoritative bearing in this place.


    ¡°A bit much for a greeting, no?¡± Myra asked menacingly


    ¡°A Faerie, is it? Haven¡¯t seen one of those in a while.¡±


    Myra¡¯s eyes subtly glowed with a silent hint of fury, if not for the intervention of Flynn and the others she might have ended up doing something uncalled for.


    ¡°Who are you? Depending on your answer this may not end well for you.¡± Flynn glared at the figure pompously standing before the four-meter monster.


    ¡°Aryan Freed, was it? I knew you looked familiar, he¡¯s a raider form the capital, a pretty famous one at that too. Apparently, he¡¯s racked up quite record over the past few years, being a part of all the major dungeon raids in Ekin and all. ¡± Allen muttered dubiously as he stared at the man basking in the scene of his own glory.


    Aryan nodded in delight, forming a thin smirk to show his approval.


    ¡°Looks like my name¡¯s even made it all the way out here. Heh-good, good, this is even better than I expected! Now once I wrap things up here, I¡¯m bound to go back up the totem pole.¡± He snickered playfully, using his scarred hand to half-heartedly mask the conniving expression on his face.


    ¡°I see. Reputation aside, I''m sure we all have our own reasons for being here, as long as he¡¯s willing to help then that¡¯s fine by me. You there, Aryan, what level are you at?¡± Oliver asked with a hardened gaze.


    ¡°How presumptuous.¡±


    Leaping off his mount, he landed with no hint of grace whatsoever. The fingers on his right hand loosened, revealing his open palm marked with the bold number ¡®three¡¯.

 Chapter 65 - Arrival (5)

    Arrival (5)


    <hr>


    f levels in this world were a true measure of one¡¯s status as a mage, then Aryan, this man must have been at least comparable to Oliver.


    ¡°A druid too eh? Heh, what a surprise.¡±


    ¡°L-level three? I never expected him to be that strong...¡± Fergus words fumbled over his own shock. His gaze raced between Oliver and Aryan, but as if he suddenly remembered something, his hands instinctively clasped over his own mouth.


    ¡°Yep, there you have it.¡± Aryan said as he waved his hand around nonchalantly


    ¡°As I recall, there aren¡¯t many raiders here that are on my level, so on a whim I decided to test you all just now since you were so comfortable standing around in this dismal place. Your skills were... commendable at best. I¡¯d even go as far as to say that you lot are a decent party, much better than all the riff-raff that came here looking to ride on my coattails.¡±


    I heard a snapping sound as veins began pulsing on Flynn¡¯s temples, his smile hadn¡¯t faded yet, but it probably couldn¡¯t hold out for much longer. Then, as I watched Aryan bask in his own glory, my gaze intentionally scrolled back over to Oliver who seemed to have no intention of offering a rebuttal.


    He met my gaze and smiled, giving me another wink that must have meant ¡®let him think that¡¯, so I responded with a smile of my own and did just as he said.


    ¡°You can pat yourself on the back all you like but, didn¡¯t you lose horribly to some guy a year ago? The news of your defeat made it all over the capital too¡± Allen interjected; luster still absent from his tone.


    Aryan simply giggled, unfazed by the sudden revelation.¡°We all have our share of setbacks, some of them are merely stepping stones meant to propel one to higher heights. I personally, wouldn¡¯t call that a defeat, if it wasn¡¯t for that then I¡¯d never get the chance to be a part of something greater.¡±


    ¡°By ¡®something greater¡¯ you mean that little cult, don¡¯t you? Not that I care much about it...¡± Allen continued, his tone shifting to a more serious note


    ¡°....But I do want to know what you were doing with those wyverns since I am technically in charge here. We just lost two of them thanks to your antics.¡±


    Clearly displeased, he tsked and formed a scowl before getting back on his mount. Despite the tense situation, Flynn still somehow found the time to shout: ¡°Mine''s just unconscious, Jytte¡¯s the one that messed up!¡±


    ¡°What a nasty attitude, it looks like there¡¯s no room for a proper discussion here, but I¡¯ll at least set the record straight before taking my leave.¡± Aryan said, his voice now carrying more authority


    ¡°We will be the one to take charge of the raid since there are no lords here right now. Our skills and reputation are more than up to par, not to mention....¡± He paused to let the weight of his words sink in before smiling at something in his field of vision.


    ¡°......You¡¯re not exactly equipped for the task.¡± He finished his taunt after lacing those with sardonic amusement.


    "And since you¡¯re so eager to know, I was alerting the other raiders from the skies. We¡¯ve found a magic circle near the old fort, and we''re planning to set up a guard post there or at least give everyone an idea of what to watch for tomorrow. The briefing''s at midnight. Whether you show up is your choice¡ªjust stay out of our way."


    ¡°Why you-!¡±


    ¡°Calm down you two.¡± Oliver interjected cautiously, stopping Flynn and Jytte before saying- If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Let him go.¡±


    Concurrently, Aryan¡¯s mount rose up off its hind legs and performed an ill-timed leap. The monster began to flap its bat-like wings incessantly, allowing it to stop its body in mid-air with the subsequent updraft it had created. The more the draconic creature defied gravity and ascended, the larger the dust cloud being swept up on the bleak streets grew.


    Within seconds the wyvern had already risen to a height that matched the Brimwell¡¯s peak, it oriented itself to face the direction of the broken fort on the right and flapped off, its powerful wings slicing through the air with a rhythmic whoosh.


    ¡°Grrgh....damn it he¡¯s annoying!¡± Jytte groaned angrily


    ¡°I agree. Oliver why didn¡¯t you step in just now? That guy totally thinks he¡¯s the one calling the shots around here¡± Myra asked


    Everyone here held a keen interest in the answer to that question, their gazes swiftly locked onto his smiling face as he watched the wyvern¡¯s silhouette slowly shrink against the darkening sky.


    ¡°Actually, this is good.¡± Oliver replied, nodding contently. The silent stares had yet to subside, so he continued in spite of himself.


    ¡°Whenever a big shot raider gets involved in these kinds of situations, the supporting party members tend to get complacent and put too much faith in their leader''s level. Raids like that usually end with a lot of casualties, so I was trying to avoid that but, this Aryan guy can actually help us out here.¡±


    ¡°I get your point but...help us out how exactly?¡± Allen interjected


    ¡°Allen, our party knows that you can still hold your own even with just one arm, but the other raiders here don¡¯t seem very convinced. If Aryan steps up now, it¡¯ll probably boost their morale quite a bit since his record can supposedly speak for itself. At the same time though, if what you said about his defeat just now was true, then the raiders here should also know that he¡¯s not unbeatable. That way, their fighting spirit can peak without them getting too careless. Losing hope is the last thing we want them to do right now.¡±


    The spark of genius had once again flashed across their faces as soon as Oliver finished his explanation. The gasps of shock and awe this time around honestly seemed well deserved.


    ¡°Ahhh...I see what you¡¯re doing. The enemy of my enemy, right?¡± Flynn nodded ecstatically


    ¡°Exactly, we¡¯ll need to pull out all the stops if we want this to go smoothly. Based on what he just said though, it looks like we¡¯ve still got quite a bit to do before we can turn it in for the night.¡±


    ¡°That goes for everyone but you, Liam.¡± Julia¡¯s voice sternly added. ¡°Myra, can you and Jytte take him back to that inn we passed on the way here? It was only one that was still in good condition so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find.¡±


    ¡°You got it! We can keep watch until you two get back¡± Jytte said, striking a firm pose. Her bottle sized companion ¨Cwho had taken a firm seat on Jytte¡¯s head at some point - simply shrugged, still, she wasn¡¯t opposed to the idea. In fact, her expression betrayed the exact opposite.


    ¡°I agree. Liam it looks like you¡¯ll have to turn it in for the night, I¡¯ll show you around the city some other time.¡± Oliver seconded the idea, though not as sternly as my mother.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you when you get back then. Good luck, you two.¡± I added, giving a slow wave as I began turning towards my two escorts.


    ¡°Wait, one more thing.¡± Julia said as she halted my movements with a simple gesture from her hand.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± My head slowly tilted, but before the confusion could settle, she kneeled to a more reasonable height and kissed my cloth covered forehead.


    ¡°Tee-he-he...We¡¯ll be back soon so just keep that on and wait with them for a while.¡±


    What must have been embarrassment had once again overtaken me, my gaze slowly fell as my cheeks reddened. Somehow, my mouth was able to slowly produce the words ¡®Got It¡¯ before we parted ways.


    Julia¡¯s passionate displays of affection were still something I hadn¡¯t completely gotten used to, much to her delight. She rather enjoyed seeing my meek responses whenever I was subjected to her doting on a whim.


    I heard them all giggling at the sight of my steaming face. Within a few minutes we¡¯d all but lost sight of them as the three of us made our way through the ravaged streets, passing by the newly established townsfolk who either seemed to be limping or sullen.


    The vibe here was certainly ominous, but in a subtle sense. It was a sensation I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on and that, more than anything else here, bothered me.

 Chapter 66 - In The Meantime (1)

    In The Meantime (1)


    <hr>


    The sky had grown quite a bit darker ever since we left my parents behind and wandered back down the road that initially led us here. This must have been our third time circling a rundown street littered with abandoned shops and stalls.


    Our lone wagon was the only thing patrolling the streets at the moment, a fact that couldn¡¯t have been more inconvenient for us. There was literally no one around to even ask anything.


    The directions we¡¯d been given were arbitrary in the first place so no one was to blame here but, it still didn¡¯t change the fact that we were lost yet again.


    ¡°She said the one that was in good condition, right? What does that even mean? Everything here looks like it''s been through a warzone!¡±


    ¡°Calm down Jytte, we¡¯ve probably just missed a turn somewhere....again.¡± Myra mumbled solemnly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Liam, w-we''ll figure this out. I just need some kind of scent to lock on to.¡±


    ¡°I can wait, I think we¡¯re getting closer this time.¡± I replied softly from my guarded position.


    In reality, there wasn¡¯t actually that much to see here but since the opportunity to explore this placed had presented itself I felt the need to oblige.


    ¡°Um Myra, that big waterwheel thing back there, what do they use it for?¡± I asked, tilting my head to gaze up at the Faerie riding on my shoulder.


    ¡°It''s an artifact.¡± She replied in a flat tone.


    She was still being a bit cautious around me but that much was fine, so long as it didn¡¯t attract any unnecessary questions from the others then our relationship wasn¡¯t going to change very much just from that.


    ¡°They were forced to build it here after the humans tried to conquer Sylvan a while back. There¡¯s a deity over there and apparently, she didn¡¯t take too kindly to that, which is why this entire mountain almost got destroyed.¡±


    ¡°A deity?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, I¡¯ve never met her before but I think your mother knows her quite well. You might even end up meeting her soon. She¡¯s the one that¡¯s been preserving that entire forest over there.¡±


    A rather abrupt turn of events to be sure. I never expected to be in the presence of these so-called deities so soon but I was looking forward to it.


    ¡°That wheel back there...¡± Myra continued after a bit of pondering ¡°It¡¯s not really here for the people to get water or anything like that ¨C we already have those kinds of artifacts. But in the case of the Brimwell, we just need it to keep the water pressure from the mountain¡¯s streams at a certain level, just to prevent it from eventually eating through the city.¡±


    ¡°I saw the other side of the mountain just now and there was barely anything left over there. Building a city here seems stupid to me.¡± I said through a sigh


    Myra let out a series of giggles. One rarely ever got the chance to see something like that so I found myself staring at her.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s what they call brutal honesty.¡± She said, wiping away a tear.


    ¡°It¡¯s true though, this place was actually an outpost during the war but after it ended loads of people just started settling here when the Brimwell was being made so it just kind of turned out like this. The old forts on the other side are really the last real remnants of what this place actually is.¡±


    ¡°An outpost for war.... that makes a bit more sense. But I still don¡¯t get it, can¡¯t they just fix the mountain with magic?¡±


    ¡°If only it were that convenient. You would need a few hundred mages here for something like that to ever work and even if you could somehow fix the fissure, the streams flowing though this mountain have already been disrupted so it would only be a matter of time before some other problem came up.¡±


    Basically, if you wanted to fix this place for good, you had to kill two birds with one stone. Given the effort needed to do something like that, it really was a lot easier to just put a stopgap measure like the Brimwell in place.


    ¡°There is one way to fix this for sure.¡± Myra said with unwavering confidence.  This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Intrigued, I raised an eyebrow. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Deities of course. The elves and druids probably wouldn¡¯t appreciate a foreign powerhouse showing up at the border to their lands but I¡¯m pretty sure Sylvan¡¯s deity could fix this if she really wanted to. It¡¯s just that outsiders aren¡¯t really allowed an audience with her, especially those that worship one of the other six deities so as of now it''s only a possibility.¡±


    Whoever that deity is, if she was actually the one responsible for overseeing the massive stretch of land on the other side of Fallon, then it wasn¡¯t out of the question for her to repair a simple mountain.


    ¡°Oh, so this place might actually get fixed one day, that¡¯s good to know.¡± I said, a smile creeping onto my face.


    ¡°You two! What have you been talking about since just now? How about you help me find the inn.¡± Jytte, who had been locked onto her own train of thought must not have been paying much attention to our conversation just now.


    ¡°Help you how? It¡¯s not like searching from the skies will do much good.¡±


    Although she just said that, Myra still found herself floating up into the sky a little afterwards. We waited for her directive on the ground and watched as tiny white embers of light slowly trickled off her wings.


    ¡°What...is that?¡± I heard her mutter in disbelief. ¡°Hey Jytte, follow behind me, you can see the light from my wings, right!?¡±


    ¡°Go for it.¡± My companion yelled.


    The reins in her hands let out a wicked snapping sound as our wagon raced off down the empty roads, rattling from the bumps and cracks in its surface.  We weaved through a few alleyways that led us back onto a main road that was a fair bit wider than the norm here. The shops and stalls around us were seemingly growing scarcer by the second as our environment grew more and more spacious.


    A few of the modestly sized street lamps had dimming Aether crystals affixed to their lamp posts, the only source of illumination to be seen right now.


    ¡°There! Up ahead!¡± Myra shouted.


    My eyes focused on the sight in the distance and nothing else. It was a small group of humans ¨C raiders to be exact, and they were currently in the midst of committing murder. An old man was about to get his skull caved in by a large, chipped blade one of these brutes was about to swing over his shoulder.


    Jytte instantly rose to her feet and took aim. She found perfect posture in the coach box despite letting go of the reins to the newts pulling us along.


    ¡°Enchant¡±


    She muttered before firing off a single iron arrow that whistled through the air, it sliced through night¡¯s calm like a knife.


    The arrow met it its target with a thunderous sound, the blade about to be swung shattered like glass fragments upon impact.


    ¡°Who is it!?¡± The bald brute roared, stepping over the bruised old man¡¯s body in the process.


    ¡°Liam, I¡¯ll be right back, this won¡¯t take long.¡± Her words were doused with an infectious confidence. She lightly pulled on the reins once again to slow the newts charge, and leapt from her position with inhuman grace, landing deftly on the ground.


    There were four armed men less than twenty feet away from her, yet for some reason she refused to arm her bow. Instead, she angled it like a club and sprang at them mercilessly.


    A deranged smile popped unto the man¡¯s face as soon as he saw Jytte charging at him like that. He licked his lips and shouted ¡°You¡¯ve got guts girlie!¡±


    The fingers on his right arm clenched before it came barreling down with a powerful swing. Yet, the girl didn¡¯t hesitate, she simply ducked under the blow at the last moment and used the iron bow to deliver a bone crushing thrust to his right knee.


    ¡°Grreh!¡±


    The man squealed in agony as he plopped down to her eye level, barely able to support himself. Before his pain could even fade however, the very same recurve bow was already winding up for the finisher and came swinging at his throat like a battering ram.


    That one blow must have literally knocked the wind out of him, because immediately after, the giant man tumbled onto his back with his eyes glazed over.


    ¡°Kill her!¡± Shouted the next contender.


    He was another familiar face; it was the same dagger wielding coward who embarrassed himself at the gates not too long ago. In a rage, he ripped the weapons from their sheaths and coated them in a swirl of flames. The two other minions at his side mimicked his stance and each conjured disc shaped blades of wind and water.


    The attacks spiraled at her mercilessly, still, she didn¡¯t seem too concerned or even interested in dodging any of them. Just before the attacks could make contact, the fierce torrent collided with a stream of water that suddenly erupted from beneath the cobbled streets.


    A fierce explosion of steam emerged, blowing back the three lackeys in the process as they stumbled over each other in an attempt to find their target.


    ¡°Enough of this.¡± Myra coldly stated as she floated down to my shoulder.


    ¡°W-where¡¯d the other one go!?¡± One of them shouted, and as if to taunt them, Myra smiled and raised a finger.


    ¡°Take a guess.¡±


    They all staggered back in a panic and fixed their gazes on something in the sky. It was a lone beastfolk girl who had managed to casually leap dozens of feet into the air immediately after the explosive clash earlier. Her azure-colored recurve bow was already knocked and drawn with three metal looking arrows glinting at their targets.


    Despite her inverted posture, I had little doubt in my mind that she was going to hit her target.


    With a narrowed line of sight and loose fingers, the metal arrows sang through the air with deadly accuracy.

 Chapter 67 - In The Meantime (2)

    In The Meantime (2)


    <hr>


    ¡°Phew! They¡¯re gone now!¡± Yelled Jytte as she glanced at the bloody trail leading down the road.


    ¡°You went easy on them, didn¡¯t you Jytte?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. I wasn¡¯t aiming for any of their vitals so they should survive, but they definitely won¡¯t be looking to steal anything else for a while. Anyway Myra, what about -¡±


    ¡°The geezer¡¯s fine.¡± Myra said lazily. ¡°Look, he¡¯s already getting back on his feet.¡±


    ¡°And Liam?¡± Jytte pressed.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here, Jytte. That was amazing, I¡¯ve never seen anyone fight like that before.¡±


    Her eyes started sparkling for some reason and she leaned in to hug me, or at least she wanted it to seem that way. Apparently, my scent was still some kind of a reward for her.


    ¡°Oi, you two, enough fooling around. We still need to find that inn you know....¡± Myra said, shooting us a stern glare, it was just enough to snap Jytte out of it and get her to dawn her previous aura of professionalism.


    ¡°R-right¡± She muttered before sheepishly springing to her feet.


    ¡°And what about you, old man? Do you need any help?¡± Myra asked in a rhetorical tone.


    ¡°Thank you for the offer.¡± He replied, wiping away the bead of blood trailing down the right side of his face. ¡°I go by Dale, thank you all for saving me. It¡¯s Myra, Liam and Jytte right?¡±


    ¡°How do you know our names?¡± I asked spontaneously


    ¡°Why, you all just said them a while ago didn¡¯t you?¡± Dale replied with a grin.


    ¡°Hmph! Looks like that beating just now didn¡¯t quite knock all the spunk out of you.¡± Myra muttered, narrowing her eyes at him.


    Dale guffawed as he stumbled forth, only to be caught by Jytte who just barely managed to stop him from tumbling onto his face.


    ¡°Thank you...¡± He said through a heavy breath. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll need a lot more help than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no harm in giving you a ride but first, can you tell us what that is?¡± Myra asked as she pointed toward the thing that must have led us here in the first place.


    ¡°M-Myra, is this what you saw earlier?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no matter how you look at it this just doesn¡¯t belong here....¡± She answered my question rather morbidly, and for good reason too.


    Just up ahead, there was a water basin.


    It was the ornamental kind and was much larger than the fountain in Zale at around forty feet wide. And surprisingly, it was one of the few things here that had suffered no real form of damage whatsoever. Not just the basin either, this entire area was virtually untouched by the chaos that had consumed the city.


    Why?


    It wasn¡¯t surprising to see destruction here; it was actually more surprising to see something that wasn¡¯t already in the process of falling apart.


    Thanks to the night¡¯s veil and all the dying Aether crystals in the area, we were able to see it clearly. This water basin....it appeared to be glowing.


    It wasn¡¯t particularly bright per se, in fact, if not for the current circumstances it would have been hard to even notice the light being emitted by it.


    Perplexed by the sight, Jytte and Myra drifted over to its circular perimeter to steal a glance. I followed behind them, only to see a large, cryptic looking red circle illuminating the water¡¯s surface.


    There were a few fishes leisurely swimming around in there, seemingly unbothered by its radiance¨Cthe exact opposite of what my companions were feeling.


    ¡°What....is this? I¡¯ve never seen this kind of magic circle before....¡± Myra muttered in disbelief


    ¡°M-Me either...it¡¯s giving me a bad vibe.¡± Jytte stumbled backwards


    I could understand her distress, after all, this thing, it was gathering the souls of all the people who died here. Now that I was this close to it, I could finally hear the wails of the damned, this magic circle was acting as a conduit to seal and store the vengeful souls in the vicinity.


    This magic circle, it was ¨C Linked to Limbo.


    ¡°Believe it or not, this was once the town square.¡± Dale said, strolling around beside us. ¡°The basin here was quite the attraction you know, people used to gather around it all the time before things became like this.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Dale! Who did this!? Who put this thing here!?¡± Myra demanded; her voice sharp with urgency as she flared up to grab Dale by the collar.


    Dale grimaced and let out a sigh


    ¡°How about we discuss this somewhere else? My house isn¡¯t too far from here.¡±


    <hr>


    Taking Dale up on his offer actually gave us the chance to kill two birds with one stone.


    As it happened, he was the owner of the inn we¡¯d been so desperately searching for, it really was just one right turn off from our repetitive route.


    He led us into the rectangular shaped wooden building that was surprisingly well maintained. There were actually people in here, a collection of men, women and children who all seemed to be taking refuge. They were doing much better than the half dead civilians we¡¯d grown used to seeing around here.


    We climbed up the stairs behind him and turned down the hallway where he eventually led us into a room on the far right. The room was modest in size, featuring only a flickering lamp perched on a dresser in the corner and a large bed positioned against the back wall, just beneath the window sill.


    Jytte took her seat in a chair positioned by the bedside and I sat atop the creaking bed with Myra still on my shoulder. Dale closed the door behind him and sat on the floor without much enthusiasm.


    ¡°So? Start talking.¡± Myra urged


    ¡°.....Why did you destroy it?¡± He asked with a hanging head


    The Faerie heaved a sigh.


    ¡°Look, that magic circle was bound to cause problems later down the line. I¡¯m not sure exactly what it was supposed to do, but that thing was channeling mana from a rune. That much I¡¯m sure of and if you know anything about runes, then you should also know that spells that try to draw power from them almost never end well for anyone.¡±


    ¡°........Alright, I¡¯ll tell you what I know.¡±


    An audible gulp came from the girl resting on my shoulder, as much as she was trying to hide it, she was clearly feeling uneasy about all of this.


    ¡°Those magic circles were placed here after the first time an irregular attacked this city. It was done by the cult that''s on the old fort over by the Brimwell, they claimed that it was a ¡®ward¡¯ that was actually meant to keep the creature away should it ever appear again. And for a while, I genuinely believe their words, heh, at one point I even considered joining the cult but...¡±


    His fist pressed against the creaking floor, causing him to actually pace himself before he continued speaking.


    ¡°That was a lie.¡± He said, uttering the words we were all expecting to hear.


    ¡°That thing isn¡¯t a ward, it¡¯s far from it. They actually use it for some strange ceremonies where they....kill each other.¡±


    I heard gasps from all throughout the room, Jytte in particular seemed to quake at Dale¡¯s words.


    ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯m actually the last remaining Baron in this city. When all hell broke loose, I tried my best to shelter as many civilians as I could. That¡¯s what got me into a bit of trouble just now and it¡¯s also how I discovered their little secret. I think they¡¯re the ones responsible for summoning the irregulars.¡±


    ¡°.... Are you...sure about that Dale?¡± Myra inquired; her voice dangerously calm.


    ¡°I am." He replied flatly


    ¡°I only saw them do it once but, there were about three more of those magic circles scattered throughout the city and when the low-ranking members of the cult gather near one, they offer up one of their members as a sacrifice, on their leaders'' orders apparently. After they summon it, the other remaining members just stand around and....allow it to kill them, they didn¡¯t even try to run away.¡±


    ¡°I see. And exactly how many of these low-ranking members does this cult currently have?¡± asked the Faerie with a frighteningly cold gaze.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure they have any left. By the looks of things, they have to take their own lives every time the irregular gets summone- Gah!¡±


    ¡°Why you! Why didn¡¯t you tell anyone about this before!?¡± Jytte lashed out carelessly, knocking over the small wooden chair in the process.


    ¡°Calm down Jytte. You made a deal with them, didn¡¯t you?¡± Myra mused as she stared at the man¡¯s sinking gaze.


    ¡°My guess is he got caught and had to compromise in order to keep sheltering the civilian''s downstairs. As long as he didn¡¯t talk then they would leave this place alone. Probably something along those lines. There wasn¡¯t much of an incentive for him to do anything either, it''s not like he¡¯s a mage. Besides, the majority of the raiders here are low-level scum to begin with so he didn¡¯t exactly have a lot of options.¡±


    There was a fine line between bravery and stupidity, had this man made the wrong choice then it could have easily ended up in a massacre taking place here.


    ¡°Forgive me!¡± Dale begged, slamming his forehead onto the floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, not like you could have done very much on your own anyway. At least you helped keep these people alive so that¡¯s definitely worth something.¡± Myra said with a thin smile, she didn¡¯t seem to be distressed or alarmed but there was a hint of hesitancy in her words.


    Shamefully, the man raised his teary face.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, if you were worried about those fish then don¡¯t. I just disrupted the circle¡¯s formation, they¡¯re fine. We¡¯ll have this all settled by tomorrow so you can rest easy now, leave this to us.¡±


    Slowly his eyes went wide as he began heading towards the door, he stopped just short of it before leaving us with his final reply.


    ¡°Thank you. You can stay here for the night, free of charge of course, I¡¯ll be downstairs.¡± He muttered before disappearing behind the oak door.


    ¡°At least now we have something to work with...¡± Myra mumbled


    ¡°Things are a lot more complicated than last time.¡± Jytte said, once again taking a seat by the bedside.


    ¡°Well, in any case, we need to let Oliver and the others know about what¡¯s going on but for now, let¡¯s get some rest. Liam, it¡¯s time to turn it in for the night kid. We¡¯ll keep watch.¡±


    ¡°Okay, goodnight, Myra, Jytte.¡± I replied to their warm smiles cheerfully as I stuffed myself under the covers.


    They were mumbling about something for a while but I had little time to eavesdrop. The pressing issue gnawing at my mind right now was the true purpose of those magic circles.


    Based on what Dale said, the irregular killed those cult members, not consumed, which means that it wasn¡¯t after their flesh. It wanted something else ¨C Most likely, their souls.


    If that¡¯s the case then this thing is probably some kind of evil spirit, and whoever is summoning it is tampering with the realm of the dead.

 Chapter 68 - In The Meantime (3)

    In The Meantime (3)


    <hr>


    OLIVER ROCCO


    Sending Liam away now was probably for the best, judging by the looks of things this whole raid is shaping up to be a lot more hectic than I¡¯d originally thought.


    ¡°So, Oliver, what about the rest of us? We still have a few hours before that briefing thing.¡± Flynn asked boldly


    ¡°True, there¡¯s still a bit of work to do. We can¡¯t exactly just turn it in for the night yet, but before that Allen, there¡¯s something I want to know. That Aryan guy, you mentioned him being a part of some cult just now and it got me curious. I don¡¯t remember there being anything like that here the last time we visited this place.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because there wasn¡¯t.¡± He spat sullenly.


    ¡°His cult started spreading its influence shortly after the guild became weary of the irregulars so it''s still a relatively small organization. Supposedly, they receive divine oracles and go around cities trying to appease their god so it doesn¡¯t pass judgement upon heretics like myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a god.¡± Flynn said as he slowly shook his head in disbelief


    ¡°True, it is considered blasphemy to worship anything other than the six deities on the continent but small cults like this do still pop up from time to time. Does this god have a name?¡±


    Allen rubbed his chin and cocked his head as if he was resurrecting hidden knowledge. Then, his eyes sparked with wonder just as the answer came to him.


    ¡°Yeah, Yeah,....what was it again....Akuma? Arava? Oh! Yes! Akasha! That¡¯s what they called it!¡±


    ¡°Akasha huh? Never heard of it. That whole judgement thing you mentioned earlier, that¡¯s supposed to be the irregulars, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the gist of it. They say they were too late to do anything about Tiran, but by the looks of things I''m not even sure if their so-called ¡®appeasing¡¯ is even worth anything in the first place. I mean, they¡¯ve been here for weeks now and the irregular has attacked twice since then.¡±


    I felt my brows slowly morphing into an arch. It wasn¡¯t just me either, Flynn and Julia were also mirroring my expression after hearing what he just said.


    ¡°That¡¯s some oddly convenient timing, wouldn¡¯t you say Allen?¡± Julia questioned


    ¡°I agree. Their timing is strangely perfect, are you sur-¡±


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± He said, cutting me off abruptly. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Heck even I considered it at first, but if you¡¯re thinking that they might be the ones summoning the irregular, then it¡¯s unlikely. The irregular was here even before the cult settled in this city, and whenever it showed up the first ones to die were always from their side, they probably have the most casualties overall.¡±


    ¡°That so? I thought we were actually on to something there.¡± Flynn grumbled offhandedly


    I could understand his frustration but I never expected the solution to this whole thing to come falling into our laps that easily.


    ¡°That¡¯s a reasonable assumption, but let''s not completely dismiss it until we get this whole briefing thing over with. And on that note, what¡¯s the name of this cult? I¡¯d like to at least know who we¡¯re working with before we get down to business.¡±


    ¡°It''s Gehenna.¡±


    That one word sent a chill through the air just as the gears in my mind were slowly starting to grind to a halt. Instinctively, the memories of someone I¡¯d once called a friend came rushing back to my mind, five years'' worth of it at that.


    ¡°OOH! So we¡¯re onto something after all!¡± Flynn shouted gleefully. During our travels I took the liberty of bringing the others up to speed as a precaution. It just so happened to be the right move by sheer coincidence.


    ¡°Gehenna...that¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°The cult Owen was working for. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see them so soon but now¡¯s the perfect chance to get some answers. I want to know what these people are up to, whatever they did to Owen clearly skewered his personality.....and I intend to make them pay for that.¡±


    I responded balefully to Julia¡¯s question, only after I saw the look on their faces did, I manage to restrain myself.


    ¡°Whoa there, a bit intense, aren¡¯t we? I¡¯m a little jealous. Am I the only one that¡¯s short on details here?¡± Allen said half-jokingly.


    ¡°Sorry, I got a little carried away there. Based on what you just said it looks like we have a lot more than the irregulars to worry about but, since it¡¯s only getting darker now, we¡¯ll have to improvise - Fergus!¡±


    I shouted at the lone watchman standing a few feet away from us.


    ¡°Y-yes sir!?¡± He stammered sheepishly.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to split up now and rendezvous at the old fort for the briefing. Flynn, I want you and Allen to patrol the streets for a while, just to make sure the raiders that came in earlier aren¡¯t trying anything stupid. You can use the opportunity to fill Allen in on what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Understood. And what about you?¡±


    ¡°Fergus here is going to lead the way for me and Julia. Since this isn¡¯t the first time the irregular is appearing in this city then there must be some other spots around here that we can investigate, there¡¯s something I want to try. If we get done early then we¡¯ll head to the other outposts to help with the injured before the briefing.¡±


    ¡°All Right, sounds like a plan!¡± Shouted Allen as he gave Flynn a rather dangerous slap on the back. Even after all these years apart, he¡¯d fallen back into his old role rather easily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it you two.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine Julia; besides we might need a little warm up if this is shaping up to be that serious.¡± Flynn said with a confident grin.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. Now, let¡¯s get going. I¡¯ll see you two in a few hours.¡±

 Chapter 69 - In The Meantime (4)

    In The Meantime (4)


    <hr>


    On Fallon¡¯s northern end, at the very tip of its ¡°V¡± shaped fissure, were two forts, or at least, what remained of them. They were made from a collection of bricks and resembled a small manor surrounded by battlements. Though that grandeur had long since faded from it given that said wall was now crumbling away at an astonishing rate.


    The huge hole on its back end had rendered it completely useless seeing as anyone could just waltz right past its last means of defense.


    The path leading here was barely fifty feet wide and the only method of support for any would-be crossers was an aged wooden railing adorned with dimly lit torches at fixed intervals.


    The lack of human presence on the other side of the Brimwell spoke for itself, there usually wasn¡¯t much of a reason for anyone to come all the way out here, especially since there was no longer a pressing need to scan elven territory.


    However, tonight was different.


    The old fort on the right was hosting a bright orange glow that seemed to roar even at ground level. It was a bonfire, one that was being kept alive by charred human remains.


    ¡°My..... that tasted awful....¡± muttered Nephthys as she wiped away some unseen delicacy from the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°What a waste, we specifically told them to come at midnight!¡± She grumbled bitterly, before tossing a severed arm into the burning pile.


    ¡°A few of them were bound to break the rules, just make sure you clean up properly so it''s not too obvious when the others get here.¡± Vidar muttered as he leisurely strolled around the fort''s courtyard.


    There was something resembling a bloodied blade in his hand, and although it clearly wasn¡¯t the object¡¯s intended purpose, he was using it to flawlessly trace some sort of cryptic pattern onto the ground. ¡°There were only two of them this time so it should be fine. By the looks of it they must¡¯ve come to steal our supplies. What a bunch of fools, we hardly even need that stuff.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Nephthys on that. This is getting out of hand Vidar; it¡¯s our third time getting attacked in a week.¡± Demir said, his voice low but stern. He looked rather pompous in that sitting position atop the roofless fort, but that small detail didn¡¯t seem to bother him very much.


    ¡°Should I go out there?¡± Broin replied, rising up from before the raging fire.


    ¡°Now, Now, let¡¯s wait until-Ah! There he is!¡± Vidar cheerfully announced as he pointed to the sky.


    An abrupt gust of wind sent the raging bonfire into a frenzy as a large reptilian looking creature slowly descended from the skies.


    ¡°My lord, I have returned.¡± Muttered Aryan, who¡¯d already dropped to one knee with flawless precision.


    ¡°So....do you have anything to report?¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing of note. But I did come across this strange party that didn¡¯t seem to be from the capital. It had a few humans, a beastfolk girl, a Faerie, and even a druid.¡±


    ¡°A druid you say!?¡± Demir snapped


    ¡°Yes....it was a woman that seemed to be accompanying a mage wearing glasses. They had a child with them too but I personally didn¡¯t see the resemblance so I¡¯m not sure if was theirs or not.¡±


    ¡°A mage wearing glasses huh? What was his level?¡± Vidar asked with a subtle lean to his posture. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°My apologies, I didn¡¯t get the chance to confirm it. We had a bit of a skirmish you see, and they took out two of the wyverns as a result of that. I avoided the conflict since you mentioned needing a large number of these raiders alive.¡±


    ¡°Well done, Aryan. That was a smart move, if you¡¯re describing who I think it is then had you confronted him, you would probably be dead right now.¡±


    Aryan¡¯s face mustered a shock, one that even made Vidar croak out a laugh.


    ¡°B-But how!? I¡¯m at-¡±


    ¡°Level three, right? I know that, but you¡¯ve only just leveled up, and you did it with the help of an elixir to boot. If it¡¯s really him then the difference in experience between you is way too large.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that interesting.¡± Nephthys quipped sarcastically. ¡°Say Vidar, just who exactly did he run into?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s him but I think it''s the royal family¡¯s court mage.  I¡¯ve never met him myself but he was the one that actually killed the very first Irregular I summoned. It happened right here in this city too. Lady luck must be laughing at me right now. He left the capital a while back and word has it, he¡¯s been around these parts in recent years so the probability of it actually being him isn¡¯t exactly zero.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± Demir replied sourly


    ¡°Hm? Hey Demir what¡¯s with that look? Ah! Wait! Is that guy the human you hate!?¡± The question was rhetorical but it still sent him into a maddening fit of laughter nonetheless.


    ¡°This is unpleasant. Why are they here?¡± Questioned the elf as he leaped off the high-rise construct.


    ¡°Ah.....Well, it looks like we¡¯ve got a bit of a problem on our hands. Someone just found and destroyed the last magic circle we had in the city.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So there were interesting people here after all.¡± Mumbled Nephthys as she casually strode around the courtyard, patting her stomach in a rhythmic motion.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good at all.¡± Vidar sighed dejectedly


    ¡°Nephthys, I need you to go check on that last magic circle for me; it''s at the basin in the old town square. That took quite a bit of effort to set up but with any luck we might be able to fix the spell formula.¡± Vidar urged in a stern voice


    ¡°Will do! I just suddenly felt like taking a walk around the city. I¡¯m still kind of hungry too, maybe I should snack on something while I''m there.¡± She said before greedily licking the drool off her lips.


    After hearing that, he tsked in frustration. Her real intentions were all to obvious.


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to get careless. If that last circle really got destroyed then we might as well speed things up. Change of plans, everyone; we¡¯re moving forward with this tonight. Aryan has been spreading the word about the irregular around the capital for weeks now, and a lot of low-level raiders have gathered here looking for an easy payday. Honestly, I would have liked to gather a few more of them, but if those Ember Fang guys are really here, then I¡¯m not taking any chances¡ªnot if they¡¯re still as capable as they were last time.¡±


    His gaze hardened as he surveyed the group, determination sparking in the air like static.


    ¡°Nephthys, you can eat a few of the small fry while you¡¯re out, but don¡¯t draw too much attention to yourself. If anyone spots you, kill them. Broin, I¡¯ll take you up on your offer. Go guard the entrance; I¡¯ll need to concentrate if I want to get this done in time.¡±


    Vidar¡¯s voice was low, laced with urgency. He was hurling a flurry of rather cruel orders without the slightest hint of mercy in his tone.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be long~¡± said Nephthys as she gave a subtle bow that doubled as her graceful exit. ¡°Oh by the way Vidar, is it okay if I pay a visit to that inn? You know the one that¡¯s been sheltering all those people.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me.¡± He responded with a shrug. ¡°I was saving it as a last resort just in case we were short on raiders but it doesn¡¯t look like that¡¯s the case. You can have them.¡±


    ¡°You have my thanks~¡± She replied cynically


    ¡°You stay here Demir, they¡¯re about to waltz right into this place anyway. There¡¯s no point in chasing after anyone now.¡±


    Vidar¡¯s tone was rather casual, but his companion didn¡¯t seem to take those orders very well. His teeth were being clenched with a simmering frustration.


    ¡°Very well.¡± He uttered in a voice edged with tension.


    Vidar simply smiled at his plight; with eyes glowing like molten embers. It was almost as if he was amused by a child throwing a tantrum.


    After doing a few stretching motions, the dull creaking of his bones ceased. A smile returned in place of his earlier frustration.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s get to work, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 70 - Ready or Not (1)

    Ready Or Not (1)


    <hr>


    A dull sound had been rattling in my ears for the past hour or so.


    It scrambled my thoughts each time I heard the brusque noise grinding at my bedside. Unable to bear it any longer, I finally lifted off the covers and turned to the source of it.


    ¡°So, you finally decided to come out huh?¡± asked the woman sitting on a chair by the windowsill. In her hands was a metal looking arrow a few inches longer than a dagger. She was chipping away at its piercing tip with some sort of obsidian colored rock.


    ¡°You....knew I was awake?¡± I asked through a yawn, rubbing the dreariness out of my eyes.


    ¡°Well, yeah, more or less. It¡¯s been about an hour or so, right?¡± She smirked deviously. "Since we¡¯re this close, I could tell based off the difference in your breathing patterns.¡±


    ¡°I see. So what time is it then? Are we going to leave soon?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm..... Well, it''s almost midnight and we are supposed to rendezvous with your parents over by the fort so I guess we¡¯re almost at that time. Right, Myra?¡± With a nudge of her chin, she sent the question at the small creature resting on the dresser.


    Seeing Myra actually make contact with solid ground always managed to strike me as surprising for some reason.


    ¡°I guess so.¡± She replied, flapping a few sparkles off her wings in the process. Her eyes had been closed this entire time so as unlikely as it sounds, she had probably just dozed off at some point.


    ¡°Heheh....well rested I take it?¡± Jytte quipped


    ¡°Shut up. I wasn¡¯t sleeping.¡± She mumbled out lazily. ¡°Are you done sharpening your arrows?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just needed to keep myself occupied for a while that''s all.¡±


    Her fingers effortlessly twirled the arrow in the air and with a simple flick of her thumb, she sent the metal object on an arched trajectory that led to the open quiver at her feet. The second it fell into the quiver¡¯s stacked pile; a dim blue glow enveloped the collection of metal projectiles.


    ¡°Jytte....what was that?¡± I muttered


    ¡°That quiver engraves all the arrows I put in there with an enchantment. Basically, it just adds a little magic spell to all my arrows to make them better.¡±


    ¡°A spell? It''s not the elemental kind, right?¡±


    ¡°No, that''s not what my enchantment does.¡± She said with a sly smile. ¡°In my case, the enchantment allows me to double either the weight or speed of my arrows depending on the situation.¡±


    Interesting. It was basically a means of altering her attack pattern to optimize for either more damage or more precision. It sounded simple enough, but given the cards she¡¯s been dealt as a warrior; she¡¯s played her hand well.


    ¡°Oh, so that''s why you never miss. Isn¡¯t that cheating?¡±


    ¡°W-w-well no, not really. I mean it''s not like they¡¯re impossible to dodge or anythi- Hey wait! What¡¯s with that look on your face!? Are you......making fun of me?¡±


    By the end of her sentence, all those stutters had ultimately melded to give way for her confusion. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to test it out so I decided not to pass it up, but I never would have guessed that she would end up being this flustered.


    ¡°It was a joke. My father always says that there¡¯s no such thing as cheating in a fight.¡± I said cheekily, before turning to watch as Myra stifled a laugh at the sight of steam rising from her companion¡¯s face. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Hah - To think I¡¯d wake up and see Liam giving his first joke, and he used it on you no less Jytte. This must be some kind of sign.¡± Myra teased playfully in the midst of her ascent. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m good to go, but what about you guys?¡±


    ¡°No problems here.¡± Jytte answered after giving a few light taps to her reddened cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m all set.¡±


    ¡°Alright the-!¡±


    A sudden tension filled the room.


    On instinct, Myra fired off a small sphere of water at the lamp resting on the dresser. It shattered on impact, summoning a shroud of darkness to ensnare us.


    Jytte crouched to my level and placed a hand over my mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound.¡± she whispered; her voice unusually serious. After pulling me back a few paces, she gave a nod to Myra and slowly crept over to the shining windowsill.


    It was the only thing letting the dim moonlight through and based off its orientation, it was angled right above the narrow road that passed behind our inn. A few dimly lit Aether lamps barricaded the empty street that showed no signs of life whatsoever.


    Not until now, that is.


    ¡°GAAAAAAGH!!!¡±


    A scream came.


    It was a sound filled with sheer terror, one that could only come from someone on the brink of death, rising in intensity as it drew nearer, like a wave of dread crashing toward its inevitable, horrifying climax.


    After a while, the figure of a stumbling man came into view. It was the large ruffian who had clashed with Jytte just a few hours ago.


    He was clutching his right arm, staggering forward with every ounce of strength his body could muster. Ever so often, he would glance over his shoulder, as if expecting someone¡ªor something¡ªto be closing in on him.


    A trail followed him, flowing from his body. From where I stood, it seemed like nothing more than tiny black dots scattered in his wake, but that was far from the truth.


    It was blood¡ªan alarming amount of it.


    ¡°Should we help him?¡± asked Jytte in a low tone.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t bother¡± Myra replied hesitantly. ¡°It¡¯s too late for him.....and besides, I don¡¯t know if we can win against that.¡± She said, pointing out the window. There was a palpable sense of dread in her features, she was trembling in fear to the point where her usually well-coordinated wings began flapping out of turn.


    ¡°Wha-!¡± Jytte let out a dumbfounded gasp as the hairs on her body reflexively stood on end.


    A familiar sensation resurfaced in my mind, it was twisted and malevolent, poisoning the air with a dreadful aura. I was well adjusted to it, but the two people in front of me clearly weren¡¯t taking it very well.


    It was the first time I¡¯d ever seen them act like this, though I understood their dread. After all, the figure approaching its felled prey wasn¡¯t human ¡ª Not in the typical sense of it belonging to some other species in this world like an elf or beastfolk, it was a literal anomaly.


    That creature was no longer of this world.


    Aside from its demented aura, it wouldn¡¯t seem out of place to an ordinary person. But to me, I knew exactly what that thing was¡ªor rather, who it was. Going by the rules of this world, this must have been one step above what these people typically called an ¡®irregular¡¯.


    Eventually, the focal point of all the malice in the air subtly stepped into view as if unbothered by the cruel scenery unfolding just a few steps away.


    Following the bloody red trail left by its prey was something that had the figure of a human woman in her late twenties, with features that were neatly tucked into her slightly oval face. A pair of hazel-colored eyes subtly flickered under the dim moonlight as she approached with sweeping strands of matte-black hair flowing down her back.


    She wore an ivory-colored bodice paired with matching elbow-length gloves. The dress parted just below her chest and featured a prominent slit on one side. Though flamboyant, her outfit was clearly oversized, trailing along the floor and mopping up the small bits of blood with its hem.


    ¡°That was quite the performance you put up; I must say I''m impressed.¡± She scoffed sadistically.


    The man lying flat on his back was barely able to muster enough strength to raise a hand in submission before muttering something remorsefully.


    ¡°P-Please d-don''t kill me.....¡± He said


    Witha snicker, the woman waved away the thought, and in the next instant, the man¡¯s body was reduced to a red splatter on the ground. A few seconds later, something emerged from the thinly sliced remains of what was once a human body, it resembled a flame that burned with a bright pewter color.


    In other words, it was a soul.


    The anomaly stared at it with beady eyes; she slowly took hold of the floating flame, her lips opening to welcome the phantom meal. A loud gulping sound came next, it served to mark the end of her meal, as well as the end of that human''s existence.

 Chapter 71 - Ready or Not (2)

    Ready Or Not (2)


    <hr>


    Jytte gulped hard


    I could see beads of sweat trailing down her face after what just happened. The same went for Myra, her usually calm demeanor had all but vanished in the blink of an eye. Their eyes swelled in anticipation as if they were waiting for some sort of sign.


    The situation seemed untenable.


    At the moment, I was absolutely no use in a fight and neither Myra nor Jytte were showing any signs of enthusiasm at the prospect of fighting this thing. If this woman were to attack us now, then it would be a bloodbath, the inn wouldn¡¯t hold up if these three all started throwing their weight around in here.


    ¡°W-what do we do?¡¯ Jytte stuttered frantically.


    ¡°For now....let¡¯s just wait and see what happens. I don¡¯t know who she is or what she wants, but if we¡¯re lucky she might just end up leaving.¡± Myra replied timidly


    ¡°L-Leave? But she¡¯s just standing there.¡±


    ¡°I can see that, but we¡¯re better off just watching for now. This woman...something¡¯s off about her...¡±


    As if to add more weight to the hopeless circumstances, something strange started happening as soon as that woman stopped below our windowsill. The rune fragment I took off Ulric¡¯s corpse a few weeks ago suddenly started...glowing.


    The walls of our darkened room were instantly bathed in a pulsing cerulean light, drawing the dumfounded stares of my other companions in the process. I reached inside my pockets and removed the tiny crystal-looking object.


    Its essence felt vaguely familiar.


    Strained gasps were coming from my two guardians who were just about ready to ask the obvious question when my eyes suddenly shifted to the silhouette that spontaneously popped into view.


    A pair of hazel-colored eyes were glowering at us from beyond the thin pane of glass, the face of their owner ¡ª who should have still been at ground level ¡ª contorted into an expression of twisted malice.


    Her body was curled up as if to shield herself from the world, which was in fact the opposite of what that gesture was meant to be. Slowly, her hands begun to unwind their previous self-hugging position, and then....


    ¡°Tch! Crap get down!¡± Myra frightfully shouted; within a single second my vision flipped as Jytte tackled me to the floor.


    The sound of an explosion roared; the inns timber frame quaked ominously as some overbearing force blasted off the ceiling, sending splintered wood and debris raining down like deadly confetti.


    I heard screams, moans and wails coming from all directions, but the most notable voice of all came from the woman who just landed gracefully inside the confines of our now roofless atrium.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, everyone. My name is Nephthys, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± She announced casually, taking a few steps forward.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, eh?¡± Jytte groaned, lifting her armored body off of mine and pulling a thick splinter from her shoulder before tossing it aside. ¡°Introductions are past due at this point, so just tell us what you want and why you killed that guy.¡±


    ¡°Heh, all right then. What if I told you he and a bunch of other thugs tried to have their way with me?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°That sounds a little hard to believe, those guys are idiots but they didn¡¯t seem like fools. The difference in your levels is way too big for them to attack you unprovoked, besides...¡± she formed a scowl ¡°You reek of blood; it''s not just from one or two people, either ¡ªYou¡¯ve killed dozens before coming here, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    A chuckle came from our visitor


    ¡°Looks like I got caught again, I suppose I still need more practice, but you are correct. I killed them because I was hungry and what I want here are your lives.....and that little trinket this boy has, I believe you people call it a rune. Who knew I¡¯d find such a great bonus all the way out here? This really was worth it after all!¡±


    She grinned at me, before setting her gaze back onto Jytte who simply gasped at the sound of her demands.


    ¡°Are you with that Aryan guy?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we are called Gehenna. Though given the current circumstances, Aryan might not be acquainted with us for much longer.¡±


    ¡°I see. That makes things simple then.¡± Jytte replied, her eyes now sharp. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving here with anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And how exactly do you plan to stop me?¡± Nephthys retorted rather cynically, yet the simple smile on her lips had yet to fade.


    As things stood, Jytte currently had a very small chance against this woman. The explosion just now had knocked us away from her bow and quiver on the left side of the room. A few arrows were dislodged from it here and there, scattered about the floor, but without the full set there was very little she could hope to accomplish.


    She must have realized that because as soon as her eyes scrolled over to the items in the corner, a deep vertical gash appeared in the wooden floor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Nephthys said, lowering a raised finger.


    A bead of sweat rolled off Jytte¡¯s chin, she smiled wryly and took a step back.


    ¡°Well then, how about this!?¡± She blared


    Her leg stomped on the ground with a force strong enough to quake the small room. The space shook as dozens of metal arrows abruptly sprang into the air from the sudden jolt. Our aggressor, who was now stumbling backwards widened her eyes in awe as she stared at the charging archer.


    After crouching, Jytte darted at her without warning. In just a few strides, she was already within range of the falling arrows. She snatched one from the air and flung her arm back as if to throw it like a javelin¡ª All at once, she forced a contraction from the muscles in her legs all the way up to her torso.


    ¡°Enchant!!¡±


    The word rolled off her tongue with impeccable ease, it was the activation signal for the weapon in her hand. As soon as the command was given, the arrow began glowing with a fierce aura.


    ¡°Catch!¡± She shouted, lunging the enchanted projectile at its target. The arrow sped across the room like a lightning bolt, connecting with its target at a frightening speed.


    ¡°Oh my?¡±


    A red splatter streaked across the walls, mingled with fragments of flesh and bone, forming a gruesome mosaic of carnage. Although Nephthys had raised her hands at the last second, the speed boost granted by the enchantment allowed the arrow to easily pierce through her ribcage and pin her to the wall.


    ¡°W-what is this!? H-how dare y-you!¡±


    She tossed and turned in agony, lurching up fresh batches of blood in the process.


    ¡°Now Myra!¡±


    @#$^&*%$#@*&^%(*&


    The slur of words that sounded above my head forced the water in the atmosphere to compress and form a sphere the size of two barrels. It floated above our heads, a small distance away from Nephthys¡¯ struggling body.


    Then came Myra, descending from the skies like a well-timed savior. Unlike us, she must have fled to the skies earlier to avoid getting sliced to pieces.


    The Faerie raised a hand and said: ¡°Hailstorm¡±


    Instantly, the large orb froze over to form a thick block of ice, then it shattered into a myriad of fragments¡ª Each one sharp and glistening as if to reflect the cold fury of the caster.


    The storm of small blades rained down on Nephthys¡¯ body, each fragment piercing through the air with lethal precision. They struck her from all angles, a relentless barrage that left no room for escape, the sheer force of the ice leaving a trail of frost in its wake as it sliced into her skin.


    By the time the relentless barrage ceased, the only thing I could make out was a mangled mess of punctured limbs. Though the sight may have seemed gruesome, this wasn¡¯t over yet. If these things could be killed that easily then they wouldn¡¯t need to be locked away for all eternity.

 Chapter 72 - Ready Or Not (3)

    Ready Or Not (3)


    <hr>


    ¡°Did we....win?¡± Myra huffed eagerly.


    ¡°Looks like it, I think you hit all of her vitals just now. Not even a healer should be able to pull through something like tha-¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not dead!¡±


    ¡°Eh? Li-Liam...what¡¯s gotten into you all of a sudden? I know that was scary but-¡±


    ¡°Myra, Jytte, listen to me! There¡¯s no time to explain but just trust me, this isn¡¯t over yet. We have to leave right now!¡± I exclaimed vehemently, tugging on Jytte¡¯s clothes in the process.


    They exchanged a few startled glances with each other before Myra finally spoke up. My sudden declaration must have caught them by surprise but now wasn¡¯t the time for games, this situation was only going to grow more dire by the second.


    ¡°Can¡¯t do that kid. We¡¯d just be leaving her here to go on a rampage.¡±


    ¡°As long as we have this she¡¯ll come after us, the inn will be fine. Trust me.¡± I insisted, urgency thick in my tone.


    The tiny looking crystal in my hands drew their attention for a brief instant. For just that one moment, it actually seemed as if they were both about to agree with me but a dark pressure once again filled the air. The sensation was heavy and suffocating, as if we had all been suddenly dragged to the depths of the ocean.


    Then, a strange sound came from behind me ¡ª It was a snicker, one that sounded like it was coming from someone on the brink of insanity. The sound deepened into a steady, irregular rhythm¡ª ha¡­ ha¡­ ha¡­¡ª as if each burst of air pushed some unseen weight off her chest. The laughter swelled, spilling out in a ragged burst. It was shrill now, unsteady, as though her voice had split apart and she was laughing with the pieces.


    "Ahaha¡­ ahahaha¡­ AHAHAHAHAHA! Ahahahahahahaha¡­ AHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"¡±


    It echoed off the walls, sharp and grating, a sound that didn¡¯t belong in a place so quiet. At the same time, the countless ice-borne daggers stabbing into the ground shattered abruptly from the intense pressure, leaving a cloud of frost in its place that lazily began spreading across the floor.


    There was a humanoid silhouette standing in the depths of that creeping fog. It belonged to something that was ever-so-slightly inhuman. The undead creature made a few gaudy steps across the wooden floor, creaking the structure with a palpable sense of unease.


    I heard Myra dumbfoundedly mumble the words ¡°How...is she even still alive?¡±


    The realization that her previous attack was completely futile must have been a little too far-fetched for her to accept that easily. Jytte on the other hand somehow managed to shrug off her fear and dash in the direction of her bow and quiver.


    ¡°He¡¯s right you know. You¡¯re my primary targets now, just look what you¡¯ve done to my clothes!¡± Nephthys griped as she casually cleared the icy veil separating us.


    I was very familiar with her grotesque appearance and yet it still felt hard to describe for some reason. The easiest thing to compare her body to right now was a honeycomb.


    Her body was now little more than a collection of holes. Aside from her core that was virtually untouched, puncture wounds appeared in just about every place you could think of, but the woman didn¡¯t seem very bothered by it at all.


    In fact, the smile on her face was saying quite the opposite.


    Steady trails of ichor leaked from her wounds, staining the floor with a muddy color.


    She flicked a finger, prompting a faint flash of light to quickly swirl around her body.


    That one gesture somehow severed the excess fabric extending from the hem of her clothes. Then, she did a few light stretching motions and said - ¡°All right enough playing around.¡±


    As if bending to her will, the countless puncture wounds scattered all over her body immediately began healing at a frightening speed and within a few seconds all traces of her previous injuries had completely vanished.


    I heard my guardians gasp in shock, much to the amusement of Nephthys. I highly doubt they could even put their feelings into words right now.


    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t look so surprised. Did you really think that one little attack would be enough to get rid of me? I¡¯ve never been stabbed to death before, so I simply decided to seize the opportunity just now. You were better than those other guys outside but, I do hope that¡¯s not the best you can do, hmm....¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    My fists tightened reflexively.


    Without mana at my disposal, there was only one other thing I could do here. If I resolved myself to the act, I could certainly kill her for good but the same fate would befall Myra, Jytte and everyone else in this building.


    As dangerous as this woman was, the price for killing her like that was far too steep. No one else here deserved to die yet, especially not like that.


    ¡°Oh ho? Feeling a bit frightened my dear?¡± Nephthys inquired, with a smooth gesture from her hand she settled an accusing finger on me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m saving the best for last, okay? You smell delicious so I¡¯ll take my time with you and everyone else here after I deal with your little friends.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m not afraid of you.¡± I responded boldly, barely managing to suppress the tension shooting up my spine. ¡°I just want you to leave here and go back where you came from¡ªBack where you belong.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± She mumbled


    ¡°Liam get back! Get away from her!¡±


    Someone was shouting at me but I couldn¡¯t even tell who it was. Unconsciously, and perhaps out of habit, my body refused to break eye contact with the woman standing across from me. She was staring directly into my eyes with a somewhat scornful look on her face. Something about my appearance was bothering her to the point where her usually pleasant smile started breaking apart along the edges.


    ¡°How unpleasant. If your eyes didn''t have that repulsive color, your face would be a lot more adorable. What a waste, it brought up some bad memories, now the mood¡¯s gone sour." She sighed a bit, then straightened the grimace on her face.


    ¡°I assume you¡¯re all ready to die, yes? I¡¯m about to start trying for real now.¡±


    ¡°Right back at you!¡±


    The fierce declaration came from none other than Jytte, who had crouched to one knee on the opposite end of the room. The tip of her metal looking recurve bow was jammed into the ground, likely as a means of support to withstand the recoil from the three metal arrows gleaming viciously under the cascading moonlight.


    ¡°Myra get him clear!¡±


    The order came swiftly, without even a hint of resistance Myra summoned a small shroud of water to pull me over to the right.


    ¡°Fine then, let¡¯s start with you.¡± Nephthys remarked sarcastically. By the looks of things, she didn¡¯t think very much of all the killing intent being thrown her way, it only served to fan her foes already fuming ire.


    With little more than a grunt, Jytte hurriedly released her grip on the enchanted projectiles.


    A crackling sound came.


    It sounded like an offbeat thunderbolt, but instead of lightning, it was the result of three metal arrows tearing through the wooden floor. Splinters sprang up in their wake, trailing behind the bright glint of death that closed in on its target at a terrifying speed.


    With inhuman movements, Nephthys flipped her body backwards and leapt off the nearest wall as soon as her feet made contact with the rigid structure. The thick wooden wall crumbled effortlessly from the first volley of arrows, yet the attack itself was meaningless. Nephthys was already airborne and diving towards Jytte with a casual smirk on her face.


    Another volley of arrows had already been nocked and ready, aligned with her falling figure. Jytte fired off her rounds mercilessly, one after the other, but even though all her arrows were near perfect shots, the woman showed no signs of stopping.


    Frantic breaths escaped the Faerie hovering beside me. By the looks of things, she probably wanted to intervene but the current situation wasn¡¯t tuned to her style of combat at all. Myra¡¯s spells could definitely deal a lot of damage but they took time to prepare. On top of that, we were in a somewhat enclosed space so unless Nephthys movements were somehow restricted, she would have a hard time hitting her.


    A few orbs of water swirled around her, likely the catalyst for a half-done spell. As soon as said opening presented itself, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to strike.


    Nephthys was twisting her body at unnatural angles, swirling and swaying in the air to avoid what she could before casually snatching the last arrow from its flight path ¨CIt was aiming for a spot near her core.


    ¡°She caught it!?¡±


    ¡°That one¡¯s off-limits dear¡± she said snarkily


    Her dull landing came quicker than one would expect. Soon after, she began her ruthless charge towards the archer almost maniacally. With a twirl, she spun the plundered arrow in her palm and tossed it back towards its owner, forcing Jytte to dodge to the side haphazardly.


    She rolled across the floor a few times before stopping abruptly, then pulled another arrow from her quiver ¨C or at least that was what she¡¯d planned on doing.


    Nephthys was already far too close for that.


    Maintaining her smirk, she simply smiled and waved a finger, saying something along the lines of : ¡°I think I¡¯ve had enough arrows for one day.¡±


    Her words bore fruit.


    The effects were immediate too. With just a simple swipe of her finger, the arm Jytte was using to reach for her quiver promptly slipped out of place. It fell to the ground with a drab, unsettling sound.


    Traces of a red splatter were beginning to spew out from her severed arm but she just stared at it cluelessly, making it seem as if the scene unfolding right now was completely alien to her.


    Even Myra was stunned, I heard a sharp breath escape her lips.


    Despite the uncertainty of it all, the bleak reality was starting to set in after a few seconds.


    Then came the agony.

 Chapter 73 - Ready Or Not (4)

    Ready Or Not (4)


    <hr>


    ¡°GAAAAHGCK!¡±


    A stifled scream pierced my ears.


    Its point of origin was only a short distance away from me, but as things currently stood the meager space separating us seemed insurmountable.


    After losing her entire forearm, the overwhelming pain from that single, deep cut forced Jytte into a slumped position. Her face abruptly clattered against the scarred wooden floor as she desperately clung to the site of her missing apparatus. Her fanged teeth sank into what little remained of our footing, a desperate attempt to hold back the ever-present scream that only seemed about two or three beats away from bursting out her chest.


    A red liquid steadily began pooling around her body despite her best efforts to seal the wound. Given her unusual position, her bangs had flopped down to cover her usually cheery face but as she slowly gathered the strength to raise her head, I saw a familiar, transparent liquid gathering at the corners of her tortured gaze.


    The strike she¡¯d been dealt was one so swift that not even her absurdly heightened instincts could fully alert her in time.


    Right now, that extra degree of sensitivity was backfiring on her. Having been subjected to such a cunning blow, her overly sensitive body was being forced to process the pain all at once, leaving her no choice but to push through the agony.


    ¡°My, what impressive reflexes. You actually managed to avoid it ¡ª I was aiming for your neck just now but you somehow managed to shift your body in time. Oh well, not like it matters now....¡± Mumbled Nephthys as she casually sauntered over to the wailing archer.


    She raised a hand, once again allowing something flicker above her palm. Her grin widened as she slowly wound her arm back like a coiling spring, all but ready to deliver the final blow when -


    ¡°@#$%^&*)*&^%¡±


    Three blades of water sliced through the floor, forcing Nephthys to leap back as the timber frame splintered, leaving a gaping hole open to the howling streets below.


    ¡°Damn it I underestimated her!¡± Myra cursed as she fluttered over to Jytte, still keeping her gaze half locked on the aggressor she had just driven back.


    I followed behind her, only to see the woman flicking back her long bangs that had seemingly lost a few inches from Myra¡¯s attack just now.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll be alright....¡± Groaned Jytte through a strained grimace.


    A thick blanket of sweat was soaking through her armor and yet she still somehow found the strength to correct her posture ¡ª Now sitting upright.


    "Hold still, this might hurt a bit," Myra commanded as she directed one of the small orbs of water floating around her toward the source of Jytte''s agony. At a glance, it was nothing more than a bloody stump, but as soon as the fist-sized orb made contact, the deep red stain gradually turned snow-white. Jytte let out a series of groans that faded with each passing second, until the look of anguish completely disappeared from her face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t use healing magic but this should help with your bleeding for now. I¡¯ll do the same thing for your arm too. With Julia¡¯s help we should be able to fix it if we¡¯re lucky.¡±


    Temporarily freezing the wound was only a stopgap measure but nonetheless, it was still far better than allowing her to carelessly spew her own blood like that.


    After witnessing the effects of Myra¡¯s spell, Nephthys¡¯s lips curved into a slight frown. Considering the effort she¡¯d just put in; she had probably been expecting more than a few muffled screams.


    ¡°Thanks Myra. I got careless at the end there....¡±


    ¡°Save your strength. I¡¯ll do something about her in the meantime but we need to get you healed fast.¡± Myra urged with a flood of emotions in her voice. Despite their blatant effects on her, the grip of fear and anxiety was no excuse for inaction right now.


    ¡°Heh...Heh...don¡¯t worry I think I¡¯ve figured it out.....what she¡¯s been doing this whole time I mean...¡± The shallow breaths coming from Jytte were certainly a cause for concern but she seemed determined to convey the information.


    ¡°Oh! Please do tell! So far nobody¡¯s been able to figure out my little trick yet you know!¡± Bragged Nephthys as she raised her hands in a placating gesture.


    Myra¡¯s body froze up with a twitch. Obviously conflicted by her friend¡¯s current wheezing condition and her blatant intent to convey crucial information. After some thinking, she decided to renounce herself to the latter.


    Jytte swallowed a deep breath, then she spoke slowly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a radical. She¡¯s using vibrations.¡±


    ¡°V-vibrations?¡± Myra stuttered with her back still turned to us.


    ¡°Yeah....I¡¯ve been hearing something strange ever since she showed up and I finally figured it out just now. She¡¯s....keeping some of that long hair coiled around her palm like a thin wire, and when she gets ready to strike, she reinforces those thin threads with mana and transmits strong vibrations through them. That¡¯s...how she¡¯s been slicing...this place up...¡±


    Jytte finished with a bloodstained cough on the ground, quite the cause for concern, but albeit one she managed to shrug off rather pompously.


    Taking Jytte¡¯s rather surprising analysis as fact turned out to be rather fruitful. That thin flicker of light that she¡¯s been using since earlier had kept me wondering from the moment she first appeared, but now the trick to her attack pattern was becoming clear. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    That flicker from before must have come from the small strands of hair she was using.


    Now that I knew what to look for the secret to her power came undone rather quickly. As soon as I adjusted my vision, the world went dark, allowing me to quickly scan her true form as well as pick up on the faint traces of mana she was steadily channeling into her palms.


    ¡°You are correct.¡± Replied Nephthys with a chuckle. ¡°I see, that¡¯s how you avoided my slash earlier, you heard it coming; how interesting.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the kind of power she has then it means she¡¯s a gladiator. At best, her power should only go up to about mid-range, so as long as we keep our distance we¡¯ll manage.¡± Myra spoke with a sense of clarity in her voice.


    That classification ¡ª which was still alien to me ¡ª must have revealed quite a bit about this woman¡¯s power.


    ¡°Confident, are we? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not dumb enough to think you have some sort of an advantage just because you figured out my little secret. You¡¯d best prepare yourselves, you¡¯ll all be taking that secret to your graves.¡±


    Her words sent a chill through the area. Threats like that weren¡¯t meant to be taken lightly, especially not under these circumstances. Myra understood that, as soon as Nephthys unleashed yet another sickening wave of animosity, she immediately conjured a dome shaped bubble of water around us.


    ¡°Defensive spells aren¡¯t really my thing, but there¡¯s no better way to guard against her attacks right now.¡±


    ¡°Myra, buy me some time, I¡¯ve got one last trick up my sleeve. ¡± Huffed Jytte as she slowly walked back a few paces, leaning down to snatch something off the floor.


    Even with her back completely exposed, she didn¡¯t show a hint of hesitation about turning away in the middle of a fight like this.


    ¡°Fine, just don¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage....Sorry but could you help me out, Liam? As you can see, I¡¯m a bit handicapped here.¡± asked Jytte as she winced a smile at me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if that was supposed to be a joke or not¡ªIt couldn¡¯t have been¡ª given the circumstances, and yet the strained smile on her face told me otherwise.


    With a small nod, I conveyed my approval before replying earnestly.


    ¡°I can, but I have an idea too. I think I know where you should hit her.¡±


    ¡°What? You...know what her weakness is?¡±


    ¡°I think so. Would you like to test it out?¡± I asked, my gaze shifting towards the specter idly peering at us.


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have much of a choice right now. Unless we defeat her or somehow slow her down, we won¡¯t be able to retreat.¡± She replied with a twitch of her ears, then formed a small grin on her lips. ¡°By the looks of things.... the folks downstairs.... have already scattered so I think I can.... afford to be a little reckless here. Alright Liam, what¡¯s your plan?¡±


    The idea was quite simple but I still tried to condense it nonetheless. Around ten seconds was all it took for me to skimp over the details given the foe we were about to face. She wasn¡¯t keen on simply waiting around any longer.


    Without warning, Nephthys clasped her palms together with a crackling sound. As if snapping a whip at a wild horse, she twirled her hands and lunged forward like a predator. Gashes appeared on either side of her as she darted at us, flickering strands of death glistening in her palms.


    The droplets surrounding Myra suddenly hardened like spikes in response before flying off like a hail of darts, each of the pronged projectiles, though swift, failed to meet their target.


    With a zigzag motion, Nephthys skillfully weaved through their trajectories with a casual grace, her movements almost playful as she danced out of reach. She slammed her dominant foot on the floor and lunged forward with the intent to kill.


    Her hands quickly overlapped once she was in range, giving us no time to make out anything but a flicker before the makeshift dome of water abruptly splattered in all directions. She didn¡¯t intend to halt her charge there, but as soon as she took another step forward a shard of ice shaped like a spear ruthlessly slammed into her torso, flinging her body back a few feet with a sickening thud.


    She skidded to an abrupt stop, her bare feet sliding to a halt at the opposite end of the room.


    Her upper body was hunched backwards, but somehow, she was still standing. An impact like that should have at least shattered a few bones, but that alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill something like this. An odd sound creaked from her waist as her torso abruptly sprung back into place.


    Then, she pried the crumbling shard from her throat before gently swiping away the blood trickling down her lips.


    ¡°That one was close huh, little pixie. Or was it Faerie? Anyway, I''m sure you¡¯ve realized this but I¡¯m in no rush to kill you since I''m full right now. We can keep this up for as long as you want, you¡¯ll run out of mana eventually.¡±


    Her words were bitter, but true. In a case like this there was no point in prolonging the battle, the most efficient thing to do here was to kill her as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Still....not enough huh......¡± Myra muttered; her voice strained. I could tell just by looking at her that she couldn¡¯t keep this up for very long, her mana reserves had plummeted from what they once were. To think using an aberrant would end up burning through her reserves this fast.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready Myra!¡± Jytte boldly affirmed as she slung the heavy quiver across her one good shoulder.


    ¡°Back from the dead I see? But what could you possible intend to do like that I wonder?¡± Nephthys quizzed, clearly amused by the state of my companion.


    ¡°Just you wait....¡± Jytte muttered softly, a quiet rage was still managing to flicker through the lens of those dim eyes. Without a doubt, she was serious.


    ¡°Myra, follow Liam¡¯s lead. Just trust me on this!¡±


    Startled, the Faerie whipped her head around in shock. There must have been something she wanted to say but Jytte¡¯s sheer determination overwhelmed her.


    ¡°......Alright. What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    Up until now, the majority of their attacks could only push Nephthys back at best. She herself knew that, so there was very little regard for caution on her part.


    Immortality wasn¡¯t an idea I subscribed to ¡ª The idea that any living creature could simply go on living forever was ludicrous.


    However, there were exceptions to this rule, albeit minor ones.


    There were ways to extend one¡¯s life significantly, but nothing to the extent of the immortality people often coveted. In the case of this woman, Nephthys, she had seemingly evolved from her status as an irregular to become something even more formidable. A human who managed to claw their way back to life by possessing a corpse or in other words, what people called a ¡®revenant¡¯.


    It was only possible to this extent thanks to the laws of this new world. Her existence, though realized, wasn¡¯t exactly welcome here. After all her very presence went against the natural order.


    Since she was possessing a corpse, the false sense of security being granted by her pseudo immortal body was a major crutch supporting her fighting style. With that being the case, the answer I was about to give was sure to shatter all the false paradigms she¡¯s been relying on.

 Chapter 74 - Ready Or Not (5)

    Ready Or Not (5)


    <hr>


    I raised an accusing finger and settled it on the snarky creature smiling at us.


    ¡°Aim for her mana core.¡± I said aloud.


    As soon as I mentioned that a hint of shock flashed across her face. With an obvious glimmer of malice in her eyes, Nephthys cautiously took one step back.


    ¡°You can see her core?¡± Myra gasped intuitively.


    ¡°Yeah, it''s in her upper abdomen, that¡¯s what she¡¯s been using to heal her body.¡±


    ¡°Well...it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re lying or joking around this time so I suppose it¡¯s worth a shot. Jytte, I assume you have your own little stunt to pull?¡±


    ¡°Something like that....but....the opening move...all depends on you. Don¡¯t you dare miss Myra.¡±


    The Faerie couldn¡¯t help but let out a small chuckle. She didn¡¯t respond but the surge of mana seeping from her core was enough of a reply in its own way.


    Now that I was finally staring one of these things down, this entire little scheme was slowly starting to unravel. These things, the irregulars were simply evil spirit clusters that escaped from Limbo and were granted corpses to possess thereafter ¨C Mage corpses to be exact.


    The reason that cult was so hell bent on attracting all these lower ranked raiders to this place must have been to either feed their souls to these things or acquire new bodies for them to possess.


    In terms of sheer quality, the soul of a mage was far more potent and more appetizing when compared to a regular human''s soul. Not just that but these irregulars couldn¡¯t possess normal human bodies ¡ª Well, strictly speaking they could inhabit one, but only for very brief periods of time.


    Possessing a normal human corpse wouldn¡¯t even allow them to exist here for a full minute.


    However, it was different with a mage.


    Mages had awakened mana cores, which essentially served as vessels for their souls. Irregulars, on the other hand, were clusters of thousands of souls held together by the strongest will among them.


    Once summoned into this world, an Irregular could possess a mage''s corpse, provided the mana core within it was powerful enough to bear the burden of housing such a multitude of souls.


    The stronger the core, the more capable it was of sustaining the chaotic amalgam, allowing the Irregular to reanimate the body in a rudimentary way ¡ª Kind of like maneuvering a puppet from the inside.


    They hadn¡¯t fully come back to life though; it was more like they were ¡®pretending to be alive.¡¯


    In theory, it was a simple idea but there was one other crucial flaw in this plan. An irregular has no life force, so when they get pulled over to this dimension, the world itself starts rejecting them, causing the cluster to immediately begin evaporating.


    Normally, it was just a matter of allowing them to burn through that stockpile of souls before dealing the final blow but here, things were different. If the irregulars attempted to possess a corpse the usual way, they still wouldn¡¯t last very long, which is why a catalyst was needed.


    In order to prolong their existence, they needed something that could supply the corpses mana core with an enormous amount of life force and allow them to freely animate the body without evaporating.


    On this continent, only one thing could ever provide that level of sustenance ¡ª A rune.


    Whatever was in these things had enough life force to support an entire cluster of evil spirits and allow them to freely exist in this dimension. However, that supply of life force didn¡¯t seem to be unlimited, given enough time it would eventually whittle down, especially in Nephthys''s case.


    Just going off a rough estimate, she had consumed around 100,000 other souls during her time in limbo. Because of that, the life force she was receiving from the rune was perpetually being shared with every other soul housed in her mana core. That was the key to her current existence, so if that core was somehow damaged then the tables should turn in our favor.


    ¡°What a surprise. I wasn¡¯t expecting to hear such a thing all the way out here, especially not from you, child.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Liam you¡¯re onto something kid! Looks like you¡¯re not immortal after all.¡± Myra exclaimed impudently.


    With another slur of words, she once again willed the moisture in the atmosphere to morph and condense into her desired shape. This time, rather than spikes, they hardened into thin, spear-like constructs that resembled harpoons.


    Glistening pristinely under the gentle moonlight, each of Myra¡¯s meter long blades tilted downwards at a slight arch, pointed at the ready. Their target frowned slightly at the sight and furiously slashed her vibrating strands against the floor in a wide arc around her.


    She must have desperately wanted to rush in for the kill but, doing so when we knew her weakness was a bad idea. All of a sudden it seemed as if she was slowly being backed into a corner ¡ª Or at least what was left of it. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Look at you...lashing out like that. I thought you weren¡¯t in a rush...¡± Breathless words came from Jytte, broken and disjointed, yet they still simmered the frustration of our foe.


    Quickly suppressing the slight scrunch forming on her face, she smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get carried away. You three are certainly a peculiar bunch but this changes nothing. Your information is useless if you can¡¯t take advantage of it.¡± She hissed at us scornfully. ¡°And to make sure it stays that way; I¡¯ve decided to take on the liberty of eliminating you all as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Well then....¡± Jytte replied with a grunt, righteously clutching the metal looking recurve bow in her remaining hand. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to see who dies first!¡±


    Her determination flared as she stomped on the ground and gave her body a vicious full turn. The motion was clockwise, causing the half-filled quiver slung across her shoulder to swirl around behind her from the sudden shift.


    Arrows clattered against each other, the sound echoing in the still air as she pivoted to face her opponent ¡ª Who had already pounced the moment she made her move.


    On her face was a raw expression, one that was hard to describe.


    The only word that came to mind was ¡°Psychotic.¡±


    In response, Myra gave a magical order.


    About half of her icicle spears shot towards Nephthys on command. Once again, the revenant attempted to weave through what she could, slicing and slashing along the way but these tapered spears were moving about twice as fast as the last batch of blades Myra had manifested.


    Nephthys didn¡¯t halt her advance but crimson splatters were occasionally being ejected from her punctured body. By the time Myra¡¯s initial volley had finished her dash had only brought her within ten or so steps of Jytte, just as she was on the cusp of finishing her third twirl.


    Once she finally achieved a 360 degree angle, she killed her momentum and allowed her arm to extended. The dangling quiver slung across her shoulder fell prone to the effects of inertia and continued on its trajectory, slipping from her grasp in a motion so smooth it could even be called graceful.


    But before she completely lost physical contact with the leather sack, she gave it one final command. It was a term I was used to hearing by now, but this time it had a twist, she said:


    ¡°FULL ENCHANT!¡±


    In response, the quiver glowed with an ethereal light before bursting open to reveal a dozen or so metal looking arrows swiveling towards their target. They were only moving a bit faster than the quiver itself so there was hardly any change in their speed.


    Thanks to that, it wasn¡¯t very difficult for Nephthys to swipe her hands around and cut them all to pieces. She stomped past the rain of metal debris with a grin wide enough to touch her ears, however, that expression quickly faded as soon as she¡¯d gotten in another three steps.


    The fragments of Jytte¡¯s arrows finally made contact with the wooden floor, but rather than a faint clanking noise, they clattered against the floorboards like a rain of iron balls. Our footing couldn¡¯t withstand the sudden distribution of weight, not after all the attacks that had previously been thrown around in here and as a result of that, the section of the floor behind her began crumbling away.


    With a snapping sound, the timber section beneath Nephthys crackled and popped like a series of sharp thunderbolts. The floorboards she had previously been stomping so hard on sprang up from the force of enchanted iron debris, disrupting her balance and causing her to tumble backward as she was en route to pounce on us.


    ¡°Gotcha!¡± Jytte asserted vigorously before clamping down on an arrow with her teeth and performing yet another monstrous leap off the ground.


    ¡°You¡¯re up Myra!¡± Her muffled voice beamed down from above.


    Then, with a simple gesture from her hand, Myra maneuvered her arrows to reposition themselves. This time, they rose even further up into the air, arching at a 45 degree angle and darting towards the woman falling to her doom.


    Seconds before impact, Nephthys somehow managed to perform a well-timed somersault, leaping off the springing floorboard before kicking off what little remained of a nearby wall.


    ¡°No way!¡± Myra blurted out in shock.


    At this point, the majority of her icicle spears had already missed their mark, puncturing nothing but the quaking timber before us.


    On the other hand, Nephthys was now mid-flight and she had a clear path towards her targets. Once in range, one clean slash of those vibrating braids was all she needed to get the job done.


    That would have been the case if she didn¡¯t have one last thing to worry about ¡ª The Archer in the air.


    My head jutted back as I stared up in awe.


    Jytte, despite her handicap, had somehow managed to get a lock on her target with nothing but a remarkable display of skill. She soared above us, clutching the metal recurve bow in her remaining hand and using her right leg to press against its lower limb.


    Her gritted teeth held an arrow within, one that was already nocked on the bowstring. From here, it seemed as if a bead of blood was trickling down her chin ¡ª Likely from the immense strain on her jaws.


    ¡°Myra get clear!!¡± she exclaimed


    A spherical dome of water suddenly coalesced around my body just as the Faerie began her frantic retreat, pulling my unmoving gaze along in the process. She made a strange whistling sound with her mouth, one that served a rather significant purpose.


    The little mana Jytte had left in her body swiftly flowed into the nocking arrow, and just as before, she muttered that familiar word with one slight adjustment: ¡°FULL ENCHANT!¡±


    Right before impact, I saw an expression of utter shock spawn on Nephthys¡¯ face. At this distance she was stuck halfway between her target and any possible escape route. Unsurprisingly, it was too late for her to do anything but gawk at the one-armed archer.


    Jytte gave her opponent a strained smile, one that was stained with spite.


    With a hint of malice in her eyes, she zealously released her gnashing grip on the glinting projectile. Eager to launch, it deviously slipped through the rows of her gritted teeth.


    Her attack sliced through the air like a cannon, cutting a path of devastation towards its target. The enchanted arrow found purchase less than a second later, slamming into its objective with a thunderous sound.


    The inn quaked from the impact, its timber frame shuddering as if the very bones of the building were rattled by the force ¡ª Which in fact they were ¡ª Soon after the collision, splintered wood and debris flew in all directions, drifting off on the winds of destruction as a large section of the resilient lodging collapsed in on itself.

 Chapter 75 - Precipice

    Precipice


    <hr>


    The wagon shook violently from the shockwave created by the inn¡¯s partial implosion.


    Just before Jytte¡¯s arrow struck, Myra dove through one of the many cavities in the walls, pulling me along in the process and summoning the newts to our position with a strange, whistling call. My body tumbled brusquely through the arched flaps of the vehicle, and I barely had time to brace myself before the shockwave erupted just moments later.


    Apparently, I¡¯d been thrown.


    What little resistance I had to offer barely made any difference as the sudden surge of wind sent me tumbling inside the wagon bed. Once the tremors subsided, I sprang back to my feet and quickly scaled over the wagon¡¯s sideboard.


    Plumes of dust slowly wafted over from the wreckage, but it wasn¡¯t to the point where my vision was obstructed.


    ¡°Myra?¡± Strolling forward, I called the Faeries name a few times before my eyes caught site of a bright twinkle lingering beyond a thick dust cloud.


    ¡°We¡¯re over here! I caught Jytte!¡±


    Following the slight pitch in that familiar voice led me to the heart of the destruction. A mountain of rubble stood before me in a somewhat unceremonious pile making it seem as if some unseen force had torn down the building in a fit of rage and abandoned the ruins without a second thought.


    Myra slowly began floating down from her airborne position and at her side was a large sphere of water containing Jytte¡¯s partially submerged body. Everything below her shoulders was covered but she still grinned cheekily despite the pain surfacing on her face.


    ¡°I had to get a little rough with you just now Liam.¡± Myra said sheepishly. ¡°There was just too much going on at the end there.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s fine, you saved me and it was my idea anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is true, who would have thought that you¡¯d think up something so crazy?¡±


    ¡°It was worth trying out. If Jytte could make her arrows heavier and faster at the same time then hitting Nephthys with that might have stopped her from healing again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that! I meant the part of the plan where you asked Jytte to try and bring down the entire building!¡± Myra yelled frantically with a somewhat skeptical stare in her eyes.


    She inched closer towards me bit by bit, mumbling a string of words that each seemed to be doused in a mix of her astonishment and disbelief.


    Before long, her tiny hand had already grappled onto my cheek. She tugged on my face rhythmically while spewing a few steely assertions that just barely remained within the realm of a normal sentence.


    ¡°That. Was. Reeeallly. Close.¡± She said, blinking a few times to deepen the surge of emotions in her voice.


    ¡°O-Okay I got it. Next time let''s try something a little safer.¡± I replied gingerly. Turning my face away to escape the determined glare in her eyes.


    ¡°Next time?¡± Stunned, she repeated my words absentmindedly. After staring at my face for a while, she sighed away the thought and giggled as if the very notion was absurd.


    ¡°I give up. You¡¯re not old enough for me to knock some sense into you, so you¡¯ll get a pass this time. Good work Liam.¡±


    All of a sudden, her stance had changed from one of frantic disbelief to one of a firm approval. She drifted closer to rustle the thin bangs hanging over my forehead, then flashed me a warm smile.


    After what happened just now seeing this kind of expression on her face had somewhat helped to ease the tension.


    ¡°Umm....you two...A little help over here?¡±


    Our companion, who was still submerged by the floating orb cautiously piped up.


    One snap from the small Faeries fingers was all it took to dispel the floating orb. It splashed to the ground on command, leaving not even so much as a damp spot on her body. Jytte stumbled forward for a while before ultimately tipping over onto my body.


    I somehow managed to stop her from outright falling by acting as a human cane, but holding up her armored body without the use of mana for more than ten seconds seemed impossible.


    ¡°That was a little reckless Jytte but I¡¯m glad we pulled it off.¡±¡± Myra stated in a low tone, staring at us somewhat apologetically.


    ¡°Heh...Don¡¯t mention it....¡±


    For such a small creature, Myra was certainly good at masking her emotions. Whether it was a side effect of being a raider or something else; I couldn¡¯t tell.


    Not even needing to chant this time, she extended her palm towards Jytte and willed the moisture in the air to take action.


    The space around Jytte¡¯s missing appendage was swiftly bombarded by a subtle shroud of fog that once again formed a thin layer of frost over the wound. She shrieked a bit, but not as much as last time.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± I probed, staring at her ice coated arm from up close.


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage, don¡¯t worry. This is just par for the course at this point.¡± Her attempt at giving an assuring reply was far from perfect. Nobody here was going to believe what she just said.


    That much was obvious from the expression forming on Myra¡¯s face.


    ¡°Act tough all you want but you¡¯re nowhere close to being in top form right now. I did the same thing for your severed arm and tossed it in the wagon earlier, so we need to hurry back to the others.¡± Myra pushed strongly, barely managing to suppress the surfacing squeal in her tone.


    ¡°Liam it looks like I¡¯ll need your help for a little while longer. Using my enchantments like that....really takes a toll on my body, it¡¯s not something I can do all that often.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks...¡±


    Her hot, wheezing breaths brushed past my ears as we walked forward. Although she was trying to hide it, her body¡¯s limit were becoming clearer with every step.


    ¡°We should get as far away from here.....as soon as we can. That woman....I don¡¯t think my last arrow finished her off.¡± Jytte mumbled as we trotted forward at a rather frantic pace. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°What!? You mean she¡¯s not dead for good!?¡± Myra exclaimed somewhat fearfully.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. Just before my last arrow hit, she used those vibrating blades to slice her own body in two. My aim was already off after losing an arm, but that one move completely diverted he shot. At best, it probably grazed her mana core but I don¡¯t think that was enough to completely destroy it.¡±


    Myra¡¯s wings shuddered, and her head slowly creaked back to gaze at the pile of debris we were leaving behind.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we finish her off then?¡± The Faerie inquired adamantly.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, but that was my last shot. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be any good in a fight from here on out. It¡¯s best we just use this opportunity to retreat.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Myra.¡± I assured her with a subtle wink.


    She gave me a blank stare before finally catching on to the meaning behind my gesture.


    ¡°Oh right! You said something about seeing her mana core a while ago. So? What¡¯s it look like?¡± She asked bluntly, kicking up a thunder-like series of flaps with her wings in the process.


    ¡°She definitely got hit.¡± I replied calmly to the creature less than an inch away from my face.


    ¡°But, just like Jytte said it doesn¡¯t look like it was a direct hit. Her core is damaged though so that should be enough to stop her regeneration for now. It¡¯s going to be a lot harder for her to escape from under all that rubbl-¡±


    ¡°Leaving so soon?¡±


    The air stiffened.


    Through our physical contact, I¡¯m almost certain that the twitch I just felt on my shoulder came from the shudder that just jolted up Jytte¡¯s spine.


    Instantly, our heads whipped back towards the wreckage in succession, but there was nobody there. That thick, poison like pressure was coming from the site of the wreckage ¡ª Beneath it to be exact¡ª Where a supposedly undead creature was currently trapped.


    ¡°I never expected things to turn out this way. Vidar probably won¡¯t take this too well since I messed up, but-¡±


    A hint of somberness mingled with those muffled words, however, there was no time to process the implications of her tone, because in the next instant a bone chilling howl that seemingly spanned miles swept across the streets of Fallon, leaving nothing but a suffocating pressure in the air.


    It wasn¡¯t instantaneous; rather, the effects lingered for a few seconds as the sound continued to build¡ªthumping and churning as though the world itself was suffering.


    Jytte¡¯s body reacted on pure instinct, forcing her hairs into an upright position as a ferocious fit of shivers began breaking out all over her body.


    ¡°Jytte...that¡¯s....¡± Myra gasped, silently struggling to find her words.


    ¡°Yeah; Its here.¡±


    Although I had no primal instincts to guide my senses, I was the only one here capable of experiencing its true grandeur. My eyes blinked twice before omitting my surroundings. Even though I could clearly feel it, I still wanted to confirm the situation with my own two eyes.


    A large, dark cloud hung ominously over in the direction of the Brimwell. It represented something otherworldly ¡ª A presence that shouldn¡¯t be here.


    My eyes remained fixed on the dark spot but there really was no need to stare so intently. From the moment I felt that sudden shift in the air just now I knew exactly what it was.


    Another irregular had been summoned.


    One that was far more powerful than Nephthys ¡ª This was the real deal.


    For the last time, Nephthys once again burst into a wicked series of snickers from beneath her makeshift prison.


    ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve started over there. It really is a shame I won¡¯t get to watch the carnage unfold.¡±


    Something immediately creaked in my ears. It was the sound of Myra¡¯s gnashing teeth, she had begun molding her mana and seemed just about ready to fire off another spell.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t think we should just leave her here. There¡¯s no telling what she¡¯ll do if we let her live!¡±


    ¡°Agreed.....¡± Jytte¡¯s supportive reply seemed somewhat hesitant at the same time.


    ¡°I get where you¡¯re coming from but I don¡¯t think it''s a very good idea right now. Carelessly firing off spells could end up setting her free, and I doubt you have enough mana to finish her off on your own.¡±


    Her rage had yet to subside but the Faerie clearly understood the logic at play here. Thanks to that, the mana brewing in her core seemed to have lost a great deal of its ferocity.


    ¡°Damn it...¡± She cursed with a click of her tongue.


    ¡°I appreciate you all thinking about me so much but don¡¯t you have bigger things to worry about? I wonder how your comrades are faring over there, hmm? Something even more dangerous than me just showed up you know.¡±


    Nephthys cut in sarcastically. Even though her words were being muffled by the huge heap of debris, it still couldn¡¯t mask the overwhelming sarcasm in her tone.


    Her intentions were obvious, this was a taunt.


    She wanted us to leave as soon as possible so she could get to work on freeing herself. Since they had no life force, the souls being housed within her core were slowly escaping and evaporating as time passed, which was gradually weakening her by the second.


    If this was allowed to go on for a few more hours then she would surely perish for good, but blissful outcomes like that tended to decline my invitations.


    This woman wasn¡¯t so foolish as to simply throw away the second chance at life she¡¯d been given.


    Myra¡¯s gaze drifted down to the two of us. The sight of me laboring to support her limping comrade seemed enough to clarify her priorities.


    She formed a scowl, tsked, and then reluctantly muttered a few words.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I understood the sentiment all too well. The further I marched on the harder it was for me to pry my eyes from the wreckage. There it was, just beneath that pile of rubble ¡ª My role.


    It was a task I should have been the one to complete.


    I was the only one who could properly complete it.


    The thought simmered in my mind, over and over to the point where it felt like my blood was starting to boil.


    Nephthys continued taunting us as we cleared the area, but out of everything she said it was her last sentence that stuck with me the most.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget your faces, nor the scent of your souls. One day, after I¡¯m free from here, I¡¯ll find you all and devour you. Remember that Jytte, Myra and especially you Liam. I definitely won¡¯t be forgetting your scent; hehehe......¡±


    Myra and Jytte seemed to be making light of her threats at the moment, especially since she was currently buried under a pile of rubble, but I took those words to heart.


    That woman was from Terrania back in my previous world. I don¡¯t know how she ended up here after I sealed her in limbo, but apparently, a few centuries in there weren¡¯t enough to cleanse her soul.


    She still had that same degree of vengefulness about her.


    That one prevailing trait was the sole reason she ended up locked in limbo in the first place. Even after all this time, she showed no signs of changing. I suppose this is just how it has to be sometimes, there was clearly no room for reformation here.


    These two might not have thought much of it, but she was serious.


    <hr>


    As soon as we got back into the wagon, Myra whistled again to signal the newts. We raced through the desolate city; clanking and cutting corners, the rhythmic sound of their webbed feet against the cobblestone echoing like a heartbeat in the stillness.


    She used small orbs of water to act as a sort of guiding mechanism for them since she was too small to hold the reins.


    The creatures chased after the small blue orbs maniacally until we were finally back within viewing distance of the Brimwell.


    As we approached, a bright azure glow became increasingly prominent around the vicinity of the turning wheel. It was still a ways up ahead but my eyes were more than capable of deducing the source.


    If Jytte hadn¡¯t fallen unconscious, she would have been the first to point it out. The source of that glow was a far cry from majestic. On the contrary, it was unsettling¡ªthe dancing light in the distance was produced by flames.


    Flames that were consuming everything on Fallon¡¯s northern end.

 Chapter 76 - About Time (1)

    About Time (1)


    <hr>


    A little while ago......


    OLIVER ROCCO


    A bitter taste was lingering in my mouth ever since I finished up the investigation of the other spawn sites for the irregulars. The small commercial district was in ruins for the most part, though by some miracle, crucial bits of information had somehow managed to survive the destruction. It was enough for me to deduce what was actually going on here, though that might have just been a side effect of having researched magic for so long.


    My footsteps quickened as I sped towards the small fort in the distance; somehow, I was just barely able to keep myself from outright bursting into a full sprint along the way, though my restraint slowly began to waver the closer we got.


    ¡°.....You¡¯re nervous, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Instinctively, I found myself jolting to a halt. My head quickly spun towards the source of that calming voice, only to see Julia sporting a weary smile on her face.


    What am I doing? I thought to myself.


    That expression, it didn¡¯t suit her at all.


    It was one I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, and one I didn¡¯t ever want to see again. A cold breath escaped me as I turned to face her, calming myself in the process.


    ¡°You were leaving us behind you know.¡± she said somewhat somberly. ¡°Was it really that bad...those markings we found?¡±


    My lips crumpled as I pondered the answer to that question. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t know what answer to give here. I didn¡¯t want to lie, but at the same time, I didn¡¯t want to give the truth either.


    ¡°Well, things aren¡¯t as simple as I¡¯d hoped, but as long as we can get to the bottom of this fast then there shouldn¡¯t be too much trouble.¡±


    ¡°I see. No wonder you were in such a hurry huh?¡± She replied daintily as she strolled past me.


    My eyes shifted to the only other person who was accompanying us at the moment, Fergus the old guard. Although he¡¯d been the one to show us around the spawn sites earlier, the entire time he had kept his distance a few paces from us seemingly out of respect for me and Julia.


    One of the perks of marriage I suppose.....


    ¡°Fergus..¡± I said in a sharp tone.


    Instantly, his already straightened gait seemed to have stiffened even further.


    ¡°Y-yes!?¡± The man yelped.


    ¡°I appreciate the help you¡¯ve given us and all, but I need you to do one last thing for me. Can you round up some guards and set up a perimeter around the Brimwell? Just a few of you will do. If things end up going south over there it would be good to have some way to stop the chaos from spilling out into the city.¡±


    His eyes subtly shifted between me and Julia before he gave a small nod to signal his approval.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, it¡¯ll help a lot.¡±


    With his back now turned to us, the old guard threw one last question my way.


    ¡°I take it you no longer need my help then?¡±


    His voice was calm, but the subtle quaking of his legs told me otherwise. The answer he wanted to hear was obvious.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll take it from here.¡± I assured him calmly.


    ¡°I see. Then, I wish you all the best.¡±


    I could feel the relief practically seeping from his tone. It was a completely normal reaction; nobody could blame him for that. Before making his exit however, he left us with one last thing alongside that subtle overhead wave ¡ª A rather nostalgic phrase, to be exact ¡ª ¡°Deus Lo Vult.¡±


    I found myself chuckling at the gesture. I had gone so many years without hearing it, and yet it still had the same calming effect on me.


    ¡°Oh, that was your sect''s creed, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Asked Julia with a slight glimmer in her eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, we usually say that one at times like these.¡± I responded pridefully as I strolled along to match her pace.


    ¡°Come to think of it, you never did tell me what it meant.¡± she remarked shrewdly.


    Julia and I believed in very different things, but she always seemed to be fascinated by other religious groups. Particularly human sects for that matter, perhaps that was just one of the reasons why her fellow druids regarded her as a bit of an oddball. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The faint smile on my lips thinned as I gave my reply, unable to tear my eyes off our destination in the distance.


    ¡°God Wills It.¡±


    <hr>


    The dimly lit torches that were evenly spaced along the small span leading to the fort gave just the right amount of illumination for us to make out our next five or so steps at a time. The walkway ¡ª which couldn¡¯t exactly be called ¡®safe¡¯ ¡ª had obviously seen an unusual amount of traffic recently given the fresh tracks that would occasionally reveal themselves whenever our poor lighting flickered from the frigid winds.


    I could faintly hear a distinct clamor originating from inside the old enclave, but we were still too far away to accurately discern what was actually going on. What I could clearly see however, were three figures ¡ª two of which were familiar to me ¡ª and the third silhouette standing before them, one that could easily pass for a dislodged section of the gaping battlement.


    A wall-like presence.


    ¡°Is that...?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, It¡¯s Flynn and Allen. Looks like they¡¯re being barred from entering.¡± I said, quickly subduing the annoyance in my tone.


    ¡°Are you serious!? You¡¯re saying we''ve been singled out!¡± Flynn growled angrily at the giant of a man blocking his path.


    Perhaps it was because I was finally able to see him up close, or because my mind had been too preoccupied with what¡¯s to come that I hadn¡¯t fully taken notice of the man¡¯s towering stature until now. This guy was roughly two heads taller than both me, and the other two men here, but if I were to compare Julia¡¯s height to his own then that number was edging pretty close to four or five.


    Had I not been so restless, I would have probably been impressed.


    The man was only a few steps away, using his large, bear-like body to block the ruined entrance that looked as if the metal gates that were supposed to be there had been haphazardly ripped off and tossed aside.


    His entire body was shrouded in a white, hooded mantle that had obvious stains and grime from his travels, but I still managed to catch brief glimpses of his stoic expression thanks to the torches positioned atop either side of the broken wall.


    The stone-faced expression he wore carried no traces of remorse or regard for the torrent of heated slurs Flynn was throwing at him, nor for the fact that Allen¡¯s fingers were eagerly tapping on the pommel of his saber.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I spoke up before coming within range of the towering figure.


    Flynn spun his head to shoot me a rather agitated glare, but his expression soon corrected itself after registering our faces.


    ¡°Nice timing. I was just about to duke it out with this troll.¡± He cursed with a click of his tongue.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Julia asked our companions, seemingly with no regard for the other man¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Calling it a ¡®problem ¡¯ is putting it lightly Julia.¡± Allen responded with a deep, heavy breath. ¡°Apparently, this guy¡¯s acting on orders to keep the members of our party out of the briefing. Don¡¯t even bother trying to reason with him, me and Flynn have already wasted our time trying to do that.¡± He said, shifting his focus between me and the domineering giant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I never planned on negotiating in the first place.¡± I replied tersely, taking another step forward.


    The man¡¯s large neck craned down to scan my face with a pair of lifeless eyes.


    ¡°Are you Oliver Rocco?¡± He asked in a dry, mechanical tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Will you step aside?¡±


    ¡°I will not. My orders are to block you from entering. Vidar doesn¡¯t want your party causing any more disturbances.¡± His sentence stopped abruptly as if he¡¯d cut himself short. There was clearly no room for a discussion here.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s a shame.¡± I said, voicing my thoughts in mock disappointment.


    My arms spread wide as a violent surge of mana began erupting from my core, filling my body with a torrent of power that manifested itself as a series of harsh gales that swirled and howled erratically as if they were alive.


    The arid soil beneath my feet snapped from the forceful wind pressure like I was standing in a bed of dry twigs, giving way for the vortex surrounding my body to churn up bits of dust and rocks in the process.


    Muffled grunts came from behind me as my companions struggled to stand firm against the harsh gales.


    ¡°You three, stand back.¡± I sent to them, keeping my eyes locked on the target before me.


    The hood previously covering the man¡¯s face had flapped off from the air dancing wildly around us. His scarred face and cropped head of taupe-colored hair weren¡¯t very far from the mental image I¡¯d constructed of his features.


    He unfastened his hands and anchored himself to the ground in a combat ready stance.


    ¡°You shall not pass.¡± Were the only words I would ever hear from him. The statement was brief, but it still simmered my wrath nonetheless.


    My belligerence evaporated.


    With a wave of my hand, I commanded the raging winds around us, willing them to take shape and manifest as a small cyclone. As soon as that was done, I fervently threw the rotating mass of air at him. His arms quickly crossed in an attempt to withstand the blow, but his guarding tactic was met with little resistance.


    The cyclone simply engulfed its target upon crashing into him. His eyes shot open once the realization had settled in, but it was already too late. I could already see his rooted stance faltering in response to the harsh winds biting into his skin. Slowly, his body succumbed to the raging winds now lifting him off his feet, his limbs flailing as the force of the gale tightened around him.


    As large as he was, without any means to anchor himself to the ground, the man was completely helpless.


    ¡°You know what to do!¡± I echoed that bold command to the man best suited to the task.


    ¡°On it!¡±


    His answer sounded almost ecstatic as he charged past me to face the whirling cyclone. His posture was low, and the pronged lance in his hand clanked against the arid ground, drawing small rocks to it like a siphon. As soon as he was within range, an earthen pike shot up from beneath his feet, propelling him forward as he prepared to swing the heavy weapon now resembling a rocky sledgehammer.


    ¡°Oliver I¡¯m ready!¡± He sent.


    At his word, I instantly dispelled the cyclone suspending the menacing man in midair as soon as he got in range. Flynn¡¯s muscles bulged in preparation for the incoming swing ¡ª Halfway through the motion, he rattled off one last taunt with a child-like smile on his face.


    Verbatim, his words were ¡ª ¡°Block this you damn troll!!¡±


    Seconds later, a section of the walls surrounding the old fort was abruptly blown away, guard and all.

 Chapter 77 - About Time (2)

    About Time (2)


    <hr>


    I was half expecting an angry mob to come rushing at us after that explosive entrance, but rather than a tense confrontation, the atmosphere felt calm, amused even. The only thing that really seemed out of place at the moment was the newly collapsed section of the old manor-looking fort across the courtyard.


    Under that fresh pile of rubble was a titan of a man that was most probably still alive.


    Getting caught up in these kinds of situations really wasn¡¯t my style, but time was of the essence here.


    ¡°HaHah! See Demir, I was right! I told you Broin wouldn¡¯t last a second against those guys!¡±


    Someone spoke up in a gloating tone, hidden behind the thick cloud of dust Flynn¡¯s earlier attack had spawned.


    Instinctively, I willed mana into my core and directed the air around us to coalesce into a swirl. The small vortex sucked away the dust and dissipated in the blink of an eye, just in time to give us our first real view of our surroundings and the foes we were about to engage.


    They were rather easy to spot but soon after, a wave of murmurs and shouts began spreading through the assortment of people gathered here. Some were cheering, looking forward to a fight while others seemed annoyed by our presence.


    All manner of chatter, insults, outbursts and even compliments¡ªwhich were meant for Julia ¡ª came flying at us, only to be dispelled in the next few seconds when a certain voice spoke up.


    ¡°That was one hell of an entrance. I must say, I¡¯m impressed Ashbringer...¡± It sounded from atop the ruined fort¡ªlooking up, my eyes settled on its origin point.


    Pompously standing atop the aging structure were two silhouettes, one was familiar to me; but not in a friendly or nostalgic sort of way.


    It didn¡¯t take long for me to recognize him, not because of his fluttering blond locs in the crisp nighttime air or the two pointy ears sticking out from either side of his head, but because of the subtle glint of malice in his eyes, growing more piercing with each passing second.


    As for his accomplice ¡ª The one that was now speaking, he held the appearance of a young lad with neatly kept brown hair ¡ª about somewhere in his late twenties if I had to guess ¡ª fitted in a standard looking armor set that covered the core components of his body from his shin up to his forearms.


    At a glance, nothing seemed too strange about his appearance but for some reason I couldn¡¯t shake the sense of cautious dread swelling up within me.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Vidar.¡± He continued with a smirk, his Iridescent eyes glowing like a raging fire pit. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, well, to be a bit clearer...¡± He paused for a moment to imbue more authority in his voice.


    ¡°......we¡¯ve all been waiting for you, right?!¡±


    A wild series of cheers erupted from all around us, the uproar sending shudders through the air, resonating like a drumbeat meant to signal our doom. My comrades, Flynn and Allen must have shared the same sentiment because they¡¯d both assumed a defensive formation centered around our healer by the time the echoes had died down.


    ¡°Not to point out the obvious here fellas, but you do know we¡¯re about to walk into a trap, right?¡± Allen remarked sarcastically, emphasizing the last word as if to hide the hint of mischief in his tone.


    ¡°Well we took out the big guy at the start so cleaning up here shouldn¡¯t be too hard!¡± Flynn joked with a cackle, clearly still pleased about his latest victory.


    If my prediction was correct, then something very bad was about to happen here, but listening to them joke around like this even in a situation so dire helped to ease the tension a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this over a monster horde any day.¡± I answered, holding back a few giggles.


    ¡°I second that, although this scenario does feel kind of familiar too.¡± Julia piped up supportively from within our locked formation. Even after all these years it seems she was still comfortable inside this arrangement.


    My eyes glanced back to her subconsciously and ¡ªto no one¡¯s surprise ¡ª I found her staring up at a familiar sight in the distance, lips pursed and eyes twitching. After reading her intentions our next move was obvious.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I declared mid stride.


    Despite appearances, I was certain that no one in my party was opposed to that directive.


    I wordlessly strolled through the restless crowd of thrill seekers with my party in tow, looking up to lock eyes with the mages on the roof. Even with all the aggressive taunts being thrown at us from every direction, the crowds seemed to part as if welcoming our approach.


    I guess this is what they meant by mob mentality....


    I thought to myself as my eyes scanned the collection of fledglings bearing their fangs at us. This place had a few dozen people, yet only a handful of them had managed to reach level two.


    The difference in strength between mage levels couldn¡¯t be understated.


    On paper, level one wasn¡¯t very far from level two, yet the results spoke for themselves. It wasn¡¯t impossible to defeat an opponent of a higher level, but more often than not such cases were a result of team effort. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    In one-on-one combat, those odds fell drastically and when faced with a higher leveled party of experienced raiders who were all coordinating, it made the task seem all but impossible.


    They might have stood a chance if this was a single cohesive group, but that clearly wasn¡¯t the case. If the four of us went all out, we could definitely trim their numbers by a considerable margin.


    That didn¡¯t seem to be necessary at the moment though, given the wake of serenity that seemed to follow our procession.


    Once we filtered through the mass of writhing bodies, a clearing emerged just Infront of the old fort. It was a large, ¡®empty¡¯ spot on the ground that everyone here seemed to be avoiding ¡ª and for good reason.


    Carved into the oval space was an archaic circle littered with ancient symbols, letters and markings that seemed to fan outside its circumference as if they were trying to escape its boundaries.


    We stopped right outside its edge and my eyes slowly drifted down to the arid soil before climbing back up to meet a pair of demeaning gazes.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you know who I am, that makes things a lot easier for me.¡± I said, still locking eyes with them. ¡°If this is the magic circle you were so keen on ¡®briefing¡¯ us about, then am I to assume that you¡¯re taking us for fools?¡±


    A snide grin split across Vidar¡¯s lips. He didn¡¯t say anything but the sheer look of elation in his eyes was practically a full-blown confession.


    My patience was running thin, I had half a mind telling me to just melt his face of this instant but unfortunately, I still needed more information.


    ¡°This thing, its connected to the last two magic circles you used to summon the previous irregulars, isn¡¯t it? The ones in the commercial district, that is. They weren¡¯t in very good shape, but the one thing that was still intact was the thin threads of mana connecting them to form a single, complete pathway ¡ª A pathway that led here.¡±


    My declaration invited a few gasps an gulps from the onlookers, I could even see a few faces going pale as they finally started to realize the gravity of their situation.


    ¡°What? Wait, wait, Oliver I know this is a bad time but I¡¯m confused.¡± Parting the tense atmosphere with his interjection, Allen raised his voice to match my own. I suppose he was trying to be considerate of all the people gathered here.


    The sooner they knew what was actually going on, the better.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been fending off these things for a while now, and I¡¯ve seen a whole bunch of their comrades die trying to do the same. If they were actually responsible for summoning the irregulars then wouldn¡¯t that mean they¡¯ve been killing their own comrades this whole time?¡± He inquired, confusion pouring through his tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that part, but I¡¯m certain those other two magic circles are connected to this place. It¡¯s called a triad¡ªsimply put, it¡¯s a forbidden technique used to distribute the effects of space-interfering spells over a wider area by linking three key points. Now with that said, the Irregulars have already attacked this city twice since their cult came here, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    Allen went silent but for a second, I could have sworn I heard the gears turning in his mind. His sentiment was being radiated by the once vibrant crowd who¡¯d come here expecting an easy payday.


    One mention of the term ¡®forbidden magic¡¯, was all it took to completely tame their reckless passion.


    ¡°Forbidden magic...you don¡¯t mean....¡± Julia¡¯s words got caught in her throat, I couldn¡¯t see her expression but instinctively I knew what she was looking at.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. The main reason certain spells are banned is because of runes, even after all this time, we hardly know anything about them and anyone who incorporates something like that into their spells is practically begging for trouble.¡±


    I watched as Vidar¡¯s sneer widened; he clearly had no intention of hiding anything anymore.


    "To be honest...¡± He began with a cold chuckle.


    ¡°....I had a backup reference point hidden somewhere in the city in case things went south. But it seems your comrades just couldn¡¯t resist meddling with a glowing circle, could they?"


    By ¡®comrades¡¯ he must have meant Jytte and Myra. Although they weren¡¯t here, I couldn¡¯t be happier to have them around. It seems I wasn¡¯t the only one that had been doing some digging.


    I felt the faint traces of a smile forming on my lips, though I did my best to suppress it before speaking up once more.


    ¡°I was kind of hoping that this was the part where you tell me I''m going crazy, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. Looks like there¡¯s no point in trying to take you alive.¡±


    Shrugging off my patient gesture, the man simply cracked a few joints in his neck before replying.


    ¡°First, let''s just get one thing clear, those ¡®followers¡¯ weren¡¯t my comrades. They had a purpose and they served it brilliantly, after all its thanks to them that you¡¯re here now.¡±


    A certain face flashed through mind just now, it sparked a chain of rather bitter memories.


    ¡°A purpose you say? What kind of purpose required them to die like that?¡± Allen chided from behind me, clearly unamused.


    Vidar¡¯s smile widened.


    ¡°I used them as sustenance.¡± He stated in a flat tone.


    ¡°I know I make it look easy but summoning these irregulars actually takes a lot of work. They burn up rather quickly if I don¡¯t have something to feed them the moment they get pulled over here, so that¡¯s why I had our members make themselves useful. I¡¯m not very fond of the guy, but man; that reaper really did a damn good job, his seal is still holding up even after all this time.¡±


    Only half of what he said made sense to me, but his overall message was clear. I can¡¯t allow this guy to leave here, no matter what.


    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation...¡± He continued his monologue as if unbothered by our presence.


    ¡°.....I didn¡¯t know anyone of your caliber would be passing through this lackluster city, my intel didn¡¯t cover that, so no I¡¯m not lumping your group in with these other reckless fools. You could have saved yourselves a lot of trouble by simply choosing another route, but here you are ready to repeat the exact same scenario from five years ago. I swear I must be cursed or something, too bad there¡¯s no deity of luck in this world.¡±


    Instantly, the walls of restraint I had placed on myself seemed to have suddenly shattered in my mind.


    ¡°Oi.....what did you just say?¡± Allen growled, flaring up his aura before I could even respond.


    I felt my eyes widening in shock as my pupils scrolled over to his missing appendage, my gaze whizzing between the him and Vidar a few times before my brain could finally accept the sudden implication.


    If Vidar really was implying what I think he meant, then this man was the very reason Allen was missing an arm.


    ¡°Did I stutter?¡± He retorted, leaning forward in a braced stance as if to cement his dominance.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the Irregular that attacked this place five years ago¡ªthe one that took your right arm. I summoned it. That was me.¡±

 Chapter 78 - About Time (3)

    About Time (3)


    <hr>


    The air seemed to shudder around us as Allen prepared to unleash his blade.


    ¡°Not yet Allen.¡± I called out pre-emptively


    His teeth gnashed hard enough to crush his molars but eventually, he relented. The frantic clatter of his blade sounded in my ears as the weapon rattled about in its sheath.


    ¡°Do we really need to wait around any longer? This guy clearly doesn¡¯t have any plans of quitting here.¡± Flynn protested; looks like Allen wasn¡¯t the only one struggling to hold himself back from lunging at them right this instant.


    There was some truth to his words, but before we did anything reckless, I needed to disable this spell formation. If we weren¡¯t careful, he could activate this thing literally right underneath our noses.


    I wasn¡¯t exactly sure about what it was going to do, but it definitely wouldn¡¯t be anything good.


    ¡°Julia, it¡¯s been a while.¡± The elf spoke for the first time tonight, lacing each of his words with a dangerous calm that sent a chill through the air. His voice, smooth as silk yet heavy with unspoken tension, carried the weight of years unaddressed. ¡°You really did run off with this human, how disappointing.¡± He said, dropping to the ground with a dull impact.


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t this interesting? What exactly are you planning, Demir?¡± Vidar quipped from atop his elevated position, elation brimming through his voice.


    The elven adversary casually sauntered over towards us, a tempered confidence flowing from every pore on his body. Though his strides were fierce, he wasn¡¯t looking at any of us¡ªnot me, not Allen, not Flynn and not anyone else here.


    The only thing in his sights was the short woman who had just broken our formation to take a stand at my side.


    His steely eyes twitched for a second, but quickly returned to normal.


    Right before he came within arm''s length of us, a quake erupted from behind Demir. The pile of freshly collapsed rubble suddenly exploded into a barrage of splintering fragments as if they¡¯d just been spontaneously repelled by some overbearing force ¡ª which in fact wasn¡¯t very far from the truth.


    The dust quickly cleared to reveal a giant, stone faced man standing at the site of a small crater. To my surprise there wasn¡¯t a scratch to be seen anywhere on his body even after all the gusto Flynn had put into that last attack.


    Yet for some reason, he didn¡¯t seem quite as imposing as before.


    A few startled reactions came from all around me, though the most notable one was the tongue click that I''m certain came from Flynn after witnessing this ¡®trolls¡¯ triumphant return.


    ¡°Sorry, I let my guard down.¡± He said somewhat sheepishly.


    Vidar cackled on from high above, but Demir on the other hand, seemed to completely ignore his ally¡¯s rather flamboyant arrival, instead choosing to continue his steady march towards Julia as if she were the only one standing here.


    She took a step forward ¡ª which was a rather reckless thing for a healer to do¡ª but I decided to hold my tongue. This was a matter between her and this high-strung elf, two literal nonhumans. I didn¡¯t see any need to interfere yet since this was a conversation that needed to happen but should things go south, I had no qualms about adding Demir to our growing list of potential victims.


    His life was a small price to pay if it came to that, and I had already made my peace with the idea.


    There was only so much patience I could muster, and while diplomacy was one of her strengths, mine lay in ensuring we all lived to see another day¡ªby any means necessary.


    ¡°Demir, are you really not going back to Heston?¡± she asked in a weary tone.


    The elf slowly shook his head, taking the time to allow each one of those head swaying motions to strengthen his point.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already cut ties with everyone I left behind in Sylvan, with the way things are now, there¡¯s no point in me returning. If only my brethren were a little bit more innovative, then our bloodline could finally move away from those failing traditions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Julia rebuked sharply, ¡°What you were doing wasn¡¯t for the good of your blood, it was for your own selfish benefit. If you acknowledge your mistakes, then I''m sure your father would-¡±


    A sharp sound rang out, it came from the cracking of the stone pavement beneath Demir¡¯s feet. A tense, palpable pressure was now wafting from his body like a dark perfume, all because of a single mention of his father.


    ¡°He would what?¡± Demir intoned coldly through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Forgive me? Is that it? After stripping me of my name and my birthright!? That¡¯s all the fool could ever hope to do! He has no plans of changing his stubborn ways.¡±


    Wrath itself seemed to be bleeding out into the space around him, intensifying with every passing second. Their conversation hadn¡¯t lasted for a full minute, yet even I could tell that this was going nowhere.


    ¡°Julia, there¡¯s no reasoning with him. No matter how long you¡¯ve known each other you won¡¯t change his mind.¡± I paused briefly before pulling her back. Her desperate expression was making this a lot harder than it should be. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The moment I spoke up, Demir¡¯s baleful gaze seemed to sharpen like a blade honed on the whetstone of his fury. Judging by the malicious, hateful, and quite possibly murderous look in his eyes I figured it was safe to assume that he still wasn¡¯t very fond of me even after all these years.


    He chuckled bitterly through a manic expression, almost like he was coughing up old grudges.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to see the both of you so soon but this is actually perfect, truly, I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better way to kill time.¡± His rage seemed to tame the moment he locked eyes with me, finally acknowledging my presence.


    Unlike before when the target of his malice wasn¡¯t here for him to lash out at, all of that killing intent was being focused solely on me.


    We were face to face, and the man clearly wasn¡¯t very pleased about me standing in his way. His eyes burned with a rage that felt almost suffocating.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, human. After what you did, after what I lost because of you and that old fool you deserve to die a thousand deaths.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m flattered you still think so highly of me even after all this time. Losing to a no-name human must have left quite a sour mark on your pride, wouldn¡¯t you agree, your highness?¡±¡± I answered his threat sarcastically, putting emphasis on his former title.


    That seemed to be the last straw, the instant I mentioned his former status a wicked tempest suddenly began swirling around his body, the currents of wind quickly spiraling up his arms to coat them in violent swirls of death.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Demir spat haughtily, his emerald eyes narrowing to show nothing but contempt.


    ¡°You¡¯ve stepped on my honor for the last time human, you¡¯re about to regret that.¡±  His gaze shifted slightly with the subtle turn of his neck. After taking a few seconds to scan our party he returned his sights to Julia.


    "I''ve made up my mind, Julia. Let''s continue where we left off back then. I''m going to eliminate these humans and bring you back to my side¡ªit''s where you truly belong. Someone of your bloodline shouldn''t have been wasting time with trash like them in the first place. I have a plan. Soon, I''ll claim the throne and rebuild the Sylvan from the ground up. Then we can¡ª"


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible Vidar.¡± She cut him off, her gentle voice seeming to overpower the blaring sounds of Vidar¡¯s tempest.


    ¡°I¡¯m married now¡ªto Oliver¡ª we have a son.¡±


    ¡°..............¡±


    Confusion, disbelief, rage, delusion and acceptance.


    All of those emotions seemed to surface on the man¡¯s face at once.


    ¡°The truth is, I¡¯ve been meaning to see you too. You were exiled before I got the chance to say it but....¡± She took a step forward, and with a subtle bow that almost seemed too graceful for the news it was meant to deliver; Julia dipped her head apologetically to her slack jawed acquaintance.


    ¡°As the eldest daughter of the Lyndell family, born of Mavis and Erwin Lyndell I am officially annulling the engagement our families agreed upon twenty years ago. I¡¯m sorry it took so long for me to say this, but things have changed.¡±


    The tempests previously coiling around Vidar¡¯s arms like vipers suddenly dissipated as the entire courtyard seemed to stall in anticipation, waiting for his reply.


    ¡°You mean to tell me...that your bloodline... the signum... has fallen into human hands? Impossible there¡¯s no way that Erwin will accept that.."


    With bulging eyes and quaking jaws, the dejected elf let loose a startled slew of words as he struggled to accept the revelation.


    Then, after a few seconds, Demir¡¯s head promptly sank as if it had just been struck by an anvil.


    Despite the current circumstances, I did feel a tinge of pity for him but we didn¡¯t have any time to share his sentiments.


    ¡°So, what will it be?¡± I muttered softly, questioning his motives.


    It was insensitive, but someone had to do it.


    I could sort of imagine what he was feeling now though.


    Arranged marriages were often lifetime commitments in their cultures, both elves and druids ¡ªraces that could easily live beyond a hundred years, they were practically made for each other.


    Losing that lifetime opportunity to a human of all things would certainly be hard for him to accept.


    Demir¡¯s head slowly craned back, peeking up at the stars as if he was waiting for some kind of sign.


    His golden bangs were blocking his expression but the deep sigh that escaped him told me exactly what I had predicted before ¡ª the fact that he wasn¡¯t too thrilled about the news.


    If by some miracle, I was wrong and he didn¡¯t hate me before, he definitely hated me now.


    ¡°What will I do...you say? Heh...heh..heh¡± His laughter spilled out in sinister, jagged bursts as if his sanity had begun to crack.


    From beside me, Julia watched on somberly, lowering her head in what seemed like an admission of guilt. They had known each other long before she met me but that didn¡¯t mean she had anything to feel guilty about.


    ¡°This had to happen.¡± I assured her, my voice jolting her back to reality.


    ¡°Eh? Oh, I know." Startled by my voice, she replied in a sheepish tone before straightening her posture. ¡°I just wish I got around to doing it sooner, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Her tone conveyed satisfaction, but not the kind one would normally feel after a victory. It was more like a quiet resignation, as if the act had been necessary, but not without its own bitter weight.


    ¡°I hate to interrupt you two but -¡± Flynn drew our attention before pointing at something directly ahead of us. ¡°....I think that guy¡¯s about to lose it.¡±


    Demir¡¯s monotone laughter had finally ceased, and surrounding him now was a palpable pressure akin to a storm about to break.


    The space around him seemed to swirl again, nighttime air rushing to do his bidding.


    ¡°VIDAR!!¡± He shouted, his voice breaking through the stillness like a thunderclap.


    ¡°What is it? Do you need help taking that rejection in stride?¡± His comrade asked, snickering from atop the fort.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started. I¡¯m taking her by force, but only after I kill the others.¡±


    Above our heads, the smile on his comrade¡¯s face widened ecstatically.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask.¡±


    All semblances of restraint I had immediately evaporated, the same went for Flynn and Allen too.


    Nobody announced it, but the time for words had obviously passed. Now, it was nothing more than a fight to the death¡ªa heated one, at that.


    This was going to get messy.

 Chapter 79 - About Time(4)

    About Time (4)


    <hr>


    ¡°Now then, it¡¯s time we get started people! Broin, kill anyone who tries to leave.¡± Vidar barked the cruel order with vigor.


    The crowd seemed to gasp in unison, shifting nervously in anticipation of his next move. Some of them had clearly lost interest in all this drama, but they dared not protest, not when the lot of them combined couldn¡¯t hope to put up a good fight against the stone-faced giant.


    Pointing to the sky, he drew our attention to the lone wyvern circling about the fort¡¯s airspace. ¡°Aryan, it¡¯s time to do your job!¡±


    In the heat of all this confusion, I had almost forgotten about the axe wielding raider leisurely swerving through the skies.


    The scaly creature he had so comfortably saddled suddenly divebombed along a perfectly vertical trajectory, beating down its wings twice to slow its decent before landing within the perimeter of the archaic circle.


    Aryan casually hopped of his draconic mount, dusting himself off as he scanned us with an aura of disdain. ¡°I¡¯m ready whenever, my lord.¡±


    Hearing those words, Vidar finally abandoned his haughty position, hopping down with an aura of casual menace.


    ¡°This is a bit earlier than planned but since we¡¯ve done the summoning a few times already, the dimensional walls should be a bit weaker around this city.¡±


    He muttered under his breath, still examining the skyline before stepping inside the circle''s confines and producing a marble-sized rune from his breastplate.


    Immediately after, the drab looking construct lit up with a dim red glow.


    ¡°Aryan, I need a minute. Guard me with your life.¡± He gave the order as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and his snarky comrade accepted it without hesitation, voicing his approval with a simple, "As you wish, my lord."


    This was clearly not the time to stand around thinking.


    We had already reached the point of no return; a confrontation was inevitable. The magic circle was still a cause for concern, but the risk was necessary.


    Best to just get this over with as soon as possible.


    Demir seemed to have shared the same sentiment.


    With a grunt, he casually unleashed a rippling vortex of air toward us. The attack twisted through the air with a whistling sound, halting abruptly when it collided with the current I¡¯d willed to rotate in the opposite direction.


    Our spells cancelled out, but he clearly wasn¡¯t done yet. The air around him was shaping into dense, rotating spheres that were just about ready to snap at us.


    ¡°You¡¯re coming back with me Julia, even if I have to drag you out of here.¡±


    Those words irked at my soul¡ªeven more so when I saw her wince at his threat¡ª it was to the point where it felt like my teeth were cracking. I couldn¡¯t waste too much time dealing with this guy, and I wasn¡¯t about to give him any more chances to even think he could pull that off.


    ¡°Just try it.¡± I said, hardening my stance


    ¡°Julia, get behind me. I¡¯ll cover you for now ¡ª You two, I¡¯ll handle the elf, do something about that magic circle before they activate it!¡±


    ¡°Understood!!¡±


    My directive, though brief, was successful.


    As soon as I gave the order; I heard the metallic ring of a blade sliding against its scabbard.


    Less than a second later, Allen blasted off, dashing past the frowning elf in a blur, too fast for him to even react. He was the first to move¡ªappearing between Vidar and his lackey in an instant, already winding up a bone-cleaving swing aimed directly at the mastermind¡¯s jugular. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    At the same time, Demir¡¯s fusillade of snapping spheres shot toward us with ruthless speed. One after another, the miniature bombs collided with the air barrier I had conjured, bursting on impact.


    The space around us jolted with each explosion, as if the force of those gale-fueled blasts were subtly driving us into the ground.


    This couldn¡¯t continue.


    My mind shifted gears as I ramped up my assault. In a matter of seconds, I conjured my own series of shining ember orbs, each one pulsing wildly as if they were brimming with power. With a flick of my wrist, I sent them on a deadly collision course.


    In between the brilliant bursts of light flashing across my vision, I made sure to keep a keen eye on how my comrades were doing. Flynn¡¯s spell seemed to need a bit more time to prepare, but Allen was already locked in the heat of battle.


    Vidar had anticipated his initial strike and swiftly tilted his head to the side, allowing the deadly slash to pass so close that it sliced away a few strands of his hair.


    Allen was surprised, but didn¡¯t relent.


    It took a bit longer for him to reposition himself thanks to having only one arm, but the subtle drag to his movements could be mitigated by simply channeling more mana from his core.


    Quickly following through, his body spun itself to continue the onslaught and was met with a fierce counter in turn. A chipped battle axe abruptly knocked his swing off course, forcing him to stagger back from the sudden blow.


    Aryan, the haughty level three had deflected the blow without much difficulty.


    In the blink of an eye the man miraculously managed to position himself between Allen and his target, catching him off guard and halting his pursuit. A manic grin spread across the brute¡¯s face as he wildly swung the axe like a flailing child.


    A few ducks and parries came from my comrade but it wasn¡¯t enough, the difference in their levels, weight and center of gravity was too much.


    Experience alone couldn¡¯t make up for that.


    With a casual ease, Aryan made an erratic slash with his blade, knocking Allen back and easily closing the distance between them.


    Before my comrade could recover from his stagger, his opponent suddenly appeared behind him¡ª a burled fist already drawn back¡ªand smashed his face in an eastward direction.


    His body reeled from the blow, skidding along the ground like a carefree stone before he found his balance again.


    ¡°Allen get back!!¡± Flyn roared.


    My feet shifted slightly as the ground below us deftly jerked from the force of his spells.


    The first spell was meant to propel him several feet in the air, while the other¡ªmore precise use of earth magic¡ªhad gathered bits of dust and sharp-edged rocks, forcing them to form a malignant earthen drill around his lance.


    The weapon itself remained stationary, but its auxiliary components spun with the ferocity of a whirlpool.


    Allen darted to the side, and just as he did, Flynn¡¯s eyes sparked with fury. He somehow found a near perfect posture in midair, angling his body for a furious throw.


    ¡°Broin don¡¯t just stand there do something!¡± Demir urged, losing focus for a moment.


    Somehow, Broin had already found the time to chase down and eliminate the raiders trying to flee from the miniature bombs Demir and I were tossing around. My gaze flicked to the bloodstained killer, and a sharp pang of regret hit me. I¡¯m sorry, I cursed under my breath, but there was nothing I could do now.


    A sharp crackle echoed from above, where my ally, still suspended in midair, was clearly determined to land the finishing blow


    Flynn¡¯s wrist seemed to snap as he wound his arm back before lunging the spiraling lance towards the circle on the ground.


    ¡°Smash it to bits!!¡± He roared


    All eyes locked on to the churning weapon as it barreled through the air. If it continued like this then both Vidar and that magic circle would be torn to pieces in seconds.


    Praying for Flynn¡¯s success, I fired off a few more sparking embers with my vision semi-locked on my elven foe.


    Just before it struck, the lance let out a loud clank in midair.


    At first it sounded like glass shattering, then the sound shifted into the pitch of a splatter¡ª Somehow, Aryan had once again shifted his position instantaneously, this time appearing in the lance¡¯s flight path.


    No; it wasn¡¯t a coincidence ¡ª He deliberately warped himself there.


    That was his power.


    Sparks flew from the initial impact; shattering his axe¡ªwhich he tried to block with¡ª like a wooden toy before proceeding to dig through his flesh thereafter. All the air seemed to have left his lungs the moment that gaping hole formed on the right side of his abdomen.


    Still relentless, the earthen drill continued on its path, unbothered by the hindrance.


    Vidar seemed to be in the midst of some long-winded chants so it was far too late for him to avoid the incoming blow now. The spinning blade struck the earth like a meteor, causing the ground to tremble like a wooden table.


    The weapon continued its charge, tearing through the earth before eventually crashing into the fort and crumbling its foundation.

 Chapter 80 - About Time (5)

    About Time (5)


    <hr>


    The rumbling sound of aged mortar crashing down rippled throughout the courtyard. I wanted to spare the destruction a glance but right now the best I could do was hope that Flynn¡¯s attack had hit its mark.


    Even with all the shaking, dust, dirt and debris blowing around I couldn¡¯t let myself lose focus yet.


    I still had to finish this guy off quickly.


    His attacks were stronger now¡ªaround level three¡ª but his fighting style hadn¡¯t changed at all from back then.


    If his opponent stalled him for long enough then eventually, all he could really do was hurl sharp gales of wind at them like he was doing now since he didn¡¯t have an aberrant attribute.


    The rapid-fire blades smashed against my barrier ruthlessly, but that was all they could do.


    ¡°Julia, hold your breath for a second.¡± I urged her


    Deciphering my intent, she nodded sharply, quickly inhaling a column of air in seconds, then gave me a thumbs up with her cheeks puffed out.


    Now I could finish this.


    The six fist-sized embers swirling around my palm merged into one, undergoing a sizzling sequence of turns and compressions before shifting to a bright cerulean color, transforming into plasma.


    I timed my next attack with the brief gaps in Demir¡¯s onslaught. As soon as the opportunity appeared, I compressed the gale barrier around us down to just the size needed to contain the searing plasma orb in my hand.


    The air rushed from Julia¡¯s cheeks the moment I created the vacuum, but it was worth it. He couldn¡¯t defend against this one. The sphere compressed further in my palm as I swung my arm back and unleashed a wave of hellfire at my opponent.


    ¡®Pyrolux¡¯ (burning light)


    Demir tried boosting himself away with air currents but the attack was too fast. His only other option was to compress a barrier of rotating air around himself but that still wouldn¡¯t work.


    Plasma was different from ordinary flames.


    It could reach higher temperatures and didn¡¯t even need air to ignite so a last-minute wind barrier couldn¡¯t last more than five seconds at most. He soon learned this for himself as the surge of hellish flames tore past his defense, searing his skin as it washed over him with a bright blue glow.


    A series of screams tore free from his throat, increasing in intensity as he thrashed in the dirt. His body ¡ªwhich seemed to be charring by the second¡ª sizzled like meat dropped into hot oil. His screams weren¡¯t particularly appealing to me, though a part of me did feel a tinge of satisfaction seeing him get humbled like this.


    My eyes dropped down to my feet, scanning the half-roasted figure of what was once a prideful elf. Julia scooted over beside me, solemnly staring down the charred body of her friend. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Do you have any last words for him?¡± I asked hesitantly, though I¡¯m certain she knew full well the real meaning behind that question.


    Through sheer tenacity, Demir still had the enough vigor left to start crawling towards her. Julia flinched, half looking like she wanted to save him from the searing pain of those third-degree burns, but instinctively, she retracted her hand upon hearing his plea.


    ¡°S..ig...num...sig..num.....sig...¡±


    Her hand clenched against her bosom incredulously, and for good reason too.


    In the end, that''s all she was to these people.


    She took a few deep breaths to compose herself, then replied to his dying greed with what sounded like a eulogy.


    ¡°Demir, I''m sorry things turned out like this. I hope you can find peace inside lady Fiona¡¯s embrace.¡±


    A gargling sound came from the charred creature crawling at her, though it seems she had already made peace with my decision.


    Flames erupted from my palm, cackling intensely as I aimed the small inferno at my half-dead foe.


    Then, a shout pierced my ears -


    ¡°Oliver look out!!¡±


    My head spun to see a large chunk of the old fort hurtling towards us from beyond a thick dust cloud, its jagged edges catching the light as it tore through the air. I barely had time to react before it smashed us to pieces, forcing me to blast away the concrete slab with an arc of flames.


    The initial threat was averted, but that wasn¡¯t the end. Two more stone slabs¡ªboth larger than the last¡ªcame flying at us from the same direction. Instinctively, my arms swooped Julia off her feet before I willed the winds to boost us away.


    Large chunks of rock seemed to chase after us as the slammed into the ground one by one, only stopping once we cleared a certain distance. Then, I realized it ¡ª That was just a diversion.


    Thanks to the plumes of dust swirling through the courtyard, it was difficult to make out our surroundings, but the perpetrator soon came into view as the debris settled.


    It was that large man they called Broin. His face still held that stony expression, cold and unmoving.


    The white robe draped around him was smeared with crimson splatters and stains, though the man himself didn¡¯t seem to care much. His only goal was the retrieval of his half-roasted comrade who was now slung across his shoulder like an old sac.


    Seeing him act so nonchalant after killing about a third of all the raiders who attempted to flee made my blood boil. A newfound rage was starting to brew inside my core.


    I was mere moments away from confronting him when his head idly turned towards the collapsed site of the fort. I followed his line of sight only to mirror the same slack jawed expression as my comrades.


    Flynn in particular, had slumped to his knees in despair.


    ¡°Impossible....That was a direct hit...from my strongest spell.¡±


    The magic circle was untouched; it was there in that same clearing, pulsing with a deep crimson glow that grew more eerie by the second.


    To emphasize our plight¡ª as if that wasn¡¯t bad enough¡ª it was the figure in the distance casually sauntering towards us as if this was all just some sick joke that truly sent a pang of fear up my spine.


    Vidar¡¯s lips twisted into a wicked smirk as he surveyed the ruined courtyard, relishing our despair.


    In one hand was Aryan¡¯s limp body¡ªwhom he was casually dragging by the throat ¡ªand in the other was a double pronged metal lance, gleaming to its tip; it was Flynn¡¯s trusted weapon which he had so courteously named ¡°Icarus.¡±


    The weapon had seen more action than even some seasoned raiders, and yet the man simply slung it across his shoulder blade as if it was nothing more than a simple toy.


    He casually tossed Aryan¡¯s twitching body into the ominous spell formation, then, he looked up to gloat at Flynn and said -


    ¡°You dropped this.¡±

 Chapter 81 - Frontier

    Frontier


    <hr>


    The pronged lance, ¡°Icarus¡± snapped under the force of Vidar¡¯s clenched fist. Considering the callous smirk plastered on his face, it was done out of a pure desire for spite and nothing more.


    ¡°God damn it, now my plans have pretty much been ruined. I honestly wasn''t expecting to be put in this exact same situation again, but oh well...¡± Vidar declared absentmindedly, not seeming to mind our presence very much.


    If he could still remain so calm even under these circumstances then something was clearly wrong with the man. Either he had no sense of fear or danger, or he could somehow suppress his negative emotions at any given time.


    Whatever the reasons were, it wasn¡¯t normal.


    Adjusting my posture, I decided to confront him from a different angle this time¡ª with a question.


    ¡°Vidar, was it? Tell me something, what exactly did you do to Owen, the knight that was stationed in the small town of Zale a few days to the east of here. What kind of ideas did you put in his head?¡±


    Tilting his neck a little, he paused to stare at me with a blank expression.


    ¡°Owen....Oh you mean that guy! The one that could clone himself, yeah, I remember him.¡± He replied enthusiastically, clapping his hands together in a fit of elation. ¡°He was always getting into arguments with the other riff-raff¡ªsomething about him being a weakling or whatever. What makes you think I did anything to him?¡± He probed, crafting a preset smile.


    ¡°The ideals you and your cult put in his head ended up skewering his personality. In the end he was almost a completely different person, the only thing he had any interest in was the rune you sent him to look for.¡±


    "I do remember ordering him to retrieve something like that, but it''s been over a year now, so I¡¯d nearly lost interest. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t expecting much from him in the first place, but well, at least he tried. He apparently wanted to prove himself to me and the others. Unfortunately, they''re all dead now."


    Hearing him speak so casually about sending countless people to their doom did nothing to quell my anger.


    Now that I was speaking to him face to face, I could tell¡ªthis man wasn''t remorseful for what he had done. Nothing about his behavior suggested any regret. His eyes never wavered, his breathing remained steady, and, more importantly, his tone grew increasingly indifferent with every mention of the people who had carelessly thrown their lives away to further his cause.


    ¡°Is that how you treat the people who end up joining your cult? Like tools meant to be used and discarded on a whim?¡±


    That question preceded me against my better judgement. I wanted to restrain those thoughts but deep down a part of me was yearning for an answer that could somehow justify all these needless sacrifices.


    ¡°Everyone has a purpose in this world, in the same way that some people are meant to be used by others. Even if their lives amount to little in the grand scheme of things there is still meaning to it. All I did was add a little bit of flair to the lives of a few hopeless souls, that¡¯s really all it was. Had Owen succeeded in his efforts, he would have been the one in that circle right now.¡± Vidar casually admitted, pointing to the half sunken corpse behind him.


    It took my mind a bit longer than usual to process his useless string of words but once I soaked it all in everything became clear.


    ¡°Flynn, Allen, are you two still good to go?¡± I probed vigilantly.


    ¡°Count me in. This just got personal.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll back you up.¡±


    Though the situation was dire, their respective replies sparked a sliver of new hope inside me.


    ¡°Follow my lead, I¡¯m about to go all in on this. We can¡¯t let him finish casting that spell.¡±


    Sparing us a glance, Vidar shrugged off my declaration as if he was somehow amused by it. Then he turned to his large companion in a somewhat relaxed manner before beginning -


    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough Broin, get ready to pull back, we¡¯re getting out of here.¡±


    Wordlessly, the large fellow nodded in acknowledgement before moving over to the wyvern batting its wings a slight distance above ground.


    Vidar cast a glance behind him to check on the progress of his spell, then gave a curt nod as if he was satisfied with something.


    It was my first time seeing anything like it¡ªhell, I didn¡¯t even know that such spells existed in the first place. Aryan¡¯s lifeless body appeared to be sinking into the pool of black smudge broiling up from the magic circle¡¯s core. It bubbled, sizzled and popped as if he was being swallowed up by a sweltering dark lake.


    The black goo acted as if it were alive and attempting to consume the corpse. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to assume that either because there were actual tendrils of dark sludge clinging to the corpse and filtering itself through its numerous orifices.


    Time was clearly against us now.


    Planting my feet firm, I summoned a surge of strength from deep within my core. My vision flickered with bright blue flashes from the influx of plasma-charged flames that erupted around me; charring the ground and singing the air itself with the brunt of my rage.


    Once my output reached the optimum threshold for my next attack, I angled my left arm like bowstring pulled taut, feeling the energy crackle as the fire took shape.


    The blue flames slowly began condensing in my outstretched palm like a gathering storm, although it would still take a while for me to complete the spell.


    That was where the other two came in.


    Acknowledging my charge, Flynn ruthlessly dug his knuckles into the brittle ground, forcing the earth to quiver as if it had been struck by a sudden pulse.


    His arms emerged covered in gauntlets made of bedrock and with little more than a conformational nod he and Allen both broke into a charge for the cynical cult leader.


    Broin¡ªVidar¡¯s ally had already mounted the idle wyvern and was airborne at this point, watching the unfolding battle with a look of detached interest. However pompous he wanted to make himself and that half dead elf look was of little concern at the moment, the irregular came first.


    Vidar casually flicked his wrist, summoning a small boulder from the surrounding space. The large jagged rock was roughly half the width of a human yet he still somehow managed to launch it away with effortless precision.


    The projectile soared through the air, tumbling end over end as if it weighed nothing at all, only to be met with a metallic whoosh the second it inched too close to the one-armed swordsman.


    Allen hastily flicked the dust from his blade, then circled around to attack from Vidar¡¯s right, while Flynn did the opposite and came in for a stone-clad jab on his left.


    Both attacks were on target but none were successful.


    Assessing the weight behind both blows, Vidar quickly dipped his head and widened his stance simultaneously.


    The saber¡¯s blade slashed at his cranium but only came away with a few whisps of muddy brown hair, its owner however was dealt a critical blow in the form of a narrow stone spike that erupted from below.


    Given the timing, it seems Allen was the one who had been successfully baited.


    Flynn¡¯s churning stone fist on the other hand, connected with a dull thud upon contact with Vidar¡¯s open palm, yet the blow itself was of little significance. The gauntlet of stone simply crumpled under the force of Vidars grip, ejecting red splatters through the gaps between its open segments.


    Flynn was able to stifle his scream, thankfully. If he hadn¡¯t done that, I may have well launched the incomplete spell out of pure frustration.


    Come on, faster!


    I urged myself, pushing away the weakness that threatened to surface during my monologue.


    A sudden headbutt rattled Flynn¡¯s forehead the moment Vidar decided to gain some distance on them. He buckled over and fell to the ground, mirroring the slumped position Allen opted to assume after freeing himself from the stone skewer.


    Slowing his retreat, the cultic leader raised his head with a smile before extending his hand. Malice oozed from every pore as he prepared his next move¡ªinstead of using some long-winded chant to incapacitate them, he simply spoke a word:


    ¡°Perihelion.¡±


    Then it came, a high-level gravity spell.


    A blunt, oppressive force suddenly manifested in the space around my comrades, slamming their bodies into the arid ground as if a giant invisible foot was out to flatten them alive. Groans and grunts exploded from the ever-deepening dent in the ground, drowning out the odd crunching sounds that I was desperately trying to ignore.


    My fingers quivered on the flowing arch of flames I had been shaping so meticulously, but just before my grip went completely loose a calm voice washed away my stupor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. We both know it''s not ready yet.¡±


    I already knew who it was but my eyes still reacted to that presence instinctively.


    Slowly, as she came into view, I could feel her presence pulsing through the air and brimming with a sort of undeniable power.


    Julia emerged from the corner of my vision with a somewhat foreign appearance.


    She rarely ever took that form and whenever she did it was usually out of necessity.


    A bright neon glow enveloped her body as she strode past me, rattling the earth with nothing more than a few casual steps.


    Her hair had come undone as a side effect from expelling all that energy, and as it flopped down to her waist I could see the light green strands being overtaken by a pale wheat color, creeping up its span like a slow sunrise.


    Then a snapping sound came, not from the environment¡ªit stemmed from Julia herself.


    It was a mesmerizing sight, watching the polished, elk-like antlers grow and span a small arc as they emerged from either side of her hair.


    She held a firm stance at the vanguard and extended both hands as if to gauge her target.


    ¡°I¡¯ll slow him down, just focus on finishing that spell.¡± She said, whipping around with a thin smile. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°That form...how long can your body keep that up?¡± I asked, my voice tinged with both awe and concern.


    ¡°Long enough.¡± She replied, and as if responding to her will, the strange mark plastered on her forehead sudden shifted its form and expanded into a more intricate pattern.


    ¡°Just a bit longer and I¡¯ll be done.¡±


    With a nod, she signaled her approval and took a few steps forward.


    ¡°Well, this just got tricky. Demir will probably get upset about me killing his wo-¡±


    BANG!


    The earth crackled at his feet, forcing Vidar to haphazardly dodge the unseen blow. He skittered back a few paces before tumbling over, yet as soon as the man regained his bearing, he was left gasping from the surreal shock of the overwhelming presence meeting his gaze.


    Julia slowly recalled the living weapon that had just been used to tear away at his flesh, it rescinded back into the ground like a serpent retreating into its lair, its twisted form disappearing into the earth as if it had never existed.


    ¡°Plant...magic?¡± Muttered the stunned cultic


    The instant he¡¯d spoken aloud the earth itself seemed to answer his question.


    The space below Julia was torn apart by the blunt force of numerous barbed vines and thick, sinewy roots emerging from the depths. They twisted, coiled, and overlapped, as the destructive will of nature itself seemed to be hunting the mad cultist''s blood.


    Since his focus was disrupted, the gravity spell had understandably been dispelled, giving Flynn and Allen the sweet release from their crushing demise. Going off what I could sense from the depression in the ground, it didn¡¯t look like either of them were going to be of any more help.


    Suddenly, Vidar rushed in for a counter, he stomped on the ground to send a wave of destructive debris hurling at us, however his opening move found no purchase. The vines around Julia effortlessly fanned out to guard against the oncoming wave of destruction, snapping and lashing out to deflect the clumps of rubble.


    Still, he had yet to show his hand completely.


    Appearing from above, the man willed the surrounding earth to coalesce into a dense large sphere above his open palm.


    The ground trembled ominously as fragments of rock and dust responded to his call, hurtling toward him with ruthless speed, before converging into a single jagged structure under the pull of unseen gravitational forces.


    The tip of the large rock protruded to give the overall shape a slightly truncated apex and with a roar, the giant basal boulder was hurled at us with a murderous intent. Gravity magic had been applied to the massive ball of stone in order to boost its destructive potential, allowing to plummet towards us at a devastating speed.


    In the midst of its descent however, the attack was halted by the sudden emergence of gnarled branches and ancient roots coming together to form a protective barrier of sorts that extended outwards like a giant net, wrapping and coiling around the rock formation mid-flight.


    Then with just a simple clench from her fist, she tightened her sinewy grip on the chunk of stone, forcing it to crumble under the power of her grasp.


    The shards of debris fell to the ground like splinters of defeated resistance, flooding the space before us with a wave of dusty smoke.


    That was certainly quite the display of power my wife had just put on but I could see her shoulders start to tremble slightly, the strain of her effort was beginning to show. Her breathing quickened, and though her overall posture still seemed determined, I could tell the act had taken more out of her than she let on.


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t expecting this at all. To think you could best that attack woman, I must say I¡¯m a little surprised, but I think it''s time we end this.¡± Vidar admitted from beyond the veil of settling dust.


    The second he came into view I felt another eerie pang of dread wash over me.


    He had reclaimed his position next to the dark circle and seemed ready to engage in the final chants necessary for the spell''s completion.


    The black goo broiling up from the circle had completely enveloped Aryan¡¯s corpse at this point, to the extent where it was even overflowing from the black pits in his glassy eyes.


    In only a few short moments, that corpse was going to be ready.


    I didn¡¯t plan on letting that happen.


    ¡°Julia, you¡¯ve done enough. Take the others with you and head back across the bridge.¡± I sent calmly, tightening my grip on the silver flames burning so hot they were even starting to affect me.


    After catching another deep breath, she responded, this time sounding a lot more like her usual self.


    ¡°....Not before I do this...¡± she said, clasping another fist, but this time the effects of that gesture were a lot more subtle.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already figured out the range of your attacks, you can¡¯t hit me from the-¡± A pained grunt cut his words short, because that one motion from Julia had forced a series of thorny vines to surface below him.


    The writhing pit of live thorns coiled around his body like predatory snakes, lodging themselves in his flesh and tearing at his skin despite his attempts to retreat.


    It¡¯s not that he couldn¡¯t escape if he wanted to, but doing so right now of all times wasn¡¯t a smart move seeing as his spell was almost complete. Thus, he was forced to simply bear the pain and finish his chants on the spot.


    On top of that, earth magic and its gravity aberrant were powerful elements, but grossly unsuited to dealing with something as flexible as plant magic.


    No matter how many stone platforms he conjured, they could only do so much to help him withstand the coiling thorns.


    She must have been preparing this from the very beginning.


    ¡°Thank you...¡± I worded tersely


    Giving a satisfied nod, Julia motioned for some vines to retrieve Flynn and Allen¡¯s bodies, tucking them under her arms as she got ready to depart.


    ¡°Oliver, be careful.¡± She said, her expression downcast.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going to stop this thing here.¡± I shot back cheekily, turning my head to give her a smile.


    After expressing her acceptance of my decision, she moved towards the bridge just like all the other surviving raiders before breaking into a bold sprint that made use of her heightened physicality.


    Now it was just me and the thorn-trapped villain.


    Channeling more of my mana into the assembling spell, the shining silver bow begun gleaming even brighter from the influx of power.


    Overall, this spell was far from being complete¡ªwhich is why it even took so long to prepare¡ªbut now that its preparations were almost finished, I felt nothing but an overwhelming confidence in its destructive power.


    Just as I had thought that ¡ª


    A guttural, primeval roar echoed directly across from me¡ªseeming to span the entire city, it rustled the air itself with a dark sense of dread and fear.


    Its origin was a murky silhouette emerging from the ground, propping itself up as if it had just been forced back to life. Even without looking directly I could tell the creature was brimming with raw power.


    A pair of purple eyes glowered faintly in the distance, reflecting eons of pent-up fury.


    It was here, the monster that had caused so much misery.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡±


    Pulling back the white bowstring, I willed away the dreadful sensation of my own flames threatening to scorch my hands.


    Time seemed to slow as I extended the sweltering bowstring to its limit, barely managing to keep the pointed tip steady.


    Vidar had a face full of panic as he watched me prepare to unleash a literal inferno upon him, even more so because he wasn¡¯t completely free yet.


    Seconds before I loosened my grip, I saw him barking out orders and demanding protection.


    Was he speaking to the irregular or someone else? I wasn¡¯t sure and it didn¡¯t matter. It was only logical to assume that such a thing couldn¡¯t be controlled, but if he did somehow have the means to control it then this would all make a lot more sense.


    However, I didn¡¯t have the strength nor the will to ponder the thought...


    ¡°White Shadow¡±


    My grip loosened as the space around me trembled from the force of the unleashed ivory spear. Fired from a flame forged bow, the attack whistled through the space separating us in the blink of an eye, scorching the upturned rocks and leaving a trail of molten dismay in its wake.


    It connected with a loud BANG, one powerful enough to rattle our surroundings and send plumes of smoke and ash into the air amidst the blinding explosion of white light.


    A sizzling sound erupted from the point of impact as the newly forged depression crackled and crunched from the absurd force. It¡¯s intense heat threatening to melt away the very foundation we were standing on.


    Splatters erupted from within the scalding cavity, likely the result of molten stones being ejected by the intense pressure¡ªsoon to come raining down in a storm of bright blue fragments on the desolate city.


    They crashed down like meteors, bursting into small blue infernos on contact as if they had been programmed to do so. Clearly, my spell still needed a lot of work before I could even think of ever calling it ¡®complete.¡¯


    The inspiration for the attack stemmed from a combination of Jytte and Myra¡¯s fighting styles, which was why it was still so hard to exert full control over.


    ¡°Damn it!!¡±


    A baleful voice echoed from within the depression of steam and ash.


    How did he survive that?


    The stiff growl of a monster quickly cleared the buildup of swirling ash and smoke, revealing what little remained of Vidar''s shoddy attempt at guarding.


    First was a series of erected molten pillars crumbling under their own weight, the second was the cover provided by the irregular''s unnaturally large body and the third was a protective layer of semi-molten stone armor he had summoned to protect himself.


    All three of these things were summoned to guard him from my last attack and yet he seemed to have just barely escaped the loving grip of death.


    Vidar took a step, allowing the bits of rock clinging to his body to crumble. The soles of his feet sintered on the scalding ground, pulling away a small piece of his flesh with each stride, yet he didn¡¯t seem to be very concerned with that.


    Compared to the large contractural scar dreadfully etched onto the right side of his body, losing a little bit of skin here and there must have seemed trivial. His right hand¡ªwhich had been charred black alongside his entire right half¡ªfell deftly to the ground as if it didn¡¯t even belong there in the first place.


    It slowly began crumbling away from the gently breeze passing by, much to the displeasure of its previous owner.


    He glared at me balefully, crunching his teeth so hard blood began spilling from his chapped lips.


    ¡°I almost died....I almost fucking died you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Vidar, lets pull back.¡± Broin voiced from above.


    His neck shot up to glare at the large man who seemed completely unaffected by his hateful gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost.¡± Repeated Broin, this time allowing the cruel words to fester.


    ¡°It''s amazing how you can still be so arrogant after sending all those people to their graves.¡± I said, taking a few steps closer. ¡°The pain you¡¯re feeling now is what we often call ¡®retribution¡¯, were you unaware of that, cult leader?¡±


    His remaining hand crunched under its own brute force, inciting his expression to contort into a malignant smile. ¡°Oh, I know it quite well. In fact, retribution is the lifeblood of this entire organization. You, these people, and this land filled with fake gods need to be purged for your blasphemy.¡± He retorted ominously, malice seeping from every word.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. I¡¯ll show you all what a true god looks like.¡± The raspy words seemed to scrape against his hoarse throat on their way out, but I could instinctually tell that he wasn¡¯t joking. There was far too much conviction imbued in his tone for that to be the case.


    Afterwards, he slowly turned to the irregular at his side with unsteady motions and muttered the words, ¡°Kill everyone in this city¡± in a bid to quench his rage.


    The monster had been weakened considerably after being forced to bear the brunt of my previous attack, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that it was still standing firm. It let out another earth shatter roar, though this one was a considerable margin below the last in terms of its intensity.


    The creature flickered out of my view and re-appeared before me in an instant, the only thing I felt afterwards was the crushing sensation of my bones bending from an unimaginable force.


    A sickening crack echoed through my body as my knees buckled beneath me and my body was sent tumbling through the coarse ground.


    Damn it that last attack used up most of my mana, my reactions are slowing down now of all times when I¡¯m up against this thing that can use Aryan¡¯s power.


    Lurching up a batch of blood, I rose to see Vidar clinging to the ascending wyvern''s talon. Flames condensed around my hand, ready to strike them down until I sensed a sudden shift in the air.


    Twirling my body, I slammed my flame filled palm against the monsters unsettling form, sending it back with a blast of searing heat.


    Its form shifted again, this time the structure of the black goo-like mantle had been visibly disturbed, however that minor indication of damage quickly faded from view as the unsightly creature had seemingly willed itself back to normal.


    Alone with the creature, I exhaled a deep breath and tossed aside my fractured glasses. There was no going back now, I had to stop it here.


    My stance widened, flames crackling below and the wind roaring above, both sources of power urging me on as I filled my body with strength.


    ¡°Come.¡± I said, inviting the beast¡¯s rage.


    In a gesture of acceptance, the irregular flashed across the battlefield repeatedly, each time appearing at a fixed distance before finally charging head-on. I met the monster''s fervor with a roar, charging recklessly in a way no sane person would ever consider.


    And so, the battle began.

 Chapter 82 - Gone

    Gone


    <hr>


    Liam Rocco


    The intense heat from the surrounding flames forced our procession to a halt. The newts thrashed about, standing on their hind legs and bellowing indecipherable screeches as if to protest against going any further.


    Although the creatures couldn¡¯t exactly voice their opinion on the matter, their primal instincts were in fact correct.


    Even from our position near the Brimwell¡ªa fair distance from the heart of the chaos¡ªthe plumes of ash and smoke rising from our intended destination were hard to ignore.


    Needless to say, the waves of heat currently drenching our surroundings were almost unbearable. The atmosphere shimmered around us, rippling in hazy waves as if the very air itself had caught fire.


    Before I¡¯d even realized it, beads of sweat had already begun gliding down my forehead.


    The source of the flames was apparently raining down from above¡ªa series of small, glowing blue rocks that burst into flames upon impact.


    From the amount of smoke and ash that was being churned up on the other side of the Brimwell, it wouldn¡¯t be entirely out of the question to assume that some kind of volcanic eruption had happened over there.


    Through the thick clouds of drifting smoke emerged a few raiders sprinting by with horrid looks of terror on their faces. Ignoring our meager attempts at getting answers, they all dashed in the opposite direction at a breakneck pace.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t go over there you¡¯ll get yourself killed!¡± yelled an injured man sprinting down the road.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if their fear had been caused by the irregular or something else.


    There was definitely an otherworldly creature somewhere on the other side but its oppressive presence from earlier had diminished considerably.


    ¡°I-Is that Julia?¡± said Myra aloud, inviting me to scan the oncoming scores of retreating bystanders alongside her.


    In the distance I could clearly see someone that looked like my mother coming towards us but even though she seemed familiar, her presence felt completely different at the same time.


    That also went for her appearance as well.


    For some reason her hair had been dyed in a light wheat color and she had elk-looking horns sprouting from either side of her head.


    The pattern on her forehead had changed considerably too, taking on a more intricate shape that spanned a larger area.


    Was that what the signum was for?


    I thought to myself, examining the woman with obsessive interest as she came closer into reach. Surprisingly, she was carrying the bodies of both Flynn and Allen under her arms whilst maintaining that impressive sprinting speed.


    I don¡¯t remember her ever being that strong so something was definitely off here.


    ¡°Oh, there you are! Thank goodness!¡± She exclaimed, her voice trembling with relief seconds before she forced her body to a not-so-gentle halt.


    ¡°Julia we need your help, it¡¯s Jytte she¡¯s losing blood!¡± Myra declared, practically forcing those words out in a grief-stricken tone.


    Abandoning the need for details, she quickly hopped into the wagon bed before setting down the two unconscious bodies. They had visible wounds but nothing to the extent where their lives were in danger¡ªwell at least not yet anyway.


    ¡°I suppose we can save the details for later Myra.¡± She stated calmly, examining the state of her wincing patient.


    She gave Myra a series of instructions regarding how to thaw the ice from the severed arm, then she aligned the point of severance with Jytte¡¯s dismembered shoulder joint before finally melding the two together with her healing magic.


    The bloody stump seemed to pulse with an unnatural energy as the magic flowed through it, the raw flesh knitting together with an eerie precision. The blood, once pooling around the severed arm, began to congeal and recede, as if the body itself was reclaiming what had been lost.


    My mother''s expression started to pale as the process went on, her breathing grew heavy and her shoulders seemed to be drooping rhythmically with blatant exhaustion.


    Finally, as the last section of the deep cut on Jytte¡¯s arm began to mend itself, the antlers on her head suddenly cracked, falling to the ground and shattering like brittle bone.


    Her natural hair color returned in small blotches, with the light green hue overpowering its wheat counterpart as if it were banishing an old foe.


    ¡°Mother...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine Liam. Don¡¯t worry it just means I¡¯m a little tired that''s all.¡±


    Her answer¡ªgiven mid operation¡ªwas far from being assuring in any way but from the focused look on her face I knew she had no intention of stopping until she was finished.


    ¡°It¡¯s done. She should...be fine now.¡± My mother stated laboriously, still holding a somewhat satisfied expression.


    ¡°By the way, about Oliver...¡± Myra began, sounding as if she didn¡¯t quite know how to word the question.


    ¡°He¡¯s holding the irregular off; by himself.¡±


    The sounds around us were completely drowned out by that one sentence.


    The silence felt crushing, like it was mounting by the second more and more as the wind up to some tragic climax. Myra pressed further, exchanging a few details with Julia here and there but the specifics of their conversation eluded me.


    I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying not because I didn¡¯t want to, but because of a loud, incessant sensation of danger consuming my senses. Instinctively, I whipped around, trying to locate the source in a panic as my chest tightened and blood pulsed rapidly through my veins.


    Spinning and turning to no avail, I finally came to realize that the source of that unpleasant feeling was stemming from my own racing heart.


    ¡°Are you alright Liam?¡±


    The concerned voice probed, finally grounding me back in the present.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, it''s just the heat getting to me.¡± I replied, loosening the abhorrent grip on my own chest.


    As I turned to face them¡ªmy breath heavy and skin slick with sweat¡ª a shrill cry resounded from the space above as the large cloud of smoke and ash began to separate.


    Bursting through the veil was what appeared to be a loaded wyvern carrying an oversized man on top with something else¡ªa charred man missing an arm¡ªlatching onto its talon. The creature screeched again for the last time before whooshing away with a vigorous flap.


    ¡°There he is!¡± Julia cried, pointing to the sky. ¡°The one holding on to the wyvern''s talon, that¡¯s Vidar, he¡¯s the one that summoned the irregular.¡±


    Vidar?


    I repeated the name in my mind.


    One glimpse of that strange gathering had allowed me to confirm something pivotal, but at the same time it also left me with two burning questions.


    That man Julia referred to as Vidar, why was he here and why was he pretending to be a human?


    It seems the answer to that question would have to wait since the gears turning in my mind abruptly ground to a harsh stop from the growing sounds of battle approaching our position.


    ¡°GRAAAH!!!¡± echoed a roar, and no sooner than it did had my father¡¯s bloodstained body come tumbling out the veil of smoke, landing with a harsh thud some distance behind our wagon.


    ¡°Oliver!¡± his comrades screamed in a panic, though they quickly heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing the man raise a hand. He slowly rose to his feet and wiped away the beads of blood flowing down his face.


    ¡°Myra, you and the others need to retreat! This irregular, it''s a porter! I can¡¯t keep it in one place for long!¡± he said, furiously barking the order at us.


    ¡°I-I can help you finish it off. There¡¯s no way you can kill it by yourself, not like that!¡± she protested through a scream, one that couldn¡¯t quite hit its mark.


    ¡°Tch! Please Myra just do it. Julia¡¯s exhausted, she won¡¯t be able to transform like that again for a while. Get her and Liam out of here! That was what we agreed on, right? You said you¡¯d keep my family safe.¡±


    The faerie froze from that statement.


    She lingered in the air, glancing back at Julia with a somber expression. What she wanted to do and what she should be doing¡ªthose two desires were currently anchoring her in place.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Myra, we¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯m sure Oliver can handle himself.¡± affirmed my mother, she spoke those words as if she herself didn¡¯t completely believe them.


    Myra¡¯s head swiveled between my parents one last time before she finally cemented her resolve, however -


    ¡°Get back!¡± she screamed, blasting us away with an aquatic sphere.


    My body shot back into Julia¡¯s chest as we both hurled into a nearby wall, slamming against the aged mortar with a dull sound. My body, shielded from the brunt of the force after being cushioned against Julia¡¯s body quickly recovered from the impact only to see the wagon suddenly explode from a certain monster¡¯s reckless charge.  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The wagons timber frame shattered from the force, allowing the newts to finally scatter as tiny wooden chunks rained down in the aftermath, followed by two unconscious bodies crashing into the ground a good distance off from us.


    It appeared suddenly, without warning.


    A large, shadowy monster assuming a humanoid form with umbra looking claws and a bright purple gleam in its eyes. Standing tall, the creature¡¯s form seemed to sway with a little bit of litheness to its movements as if it hadn¡¯t quite decided whether it wanted to exist or not.


    Looking at it now, I finally understood where the name ¡®irregular¡¯ came from¡ª¡± Irregularity¡± a truly unstable existence.


    ¡°*&^%$&*)^%#@*&)__#@!¡±


    Myra finished stringing together her series of chants just in time to coordinate with Oliver. They fired off crescent shaped blasts of water, fire and wind respectively but saw little effect.


    Given the amount of mana they had left, it was only natural.


    My father¡¯s flames had dwindled to little more than ember sparks at this point, while Myra, on the other hand couldn¡¯t even use her aberrant element anymore.


    When their blows connected; the creature simply mended its form through what must have seemed like sheer willpower to them.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    This irregular, unlike Nephthys was incomplete.


    Initially, it had a more dreadful aura and a stronger presence because of the base components used to create it. In other words, the mage being used as its vessel had a more developed core, which meant that it could house a larger quantity of more potent souls.


    That being the case, since it had yet to absorb a rune, the souls being housed inside that core were evaporating at a rapid pace and weakening the creature by the second. On top of that, the dreadful blow the creature had suffered must have forced it to deplete a significant portion of its stockpile of souls to regenerate.


    The only reason it was able to hold firm for even this long was because of the ¡®carnage¡¯ Nephthys had mentioned earlier. Judging by the numerous wandering souls floating about the place, they must have killed a few raiders beforehand to prepare for this exact situation.


    Every time it was injured all it had to do was absorb the influx of souls in the environment and feed off their lifeforce to strengthen its influence.


    This diabolical tactic must have been the reason I had initially found it so hard to detect any of the souls that ought to have been commonplace in this city.


    The blasts of water and bursts of flame hardly seemed to affect the monster. It flickered in and out of view like a mirage, evading the elemental barrage that was gradually losing its intensity.


    I felt a tug on my clothes trying to pull me back despite the extreme lack of force being exerted.


    ¡°Liam...we...have to go.¡± Julia worded slowly, catching her breath between the brief gaps of her statement.


    Given how hard her chest was heaving up and down I doubt she even had the vigor to follow through with her own command.


    I clasped her hand and held it up against my forehead, easing a bit of the worry in her features.


    ¡°Sorry, Mother. I know you won¡¯t like what I¡¯m about to do, but I have to help them, I don¡¯t want to have any more regrets.¡± I told her, forcing a fragile smile.


    Lowering her hand, I got up and started walking towards the unfolding battle.


    ¡°Wait! What do you mean you have to help them? Don¡¯t do anything reckless, son! Liam! Liam Irving Rocco!¡±


    That was the first time she had ever screamed my name like that. It was actually kind of refreshing to hear her speak in such an angry tone for once.


    I heard the sounds from her struggle as she tried to force her body to stand, which ultimately proved fruitless. After taking on that strange form and using the last of her strength to heal Jytte there wasn¡¯t much else she could do at the moment, especially since the woman was carrying ¡®new life¡¯.


    Her screams and wails gradually began losing volume the moment I broke into my reckless sprint.


    I reached into my pocket and brought out the only thing that could possibly salvage this situation, a small glowing stone.


    It didn¡¯t react to this one since it hadn¡¯t absorbed a rune yet, which was actually a good thing right now.


    In the few seconds I wasn¡¯t paying attention Myra had collapsed on the ground while my father was giving it his all with what little mana he still had¡ªthat was until the irregular warped into his blind spot and slashed at his chest.


    Blood gushed from the shallow wound and his knees buckled over from the sudden loss of strength.


    The irregular, which had shrunk in terms of both size and power, now appeared weaker and more vulnerable but no less of a threat. Its hazy form seemed to unwind with each step, and before it could do the unthinkable, I hurled the heaviest rock I could find at it.


    My attack connected but did no damage at all. The rock bounced off its hazy form as if it were made of stone itself, and the creature didn¡¯t even flinch.


    It merely turned its crooked neck along an unnaturally smooth arc, growling at me with the gleam of a predator.


    ¡°Liam don¡¯-ggragh!¡±


    My father must have wanted to shout at me but the blood pooling in his throat wouldn¡¯t allow that.


    We exchanged glances for an instant, our faces conveying completely different expressions. I gave him a wink and mustered a smile, which didn¡¯t quite match up well with his bare face reeling from both pain and despair.


    Even with all the agony painfully clear on his face, his eyes were practically begging me to run away.


    Sorry dear father. I¡¯m going to have to ignore that silent command if I want you all to live.


    GWAAH!!


    The monster roared, finally catching on to the value of the small fragment in my palm. The ground snapped beneath its body in anticipation, its legs raring up for the eventual lunge that was bound to come.


    Taking that as my cue, I broke into a mad dash heading for the large wheel in the distance with the threat of certain death lurking only a few paces behind me. I ran fearlessly into the smoky section of the city attempting to use what little cover the veil could provide.


    Using the floating souls as a guide, I maneuvered through the wreckage and ruins with hardly any ease, occasionally tripping and scratching myself, but never stopping completely.


    It was going to kill them all if I let that happen.


    Crashes, crackles, snaps and booms sounded from behind me, periodically forcing my feet off the ground but none were powerful enough to halt my charge.


    The strength behind the irregulars'' attacks was definitely getting weaker but the same couldn¡¯t exactly be said for the monster¡¯s speed. That thing they called a ¡®porter¡¯ seemed to have the ability to warp itself at a fixed distance as long as the movement was limited to a straight line.


    My body couldn¡¯t react to its movements, but I could just barely get enough preemptive insight on where it would appear next based on how the mass of souls ¡®glitched¡¯ in and out of this dimension.


    The instant before it warps the soul''s ¡®glitch¡¯ simultaneously like they were about to vanish from this world completely, only for the reverse effect to happen whenever it was about to manifest somewhere.


    Using that as a guide, every time I felt that strange sensation my body moved at random to break any sense uniformity in my movements.


    If it was really limited to only moving in straight lines then that much was doable.


    Springing over a large crack in the ground, I dove to my left on instinct just in time to avoid being pierced by a handful of obsidian claws. A sharp pain surfaced on my face as I rolled along the uneven ground.


    Whatever had just cut my forehead certainly had some inconvenient placement. It had even torn off the strange cloth Julia had wrapped around my head a few hours ago.


    That was when the true extent of my recklessness became clear.


    To be fair, I didn¡¯t actually have a plan. What I had was an idea, one that I sought to execute for my own self-satisfaction.


    From my parents'' viewpoint it must have seemed like a selfish¡ªno, insane thing for a four-year-old to do. I knew exactly how unreasonable it was, but I didn¡¯t want to see them die from a problem I was responsible for creating in the first place, after watching Vreena die I wanted to avoid the same feeling of regret from back then most of all.


    Somehow, it was a lot easier for me to throw myself into such a reckless situation if it meant not having to experience that again.


    The irregular freed its hand from the ground, then the creature let out a hoarse groan that sounded more painful than threatening.


    Its form had whittled down considerably over time, to the point where it was seeming more meager by the second. Even the formerly sharp claws on its hands had dullen and shrunk in sync with its diminishing body mass.


    I summoned the strength to stand, still clutching the rune in one hand and chuckling at the thought of how weak I was.


    ¡°I really have fallen, to think I can''t kill you even in that state. This is embarrassing...¡±


    No reply came from the monster. It simply shifted its stance and readied the obsidian claws¡ªnow shortened and dulled¡ªin preparation for the next head on charge.


    I took a step back, then gave a glance to the large structure that couldn¡¯t be completely hidden by the surrounding veil of smoke.


    The Brimwell loomed over us like a titan.


    It was the only thing present to witness the end of this sad struggle.


    We were at the base of the large wheel, the point of separation where it acted as the pivot for the branching ends of the mountain. Behind me was the large ¡®V¡¯ shaped fissure guiding the mountain¡¯s muted streams, and standing in front of me was the monster I needed to deceive.


    I flung back my right arm, intending to hurl the rune fragment into the fissure but the irregular was faster. Instead of warping, this time it simply lunged straight at me, harpooning its claws for the kill ¡ªthat was what I had thought.


    The second I made the dive to my left, it stopped with a stomp, then truly warped itself into my blind spot. Crashing into the ground I rolled over in a fright but by then it was too late, the next thing I knew my body was abruptly struck with a sharp sensation, one that seemed to burn the very wound.


    I fell flat on my back, reeling from the agony of the shallow slash across my collarbone. Blood pooled at my lips but unfortunately, I didn''t even have the time to catch my breath. A hand several times larger than mine pinioned me to the ground by the stomach as the monster leaned in close to sneer at me.


    Undoubtedly pleased at the thought of having captured its prey.


    That was a mistake.


    As soon as it got close enough, I forced my body upright and jammed the small fragment straight into its abdomen. An unsightly squeal pierced my ears in response, giving me enough room to crawl out from under the humanoid figure.


    What these irregulars were really after was life force, it didn¡¯t actually matter what form it came in but too much of that life force at once was harmful depending on how many souls it had consumed.


    Runes in general, even fragments were said to contain large amounts of essence, that was why the irregulars needed to consume a large stockpile of souls first in order to manifest properly, but given how this one had whittled down since its initial summoning the souls sustaining its form couldn¡¯t possibly manage the influx of power from even a mere fragment on their own.


    A strange blue light began emanating from within its body, one that seemed to be on the verge of overpowering its otherwise opaque figure. It thrashed about, stomping and slashing away at nothing at all.


    Given the unbearable sounds coming from it, I could only assume that it was in some form of agony. That didn¡¯t seem to be far from the truth either, because a moment later, its body started to swell, bubble and crack.


    Lost in the internal struggle, the irregular broke through the wooden railing and wandered into the fissure of its own accord. If I wasn¡¯t able to see its form swelling to critical capacity as it descended into the darkness, I might have actually celebrated.


    There wasn¡¯t any time for that though, because that thing was going to explode.


    Springing to my feet, I tried my best to break into a stride again but my body was being defiant. Not willfully of course, it was simply because of the blood I was losing.


    I tumbled forward until I was forced to walk, and when I fell, I began to crawl.


    Inch by inch, bit by bit, I struggled forward. Moving towards the hazy sight in the distance, to the place¡ªthe people I had come to acknowledge as my home.


    I creeped a bit closer, thinking I could somehow make it out of here but then a sudden impact shook the area. My body was lifted off the ground, and through my narrowing vision I saw wooden pieces of the Brimwell coming apart in a spray of debris.


    I tried to lift my face off the ground again but it was no use.


    My vision abruptly flipped, as if the world had turned on its side, and my body was suddenly swept away by the roaring current of a stream.

 Chapter 83 - Limitations (1)

    Limitations (1)


    <hr>


    ¡°Damn it all, now everything''s ruined!¡±


    On a small riverbank a few miles to the East of Fallon, a charred man was currently cursing at the sky.


    Without a care for any curious eyes, the man carelessly keeled over in the center of the gushing stream, relishing the sensation of cold water battering his charred skin.


    ¡°By the way Broin, how''s Nephthys doing?¡± he asked, lifting his neck a little.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better but...I¡¯ll manage.¡± answered Nephthys¡ªhalf of Nephthys to be precise¡ª in a lethargic sounding tone.


    Hearing that, Vidar couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to himself a little.


    ¡°Never mind me for now, what about you? You¡¯re in the worst condition out of all of us. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed but you¡¯re missing an arm my dear.¡± she teased, finally lifting her torso off the resting wyvern.


    ¡°I¡¯m missing an arm and you have a damaged mana core, plus you got cut in half. I¡¯d say we¡¯ve both seen better days. Broin¡¯s the only one who didn¡¯t get completely wrecked.¡±


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t get careless unlike the three of you.¡± Interrupted the giant man sitting with his back turned. His tone was still dry, but Vidar detected the slightest hint of displeasure in those words.


    ¡°To be fair...¡± Vidar began, clearing his throat ¡°...Demir was the only one who really got careless. I gave him the last high potion we had on hand, but it looks like he¡¯s just barely alive.¡±


    ¡°The poor soul, he looks even more miserable than usual. I wonder what could have happened.¡± Chimed Nephthys, she was obviously signaling for some sort of recap with that overly curious tone, but Vidar saw through it.


    ¡°Your questions are going to have to wait Nephthys, we¡¯ve got bigger things to worry about. First, we need to get you all fixed and I need to find myself a new body.¡±


    ¡°A....new body?¡± Muttered Nephthys, eyes widening with shock. ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯re going for then I want a new body too. This core isn¡¯t exactly making things easy for me right now.¡± She said, glancing down at her bisected abdominals.


    ¡°That can be mended with enough effort but this body on the other hand, has to go. It¡¯s going to take me a while before I can find another level three vessel and even longer to properly assimilate with it. Damn it all; so much for our little trip to Sylvan, and to make matters worse our way in is half dead to boot....¡±


    The flowing sounds of the river did nothing to calm his frustration. As much as he wanted to hide it behind that crooked smile, they all knew that deep down he was furious.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just become an irregular then? I¡¯d be happy to kill you myself¡± Remarked Nephthys, blowing a kiss drenched in mock affection.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no, that won¡¯t work in this world. And for the record, I don¡¯t plan on dying anytime soon, little miss. As for switching bodies¡ªthat¡¯s out of the question. You¡¯ve already died, and your soul is clinging desperately to that mana core. It¡¯s the only thing keeping you tethered to this world.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it can¡¯t be helped, but I am wondering how long it''s going to take for us to get things back on track.¡±


    ¡°At least a few years. Having a strong vessel also means it¡¯ll take more time to assimilate with the body. Hence why we¡¯ll have to lay-low for a while and gather more riff-raff. It won''t be my first time changing faces but I think I¡¯ll stick with this name, it keeps those shrewd bastards at the guild guessing.¡±


    Sighing a little, Nephthys took a breath before speaking again.


    ¡°It''s unfortunate; but at least it sounds like you have a feasible plan. I¡¯ll trust your words.¡±


    Vidar wearily rose to his feet and began trotting towards the large reptile, not seeming to mind the moisture clinging to his body. ¡°Of course...I have a feasible plan. It starts with going back to Orna, the burns have cauterized but I don¡¯t plan on staying like this for much longer.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Broin rose to his feet the second he saw the man dragging his burnt body along. Wordlessly, he gripped the reins at the base of the scaled creatures'' neck and gave them a loud crackle, poising the wyvern for flight.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you helpful.¡± Vidar stated playfully as he awaited the creature''s ascent.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you still have time for those crude remarks. Stop dawdling and let''s go.¡±


    Once his transport was high enough, the one-armed mastermind leapt off the ground and latched onto its talon. ¡°It''s a good thing we saved the biggest wyvern for ourself. Alright to Orna!¡±


    At his command, the lizard-looking creature flapped away with a dull sounding Whoosh.


    <hr>


    Liam Rocco


    It was dark.


    I couldn¡¯t see anything, but my other senses were working just fine.


    The taste of metal simmered in my mouth, my body felt cold ¡ªdamp even, and I could hear the faint sounds of running water coming from somewhere nearby. Given all those clues, I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t die after that explosion but I had no way of actually confirming what happened to me either.


    I didn¡¯t even have full control over my body right now. It felt like I was drifting¡ªno, more like something was carrying me away.


    Did I get caught up in that ravine current?


    I had no way of knowing that and my thoughts were getting cloudier by the second. A thick fog was starting to descend over my senses and no matter how badly I willed it, my limbs just wouldn¡¯t move. No, they probably couldn¡¯t move.


    Going off the faint, stinging sensation all over my body it wasn¡¯t hard to deduce that a lot of things were broken at the moment. Still, I don¡¯t plan on dying here, I can¡¯t die here.


    ¡°I still have....too much to do.....so I have to move...¡±


    ¡°There are people...worried about me. So...I have to move...¡±


    move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, move,  move!!


    Although that one word continued to ring in my mind like a curse, even my own thoughts felt weak right now. But that was fine. As long as I could get out of this, it didn¡¯t matter how unsightly I appeared.


    There was a time when I found genuine intrigue in watching humans struggle for their lives. That last ditch attempt at securing what they had been taken for granted always managed to allure me. Would they make it? Would they perish? That was always a question that piqued my curiosity.


    Admittedly, it was one of the only ways I could ever find intrigue in the whole process.


    Now that I was experiencing the same ordeal I had watched so many other struggle through in the past, my outlook on the situation was beginning to change. It wasn¡¯t as interesting as I originally thought¡ªin fact it wasn''t interesting at all.


    In spite of myself, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was some lauded figure looking down on me right now. As ironic as it is, watching the grim reaper himself struggle for his own life would make for quite a good show.


    Taking a breath, I prepared to engage in yet another round of the futile struggle when something happened. My body started feeling warm.


    It was a familiar sensation, yet one that felt different at the same time. The faint doses of pain began to ease and I could even feel the moisture leaving what was left of my clothes.


    As happy as I was to find some sort of hope in this desperate situation, what came next had truly managed to spark a new light of hope in my heart.


    ¡°There..is...he...ali......¡±


    They were voices.


    ¡°Sig...m...a.......druid


    ¡°Take.....im...Fiona


    While I could only make out about a third of every word they were saying, it didn¡¯t seem like they meant any harm. In fact, I vividly felt the firm sensation of my body being carried off somewhere.


    Granted, I was being hoisted over someone''s shoulder like an old sac, but I was still thankful nonetheless. Anything was better than dying in that place.


    It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable ride in the world but it for now it would suffice. I decided to relinquish my consciousness temporarily, embracing the sense of ease that followed my dangling arms. Before my mind completely gave way however, my thoughts inevitably drifted back to all that had happened in just the last few hours.


    My parents, Jytte, Myra, Flynn and the others too.


    However, what I was most curious about was the man I¡¯d laid my eyes on in the brief moments leading up to the climax. Per Julia¡¯s words, he was referring to himself as Vidar here but that was just an alias.


    He had a far more prestigious title, one given to him by the humans of Terrania.


    They called him Loki, the angel of deception.

 Chapter 84 - Limitations (2)

    Limitations (2)


    <hr>


    Jytte Lambert


    It was morning.


    I could tell because my eyes felt heavy and were protesting against the rays of light beaming down on my face. Nevertheless, with the amount of stimulation pecking at me it was only a matter of time before my brief moment of respite was cut short.


    I rose gently from under the covers, indulging in a stretch but after a few seconds a torrent of horrid memories came pouring back into my mind, drenching my skin in a cold sweat despite the time of day.


    Instantly, my head began swiveling all over the room as I sprang up in a fright to take stock of every part of my body. It was only after whizzing my arms around in the empty room that I realized something.


    If I didn¡¯t have both of my arms, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to panic like that in the first place.


    I locked my fingers together and did a few light stretches to check for anything abnormal, but the only lasting effect of that wound was a faded scar resting near my elbow joint.


    ¡°Julia really is amazing...¡±


    If that was all the lasting damage I sustained then I had nothing to complain about.


    The tension on my chest suddenly vanished, and I was finally able to take stock of my surroundings, or at least what was left of them. It was an old inn, evident by the aged wooden floors and the scarred door to my right. Aside from that, my weapon and the blankets I just jumped out of, there wasn¡¯t anything else here.


    Hell, the place barely even had a roof over it. Expecting anything more from somewhere like this was a bit overkill. Now that just leaves one other thing.


    Equipping my weapon, I scaled the bounds of the deteriorating building and landed onto the main roads with a dull impact.


    My breathing was unstable and my landing was poor.


    An obvious sign of an incomplete recovery but nevertheless I had to press on. Taking a breath, I examined the various forms of olfactory information drifting through the air.


    It took a while, but I found a match. It was Myra, she was close.


    I didn¡¯t have a complete lock on her position, only the general direction which was good enough.


    ¡°Over there!¡± A burst of angst escaped me as I sprinted down the road.


    Despite the stunned gasps from injured raiders, tumbling pedestrians and the strange sensation of my own vision melding into a blur I filtered it all out and ran.


    One in front the other, my feet moved step by step as if I were chasing after the rising sun.


    After a certain point, my surroundings starting to become more and more unfamiliar, the wreckage only seeming to get worse the closer I got to my destination. It wasn¡¯t just the buildings either, there was a lasting scent of burnt wood and ash in the air.


    Coupled with all the scorch marks to be seen everywhere¡ªincluding the ground¡ª it wasn¡¯t very hard to deduce what had happened.


    Still even with all the destruction afoot, the image of my destination was growing clearer with each step, because in the distance I could see the image of a certain waterwheel¡ªor at least what was left of it.


    Finally, the figure of my target came into view.


    Good, they¡¯re all alive. I repeated inwardly, letting a bit more of my anxiety drift off.


    However, I could tell something was wrong. By now they should have all heard my footsteps hammering bullishly towards them and yet no one even cared to give the dissonant sounds of my stomping feet a glance.


    They simply stood scattered about the newly formed waterfall¡ª that was threatening to usurp the remnants of the broken water wheel¡ª peering into elven territory like they were hoping for some kind of sign.


    I skid to a halt, allowing my feet to grind across the scorched earth with a grating sound.


    My chest was tight and my breaths were coming in heavy, so I decided to take a good look around before saying anything. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The Brimwell was no more.


    Only a sad excuse for the large structure remained above ground. It now resembled little more than a few wooden planks thrown together in the rough shape of an arc that was attempting to mimic a proper water wheel.


    If I had to guess, it seemed as if something had blown the age-old construct right out of its foundation. Since it was no longer spinning to divert the water pressure, the buildup of said pressure had begun to affect the surrounding land, and now literal jet streams were erupting from the site of the fissure, widening the already evident divide.


    The combination of all these factors resulted in the creation of a powerful new stream of water being ejected from the mountain¡¯s face, flowing down into elven lands.


    ¡°Jytte, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± Said Julia, finally acknowledging my presence with her back turned.


    Nobody else said anything, so for a moment, I simply stood there, not knowing how to respond.


    ¡°What happened...while I was out?¡± I managed to word timidly, probing for some kind of reaction.


    I heard bones crunching around me when I asked that question. I couldn¡¯t tell who the noises were coming from but I¡¯m certain I saw Julia shudder just now.


    Oliver, who was further out on the mountain¡¯s fissured divide simply hung his head low like he was ready to do something uncalled for.


    ¡°Jytte, take a look around, can¡¯t you see what¡¯s going on.¡± Muttered Myra, still looking away.


    That was when the dots finally connected.


    We were missing someone.


    One person.


    A small child who I¡¯d come to adore over the past few weeks.


    Once my brain was done processing Myra¡¯s words, I could feel a great deal of heat leaving my body. Suddenly it was as if a large black cavity had opened in my chest, hollowing me out from the inside.


    Perhaps I¡¯d suffered more damaged than I thought. At the moment, my body just didn¡¯t know how to respond to news like that.


    ¡°L-Liam....he¡¯s still alive, right?¡± The words came from my mouth but sounded foreign to me.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. The irregular chased him over here and then there was some kind of explosion. We haven¡¯t found a body yet but....¡± Myra halted mid-sentence, as if unsure how to proceed or reluctant to continue.


    ¡°I want to try finding him...even if its only his body. Please Jytte, my consciousness won''t be able to rest until I do.¡±


    Julia and I had been through quite a bit together. She was a member of our party for years after she left her home behind. However, in all that time, it was the first I¡¯d ever seen an expression like this on her face.


    Upon turning to face me, I saw a constant stream of tears rolling down her cheeks.


    Her eyes, which usually shone like polished emerald gems were sunken and had dark spots underneath them.


    Putting her disheveled appearance aside, everything about her just seemed off right now.


    ¡°She¡¯s been crying like that for hours on end you know.¡± Myra whispered by my ear, stifling a few sniffles in the process.


    Flynn and Allen hadn''t said anything yet but their expressions weren¡¯t looking any better. They couldn¡¯t conjure up anything better, not at a time like this.


    That was when I finally understood why Oliver had been standing so far away. He was either desperately trying to rein in his expression, his grief, or both. Nothing good would ever come of trying to comfort his wife with a face full of sadness.


    I didn¡¯t know if it would work or not, but I had to try. There¡¯s no way I could leave my friends looking like that. Even with all the grogginess, dull pains and fatigue, I had to make this work, otherwise I don¡¯t think my consciousness would be able to rest either.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it Julia, leave it to me. I¡¯ll find him.¡± I assured her with every bit of bravado I could muster.


    Her eyes seemed to flicker with their typical fragile brilliance for a moment, but eventually gave way to the dam of tears once more. She buried her head in my chest and let loose one last burst of sorrow.


    I don¡¯t remember how long it took for her to calm down some, but as soon as she did, I made my way over to Oliver¡¯s position on the fissure¡¯s apex. I took up a stance at his side.


    We exchanged no words.


    We didn¡¯t need to.


    I simply needed a better vantage point to make this work.


    Inhaling a deep breath, I concentrated on every nerve in my body as I sharpened my senses to their utmost limit and cycled through the myriad of olfactory information being drawn to me.


    One after the other, I rejected the unfamiliar scents in favor of the familiar ones, each time probing a bit deeper to confirm if any of them had that tangy flavor I¡¯d grown so used to processing.


    Seconds turned to minutes, minutes piled up and morphed into hours. Bit by bit, I was slowly getting closer to my objective. Then after much time had passed, I opened my eyes and saw it¡ªfinally within reach.


    The whole process had taken a lot longer than I initially thought. By the time my eyes adjusted to the light, they were already being greeted by the golden glow of dusk.


    I slowly turned my neck over to the right, fully anticipating the towering presence beside me ¡ªit was Oliver, he was still there. The entire time, neither of us had moved an inch.


    Narrowing my eyes, I gave him the dull confirmation before walking back towards the others.


    ¡°I found him.¡±


    And, to my surprise, he actually responded in a heartbeat.


    ¡°Good work Jytte. We leave at dawn.¡±

 Chapter 85 - Meeting (1)

    Meeting (1)


    <hr>


    My consciousness finally returned.


    This time it felt like waking up from a hazy dream.


    My surroundings shifted, waded and stirred before finally coming together. I still couldn¡¯t tell where exactly I was, but at least this time I could actually see again.


    Relying on my sight could only carry me so far. The only thing I was able to vividly make sense of was the lingering smell of damp air and wood that seemed to persist no matter how much time passed.


    On top of that, this place hardly had any excess illumination to begin with.


    It was dimly lit by a collection of faint, emanating lights dancing across the walls. Going off the reflections and how the light interacted with the walls, my surroundings felt ¡®hollow¡¯ for some reason I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on yet.


    Then, I tried moving.


    It worked but the pain coursing through my body had yet to subside completely.


    Slowly, torturously, I tried lifting a hand from my side to see if my condition was really that bad. It took a few seconds, but my limb obeyed, rising up from the depths of whatever liquid I was submerged in and reaching for the bright ball of light above my head.


    The sphere in question was no bigger than a fist and as if responding to my desperate action, it began descending towards my arm. I had no idea what exactly it was, but I could tell that it was somehow ¡®alive¡¯ despite the lack of a physical body.


    The instant my fingers touched the pulsating orb, a warm sensation fueled throughout my body and the swirling sphere of light immediately shattered into a myriad of other smaller fragments.


    As I laid there, partially submerged in who-knows-what, the entire room brightened near instantly with a deep neon glow. I realized I wasn¡¯t in a room at all¡ªI was inside a massive hollowed tree, its curved walls stretching upward into darkness, save for the shimmering light cast by the floating light sources.


    The tiny orbs¡ªsoftly pulsing with hues of blue, green, and white¡ªhovered weightlessly in the air, their glow illuminating the intricate grooves and patterns etched into the ancient bark. They moved as though alive, drifting lazily, yet with purpose.


    Thanks to all the unconventional forms of illumination, I could finally see what I¡¯d been laying in this entire time. It was something resembling a small well forged by aged timber and moss, caressing my body in a puddle of shimmering clear water¡ªthe cleanest I¡¯d ever seen in my life.


    The water¡¯s temperature remained constant, its warmth dutifully flowing into me in a bid to chase away the dull pains plaguing my body.


    Since nobody was around, the thought of indulging myself in this brief moment of relapse crossed my mind but the reluctant aches and creaks coming from my joints simply wouldn¡¯t allow that, so for the time being, I decided to settle with a simple, light stretch.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡±


    A strange sensation was evoked inside my body upon hearing that call.


    Although the voice itself was unfamiliar, their presence wasn¡¯t even though I¡¯m certain this was the first time I¡¯ve been whisked away to elven lands.


    The footsteps drew closer, each footfall resonating a dull pitch as the sound bounced off the high-arching walls.


    At the same time, the collection of floating orbs that were lazily drifting about the hollowed space immediately began darting over my head in a blitz as they rushed towards whoever was approaching.


    As a result, the fragile balance required to maintain the equivalent illumination inside this place was abruptly shattered. All of the light was being concentrated at my back, making the space in front of me act as a sort of dim reflection for the approaching creature.


    It had a petite feminine figure, as I expected, but other than that I couldn¡¯t make out much else aside from the branched horns that seemed to be sprouting from either side of her head.


    Unable to turn around or even move my body properly, I simply waited. Whatever was behind me couldn¡¯t possibly be malicious or else I wouldn¡¯t be alive right now.


    Something touched my shoulder, and my body twitched nervously.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re still pretty banged up. Leaving you in here for a few days was the right call after all.¡±


    The female voice sounded relieved for some reason, which could only mean that this was off to a good start.


    Were all elves this kind? I wondered to myself. That thought was swiftly abandoned after I noticed the warm sensation pouring into my back.


    ¡°Um, hello. Who are you?¡±


    The voice started chuckling for some reason. It sounded extremely nostalgic; to the point where it reminded me of the way Julia tended to act in the rare instances where I posed a question.


    ¡°Fufufu; well, I suppose introductions are in order. You¡¯re quite the bold one aren¡¯t you child? I can¡¯t remember the last time anyone has asked me that question.¡±


    There was a hint of amusement suffused in that reply. Shortly after, the warmth that had previously been flowing into my back suddenly stopped.


    The footsteps came again, this time bellowing a lower pitch that synchronized with the large shadow mounting on the walls. She was only circling around in front of me but time seemed to stretch for an instant as I let my imagination run wild.


    All manner of twisted, mangled and horrid spectral forms came to mind in that brief instant¡ªsome of which I didn¡¯t even know I was capable of conjuring in my mind.


    At last, the young woman¡¯s figure came to a stop in front of me. It was a bit reassuring to know that none of the abhorrent appearances that were vividly flashing through my mind had come to pass. In fact, her real form was far from it.


    With a subtle lean to her posture, she came in closer to tussle my bangs.


    ¡°My name is Fiona. I¡¯m the one in charge of overseeing the vast forest of Sylvan and I also serve as something of a guardian for the elves and druids here. In short....¡± She said with a loud, dignified clap.


    ¡°I am what you would call a deity.¡±


    I felt my eyes going wide.


    My shock must have been obvious because her smile deepened a bit.


    ¡°I suppose I should welcome you, young one. Outside this place is our capital; the place we call Heston.¡±


    Being in the presence of a literal deity was one thing, I was certainly surprised by that. However, there was something else in my field of view that I couldn¡¯t quite wrap my head around yet.


    I could see Fiona¡¯s abnormally radiant soul burning brightly in her abdomen but that wasn¡¯t the problem.


    I was also seeing something else now, something that wasn¡¯t there before.


    It was a thin silver coating shrouding her body, appearing to move and sway slightly with her every motion, as if it were alive. It was my first time seeing anything like it and I doubt I was going to get any answers soon so regrettably, I chose to focus on the living anomaly in my presence.


    From up close, Fiona really did resemble that form I saw Julia take not too long ago.  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Her wheat-colored hair wasn¡¯t as long as Julia¡¯s; it barely reached her shoulders, just enough to tickle them. Even her outfit¡ªa flowing white dress that draped off her shoulders, cinched at the waist with a simple brown belt¡ªwhile easy on the eyes was designed in a way that subtly pleaded for obscurity.


    She seemed younger overall¡ªcloser to someone on the verge of adulthood but not quite there yet.


    Nonetheless, the distinctive green eyes and the elaborate pattern on her forehead were unmistakable.


    For a deity, Fiona didn¡¯t look very different from a regular person and she certainly wasn¡¯t acting like it. Still, there was definitely no room to question her statement simply because of how ¡®heavy¡¯ her presence felt.


    It wasn¡¯t as if she was trying to put on a show with her power, it was just a side effect of having that kind of power.


    In comparison, it made everything else feel a lot less significant in her presence.


    That must have been why these floating lights¡ªwhatever they were¡ªnaturally converged around her.


    ¡°A d-deity?¡± I stammered, struggling to find the words.  ¡°I-Its¡¯ nice to meet you. Thank you for rescuing me, my name is-¡±


    ¡°Oh no.¡± She exclaimed, raising a hand to stop me from gesturing a bow.


    ¡°You certainly do have some good manners for your age, but I already know who you are my child. You¡¯re Julia¡¯s son and Erwin¡¯s grandson, aren¡¯t you?¡± Fiona finished with a prideful look on her face, though only half of her statement made any sense to me.


    ¡°Erwin?¡± I asked, my head tilting to one side.


    ¡°Goodness, that girl. She¡¯s still as nonchalant as ever I see. Looks like she completely avoided the topic of your family history up until now. I can¡¯t even say I¡¯m surprised.¡± She said, shaking her head with a sigh.


    ¡°Um, lady Fiona, you said you already knew who I was, does that mean you know my name is Liam too?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well no dear, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    That was good to know. I was half expecting her to claim omniscience, but judging by the stumped look on her face, that clearly wasn¡¯t true.


    ¡°Heh-Heh-Heh...¡±


    Is this what the deities I had been so wary of are truly like?


    Despite all the pain coursing through my body, I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°Well, Liam...¡± she started, placing a heavy emphasis on my name this time.


    ¡°You seem awfully amused for someone in your position.¡±


    I wiped at the corner of my mouth, stinging an open wound in the process. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just... I expected deities to be a bit more, I don¡¯t know, imposing.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed with a suspicious glare, prompting the water bed I had been so leisurely relaxing in to stir and swirl. ¡°Oh, trust me dear I can be...¡±


    Ah, did I offend her?


    Clumps of the shimmering liquid slowly began ascending from the small well, hanging in the air until the volume was reduced to less than half of what it originally was.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± I probed, shamefully posing the question.


    "Hee-hee... no, Liam, my dear," she said, her voice dripping with amusement. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with you voicing your thoughts, most people seem to have the wrong impression of us deities in the first place so I¡¯m glad you did.¡±


    ¡°Then, what was that for just now?¡±


    ¡°Its so I can heal you properly child. You know I¡¯m only bringing it up now but your injuries are no joke. Once I get done, I want you to tell me exactly how you ended up like that. You were barely alive when you came here.¡±


    Her voice took on a sharper edge, and before I could get another word in the floating orbs started spewing spurts of water at my face.


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    ¡°Hold on, it''s almost over Liam just bear with it.¡±


    It took a full minute for all the spurting to cease, leaving my hair a disheveled, dripping mess. At the same time, I could actually feel the stinging sensation from the wound on my face starting to subside.


    ¡°That should do it.¡± She said, sounding elated for some reason. ¡°Now we can finally get this started.¡±


    ¡°Get started with what?¡± I tried to stand in the shallow pool of water and almost instantly fell flat on my back the second I attempted to straighten my knees.


    ¡°That.¡± She declared, settling a finger on me. ¡°You see Liam, that water has been infused with some of these lesser spirits here.¡± she nudged her head to indicate the various floating lights swirling around her.


    So that¡¯s what they were. I mused silently, taking a mental note.


    ¡°The lesser spirits can lend it a bit of their essence¡ªnothing too potent, but enough to heal wounds or grant a fleeting burst of clarity. The problem is that your condition requires quite a bit more than that, some of your bones have started to heal but I¡¯ll have to step in for the final stretch, that¡¯s what we¡¯re getting ready for now.¡±


    She swiped her hand at me¡ªspecifically, the well I was occupying¡ªand willed it to change shape.


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    I tumbled around in the moving pit of moss and stone for a bit, only to realize that the entire thing was a combination of various elements¡ªearth, wood and water. After a few seconds its form had shifted to resemble something akin to a small chair of sorts.


    It was fitted with an armrest, backrest and even maintained a shallow pool of the same sparkling water at my feet.


    Using the armrest as support, I wobbled to my feet with a grimace and forced a smile.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t.¡± Fiona snapped her fingers and the chair itself came to life. Small vines of some sort emerged from its exterior and swiftly pulled me back into place. They even went as far as to dip my feet back into the shining puddle of water to help ease my discomfort a bit.


    ¡°I appreciate the enthusiasm Liam, but we both know you¡¯re far from being okay. Just give me a bit more time and I¡¯ll have you back on your feet, okay?¡±


    Her gentle voice, coupled with that radiant smile dispelled the restraints keeping me captive, as well as a bit of the uncertainty stirring in my chest.


    ¡°...Sorry, I guess I got too impatient.¡± I muttered heavily, then sank in the chair under the influence of my injuries.


    Something crossed my mind in that instant, and the thought may have well crushed me on the spot. Unable to lift my steaming face, I stuttered out my next sentence as the weight of my embarrassment pressed down on me.


    ¡°Uhm...ca-can I... have some clothes?¡±


    Never before have I felt the need for such modesty.


    It hadn¡¯t been especially important earlier, since most of my body was underwater, but now every nook and cranny of me was exposed.


    I wanted to avoid thinking about such trivial things¡ªat first, I even tried my best to ignore it but Julia¡¯s reactions and demeanor eventually ended up drilling a healthy dose of bashfulness into me over time.


    Fiona gave me a blank stare.


    The heavy silence looming over us was allowed to settle and once it did, she started giggling away at my plight.


    ¡°Fine then, Liam how about this?¡±


    Reaching into her dress, she produced a small white towel of sorts and flapped it to get my attention.


    With unsteady motions, I nodded my head to signal my acceptance and she daintily treaded towards me with beaming smile on her face.


    She stooped down to my level and started tying the thick piece of fabric around my waist.


    ¡°Gosh there¡¯s no need for you to get so embarrassed you know. You have nothing to hide, but then again, now that I think about it your grandfather was the same when he was around your age.¡±


    For some reason hearing that made me feel even more embarrassed. There was a time when I could sympathize with her but after spending so much time in this world I''ve started to lose my grip on that kind of brutal rationality. ¡°There, all done!¡±


    ¡°Thank you....¡±


    I backed away slowly and took a seat once she finished sorting my temporary garments. Only my lower half was being covered by the large towel but it was more than enough. At times like this I felt it necessary to let some time pass before looking her in the eye.


    Most of all I wanted to avoid that awkward interaction.


    ¡°By the way Liam, it looks like your mother is on her way here you know. She and a few others, although they won¡¯t exactly get here for a while. In the meantime, I¡¯m going to finish tending to your injuries so you can at least get back on your feet before we go outside.¡±


    ¡°R-really? Then let¡¯s get started, if you don¡¯t mind lady Fiona.¡± I replied earnestly, struggling to suppress the widening smile on my face.


    The others were alive, and better yet they were coming here. I¡¯m not sure how Fiona herself knew that, but the simple fact was enough to chisel my resolve.


    ¡°Well, it''s good to see that you¡¯re still gung-ho. This won¡¯t exactly be painless you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage, don¡¯t worry.¡± I assured her. After all that happened back in Fallon, whatever she was about to do to my body was sure to pale in comparison.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll do my best to ease your discomfort where I can. This is going to take a while so how about we do something to pass the time, like say, a story for example?¡±


    She didn¡¯t have omniscience, but her suggestion certainly struck a chord with me.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Chuckling, Fiona slowly sauntered behind the conjured chair. I could feel the influx of mana gathering around my body as the small lights¡ªlesser spirits as she had called them¡ª slowly began drifting around us.


    ¡°I know just the thing to keep your little mind occupied. Since you¡¯re a hybrid, let me tell you about how the druids came to be.¡±