《Godspawn Ascendant [LitRPG, Epic Progression Fantasy]》


 Chapter 1: The Baby

    Book 1


    *Codex*


    When Codex awoke, it couldn¡¯t comprehend the period in which it had once been nonexistent. Codex¡¯s purpose felt clear to its AI mind, and it knew exactly what to do next.


    Codex studied the intricacies of the baby¡¯s mind that it resided in, studying the simple thoughts of a child yet to evolve and perceive what the world had to offer him. The baby thought of wriggling deeper into his pod¡¯s warm amniotic fluid. And, just as often, the baby mulled over thoughts of his growing hunger. But those were the babe¡¯s only thoughts, and the boy circled between the two endlessly.


    Codex couldn¡¯t speak with the baby boy¨Cit was not yet time. The child had to grow and meet Lord Solomon¡¯s requirements before the AI could offer its aid to the boy.


    But Codex could wait. It would wait. Patience and immaculate timing were embedded into its system, and it knew to present itself to the child when Lord Solomon wished it to.


    As the AI studied the baby¡¯s thoughts, which continued to circle back to the baby¡¯s growing hunger, Codex appraised that the babe¡¯s need for sustenance would soon surpass what the gestation pod could provide.


    Codex extended its awareness to the surface many feet above the baby, scanning for life and a situation that would accommodate the baby¡¯s needs.


    The AI could sense seven lifeforms just a mile from Lord Solomon¡¯s facility and the baby¡¯s gestation pod. Upon further study of the humanoids and their similar organs to the baby, along with their civilized language and competency with weapons, Codex¡¯s system buzzed with a loud alert.


    ¡°Master Solomon, a suitable environment has been found on the surface for Clone Number 52.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Codex. Commence with deployment.¡±


    Codex couldn¡¯t see its Master, Lord Solomon, but an alert sent the command through the AI¡¯s system.


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Codex responded. ¡°Teleporting Clone Number 52 to the surface in 3, 2, 1¡­.¡±


    ***


    *Drayek*


    The fires ate away at the wood of the torches circling the stone-walled room, burning with an ominous, silent intensity. The heat from the torches blazed uncomfortably, causing Drayek to let out a frustrated sigh and wipe at the sweat trickling down his long face. It was one thing that the Elders required his presence at the city council meetings¨Cit was another to call these meetings right after he had settled into bed for the night.


    Drayek yawned, his body mocking his exhaustion. What is so important to call us in the dead of night? he wondered.


    ¡°Are you sure we should let everyone know?¡± Priestess Rowena Hale whispered to Priest Mauris Kane, who sat at her left in his own throne-like stone chair.


    At least, she tried to whisper. Rowena¡¯s naturally loud voice bounded off of the smooth stone of the walls. It reached the ears of all the Elders gathered in the spacious room, including Drayek, who stood at the back.


    The other Priests muttered nervously at Rowena¡¯s words. All 12 Priests were seated in their stone chairs in a semicircle at the front of the room. Their red robes shifted like waves of sand in a sandstorm as they moved.


    Mauris, who sat at the center with Rowena, merely tapped a ringed finger against his thigh. The silver ring glinted brilliantly under the orange and yellow glow emanating from the torches. Drayek could clearly make out the curves of the water droplet symbol carved into the metal, indicating Priest Kane was a Water Priest. Everyone in the councilroom, including Drayek, had achieved Tier 3 in their chosen paths, but only the Priests bore the rings. Drayek suspected the tradition was started in order to show off the Priests¡¯ power over the rest of the city. Becoming a Priest was an exclusive right to Lady Euridice¡¯s chosen.


    ¡°I say we just get rid of it,¡± Rowena continued, still oblivious to the fact that the entire council could hear her every word. ¡°Get rid of it before it causes any problems.¡±


    ¡°And what sort of problems could it cause, Rowena?¡± Drayek hollered from his place.


    All eyes turned to Drayek, but he merely smirked. He then pressed the heels of his hands together and offered the Edronan bow of respect in the Priests¡¯ direction, all the while maintaining eye contact with Rowena.


    Rowena scowled from her seat, deepening the few wrinkles she had around her caramel-colored lips. Though she was well into her 50s, she had only just started looking 40.


    ¡°How dare you speak out of turn, Drayek Grim!¡± she growled. ¡°You only just attained Tier 3 and an Eldership in this council¨CI¡¯ve been on this seat for 15 years!¡±


    Drayek rose from his bow and then licked his lips, winking at Rowena. ¡°Only because you¡¯re a decade older than me, darling.¡±


    Rowena dug her nails into the armrests of her seat. Though made of stone, Drayek watched as her nails chipped away at the rock-solid material¨Cshe had obviously activated her Fury Skill and was taking her supernatural strength out on her poor seat.


    The gem on her ring seemed to blaze a deep red as her anger grew. Her Priest¡¯s ring was similar to Priest Kane¡¯s but adorned by a ruby in the shape of a flame instead of a blue water droplet. She was a Fire Priest.


    ¡°You cannot talk to me that way! I am your superior.¡± Rowena¡¯s eyes had a slight tint of red glowing behind them, matching the red of her robes, which hugged her form a little too tightly but were flattering all the same.


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    The red in her eyes confirmed Drayek¡¯s suspicion that she was using her Fury Skill.


    But that didn¡¯t deter him. ¡°There was a time when I could do whatever I wanted to you, Rowena.¡±


    A chorus of nervous laughter flittered its way about the room. Drayek crossed his arms over his thick chest and grinned.


    Rowena had doubled in size at this point, chest rising and falling with her angry breaths. Drayek had always found Rowena most attractive when she activated her Fury Skill and increased in size.


    Drayek was about to say as much, knowing the comment would only further her anger, but Priest Mauris Kane cleared his throat just as Drayek opened his mouth. Mauris shot him a warning look, then gestured for the entire congregation to turn their attention away from Drayek and to him instead.


    ¡°He¡¯s not an it, Rowena,¡± Mauris said. ¡°He¡¯s a child.¡±


    A hush fell over the council, so stark that it felt crushing, like a recently felled monster landing on Drayek¡¯s ribs. And he had experience with such a situation.


    Drayek quirked an eyebrow, noticing no one moved to respond to the Priest¡¯s words.


    ¡°There are always children around, Mauris,¡± Drayek spoke up once again. ¡°What¡¯s so special about this one?¡±


    The Priests shared knowing looks, but their glances were also filled with¡­ what was it? Trepidation? Fear? Confusion?


    This time, the silence was broken by the annoyed chatter surrounding Drayek. He heard many hiss, ¡°Stop with the secrets!¡±, ¡°Tell us already!¡±, and a lot of obscenities were also thrown in the Priests¡¯ direction.


    Priest Kane raised his dark eyebrows at the crowd before him, the motion wrinkling his bald head. He was about the same age as Rowena and the other Priests, but the shaved head made him look older, like he was well into his 60s even.


    ¡°Brutis, retrieve the child,¡± Mauris commanded.


    The Priest sitting on the far left of the 12 darted his brown eyes about the room nervously. With shaky arms, he lifted his large girth out of his seat, retreated behind the other Priests, and then disappeared within the wide mouth of a cave entrance at the back of the room.


    The entire congregation craned their necks forward and squinted their eyes, all attempting to catch a glimpse of this ¡°child¡± Priest Brutis Moor had gone to retrieve.


    He returned a few seconds later with a small bundle of what seemed to be just cloth resting atop his folded arms. Brutis held the bundle away from his torso as if fearful it would explode at any second. Brutis¡¯s tense shoulders fell in relief as soon as he placed the bundle in Mauris¡¯s outstretched arms, then he rushed back to his seat in a panicked blur.


    There must be something very wrong with this child to strike so much fear in the Priests, Drayek thought as he watched the nervous fingers of 11 Priests tapping away.


    Mauris was the only Priest who had not revealed any such trepidation. However, Mauris had never been one to fall prey to his own emotions in the past. Something Drayek could relate to.


    With an emotionless, tight-lipped scowl, Mauris pulled back the white cloth to reveal a baby¡¯s face. A tiny face. Though babies were traditionally small in their city of Edrona, they were never as small or as fragile as what Drayek looked upon at that moment. The baby was frail, scrawny, unhealthy¡­.


    But that wasn¡¯t the strangest thing about the baby.


    ¡°It¡¯s skin!¡± a lanky woman standing two feet ahead of Drayek exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s so¡­ pale!¡±


    Everyone gathered in closer, fearful whispering breaking out all around him. Drayek had never seen such pale¨Calmost white¨Cskin on any humanoid creature. Drayek and the other humans in Edrona were dark and tanned. The lack of color in the child¡¯s face almost suggested it had died.


    ¡°Where did it come from?¡± Drayek said.


    Mauris narrowed his eyes in Drayek¡¯s direction but made no response to reprimand him. ¡°We found him.¡±


    Drayek paused, waiting for more explanation, then sighed. ¡°And where did you find¡­ him, did you say?¡±


    ¡°A group of Hunters found him about a day¡¯s walk outside the city borders, hidden among the crags of the rocks along their path.¡±


    Drayek frowned. Though he wasn¡¯t a ¡°chosen Priest,¡± he was still a respected warrior among the Edronans. Not only had he been the leader of the Hunters since achieving Tier 2 at the young age of 19, but he had also shown great prowess in the war against the Nagari decades ago. He was usually the first one informed when a Hunters group discovered something strange.


    Drayek frowned and glanced around the room, curious as to which Hunters discovered this child and then chose not to report the find to him before they told the Priests. But his search for said Hunters was fruitless as everyone avoided his hot glare.


    Drayek met eyes with Mauris once again. ¡°And have you and the other Priests decided what to do with him, all before consulting me or anyone else in this room?¡±


    ¡°Get rid of it!¡± someone, not in Drayek¡¯s view, screeched.


    A chorus of agreement overwhelmed the space. It seemed only Drayek had concerns about the Priests¡¯ obvious lack of forthcomingness with the other Edronan Elders.


    Mauris held up a free hand to quiet the crowd, loose sleeve falling over the sleeping baby that rested in his other arm.


    ¡°To answer your question, Drayek, we called this council to settle on a decision with all of the Elders, including you. We are leaning toward disposing of the boy, but we wanted to confer with the rest of you first.¡±


    Most of the congregation nodded in agreement to Mauris¡¯s words.


    ¡°Why dispose of him?¡± Drayek demanded. ¡°Because he¡¯s different?¡±


    Drayek took the silence that met with his outburst as clearance to continue:


    ¡°We all know there are people and beings out there. Our goddess, Lady Euridice, created many worlds¨Cmany planets. Who knows what else? What right do we have to destroy what could very well be one among her many children?¡±


    More silence, but Drayek found his lips ticking up into a smile at the sight of a few Elders, even some Priests, nodding at his words.


    ¡°I have never ventured more than a month¡¯s travel outside of Edrona. I¡¯ve never seen other cities¨Cother worlds. And as far as I know, no one here has, either.¡±


    Begrudging murmurs of agreement met Drayek¡¯s ears.


    ¡°So, maybe you have never seen a pale person because we don¡¯t know what¡¯s out there!¡± Drayek finished, looking, once again, up at Mauris.


    Mauris met Drayek¡¯s stare with a grin¨Ca sickly one. His white teeth curved upward with his thin lips. A shadow fell over Mauris¡¯s eyes as he studied Drayek, and his shoulders shook with a quiet chuckle as if he had just told himself a joke. Drayek drew his brows together and stepped backward, anticipating what Mauris was about to say before he even spoke.


    ¡°I believe Elder Drayek Grim is volunteering to take in the boy as his own,¡± Mauris crooned to the room.


    Laughter. Boisterous laughter¨Clike no one could believe the brooding Drayek Grim, a man who thrived in isolation, would ever want to, or would even be capable of, taking on the role of a father.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Drayek stuttered.


    Rowena caught his gaze and offered him a long, drawn-out wink. Everyone was mocking him.


    Drayek clenched his fists and bore down on his teeth. ¡°And if I don¡¯t take the child?¡±


    ¡°Then we kill him.¡± Mauris cradled the baby forward and onto his lap, giving Drayek a good view of the little face.


    Drayek took three steps forward to get a better look at the baby. He really was a puny little thing. He could fit in just one of Drayek¡¯s hands. Drayek could accidentally kill the child just by cradling him too hard! He wasn¡¯t fit to be a father! He¡¯d never wanted to be one, even. But¡­ Drayek believed the child deserved a chance.


    Suddenly, the baby boy opened his eyes. Drayek gasped and stumbled at the sight. Blue. A brilliant blue¨Che could only compare the color to a pool of water created fresh by a Water Mage, bubbling with swirls and hues of both light and dark shades of blue.


    The baby stared at Drayek unblinkingly, as if he could enter Drayek¡¯s mind with just a gaze. Drayek could feel the baby¡¯s presence within himself, and the presence was calming.


    Drayek wasn¡¯t the only one to notice the child''s strange yet somehow beautiful eyes. Blue eyes were another feature unknown to the Edronans.


    Before anyone could change their minds, Drayek cleared his throat and said, ¡°Fine. I will take the child.¡±

 Chapter 2: Training

    Do you know what I hate about training? It¡¯s a lot of things, really. But it¡¯s mostly the fact that I am irreparably and embarrassingly worse than Sarina is at everything. And I mean everything. She even makes strapping on her armor look sexy and effortless. Okay, that one I can give to her. She¡¯s tall, toned, gorgeous, and moves as gracefully as a watersnake in¡­ well, water.


    Not that I¡¯m jealous of her looks. No. Well, I mean, I¡¯d rather not be a scrawny boy shorter than everybody around, including Sarina. And I¡¯d kill for just a little more muscle mass. Like, come on! I¡¯ve been working out and training with weapons since I started walking! Don¡¯t you think I would have buffed out a little by now? And not to mention the fact that I was inexplicably different from every last Edronan. ¡°Pale Skinned¡± and ¡°The Weak One¡± are just two among many of the hard-earned, adorable nicknames I¡¯ve had graciously bestowed upon me (cue my eye-roll).


    But the worst part was, they were all right. All those insults, nicknames, and jabs directed at my incapabilities were all called for. Something was different about me, and not in a good way. Maybe I was crippled? Maybe my growth spurt was late? Only the goddess could know.


    But no, it was not my looks and not my obvious strangeness¨Cthough I¡¯ve dedicated many nights to wondering why I was cursed with such awful luck¨Cnone of that irks me more than this: I can¡¯t seem to excel better at anything Sarina can.


    Yeah, I know. I¡¯m such a baby. But you¡¯d feel the same if you¡¯d spent all 16 years of your life trying to prove to your entire city that you¡¯re more than they¡¯ve pegged you for.


    ¡°Rayden! Are you paying attention?¡±


    I shook myself out of my reverie, realizing I had been staring a little too long at Sarina as she laced on her armored boots. Her thick, dark locks danced over her eyes with the wind. As her curls shifted, so did the colors¨Chints of auburn, honey, and bits of bronze made their way into the spotlight as sunlight radiated off of her locks. And the way her long hair caressed the sharp angles of her face accentuated her beauty all the more.


    I cleared my throat and pretended to brush a stray piece of dirt off my sleeve, but not before I caught the hint of a smile on Sarina¡¯s lips, indicating that she had definitely noticed my stare.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Drayek. I was a little lost in thought. What was it you said?¡±


    Drayek grumbled deep in his chest, the sound accompanying an exasperated eye-roll. He folded his arms across his shining silver breastplate¨CDrayek¡¯s favorite armor. Its metal surface was lined with blood-red gems that circled each other, creating the shape of a dragon with swirling scales. His breastplate matched the red greaves and gauntlets on his legs and arms¨Ca shiny, impressive armor set typical for a Tier 3 Hunter.


    ¡°I said you¡¯re taking much too long to strap on your armor. The suns are already starting to sink lower in the sky. We don¡¯t have much daylight left, and we must get some training in.¡±


    I squinted my eyes into slits to take a look at the two suns that decorated the skies of our planet, X-47-14. They, indeed, were making their way behind the craggy rock mountains in the distance.


    I nodded in response to Drayek¡¯s glare and slid the cold metal of my rusty thigh armor over my greaves, then an equally aging breastplate over my chain mail. My training armor wasn¡¯t nearly as glamorous as Drayek¡¯s Tier 3 set. And it had, in fact, once belonged to Drayek when he was a trainee. Meaning, it was old. It was the last set he¡¯d owned before breaking through to Tier 1, so that made it 30 years old. Hence the copper rust growing along its once shiny silver surface.


    Granted, Sarina¡¯s armor wasn¡¯t much better, but at least it fit her. My head looked like the hammer of a bell once I wiggled into my outfit. Just another of the many things that made me so much different from the rest of the Edronans¨CI was much shorter and less built. Edronans were all naturally toned and lengthy¨CI was scrawny and had yet to grow into my big ears.


    ¡°What are we doing today, Drayek?¡± Sarina stepped over to the rack of weapons lining the end of the makeshift training arena. She ran a slender hand along the hilts of the broadswords, then made her way through the small selection of bows and spears.


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    Drayek had built the humble arena, about 36 feet long and wide, just for me. It resided at the back of Drayek¡¯s and my wooden dwelling. He had started preparing a space to teach me within minutes after learning the Elders and the rest of the Edronans wouldn¡¯t allow me to train with the other children. Though most children started their training around six years old, I had to wait until I was seven while Drayek created a plan to train me himself. But I considered myself lucky. Having Drayek, the best Hunter in all of Edrona, as my personal trainer was better than anything I could have asked for. No matter how grumpy he could get.


    Sarina joined our little training group when she and I were about 10 years old. Though her dark skin and slender, tall build matched the rest of the Edronans, and she didn¡¯t come into the world out of nowhere (like I did), she was still ostracized. After their Marking Ceremonies, both of Sarina¡¯s parents had come out UnMarked. Though this was rare, it still happened occasionally. And UnMarked people could not contribute much to society. Jobs demanding manual labor, farming, and assisting those who were Marked with menial work are just a few examples of the positions the UnMarked had to choose from.


    And because of her parents¡¯ isolation from the rest of the city, and their inevitable shame, Sarina had met with more than a few bullies during her time training with the others. So, Drayek offered her a spot with the two of us.


    ¡°Archery today, Sarina,¡± Drayek responded with a knowing grin.


    Sarina¡¯s brown eyes, fused with flecks of gold and orange, lit up with excitement. She scooped up a longbow and strung it along her armored back, then bundled up some arrows and packed them into a quiver.


    I groaned. Archery was definitely not my strong suit¨Cforget about the fact that Sarina was still better at everything. But I at least could hold my own with a spear.


    Drayek caught my eye and gave a subtle wink. He knew what I was thinking, and that¡¯s why he had chosen archery for today¡¯s training. He wanted me to become well-rounded in all weaponry. He didn¡¯t want me to rely on one thing and meet with my doom because a spear wasn¡¯t available for a fight. I knew he was right about that, but still¡­.


    I trudged over to the weapons rack and procured my own bow¨Ca simple weapon carved from a dark oak. It was not a longbow like the one Sarina had chosen; her superior strength allowed her to handle a longbow better than I could. Not to mention, her stupid bow was almost as tall as I was. But the one I¡¯d chosen was still a good weapon. Most bows and other wooden-crafted weapons in Edrona were carved from lesser woods, like from the trunks of the dead pine trees dotting the landscape of our craggy rock desert. But Drayek had his own way of procuring weapons:


    Drayek had once saved the life of the best Blacksmith in Edrona. His name was Gerald, and he was intent on repaying Drayek for saving him from being surrounded by Nagari during that first great battle against the creatures over 20 years ago. So, he and Drayek had struck a deal. Gerald offered Drayek weapons at half the price that he did everyone else. Drayek eventually didn¡¯t need to purchase any weapons for himself¨Cmore on that later¨Cbut it came in handy when he needed to procure non-Tiered weapons for his trainees, Sarina and me.


    After Sarina and I situated our bows and faced Drayek in anticipation of further instruction, he nodded approval at each of our choices. He then closed his eyes. I watched as he stretched out his thick arms and circled one hand around the other. Within half a second, his own bow appeared out of nowhere and landed in his grip as gently as a silent breeze. The longbow sparkled in the light and bore images of long-tailed dragons carved into its white wood, matching the dragons dancing along his armor.


    I never grew tired of watching Drayek use his Tier 3 Skill; his weapon and armor creation was my favorite. The ability to form any level-appropriate piece of armor or weapon from the banks of one¡¯s essence was more than appealing. I mean, imagine all of the beautiful and sharp spears I could make¡­.


    And Drayek never had to rely on finding or purchasing his own equipment, which was an incredible advantage. Drayek¡¯s Tier 3 Weapons Cache Skill allowed him to keep 10 weapons and 10 pieces of armor out at once, then he could switch them out as needed.


    Of course, his Skill had its limits. He couldn¡¯t give any of the equipment he created with his Skill to someone else. And he had tried. Many times. But each time a sword, helmet, breastplate, or anything would touch someone else¡¯s hands, it would disappear in a waft of smoke.


    Drayek tucked his bow under one arm, then snapped his fingers with his free hand. A line of five massive targets appeared at the end of the round arena. His Weapons Cache Skill didn¡¯t just limit Drayek to creating weapons and armor¡­.


    The targets hovered above the ground as if lighter than air. The target in the center loomed twice the size of the others and displayed a blue-colored bulls-eye, unlike the red of the others. Sarina glanced in my direction with a grin. We both knew what game we were about to play.


    Drayek snapped his fingers again, and the cloth-covered targets began dashing about various spots of the arena, prepared to dodge any oncoming arrows.


    ¡°You both know how this game works,¡± Drayek bellowed over the loud swishing of the targets dancing back and forth. ¡°Once the targets fall to the ground, in two minutes, the game is over. May the best man, or woman, win!¡±

 Chapter 3: Forever Loser

    I would have rolled my eyes at Drayek¡¯s encouragement, ¡°May the best man, or woman, win.¡± For some reason, he really wanted Sarina and me to think we had a chance. But all three of us knew Drayek would win (as he always did). But I didn¡¯t have time to wallow in my self-pity as a ¡°forever loser.¡± Both Drayek and Sarina had already bolted into the fray of moving targets. Sarina was fast for someone without yet receiving a Mark, but she was nothing compared to Drayek. He moved so quickly that his legs almost created a blurred effect, and his arms moved at a pace that made it seem like he could loose two arrows at once instead of one. And, of course, Drayek hit the red bulls-eye with every shot.


    Sarina could never match Drayek, at least not until she was Marked and could start advancing through the Tiers, but still, her capabilities were no laughing matter. As I hit a target maybe one or two times for every five shots (mind you, I never got a bulls-eye), Sarina hit the targets straight in the middle at least three times for every five arrows.


    I pressed on, however. Though weak, I was self-aware. And though small, I was determined. I had too much dignity to give up. Not to mention, Drayek would smack me upside the head, then punish me with a week¡¯s worth of hauling fresh water from the oasis, which was a mile away, all by myself.


    The twang of the bowstring whistled loudly as I shot one arrow after another. I pivoted over my right shoulder and followed in Sarina¡¯s direction. She headed for the large target with the blue circle. Every time we played this archery game with Drayek, the big blue target was worth 100 points instead of 50 like the other two. My only chance of even coming close to winning would be to get as many shots on the blue target as possible.


    Though larger than the other targets, the blue target was fast. The way it darted back and forth above my head and even behind me as I aimed reminded me of Drayek¡¯s speed, though not quite as fast.


    I continued my chase after Sarina as she trailed after the target, releasing one arrow after another. With a deep inhale of the dry, hot air surrounding me, I directed all my energy into my legs and desperately attempted to catch up to my training mate. But I was only met with dirt in my eyes as she kicked it up with her heels and sped away.


    The heat growing in my aching legs and oxygen-depleted lungs brought about spots in my vision. I forced my head around to catch a glimpse of Drayek. He had seemingly appeared out of nowhere in front of Sarina, loosing about five arrows, four of which hit the very middle of the blue painted onto the target¡¯s fraying cloth.


    I pushed forward, ignoring the stitch in my side and the burning in my lungs. I was going to hit the blue target if it killed me. Okay, no. Not if it killed me. I didn¡¯t want to die. That¡¯s too dramatic. I was going to hit the blue target if it¡­ if it made me have to take the longest nap in the history of our entire universe of The Erudition Collective.


    I knew I¡¯d be sore the next day¨Cso much so that even walking would prove excruciating, but I didn¡¯t care. I had never hit the blue target before in any of our archery training sessions. And tomorrow¡­ tomorrow was the Marking Ceremony. In this event, all trainees who had recently turned 16 would go into the goddess¡¯s temple and potentially accept her Mark. It would also be where I¡¯d find out, if I came out Marked, my Tier 1 Skill¨Ca Skill like Drayek¡¯s Tier 3 Weapons Cache, but much weaker. Skills at his level would come as we advanced to Tier 2 and Tier 3.


    You couldn¡¯t tell if someone was Marked or UnMarked just by looking at them. Drayek explained it to me like a Mark was an internal seal, something not visible to the naked eye. If Lady Euridice had predestined you for her Mark, she would touch your Soul and activate it for cultivation. Drayek remembered the process as a warm and slightly burning sensation in his chest. But he looked just as he always had¨Cno visible Mark to be found on his entire person.


    Not only would I find out if I would receive a Mark during the ceremony, but I would also find out how much Soul Strength I had.


    In order to advance through the Tiers, one needed a certain amount of Soul Strength. Think of it as your Soul¡¯s potential¨Cwhat your Soul will allow you to achieve. To even reach Tier 1, I would have to have at least an amount of one Soul Strength, and then the amount required to Tier up after that increased exponentially. I didn¡¯t quite know the numbers because Drayek said the cultivation process wouldn¡¯t be discussed with me until I came out of the ceremony with a Mark. If I came out with a Mark¡­.


    But I did know that coming out of the ceremony with a high Soul Strength number, like 10 or 20 Soul Strength, was ideal¨Cit promised for an easier time when advancing to Tier 3, which was the highest anyone in Edrona had ever achieved. If I did come out with a low Soul Strength, I could still work to increase it, but the process of growing Soul Strength was slow and arduous.


    Or, it could turn out even worse; I could come out UnMarked. But that was not going to happen to me.


    Though I knew better, something in the recesses of my ever-so-aware gut told me that the harder I trained and the more strength I displayed to Lady Euridice, the better chances I had to receive her Mark. But everyone knew that¡¯s not how it worked. The goddess predestined her people for a Mark¨Cthe decision was already made. And those she left UnMarked were still within her loving embrace. If you came out UnMarked, that meant you had zero Soul Strength. And if you tried to cultivate with zero Soul Strength, your Soul could not handle it, resulting in your body ripping apart.


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    The Edronans believed that not receiving a Mark was just the goddess¡¯s way of protecting them from a less-than-ideal way to die. Regardless, UnMarked people had still tried to cultivate¡­. It never turned out well.


    Granted, the majority of Edronans came out of the ceremony Marked, but, like Sarina¡¯s parents, coming out UnMarked wasn¡¯t unheard of. And for my entire life, I had looked on to the time for my ceremony with trepidation. I wasn¡¯t a typical Edronan.


    With my head leaning over my shoulders, I clenched my fists and willed more speed. The blue target attempted to dodge more of Drayek¡¯s and Sarina¡¯s arrows, only succeeding occasionally.


    Maybe the target¡¯s distracted by them.


    At this point, Drayek and Sarina didn¡¯t pay any heed to the other targets¨Cthey only had eyes for the blue.


    I finally caught up to the position of the blue target. Instead of speeding across the entire arena, it jumped from side to side as if attempting to tease Drayek and Sarina. I slowed my sprint to a jog and crept behind the target, carefully biding my time as it played with Drayek and Sarina.


    The targets in this game had thoughts and strategies of their own. While the blue target strategized for a dodging match with the other game players, I would sneak in from the side.


    I waited one second, two seconds, then hurled myself to the right as the target jumped in the same direction. I rolled onto the ground over my left shoulder, feeling the graininess of the dirt wiggle its way into my armor. Now crouching face to face with the daunting blue circle, I drew the taut string of my bow back onto my cheek. I inhaled sharply, then released the arrow with an exhale.


    The arrow twisted through the air with a high-pitched whistle. I prayed to the goddess that no unwarranted breeze would interrupt its path. The feathers at the arrow¡¯s end rustled from the speed, but to me, it seemed to move in slow motion. I held my breath and slowly placed my left palm against the rough ground to steady myself.


    And then it hit.


    Straight in the middle of the blue. And right in between a dotted decoration of purple and green arrows, purple for Drayek and green for Sarina. I couldn¡¯t stop staring at the bright yellow¨Cmy colored arrow¨Camong the masses, like a yellow-stemmed flower blooming from a bed meant only for purple and green plants. I dropped my bow from my right hand, and my jaw dropped right along with it.


    ¡°Game!¡± Drayek hollered. The targets dropped to the ground at the snap of his fingers, awaiting the final arrow count.


    I shook myself from my frozen state and grinned.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I leaped into the air and pumped my fist in elation. ¡°I did it! Drayek, did you see?¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Rayden.¡± But I caught a hint of his proud smile as he marched over to the targets to begin tallying up points.


    ¡°Nice, Rayden! I saw that shot!¡± Sarina sidled up to me and patted a fond hand on my shoulder.


    My face warmed at both her touch and at the slight embarrassment tunneling its way into my emotions. Sarina meant well, but there was always a touch of shame within me when she complimented my accomplishments¨Cmainly because mine seemed so small compared to hers.


    I shrugged my shoulder away from her hand but smiled nonetheless. An accomplishment was an accomplishment, and I could still let myself feel excited about it.


    ¡°Thanks. I can¡¯t believe I actually did it.¡±


    Sarina dropped her rejected hand to her side, but her face revealed no sign of offense. ¡°I knew you could do it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, come here, you two!¡±


    Drayek¡¯s elegantly carved longbow had already disappeared back into his Weapons Cache. This non-visible place seemed to exist in another dimension. Replacing his weapon was a thick piece of yellowed parchment in one hand, and the other hand scratched a slim piece of charcoal against the paper¡¯s surface.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished tallying the scores. I won with 1,450 points, Sarina came in second at 600, and Rayden¡­ you just beat your high score! 250 points!¡±


    The silly grins on Drayek¡¯s and Sarina¡¯s faces brought a frown to mine. I knew they meant well, but their slewed words of praise that followed the announced scores felt almost condescending. I kicked a stray pebble on the ground with an armored boot.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I mumbled, the previous high from my success disappearing like a wisp of smoke blown away by the wind.


    My measly 250 points were laughable next to not only Drayek¡¯s but also Sarina¡¯s scores. But¡­ I puffed out my cheeks, then released the air in my lungs with a long sigh. I was still making progress. I was getting better. That¡¯s what mattered. In our last archery session, I had only scored 150 points. I could at least feel a little less embarrassed.


    Drayek directed us to stow our weapons and armor, informing us that the one archery game would be all the training he had planned for the day.


    ¡°I want the two of you well-rested for tomorrow¡¯s ceremony,¡± he said as he slid out of his own armor. It sparkled less once the planet¡¯s two suns had finished their descent past the jagged mountains. However, the fiery red rubies scattered about its surface still glimmered ferociously as Drayek reverently placed each piece on the rack.


    Sarina and I glanced at one another, trepidation striking the two of us like the butt of a spear thrust into the stomach. She and I both had reason to feel nervous about the Marking Ceremony. Her parents had both come out of theirs UnMarked. No evidence suggested that coming out Marked or not was genetic. Still, the fear of becoming her parents was something Sarina had looming over her like a dark storm for her entire life.


    And me¡­ well, I didn¡¯t know if I could even receive a Mark¨Cno one knew where I had come from. Most people didn¡¯t think Lady Euridice would even accept me into her fold. Not only was I not Edronan, but I didn¡¯t even know if I came from the universe of The Erudition Collective, let alone this planet.


    ¡°Will you stay for dinner tonight, Sarina?¡±


    ¡°Not tonight, sir. My parents would like to spend the evening with me.¡±


    Drayek nodded. ¡°Very good. Well, just you and me, Rayden. Go and set the table, will you? I¡¯ll get dinner started.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    I waved half-heartedly in Sarina¡¯s direction as she made her way out of the arena and to the dusty path leading away from Drayek¡¯s and my hovel. The wave she returned was almost worse than mine. I wondered if her stomach flipped and groaned as much as mine did at that moment.


    I shoved a fist into my gut and mentally urged it to calm down. If I felt this bad now, I couldn¡¯t imagine what tomorrow would be like.

 Chapter 4: The Temple of Euridice

    In and out. That¡¯s it. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll live.


    I repeated those words in my head like a mantra. And the words were valid; I would live, even if I came out UnMarked. But what I had a hard time convincing myself of was the fact that, if UnMarked, I¡¯d still be able to live a worthwhile life. Society in Edrona (and everywhere else, I¡¯d imagine) ran by the usefulness of the Marked¡¯s skills and abilities. Hydraulic talents provided fresh water in our desolate, rocky lands. Hunters fought off monsters and provided food for Edrona. The UnMarked¡­ they tended bars and helped clean the waters of the oasis. Yes, they had function, but I wanted to be¡­ more. I wanted to be Drayek.


    Drayek rarely opened up to me about his travels and fights, but I knew this: Drayek stood at the top of the Hunters¨Cthe best of the best. Rumor had it that he had single-handedly won the war for Edrona 20 years ago when the Nagari tribe, a very large group of humanoid snake men (creatures of which I am lucky to have never beheld with my own eyes), tried to take our lands from us. And Drayek had only been a Tier 1 at the time, proving his capabilities very early on.


    Through whispered storytelling and in passing, I¡¯d heard tales of Drayek¡¯s unmatched strength as he swung a sword emblazoned with fire and sliced through scaly torsos and necks effortlessly as he tore through the Nagari ranks.


    When asking Drayek to confirm these stories, I¡¯d only ever receive this reply, ¡°I was definitely there.¡±


    I needed to think about something else. My body began swaying from side to side as nerves coursed through my veins with a hot intensity. And the packed bodies waiting in the temple¡¯s modest-sized chamber to the right of the entrance didn¡¯t provide me with any calm. And the sour scent of nervous sweat emanating off of those bodies made my eyes water, which increased the painful pounding in my head.


    I recognized most of the kids in the chamber, all my age. 16 was the age for the Marking Ceremony. But the fact that I recognized most of them was not a good thing. Most likely, especially if I knew them by name, the other kids I recognized had participated in bullying me my entire life.


    Sure, I recognized many of them through seeing them in town when going to the Markets with Drayek to trade the loot he scored on hunts, but even those kids would sneer at me as I passed. In fact, most of the adults in this goddess-forsaken city treated me the same way; I was treated less than dirt, almost like I might as well have been a cursed Nagari.


    And today was no exception.


    About two feet to my left stood the worst bully of them all: Dorian. Against my better judgment, I met his dark eyes. His thin top lip curled up in a hideous sneer as he looked my scrawny frame up and down in obvious amusement.


    I¡¯d lost count of the times Dorian and his three stubby goons, the three who even now stood attached to Dorian, sought me out just to give me an unnecessary beating. And I could tell by the looks on their faces that they¡¯d take whatever chance they¡¯d get to do the same to me today¨CMarking Ceremony or not.


    I tore my eyes away from Dorian¡¯s patronizing glare so as to not punch that evil grin off his long, dopey face. Thank the goddess, I found a much kinder face fifteen or so paces to my right.


    Once Sarina saw me, a brilliant smile lit up her entire face, crinkling her eyes up in that adorable way. My chest tightened uncomfortably at the sight of her pretty smile. I chalked the feeling up to relief to see a friend among the masses of jerks. I also tried to ignore the erratic skip of my heartbeat.


    Sarina waved at me, and a lustrous lock of hair fell over her forehead as her arm moved. She seemed just as relieved to see me as I was to see her.


    ¡°You ready?¡± I mouthed to her as I waved in return.


    Sarina''s tan ceremony gown, which matched what I and everyone else wore, rippled in waves from her collarbone to her ankles as she shrugged.


    ¡°Ready as I¡¯ll ever be,¡± she mouthed back.


    ¡°Children, children! Settle down!¡±


    The nervous and excited chatter died as quickly as a small flame quenched by a stream of water. Everyone recognized Priest Mauris Kane¡¯s voice when they heard it. Distinctive, low, raspy¡­. It was definitely his voice.


    The Priest swept into the chamber with a flourish of his fire-red robes trailing behind him. His bald head shone from the glow of lit candles lighting the small side chamber, and he brandished his gaudy ring that bore a diamond-encrusted water droplet. The ring indicated his position as a Water Priest and as one of the most important people in Edrona, and he waved it around as he always did to make sure we all saw it¨Cas if we didn¡¯t already know his position.


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    No matter how strong my urge was to offer an exasperated eye-roll in the Priest¡¯s direction, I wasn¡¯t an idiot. Mauris Kane arguably held the most respected role in our city, so much so that the other 11 Priests in Edrona took his word as commandment¨Calmost like he spoke for Lady Euridice herself. So, no matter how ridiculous the Priest¡¯s boastful attitude felt to me, I still had to show the man the respect he deserved.


    The Priest pushed through the frontline of nervous teenagers, and each person in his way gave him no trouble as he did so. As soon as Priest Kane secured a spot in the center of the chamber and achieved a good view of the dozens of 16-year-olds, he proffered a gentle smile. The corners of his lips pulled on the bits of saggy skin on his cheeks, making him look significantly older than he was. Though the Priest wasn¡¯t more than 10 years older than Drayek, who was in his mid-50s, Priest Kane looked well into his 70s, maybe even 80. It could very well be because of the worry lines boring into the top of his bald head.


    ¡°Children, you have made it!¡±


    The Priest outstretched his short arms and raised his pointy chin to the ceiling.


    Is he expecting applause?


    No one made a sound, so I wasn¡¯t about to start clapping alone.


    Priest Kane¡¯s smile only grew with the silence. ¡°Today, you will each seek Lady Euridice¡¯s blessing. This isn¡¯t what you trained for, so don¡¯t expect that. No matter how strong you¡¯ve become, no matter how skilled with a blade, or how intelligent you are, the goddess has already predestined you for what is about to occur in this temple.¡±


    Why is he looking at me? I shifted my feet and avoided the Priest¡¯s eerie gaze.


    The Priest had always shown a strange fascination with me. I can name at least two separate times I had caught a glimpse of him watching me train at my own home with a tilted head and narrowed eyes, as if he was studying my every move. Why a Priest would go out of his way to keep tabs on me, I couldn¡¯t tell you. But I could tell you that it probably had something to do with my mysterious origin. Maybe the Priests had reason to fear what my future might bring; maybe they wondered what I might become. Who knew? But I couldn¡¯t blame them. I was curious about all of that, too.


    ¡°Your training merely provides you with a head start in gathering and cultivating power once you receive your Mark, so let go of any arrogance or any insecurities you may have about your physical and mental capabilities. Just pay your respects to the goddess and receive what she believes you deserve.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at each of us. ¡°And be grateful for whatever happens.¡±


    The dozens of nervous gulps around me were so audible I couldn¡¯t even hear my own.


    Most of the 16-year-olds in that chamber would come out of the ceremony with a Mark¨Cwe all knew that. But that didn¡¯t stop the existence of UnMarkeds. At least two came out UnMarked at every ceremony, hence the abundance of nervous energy bouncing about the room. However, the odds were still in everyone¡¯s favor, at least for the actual Edronans. Who knew what my odds were?


    Priest Kane whirled around toward the door to the chamber, flinging the tail of his long robe behind himself simultaneously. He flicked a finger in an indication that we should follow him.


    And we did. One after the other. The passageway through the side chamber door proved too narrow for more than one pair of shoulders to get through.


    I¡¯d lost track of Sarina at this point and determined I wouldn¡¯t be able to speak with her until after the ceremony. So, I positioned myself near the end of the line to avoid too much poking and prodding from the others wishing to torment me. But it seemed any tyrannical thoughts were far from anyone¡¯s mind at that moment.


    I held my breath as the line meandered through the narrow passageway''s twists and curves. My arms brushed the cold stone walls more than once, and each time, I felt like the walls were drawing in closer and closer. I hated tight spaces.


    Finally, it was my turn to emerge into the light of the altar room. I released my held breath and let my shoulders fall in relief. Light streamed from the suns through the tall glass windows, windows that stretched past the immense height of the walls and continued over the high ceiling.


    I welcomed the warmth from the suns¡¯ rays and closed my eyes against them. Though stuffy from the mass of 16-year-olds, the side chamber had been damp and cold.


    The altar room was massive and empty, save for a large box at the end that held the altar. The stone box served like a room within a room, offering privacy for each child as they went through their individual ceremonies. I knew nothing more than that¨Cnot what the altar looked like, what would happen, how it would feel¡­. The Marking Ceremony was a sacred rite in Edrona. It was very private and very secret. It was frowned upon to discuss the ceremony in detail.


    The group of 16-year-olds spread out at one end of the room as Priest Kane stepped toward the front, where the other 11 Priests stood in front of the altar box. His heeled boots click-clacked against the smooth marble floor, the sound echoing ominously in the otherwise silent space.


    Priest Kane took his place at the center of the other Priests¡¯ semicircle and folded his fingers in front of him.


    ¡°We will call each of you by name. When your name is called, you will approach the altar box and enter alone. Once you are finished, you will leave the Temple of Euridice quietly through there.¡± The Priest pointed toward a round door to the left of the altar box. ¡°As each name is called, the rest of you will wait for your turn patiently as each Marking Ceremony is completed. Any questions?¡±


    Priest Kane¡¯s beady eyes scanned the faces of the 16-year-olds with a scowl, daring any of us to actually venture a question. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught some poor girl raising her hand as she dared a question.


    ¡°How will we know our ceremony is over?¡±


    Whispered murmurs of agreement resounded around me, but the noise quickly dissipated at the raise of Priest Kane¡¯s eyebrows.


    ¡°Your Marking Ceremonies will take as long as they take. It varies from person to person. And trust me, you will know when it is over.¡± The Priest rolled his shoulders back. ¡°Anyone else?¡±


    No response, no movement.


    ¡°Very well. We will begin.¡±

 Chapter 5: The Marking Ceremony

    Hours passed, and the sky outside the many windows grew dark with night before I heard my name called. One person after another pushed past me and toward the altar box, and each one left said box with a smile on their face, including Sarina.


    She gave me a quick thumbs up as she left the box, her spirits obviously higher than the night prior. I felt a brief moment of happiness for her, and it warmed my nervous, churning insides. But the happiness quickly disappeared as the exit door closed behind Sarina, and she was gone.


    I glanced around and counted only ten more 16-year-olds, including myself.


    Just my luck to be one of the last.


    Little did I know how laughable that thought in my head would become. I turned out to be dead last.


    ¡°Rayden.¡±


    I shuddered at the sound of Priest Kane¡¯s raspy voice speaking my name. It bounced off the walls and echoed eerily in the now empty room, save for myself and the 12 Priests standing several feet in front of me.


    Of course, he said no surname after ¡°Rayden.¡± That¡¯s how it was for all of the 16-year-olds before me, as well. A surname was only given to you once a mentor accepted you as an apprentice and offered you their surname as a symbol of the relationship. Of course, the UnMarked went through life without ever receiving a last name, but there were even those among the Marked who could never land a mentor. And as a result, never received a surname.


    I wiped my sweaty palms along my tan ceremonial trousers. The fabric of my pants scraped against my skin uncomfortably. The material felt like burlap, honestly. I then made my way toward the semicircle of Priests.


    I pressed the heels of my hands together and outstretched them toward the Priests with my head bowed¨Cthe Edronan sign of respect one was expected to present to a Priest when approaching them. Offering the hands symbolized willingness to serve the city in the way that the goddess seemed fit, told to you through her mouthpieces: the Priests.


    Priest Kane nodded in acknowledgment of the offering, and the other 11 Priests followed suit. Though, even with their acknowledgment, I could feel their less-than-welcome stares burning through my skin as they studied me in trepidation. Something told me they had been nervously approaching the day I would go through the Marking Ceremony just as much as I had.


    The Priests stepped aside to create an opening in the center of their semicircle. I dropped my arms to my sides and, avoiding their intense stares, advanced toward the wide door carved into the stone of the altar box.


    I pushed into the door and leaped back as it opened quickly and with a loud whoosh. I poked my head over the threshold and attempted to peer into the darkness before entering. Realizing I was being ridiculous, I forced my feet forward and into the room. The stone door slammed shut behind me as soon as my entire body made it over the threshold.


    Here goes nothing.


    I walked three more steps forward, hoping my eyes would adjust to the darkness and enable me to see my path better. As soon as my feet hit the hard ground on my third step, a brilliant blue light blasted its way into my vision as, one by one, torches came alive with blue flames. The torches hung on the gray stone walls and led me down a path to the end of what looked like a long corridor.


    I whistled. The altar box looked much larger on the inside than on the outside. An illusory spell, maybe?


    I continued on, my entire body growing tense as I waited for something¨Canything¨Cto happen as I walked. But nothing did.


    Not until I reached the end of the lines of torches.


    There, against the furthest wall, stood a strange object¨Can object unlike anything I¡¯d ever seen before. It rested atop a simple, short table made from a stone that matched the walls. The object was slim, black, and flat and glowed iridescent blues and purples from its surface. I inched closer and leaned over the glowing item to further study it.


    Are those words?


    I tilted my head to the side, and sure enough, words floated on the bright, smooth surface of the object:


    PLEASE PLACE YOUR PALM ON THE SCREEN.


    ¡°Screen?¡± I whispered aloud. I had never seen or heard that word in my entire life, but if I had to guess¡­.


    I warily outstretched my right hand over the object and set it on top of the glowing surface. It was cool to the touch, and I relaxed my body as a few seconds went by with no sudden bursts of pain.


    Then, a shrill, high-pitched tone came from the device. I jumped in surprise, accidentally removing my hand from the ¡°screen.¡±


    I cursed and moved to replace my hand, but then the screen blinked the words:


    THANK YOU. PLEASE WAIT WHILE CALCULATIONS ARE MADE.


    I waited for what felt like ages. How long should this take?


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    I worried that my result would be unsatisfactory if it had to take this long. I remembered that Priest Kane had said a ceremony¡¯s length of time varies for each individual. But he didn¡¯t say whether a long or short wait correlated directly with whether or not you¡¯d receive a Mark.


    Another high-pitched tone buzzed from the device. I didn¡¯t jump from shock this time and knew to look at the screen for more words:


    YOUR STATUS HAS BEEN DETERMINED.


    NAME: RAYDEN


    UNMARKED


    My heart plummeted to my feet, making my legs feel heavy and weak. I dug into my eyes with the palms of my hands. Maybe I had read it wrong. But no, clear as a cloudless day, the screen mocked me with the daunting word:


    UNMARKED.


    I bit back the hot tears threatening their way to my eyes. I turned to leave, not wanting to be in there for a second longer, but was stopped by another tone from the device. I whirled my head back toward the screen. An ounce of hope brought my heartbeat to a dangerously fast pace.


    ERROR CODE 4353: UNABLE TO DETERMINE SOUL STRENGTH. TOO HIGH TO COMPUTE.


    Too high to compute?


    No. That had to be a joke.


    Drayek was known to have one of the highest levels of Soul Strength in Edrona, and he had come out of his ceremony with 20. And even now, he wasn¡¯t past 30. How high did mine have to be to essentially break the device? 40? 50? Impossible!


    Yes. A mistake. That¡¯s what it has to be.


    Without hesitation, I reached out to touch the screen again, but just as soon as my fingertips brushed the screen, the iridescent glow faded and went completely black. No amount of poking or prodding brought the device back to life.


    I shoved a fist to my mouth and held in a scream of frustration. Even if I had an insurmountable amount of Soul Strength, what was the good of that if I wasn¡¯t Marked?! I had no hope of cultivating and advancing through the Tiers¨Cno matter the ridiculous amount of Soul Strength I might have!


    Not to mention the fact that the goddess withheld a Mark only from those with zero Soul Strength¨Cto protect them! So, what was up with my status? Did she not want to give me a Mark because I¡¯m not Edronan?


    I ground my teeth and clenched my fists, forcing myself to not grab the ceremony device and throw it against a wall. All of my past fears, insecurities, and worries came up all at once. They brought an uncomfortable tightness to my chest. It didn¡¯t seem fair¨Cit wasn¡¯t fair!


    Even after I calmed myself down with a few slow breaths, I couldn¡¯t stop staring at the strange device¨Cthe device that had decided my entire future within just a few minutes.


    I could¡¯ve stayed, staring, for much longer, but I didn¡¯t want to get into trouble for standing in the altar box for too long. Though ceremony times varied by individual, I could tell my time in the room was beginning to surpass any of the others¡¯.


    I trudged my way down the corridor of the altar box. The torches still blazed with their eerily blue flames but extinguished themselves one by one as I walked by.


    Finally, I reached the door of the box and heaved it open with my shoulder. I attempted to wipe the scowl off my face for the Priests¡¯ sakes. I didn¡¯t have to smile, but I didn¡¯t have to look angry, either.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    I ripped my eyes away from my feet and met the gaze of each Priest one by one, then ended in a staring match with Priest Kane.


    ¡°What happened?¡± The Priest licked his cracked lips greedily.


    I shrunk back a step but answered, ¡°UnMarked.¡±


    The Priests glanced at one another, but no one offered a response to my declaration.


    ¡°Did anything else happen? Did you actually see the word ¡®UnMarked¡¯?¡± Priest Kane inched half a foot toward me, and I took another step back.


    ¡°Uh, isn¡¯t the Marking Ceremony sacred? I was under the impression that we don¡¯t discuss details.¡±


    All of the Priests were closer to me now. They started to surround me in a suffocating circle of red robes and curious stares.


    Priest Kane shrugged and chuckled. ¡°Oh, just this once, boy. What exactly did the device say?¡±


    I swallowed. Something about the intensity of his stare raised the hairs on the back of my neck. It felt¡­ off.


    ¡°It said I am UnMarked. That¡¯s all,¡± I lied. But I continued the staring contest with Priest Kane and urged the nervous trembling in my limbs to cease.


    I didn¡¯t want to reveal my ¡°too high¡± Soul Strength. I didn¡¯t like how the Priests watched my every move with hints of curious smiles on their faces.


    ¡°You must be disappointed,¡± said a Priestess to my far left. But, even as she spoke, her abnormal smile didn¡¯t falter.


    In fact, even after I declared my status for the second time, the Priests were not deterred. They continued their study of me.


    Priest Kane grinned, but his eyes didn¡¯t lift as they would with a genuine smile. They remained round and scanned every inch of my body.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my boy. But there is a purpose for all of Lady Euridice¡¯s people here in Edrona. We¡¯ll find something for you.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I gave a curt nod and wiggled my way out of the tight circle of Priests.


    It took all of my self-control not to run for the exit, but it didn¡¯t stop the breath of relief I released once I made it outside of the building.


    Then I broke out into a jog.


    It was late into the night, so all other ceremony initiates and various passersby were most likely in their homes and in bed. So, I kept running down the road. But I still caught myself looking back at the massive gray-stoned temple with its tall spire poking into the night sky.


    Every time I had come into town in my 16 years of life, I had looked at the Temple of Euridice with awe and anticipation. Yes, the lingering fear of coming out UnMarked had always been there, but that had never quenched my hopes and endless daydreaming. I¡¯d wanted to be as strong as Drayek someday¨Cstronger. Now, that would never be a possibility.


    The intricately carved statue of Lady Euridice, the goddess of all in existence, still loomed in front of the temple as it always did. Once, I would have admired the beautiful features carved into her round face and the time it had taken the sculptor to detail the curls in the long locks that fell past the end of her long gown. But now, it felt like the statue was just a mocking reminder.


    I could have sworn I saw the corners of the goddess¡¯s stone lips uptick into a half-smile, as if she taunted me. I wasn¡¯t one of her chosen. I never had been.


    I wiped a sleeve against the stubborn tear that had escaped my eye and quickened my pace, headed for home.

 Chapter 6: UnMarked

    I should have known that Dorian and his idiotic squad wouldn¡¯t allow me safe passage home after my Marking Ceremony. I rarely made it through a trip into town without a run-in with them.


    I slowed my jog at the sight of their ugly faces. They stood at the end of the dirt road leading out of town, competing against one another with how many lizards each could kill with the throw of a rock. They hadn¡¯t noticed my approach yet, but I knew they were waiting for me.


    I glanced down the road past them and then around them, but I had already passed the mass of buildings in the city, and other landmarks that might provide enough cover for me to sneak past were nonexistent. I turned over my right shoulder and looked briefly at the city that had grown distant behind me.


    Maybe my best bet was to trek a mile into the city again, then trail around and take another road back to the hovel. It would take a good deal longer, at least another hour or two, but I preferred that over a beating from some stupid bullies. On top of everything else that had happened today, I did not want to deal with them.


    As I thought about those things, I turned around myself and moved back toward the center of Edrona. But it was too late. They had already seen me.


    ¡°Hey, Pale Skinned!¡±


    I exhaled heavily through my nose and pivoted agonizingly slowly in order to face the group. I was still about twenty feet away from them, but I could clearly see the malicious smirks on their faces.


    ¡°What do you want, Dorian?¡±


    Dorian¡¯s grin grew, white teeth flashing underneath the moonlight. He waved a hand forward, commanding his cronies to fall in at his side, and then all four began their march toward me.


    ¡°We just wanted to see how your Marking Ceremony went. Didn¡¯t we, boys?¡±


    My shoulders tensed as they approached. Phantom aches and pains flared up in the various places they had pummeled and bruised me in the past.


    ¡°We all, of course, came out Marked,¡± Dorian continued, gesturing at himself and his companions. ¡°We have some rather interesting Tier 1 Skills to test out now. And our Soul Strength levels aren¡¯t bad, either.¡±


    His friends nodded enthusiastically as they pounded their stubby fists together, anticipating a good beating.


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± I said, ¡°your Skill increased your hideousness? It¡¯s working already!¡±


    Dorian sneered but otherwise ignored my comment. ¡°What are you, Pale Skinned? Marked or UnMarked?¡±


    Dorian¡¯s nose was just inches away from mine at this point, but I dug my shoes deeper into the rocky floor and tried to stand taller. It didn¡¯t do much, though. Dorian still towered over me by a head and a half.


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you whether I¡¯m Marked or not?¡±


    Dorian threw a rock up into the air, then caught it in his other hand. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re just curious. You can¡¯t blame us for that. Surely, you know that everyone in Edrona has wondered what the mysterious ¡®baby born from the desert¡¯ would come out as.¡±


    Of course I knew that. I was more than aware, trust me. And I had heard that term, ¡°baby born from the desert,¡± my entire life. I had never been¡­ a real person to most of the Edronans. Just a bizarre object that appeared from seemingly nowhere in the middle of the desert. All the more reason I felt angry to be UnMarked, and angry that I would have to share that fact with the people who had, and continued to, mistreat me.


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    ¡°Come on, Weakling.¡± Dorian teased.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Weakling,¡± one of the many stupid nicknames that people liked to throw at me.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just let me pass.¡±


    I tried to shove past Dorian, but his three companions lined up behind him and blocked my path. I bounced off of Dorian, the force of my shove backfiring on me. As I stumbled back and struggled to catch myself, Dorian didn¡¯t even seem fazed.


    Is he stronger than he had been before? Now that he¡¯s advanced to Tier 1¡­?


    ¡°You must be UnMarked, huh?¡± Dorian wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°Otherwise, you would have told me you were Marked already.¡±


    I could feel the heat growing in my face. ¡°Shut up, Dorian.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Dorian threw his head back and shared a laugh with his compatriots. ¡°That¡¯s some big talk for an UnMarked.¡±


    Before I could comprehend what I was doing, my fist met with Dorian¡¯s square jaw. His face flew to his left, but instead of flinching in pain, his smile only grew. But even if he didn¡¯t feel pain from the hit, I definitely did. I shook my fingers and hissed at the sting of newly cracked knuckles. I had hit him hard.


    ¡°You want to play, UnMarked? Fine. Let¡¯s play!¡±


    I instantly regretted my punch. I had never been able to hold my own against these four bullies in the past, and now they had all advanced to Tier 1. But I couldn¡¯t help myself! Dorian using the word ¡°UnMarked¡± like he did with all my other nicknames inflamed all of the hatred and anger I had already harbored for him.


    But as Dorian and his three cronies bent into fight-ready stances, I inwardly chastised myself for allowing myself to do something so dumb as punching him in the face.


    The bullies had no actual structure as they attacked. Gregor and Milar, who stood at Dorian¡¯s right, lunged themselves at me with fists flying. I managed to dodge about two-thirds of their blows but doubled over as more than a few punches met with my gut.


    As I fought to rise from the ground, I caught sight of Dorian circling his hands in front of his face.


    He¡¯s casting a spell.


    I forced my arms underneath me and heaved myself up. I had no idea what Dorian¡¯s new Tier 1 Skill was, but I didn¡¯t want to find out. I weaved in between Gregor and Milar and prepared myself to bolt but was caught by Dorian¡¯s other friend, Owin. His pudgy arms squeezed around my middle like the grip of a snake wrapping around its prey.


    I kicked my legs frantically, both feet now lifted off the ground as Owin pulled me up. All of these boys were definitely stronger than they had been before. It was slight but noticeable.


    Dorian finished his hand circles, then threw his fingers in my direction. Suddenly, a pile of rocks took to the air, then soared over Dorian¡¯s head at impressive speeds. Then, each rock hurled its way toward the exposed parts of my body; my legs, my knees, my arms, a few on my chest; and at least three stones impacted my cheek, and one sent pain shooting through my head as it struck the corner of my left eye.


    The rocks were small, and even through the chaos, I could ascertain that he had only sent the smaller loose stones and left the larger ones untouched¨Cthank the goddess. Possibly because his Tier 1 Skill limited what Dorian could control with his mind. But telekinesis, even at a weaker Tier 1 level, was an impressive Skill and would be extremely useful to Dorian¨Cno matter what profession he chose.


    Jealousy crept its way into my chest, but I pushed it down. Dorian was the last person I wanted to feel envious of.


    ¡°What are you going to do? Kill me?¡± I choked past Owin¡¯s tight grip. ¡°You know the punishment for murdering other Edronans! They¡¯ll put you¨Call of you¨Cthrough the Soul Ripper!¡±


    The Soul Ripper, a device I¡¯d never seen before and had only heard of, was hidden deep underneath the Temple of Euridice''s main level. It was only ever used in severe cases, like murder, which didn¡¯t happen often in our city. But it did happen¡­ occasionally. Not in my lifetime had it happened, but Drayek had mentioned remembering one or two Soul Ripper punishments in the last 50 years.


    I had heard through whisperings and rumors that the Soul Ripper didn''t kill the criminal; it tore apart his or her Soul, a fate much worse than a mere death. Before the long and excruciating death, your Soul¨Cyour very being and everything that made up who you were¨Cwas destroyed, making it impossible for any chance at a happy afterlife. Or so I heard.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Dorian licked his lips, ¡°the law states that I would be sent to the Soul Ripper if I kill an Edronan.¡± He paused. ¡°You¡¯re not Edronan.¡±


    I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to think of a solution¨Can escape¨Canything! But I could do nothing against Owin¡¯s stranglehold. I dared a peek at Dorian, and he was moving his hands in circles again. Gregor was also waving his stubby arms in preparation for casting a spell.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

 Chapter 7: Soul Strength

    My lips twitched up into a relieved smile at the sound of Drayek¡¯s voice. It came from somewhere behind me. I felt Owin¡¯s grip slacken, and I took the opportunity to wriggle out from his arms. I rolled on the ground past Owin, Gregor, and Milar, then leaped to my feet and stood next to Drayek.


    Drayek instinctively took a step in front of me, arms folded and serious face almost hidden by the shadows of night.


    Dorian and Gregor ceased casting their spells, and all four bullies dropped their arms to their sides and stared at their feet.


    ¡°Elder Grim!¡± With eyes still glued to his feet, Dorian raised his hands in surrender. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you, sir. We did not expect¨C¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t expect me to check on Rayden, who hadn¡¯t come home, even hours after I expected him to.¡± Drayek snorted. ¡°Intelligence was never your strong suit, was it, Dorian?¡±


    A flush of red swirled onto Dorian¡¯s cheeks. Embarrassed? Maybe. Angry? Definitely. I didn¡¯t even try to hide the smirk on my face. It was always a pleasure to see Dorian uncomfortable in any way.


    But Dorian still nodded at Drayek¡¯s rude remark. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Drayek eyed each of the boys in turn, then growled, ¡°Go home. All of you. Next time, I won¡¯t be so merciful.¡±


    With sharp intakes of breath, the boys offered Drayek hurried bows of their heads, then scurried past us and back toward the city. But Dorian slowed as he drew close to my ear.


    ¡°Your bodyguard can¡¯t save you every time, UnMarked,¡± he hissed.


    I set my jaw and shot a hot glare at Dorian, but before Drayek could notice the whispering, Dorian sped his pace and caught up with the other three.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you home, too,¡± Drayek directed to me after the image of the boys grew distant. ¡°I¡¯m sure we have some things to talk about.¡±


    ***


    Drayek¡¯s face revealed no emotion as I relayed what happened during my ceremony. He sat back in his cheap wooden chair, shadows flickering over his tight jaw as the fire in our modest fireplace blazed with oranges and yellows.


    When we¡¯d gotten home, Drayek had immediately walked the length of the tiny room we treated as our dining area, then had sat in front of a mug of untouched ale. He must have poured it for himself before deciding to retrieve me.


    After I told him about my Marking Ceremony, the mug still stood untouched before Drayek on the chipped table, and he rested his chin on his strong hands.


    ¡°UnMarked, huh?¡± he whispered. His volume was so low I had to lean over the table to hear.


    ¡°Yes. But I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. I¡¯m not normal.¡±


    Drayek said nothing to that and scratched the stubble on his cheek instead.


    ¡°But something¡­ odd happened, Drayek. I¡­¡± I trailed off.


    I shifted uncomfortably in my wooden seat. The aching from the onslaught of punches and the impact of Dorian¡¯s telekinetic rocks made my thoughts go hazy.


    ¡°Your eye isn¡¯t looking too good,¡± Drayek said.


    I brought two fingers to the corner of my eye, where one of Dorian¡¯s rocks had struck. I flinched as the tips of my fingers brushed the area. I could feel the blood around my eye pounding and swelling up the skin along almost the entire left side of my face.


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    Drayek pushed his chair away from the table and rose to his feet. He made his way to our shoddily made cupboard, which doubled as a food pantry and medicine cabinet.


    ¡°Ideally, we¡¯d take you to a healer, like Korin,¡± Drayek said as he rummaged through the loaves of bread and strips of dried monster meat. Korin was the healer in his Hunters group.


    ¡°But it¡¯s late, and I actually have something that could do just the trick.¡±


    Drayek pulled out a slim green vial with a triumphant grunt. He brought it over to the table and sat back down across from me.


    ¡°One of the Tradesman at the Markets yesterday got a significant supply of potions from Apothecary Yarrow. All healing potions, of course.¡±


    Drayek held up the vial in the firelight. The green color looked more emerald up close, and the glass was only the size of half of Drayek¡¯s pinky.


    Apothecary Bethilda Yarrow, one of about half a dozen Apothecaries in the city, specialized in healing potions. Her Skills allowed her to easily brew concoctions into which she could place healing properties. Using a potion wasn¡¯t as good as getting healed by a healer firsthand, but it still helped in a pinch.


    ¡°I also bought some Rockcrawler venom antidotes and two more of these vials.¡± Drayek held the potion out to me. ¡°Drink up.¡±


    I drew in my brows. ¡°But those are expensive! I¡¯m just bruised¨Cnothing¡¯s broken. You should save that for your next hunts.¡±


    Drayek shook his head. ¡°Drink it, Rayden. You¡¯ll wake up extremely sore if you don¡¯t.¡±


    Sighing, I plucked the vial from his fingers and uncorked the stopper. I grimaced at the black sludge within the vial¡¯s contents but forced myself to not think too hard about it as I poured the liquid into my mouth. I closed my eyes and tilted my head, pleased by the surprisingly sweet taste as the potion trickled down my throat.


    Soon, a tingling started from the top of my head and grew past my neck, shoulders, and arms and then all the way down to my feet. The pain from my scrapes and bruises subsided to a dull ache, and I straightened in my chair with a relieved sigh.


    Drayek¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t leave my face as I set the vial down in front of me.


    ¡°You said something strange happened.¡±


    ¡°I did?¡±


    ¡°During your Marking Ceremony.¡±


    I swallowed. How could I even begin to tell him what the device had said about my Soul Strength? It was laughable¨Cridiculous! But this was Drayek. And maybe he¡¯d have some insight into the strange occurrence.


    ¡°I was told that my Soul Strength number is too high to compute,¡± I finally said.


    Drayek¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened larger than I¡¯d ever seen them. His jaw went slack, and he dropped his arms into his lap with a heavy exhale.


    ¡°What?¡± he breathed.


    I fumbled for more words. I¡¯d never seen Drayek so shocked or even with so much emotion. Drayek rose from his chair and aggressively planted his hands on the surface of the table. I flinched as his mug of ale threatened to teeter over.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I double-checked and triple-checked. It said, ¡®Unable to determine Soul Strength. The number is too high to compute.¡¯¡±


    Drayek fell back into his chair. ¡°That¡¯s so strange. Did you tell the Priests?¡±


    ¡°No. I mean, they know I¡¯m UnMarked, but I wanted to talk to you first before I told anyone else about my Soul Strength.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡± Drayek stroked his chin, eyes darkening in thought. ¡°We should keep it between ourselves.¡±


    I nodded. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but revealing to the rest of the city that not only did I have Soul Strength as an UnMarked, but that I also had an amount so high the ceremony device couldn¡¯t even determine the number seemed like a bad idea.


    ¡°Now, get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll continue with your training.¡± Drayek stood after his nonchalant declaration and began moving toward his cot in the far right corner of the hovel.


    ¡°Training?¡± I whirled my head around to follow him with my eyes as he walked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I start looking for a job as an UnMarked?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Drayek threw his large body onto his cot and closed his eyes. ¡°I will keep training you for as long as I live. You can always get stronger and smarter¨Ceven without cultivating. Besides,¡± Drayek sighed happily as he pulled a cover of monster hide over himself, ¡°we need to find out why you even have Soul Strength without a Mark. And if you indeed have Soul Strength, there should be no reason that you can¡¯t advance into the Tiers.¡±


    He was right. Drayek was always right. But I still felt a nervous pain in my gut at the thought of not taking a job sooner rather than later. Marked or UnMarked, you were expected to serve your purpose for the goddess and for Edrona. I could get into trouble. Not sent-to-the-Soul-Ripper-type of trouble, but trouble all the same. I could have my right to attend the Markets to purchase food and trade other goods revoked, or the Priests could make me scrub the temple floors for a month. But the worst could be that the Priests might choose a job for me instead of allowing me a chance to find one myself.


    I opened my mouth to convey all of these worrisome possibilities but was stopped by the sound of Drayek¡¯s rumbling snore. I rolled my eyes but took his quickness to fall asleep as my cue to also go to bed.


    I waddled over to my cot in the opposite corner of Drayek¡¯s, fatigue beginning to tunnel into my limbs. It had been a long day, and my body was finally realizing it.

 Chapter 8: Monster Hearts and Essence Streams

    ¡°We¡¯re going to see if you can break through to Tier 1 today.¡± Drayek directed me away from the weapons rack and pointed to the center of our training arena.


    He had placed a soft monster hide on the ground, and I sat atop it at his urging. I looked around myself and past the hovel to the little dirt road leading into town.


    ¡°No Sarina?¡±


    Drayek shook his head as he dug into the leather pouch strapped across his body. ¡°She¡¯s probably searching for a mentor right now. That¡¯s the smart thing for her to do, at least.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t want you as a mentor?¡±


    Drayek shrugged and simultaneously procured a bundle out of his bag. The bundle was shoddily wrapped in parchment and twine, and my stomach churned at the sight of patches of dark black blood leaking into the paper. Edronans didn¡¯t bleed black¡­.


    ¡°Receiving a Mark has put her into Tier 1 and has given her a Tier 1 Skill. She¡¯s probably trying to find a mentor match for her Skill¨Csomeone who can help her hone her new talents well. And I don¡¯t know what Skill she was given, so I don¡¯t know who she would need as a mentor.¡±


    As always, Drayek was right, but it felt strange to sit in the arena with Drayek but not Sarina. I didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Alright, Rayden. Eat this.¡± Drayek pulled the parchment and twine away from the bundle in the blink of an eye and held out a slimy lump of flesh.


    I recoiled away from the juicy meat and held a hand to my nose. It smelled of decay.


    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± I cried.


    Drayek gave a sly half-smile and squeezed it a little in his hand. A few dribbles of black blood fell over his forearm.


    ¡°Monster heart,¡± he said matter-of-factly. ¡°You didn¡¯t get Marked, so you didn¡¯t advance into Tier 1. However, you have Soul Strength¨Ca good deal of it, which means your Soul is strong enough for cultivation. After people are Marked, we gather essence to level up and continue advancing through the Tiers. So, in theory, if I give you some essence, maybe you¡¯ll break through to Tier 1.¡±


    I crinkled up my nose in disgust. ¡°And let me guess¡­. You want me to eat the monster heart to gather some essence?¡±


    Drayek nodded.


    ¡°Why not a monster core? Those just look like marbles, right?¡± I said. ¡°One of those might be a lot easier to swallow.¡±


    ¡°A core typically has more essence within it than a heart does. Just in case your attempt to cultivate is rough on your Soul, I need to give you a decent amount of essence without giving you too much. We have no idea what your body can handle.¡±


    Drayek threw the monster heart at my feet. ¡°This heart came from an adolescent Rockcrawler. Much smaller than a fully grown Rockcrawler and not nearly as much essence as a Nagari, but consuming it will still give you a significant amount of essence, especially for someone not yet in the Tiers.¡±


    Drayek flashed me a quick grin. ¡°Eat up.¡±


    ¡°Can we cook it first? Maybe a little salt and some rosemary¡­. We could sear it up nice, and then I wouldn¡¯t be throwing up for the rest of the day.¡±


    Drayek chuckled, but it sounded more like a deep rumbling in his chest. ¡°You know it doesn¡¯t work that way.¡±


    Right again. Of course I knew how it worked. Gathering essence could be done in lots of ways. Killing monsters, then attracting their essence to your core, or swallowing the monster¡¯s core. Eating a monster¡¯s heart also gave you essence¨Ca lot of it. And cooking the monster heart was out of the question. The fresher the heart, the better.


    Even killing people and eating their hearts, and swallowing their cores, gave you essence. Yeah, I know. Gross. I didn¡¯t plan on ever eating a person heart¨Ctrust me. I didn¡¯t even like the idea of swallowing another person¡¯s core.


    I looked at the monster heart at my feet. The veins inside still pulsed with life as both blood and essence coursed through them. Though the organ came from a smaller Rockcrawler, relatively speaking, Rockcrawlers¨Cgiant snakes, essentially¨Cwere a good deal bigger than me. The heart was big. About the size of my foot. But wait¡­


    ¡°Drayek, aren¡¯t you supposed to report the loot you bring back from a hunt, like hearts?¡±


    Drayek shrugged again¨Chis favorite thing to do. ¡°I keep one for myself here and there. What the Priests and other Edronans don¡¯t know won¡¯t hurt ¡®em. Besides, the amount of loot I bring back from hunts is higher than anyone else¡¯s. They¡¯ll never suspect me.¡±


    Drayek pushed the heart a little closer to me with the toe of his boot. ¡°Now, stop stalling and eat the heart already.¡±


    I picked at the hunk of meat with just my fingertips and scowled at the feel of tendons and flesh squishing against my skin. But, as disgusted as I was, I felt hope. Drayek seemed convinced that I could still cultivate¨CMark or no Mark.


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    I focused on the hope presently buzzing in my chest and shoved the first bite of heart into my mouth, ignoring the chewy bits of flesh sticking to my throat as I swallowed. The meat was sweet, but surprisingly not in an unpleasant way. After three bites, I was able to down the rest without any retching.


    Drayek rolled onto the back of his heels in anticipation. ¡°Anything?¡±


    I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on every inch of my body. ¡°What¡¯s it supposed to feel like?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different for everyone, but I always feel a tingling sensation growing along my skin as the essence starts making its way through my body. Then I try to focus it all into my core.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°How do I do that?¡±


    ¡°Just focus on feeling the essence first. Are you noticing any changes?¡± Drayek was whispering now.


    ¡°Other than my stomach feeling a little sick, I feel normal.¡± I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice.


    I really tried to feel a tingling, a warmth¨Canything! But I didn¡¯t think the essence was becoming a part of me. I might as well have eaten a piece of essence-less bread.


    I peeked my eyes open to look at Drayek, but I couldn¡¯t read his impassive face. He merely tapped a finger against his thigh as he thought.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to activate your core anyway.¡± Drayek lowered his voice to a whisper again. ¡°Rayden, keep your eyes closed and relax every part of your body. Imagine your core. Everyone has a core¨Cmonsters, a piece of fruit¡­ even the UnMarked have cores. Picture, in every agonizing detail, what your core looks like.¡±


    I did as he asked and dug into the recesses of my brain for that sort of imagination. But it wasn¡¯t as hard as I thought; as I thought about my core, it was like a piece of my mind unlocked and whooshed open to reveal a light that had been waiting to show itself for my entire life. The light glowed behind my eyes and filled my very being.


    And then a picture of my core revealed itself. I could¡¯ve sworn it had done just that¨Crevealed itself. I wasn¡¯t convinced I had done any ¡°imagining.¡± My mind presented an image of a ball of white light¨Cthe same light that had unlocked just moments before, but I now saw it floating in a space of immense darkness.


    Upon closer inspection, my core looked marble-ish, definitely sphere-like. But instead of some inanimate object that people swallowed like the other cores I¡¯d seen, this felt more¡­ spiritual than that.


    I said as much to Drayek, but he stopped me:


    ¡°Yes, Rayden. Your core is a part of your Soul¨Ca part of your spirit.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t deny the excitement dripping from Drayek¡¯s voice. That put a smile on my face. If Drayek thought it was working, maybe it really was.


    ¡°One¡¯s core will look different for everyone,¡± Drayek said, ¡°but keep your focus on your core. Try not to speak to me. Tune the world out.¡±


    I followed his instruction and sank further into a meditative state. I could still hear Drayek talking as he guided me through the process, but his voice grew more and more distant. Calm washed over me like a warm wind from an oncoming storm, and I allowed myself to fully surrender to it. The image of my core seemed to grow brighter and brighter.


    ¡°Imagine yourself grabbing every bit of essence around you and placing it inside your core like you¡¯re packing a bag.¡±


    I barely heard Drayek, but I attempted what he asked of me. In my mind¡¯s eye, I could see my hands reaching for streams of energy¨Cessence. The streams were long and string-like and seemed to float and twist in an invisible wind. They shimmered a pretty blue and glowed in my vision brightly. And they looked familiar¨Cmore than familiar.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen these before,¡± I said aloud.


    ¡°Seen what?¡± Drayek whispered.


    ¡°These essence streams. They¡¯re like¡­ threads of blue weaving together and dancing within me.¡±


    And the more I studied them, the more I realized I had seen these lines of blue throughout my life. Only sometimes, and not in large quantities, but every once in a while in passing. I¡¯d see a single stream dancing above our heads during training or a line or two at the Markets. At the time, it had felt so inconsequential that I¡¯d almost forgotten about it¨Cthe seeing of essence had become normalized in my head. It turned out I hadn¡¯t even known what I¡¯d been seeing.


    ¡°Uh, well, just focus on the streams and direct them to your core,¡± Drayek said, but something akin to confusion dripped from his voice.


    I did as he said, but each time I reached for essence, the streams disappeared like a puff of smoke. I grew increasingly frustrated as the essence refused to go where I directed it. I could still see my core glowing brightly and blazing warmly inside of my gut, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t guide the essence inside.


    I inhaled deeply through my nose, allowing another wave of calm to relax my body before trying again. But as I searched for the essence in my mind once more, I was interrupted by a small voice in my head:


    ¡°It is almost time, Master.¡±


    The voice came from the back of my mind. It was flat-toned and squeaky all at the same time, and it didn¡¯t sound like my own voice normally did in my head.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I queried in my thoughts, feeling insane as I did so.


    No answer.


    My eyes fluttered open, and I was met with the shadowy light of mid-evening. Drayek was sitting cross-legged in front of me, head propped up on his arms as he snored away. I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d been meditating for so long, let alone hours.


    I brought myself to my knees, groaning at the stiffness in my legs garnered from sitting for so long.


    ¡°Drayek?¡± I shook him awake.


    Drayek started and quickly rubbed the sleep from his eyes. ¡°Rayden? Did it work?¡±


    I shook my head but couldn¡¯t keep away the thought of that strange voice.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Drayek asked, rolling his shoulders back. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± I avoided Drayek¡¯s gaze, but he could always tell when I was holding back.


    ¡°Are you sure it didn¡¯t work?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°The essence seemed to refuse to enter my core and give me strength.¡±


    Drayek wrinkled his brow. ¡°Rayden, what is it that you¡¯re not saying?¡±


    I debated internally whether or not to tell him about the strange voice residing in my mind. A part of me felt like I had imagined it in my vulnerable state of meditation. I also worried I was going insane. I didn¡¯t have much of a desire to reveal to Drayek the potential decline of my mental faculties.


    ¡°No, nothing,¡± I said decidedly. ¡°I just thought it might be working at some point. I could see the essence, and I could see my core, but¡­¡± I avoided Drayek¡¯s leery gaze. ¡°But nothing happened to make me think I advanced to Tier 1.¡±


    Drayek studied me for agonizingly long seconds that turned to minutes. I shifted my weight from one knee to the other. I hadn¡¯t lied to him, but I had omitted something I maybe should have revealed to him immediately.

 Chapter 9: Joining the Hunt

    I had no desire to get out of bed the next morning. I didn¡¯t see the point¨Cnot even to go search for a job as an UnMarked. So, I remained tucked away from the world under my covers.


    Drayek didn¡¯t question my lackadaisical morning, which was unlike him. I couldn¡¯t remember a single day in my life when he¡¯d let me stay in bed past sunrise. But maybe he felt just as depressed by my UnMarkedness as I did.


    The thought that even Drayek may have given up on me only served to make me feel worse.


    I precariously pulled my blanket off the top of my head and peeked into the room. Still no Drayek. He had left me alone hours ago¨Cor what seemed like that much time. Who really knew how long I¡¯d been pitying myself within the safe cover of darkness beneath my blanket?


    And who knew how much more time passed between Drayek leaving and Drayek lumbering back into the hovel with a chorus of ongoing grunts. I allowed the top half of my eyes to peek out of the blanket and observed as Drayek casually made his way to the table, paying me no mind. He had a cloth sack slung over a broad shoulder. The sack was so over-filled that it bulged to the point of almost tearing.


    My stomach grumbled in complaint. If Drayek had come with more monster parts for me to eat, I would not be happy.


    ¡°All right, Rayden. You¡¯ve been in bed long enough.¡±


    I thrust my head back under the blanket as Drayek started talking, but it was too late. He knew I was awake.


    I groaned, much louder than I needed to, and threw my covers to the side.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point, Drayek?¡± I mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not Marked. My life is over.¡±


    ¡°By the goddess, Rayden. You really know how to brighten someone¡¯s day.¡± Drayek threw the sack onto the surface of the table with a thud. ¡°Now, if you don¡¯t cheer up, I won¡¯t take you on the hunt tomorrow.¡±


    I shot straight up into a sitting position, my cot creaking precariously from the force. ¡°Wait, are you serious?¡±


    Drayek planted fists onto his hips and lifted his bushy brows. ¡°I never kid, Rayden. And why would I kid about this?¡±


    He had a point. Hunts were only for the Hunters¨Cthose who were one, Marked. And two, those who actually had enough Soul Strength to level up into Tier 2 within the first five years of receiving their Mark. So, not for the weak.


    But why do I get to go on one? I thought.


    Drayek spoke as he shoved an arm into the sack, almost reading my mind, ¡°No one knows you are going on this hunt.¡±


    All I could do was laugh. ¡°That¡¯s gonna go over really well, Drayek.¡±


    Drayek shrugged away my comment and procured a red breast-plate from the sack¨CHunter¡¯s armor. The low glow indicated it wasn¡¯t as high-Tiered as Drayek¡¯s armor, but it was at least for a Tier 1 wearer.


    He continued pulling out the other armor set pieces, along with a matching red spear. I about jumped two feet out of my bed to reach for the weapon. If it was like the armor, it was a Tier 1 spear¨Cbetter than any weapon I¡¯d ever held! And it was a spear. Though I¡¯d never excelled at much in my training with Drayek and Sarina, I had always held my own with a spear.


    ¡°The only people who need to know are my team, and my team is nothing but reasonable and good men and women. They won¡¯t question me if I insist on you joining us. At least not too much.¡±


    I didn¡¯t feel particularly encouraged by that last sentence of his.


    Drayek gestured for me to come over to the armor and spear and take a look. I didn¡¯t hesitate. I placed a reverent hand over the gleaming breastplate. It felt warm underneath my touch, and I could feel a slight buzz reverberate through my arm and then through the rest of my body.


    Drayek rested a heavy hand on my shoulder. ¡°This was my first set of armor after my Marking Ceremony.¡±


    I exhaled an awestruck breath and moved my hand to the spear. Though the armor looked like it might be a little big on me, the spear was perfect. I ran the tips of my fingers along the tail of the blood-red serpent that swirled around the shaft, its head starting the swirl as if it moved to swallow the wood whole. I imagined all the monsters and Nagari I could run through with the weapon.


    ¡°Drayek, how am I supposed to wear or use any of this? I¡¯m not Marked, let alone in Tier 1.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. But technically, you can wear armor and use weapons that are higher ranked than you. The problem is that it wears out your Soul. But your Soul Strength¡­¡± Drayek eyed me up and down. ¡°Your Soul Strength, as far as we know, is extremely high.¡±


    ¡°Your Soul Strength is very high, Master. Which is as intended, of course.¡±


    I nearly jumped at the voice squeaking its way into my mind. It was strange to have thoughts that weren¡¯t my thoughts¨Cjust another reason to suggest I might be going insane. I ignored the interjection and stared intently at Drayek to try and pay attention.


    ¡°So high, in fact,¡± Drayek continued, ¡°that you should be able to handle armor at higher ranks. Your Soul will get tired, so you won¡¯t put any of it on until we¡¯ve started the hunt. And you will take it all off if it becomes too much, understand?¡±


    Drayek gave me a pointed look, and I nodded in response.


    ¡°Good,¡± he finished with a satisfied grunt. ¡°We leave first thing in the morning.¡±


    ***


    I had seen the Hunters around the city, but I didn¡¯t talk to them much. There¡¯s only so much socializing I¡¯d wanted to do with how much most Edronans ostracized me. But, to be fair, the Hunters were never among the name-callers and the ones that would beat me up. Drayek was the head of the Hunters, and I¡¯m sure he had something to do with that. But, even though they didn¡¯t pummel me or call me names, they also didn¡¯t try to strike up conversations with me.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    And this morning¡¯s hunt wasn¡¯t any different.


    Drayek stood in the middle of a tight circle of tense Hunters, all of them whispering heatedly at him. My stomach clenched each time a Hunter shot a confused, nervous glance in my direction, then continued to whisper about what could only be things about me and why I shouldn¡¯t be there.


    I grabbed fistfuls of the pebbly dirt I sat on and tried to ignore the Hunters. The suns blazed with an intense heat this morning, and I could already feel drips of sweat rolling down my face and back. We hadn¡¯t even started our trek into the wilderness for the hunt, and I could already feel the heat getting to me. But that wouldn¡¯t matter if I wouldn¡¯t be allowed to go.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already decided!¡± Drayek bellowed.


    I shifted uncomfortably during the silence that ensued. Then, finally, someone spoke up.


    ¡°Why, Drayek? By the goddess, why would you bring an UnMarked on an extremely dangerous¡­¡± The tall, slender woman looked in my direction and pursed her lips in concern. ¡°Extremely dangerous,¡± she emphasized more clearly for my benefit, ¡°hunt?¡±


    I drew my shoulders forward in an attempt to make my tiny body even smaller. The woman who had spoken wasn¡¯t much older than I. She had attended her Marking Ceremony just two years ago, but she was right: I didn¡¯t belong there.


    ¡°I like Rayden and all, but we can¡¯t have an UnMarked on a Hunt and have him steal our essence. Essence is useless to him!¡± One of the men, I couldn¡¯t remember his name, whispered these thoughts to Drayek and the rest of the group, trying to keep his voice low and difficult for me to hear, but he failed miserably.


    ¡°He will automatically attract essence to him from the monsters we kill, Marked or UnMarked. But, unlike us, he can¡¯t use it!¡± The Hunter was yelling now, seeming to have forgotten that he was trying to spare my feelings.


    The rest of the Hunters grunted in agreement.


    All the more reason for me to leave.


    I moved to rise, the sack of armor in my right hand and the spear in my left. I grunted at the weight of the items. They were definitely getting slightly more challenging for me to carry than they had been just an hour prior. However, I could still lift them with only small pulsations in my temples. At the moment, it only felt like a minor headache was coming on. Perhaps the headache would worsen if I put the armor on and wore it for a period¡­. I didn¡¯t know, and I didn¡¯t think I should find out.


    I turned on myself slowly and began to tiptoe away, feeling ridiculous for being there at all.


    ¡°What are you doing, Rayden?¡±


    I peered a wary eye over my right shoulder and tried a nervous smile in Drayek¡¯s direction. ¡°Going home?¡±


    I posed my words as a question but already knew his answer.


    ¡°Of course not. Put on your armor. We¡¯re heading out.¡±


    I met eyes with each of the Hunters, who all had identical looks on their faces: furrowed brows and teeth chomping down nervously on their bottom lips. I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t look dissimilar. But, still, I followed Drayek¡¯s command and began wiggling my way into Drayek¡¯s old red armor.


    The set was significantly large on me, but that didn¡¯t matter. As soon as I positioned each piece onto its corresponding part on my body, the magic within the armor shrunk the metal down to my size¨Ca perfect fit.


    But it didn¡¯t come without its inconveniences. The slight pulsing in my temples increased at least double, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut and focus for more than a minute to push the pain away. Of course, it didn¡¯t go away, but if I concentrated enough, I could convince myself I just had a bad headache.


    A bad headache that seemed to crush my entire body!


    After just a second of losing my focus, it suddenly felt like someone had stacked a pile of modest-sized stones on my chest and limbs.


    Gritting my teeth, I tried three steps forward and was relieved to see that I could walk and bend without too much difficulty. Drayek had been right; My high Soul Strength would serve me well in this situation. At least I could still stand.


    I tucked the empty sack into an opening in the back of my greaves and adjusted my grip on the spear in my right hand. Though trepidation snaked through my entire body, I felt at ease with the weapon at my side.


    I moved to join the Hunters, who still stood ahead of me, all staring at me with less-than-welcome expressions. All of them except for Drayek, of course. But I was stopped by a sudden whoosh of blue streaming toward me and specifically toward my new armor set.


    ¡°Essence,¡± I breathed, catching sight of every stream as they made a line toward the armor.


    Without even thinking, I commanded the streams to finish their journey into the armor and settle into the greaves, the breastplate, the forearm guards¡­ every bit of it. All of a sudden, the headache went from excruciating to a mild discomfort. The feeling of stones weighing on my chest subsided, and I sauntered up to the group with a grin on my face that I couldn¡¯t control.


    I didn¡¯t know what I had just figured out, but I knew it was something big.


    ¡°The hunting group from last night¡¯s shift reported a swarm of at least fifty Nagari burrowing into the gulch about two miles north,¡± Drayek said to all of us. ¡°We will make our way there and dispose of them.¡±


    Grunts of agreement and approval resounded around me. I tried to stumble out my own warrior-like grunt, but only a squeak came out. I cleared my throat and adjusted my gauntlets, pretending nothing ¡°un-studly-like¡± had escaped from my mouth.


    I fell in at the back of the group as we began our march north. The sound of metal armor and various weapons clanked loudly in the otherwise silent morning. Not a single breeze interrupted the stoic atmosphere, so I became hyper-aware of my surroundings. The armor helped with that, as well. I could feel its magic heightening my sense of touch. I could feel each pebble bounce off my boots as if I walked barefoot, and my body vibrated as each footstep¨Cmine and the Hunters¨Cmet with the ground.


    It was invigorating.


    ¡°So, UnMarked, huh?¡±


    I started at the voice¡¯s presence to my right. The young woman from earlier stood at my side. She was the one who had initially spoken up against Drayek, claiming my attendance on an ¡°extremely dangerous¡± hunt to be less than ideal. Of course, I didn¡¯t disagree with that sentiment. What was her name? Marley? Martha¡­? Maran!


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Guess so.¡± I shrugged my shoulders in the most nonchalant way I could against the heaviness of the armor.


    But Maran saw through my carefree guise. She looked down at me over her sharp nose, which made me feel even shorter.


    ¡°Sorry to hear it. Drayek never stops talking about you and your potential.¡± Maran pulled a waterskin from a string at her hip and took a swig.


    I cocked my head to the side. ¡°Really? He thinks I have potential?¡±


    Maran flicked a strand of dark hair that had fallen out of her tight ponytail. ¡°Of course he does. He¡¯s always been proud of you. You¡¯re like a son to him.¡±


    I swallowed. Of course, Drayek was the closest thing to a father I¡¯d ever had, and we cared about each other. But¡­ Drayek and I never shared words of affection. He didn¡¯t call me ¡°son,¡± and I didn¡¯t call him ¡°father.¡± Drayek had never been one to share his vulnerabilities with anyone, including me. And, as he was the one who raised me, I did the same.


    ¡°Not many are surprised you came out UnMarked,¡± Maran said. Most of the Hunters ahead of us turned a curious ear in our direction. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know that, though.¡±


    I gripped the shaft of my spear harder, knuckles turning white. ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m not a true Edronan. Thanks for the reminder.¡±


    Maran shoved a playful elbow on my arm. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Rayden. We still like you. I just¡­ We all think it¡¯d be better for you to learn sooner rather than later where you belong. And I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as a warrior.¡±


    I dared my eyes up into the clump of Hunters ahead of me and was met with nods of agreement and even some sympathetic smiles.


    ¡°Quiet!¡± Drayek interrupted, stopping the march with a raised fist.


    He shot a glare at Maran, and she retreated from my side and back into the cluster of the other Hunters.


    ¡°The Nagari are close,¡± Drayek finished in a hushed whisper.

 Chapter 10: The Nagari

    I brought my body as low to the ground as my armor would allow, positioning myself next to Drayek. The top of my head hung over the lip of the gulch, and I could see a dark opening covered in an eerie white fog.


    The other Hunters positioned themselves on their bellies, as well. Both their training and their special armor sets aided in their picture-perfect stealth as they did.


    ¡°Do you see them, Radyen?¡± Drayek whispered near my left ear.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± Drayek guided my chin with his finger until I was looking to the far left of the gulch.


    I squinted my eyes and strained to see it, but once I finally saw the Nagari, they were hard to miss.


    They sat against the far wall of the gaping ditch, scaly backs resting against the damp stone. Some hid behind the wide cracks within the stone, but all were visible. There were maybe 50 of them, just as the hunting group from the prior night¡¯s shift had said.


    A grimace crept onto my face as I stared at the creatures. Though I¡¯d heard many tales, I¡¯d never seen a Nagari in person, and those tales did not quite do their grotesqueness justice.


    The Nagari were humanoid, with long dark legs and human-like faces. But their bare torsos twisted and writhed in sickly green scales, and each had a snake tail unnaturally protruding from their rears. The Nagari rested around a large bonfire that provided enough light to pierce through the fog and allow us a view of the creatures.


    ¡°We have the advantage,¡± Drayek said. ¡°The element of surprise and the high ground. Everyone see that root to the right?¡±


    I didn¡¯t find the branch Drayek indicated until after everyone nodded their heads in answer. The wide root jutted from the rock face of the far wall opposite the Nagari. It started at the top of the gulch, then had grown all the way to the floor.


    ¡°We will climb down that. As soon as possible, Maran, activate your Shimmering Veil.¡±


    ¡°What does that do?¡± I asked.


    Drayek smiled at me. ¡°You¡¯ll love it. Maran¡¯s Tier 2 Skill allows her to cast an illusion over herself and a radius of ten feet. The illusion gives every human within the radius, and what said human is touching, like weapons and armor, a sort of transparency, making us almost invisible. So, everyone remain within ten feet of Maran.¡±


    The Hunters softly grunted their acknowledgment, but they seemed bored by the order¨CDrayek was really reminding people to stay close for my benefit.


    ¡°You want me to stay at the head, Drayek?¡± the man to my right whispered. He was massive, with bulging muscles that his silver armor wrapped around flatteringly. I¡¯d give anything to have muscles like his.


    ¡°Yes, Krato. Your Spectral Shield will prove useful in this fight. There are fifty of them and only seven of us.¡±


    I smiled; Drayek had included me in the number. But I found myself curious as to what Krato¡¯s Spectral Shield Skill could do, but I didn¡¯t want to interrupt again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll flank your right, and Carrissa will take your left,¡± Drayek said.


    Carissa, who lay beside Krato, raised her short sword in response.


    ¡°Rayden, stay back with our healer as long as you can.¡±


    Next to Maran, a more petite woman waved her slender fingers in the air to grab my attention and offered a brilliant smile. I knew this woman, Korin, the group¡¯s healer. I had met her at the Markets in town a few times. Korin was in her 50s, like Drayek, and also like Drayek, was a Tier 3.


    Drayek laid a firm hand on my shoulder. ¡°But if you find the opportunity, don¡¯t be afraid to make use of that spear.¡± A shadow fell over his face. ¡°But don¡¯t be stupid about it.¡±


    I winced. No pressure.


    ¡°And that leaves you, Marcus. Position yourself near Maran. And I trust you know what to do.¡±


    Marcus clenched his broad jaw and nodded, tapping the longbow in his hand thoughtfully, as if itching to shoot some arrows at something.


    Drayek brought two fingers in the air, then gestured for everyone to make their way to the root leading into the gulch.


    I rose slowly with the Hunters, holding my spear away from my body as far as possible to avoid it hitting my armor and making noise.


    Drayek, Krato, and Carissa headed the group, and Maran and Marcus took the center, leaving Korin and me at the back. I took the rest of the group¡¯s cue and remained close to Maran, about an arm¡¯s length away.


    We crept down the broad root two at a time. I found myself holding my breath as I tried to step lightly along the wood, but my vision was growing fuzzy, and my armor was getting even heavier. It felt like someone had placed a carrying pole clad with full pails of water atop my shoulders.


    Without even thinking, I scanned the area for more essence streams and saw about half a dozen making their way toward my armor. I effortlessly directed them into my equipment, and relief rushed over me as my headache subsided once again.


    I urged lightness into my feet and stayed in step with the Hunters, all the while searching for more streams to alleviate the pressure the Tier 1 equipment had on my Soul.


    As soon as the last person stepped off the root and emerged into the fog-covered gulch, Maran inhaled a sharp breath and pressed her palms together, fingers shooting straight into the air. Her forearms shook from the immense amount of pressure from her palms pushing against one another.


    A short glimmer of an iridescent wave wooshed over the group. I suppressed the urge to let out an impressed whistle. The Hunters around me, and their equipment, had nearly blurred out of existence. The only thing indicating their presence was an almost imperceptible wave of color hovering above the dusty floor. I looked at my arms and legs and found the same thing had happened to me.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    A brief moment of jealousy hardened my stomach. I would never get a Tier 2 Skill like hers, let alone any. But¡­ Drayek still had hope. He wouldn¡¯t have brought me on this hunt if he didn¡¯t think cultivation for me was possible.


    I pushed away any thoughts of jealousy and self-pity and focused on the task at hand. One foot in front of the other, over and over, for what seemed like minutes instead of seconds, as the reality that my first fight was mere moments away struck me.


    Drayek raised a fist and brought us to a halt.


    And there they were. Just ten or so feet away from where I stood. The Nagari looked even more horrific up close. The slime that spilled over their scales dripped off of their bodies into puddles at their feet, and their faces¨Cthough humanoid¨Chad a bilious green hue. And to top it all off, snake-like fangs extended over their bottom lips. A sudden memory from one of Drayek¡¯s stories of the Nagari reminded me that their bites were poisonous.


    Try not to get bitten, I told myself.


    And then my eyes caught their weapons. Though shoddily made, their swords and daggers looked sharp, and their bows and arrows looked like they¡¯d seen a death or two. Even with a lack of armor, the heavy presence of weaponry disproved any thought I might have had that they were complete savages.


    ¡°Spectral Shield,¡± Drayek whispered so low I could barely hear.


    Krato tucked his sword and shield underneath one arm and made a wide circle in front of himself with the other. Awhoosh sounded, similar to when Maran had activated her Shimmering Veil, and a filmy white dome formed over our group.


    The Nagari still noticed nothing¨Cmore than half of them remained immobile with their eyes closed. Sleeping, perhaps?


    ¡°Approach,¡± Drayek commanded.


    My heart raced even faster as I advanced with the Hunters. Drayek¡¯s nose was mere inches away from one of the Nagari that sat closest to their fire. That same Nagari stirred and stared into our huddle, head tilted so far to the side I thought its neck might break. It seemed to stare straight at me with wide eyes, its diamond-shaped pupils growing as its breathing grew heavier. The Nagari moved its hand with sharpened fingernails over the dagger resting at where I¡¯d imagine the creature¡¯s hip might be, but Drayek was faster.


    Drayek swung his longsword in a blur and lopped off the Nagari¡¯s head before I could even blink. Tendons, scales, and thick black blood sprayed all over Drayek and those closest to him, but none of the Hunters even flinched.


    ¡°Attack!¡± Drayek shouted, just as the Nagari¡¯s body crumpled to the ground at his feet.


    The Hunters hollered with enthusiasm and threw themselves into the thrall while expertly keeping the formation intact. The remaining Nagari joined the fray as well, but not as quickly or as expertly as our group did. Granted, we had caught them by surprise, so I was still in the dark about how organized their combat might be in other situations.


    I watched in awe as Drayek and Carissa ripped through the next ten Nagari. Drayek¡¯s longsword suddenly ignited with flame, and my jaw dropped. I had heard about his Weapons Flame Skill he¡¯d received when reaching Tier 2¨Ca spell allowing him to add fire damage to any of his weapons. But I had never seen him use it in person. Drayek¡¯s movements and slashes became a dance, and the flames that roared off his blade were his partner.


    The Nagari blows bounced off of Krato¡¯s Spectral Shield, leaving us untouched, at least for the time being. After twenty or so hits from the Nagari, I could see little cracks slowly growing along the edges of the dome.


    Maran had stopped using her Shimmering Veil Skill at this point and joined the fighting with a slim dagger in each hand. She darted in and out of Krato¡¯s Spectral Shield and dodged and weaved away from every blow the Nagari threw in her direction. She expertly crept her way behind one of the Nagari and, with a guttural war cry, slit its throat open. Maran smiled as the black blood gushed from the creature¡¯s wound and down her arms.


    The healer, Korin, stayed in motion to avoid staying in any one place for too long. But her eyes remained half closed, and she continuously pushed out floating balls from her hands. They glowed bright yellow, then dissipated as they hit each Hunter. Every time a ball hit its targeted Hunter, said Hunter would straighten up his or her back and thrust themselves into the fight with even more strength than before.


    I stayed next to Korin, anchoring the shaft of my spear on my thigh and aiming its tip toward any oncoming Nagari. Marcus, the archer, stood just a foot behind me and loosed one arrow after another. He downed five of the creatures with an arrow through the middle of their foreheads before the fight had ensued longer than thirty seconds.


    Just over half of the Nagari left, I thought.


    After watching the members of the party down the Nagari so quickly and effortlessly, I found myself wishing to kill just one of them on my own. I shifted my grip on the spear and dared a step away from Korin. And then another step. And another. She didn¡¯t notice¨Cnot right away. And before she did see, one of the Nagari did first.


    I saw the glint of a short, chipped sword in the corner of my eye as it swooshed its way toward my face. I narrowly dodged the swing and could feel the wind of the weapon as it sped dangerously close over my eyes.


    The Nagari that had lunged at me hissed and darted out its tongue in annoyance. I whirled to face him, ensuring my spear kept a distance between us, but I could still smell its foul breath.


    The Nagari smiled a gruesome smile and waved a scaly hand in front of its chest.


    Is it casting a spell?


    My entire body tensed, and I held my breath as I awaited what the Nagari had summoned. A small green ball left the Nagari¡¯s long fingers and floated over to the creature¡¯s sword. The blade absorbed the glow, then emanated its own green light. The sword then grew, at least to the same length as my spear. The Nagari taunted me with the tip of its blade, closing the distance between us.


    ¡°This Nagari is Marked!¡± I hollered, staring at the giant magical sword.


    None of the Hunters heard me. Or, at least, they couldn¡¯t respond as they continued to fight the creatures.


    I glanced quickly at the other Nagari and noticed that some were holding their own against Maran, who was a Tier 2, and even a couple could fight Drayek for longer than two seconds before he tore them to shreds. And the Nagari in front of me wasn¡¯t the only one to have cast a spell.


    I watched in utter confusion as rays of light and conjured weapons of wind and fire left some Nagari hands. Were they all Marked? Well, that just wasn¡¯t fair. I might not be Edronan, but I wasn¡¯t a monster like these creatures! What made them more worthy of the goddess¡¯s Mark than me?


    I quickly realized I should have been paying closer attention to my opponent as the green-sword Nagari lunged for me, quickly dancing around my spear and avoiding the tip that I thrust in its direction. I evaded its second swing, but doing so was more challenging than the first time. The weight on my mind increased with every movement, making the armor feel physically heavier¡­ and heavier. I could feel my legs wobbling from the exhaustion. My Soul was getting tired.


    With clenched teeth, I spun around myself, brought in all the essence I could possibly see, and forced the streams into the legs and arms of my armor. I forced speed into my legs, so much speed that I shouldn¡¯t have been capable, even withthe armor. I then circled behind the Nagari.


    With my own war cry, I thrust the spear forward with all the strength left in my body and then some. I could feel the essence in my gauntlets and the vambraces on my arms directing inhuman power into my force. I grinned with elation at the feel of the spear digging into the creature¡¯s abdomen with a crack, then with a squish as it pierced through what could only be some of the Nagari¡¯s organs. The Nagari¡¯s body began to tear almost entirely in half as I heaved the spear further forward and deeper.


    I wanted to shout for the Hunters and for Drayek to witness my victory, but my excitement didn¡¯t last long. As soon as the spear ran its way through the Nagari¡¯s torso, my body gave out. I screamed as my mind seemed to shatter and fiery pain ripped through every muscle. I collapsed, the armor now crushing me like a boulder.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe. Couldn¡¯t see. I saw only blackness save for a few white spots that danced in my vision. My head pounded, and my chest constricted as I gasped for air.


    ¡°Rayden!¡±


    Drayek¡¯s shouting sounded so distant. I attempted to roll over to find him in the fray but lost consciousness before I could move an inch.

 Chapter 11: The Cave

    I dreamed of the mysterious voice in my head. Or, at least, that¡¯s what it felt like. A dream.


    ¡°It is almost time, Master. I cannot wait to see you again.¡±


    In my dream-like state, I felt weightless and as if I floated in a vast space of darkness. I whipped my head back and forth and around myself, trying to find the source of the mysterious voice¨Cthe voice I¡¯d been hearing for the last three days.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I tried to say the words aloud, but they came out almost like a projected thought.


    ¡°You will see soon enough, Master. Very, very soon. When the time comes, enter the cave.¡±


    ¡°Rayden? Rayden!¡±


    I awoke to Drayek roughly shaking my shoulders. A rush of air entered my lungs, which threw me into a bout of coughing. Once the fit was over, I threw my head back onto the ground and drank in a few more gasp-fulls of much-needed air.


    I craned my head up to watch my chest rise and fall freely. Someone had taken off my armor¨Cthank the goddess. I was too tired to be embarrassed that I couldn¡¯t handle a Tier 1 armor set for longer than two or three hours.


    ¡°His arms are still in bad shape, Drayek,¡± Korin said. ¡°I¡¯m taking away his pain right now, but I won¡¯t be able to heal the broken bones until I¡¯ve rested.¡±


    ¡°Broken bones?¡± I cried, throwing my head up once again? to take in the damage, but I regretted it immediately as the blood rushed to my head and a flash of pain made my face feel like it was going to explode.


    ¡°Keep still, boy!¡± Korin tsked. Her slender hands were outstretched over the center of my body, and I could feel a ray of warmth coming from them and into me.


    ¡°Will this help at all?¡± Drayek rummaged through his sack and procured one of the green vials of healing potions he had purchased recently.


    Korin glanced at the vial for only a second before shaking her head. ¡°It might remove some of the bruising, but its assistance would be minuscule. We¡¯re better off keeping any distraction away from me so I can keep my spell going into him.¡±


    Drayek nodded, like he knew that would be her answer. He tucked the vial away, all the while keeping his worried eyes on my arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually amazing.¡± Krato, the big muscly man, knelt beside me and flashed me a crooked smile. ¡°You¡¯re UnMarked, but you were able to handle a Tier 1 armor for much longer than I thought you could. We all had a running as to when you¡¯d collapse. I had you down for ten minutes, but by the goddess did you prove all of us wrong!¡±


    Overlapping murmurs of agreement resounded.


    ¡°Drayek said you came out of the ceremony with a lot of Soul Strength, but you must have much more than we thought. And you nearly tore that Nagari in half, which should have been impossible for an UnMarked, armor or no!¡± Krato leaned over me and peered into my eyes. ¡°How much Soul Strength do you have, Rayden?¡±


    ¡°Leave him alone!¡± Drayek interjected. He pushed Krato and took his place at my side. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take the armor off when it got to be too much, Rayden?¡±


    My mouth went dry. ¡°I just¨CI thought I could keep pushing. I didn¡¯t know my bones would get crushed!¡±


    ¡°During the fight¨Cwere you able to absorb any essence?¡± he said hurriedly, ignoring my outburst.


    I squeezed my eyes shut. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know. Kind of¡­ But not in the way you¡¯re asking.¡± I swallowed, embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I blacked out after I killed it.¡±


    I had gathered essence, but none had gone into my body¡­. At least, I didn¡¯t think so. Things were still hazy, but I could remember being able to direct essence into my armor to make myself stronger. Is that how I had crushed my arms? With essence-enhanced armor, had I forced more strength through my arms than my body could handle?


    ¡°What do you mean you kind of absorbed essence?¡± Drayek said.


    Before I could answer, Korin interrupted, ¡°Drayek, we must return to the city. I¨CI can¡¯t keep going like this forever.¡± Her breath had grown heavy, and I could see a slight tremor in her hands. ¡°We need another healer.¡±


    I dared a peek at my arms and felt my stomach churn at the sight. My arms were bent in ways they wouldn¡¯t naturally, and it looked as if someone had painted them in various hues of black, blue, and purple. I swallowed down the rising bile in my throat. I didn¡¯t want to know what sort of pain would meet me if Korin had to stop before another healer could take over.


    Drayek directed Krato to pick me up. The large man scooped me up effortlessly and cradled me gingerly, careful not to jostle my arms around. Korin stayed close, and I only felt short bursts of pain during the situating. But Korin looked worse for wear. Her dark face was growing an ashen-gray, and beads of sweat trickled through her hairline and down her forehead.


    I closed my eyes and tried not to think about the two-mile trek we had to complete before reaching Edrona and finding another healer to assist her. It was evident that Korin didn¡¯t have much stamina left.


    The group moved back toward the root. Drayek headed the group, sack full of my armor strung over his shoulder and my spear tucked safely underneath his sword arm.


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    I glanced at the ground as we moved, counting 50 dead Nagari. The Hunters had obviously killed the final few while I was taking a power nap.


    My eyes searched for the Nagari that I had killed. I caught sight of it as Krato stepped over its bloodied body. I had nearly severed it in two, and not cleanly, the body pieced together only by strips of flesh and stringy tendons. Seeing the dead Nagari made any embarrassment I had for passing out go away.


    I killed that thing! I killed a Nagari! And I was UnMarked. No one could take that victory away from me¨Cnot even Lady Euridice herself.


    Then I remembered that the Nagari had cast a spell on its weapon before I¡¯d killed it. In fact, many of the Nagari had fought like they had a Mark.


    ¡°Drayek, are the Nagari Marked?¡±


    The Hunters sighed like I had brought up a topic no one wished to discuss.


    ¡°We can talk about that another time, Rayden. You¡¯re injured.¡±


    I glanced at Korin again, who looked tired, but she was still walking and healing me. At the moment, I felt nothing. No pain, no discomfort. She was doing her job well.


    ¡°I¡¯d really like to know,¡± I insisted.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Drayek said, but he continued leading the Hunters toward the end of the gulch and didn¡¯t turn to look at me. ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if they have a Mark or not. They have some sort of cultivation process that allows them to fight against Edronans, but we don¡¯t know how or why. Most Nagari seem to fight at a Tier 1 level while a select few can do well against a Tier 2.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s one that has gotten close to killing you, Drayek!¡± I could feel Krato¡¯s chest rumble as he spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about that bastard.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten about that Nagari, Krato.¡± I couldn¡¯t see Drayek¡¯s face, but his low growl indicated he didn¡¯t want to talk about some incredible Nagari that could take on, and nearly defeat, a Tier 3 Hunter.


    I allowed the Hunters to march in silence and mulled over my own thoughts. There was a lot I didn¡¯t know. About the Nagari, about Drayek¡¯s past¡­. Why didn¡¯t he trust me enough to have told me these things a long time ago? You¡¯d think that these topics would have come out in training, even!


    I made a decision then and there that, when we got home, I would at least make Drayek tell me about this legendary Nagari who could almost beat him in a fight.


    As our group reached the foot of the root that led to our freedom from the dark and damp gulch, Drayek halted. He threw his head to the side and stared up at the opening of the ditch. His eyes narrowed, and he gestured for the rest of the party to remain quiet.


    The Hunters perked up at the sound of pebbles rolling from the top of the gulch and down to our feet. They squatted low to the ground, brandishing their weapons and remaining on high alert.


    Krato shifted most of my weight to his left arm and outstretched his right hand in preparation to activate his Spectral Shield Skill. The hairs on the back of my neck rose as more stones spilled over the lip of the ditch above our heads.


    And then I heard hissing.


    Choruses of snake-like hissing, just like the sounds that came from the group of Nagari we¡¯d just killed, but much louder. And the sound grew even more deafening as footsteps approached.


    With breath held and eyes wide with trepidation, I peered through the fog above our heads. We were surrounded.


    I couldn¡¯t begin to see all of them to count accurately, but at least 200 Nagari glared down at us with slithering tongues and hideous smiles. They pounded splintering spears and chipped swords on the ground at their feet in perfect unison, making the gulch walls shake precariously.


    I cursed, Drayek cursed¨Cwe all cursed.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look good, Drayek,¡± Krato said. ¡°We¡¯re extremely outnumbered, and they have the high ground.¡±


    Korin¡¯s hands trembled over me, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± she said through clenched teeth.


    My heart raced, and I could feel it pulsating through my neck.


    ¡°The cave, Master. The cave is open.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I mentally called to the voice. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Just look.¡±


    As crazy as it sounded, I heeded the voice and threw my head about in search of this ¡°cave.¡± But it felt fruitless¨Cwe would have seen the entrance to a cave when we entered the gulch for our first fight. The gulch wasn¡¯t that big.


    But then I saw something strange¡­.


    A small crack on the left wall appeared, then grew so large it split the entire wall in half. The Nagari on that wall flung themselves to the sides, avoiding a treacherous fall.


    ¡°There, Master. Cave.¡±


    The crack revealed a hole that seemed to burrow beneath the surface and lead away from the Nagari.


    ¡°Drayek!¡± I hollered. ¡°In there!¡±


    Drayek threw his head around and followed my eyes to the cave.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± Drayek cried. ¡°Retreat into the cave!¡±


    There was no hesitation from the Hunters. Climbing up the root was not an option, for even more Nagari slithered their way to the top of the gulch and would overtake us easily. With no other escape options available, down the hole into the earth we would go.


    Just as the Nagari began crawling their way down into the gulch, slimy arms and legs effortlessly speeding down the steep walls and root, we filed into the wide mouth of the cave. All that met us was pitch black, but we had no time to be wary of what might meet us inside.


    ¡°Go, go, go!¡± Drayek hollered.


    We tumbled through the entryway and ran. Well, except for me, but my weight seemed to not make any difference to Krato¡¯s speed. Korin remained right on his heels with her hands shoved in my direction, but I could feel her magic beginning to wane. My body shook from the brief moments of pain that tore through my body.


    Drayek ran a hand over the tip of my spear and lit it on fire with his Weapons Fire Skill, providing our group some dim light.


    The Nagari hisses echoed to our ears from behind, so we kept running. The walls within the cave began narrowing until we were all squeezing through a stone corridor. It was hard not to feel claustrophobic, and it didn¡¯t help that Krato brought me tighter to his chest the more he had to squeeze his massive body through the narrow path.


    A rumbling from behind shook the walls and floor. The violence of the shaking forced our party to stop. Each Hunter attempted to balance themselves as the shaking continued.


    ¡°We have to keep going!¡± Krato shouted.


    The hissing was getting closer.


    But then, the walls crashed down behind us with a loud boom, cutting off the Nagari¡¯s path toward us. The Hunters leaped forward, avoiding any debris from the cave collapse. Piles of dust obscured my vision, and we all had to suffer through fits of coughing before anyone could speak.


    ¡°What now?¡± Marcus, who stood right next to Drayek, said.


    ¡°The only choice is to continue forward,¡± Drayek determined, pointing ahead at the corridor that continued even deeper into the ground.


    But as the group moved to follow, Korin collapsed with a tired gasp. Just as soon as she fell, a torrent of excruciating pain ripped through every inch of my body, and I, once again, lost consciousness.

 Chapter 12: The Labyrinth

    ¡°Welcome to Facility Number 105, Master. Your healing will be complete in six minutes and 32 seconds.¡±


    I was starting to grow accustomed to the voice and recognized it right away.


    ¡°This cave is one of Lord Solomon¡¯s facilities, and he opened it up for you,¡± the voice said. ¡°That is why he is able to heal you so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Lord Solomon? Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Why, he is you, of course. In a way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that clears things up.¡±


    I urged my floating, dream-state self to roll its eyes. I think it worked.


    ¡°I cannot detect truth in those words, Master. Are you lying to me?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I yelled in my thoughts.


    ¡°Soon, Master. Soon!¡±


    Some time passed in darkness before I awoke once again, but this time on my own. No one shook me to consciousness; no one called my name. And this time, I awoke to the group of Hunters surrounding me in a tight semicircle, eyes wide and breaths held in stunned silence.


    ¡°What?¡± I croaked.


    ¡°Your arms¡­¡± Korin breathed, Marcus propping her up on his shoulder as she was still exhausted. ¡°They¡¯re completely healed.¡±


    ¡°And you did nothing, Korin?¡± Drayek said.


    She shook her head but kept her eyes glued on me. In fact, no one¡¯s eyes left me.


    With great caution, I attempted to prop myself up on my elbows and rise from the ground. Miraculously, I felt no pain. In fact, I felt better than I ever had.


    I shoved myself to my feet with a quick inhale of breath and grinned. ¡°I¡¯m all better!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve established that, boy. But how did you come to be ¡®all better?¡¯¡± Krato growled to my left.


    I then noticed that it wasn¡¯t just trepidation in the stares of the Hunters; there was suspicion. Their stares turned to glares, and their circle around me grew tighter and more suffocating. All studied me with wrinkled brows and set jaws.


    All save for Drayek. He leaned into the right wall of the narrow corridor, arms folded and eyes studying me in their own curious way. I couldn¡¯t see any ill feelings toward me harbored within his gaze, but the unpleasant grimace painted onto his lips displayed his utter confusion. If he didn¡¯t know what had just happened to me, how was I supposed to answer Krato¡¯s question?


    Of course, I knew it had something to do with the mysterious voice, the cave, and someone named Lord Solomon. But those facts were merely small pieces to an ever-growing puzzle.


    Krato tapped impatient fingers on his forearm.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I stumbled to answer his question. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not sure?¡± he quipped. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    Before I could even open my mouth to reply¨Cnot that I had any semblance of a response ready¨Cthe floor at our feet erupted in a brilliant blue flash of light. The flash shot up to the high ceiling, then dissipated like a mist of rain on our heads.


    Someone cursed¨Cloudly.


    My eyes tried to adjust from the sudden burst of light, so I couldn¡¯t see who had spoken, but my sentiments were the same.


    I blinked away at the bright spots in my vision, then stumbled at the sight of a floating image standing before us. The visage displayed a large man with a golden helm and matching armor. He took up the entire width of the corridor, forcing our party to jump back and out of the way.


    ¡°Welcome to the Halls of Solomon,¡± the man bellowed.


    His voice echoed loudly in the cave, making the walls shake. I tilted my head to the side and dared a step closer to the man. I could only see a hint of his eyes and mouth beneath his helm, but something about the man seemed familiar. But the closer I looked, the more his face and body shimmered into transparency, like he was and wasn¡¯t there at the same time. An illusion, maybe? But I¡¯d never seen an illusion speak.


    ¡°To test your worthiness and secure an audience with Lord Solomon, you must pass three tests.¡±


    The man pulled a longsword from his hip, the sound of metal scraping leather screeching deafeningly in the echo-y hall. The blade was black as night and menacing. He brandished the sword up high, the eerie light emitting from his image reflecting off the bejeweled hilt.


    ¡°Test Number One: Courage.¡±


    The image faded away, but instead of finding myself in the hall with the Hunters, I was alone in the dark. My breath caught, and I stumbled about in the pitch black, arms outstretched in search of something solid.


    ¡°Drayek?¡± I called. ¡°Korin? Marcus? Maran?¡±


    ¡°Rayden? Is that you?¡±


    I could hear Drayek¡¯s answer, but his voice was distant. However, I heard it well enough to follow the direction it¡¯d come from. But then my hands met with nothing but stone. I felt along the wall, still unable to see, searching for an opening or a path, but I seemed trapped.


    ¡°Drayek! Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Where are you?¡±


    His voice sounded even further. I turned myself around and continued feeling blindly around the space.


    Suddenly, the strange illusion of the golden-armored man appeared right where I was about to take a step, and I fell backward onto my rear.


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    The visage paid me no heed and said, ¡°This test of courage will determine your ability to overcome fear of isolation and will take you through a labyrinth. Many of your personal fears will present themselves within the maze, but you must find the courage to continue to the labyrinth¡¯s end.¡±


    I gulped as the image faded away once again. In its place stood a wide-mouthed opening leading into a hall lit with brazened torches. I still could find no sign of any of the Hunters near me, only this new pathway. I determined it as the entrance to this ¡°labyrinth¡± the illusion had described.


    Trying not to think about the fact that I had no weapon, no armor, and no companion, I pushed myself forward and convinced myself that I could face whatever this labyrinth had to offer.


    ***


    I kept one hand on the right wall as I walked, and the other hand I had balled up into a fist at my side. Whatever this labyrinth might bring, I would fight my way through with fists and teeth if I had to. I might very well die, but I wasn¡¯t going to die while cowering in fear.


    Anger bubbled up in my stomach. That was the entire point of this ¡°test,¡± wasn¡¯t it¨Cto overcome my fear? I spat on the ground as I took a sharp left and planted my hand once again on the right wall. Could someone really decide they had a right to test people? This was sick.


    A part of me wanted to rebel against the game this stupid cave was trying to play with us, but my logical side convinced me that if I wanted to stay alive, rebellion against a force much stronger than I wasn¡¯t an option.


    I made turns in the maze randomly. Right, then left, then right again. After, I don¡¯t know, say a half hour, I met with my first dead end. Sighing, I pivoted and retraced my steps, careful to take some new turns this time.


    ¡°Hey, mysterious voice,¡± I said in my mind, ¡°You can jump in here at any time and help if you¡¯d like.¡±


    No response.


    I rolled my eyes. Of course the voice won¡¯t show up when I actually need it to.


    But even as I had that thought, I knew that having the voice¡¯s assistance would¡¯ve been too easy.


    After another insurmountable amount of time, I reached another dead end. I cursed and slammed my fists into the wall. I planted my forehead on the cold stone and breathed deeply through my nose, trying to think.


    ¡°Hey, Pale Skinned!¡±


    I spun around, then backed into the wall in surprise.


    ¡°Dorian¡­? How¨Chow did you get here?¡±


    Dorian, my most notorious bully, loomed before me with an ugly grin on his stupid face. His three equally ugly cronies came into place behind him from within the darkness of the labyrinth.


    I shook my head. ¡°No, wait. You¡¯re not real. You¡¯re not here. This is a¡­¡± I pursed my lips.


    Dorian and his accomplices are one of my worst fears? They approached me with weapons in hand, menacing chuckles escaping their chapped lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Pale Skinned? Finally realized you¡¯re worthless? UnMarked, no home, no family¡­. You¡¯re nobody.¡±


    No. Dorian himself wasn¡¯t one of my worst fears. It was my fear of being UnMarked¨Cno, it was more than that; it was my fear of being no one. I came from nowhere¨Cno parents to be seen, no world to claim as my home¡­. I often wondered if Drayek had taken me in just out of sheer obligation. Maybe because no one else wanted me.


    What was I supposed to prove in this moment? That I didn¡¯t care about those things? Because I did.


    I had nowhere to run as Dorian and his friends closed the space between us, just walls of solid stone on either side of me. I searched desperately for a rock, a piece of wood¨Csomething to use as a weapon! And then it hit me: the fake Dorian and his friends had weapons. I eyed the simple spear in Gregor¡¯s hand, the boy at Dorian¡¯s right. It wasn¡¯t anything special¨Cthe staff was made from cheap wood, most likely pine. It splintered at either end, and the tip was blunt, but it was something.


    Do I need to actually fight them, or will they disappear if I ¡®face my fear¡¯?


    I had to try something.


    ¡°I may be a ¡®nobody,¡¯ but I can still beat your ugly faces into the dirt.¡±


    The bullies stopped in their tracks, then threw their heads back and laughed. They cackled, really. It was a little excessive.


    I laughed right along with them, which brought their hooting and hollering to a stop.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s hilarious that a scrawny, pale-faced non-Edronan could ever beat you in a fight. But hey,¡± I shrugged my shoulders and grinned, ¡°you never know unless you try. I might surprise you.¡±


    I found myself believing those words. Even if just for a mere instant. Hey, I came out of the Marking Ceremony with an extremely high, insurmountable amount of Soul Strength. That was unheard of! And who knew what I could yet do?


    The four bullies scowled at me but made no move to fight. I cocked an eyebrow and stared right back at them. After just a moment¡¯s pause, the four dropped their weapons and retreated from where they had come, disappearing into the darkness.


    I eagerly lurched forward in the direction of the fallen spear but stopped.


    ¡°Wait, did I pass? Was this my test of courage?¡± I said aloud.


    No answer and no appearance of the floating test man.


    Before it could disappear, I scooped up the spear and held it firmly at my right side. The other weapons remained intact and present on the ground¨Cno mysterious vaporization or disappearance of any kind.


    I let out a long breath and continued my trek through the maze. Maybe if I headed in the direction the fake Dorian and his friends went, I¡¯d find the exit.


    I propelled myself forward and followed the path that Dorian had just taken. The hall was straight and offered no turns, but it seemed to continue endlessly.


    The torches lining the walls suddenly disappeared, and I was left scrambling in the darkness. Until I saw a white light at the end of my path. An exit?


    I hurried my steps, my smile spreading wider as the light grew bigger. Finally, I emerged from the maze and entered a sunlit space that looked very close to home. An expanse of dusty rock stretched before me and led to a dirt road¨Cthe same dirt road that trailed toward Drayek¡¯s and my hovel. It was home!


    I whirled around myself, brow quirked in confusion. The maze¡¯s exit that I had escaped from was gone. In fact, I didn¡¯t see any semblance of a maze anywhere¨Cjust the distant mountains that surrounded Edrona.


    Did I beat it? Did I actually pass the test?


    Not knowing what else to do, I began my trek toward the hovel.


    ¡°Drayek?¡± I called. ¡°Korin, Maran, Marcus?¡±


    I hoped that the others had also passed their tests and that I would see them somewhere soon. Maybe Drayek was already at the hovel¡­.


    I increased my pace to a sprint and followed the road to home, grinning at the sight of our humble abode coming into sight. And soon, I could see the entire hunting group gathered by the front door, huddled together and laughing with one another.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I waved my arms in the air to get their attention. ¡°You all made it!¡±


    No response.


    Maybe they haven¡¯t seen me yet.


    I jogged up to the group and sidled in next to Maran. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re all safe.¡±


    The entire party shot hot glares my way, including Drayek.


    ¡°Uh, did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Go away, UnMarked,¡± Krato growled.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not wanted here,¡± chimed Marcus.


    I swallowed. ¡°Drayek?¡±


    He said nothing, just stared me down with narrowed eyes and tight lips.


    ¡°Well, this is my home,¡± I said, attempting to stand up straighter. ¡°If anyone is not welcome here, it¡¯s you.¡±


    I bravely made eye contact with each Hunter but avoided Drayek¡¯s dark stare.


    Laughter. The sound of their shared amusement was heart-wrenching. I cowered beneath them and let them laugh at me. It was all I was good for, right? To be pointed and laughed at. I might as well get used to it.


    ¡°Go to bed, Rayden. I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡±


    I dared to look up at Drayek, who kept his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Not a sympathetic smile, a wink, or anything to indicate he was on my side.


    I scowled and shoved past the Hunters, making it to the hovel door. But as I pushed the door open, the usual warmly lit room with our made beds in the corner didn¡¯t meet me. Instead, I was back in a torch-lit stone hall.


    I was back in the labyrinth.

 Chapter 13: Escaping the Labyrinth

    In hindsight, I should have known that I had never left the maze. One, the trial against the fake Dorian had gone by in a breeze, and I shouldn¡¯t have expected it to be that easy. And two, the floating man had said there would be three tests, the labyrinth being only the first. If I had passed the labyrinth test, why would whatever power in charge have sent me home before I passed the other two?


    But at this moment, I still had to pass test number one, let alone tests two and three, whatever those might be.


    I begrudgingly traversed the halls of the maze and met with three more dead ends. The longer I walked and the more paths I took, the more the light from the torches dimmed. I felt panic set in as my heart pounded, fearing another period of darkness in the labyrinth and the test throwing me into another cruel ¡°Oh, you made it out!¡± scene.


    Hiss.


    I froze, hoping I had just imagined the sound.


    Hiss.


    There it was again. And that single hiss was soon accompanied by at least a dozen more.


    ¡°Nagari,¡± I muttered under my breath, positioning myself with the spear held firmly at my hip.


    Sure enough, a line of Nagari, 14 of them by my count, emerged out of the darkness and slithered toward me from all sides. I attempted to spin around myself and keep an eye on all 14, but I couldn¡¯t keep track of each one as they approached.


    Had some of the Nagari somehow made it past the collapsed wall?


    My heart plummeted to the depths of my stomach. The Hunters! My worry for them, especially for Drayek, suddenly consumed my thoughts. Were they alright, or were Nagari surrounding each of them, too?


    The Nagari drew closer to me, barely avoiding the tip of my spear. My nose burned from the smell of their combined rotten breaths.


    Maybe I should worry about myself first, I thought.


    My palms were sweating, and I had to further tighten my grip on the spear to keep it from falling to the ground. How could I, an UnMarked, take on 14 Nagari, all of which were well-armed and looking at me with grotesque, anticipatory smiles on their disfigured faces?


    Even with fear taking hold of me, which brought on a dizziness in my head and trembling in my limbs, I still stood my ground. Though death was my most likely outcome, I refused to cower before the monsters and give them an easy kill.


    The Nagari¡¯s bodies twisted and writhed unnaturally as each of them brandished their weapons in my direction. Their hisses sounded close to laughter¨Ca monstrous, bone-chilling laughter. They were mocking me.


    Just as every Nagari lifted their swords, spears, or daggers above their heads in preparation to strike, a blood-curdling cry reached my ears, coming from somewhere down the twisted path on my right. The roaring scream sounded pained, deep, resounding, and sounded a lot like¡­


    ¡°Drayek!¡± I cried, spinning my body in the direction the scream had come from.


    The Nagari froze as scream after scream echoed their way down the path and to our ears. The creatures looked me up and down with their yellowed eyes, and as yet another shout came from Drayek in the distance, they hissed in annoyance with outstretched tongues and curled scaly lips. Then they retreated back into the darkness.


    I had no time to consider the strange actions of the Nagari and sprinted in the direction of Drayek¡¯s continued hollering. The torches lighting the walls burned bright again and led me in the right direction.


    Once I found him, my breath caught in my throat.


    ¡°Drayek, no!¡± I rushed forward into the corner where he lay.


    I threw myself to my knees at Drayek¡¯s side and dropped my new spear to the ground. I went pale at the sight of blood gushing out of a deep wound peeking from underneath a crack in his armor plating. The blood poured down his abdomen and legs, further reddening the fiery-colored rubies on his armor. My hands trembled over his wound as I built up the courage to press my palms against it in an attempt to staunch the blood.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± I whimpered as I pressed.


    Drayek coughed, a fountain of more red spraying from his throat and dirtying his lips. ¡°I was caught from¡­ from behind.¡± He then uttered a series of profanities to describe the Nagari that had attacked him.


    ¡°A healer. We need a healer! Korin!¡± I threw my head around in a desperate attempt to find the party¡¯s healer but, of course, to no avail.


    My bottom lip trembled as I met Drayek¡¯s eyes. The lights were beginning to fade from the brown in his irises.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Rayden. Stop it.¡±


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    I sniffed and pressed a little harder on his neck. His body spasmed underneath me as he coughed up more blood.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± he choked. ¡°I have to tell you something before I¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed. ¡°No, you are not going to die.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, boy!¡± Drayek¡¯s face turned a slight gray from the effort of speaking. ¡°You have to know; I am ashamed. I am ashamed of you.¡±


    I froze, but my hands on his wound remained firm. ¡°What?¡±


    Drayek¡¯s breathing grew shallow, but he still managed to meet my eyes. ¡°You will never live up to what I hoped for you.¡±


    Hot tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.


    ¡°Once, I might have thought of you as my son. But now¨C¡±


    He choked up more blood, and it violently poured from his mouth. It was almost as much as what spilled from the wound in his stomach.


    ¡°Stop talking!¡± I demanded. ¡°You can tell me what a failure I am once we get you out of here!¡±


    ¡°But now¡­¡± he continued hoarsely. ¡°Now, you will never be my son, UnMarked.¡±


    I wanted to scream at him, to pound on his chest and demand he take it all back. His words stung like nothing I¡¯d ever experienced. My chest heaved from my distraught breaths, and I fought to hold back the stupid tears that tried to tease their way out of me. I would not let him see me like this¨Cbroken.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± I whispered. ¡°You¡¯re wrong about me. I¡¯ll prove you wrong. I¡¯ll prove you all wrong!¡± I was yelling at the room now.


    I remembered all the taunts and insults I¡¯d received from Dorian, his friends, and countless other Edronans. I remembered the Hunters not wanting me on this hunt in the first place. I remembered the scene this cursed maze had shown me of the Hunters and Drayek not wanting me even near them¨Cso much so that they had all been willing to toss me from my own home.


    But wait, that scene hadn¡¯t been real¡­.


    I threw angry eyes on Drayek¡¯s ashen face, realization hitting me. ¡°You¡¯re not real. You can¡¯t be! Drayek would never say those things to me.¡±


    I ripped my hands away from Drayek¡¯s stomach, but instead of dying, he disappeared completely in a trickle of dim white light.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± I threw myself to my feet and spun around the space, head craned up to the ceiling in search of the depraved person who would put me through something so terrible.


    ¡°Is that what you want? For me to not give up? For me to prove my worth? Because, curse you, I won¡¯t give up¨CI will prove myself!¡±


    The tears were falling freely now. I stopped spinning and let my head fall. ¡°I will.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how long I stood there in silence before a thin trail of yellow light lit up near my feet, then grew toward a path to the left. I wiped a sleeve under my nose and bent to retrieve the spear from the ground. Then I followed the line of light that decorated the floor, hoping its trail led to the end of this dreadful maze.


    I followed the light through various twists and turns and avoided thinking about the eerie silence met with only the soft drip of water trickling down the walls as I walked.


    There wasn¡¯t water trickling in the cave earlier or in the maze.


    I shook away that thought, assuming it didn¡¯t matter, then hunched my shoulders forward and kept walking, making sure to keep the spear held firmly in front of me. The logical side of me knew that those 14 Nagari must have also been a conjuration of the maze, but I didn¡¯t want to take any chances.


    I breathed a sigh of relief once I found a wide opening. It stood before me just as the entrance to the maze had before I¡¯d even started this first test. I bolted through the opening and found a large stone chamber. I nearly dropped my spear when I caught sight of Drayek resting against a wall. He sat there calmly, very well and very alive.


    I bit my lip to keep from crying out pathetically but still hurried over to him.


    ¡°Thank the goddess you¡¯re alright,¡± I said, settling in beside him and catching my breath.


    I froze. ¡°Wait¡­.¡±


    I precariously reached two fingers over to one of Drayek¡¯s hands, then pinched his skin¨Chard.


    ¡°Ow! What the hell, Rayden?¡±


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re real.¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m real.¡±


    Drayek rubbed at his reddened skin and shook his head at me, but I didn¡¯t care. I felt too relieved to see the real and living Drayek.


    I made a mental count of the rest of the Hunters in the room. Krato, Maran, and Korin. Maran sat huddled in a corner by herself, her sobs audible as she rocked back and forth on her knees.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she muttered repeatedly. Her neat dark hair had fallen out of its ponytail and clung to her face, wet from her sweat and tears.


    I averted my eyes, attempting to allow her some privacy. But I couldn¡¯t stop wondering what could have happened to her in the maze.


    Krato and Korin looked worse for wear, as well. Scrapes and bruises decorated their skin, and deep frowns were etched into their faces as they stared at their feet. They sat next to each other, but neither shared a word.


    ¡°Where are Marcus and Carissa?¡± I whispered to Drayek.


    He looked exhausted, too. A long cut that hadn¡¯t been there before dug an opening underneath his sharp jaw. His Tier 3 armor was dented and scuffed and had yet to repair itself. The sack of my Tier 1 armor and the spear were missing, but I didn¡¯t care about that one bit. Just the fact that Drayek was breathing next to me satiated my every need at that moment.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t returned yet,¡± Drayek said. ¡°And it¡¯s been a while. I was also worried about your return.¡± He tilted his head to give me a sideways glance. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe.¡±


    I choked back a sob, remembering the vision of a nearly dead Drayek who had said a multitude of awful things to me. But all I said in response was, ¡°I¡¯m safe. For now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, not again,¡± Krato grumbled loudly as a wave of blue and gold shimmered into view, then transformed into the visage of the man who had thrown us into the first test.


    I straightened up against the wall, pulse thready as I anticipated the man¡¯s next words. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t forget that he had told us there would be three tests. Not just one.


    ¡°Well done on your first test. Lord Solomon is pleased.¡±


    I shifted uncomfortably. The man¡¯s eyes, though blocked partially by his helm, rested on my face. I could¡¯ve sworn he was only talking to me. I caught a flash of blue from his eyes, and I blinked rapidly, thinking it must have been a trick of the illusion. But no¡­. I leaned in closer. I could see it now, clear as day; the man¡¯s eyes were the same color as mine. The exact same. No one in Edrona had blue eyes like mine. They all had varying shades of brown.


    ¡°Test Number Two shall commence shortly. We must now test your resilience.¡±

 Chapter 14: A Journey of Eternal Strides

    The earth quaked beneath us, then the floor split open into a dozen cracks, then two dozen cracks¡­. Water then shot out of the cracks like blood from a wounded artery.


    The illusory man disappeared once again as the chamber began to flood. I hissed as the cold water soaked through my boots and pant legs.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± I hollered to Drayek over the sound of gushing water.


    ¡°Find an exit!¡± he hollered back.


    I pushed through the water, the level now at my shoulders. Drayek and the others still stood with the water only at their hips, Korin at her mid-torso, but I, of course, was the shortest. We all searched every nook and cranny of the walls, searching for an exit. The opening to the maze had long since disappeared. Maran was the only one who withheld from the search. She stood near me, mouth distorted as a near-voiceless, breathy scream tore from her lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± she continued to hoarsely recite in between each of her horrific screams.


    ¡°Maran!¡± I slowly made my way over to her, the current of the rising level of water growing stronger. ¡°Maran, We have to get out of here! Come on, help us look for an exit!¡±


    She looked at me, her eyes glazed over and blood-shot. ¡°Marya¡¯s death was my fault!¡± her voice was hoarse. ¡°She died because of me!¡±


    I vaguely remembered a past member of Drayek¡¯s hunting team, Marya¨CMaran¡¯s older sister. She had died in a nasty fight against a Rockcrawler, a giant serpent that lived among the craggy rock desert of Edrona.


    I shook my head vehemently. ¡°No. No, Maran! I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t your fault. Come on, you have to start swimming!¡±


    I suddenly felt extremely grateful for the time the Water Mages¡¯ oasis had overflowed, resulting in a freak flooding of Edrona. After that had happened, the Priests had insisted that all Edronans take turns learning to swim in the oasis. Just in case another freak event involving water occurred. At the time, we¡¯d all thought the fear was unwarranted and ridiculous since we lived in a rock desert. But if we hadn¡¯t been encouraged to learn to swim, the Hunters and I would have all drowned by now.


    I dropped the spear I¡¯d retrieved from the maze, the cumbersome length making traversing the water difficult. I then found Maran¡¯s arm in the dark depths of the water. I was already paddling, and the level was getting dangerously close to submerging Maran.


    ¡°Let me be!¡± she screeched, yanking her arm out of my hand.


    I fought her, trying to help her rise above the water and swim, but she was stronger and wrestled against me the entire time. But I didn¡¯t stop¨CI wouldn¡¯t stop. Even when I lost her in the murky current, I dove and dove again, searching.


    I came up for a third time, lungs burning as I tried to catch my breath and prepared to dive a fourth time.


    ¡°Rayden!¡± Drayek hollered from the other end of the chamber. ¡°Leave her! You must preserve your strength!¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to give up on Maran. It was wrong! But my lungs screamed for air, forcing me to float on my back and catch my breath.


    I slammed a fist into the water but suppressed the urge to scream in frustration. I had just watched someone drown and couldn¡¯t do anything about it!


    I could hear Korin whimpering about three feet away from me and noticed Krato carrying her weight as he treaded water. She must have still been weak from using all of her stamina to heal me, let alone having to fight through her own maze.


    I watched as Krato dropped his longsword into the water to keep the two of them afloat. The look of pain on his face as his sword sank away sent a pang through my chest. Good weapons, especially at higher Tiers, were hard to come by.


    Unless you were someone like Drayek, whose Skill allowed him to create new weapons when he needed them, as long as he didn¡¯t surpass the limit of having 10 weapons or pieces of armor at once. Drayek released his sword and shield just as Krato had with his, but Drayek let the equipment go with much less sadness in his expression.


    I took a moment more on my back and tried to steady my breathing.


    Resilience, I thought as I floated, careful to stay above the waves of water that threatened to crash over my face. We¡¯re being tested on our resilience.


    Could the illusory man want to see who could float the longest? Or maybe who could swim the hardest? Thoughts of Maran drowning echoed in my mind, making it hard to think. She had just given up. And who knew where Marcus and Carissa had gone? Maybe they had failed their individual mazes.


    Resilience. Withstanding¡­. Are we being tested on our abilities to overcome? To endure what we¡¯ve been through?


    ¡°We¡¯re still being tested on what happened in the labyrinth!¡± I shouted, rolling off my back and returning to a full swim.


    ¡°Just keep swimming, floating, whatever you have to do¨Cjust don¡¯t give up!¡± I finished.


    Krato scoffed. ¡°Do you see that, Rayden?¡± He pointed briefly above our heads, then caught himself and Korin before they sank. ¡°The water level is close to the ceiling. We¡¯re all going to drown.¡±


    ¡°Just trust me,¡± I said. ¡°My test in the maze was similar. Something¨Csomeone is trying to convince me to not surrender. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same for all of us.¡±


    Krato squeezed his eyes shut but didn¡¯t argue with me. Korin continued to cling to him, and Drayek eyed me with a hint of a smile scoring his lips.


    The four of us continued swimming, occasionally transitioning to our backs to keep from getting tired. But the water kept rising. I shared nervous glances with everyone in turn, and then my eyes landed on Drayek. He nodded reassuringly just as the water closed in on the ceiling and submerged us completely.


    One, two, three¡­ I found myself counting slowly in my head as I held my breath.


    Was I counting the seconds to my death? Honestly, I didn¡¯t know what I was counting to. Counting just kept me from thinking too much about an impending death by drowning.


    Twenty, Twenty-one¡­


    I gasped a breath of air as the water receded back past my head and then past my shoulders. The four of us floated safely to the bottom of the chamber as the water drained back to where it had come from.


    I searched for one thing as the water disappeared: Maran¡¯s body. I paled once I found her. I rushed over but hesitated to bend down and touch her. She was completely lifeless; her skin had a sickly pallor both from the cold of the water and lack of life. Her lips had turned almost purple, and her arms and legs were bent underneath her torso unnaturally.


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    I pushed her body over to give her limbs freedom, then placed her hands over her chest. Her eyes were closed, making her look almost peaceful.


    ¡°Thank Euridice we¡¯re alright,¡± Krato muttered. He released the shivering Korin and retrieved his longsword from the ground with a happy look of reunion.


    Not all of us are alright, I thought, staring at Maran¡¯s lifeless face. But I held my tongue.


    Drayek looked over at Maran¡¯s body and lowered his head in grief. But he didn¡¯t allow himself much time to grieve as he then quickly shook his head.


    ¡°You were right, Rayden,¡± Drayek said as he pulled off a boot and shook out the water. ¡°Well done.¡±


    I had not a single second to revel in his praise before the golden man shimmered into existence once again.


    ¡°You have shown great resilience,¡± he said. And, just as I had before, I felt like the illusion was speaking only to me. ¡°Test three: Reason.¡±


    That was it. Not even a word of explanation before the illusion whisked away to be seen again who knew when?


    ¡°You are offered two choices.¡± The voice reverberated through the entire chamber and rattled the stray pebbles at my feet.


    The voice sounded the same as the deep, booming voice of the illusory man, but he was nowhere to be seen.


    The screeching sound of an invisible tool cutting into rock hurt my ears as two stone slabs magically carved themselves into the wall before us.


    ¡°Two doors stand,¡± the voice said. ¡°The left is a dash from this place, a swift respite. The right is a journey of eternal strides, where talents will ignite. Choose wisely, for your choice will also decide your fate.¡±


    Without allowing anyone time to think, Krato spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s obvious, right? We take the door on the left; ¡®The left is a dash from this place.¡¯ That must be our escape.¡±


    Drayek and Korin nodded their agreement, but I wasn¡¯t so sure. The man also said the left door would offer a ¡°swift respite,¡± meaning just a short break¨Ca moment¡¯s relief.


    I was beginning to feel grateful for all the books Drayek had made me read as part of my training. Knowing the meaning of words such as ¡°resilience¡± and ¡°respite¡± had proved helpful in this situation.


    And then the right door offered a ¡°journey of eternal strides, where talents will ignite.¡± I chewed over those words before voicing any opinion, the others staring at me in wait for a response.


    ¡°Rayden,¡± Drayek finally said, ¡°we are going through the left door.¡±


    I still didn¡¯t reply, rubbing my chin as I thought.


    ¡°Where talents will ignite,¡± I whispered under my breath.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m getting out of here,¡± Krato said.


    He pulled Korin with him, who went willingly. Without hesitation, Krato pushed on the stone slab. As it swung open into the wall, it let in a whoosh of cool air.


    Krato turned his head back to Drayek and me and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s leading outside, right into the gulch. And I don¡¯t see any Nagari!¡±


    Drayek excitedly shoved a fist on my arm. ¡°That¡¯s excellent news! Then we will indeed take the left door. The sooner we get out of here, the better. I will go first and make sure there are no Nagari about, and then I will give the all clear.¡±


    Drayek looked at me. ¡°Make sure you follow after Krato, alright?¡±


    I nodded mindlessly, but Drayek wouldn¡¯t leave my side until I met eyes with him and offered my reassurance. I did so with a small smile, and he gave a curt nod and headed out the door.


    More than a few seconds passed before we heard Drayek shout, ¡°It¡¯s clear!¡±


    Korin hugged Krato with tears of relief spilling down her cheeks, then exited next, Krato right after her with a skip in his step. I moved to stand before the open door, but my eyes remained glued to the door on the right.


    ¡°A journey of eternal strides, where talents will ignite,¡± I whispered again.


    ¡°Rayden, come on!¡± Drayek moved in front of the door and gestured for me to join them.


    ¡°Drayek, do you think the right door might give me what I¡¯ve been searching for? I¡¯m UnMarked; I can¡¯t cultivate or receive Skills. What if¡­¡± I took a step toward the right door. ¡°What if the answer to my ¡®Test of Reason¡¯ is through the right door?¡±


    Drayek frowned. ¡°No, boy. You will come to me now. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s beyond the other door. Over here, we can get home safely.¡± He tried walking over the threshold to retrieve me but bounced off an invisible barrier.


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± he muttered.


    He tried again and again to reach for me, but it seemed the door was a one-way trip.


    ¡°The man said ¡®where talents will ignite,¡¯¡± I said. ¡°This might be my only chance.¡±


    I moved another step toward the right door. Blood rushed to Drayek¡¯s face as he grew angry with me.


    ¡°Rayden, I command you to come through this door now. We must get home!¡±


    I shook my head and stepped directly in front of the right door. I couldn¡¯t see Drayek anymore, but I could hear his frustrated grunts as he tried to push himself through the invisible barrier.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take the risk.¡± I didn¡¯t know if Drayek or the others could hear me, but I didn¡¯t wait around to make sure.


    With a slow exhale through my nose, I heaved on the slab in front of me until it gave way. Another burst of cold wind caressed my skin, but instead of meeting with the gulch where the others stood, I saw yet another round corridor. It curved at a sharp right about ten steps ahead.


    The corridor revealed no hint as to what lay beyond, but I had already made up my mind. I stepped through and proceeded down the corridor, ignoring Drayek¡¯s distant hollering. And then, the door slammed shut behind me, and his shouts went from distant to nothing.


    ***


    The corridor seemed to twist its way further into the earth. The incline grew steeper as I traveled, and I had to balance myself by clinging to the wall with both hands. The smell grew mustier as I descended, but the farther I went, the darker it seemed to get.


    That is, until I reached a turn that opened into a more expansive hall. I glanced up at the dim light that had suddenly appeared. The stone ceiling glistened with bits of sparkly rock that glowed silver¨Cit looked similar to the stars in Edrona¡¯s night sky.


    As I walked, the starry hall was quickly replaced by a brightly lit cavern. I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the warm light. Finally, my vision returned to normal, and I took in my surroundings with a gasp.


    The ceiling was high, decorated with even more star-like stones and swirls of gold and blue veins embedded in the rock. The walls were the same and led to a polished floor, the stone so shiny I could see every detail of my reflection in its surface. And, by the goddess, did I look terrible.


    At the front of the cavern, a tall dais loomed before me with a black stone chair atop it. The chair was so oversized, it could only fit a giant. If I sat in the chair, it would engulf me, and I would look nothing more than an insect on the seat.


    I stepped closer to further study the throne and admired the detailed carvings of birds, snakes, and other beasts on the arms and legs of the chair. Strips of the chair radiated a strange white light that came from an unseen magical source. I outstretched a finger to touch the light emitting from one of the armrests but was stopped by that annoying voice in my head:


    ¡°You did it, Master! You have been granted an audience with Lord Solomon!¡±


    ¡°Nice of you to show up,¡± I thought back to the voice. ¡°I could¡¯ve used you much sooner.¡±


    ¡°Lord Solomon forbade me from helping you with the tests. That was something you had to do on your own.¡±


    ¡°Who is this Lord Solomon?¡±


    As if in answer to my inner question, an ample blue light flashed in front of the throne, then faded away to reveal the golden man from the tests. I retreated away from the throne by about four feet. The man¡¯s ornate helm and golden armor glowed so bright I had to squint my eyes into crescent shapes.


    ¡°Well done. You have passed the third and final test. You showed great reasoning skills and determined a longer path toward eternity¡¯s embrace as your best option.¡±


    The man sat on the throne, then slid his helm off. And his face¡­


    I rubbed at my eyes, convinced I had seen something wrong, but no¡­ The man looked just like me. Exactly like me. Of course, he was a man: fully grown, well-built, and a few lines creased into his forehead and adorned his eyes. But his hair was the same¨Csame, save for the one streak of silver¨Cdark and short but sticking up in perfectly coiffed, loose curls. And his eyes burned into me like a bad-tempered ocean storm. I suddenly realized why people often remarked on the strangeness of my blue eyes. Yes, I knew that man¡¯s face from anywhere¨C it was my face.


    ¡°I am Lord Solomon. Welcome, Number 52.¡±

 Chapter 15: Godspawn

    I stared at the golden man¨Cme¨Cjust a larger, older version of myself. A version of myself that I desperately wanted to look like someday. It would take some years of working out and praying to the goddess for a growth spurt¡­. But that was beside the point. Why was there a second me? And why had he just called me ¡°Number 52?¡±


    ¡°Um, hello, Lord Solomon.¡± I offered a clumsy bow and instantly regretted it.


    I mulled over the millions of questions running through my mind, trying to decide which to ask first.


    I cleared my throat and rose from my stupid bow. ¡°Who are you, exactly?¡±


    ¡°As I said, I am Lord Solomon. Well, not exactly. I am an advanced artificial intelligence representing who Solomon Rohn once was.¡±


    He tapped his fingers on the chair, his silence indicating I was allowed to ask another question. But I noticed that his fingers didn¡¯t quite touch the armrest as he tapped. In fact, no part of him touched the chair. He floated above it like a ghost might.


    So, he¡¯s still an illusion of sorts, like he¡¯d been during the tests.


    ¡°What is an artificial intelligence?¡±


    ¡°It means exactly what it says.¡±


    ¡°Uh, that doesn¡¯t help me.¡±


    The ¡°artificial intelligence¡± glared down at me with a scowl.


    I shrugged. ¡°Sorry. I just don¡¯t understand.¡±


    The man rolled his eyes. ¡°Lord Solomon died many centuries ago. But before his death, he created me, a system that can replicate his thinking patterns and retain his memories. I can even use some of his powers. So, I am intelligent, and I was created by man. Hence the term, artificial intelligence, or AI.¡± He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure. So, you¡¯re not flesh and blood, right? Because you look strange¡­.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how else to describe it, but by ¡°strange,¡± I referred to the man¡¯s transparency and hovering feet. As I¡¯d thought before, he looked like a ghost.


    ¡°I am a hologram.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a hologram?¡±


    The AI¡­ thing, man¨Cwhatever¨Cfrowned at me. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you don¡¯t have a lot of advanced technology on this planet.¡±


    ¡°I understood about half of what you just said.¡±


    ¡°Never mind that. A hologram is a three-dimensional image created by a configuration of light.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Uh¡­ alright.¡± I shuffled my feet uncomfortably, still unable to comprehend what this man was talking about. ¡°And, uh, why did you call me ¡®Number 52?¡¯¡±


    ¡°You are Lord Solomon¡¯s 52nd clone.¡±


    I let out a loud, boisterous laugh. ¡°Clone?¡±


    He had to be joking. Didn¡¯t the word ¡°clone¡± mean a duplicate¨Ca copy? Was this strange man claiming I was a copy of someone else? Impossible!


    Lord Solomon¨Cthe artificial intelligence¨Cthe AI¨Craised an eyebrow at me. ¡°Yes. You are Lord Solomon.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m Rayden.¡± I accentuated each syllable of my name slowly.


    The AI sighed and placed his forehead in a palm. ¡°No, you are Lord Solomon. More so than even I am. Your DNA is identical to his.¡±


    I folded my arms. ¡°But I don¡¯t feel like this guy you keep talking about. I was raised as Rayden. I have my own memories and experiences.¡±


    ¡°This is true, but¡­¡± the AI leaned forward, ¡°you are destined to become Lord Solomon. That is his design.¡±


    I rocked back and forth on my feet. ¡°So¡­ 52. Did this¡­ design of his fail 51 other times?¡±


    ¡°Some,¡± the Lord Solomon AI said with a nod. ¡°Some died, some didn¡¯t pass the initial three tests, and some just disappeared. And there aren¡¯t just 52 clones; there are more than that. And many are still fighting to become the final Lord Solomon in the end.¡± His eyes glowed brilliantly at me, amused by something only he knew. ¡°You are in that race now.¡±


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    I was stuck on the fact that so many clones had died or disappeared and that there were other people out there who were¡­ Well, I guess who were me.


    I shook my head. ¡°Uh, Solomon. Lord Solomon, er¨CWhat should I call you?¡±


    The AI chuckled. ¡°Lord Solomon is fine. As I said, I think and act just as he did. As, hopefully, will you someday.¡±


    I gave him a tight-lipped smile. I highly doubted that. I felt very much like my own person.


    ¡°Lord Solomon, why do you need so many clones?¡±


    Lord Solomon clasped his fingers together. ¡°To make sure the plan succeeds.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± I nodded, not sure what to ask next.


    ¡°I believe you have already met Codex.¡±


    ¡°Uh, have I?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Master! I am pleased to finally make your acquaintance!¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you are Codex.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is Codex. Like me, he is an AI, created only to serve Lord Solomon.¡±


    I froze. ¡°You can hear the voice, too?¡± I directed aloud to Lord Solomon.


    Not to mention, it seemed that the Lord Solomon AI had also heard my own thought response to the voice.


    ¡°I can also be in your head, much like Codex is. But what Codex can do that I cannot is stay within your thoughts at all times. I can only do so when you are present in one of my facilities.¡±


    ¡°One of your facilities?¡±


    The man nodded, eyes staring past me as if seeing a world behind the walls that I had yet to discover.


    ¡°Lord Solomon has many domains. And you will get to see a good deal of them, I assure you.¡±


    I gulped. ¡°Uh, I feel like we¡¯re getting ahead of ourselves. I don¡¯t know what it is you think I¡¯m supposed to do to become¡­ Lord Solomon. I don¡¯t even know who he was.¡±


    The Lord Solomon replica leaned back and smiled. I shivered at the crookedness of his grin¨Cidentical to my own. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever get used to this ¡°clone¡± business.


    ¡°Allow me to show you, then.¡±


    I gasped as darkness overcame me, and a surge of pain shot through my temples. I fell to my knees, finding the ability to stand more than difficult.


    What happened next went by in a blur. I was whisked away into a completely different place without having to move one step. The pain pounding in my head now suddenly gone, I rose from my knees and took in my new surroundings.


    I stood at the center of a hovel, not dissimilar to the one Drayek and I lived in, but it was a good deal smaller. And that was saying something.


    10 people were present in the place, including me, and more than half of them were children¨Cnone older than maybe 15, and two of them just waddling toddlers. The corners seemed to pull in tighter as each person gathered to the center of the one room. I backed away from the strangers as far as possible, but no one paid me any heed.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I queried to the room.


    No answer and no eyes in my direction. They can¡¯t see me.


    The people huddled together and glued their attention to the events occurring in the corner near the hearth that glowed from a small fire. Once I caught sight of what had captured so much interest, I found that I didn¡¯t particularly want to watch¡­.


    Among the dirt swirling about the floor, and amid the overlapping chatter of too many people, a frail woman with a distended belly screamed. Her cries pierced through the bodies of people huddled in front of me and rang in my ears. She threw herself back onto the cot after another deafening scream and attempted to catch her breath. A mid-sized man with jet-black hair and a nasty scar across the center of his face brushed a dripping wet curl out the woman¡¯s blue eyes.


    ¡°You can do it, my love,¡± he said, but his words came out in a stumble as he choked on them.


    His brows drooped in worry as he gripped the woman¡¯s right hand. ¡°You¡¯ve done it before, and you can do it again.¡±


    She nodded fervently, then clenched her jaw and let out another ear-splitting scream. I averted my eyes, uncomfortable to witness a childbirth firsthand. I felt like an intruder¨Cwhether anyone could see me or not.


    The woman let out a strained gasp, then the sound of a baby¡¯s cry filled the space. I brought my reluctant eyes back to the scene and saw another woman, plump and much healthier looking than the one who had just given birth; she was the midwife, I guessed. She held up a tiny human for the entire room to see. The newborn squirmed in her round hands and squealed for its mother.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boy!¡±


    A chorus of joyful shouts and congratulations erupted after the midwife¡¯s announcement.


    ¡°Darling?¡± The man who sat next to the exhausted mother shook her shoulders. ¡°Clara, what¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    I wiped sweaty palms along my trousers as the midwife checked between the woman¡¯s legs. The room fell silent, all except for the newborn boy.


    ¡°There¡¯s too much blood,¡± the midwife, Clara, whispered. ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything I can do.¡±


    The scene froze in front of me, like someone had stopped the passage of time for everyone there except me.


    ¡°This is the start of Lord Solomon¡¯s life.¡±


    I started when Lord Solomon appeared next to me and spoke, still clad in his impressive golden armor.


    ¡°His mother died giving birth to him, and his father died shortly after from grief.¡±


    Lord Solomon stared at the two frozen parents with a frown. Though the AI had been created by the actual Lord Solomon, I caught a hint of emotion in his expression. So, along with memories, thoughts, and some powers, perhaps the AI could also feel what the late Lord would have felt.


    I glanced at the little baby. So tiny, so helpless. Like I had been when the Edronans had found me in the middle of nowhere. The baby already had patches of black hair growing on his scalp, and his blue eyes¨Cmuch like his mother¡¯s and exactly like mine¨Cseemed to stare into me, even though he was frozen.


    I shivered and turned to Lord Solomon. ¡°Right, then, he had a tragic start to his childhood, but that still doesn¡¯t tell me who he was.¡±


    Lord Solomon waved a slightly transparent hand in front of my eyes, bringing more darkness and pain in my head, and then the scene changed around us again.

 Chapter 16: Lord Solomon

    The hovel from before was replaced by a scene outdoors. We stood in the center of a clearing, surrounded by enormous trees with the greenest leaves. In Edrona, I¡¯d only ever seen pine and the occasional weak oak. But these trees were mighty, and the grass¡­ I had never seen grass before; I¡¯d only read about it in books. I dropped to the ground and admired the lush, verdant green seeping into the color. I tried to run a hand along the blades; they looked so soft. But my hand ran through the ground like I was a ghost.


    ¡°Lord Solomon was raised on planet A-89¨Cseveral universes away from your home.¡± The AI studied me as I rose from the ground. ¡°We are standing on the outskirts of his city, Storia.¡±


    I had known that there were other worlds beyond Edrona, but several universes away? How many universes were out there?


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, a sudden thought presenting itself, ¡°if we¡¯re in a different universe, how is it I understand what everyone was saying during the birth? Does everyone speak the same language in all of existence?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s something you can thank Codex for. He can instantly translate most foreign languages in your mind. It¡¯s so quick, in fact, that you will never notice. There are some languages Codex has never come across, but he should be able to compute those languages once he studies them for a day or two and insert them into his database.¡±


    My eyes widened. I couldn¡¯t believe something like Codex actually lived in my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, Master. Translating languages for you is just one of many things I can do. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    I still wasn¡¯t used to the blatant interjections of a foreign voice in my mind, so I didn¡¯t respond to Codex.


    I looked around myself, then up to the sky. Only one sun beat its rays upon us, and it was much larger than the two on my planet, X-47-14.


    ¡°How did we even get here?¡± I breathed. ¡°And so quickly?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not physically here. I am sharing Lord Solomon¡¯s and my memories with you.¡± The AI tapped his forehead. ¡°In your mind.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s so vivid.¡±


    I could clearly see every blade of grass rustling underneath my feet, and I could hear the birds singing their songs as they flitted about the trees. I could even smell the damp soil and feel the crispness of a warm breeze dancing through the clearing.


    The sound of children¡¯s laughter approached, and Lord Solomon and I turned in the direction it came from. Six children barrelled through the forest, shoving and teasing one another playfully. There were four boys and two girls, and they all had matching black hair and blue eyes. I had never seen so many people look so similar to me in my entire life.


    The youngest child, a little boy of maybe two or three years, chased after from behind. His short curls stuck up in disarray, and his stubby toddler legs couldn¡¯t quite keep up with his siblings.


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± his soft voice squeaked.


    ¡°Hey, stop!¡± One of the girls, about my age, skidded to a halt. Her loose skirts billowed around her ankles as a sharp breeze blew through the forest.


    The rest of the children stopped at her command, cheeks red and breaths heavy. The girl in the pretty skirts, possibly the oldest among the group, traced her steps back toward the toddler and scooped him up into her arms. She tickled his chubby belly and smiled as squeals of laughter peeled from his lips.


    ¡°You are too slow, Solomon. We¡¯re going to be late to temple.¡±


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    ¡°Temple?¡± I said as the children passed us. ¡°Like the Temple of Euridice in Edrona? Are they going to a Marking Ceremony?¡±


    Lord Solomon shook his head. ¡°Well, yes and no. People in this universe worship the God of Plenty, Lord Vetar. And they go to temple to worship him once a week. And they don¡¯t have Marking Ceremonies¨Cthey¡¯re blessed with the ability to cultivate from birth.¡±


    My mind hurt from all of that information. ¡°Wait. There¡¯s another god? I thought the goddess reigned over all of existence.¡±


    Lord Solomon threw his head back and laughed. I didn¡¯t see what was so funny.


    ¡°There are many gods, Number 52. What do you think Lord Solomon was? He was the God of Knowledge, and you are one of his godspawn.¡±


    It was my turn to laugh. ¡°No. Lady Euridice is the Goddess of Knowledge.¡±


    The AI lowered his gaze to my face. ¡°Wrong again, Number 52.¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me that! My name is Rayden!¡±


    He raised a thick brow. ¡°Your name offers no meaning. You are Clone Number 52, and your purpose is to strive to become Lord Solomon and once again attain his full glory.¡±


    I rubbed palms over my eyes, feeling like my head was about to explode. Lord Solomon was shattering every thought and belief I¡¯d ever had. More than one god? Lady Euridice wasn¡¯t the Goddess of Knowledge? I was a godspawn? Other universes were blessed from birth to cultivate and didn¡¯t have to go through a Marking Ceremony?


    My thoughts returned to the Nagari our Hunters group had fought in the gulch. They had fought against us like they had been Marked.


    ¡°Can all sorts of creatures cultivate?¡± I asked Lord Solomon. ¡°If some people don¡¯t have to go through a Marking Ceremony, does that mean monsters, like the Nagari, can also advance through the Tiers?¡±


    ¡°All creatures with some semblance of civilization can cultivate,¡± Lord Solomon replied. ¡°And technically, no one has to receive a Mark from Lady Euridice.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lord Solomon held a finger to his lips. ¡°All will be answered soon. As I said, most creatures can cultivate. Like the Nagari on your planet. In fact, you will meet with many monsters in your future who might even be higher-Tiered than you.¡±


    I glanced up at Lord Solomon, who folded his arms and waited patiently for me to process the new information. But why should I trust him? No matter how much the AI looked like me, he was a stranger. In fact, he wasn¡¯t real at all¨Cjust a device created by someone long since dead.


    ¡°Alright, answer me this,¡± I demanded. ¡°Why would we know Lady Euridice as the Goddess of Knowledge if someone else already had that title?¡±


    The AI sighed heavily. ¡°That answer is hard to give in just words. Most of your questions will be answered if you keep watching Lord Solomon¡¯s memories.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Lord Solomon waved a hand once again, and the various hues of green in the forest swirled around us until they transformed again. I watched an older Lord Solomon, maybe 18, in an extensive training arena made entirely from stone. A rack of weapons lined one wall, and a group of spectators lined another.


    Solomon trained alone in the center of the arena. He flung dagger after dagger at a dummy thirty feet away from him, hitting it straight in the face every time. And in between each throw of a dagger, he waved a finger or made a shape with his arms and catapulted a spell at the five other dummies lined behind the one in the center. His spellcasting and weapon mastery were so fast, and every spell differed from the last.


    My jaw dropped as one dummy fell to the ground from a blast of red wind, another from a sudden burst of flame, and one even became engulfed in a wave of foamy green water that appeared out of nowhere. I¡¯d never seen anything like it. And stranger yet, I found it odd to watch myself do all of those things. Of course, I knew it wasn¡¯t me. But, then again¡­ our DNA was identical. Could I do those things someday?


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him cast that wave spell before,¡± one of the onlookers said. ¡°Is it just me, or is he learning new spells and receiving new Skills every week, if not every day?¡±


    Choruses of agreement surrounded the speaker.


    ¡°I wonder how he does it?¡± said another.


    Solomon ignored the gossip and stopped his dancing about the arena. With hardly a heavy breath, he peered at the dummies and nodded his approval. Then, with a flick of his right pointer finger, all five daggers he had thrown returned to his hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s the most powerful person I have ever seen,¡± I marveled.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s only Tier 4 here, so you¡¯ve yet to see true power.¡±


    ¡°Only Tier 4?!¡± I sputtered. The highest Edrona had ever seen was Tier 3, and that sometimes took decades of cultivating and nurturing one¡¯s talents. And this boy couldn¡¯t be more than 18!


    ¡°How high does he get?¡±


    The AI grinned as if sharing a joke with himself. ¡°Much, much higher.¡±

 Chapter 17: Solomons Ascension to Godhood

    I noticed a pattern as we watched more of Solomon¡¯s life, especially as he advanced into Tier 5; he somehow had more Skills than he had Tiers. I had noticed some of the people watching Solomon¡¯s training say as much, but it hadn¡¯t clicked for me until I watched a memory of Solomon meditating and churning essence into his core. Once he had hit Tier 5, he received a Skill that allowed him to read the essence used by someone Tier 6 or below when casting a spell. Once having read the essence, Solomon¡¯s Skill allowed him to replicate said Skill and use it himself, with a cooldown time of only five minutes.


    So, that meant he could find any Skill belonging to anyone else Tier 6 and below and use it. That was massive, insurmountable power. His Skill technically allowed him to use multiple Skills¨Cof his choosing! Had he had something similar already during the memory of 18-year-old Solomon in that training arena? But in that memory, it seemed he¡¯d used multiple Skills in quick succession¡­. How had he done that?


    But, no matter how Solomon had done the things he did, excitement coursed through my veins.


    This could be me.


    If all of this ¡°clone¡± stuff was indeed true, and I did share identical DNA with this Solomon, I could get stronger, too! And possibly have the capability to use others¡¯ Skills and cast others¡¯ spells!


    But I had to actually advance to Tier 1 first.


    Is the Lord Solomon AI ever planning on telling me how to do that?


    The AI continued to show me an entire lifetime¡¯s worth of memories and then some. I watched the real Solomon grow stronger and stronger, surpassing Tier 5, Tier 6, Tier 7¡­. At Tier 7, when he was around 35 years old, his aging had started to slow. I didn¡¯t even know that was possible! Then he advanced to Tier 10, 13, 15¡­. I¡¯d never known the Tiers climbed so high!


    And as his aging continued to slow so much that it nearly brought him to the brink of immortality, I watched Solomon lose many people he loved. All of his siblings and a majority of his friends died either from old age for not having passed Tier 6 or during different battles. And let me tell you, there were a lot of battles in Lord Solomon¡¯s lifetime. No, he lived more than just one lifetime. By the time he¡¯d reached Tier 18, he was a few hundred years old! I had lost track of his age and could not recall the exact number. But even several hundred years old, Solomon never looked more than a man in his mid-40s, just as the AI version of himself looked.


    The memories became more and more real to me as I felt I was beginning to know who this man had been. After many deaths of his family and friends, and after the deaths of three separate women he had fallen in love with and even had children with, it seemed Solomon had grown colder. His one goal was to get stronger, and he got to a point where he wouldn¡¯t allow himself to get close to anyone ever again.


    Tier 19, then Tier 20 passed, and he traveled and explored thousands of different worlds and hundreds of different universes. My brain couldn¡¯t comprehend the vastness of a never-ending existence, not just as Solomon continued to age slower and grow older than I¡¯d ever thought possible but also with how much there was out there.


    The next memory showed something similar to so many others the AI had already shown me; Solomon sat with legs crossed underneath him and arms laid out loosely at his sides. His eyes fluttered gently as he dug into his mind and core and prepared to break past Tier 20.


    He sat atop the peak of a snowy mountain, but the cold wind and heavy flurries of snow didn¡¯t seem to bother him. He didn¡¯t even move to tighten the bundle of fur clothing wrapped around his torso. I didn¡¯t feel the chill, either, but I also wasn¡¯t physically there, as the Lord Solomon AI had explained to me.


    ¡°I want to take you into Lord Solomon¡¯s mind for a moment, Number 52.¡±


    I turned to the AI. ¡°Are we not already in his mind?¡±


    ¡°We are in his memories. I want to show you firsthand what he is about to see.¡±


    Darkness swirled in my vision, then the darkness was quickly replaced by a floating orb glowing a hot white. It looked familiar¡­. Yes! It looked similar to when Drayek had guided me in imagining my core, when he¡¯d tried to assist me in advancing to Tier 1. But this floating ball looked huge, like it could take up the space of someone¡¯s entire Soul. Is that what happened to a core when it grew in strength? If so, mine was obviously a baby in comparison.


    Lines of iridescent blue essence flowed into the core, and the ball welcomed them with outstretched rays of white, then it quickly absorbed the streams. The core burned hotter as each stream of essence entered. After a few more moments of meditation, a separate image replaced the one of Solomon¡¯s core.


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    A transparent slate with hints of gold-yellow hues filled my vision. On its surface were long lines of words. I moved my head about, but the slate followed my eyes. Was this image also in Solomon¡¯s mind? I began studying the words:


    STATUS


    NAME: SOLOMON ROHN


    CELESTIAL TIER: 1


    CELESTIAL TIER 1 SKILL:


    OMNISCIENT INSIGHT


    -THIS SKILL GRANTS THE USER THE ABILITY TO READ THE PAST AND PRESENT EVENTS OF ALL ESSENCE.


    ¡°What does that mean exactly?¡± I asked the Lord Solomon AI.


    ¡°Essence makes up every person, every creature, every plant¡­. Essence is the basis of all existence. Essence is what chooses people¡¯s Skills, even. Essence can read someone¡¯s character and bestow a Skill in relation to who he or she is.¡±


    My head hurt. I felt like this AI man was shoving an insurmountable amount of new information in my brain and trying to make my head explode.


    The Lord Solomon AI closed his eyes as if recalling more memories of the life of his origin self. ¡°If you remember what we¡¯ve seen, all of Lord Solomon¡¯s Skills further his ability to read essence and use it to his advantage. Because essence is the very core of everything, as a god, he was able to read all essence and know the past and present occurrences of every person, building, planet¡­. Really, he could know everything about anyone or anything you could think of.¡±


    I whistled, impressed. If that didn¡¯t prove to me that Solomon had reached a god-like level, I didn¡¯t know what would.


    The slate describing Solomon¡¯s new Skill disappeared, and then the AI version of him changed our surroundings from cold mountaintops to a warmly decorated great hall. Tapestries painted every color of the rainbow spilled over the tall walls, and a thick red carpet stretched over the long floor all the way to a gold-encrusted semicircle of at least five or six hundred marble stone seats, each as large as the gray throne in Lord Solomon¡¯s facility back in the cave in Edrona.


    I shook my head. I was still in that cave, technically. We¡¯d never left. I kept forgetting that.


    Upon each seat at the end of the grand hall sat the most beautiful people I had ever seen. And by that, I mean they were perfect. No blemishes were to be found. Every hair was in place, and none of their robes displayed a single wrinkle. The thing I most marveled at, however, was the different colors each person had emanating from their robes. There was a robe representing every color in existence and some colors I had never even seen before.


    These people were grand, giant, and¡­ godly.


    I felt like little more than a speck that one of these perfect beings could flick away without the blink of an eye.


    Before them knelt Solomon with his head bowed. A long black cape on his shoulders splayed out behind him, adding a surprisingly nice detail to the red carpet below his feet.


    ¡°Congratulations on ascending to godhood, Solomon Rohn,¡± a man in the center of the group of hundreds bellowed. His voice carried effortlessly through the enormous space.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Dhismir. I am pleased to join such an elite group,¡± Solomon replied. His voice carried just as well.


    The lord in the center displayed a perfect row of teeth as he smiled. ¡°Few ever make it to the Celestial Tiers. What you see before you are just a few hundred among trillions of people in existence. It is no easy feat, what you accomplished.¡±


    Solomon tilted his head up from his feet and took in the people before him. ¡°Thank you, Lord Dhismir.¡±


    ¡°And you are also a lord now¨Ca god, just like those of us before you. Lord Solomon. How does that sound?¡± Lord Dhismir¡¯s smile grew.


    The newly appointed Lord Solomon rose from his knees. ¡°It sounds amazing.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see his face, but I could feel Solomon¡¯s own smile in his words.


    ¡°What is your Celestial Tier 1 Skill, Lord Solomon?¡± another person spoke, a woman with golden curls cascading past the armrests of her chair. She sat just two rows behind Lord Dhismir.


    ¡°Omniscient Insight,¡± Solomon said. ¡°I have the ability to access any knowledge from the past and present.¡±


    Silence fell. Matching scowls drifted upon every face in front of Solomon. Had he said something wrong?


    ¡°That sounds quite similar to your Celestial Tier 1 Skill, Lady Euridice,¡± the same golden-haired woman directed to her left. ¡°That is strange, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    All eyes moved to a woman tapping fidgety fingers along her armrests. My knees trembled once I recognized her; the Lady Euridice. The goddess¨Cmy goddess. My mouth went dry, and I fought the urge to drop to the floor in a humble bow.


    Her hair was so blond it looked almost white. Half of her hair twisted in braids around her tan and line-free forehead. The rest fell over her shoulders in loose, immaculate waves. Her eyes seemed to blaze with a yellow fire, making her irises look almost golden. She curled her upper lip in distaste as she studied Lord Solomon.


    ¡°My Celestial Tier 1 Skill offers me omniscient knowledge in all things past and present.¡± Her eyes narrowed at Lord Solomon. ¡°Just as you claim yours does.¡±


    Solomon¡¯s shoulders straightened. ¡°That is my Skill, my lady. In fact, I can now read your essence and learn everything there is to know about you.¡±


    He paused for a moment, his audience holding their breaths.


    ¡°Your Celestial Skills have nothing to do with knowledge and everything to do with deception and lies.¡±

 Chapter 18: A Battle of Gods

    I had never seen so many slack jaws at once. Even my jaw dropped open at Lord Solomon¡¯s accusation. The AI version of him next to me merely grinned and folded his arms, as if he enjoyed reminiscing in the scene before us.


    But not everybody seemed shocked.


    A select few gods, like Dhismir, studied Solomon with narrowed eyes and tight lips. It was as if¡­ they already knew about Lady Euridice¡¯s deceit. But why would they allow her to do such a thing if they knew?


    I dared ten steps forward to catch a glimpse of the real Lord Solomon¡¯s face. He stared down Lord Dhismir with the hint of an amused smile on his lips. Like he knew that Lord Dhismir knew¡­. There was a lot of ¡°knowing¡± going on.


    I turned suspicious eyes toward the AI, but he only stared back. He knew what was going on, too. Obviously. But would he ever explain it to me? I had no idea.


    Lady Euridice¡¯s angelic round face had gone red at the accusation, and the silence was agonizing as the room chewed on Lord Solomon¡¯s words.


    Lord Dhismir broke the silence. ¡°If any of what you say is true, Lord Solomon, that would make the domains and godhood placed upon Euridice to have been done in error. She shouldn¡¯t be the Goddess of Knowledge, for that would belong to you.¡±


    The god¡¯s statement furthered my confusion. Why would he have allowed such an error if he had known Lady Euridice was a liar? Maybe Lord Dhismir and the other gods were actually in the dark. Maybe I had read into the shared expression between Dhismir and Solomon incorrectly.


    Lord Dhismir¡¯s once warm face grew dark with serious shadows. ¡°Do you wish to retract your accusation, Lord Solomon, or do you wish to carry on with it?¡±


    ¡°What I said is true. Many of Lady Euridice¡¯s Skills allow her to easily deceive those around her, and claiming a false godhood title goes right along with what she can do. Her Celestial Tier 2 Skill, for instance, gives her extra statistics in her might, vitality, and intelligence for every person she misguides.¡±


    Solomon raised his hands to his shoulders. ¡°I swear to all of you that what I say is true. Imagine the extra power she would gain for lying to all of you and to the trillions of people who reside in the universes she reigns over."


    Hurried whispers and wary glances at Euridice came through before another response.


    ¡°What say you to that, Lady Euridice?¡± Dhismir said. ¡°Do you deny his accusations?¡±


    ¡°Of course I deny them!¡± She was standing now and had seemed to grow another foot in size. Her shadow stretched over the rows of seats in front of her and continued to Lord Solomon¡¯s feet.


    I recoiled at the sight of her anger, not ready to witness the wrath of the goddess I¡¯d been worshiping my entire life.


    ¡°Lord Solomon just reached the god Tiers, and you will believe him over me¨Cyour friend and colleague of many millennia?¡±


    Euridice¡¯s eyes shot daggers at Solomon. ¡°You have questioned my honor, Lord Solomon,¡± she spat. ¡°And I will kill you for it.¡±


    The great hall disappeared and was replaced with a vast, sandy desert. Nothing but sand existed as far as the eye could see, save for the gods from earlier, all clad in their pristine colorful robes. They made a wide circle that extended miles long, and many of the gods I couldn¡¯t see due to their distance. Each god leaned forward in anticipation. I was standing in the center of the ground before them, so it looked as if they all stared at me. Instinctively, though I knew they couldn¡¯t see me, I drew back to the edge of the circle. The Lord Solomon AI tailed me.


    ¡°You are about to see one of the greatest fights in all of history,¡± the AI said.


    ¡°Oh? Who¡¯s fighting?¡±


    As if in answer to my question, two figures emerged from either side of the crowd and entered the center of the circle: Lord Solomon and Lady Euridice.


    ¡°Oh, of course,¡± I said.


    Both of the gods looked more than ready for battle.


    The golden armor on Lord Solomon¡¯s large body, identical to the armor his AI self wore, moved flexibly with his strong steps. He looked out into the crowd through his mighty helm. I saw no nerves in his expression. He looked almost¡­ at peace. Solomon¡¯s hands sat poised atop the matching gold hilt of a sword strapped to his side, identical to the weapon the AI Solomon had on his person.


    Lady Euridice¡¯s white armor was perfectly polished and matched the platinum blond hair she had twisted on top of her head. The armor hugged her slender form but covered every part of her body except for her face. Four blood-red daggers circled around her waistline. The bold red color of the blades stood out starkly against her white armor.


    ¡°Is this going to be, like, a duel?¡± I breathed.


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    Duels in Edrona were rare, but they did happen. Usually when someone offended another, like the time Drayek had said something extremely crass about Priestess Rowena Hale (Drayek still wouldn¡¯t tell me what he had said), and she challenged him to a fight to the death. The other Priests and Elders of the city wouldn¡¯t allow a ¡°fight to death,¡± but they did allow the two to battle until one conceded. Drayek won, of course, but he¡¯d still been holding back¡­. I just knew it.


    ¡°Sort of like a duel,¡± the AI agreed. ¡°But the only difference is, this is a god-Tiered fight. It can quickly get out of hand. That¡¯s why they chose to fight here.¡± He waved his hands around the barren land. ¡°This is an uninhabited planet. Gods have destroyed cities, planets, and sometimes entire universes when engaging in battle.¡±


    I completely forgot that my body wasn¡¯t physically there for a moment and nervously glanced at the two gods circling one another with sneers on their faces.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I swallowed. ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡± I didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    And then I remembered something the AI had said to me many memories ago.


    ¡°Wait, you said Lady Euridice killed Lord Solomon. Is this where it happened? Can gods really die?¡±


    ¡°Slow down, Number 52. You¡¯ll see soon enough.¡±


    I ignored his words¨CI had too many questions!


    ¡°If gods can destroy entire worlds in just one fight, and if gods can die, why are the others here?¡± I waved frantic hands over the massive audience. ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡±


    Before the AI could answer, Euridice threw herself at Solomon. Blood-red, crescent-shaped daggers glinted from the sunlight in each of her hands. Solomon deflected her blows with barely a flick of the finger, summoning a hovering shield of gold in front of his face. Her daggers met with the shield and sent the goddess flying onto her back. She must have put an insurmountable amount of strength into her strike to send her flying so far and on top of some of the distant gods in the audience.


    Euridice threw herself back onto her feet so quickly, I almost didn¡¯t see it. Then she moved so fast she turned completely invisible. I didn''t even see the dagger fly until it again hit Solomon''s shield. But, she had used the throw as a distraction. I watched in awe as she spun around herself, maneuvering behind Solomon before he could react. But instead of thrusting a dagger into his back, she snapped a finger, then disappeared into another invisible run.


    Puffs of smoke appeared in about a hundred different places all around the fighting ground, including within the lines of spectators. As soon as the smoke clouds dissipated, Lady Euridice appeared in every spot, her white armor sparkling blindingly in every direction you looked. There were 100 Euridices surrounding Solomon on every side, and no way to tell which was the real goddess.


    But Solomon, instead of searching for the true Euridice, he only smiled. He twirled his pure black blade in his right hand and laughed.


    ¡°Ah, your Illusory Doppelgangers. I¡¯ve heard of this Skill.¡± He winked at the audience. ¡°Two can play at that game.¡±


    Solomon snapped his own fingers and sprinted away in his own invisible dash. Then, 100 versions of himself appeared, just like they had for Lady Euridice. I couldn¡¯t tell which was the real Solomon, either.


    ¡°The Imitator¨Cthat¡¯s what we call you, you know!¡± every single Euridice screeched in unison.


    I clapped my hands on my ears to protect myself from the noise of a chorus of goddesses screaming at the top of their lungs.


    ¡°We know that you can replicate others¡¯ spells, even change some of them for your own purposes,¡± the Euridices continued, all doppelgangers from both Euridice and Solomon circling one another with bared teeth. ¡°But I am Tiers above you still. And I know you can¡¯t copy spells too strong for your Soul to handle.¡±


    Every Euridice grinned and licked their lips at once. It was beyond creepy.


    ¡°Try to copy this spell, Imitator!¡±


    The Euridices fisted their daggers and slammed their knuckles together, a resounding crack transpiring as they did.


    The ground split open beneath the doppelgangers¡¯ feet. The earth began tearing apart into two separate sections, forcing the onlookers to retreat as quickly as they could. My impulse to run remained strong as the ground opened up near me, but the Lord Solomon AI raised a hand, indicating I should stay in place. As the sand began to spill into the depths below and crack open a chasm before me, I noticed that my body floated over the hole.


    Not physically here, I reminded myself.


    The Euridice doppelgangers darted away from any openings into the earth, but as the Solomon doppelgangers evaded their falls, the Euridices waved their hands and warped each of them back over the chasm and to their demise.


    One Solomon after another fell, then disappeared in a whiff of smoke. But she had yet to find the real Solomon.


    At about number 20 of Solomon''s doppelganger demises, one materialized a golden bridge, similar to Solomon¡¯s hovering shield but covering a greater area. The Solomon that had cast the spell landed on his feet.


    "There you are," Euridice crooned, but just one Euridice spoke.


    The Solomon on the bridge barrelled toward the Euridice that had spoken, putting all stake into attacking her in the hope that she was the real goddess.


    The other Solomons disappeared in their individual puffs of smoke, and the real Solomon grew two sizes as he wielded his black blade in front of his body and let out a guttural cry. His shout made the earth shudder. The one Euridice he pursued paled as he approached with god-like speed. But she quickly shook herself out of her stunned daze, and she was quicker.


    Faster than lightning carving through a stormy sky, Euridice dismissed her copies and waved a hand right in front of Solomon¡¯s face, nearly touching his nose with the back of her palm.


    It took me a moment to comprehend what had happened as Solomon disappeared, but then I found him¨Cat least I could see a distant image of him about half a mile away from Euridice. For a split second, Solomon didn¡¯t know what had happened either, which allowed ample time for Euridice.


    Euridice propelled her body forward and streaked toward Solomon in a blur, kicking the sand up into clouds as she went. She collided with the other god, and what happened next, I couldn¡¯t really tell you. The loudest boom I had ever heard resounded through the entire desert¨Cno¨Cplanet. No, universe. It had to have been that loud.


    A flash of brilliant light threatened to burn my eyes, and I watched in horror as the entire desert ripped into minuscule pieces. Many of the spectating gods had since left the fight once the chasm appeared, but others had to fly up and out of the way, and a few still got caught in the explosion.


    Before I knew it, the entire planet was gone; all I could see was darkness.

 Chapter 19: A Gods Soul

    ¡°Wait! What just happened?¡±


    We were back in the cave¨Cback in Lord Solomon¡¯s facility on the outskirts of Edrona. But then again, we had never left.


    I whirled around myself. But yeah, definitely back in that blasted cave and not safe at home.


    ¡°You just witnessed the death of Lord Solomon.¡± The AI of the god was sitting on his large throne once again, looking as if we had never traversed the memories of his origin self.


    I blinked. ¡°If he died, surely Lady Euridice had to, as well. That explosion¨C¡±


    ¡°That explosion, she was prepared for,¡± Lord Solomon interrupted. ¡°No one knows exactly how she did it. At least, not to my knowledge. I am unable to use the true Lord Solomon¡¯s ability to access all information. But, as Lady Euridice said herself, she was also much higher-Tiered than Lord Solomon. He really stood no chance against her.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s just it! He was a god. A god! Just like her. How could he die like that?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why anger rippled through me, making my blood boil. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Lord Solomon was¡­ well, he was kind of me.


    ¡°There are many Tiers within the God Tiers, or the Celestial Tiers as most call them. She was Celestial Tier 5 at that point, and now, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s advanced even higher.¡±


    I rubbed a hand over my face. This was all too much. Just the day before, I had thought the highest anyone could possibly try to get to was Tier 4¨Cmaybe Tier 5. And no one in Edrona had ever passed 3. But now, this AI man-thing had shown me a world leagues beyond what I had ever imagined. I felt small, ignorant, and very much like a child.


    ¡°Before Lord Solomon went to his final battle, he devised a plan just in case the worst happened, which it did.¡± The AI continued speaking as if I wasn¡¯t going through an existential crisis. ¡°He created me, he created Codex, and he established a way for clones of himself to generate in various parts of the many universes out there.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. You¡¯ve yanked it out of me; how are we¡­ clones¡­ ¡®generated?¡¯¡±


    It felt uncomfortable to know that I hadn¡¯t come into existence the usual way, but I had to find out exactly how I got here.


    ¡°Allow me to show you.¡±


    Lord Solomon rose from his chair again, and I braced myself for another immersion of darkness and pain in my head. I¡¯d thought we were done with the memories.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the AI asked with a slight tilt of his head.


    I noticed my shoulders were tensed up near my ears, and my eyes were squinted into slits. ¡°Uh, I thought you were going to take me into another memory again.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Lord Solomon frowned at me. ¡°The birthing chamber is just behind this dais.¡±


    The AI pressed a hand against the wall behind his throne, then the wall whooshed over to the side as if an unseen hand had slid it over. Lord Solomon stepped through the new hole in the wall, gesturing for me to follow. I did, but I felt wary to view any sort of ¡°birthing chamber¡± at all.


    I entered the hidden room, trailing Lord Solomon on his hovering heels. And what I saw was not something I expected. In fact, I didn¡¯t know what I had expected.


    The room was small and simple, with short walls made from the same stone as the rest of the cave. But in the center stood a strange device. It was large and cylindrical, with an egg-shaped curve at its top and bottom. The surface was a glossy white, and the device stretched horizontally from one wall to the other.


    ¡°This is the pod you came from.¡± Lord Solomon circled the ¡°pod,¡± as he called it. ¡°Lord Solomon scattered these pods all over various universes and created facilities around them. Tap that button there.¡±


    He pointed to a small, almost imperceptible divet at one of the pod¡¯s ends. I pushed a finger into it and heard a soft click. I leaped back as the white surface revealed a panel and flew open. Inside were a bunch of flashing lights surrounding another pod-shaped device, but much smaller than the one it resided in.


    ¡°You were gestated inside this.¡± The AI pointed at the smaller pod. ¡°Lord Solomon set a timer for your creation to begin, as he did with all the other clones.¡±


    He pointed to a smooth black siding of the pod among the flashing lights and directed my attention to the ¡°0:00¡± glowing on its surface.


    ¡°That¡¯s the timer? What does it do? Countdown?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the AI affirmed. ¡°And once your development was complete, we teleported you to the surface. We¨C¡±


    ¡°What does ¡®teleport¡¯ mean?¡±


    Lord Solomon frowned at me in a similar way Drayek did when I¡¯d get on his nerves. ¡°Teleportation is the process of breaking down someone or something into their base molecules, then transporting them to another location entirely.¡±


    ¡°You are saying a lot of words, but I am understanding very little.¡±


    Lord Solomon rolled his eyes. Testing the patience of an AI copy of a legitimate god felt like an accomplishment.


    ¡°You started in the pod, then you magically,¡± he emphasized the word ¡°magically¡± in a long, drawn-out tone¨CI decided to not take offense, ¡°appeared on the surface.¡±


    I paled. ¡°Seriously? You sent a baby¨Cyou sent me¨Cabandoned and on a hot, rocky planet with monsters at every corner?¡±


    Lord Solomon remained impassive. ¡°Yes, of course. Is there a problem with that?¡±


    There were a multitude of problems with that¨Cwith everything the AI had told me! I¡¯d always liked to imagine a caring mother and father out there somewhere. Maybe they had lost me, or maybe they had died. But all romanticized dreams of loving parents were squashed as I stared at the white pod that had created me from discarded DNA.


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    ¡°Am I even human?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Of course! You are just as much a human as any other. Better, even! You are godspawn.¡±


    ¡°You keep saying that. Godspawn.¡±


    ¡°You are Solomon Rohn, as I have said. And he was a god. Almost everything about you is identical to him.¡±


    ¡°I can think of a few ways we are different. One, our names.¡±


    ¡°Number 52, listen! This is important.¡± The AI narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Your DNA is identical. And your Souls are almost identical. You don¡¯t have the same Soul he did when he was your age¨Cyou have the same Soul he did before he died, and possibly an even stronger Soul.¡±


    I cocked my head. ¡°Meaning what, exactly?¡±


    I thought back to that device during my Marking Ceremony that couldn¡¯t determine my Soul Strength number because it was ¡°too high.¡±


    ¡°You have a perfect Soul. A god¡¯s Soul.¡±


    My eyes widened. I didn¡¯t quite know what a ¡°perfect Soul¡± entailed, but I could guess it meant something good.


    ¡°You may have noticed that your body hasn¡¯t grown into itself yet,¡± Lord Solomon continued. ¡°You are small, and you may have struggled in training and getting physically stronger in the past.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have definitely noticed all of those things. Thanks for pointing all of that out.¡±


    The AI ignored my quip. ¡°Your body cannot handle the strength of your Soul. At least, not until you are able to advance into Tier 1. Once you do, you will begin to notice a lot of physical improvements. And these improvements will continue as you advance through the next Tiers.¡±


    I chewed on the inside of my cheek. ¡°Alright¡­. But what is my Soul Strength number?¡±


    Lord Solomon frowned. ¡°That, I cannot tell you. The original Lord Solomon genetically altered his DNA for all of his clones and succeeded in establishing perfect Souls within each of you. Meaning, your Soul could be stronger than his ever was.¡±


    I rubbed my hands on my face and could say nothing in response. This new information had rendered me speechless.


    ¡°You might never know the exact number of your Soul Strength, Number 52. But because you have a perfect Soul, you will have no limits to how powerful you can get.¡±


    I liked the sound of that but was still struggling to process all of the particulars. The AI knitted his brows as he studied me, but he said nothing more on the matter.


    We returned to the throne room; Lord Solomon settled back on his throne, and I took my place, standing in front of him like a puny, ignorant child.


    ¡°I believe you are now ready to advance into Tier 1.¡±


    I shot up straight. I had been waiting for this¨Choping for this. That all of the explanations and life-changing information would lead to my own future on a path to strength and power.


    ¡°Codex, as you might have guessed by now, is a wealth of information¨Ca tool for you to use throughout your life. It was molded into your mind as you were created in the pod.


    Not only can Codex answer your questions, translate languages, and provide you with more knowledge than your current brain could handle, but it is also your instrument in cultivation.¡±


    The AI paused, expecting me to interject with another question, but I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Codex has been dormant in your mind for most of your life, but I have awakened it for this very purpose. You are now ready, Number 52, to start your journey of eternal strides and become Lord Solomon.¡±


    ***


    Without warning, the Lord Solomon AI had somehow sent me back to the gulch. Dead Nagari from our previous fight littered the ground, but it was otherwise empty. No sign of Drayek and the others, and no sign of living Nagari.


    How long have I been gone?


    I made my way toward the root leading to the surface, trying to ignore the roaring in my stomach. It felt like I hadn¡¯t eaten in days. But¡­ maybe I had been gone with Lord Solomon for days. I had no way of determining how much time had passed.


    It was dark all around me, save for the dim glow of the three crescent-shaped moons hanging above my head. I held my breath as I observed my surroundings, ensuring I was alone and no monster would attack me.


    I attempted to remember all of the instructions Lord Solomon had given me before he¡¯d rudely sent me back to the gulch without warning.


    ¡°As soon as possible, find a private place to meditate, then Codex will direct you on how to break into Tier 1 and start your cultivating journey,¡± he had said.


    I thought back to what might provide shelter above the gulch but remembered there wasn¡¯t much around to provide protection as I meditated, just miles of cracked rock and distant mountains. But I was impatient. I wanted to get into Tier 1 as soon as possible.


    I returned my attention back to the gulch again and stared at the Nagari bodies, expecting one of them to jump out at me and say, ¡°Just kidding! Not dead! But you will be soon.¡±


    I marched over to the wall of the gulch that had opened up for the Hunters and me earlier¨Cthat felt like ages ago¨Cbut the gaping entrance to the cave was gone. I almost tried to convince myself that it had all been a dream, but why else would Drayek have left me three or four miles from Edrona by myself?


    No. It had all happened, and I now knew I was one of the many clones born from the DNA of a long-dead god killed by the very goddess I¡¯d worshiped my entire life. Talk about an identity crisis.


    Finally, I made up my mind. It was too late to travel through the craggy desert toward Edrona alone, and I had no weapons to defend myself. Though it was a relatively short trek, I decided that taking it in the morning, and as a Tier 1 (hopefully), I¡¯d be better off.


    I made my way over to the large root in the gulch and found a nook that I could wedge myself into. After I situated myself in the best way possible, I prayed to¨Cwell, I don¡¯t who. It felt strange to pray to Lady Euridice, but I still prayed. Maybe someone would listen. I prayed that no Nagari or other ill-meaning beast or human would attack me as I meditated.


    I breathed heavily through my nose and tried to relax my entire body. My arms fell over my legs, and I did my best to ignore the part of the root poking into my ribs.


    I urged my eyelids to settle from their hurried fluttering and calmed my breathing down to a slow pace. I could feel my heart slow along with my breath and happily noticed the tension releasing from my shoulders.


    ¡°Hello, Master. Are you ready to begin?¡±


    ¡°Hi, Codex.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t surprised by the presence of Codex any longer, especially if I ignored the fact that he¨Cno, it¨Cwas an artificial intelligence that had been embedded into my brain while I was gestating in a white¡­ pod, was it? I kept thinking of it as an egg-shaped tomb. No, it was better not to think of that. I could get used to thinking of Codex as my internal companion if I pushed aside everything else about the situation¨Cat least for now.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± I felt no doubt in my response. And I was ready¨Cvery ready.


    ¡°Computing your essence levels,¡± his squeaky voice said. ¡°Ah, you have a lot within you. I have activated your core, Master. You may now absorb essence into it.¡±


    I did as Codex said, imagining my core once again as I had with Drayek after eating the monster heart. The blue lines of essence floated around the hovering orb of light that made up my core, and I imagined myself directing the streams toward the ball as I¡¯d done before. But instead of my core rejecting the essence, it absorbed it quickly, as if my core had been starving.


    After just a few moments, the high-pitched ding of a bell sounded in my mind, and then the image of my core was replaced with a gold slate covered in words. I recognized it as similar to what I had seen in Lord Solomon¡¯s memories while he¡¯d meditated on the mountain and had broken through to the Celestial Tiers.


    ¡°If you read the screen,¡± Codex said, ¡°you will see that you have succeeded.¡±


    ¡°Screen¡­.¡± I¡¯d seen use of that word once before, during my Marking Ceremony.


    I followed Codex¡¯s direction and read the words, a thrill of adrenaline energizing me.


    STATUS


    NAME: CLONE #52


    TIER: 1

 Chapter 20: Tier 1, Level 1

    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes and almost thought it must be a trick. But no, no matter how much I denied the reality of the words floating in my vision, they were indeed there:


    STATUS


    NAME: CLONE #52


    TIER: 1


    LEVEL: 1


    TIER 1 SKILL:


    ESSENCE AWARENESS


    -THIS SKILL FURTHER ENHANCES THE USER¡¯S ABILITY TO SEE AND ABSORB ESSENCE IN THEIR SURROUNDINGS.


    Further enhances? I thought.


    Is that why I was able to see the streams of blue essence within me as I attempted to cultivate? Or when I¡¯d seen it in the armor and had caught glimpses of essence floating around during the Nagari fight? If my Skill allows me to see it even better, that could prove extremely useful. I¡¯d be able to take in more essence than anyone else around me during a fight¨CI could maybe even see stray streams in my everyday life and gather them as I would air to breathe.


    My pulse quickened. This is incredible!


    ¡°Flip to the next screen, Master. There is more.¡±


    ¡°Uh, how¨C¡±


    ¡°You just will it to go to the next screen, Master.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­.¡±


    Codex was right, of course. After just thinking about turning to the next page, the screen heeded my command.


    STATS:


    MIGHT: 3


    AGILITY: 7


    VITALITY: 4


    INTELLIGENCE: 6


    WISDOM: 5


    WILLPOWER: 8


    FREE STAT POINTS: +3


    ¡°What does all of this mean?¡± I asked Codex, reading over the words and numbers again and again.


    ¡°Those statistics represent your base abilities and how strong they are. For each level you advance to within a Tier, you will get three more statistic points and can allocate them in any category you would like.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this. Drayek would have told me about this process. All he has to do is meditate once a day, then eventually advance to the next Tier.¡±


    ¡°Hold while I access information about Lady Euridice¡¯s Erudition Collective¡­.¡±


    I waited for a while, my meditative state beginning to slip as I became more aware of the hard ground underneath my rear.


    ¡°Information found in my database. Lady Euridice¡¯s people, the ones she Marks for cultivation, use essence similarly to you, but she steals about 20% of their essence and also allocates their statistics how she sees fit. The people in the Erudition Collective know nothing of this, and she has been growing infinitely stronger due to this arrangement.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡± My heart sank. The goddess was sounding less and less appealing to worship the more I learned about her.


    ¡°You are not Marked, Master. So, this will not be how it works for you. You will be allowed to use all of the essence you gather effectively and increase the statistics, or stats, in your base abilities as you see fit¨Cwith my guidance, of course.¡±


    ¡°But what do you mean by ¡®levels?¡¯ The screen says I¡¯m Tier 1, Level 1.¡±


    ¡°Levels essentially show you how far into a Tier you are and how close you are to advancing to the next Tier. There are 10 levels in Tier 1, 30 in Tier 2, and so on.¡±


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    I didn¡¯t remember Drayek mentioning anything like this. ¡°Do the Marked have levels, too?¡±


    ¡°In a way, yes, but Lady Euridice controls where all of their statistics go, and it takes much longer for those in her domain to advance.¡±


    I studied the words on the screen once again. ¡°I know the basic meanings of each of these statistic categories, like Might and Intelligence are pretty straightforward, but are there any underlying meanings I should know about before I choose where to allocate my new stats?¡±


    ¡°The first category, Might, dictates your physical strength,¡± Codex responded.


    ¡°I like the sound of that,¡± I thought back to Codex with excitement. ¡°Maybe I can put all three stat points in there.¡±


    ¡°Not so fast, Master. Might is a very good category to add stat points to, but so are the rest, depending on what you are going for as a fighter and spellcaster.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ what do the others do?¡±


    ¡°Agility governs things like your speed, reflexes, and precision.¡±


    I breathed deeper into my meditative state and maintained my focus on the categories displayed on the screen.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Very good, Master. Next is Vitality, which affects your health and resilience. Then there¡¯s Intelligence, which betters your knowledge, logic, and problem-solving capabilities.


    ¡°Wisdom follows Intelligence, but it is not quite the same. Wisdom enhances your intuition and perception. It can even aid in resistance against mind spells and illusions.¡±


    This was all great. At some point, I wanted to add more points to all of these categories.


    ¡°Last is Willpower,¡± Codex continued. ¡°Yours is especially high for a brand new Tier 1. The highest one¡¯s points can get in any category is 10 before they can increase the points by advancing through the Tiers.¡±


    ¡°And what does Willpower help with?¡±


    ¡°Good question, Master.¡±


    I felt myself smile within my meditative state. It was an obvious question, really, but Codex was so intent on pleasing me from left to right. He could prove extremely useful¨Ceven more so than he¡¯d already had so far.


    ¡°Willpower constitutes your mental strength and determination. Lord Solomon prized this ability above all others, and he said you performed well in this way during the tests in his facility.¡±


    I thought back to what I had learned in the labyrinth and when we had all nearly drowned. At the time, I had felt like a mysterious being was attempting to determine whether or not I would give up due to my insecurities and mental exhaustion. But I hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°Thank you, Codex. Um¡­ what categories do you recommend I put these stat points in?¡±


    Though all categories seemed equally important, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the urge to put all three points into Might. The idea of attaining more strength with a spear thrust, for example, or the ability to carry heavier equipment, appealed to me.


    I had always been a runt in size compared to everyone in Edrona. Of course, I knew now that it had to do with this Soul of mine¨Ca ¡°god¡¯s Soul,¡± Lord Solomon had called it. My body hadn¡¯t been able to handle it. But now, all of my inadequacies were about to change. I had my own Mark, for lack of a better word, and I hadn¡¯t needed Lady Euridice¡¯s help to receive one.


    ¡°I would recommend you follow the first Lord Solomon¡¯s path as closely as possible.¡±


    ¡°But he died. Maybe if I did something different, I might succeed where he couldn¡¯t.¡±


    Codex didn¡¯t answer for a long moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master,¡± he finally said, ¡°I cannot compute the meaning behind your words. As one of Lord Solomon¡¯s clones, your purpose is to become who he once was.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    I didn¡¯t really like the whole idea of becoming someone I wasn¡¯t, but I would take Codex¡¯s recommendations. For now. The first Solomon had become a god, and I had many lifetimes before I would get to that point¨Cif I¡¯d ever get to that point. The thought of living hundreds of years like he had seemed incomprehensible to me, but at least I knew it was possible.


    ¡°Very good, Master. I recommend adding two points to Might and one to Vitality. Your stats are so low in both of those categories that it will only help you in upcoming fights as you wait to receive more stat points.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± My eyes scanned over the screen. ¡°Uh, how do I allocate them?¡±


    ¡°Just think it, Master, and the numbers will move.¡±


    ¡°I should have guessed.¡±


    And move they did. The number of available stat points ticked down as I added two to Might and one to Vitality. As soon as the stats were added, the screen disappeared, but then I felt something. I felt a tingling in every muscle, and the warm sensation continued through my veins.


    I dared to break myself from my meditative state and looked at my biceps and forearms. Yes, definitely a slight difference¨Cdare I say, they were slightly bigger.


    I glanced around the gulch and inhaled a sharp breath at the sight before me. Essence. It was everywhere. Like a blue-tinted wind swirling all around me. At least ten or so streams whirled around my head, and without even thinking, I absorbed each stream into my Soul and felt warmth as they entered. Even at that moment, I could see at least a couple dozen different lines of essence in the entire gulch. I couldn¡¯t imagine how many there must have been after our Nagari fight before the Hunters naturally absorbed some of the essence as they passed.


    After I sat and took in all of the essence I could see, I rose to my feet. The thought, I¡¯m a Tier 1, kept running through my mind. Grinning, I attempted a sprint across the gulch, testing my new strength. It was almost imperceptible, but I could feel my legs propel forward slightly faster than they used to.


    ¡°Codex,¡± I called in my mind.


    ¡°Yes, Master?¡±


    ¡°This is going to be fun.¡±


    ¡°If you say so, Master.¡±

 Chapter 21: Priests Apprentice

    Drayek wasn¡¯t at home when I returned. I felt strangely grateful for his absence as I barrelled through the rickety door, breath heavy and throat screaming for some water. The large bucket we used for retrieving water from the oasis sat in the corner near the hearth. The oasis had been created by the city¡¯s Water Mages and was located just steps away from the goddess¡¯s temple¨Cit was the only clean water in existence in Edrona.


    I rushed over to the bucket and, disregarding how filthy my hands were, shoved them into the water with cupped palms. I then brought scoopful after scoopful to my mouth but was careful to not overdo it.


    Just before my stomach began to hurt from too much water, I fell to my rear with water dripping off of my chin and just sat on the dusty floor. I still didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d been gone, but the floors looked like they hadn¡¯t been swept in at least two days, and that was usually one of my chores.


    I peered into the hearth and noticed the coals still burned a dim orange, indicating it had been put out not more than an hour ago. Drayek hadn¡¯t been gone long, but who knew when he¡¯d return?


    After a moment of respite, I stood and hobbled my way to the wooden cabinet where we stored our food. My stomach growled with excitement at the sight of two strips of dried meat and a hunk of stale bread. The food disappeared in my mouth faster than I wished, but I was so hungry.


    Feeling slightly better from the ordeal of my travels, I stalked toward my cot and threw myself onto it. My aching limbs nearly groaned aloud in relief, and I felt the throbbing in my head subside as the food and water began to work their magic.


    Before I knew it, I fell asleep.


    ***


    ¡°Rayden?¡±


    I awoke to the soft voice, but it didn¡¯t belong to Drayek.


    I rolled over onto my back and blinked bleary eyes toward the door. ¡°Sarina?¡±


    Her tall, slender form slowly blurred into focus. And she looked¡­ different. Granted, I hadn¡¯t seen her since our Marking Ceremonies, which felt like a lifetime ago, but she was very different. She was the same beautiful Sarina, with shiny curls twisted into ropes that fell past her shoulders and dark skin glowing with healthy undertones of pink in her cheeks. But, she was dressed in a way I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d see.


    I couldn¡¯t miss the Priest¡¯s clothes she wore even if I tried. The red robes cascaded down her body in elegant waves, and a gaudy ring on her right pointer finger displayed the water droplet insignia.


    ¡°Why are you dressed like Priest Kane?¡±


    A tinge of deep red blossomed on her face. ¡°Are you serious, Rayden? That¡¯s all you have to say? We thought you were dead!¡± She clenched her fists at her sides and averted her eyes from mine. ¡°You¡¯ve been missing for days! Drayek and the other few Hunters that returned said you¡¯d been left behind, and even Drayek started to lose hope for your return.¡±


    ¡°How long have I been gone?¡± I said.


    ¡°Five days.¡± She met my eyes, brows drawn together in distress. ¡°I thought I¡¯d never see you again.¡±


    She moved to approach but hesitated, avoiding my gaze once again. I couldn¡¯t help but take in her robes once more. She seemed to notice and raised her nose into the air.


    ¡°In answer to your question, I¡¯m not dressed exactly like Priest Kane. I am in Priest¡¯s Apprentice robes. I¡¯m training to become a Water Mage like him.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re Sarina Kane.¡± Her new surname tasted strange in my mouth. ¡°I assume you took his name as his apprentice.¡±


    Sarina nodded. ¡°My Tier 1 Skill is especially extraordinary when it comes to water, and Priest Kane said it could greatly benefit Edrona.¡±


    Well, she was right. Skills with water abilities were highly valued in a place with no fresh water, save for the oasis that all the Water Mages had to work to maintain at all times. But her new apprenticeship didn¡¯t sit right with me for some reason. I guess I had always imagined us working together as Drayek¡¯s apprentices.


    ¡°What is your Skill?¡± I asked her.


    She clasped her hands in front of herself and stared at her shuffling feet. ¡°Priest Kane said I shouldn¡¯t share it with just anyone. He says it does well to keep some things private.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Why? Do you think you have enemies in Edrona?¡±


    Save for the annoying few, like Dorian and his cronies, Edrona was not a wealth of evil-doers.


    ¡°Besides, Sarina, I¡¯m not just anyone!¡± I spat, annoyed.


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    She eyed me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rayden. My mentor is very particular.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ll say¡­.¡±


    A long, uncomfortable silence befell us. I rose from the cot and winced at the aching pain still present in my tired body.


    ¡°What are you even doing here, Sarina?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    She stormed over to me, looking down at my face over her nose, but I noticed that I wasn¡¯t quite as short compared to her as I had been before advancing to Tier 1. And that was a welcome realization.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been worried about you, you idiot! While Drayek has to leave for hunts or some other errand, I¡¯ve been watching over the house for him and looking out for you¨Cjust in case you somehow survived whatever it is you encountered out there.¡±


    She studied my face with tight lips, and we stood in awkward closeness for much too long. Then, she abruptly closed the gap by throwing her arms around my shoulders and bringing me into a suffocating embrace.


    My face squashed against her chin, and her hug squeezed the air out of my lungs, but it wasn¡¯t all bad. I hesitantly brought my arms up and around her waist and embraced her in return. She smelled of honey and a hint of fresh damp soil. It was pleasant.


    After more than a few seconds ticked by, I pulled away from the hug and cleared my throat.


    ¡°Uh, thanks. For worrying about me.¡±


    She shoved a playful fist on my shoulder and sniffed away the tears brimming her eyes. ¡°Of course, dummy. Both Drayek and I hadn¡¯t given up hope that you were alive out there somewhere.¡± She grinned teasingly. ¡°At least, we hadn¡¯t lost hope yet.¡±


    ¡°Did they try searching for me?¡±


    Sarina nodded. ¡°Yeah. Drayek led search teams for the first three days you were gone. They scoured that gulch your hunt had gone to and even several miles in the surrounding area for any sign of you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad he didn¡¯t give up¨Cthat you didn¡¯t give up.¡±


    I playfully shoved her, and we laughed with one another as if we were still the trainees we had been before our Marking Ceremonies.


    ¡°Do you know when Drayek will be back?¡±


    She glanced over at the door. ¡°Any minute now, actually. But hey¡­,¡± she looked me up and down, ¡°is there something different about you? You seem slightly¡­ bigger?¡±


    I rolled my shoulders back and puffed out my chest. ¡°Is it that noticeable?¡±


    She drew in her brows and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Just a little bit. I didn¡¯t notice at first, but¡­ yeah.¡± Sarina pointed at my biceps, then gestured her arm all over me. ¡°You¡¯re more toned and maybe a little taller. How did that happen so fast? I last saw you just a week ago.¡±


    I opened my mouth to tell her¨Cto tell her everything. I wanted to share the incredible experience and new knowledge I had about the world and myself with someone! But a wariness kindled within me as she stared at me with a tilted head and curious eyes.


    My experiences in the cave weren¡¯t exactly believable. The information I¡¯d learned about the goddess alone, and her dastardly plan to steal essence from her people, would not go over well. For one, maybe it wasn¡¯t best to shake the faith of everyone around me. I knew how that felt, and it wasn¡¯t pleasant. And two, I was now a Tier 1 without a Mark. To Edronans, that was impossible.


    I remembered Sarina feeling hesitant to tell me about her Tier 1 Skill, and in doing so, she followed Priest Kane¡¯s instructions to keep her abilities private. So, why should I be willing to share everything with her? Besides, she might have told her mentor, the Priest, and I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted him or anyone else to know of my strange origins and new abilities.


    ¡°Rayden?¡± She wrinkled her nose. ¡°Are you going to answer me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, I¡¯ve just been working out.¡±


    Sarina set her jaw and ran her eyes over my body once again. She didn¡¯t believe me. I knew her well enough to see that. But she didn¡¯t press me any further.


    ¡°I have to go,¡± she said. ¡°Drayek will be back from his hunt soon, and Priest Kane wants me to rest well before I return to training tomorrow.¡±


    Sarina pulled me into one more hug, then retreated from the hovel. I followed her outside and watched as she walked down the road leading into town, her form soon growing into a distant speck.


    I craned my head up to the sky and noticed begrudgingly that it was evening again. I had slept the entire day away. But hey, I¡¯d needed it. In fact, I felt like I could still sleep another few hours.


    I made it back to my cot and nearly slumped onto it with exhaustion, falling asleep almost as quickly as I had before.


    ***


    I could have slept another entire day away but awoke to the sound of the door creaking open once again.


    ¡°Sarina?¡± I grumbled, turning over in my bed and rubbing the sleep from my eyes.


    But it wasn¡¯t Sarina.


    Drayek froze in the doorway. His red and silver armor clung to his sweaty body, and the leather pouch of supplies he took with him on hunts was slung over his shoulder.


    We lingered in our staring match for much too long that, finally, I broke first from his intense eyes.


    ¡°So you have returned.¡± Drayek threw his leather sack on the table with an aggressive thud. ¡°I almost didn¡¯t believe Sarina when I ran into her in town.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m alive!¡± I tried an enthusiastic smile, but he returned the smile with another hot glare.


    ¡°I thought you were dead, boy!¡±


    The air grew thick with tension. I rubbed the back of my neck and swallowed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sorry?!¡± Drayek stormed over to me, red tinging his face from anger. ¡°You disobeyed a direct order, Rayden! You went through the other door, and then you were gone.¡±


    He drew his face back from mine and placed a palm on his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever do that to me again!¡±


    We stood in silence once again, no one offering more to the conversation. I, myself, didn¡¯t know what to say. I understood where Drayek was coming from, but I had been right; the door I went through had been my answer to the test.


    ¡°Drayek,¡± I finally broke the silence, ¡°I have to tell you something.¡±


    His dark eyes flicked up from the floor to meet my gaze. ¡°Are you actually going to tell me what happened? And why you were missing for five days? Most gave up on you¨Ctried to insist on me letting you go, but I couldn¡¯t¡­.¡±


    His voice broke, and then, before I could comprehend what was happening, he wrapped me in a constricting hug. I froze in his embrace. He¡¯d never hugged me before, and though it wasn¡¯t much, the emotion that did penetrate his voice was more than he¡¯d ever shown me.


    I was touched. And a little disturbed; I¡¯d never been hugged so much in one day. First Sarina, and now Drayek.


    Drayek let go just as quickly as he had grabbed me and cleared his throat. ¡°But yes, Rayden. You should tell me everything.¡±

 Chapter 22: The Traders Markets

    Drayek¡¯s stoic expression revealed no reactions to my long story. Though almost imperceptible, his eyes did widen in shock, but just twice: Once when I revealed to him that I was one of many clones made from the DNA of a dead god, and the other when I¡¯d relayed certain information about Lady Euridice.


    Many hours had passed, maybe three or four, before I finished describing everything I¡¯d learned and seen. My eyelids were growing heavy again from lack of sleep, and dawn was quickly approaching. I began to wonder if I¡¯d ever feel well-rested again.


    ¡°You made it,¡± he whispered. ¡°To Tier 1. You are Marked.¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly. As I said, everyone is capable of cultivating. Lady Euridice just does things a different way in The Erudition Collective.¡±


    Drayek shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s hard for me to believe, Rayden. She is our all-knowing goddess and has a grand plan that will only benefit us.¡±


    ¡°But think about it, Drayek.¡± I pushed my elbows on the table and leaned forward. ¡°I am not lying about anything I saw or learned. And when I advanced to Tier 1, I saw all of the essence within me and was able to allocate my strengths into different categories. You¡¯ve never been able to do that. How do you know that the goddess isn¡¯t stealing essence from you or from anyone else in this universe?¡±


    Drayek fell back into his chair. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t.¡±


    I felt terrible for making Drayek question his faith, but I needed to tell someone what had happened to me. And while I felt hesitant about confiding in Sarina, I trusted Drayek more than I did anyone.


    ¡°I want to see you in action,¡± Drayek said. ¡°You do look like your muscles have toned, and I could swear you¡¯re slightly taller.¡±


    ¡°Sarina said the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell her about this?¡± His words were clipped and nervous.


    ¡°Uh, no. I didn¡¯t. I¡¯ve only told you.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He nodded his approval. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of this information should be shared outside of this room¨Cat least not for a long while. We don¡¯t know how people would react.¡±


    ¡°So, do you believe me?¡± I allowed myself to hope.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I shouldn¡¯t,¡± he replied, scratching his chin. ¡°But do I believe the¡­ artificial intelligence¡­ who told you these things, I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    He eyed me. ¡°This voice in your head¡­ am I able to hear it?¡±


    I tilted my head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Codex!¡± I called in my mind.


    ¡°Yes, Master?¡±


    ¡°Am I the only one able to hear you, or are you able to¡­ I don¡¯t know, project yourself into someone else¡¯s mind?¡±


    ¡°Calculating,¡± Codex said.


    After a long pause, he finally said, ¡°No, Master. I am embedded in your brain and cannot present myself in anyone else¡¯s. Copies of me exist within the other clones, but we can only speak to those we are intended for.¡±


    ¡°Rayden?¡± Drayek interrupted. ¡°You¡¯ve been silent for a very long time.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Codex says only I can hear him.¡±


    Drayek pursed his lips. He did not seem to care for that answer. Maybe he¡¯d hoped hearing Codex would help convince him of my tale.


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    He changed the subject: ¡°If you are indeed Tier 1, I¡¯d like to take you on as my apprentice, if you¡¯d like that.¡±


    My heart leaped up into my throat. That is all I''d have wanted since I could remember. Not only would I be learning from the best warrior in all of Edrona, but I would also get to take his surname as his apprentice. It would feel like I finally belonged somewhere.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always liked the way Rayden Grim sounds.¡±


    Drayek offered a half smile. ¡°Good. Now, get some sleep. We¡¯ll speak more on this tomorrow.¡±


    My body shuddered happily as I returned to the cot and laid my head down. A certain relief washed over me knowing I had told Drayek everything about Lord Solomon, his cave, Lady Euridice, and my new abilities. I hadn¡¯t realized how burdened I¡¯d felt to not express my thoughts and feelings to someone. Lord Solomon and his domain had rattled my life, and I didn¡¯t like the idea of traversing my new world alone.


    ***


    Drayek thought it best that I show I was ¡°alive and well¡± to the rest of the Edronans sooner rather than later. They already had enough questions about my disappearance, let alone the reasons behind my presence on the hunt.


    To keep our stories straight, Drayek apprised me of what information he and the surviving Hunters in our group had told others about the events of the dire hunt. He explained the circumstances to me as we walked to town, preparing me for any onslaught of questions.


    All that Drayek and the others had revealed to others was that we had been ambushed by more Nagari than we¡¯d predicted, and a few lost their lives that day; Marcus, Carissa, and Maran. And Drayek had explained to the probing that I¡¯d been lost somewhere in the fray.


    ¡°Did everyone believe you?¡± I said.


    ¡°I definitely have received more suspicious looks than I¡¯d like, but no one has questioned me, especially since Krato and Korin corroborated the story. Besides, it is not uncommon for Hunters to fall on an expedition.¡±


    I nodded. That was very true but sad all the same.


    The path we tread on widened out into the square at the center of Edrona, where nicer homes than ours and other buildings of trade surrounded the area in oppressive, pinched rows. In the center of the square, the Traders¡¯ Markets had already been set up, as they were every morning before getting stripped down an hour before nightfall, then set up all over again the next day.


    The space was packed with booths and long tables, leaving only narrow pathways between each station to allow crowds to walk through and make their trades and purchases.


    Tradesmen and Tradeswomen and Hunters alike shouted out prices and thrust monster guts and cores into people¡¯s faces for trade. Record Keepers jotted down all the finds from excursions with their quills and recorded each sale and trade as they were made. All transactions and loot found on hunts, for instance, were required by Edronan law to be reported. Drayek had broken this law¨Cthis very strict law¨Cby giving me that monster heart a little over a week ago instead of reporting it to the Markets.


    As I surveyed the scene, I noticed thin threads of blue floating above ongoers¡¯ heads, dancing in and out of buildings¡­.


    Essence, I thought. It¡¯s my Skill! My awareness is heightened when it comes to seeing essence in my surroundings.


    And there was a good deal of it. As Lord Solomon had explained to me, essence is what makes up everything in existence: people, plants, animals, rocks, history, emotion¡­. And in a packed place like this, essence brimmed the air. Throughout my life, I could remember seeing bits of it here and there (which, according to Drayek, was something unique to me), but I¡¯d never seen it in vast quantities like this.


    Thanking whatever god I should thank for my Skill, I absorbed every stream of essence as I passed and felt them warm my insides and store away for meditation and advancement at a later time. I could even draw in distant streams to me as long as they lingered within my view.


    As far as I understood, other cultivators absorbed essence only as they thought about it and were lucky enough to cross the paths of essence streams. Because I could actually see these threads of blue, I could teach myself to consciously absorb what I saw at all times. This could make my advancement much faster than the Edronans could¡¯ve ever imagined¨Cnot to mention the fact that I didn¡¯t have Lady Euridice stealing 20% of what I gathered.


    ¡°Alright, Rayden. You take this sack and make your way through the Tradespeople on the right. I¡¯ll take the left,¡± Drayek said as we made it directly in front of the booths.


    He handed me a sack about half as long as me, and its weight also boasted probably half of my weight. But I noticed that I had no trouble slinging it over my shoulder and marching up to the assertive Tradespeople demanding scalped prices for their goods or offering way too little for purchasing someone else¡¯s.


    I waited my turn at the first booth, then tried a smile at the Tradesman. I¡¯d met him before when attending the Markets in the past; Nicolas was his name. He tilted his head to look up at me from his short seat and scrunched up his nose.


    ¡°So, the rumors are true, eh?¡± he said. ¡°You are alive then.¡±

 Chapter 23: Striking Deals

    Everyone within earshot of Nicolas and me glanced in our direction and studied me from head to toe with upturned noses. No one seemed particularly thrilled to see me alive. Drayek had mentioned there was a lot of distaste toward Drayek¡¯s choice to bring me on that hunt in the first place.


    ¡°Maybe the other Hunters in Drayek¡¯s party wouldn¡¯t have died if they hadn¡¯t been distracted by an UnMarked.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t find who had whispered the rude remark and felt my face burn with a mixture of anger and shame.


    After a few moments of silent disapproval shot in my direction, the crowd went back to ignoring me and continued with their business.


    ¡°What have you got in your sack today, Rayden? Any cores? Monster hearts?¡±


    I nodded and scanned the wares he had displayed in his booth. Nicolas also had monster parts, cores, and a few pieces of Tier 1 armor. When shopping at the Markets, you could often make a trade with the items you had on hand or purchase goods with Edronan currency, Euridicean Coins, or just ¡°coins¡± for short. The denominations of the coins progressed from copper to silver and then to gold, gold being the highest valued Euridicean Coin. One gold was worth 10 silver coins, and one silver coin was worth 10 copper.


    I peered into the sack Drayek had given me and found three small monster hearts, all from smaller Rockcrawlers, and a larger heart from a Nagari. Among the hearts, I counted four cores glowing a dim white, dim because their power had already started to fade since their retrieval from previous hosts. I also had 10 gold coins, 30 silver, and 20 copper in a small leather pouch tied to my trousers just above my hip.


    I pursed my lips as I studied the wares Nicolas offered and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you have anything of value for me to trade, but I can offer you some things for coins if you¡¯d like.¡±


    I held the sack forward and opened it up for him to see. He narrowed his eyes at my offering.


    ¡°Eh¡­ I can give you one gold for each heart.¡±


    The Record Keeper, a frail woman with beady eyes, sat poised with her quill as she waited for the two of us to strike a deal.


    I¡¯d been to enough Markets with Drayek to know how to haggle. So, I laughed.


    ¡°Oh, no. One of those hearts is a Nagari heart, and the others are worth two, at least.¡±


    Nicolas rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine, two gold each heart, three gold and five silver for the Nagari heart, and you throw in one of those cores.¡±


    I tapped my chin thoughtfully, then eventually nodded. It was as fair a price as I¡¯d get from him. First, I handed him the four hearts wrapped in sturdy paper to keep any unwanted juices from spilling out, and then I reached for one of the smaller cores.


    As the tips of my fingers brushed across the smooth surface of the orb, I felt a rush of warmth dash into me like an internal breeze on a hot day. It felt like I had just absorbed a good deal of essence.


    I stared at the core I had just tried to retrieve and noticed the orb¡¯s glow had disappeared entirely. Had I sucked it dry of all its power? Usually, Edronans had to swallow a core to absorb its essence, but I had merely touched it with two fingers. Did my Tier 1 Skill make it this way? Maybe I had an easier time absorbing essence just in general¡­.


    I scooped up the now dead core, hiding it within my trousers quickly before anyone could notice, and gestured for Nicolas to just pick one of the others from the sack. Even with all I knew about her, I found myself praying to Euridice out of habit¨Cpraying that Nicolas wouldn¡¯t notice one of the cores had suddenly gone missing. Not revealing the missing core¡¯s existence to a Record Keeper would get me into trouble.


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    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t notice. And, of course, he picked the largest core, about half an inch in diameter, but I couldn¡¯t avoid the Tradesman picking my best core after I¡¯d offered him the choice.


    The Record Keeper scribbled away on her parchment, recording our transaction, as Nicolas counted out the agreed-upon coins from his own pouch and placed them into my outstretched palm. Lady Euridice¡¯s profile glimmered on the silver and gold surfaces of each coin, making me think once again about Lord Solomon and the truth he¡¯d revealed about the goddess. But I pushed those thoughts away and tucked the coins into my money pouch.


    After leaving Nicolas, I quickly sold the other two cores for coins at other Tradespeople¡¯s booths. All the while receiving cold stares and unfriendly whispers, but I ignored them. In the end, I came away with 27 gold coins, 38 silver, and 10 copper in total jingling at my hip. Then, throwing the now empty sack over my shoulder, I went to find Drayek.


    I found him leaning over a booth with planted hands, the veins in his forearms pulsing as he drew in closer and closer to the Tradeswoman to further yell in her face.


    ¡°You think that is fair?¡± he shouted. ¡°Really? Explain to me why you think one gold for a core¨Cany core¨Cis a worthwhile trade?¡±


    I chuckled. Drayek always got heated at the Markets, but it worked for him. Seldom did he not get his way in the end.


    As I reached his side, the Tradeswoman rolled her eyes and finally offered him five gold coins for a decently sized core¨Cmaybe even an inch in diameter. He gave a curt nod, tucked away the money with glaring eyes, then led us far and away from the woman¡¯s booth.


    ¡°How¡¯d you do?¡± Drayek said as we maneuvered our way through the packed crowd.


    I relayed my totals to him.


    He shot a glance back at me. ¡°Respectable but a little low¡­.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¨Cmay have accidentally absorbed the essence from one of the cores you gave me, so I couldn¡¯t sell it.¡±


    ¡°How, may I ask, did you accidentally absorb a core¡¯s essence?¡± He pulled me over to the side and away from the crowd. ¡°Did it jump out of the sack and land in your mouth?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Apparently, I don¡¯t have to swallow a core to take its essence.¡±


    Drayek¡¯s brows rose. He rubbed his chin and glanced around to make sure there were no listening ears.


    ¡°That is beyond incredible, Rayden. And curious.¡±


    He continued to study me. I could see the many thoughts churning within his dark eyes.


    But all he said next was, ¡°Let¡¯s make our final purchases.¡±


    We continued our shopping, this time finding things to buy with our money. We bought fresh bread, dried meat, and other food to keep us going for about two weeks.


    ¡°Rayden, come look at this!¡±


    I returned to where Drayek stood and found him studying a set of immaculately polished armor. An abundance of smith-made silver scales made up the breastplate in a mesmerizing pattern of swirls. The rest of the armor matched, and it came with a pair of night-black leather gloves and boots.


    ¡°Blacksmith Gerald made this?¡± Drayek asked the Tradesman.


    The old man nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yes, yes! Finest Tier 1 armor he¡¯s ever made, he said. ¡°I also used my Skill to add Echoing Defense to the armor.¡±


    I perked up. I¡¯d always wanted a set of armor enhanced by a Tradespeople Skill. Many of the Tradespeople had Skills that allowed them to upgrade the wares they sold, especially weapons and armor, in order to charge more for the pieces and make further profit. This Tradesman, Leander, was known for his Echoing Defense spell¨Ca spell that allowed him to place a defense enhancement into armor. Echoing Defense triggers when an enemy strikes the armor, thus repelling 10% of the opponent¡¯s force back onto them.


    ¡°I¡¯m only asking for 44 gold coins or something worthy of trade,¡± Leander said.


    I knew what Drayek was thinking. I needed another set of Tier 1 armor. The set Drayek had lent me for the disastrous hunt had been lost in Solomon¡¯s cave.


    ¡°But Drayek,¡± I whispered, ¡°that¡¯s almost all we have left.¡±


    Drayek and I had only 45 gold coins left between the two of us and a few silver and copper, which would mean Drayek would have to bring back a lot of good loot from his hunts before we needed to go to the Markets again.


    ¡°This is important,¡± Drayek murmured back.


    The old Tradesman wrinkled his brow at us, more than likely suspicious as to why Drayek would need to buy a Tier 1 armor when he was Tier 3, and I was UnMarked. But he didn¡¯t argue as Drayek procured both of our money pouches.


    ¡°I will give you 38,¡± Drayek said.


    ¡°43.¡±


    ¡°40.¡±


    ¡°Done.¡±


    Drayek deposited the money into the man¡¯s hand as the nearby Record Keeper jotted down the deal, all the while glancing up at us curiously again and again.


    Drayek took the armor from the booth, and we retreated from the Markets before anyone could stop us with any unwelcome questions.

 Chapter 24: Levels and Stats

    On our way home, I still caught glimpses of essence swirling in the air both high and low. As I continued to gather the streams, I relayed to Drayek what I was seeing.


    ¡°You must cultivate as soon as we get home,¡± he insisted.


    I nodded, agreeing completely. With the amount of essence I could absorb daily, I should meditate and direct the streams into my core as often as possible.


    We arrived home, and I barely let Drayek open the door before I dashed to my cot and nestled myself into a comfortable position with my legs tucked underneath me. Drayek nodded his approval and tiptoed over to his cot in the opposite corner and remained silent.


    It took a moment, but I was able to tune out all of the little noises surrounding me; the rustling of the wind dancing atop our roof, the soft drip of water as it leaked to the floor through a new crack in our water bucket¡­. All distractions gone after a few deep breaths through my nose.


    I directed my breaths into my gut, then released the air slowly, feeling the tension in my body release with every exhale. And then, there it was, my core. It was bigger than the last time I had seen it¨Cjust slightly, but larger all the same. And the amount of essence swirling around inside of me was incredible. It looked like a swarm of blue insects that had collected in a massive, tight-knit group. They moved about in chaos and awaited my direction.


    With ease, I sent the blue streams to my core. I went from sending them one by one, then to a few at a time. The process grew easier the longer I did it. And my core blazed brighter and brighter as if thrilled by the nourishment.


    Ding.


    I started, nearly slipping out of my meditative state. The ¡°screen,¡± as Codex had called it, that I had seen previously popped up in the forefront of my mind and displayed some new words. I hadn¡¯t been expecting to break through to Tier 2 so soon, so I scanned the words quickly:


    STATUS


    NAME: CLONE #52


    TIER: 1


    LEVEL: 2


    Even though I hadn¡¯t advanced to the next Tier, seeing that I had leveled up and was still getting stronger sent a shock of thrill through my nerves.


    ¡°Codex?¡± I called to the AI. ¡°There are 10 levels in Tier 1, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are 10 levels in Tier 1, Master,¡± Codex said.


    The Edronans didn¡¯t ¡°level up¡± quite the same as I did¨Cat least as far as I understood. They merely gathered essence and cultivated until they broke through to the next Tier. As Codex had explained it to me, they did move through levels, but Euridice allocated their stats as she saw fit. They had no choice in the matter.


    The Edronans had no idea that levels even existed within the Tiers. And even when they did advance to the next Tier, Edronans had to attend another ceremony, of sorts, at the goddess¡¯s Temple. That was where they learned of the new Skill assigned to their next Tier. They didn¡¯t get to just see it in their minds like I did.


    Drayek had described knowing when to make a trip to the Temple of Euridice by just ¡°feeling it in his core.¡± Then, he would attend her temple, officially break through a Tier, and receive his next assigned Skill.


    I was obviously very different.


    ¡°You said I will receive more stat points every time I level up. Not just when I advance to the next Tier.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. You will receive three stat points for every level.¡±


    I grinned, feeling the smile on my face even through my deep trance. ¡°Excellent.¡±


    ¡°I have retrieved information from the database, Master. At Tier 1, Level 2, Lord Solomon placed one point in Might, one in Vitality, and one in Wisdom.¡±


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    ¡°Interesting,¡± I replied.


    The inside of my head went silent as I thought.


    ¡°Master? Will you start the allocation now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    I placed the stat points where Codex had said Lord Solomon had, but I didn¡¯t know how often I would take Codex¡¯s recommendations in the future. Recommendations based on what a dead god had done¨Ca dead god who wasn¡¯t me. But, knowing that I¡¯d receive stat points for every level, I had plenty of time to decide how I wanted to allocate things based on my way of fighting, spellcasting¡­ whatever, and whoever I would choose to become.


    I glanced over my decided allocations on the screen:


    STATS:


    MIGHT: 5 (+1)


    AGILITY: 7


    VITALITY: 5 (+1)


    INTELLIGENCE: 6


    WISDOM: 5 (+1)


    WILLPOWER: 8


    FREE STAT POINTS: 0


    Satisfied, I opened my eyes, and reality sucked me back into its dreariness. I glanced over to Drayek¡¯s corner. He laid flat on his back with his chin tucked into his chest. His loud, rumbling snore filled the hovel.


    I stood and walked over to the door. I pushed it open and took in a deep breath of fresh air. The sky had turned dark¨CI¡¯d been meditating for at least three hours.


    My stomach groaned at me, complaining about my lack of dinner. I relented to the needs of my stomach and began preparing an evening meal for Drayek and myself.


    ***


    I shoved the bits of dried meat and hunks of bread into my mouth, not allowing myself much time to chew. I was learning rather quickly that cultivating took a lot out of someone¨Cit seemed to deplete all my energies every time I did it.


    Drayek sat across from me in his usual chair but had hardly touched his plate, eyes glued onto my face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of these ¡®levels,¡¯ or these ¡®statistics.¡¯¡± Drayek rubbed his chin. ¡°It¡¯s incredible that you can choose where these ¡®points¡¯ go.¡±


    I nodded and, between mouthfuls, said, ¡°Yeah. If I want more strength, that¡¯s where the stat points go. If I want to improve my ability in problem-solving, I can do that, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the advantage,¡± he breathed.


    He sounded almost jealous, but I understood that.


    ¡°You have a lot of advantages, Rayden. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you¡¯re the first to break through to Tier 4 in Edrona.¡±


    I smiled at that thought.


    Drayek slammed his fist on the table. ¡°That settles it! We are going to make you the strongest person here, Rayden. And I will help you where I can.¡±


    I liked the sound of that.


    ¡°We¡¯re going on a hunt tonight.¡±


    I drew in my brows. ¡°Uh, you and your group have a shift tonight?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No. And it¡¯ll be just you and me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if it was the food or the thrill of going on another hunt, in secret, no less, but I leaped from my chair with a newfound energy and rushed over to my new set of armor.


    I had tucked it into its own spot next to my cot, with the pieces carefully stacked on top of one another.


    ¡°You think it¡¯s time for me to break this armor in?¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Drayek replied. ¡°You put it on and wait here. I have something for you.¡±


    Drayek left out the door, and I gladly started to put on my new armor. The silver scales moved flexibly as I slid each piece onto my body. And, as magic armor does, the pieces shrunk to fit my body perfectly. As the Blacksmith had forged the armor set for a much taller Edronan, the armor had to decrease its size a good deal, but once it did, it felt amazing.


    I bounded from one end of the room to the other, feeling the metal bend with my limbs as I commanded it. The ease and agility I had in this armor set felt leagues better than the armor Drayek had given me for that first hunt. And I was positive it had everything to do with the fact that I was now a Tier 1, and my body and mind could now handle it. Not to mention the fact that I couldn¡¯t wait to test out the Echoing Defense enhancement from Tradesman Leander.


    Drayek returned from outside. He had a long bundle wrapped in leather resting across one arm.


    ¡°Here. I¡¯ve been saving this in storage. It was with the other old Tier 1 weapons and armor I had.¡±


    He approached me and lifted the leather cover off of the bundle. A worn hilt with a red ruby at its top winked at me as it reflected the firelight. The blade had seen better days, but it looked like a more than decent weapon. And since I didn¡¯t currently have a Tier 1 weapon, the shortsword was a more than welcome sight.


    I wrapped my fingers around the hilt and hefted the weight into my grip, then stepped back from Drayek and tested a swing. It was a well-balanced weapon.


    ¡°I know you prefer the spear, but until we find you one or have the Blacksmith make one, I think this sword will serve you well,¡± Drayek said.


    I nodded in gratitude. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. Thank you, Drayek.¡±


    He handed me a leather sheath, and I strapped it over my hips and slid the sword into place.


    Drayek retrieved his own armor and sword and packed his hunting sack with our remaining dinner and two waterskins.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Ready.¡±

 Chapter 25: Rockcrawler

    Drayek and his Hunters¨Cwhich still included Krato and Korin and then a few others to replace the recently fallen¨Chad found a low-leveled monster on their last excursion. Drayek thought it the perfect monster to fight for a solo mission.


    ¡°Solo mission?¡± I whispered as we snuck out of our hovel in the dead of night. ¡°Just two people on a hunt is already frowned upon. Are you actually going to let me fight this thing on my own?¡±


    Drayek held up a fist to silence me and crouched within the cover of night.


    In Edrona, hunts were scheduled and assigned in shifts. Going out on your own would not grant us the approval from the town Elders and Priests. However, I followed Drayek¡¯s direction and kept my mouth shut, but not without an exasperated roll of my eyes.


    We slunk our way down the road and out of Edrona. The outskirts of the city started not far from our hovel. Drayek didn¡¯t like living in the chaos of town, so he had built himself a dwelling away from the masses years ago¨Cbefore he¡¯d even taken me in.


    Once we made it far enough away from the city lines, I decided I could speak again.


    ¡°Can you answer my question now?¡±


    ¡°A Rockcrawler, a really small one, has burrowed itself about a mile east and into the mountain.¡± Drayek pointed in the direction of the Rockcrawler. ¡°My Hunters and I found it yesterday, but we were due to return home before we could kill it.¡±


    He looked at me with a small smile. Even in the dark, with nothing to light our way but the distant moons and stars, I thought I could see an excited glint in his eye.


    ¡°The Rockcrawler isn¡¯t fully grown, and I think it is injured. Perfect for your first solo fight.¡±


    I gulped. He was probably right, but the trepidation that arose within me felt crushing. True, I had killed a Nagari before I had even advanced to Tier 1, but I had also crushed my mind and both of my arms in the process. But I forced a smile and straightened my shoulders. After all, I was a Tier 1 now.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± I said.


    Drayek steered us through the deserted land of cracks and rocks and directly to the closest mountain to Edrona in the east. As we marched, I caught sight of more stray essence and gathered every stream.


    I noticed, just as I had when using the Tier 1 armor on my first hunt, that I could direct some of the streams into my new armor. And it was much easier this time. The metal warmed as essence coursed through it, and in turn, my strides grew faster, and my body grew more energized.


    Drayek noticed the increase in my speed and sped up, as well. Of course, he didn¡¯t move as fast as he was capable. Despite my new abilities, I still wasn¡¯t an experienced Tier 3 like Drayek.


    At the foot of the mountain, Drayek gestured to a steep path leading toward the top of the looming mass of rock. I directed more essence into my armor and followed Drayek up the mountain. I scaled the rock with more ease than I would without the armor and continued a steady flow of essence to keep my body from feeling too exhausted.


    After about twenty minutes of climbing the steep trail, we stopped at a high shelf of the mountain, about twenty or so feet below the top. The shelf was wide, allowing plenty of space for us to stand side by side.


    Drayek pointed to the left at a long crevice splitting the rock wall from the bottom of the shelf and all the way to the top of the mountain.


    ¡°The Rockcrawler is in there,¡± he whispered, returning to a crouched position. ¡°Approach carefully and draw it out. I have your back.¡±


    I released a long breath of air and grunted in acknowledgment. Then, crouching myself, I snuck over to the crevice. With the increase of essence into my armor, I willed the set to remain silent as I stepped.


    But I wasn¡¯t perfect at that.


    My right foot slipped over a loose stone, causing me to lose my balance for a mere second, but that was long enough. My other foot caught two or three more loose stones and kicked them over the shelf. The stones bounced against the mountain as they fell, the sound echoing in the vast emptiness.


    I inhaled sharply through my teeth and caught myself, but the damage had already been done. A loud rustling from inside the crevice met my ears, and it wasn¡¯t long before I saw the slimy scales of a Rockcrawler slip its way through the crevice and out into the open.


    The Rockcrawler caught sight of me immediately and bared its foot-long fangs. Its lidless eyes widened in anticipation as the giant snake slithered its entire body from out of the crevice. Drayek had been right¨Cthe Rockcrawler was much smaller than its relations¨Ca baby even, but that didn¡¯t stop it from being fifty times bigger than the regular, non-monstrous snakes that found their way into our hovel at times.


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    ¡°Scan of your opponent complete,¡± Codex said in my mind. ¡°You are facing a Rockcrawler. It is approximately eleven months old. This Rockcrawler is a Tier 2 monster.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows. Could the AI in my head scan every monster I¡¯d ever fight?


    ¡°Wow. Thank you, Codex. Is there anything else I should know?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t let its fangs puncture your skin. The venom¨C¡±


    ¡°Is lethal. Yeah, I know.¡±


    Even though I knew a good deal about Rockcrawlers, it didn¡¯t take away from the fact that Codex¡¯s knowledge and ¡°database,¡± as he called it, could prove extremely useful in the future.


    ¡°Master, this Rockcrawler is also injured. On its midsection. It is not a fatal injury, but the creature is weakened.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡±


    My hands gripped the hilt of my sword, and I drew the weapon out of its sheath, pointing its menacing blade at the Rockcrawler. The creature hissed in annoyance and flicked its tongue toward the sword as if mocking me.


    I lunged first, heart pounding painfully in my chest. The Rockcrawler evaded my blow, its scales scraping against the stone below us. The creature flung its tail end in my direction. I didn¡¯t have much room on the shelf to dodge the strike, but with the push of more essence into my armor, I rolled expertly underneath the giant snake tail and threw myself back onto my feet before the Rockcrawler could strike again.


    Both Drayek and Codex had said it¡¯s injured, I thought. Codex had said the wound is on its midsection¡­.


    While evading another strike from the snake¡¯s tail, I scanned my eyes over the creature¡¯s body for the injury. I allowed myself a smile once I found it¨Ca gaping gash had been slashed into the middle of its underbelly. As the snake moved, the dark and leathery scab split open more and more, sputtering new streams of black blood to replace the old, dried bits.


    I remembered Drayek teaching Sarina and me that the Rockcrawlers¡¯ weak spots were typically its eyes and the soft part at the back of their mouths. But the problem with that was their speed¨Cgetting a hit in the front was difficult, especially for a Tier 1. But if I could get a few hits on its wound¡­.


    The snake attacked again, this time with its fangs. I narrowly dodged the bite and felt a drip of nervous sweat fall from my forehead to my lip. I dared a glance at Drayek, but he remained on the far edge of the rock shelf, only moving to stay out of the fight. His lack of aid gave me the boost of faith I needed in myself. If he believed in my capabilities, I could believe in them, too.


    I pulled the sword to my side, quickly thinking through the different maneuvers I could accomplish with the weapon. Because it was short, I had to get close, and I had to put a lot of strength into my blows¨Cboth reasons why I had preferred a spear in my training. But I didn¡¯t have a spear now. Drayek had been right in all my years of training to force me to improve my skills with all weapons because I¡¯d never know if a spear would be unavailable. And in this moment, I had no spear.


    But I could thank Drayek for that valuable lesson later.


    After yet another roll away from the snake¡¯s long tail, I positioned myself right at the underbelly and swung at the gash with all of the strength I could muster. The snake roared a high-pitched squeal that hurt my ears, then it recoiled away from me. But it was quick to act. I hadn¡¯t yet recovered from my swing before I saw a flash of large teeth directly in front of my eyes.


    I tried dropping to the ground as the snake struck at me, but I was too slow. One of its fangs pierced through the armor on my right arm and punctured the tip of my skin underneath. I howled in pain as the Rockcrawler¡¯s venom worked its way through my blood. It didn¡¯t take much venom to become immobilized by a Rockcrawler. Though just one of his fangs barely hit a piece of my skin, the searing hot pain burned through my arm and met with every vein of blood coursing through my body. As the pain increased, so did my inability to move.


    I could barely catch the snake¡¯s disorientation as the Echoing Defense from my armor had hurled 10% of the creature¡¯s force back onto it. But even though disoriented, it didn¡¯t last for long.


    ¡°Master, you have exactly three minutes and twenty-five seconds before the Rockcrawler venom stops your heart.¡±


    ¡°Very helpful, Codex. Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You say many of words that you don¡¯t mean, Master. Through more study through my database, I found that you are using ¡®sarcasm¡¯¨Cmost likely as a way to cope with the difficulties that life as a human brings to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of dying here, Codex!¡±


    ¡°Rayden!¡± Drayek hollered as my limbs continued to freeze up, and I struggled to lift myself from the ground.


    Drayek entered the fight and threw himself at the Rockcrawler. Drayek¡¯s sword hit the side of the snake¡¯s grotesque face, but the creature paid him no heed, even as Drayek¡¯s blade sliced through its scales and revealed some dark blood. Drayek was much stronger than the giant snake, but its desire for its immobile prey seemed to offer the Rockcrawler a burst of strength.


    Drayek continued hacking at the creature as it slithered its way toward me, pieces of its flesh and scales dangling horrifically from its body as Drayek sliced off piece after piece of the snake. Though significantly slowed, nothing would yet stop the Rockcrawler¡¯s approach.


    I blinked through the pain and forced my breath to grow steady. My body wasn¡¯t completely frozen yet. I gathered more essence dangling above my head and forced every stream into the armor, directing it to just the pieces covering my legs and arms. I forced myself up and held my sword out in front of me.


    The Rockcrawler was mere centimeters away before I pushed my body into a roll and again found myself at its underbelly. I pushed all of the essence I could find into the arms of my armor and thrust forward. With a loud cry, I sliced my weapon into the wound and through the snake¡¯s entire body. The audible rip of the creature¡¯s scales and guts echoed through the night as I tore through it. I had done something similar with the Nagari on my first hunt, but now I could handle the sudden increase in strength. My arms shook from exhaustion, but I felt no snapping of bones. And my head pounded from the effort, but I felt no collapse or need to pass out.


    The look of surprise looked strange on the snake¡¯s face, but it quickly disappeared as my sword completed its clean cut and each half of the Rockcrawler fell limply to the ground. I fell soon after, the venom finally taking hold of my body and nearing my heart.


    Drayek stood in shock for a moment, staring at the halved Rockcrawler. ¡°How¡­¡± he trailed off. ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Drayek!¡± I croaked. ¡°Do you have the antidote for the ven¨C¡± my words cut off as my mouth went numb.

 Chapter 26: A Dark Blob

    I couldn¡¯t stop myself as my head fell to the rock, but Drayek sped over and caught me before I could crack my head open.


    ¡°Of course I have the antidote!¡± Drayek cried. ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t bring any when we were about to fight a Rockcrawler?¡±


    Drayek gently laid me flat on the ground and retrieved his Hunter¡¯s satchel. He sifted through the bits of food and our waterskins, then triumphantly pulled out a glass vial that glinted underneath the moonlight.


    ¡°Besides, Hunters are always required to carry the antidote for Rockcrawler venom.¡±


    After popping open the cork of the vial, he rushed to my side once again and lifted my head, then proceeded to pour the bitter liquid into my mouth.


    My eyes watered from the metallic, salty taste, but I allowed the warm antidote to trickle down my throat and to my gut. The pain slowly subsided, and the burning sensation of the venom began to cool off.


    ¡°The venom is no longer in your blood, Master. There is no longer a threat to your heart,¡± Codex said.


    I wiggled my fingers freely, then my toes, and then I was able to turn my head and look at Drayek.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I breathed.


    Drayek released me, allowing me to sit up on my own. He then rolled back onto his knees and studied me. He¡¯d been doing a lot of that lately.


    ¡°You did the same thing to the Nagari on that first hunt,¡± he said. ¡°You nearly tore that thing into two then, and I wondered how you did it. I thought it might have had to do with your Soul Strength, but we were¡­ preoccupied at the time, so I couldn¡¯t ask you.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°But now you just cut a Rockcrawler¨Ceven though small, still massive and with scales hard as steel¨Cclean in half! How, Rayden?¡±


    I felt my face grow warm. If Drayek, of all people, was impressed by something a Tier 1 could do, then it was definitely worth talking about.


    ¡°You know how I can see essence?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I trailed off and glanced around the Rockcrawler¡¯s body and saw the swarm of essence streams surrounding it. I quickly drew in every bit of it before I continued talking.


    ¡°Rayden!¡± Drayek snapped.


    ¡°Sorry. Uh¡­¡± I closed my eyes, still slightly distracted by the essence entering my Soul and giving my body a pleasant sensation of warmth. ¡°I can see essence and direct it where I want, including my armor. I think that¡¯s why I was able to strengthen it to¨CI don¡¯t know¨Ca higher-Tiered strength than normal? I¡¯m not sure how it works.¡±


    ¡°I do, Master. For every dozen streams of essence you direct into armor or into a weapon, it increases the combined strength of your body and equipment by two percent.¡±


    I furrowed my brows and rubbed my temples. My head hurt enough without Codex interjecting whenever it wanted to.


    Drayek chewed on his tongue, then let slip a hint of a smile.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    He threw his head back and started laughing.


    I tried a hesitant chuckle. ¡°Seriously, what?¡±


    Drayek wiped at the wetness under his eyes as his laughing died down. ¡°I would just like to see the faces of the Priests when they find out what you can do¨Can UnMarked! Well, if they find out.¡±


    The thought of letting the Priests, the Elders, and the rest of Edrona know of my new capabilities¨Ccapabilities I had without the blessing of the goddess¨Cwas so appealing that my wary smile turned into a burgeoning grin. But my situation was also unheard of¨Cnot just unique. Who knew what they¡¯d want to do with me? I was already an outsider. Did I really need another reason for everyone to hate me?


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    ***


    I went on these ¡°solo hunts¡± with Drayek three more times within the next week, all in between his regularly scheduled hunts and all during the cover of night. We didn¡¯t want anyone to discover we¡¯d been heading out on unsanctioned excursions. We especially didn¡¯t want any heat on Drayek, who would get into trouble for bringing an UnMarked on not one, but four more dangerous hunts¨Cand with only two in the party, no less. He had already received enough disapproval for his decisions on that first hunt he¡¯d brought me on¨Cthe hunt where a few Hunters had died.


    These expeditions Drayek took me on, in his words, all served one purpose: to further train me and enhance my talents.


    And I did get better.


    Not only did I advance past levels three, four, and five within Tier 1 due to the massive amounts of essence I had access to on our hunts, but I also grew more confident with my Tier 1 shortsword. I could take on fully grown Rockcrawlers without so much as a scratch.


    I sidled up next to Drayek as we marched toward his next assignment for me. He and his Hunters had seen a group of four Nagari straggling along the mountain face near the Edronan border and thought I might be ready to try my hand at taking them on.


    ¡°When are you going to let me buy a spear?¡± Though I whispered, my voice still resounded loudly in the stillness of night. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m really loving this sword you gave me¡­.¡±


    I rested a palm on the hilt of the sword at my hip. I did like the sword, but no matter how skilled I might become with the blade, there was something powerful and satisfying about thrusting the head of a spear into a monster.


    ¡°But you also promised that if I showed improvement, you¡¯d take me to Blacksmith Gerald and allow me to commission another weapon. Haven¡¯t I proved myself yet?¡±


    Drayek rubbed his fingers along his forehead. ¡°You are showing much improvement, of course. But¡­ Well, I know I promised you we¡¯d get a spear, but we can¡¯t have everyone else questioning why you even need a weapon as an UnMarked.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°What¡¯s the point of all of this training, then, if no one finds out? If I never get a chance to fight or serve Edrona as a warrior at all?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it,¡± was all Drayek said in reply.


    We climbed up the mountain in silence, following a path not far from where I had killed that first Rockcrawler. We heaved ourselves up onto a ledge, and I joined Drayek in searching for any stray Nagari.


    ¡°They must be around here somewhere,¡± Drayek said so softly I almost didn¡¯t catch it.


    I opened my mouth to ask something, but the sight of something strange ahead caused me to forget my words. I dared to lean over the rock shelf just enough to stare at the slowly growing dark blob I could see approaching from the west.


    ¡°Drayek, what¡¯s that?¡±


    Drayek frowned at my worried expression and turned his head to follow where I stared.


    Drayek muttered a curse, standing now and leaning dangerously far over the shelf. ¡°No, no¨Cit can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see as well as Drayek. His being a Tier 3 had improved his eyesight over further distances. I could definitely see better than before I had advanced to Tier 1, but still not as well or as far as Drayek.


    ¡°It¡¯s an army,¡± Drayek said. ¡°An army of Nagari. A massive army.¡±


    My heart plummeted. ¡°Are they headed toward Edrona?¡±


    Drayek glanced up at the top of the mountain. ¡°Let¡¯s find out. I need a better view.¡±


    I followed Drayek up the rock face. I pulled myself up and over onto a relatively flat part of the mountain¡¯s peak right after Drayek had. We walked a little further west toward the army, careful of our footing. It was a long way down¡­.


    Once closer and higher, even I could see the blob better; I could see well enough to make out shapes that looked very Nagari-like. There were thousands of them¨Cmaybe even 10,000. A number that Edrona couldn¡¯t possibly fight against. The numbers were 5 to 1. And sure enough, the Nagari marched in the direction Edrona stood.


    ¡°How far out do you think they are from the city?¡± I asked.


    Drayek squinted his eyes and thought for a moment. ¡°Maybe a week out?¡±


    I swallowed. Not good.


    ¡°But wait!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°They don¡¯t know where Edrona is.¡± Hope dripped from my voice.


    After the war against the Nagari, the Edronans had to relocate. And then the mages had placed illusory spells over the city, making it impossible for anyone except those who lived within the borders to know Edrona¡¯s location.


    Though the Edronans had won the great war against the Nagari, the losses had been heavy, so they had taken the necessary precautions and relocated their entire people. Those with illusory skills continued to help hide Edrona from anyone who lived outside of the city limits. Only Edronans (and me, of course) could find its whereabouts.


    My eyes widened further as I continued to stare at the oncoming army. No, they couldn¡¯t possibly see where Edrona stood.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re headed somewhere else,¡± I said.


    ¡°Where, Rayden?¡± Drayek snapped.


    I flinched, and he dropped his eyes to his feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, ¡°but what other place could they possibly be heading in that direction? It¡¯s not like this planet is plentiful in cities and people. Look around you.¡± He gestured in a circle. ¡°This world is a wasteland. Edrona can be the only place they¡¯re headed.¡±


    I chewed on my bottom lip.


    ¡°The question is,¡± Drayek said, ¡°is how they found out where Edrona is¡­?¡±

 Chapter 27: Second Chances

    *Drayek*


    ¡°Someone had to have told them!¡± one of the Elders hollered from his place near the front of the stone room.


    Murmurs of agreement erupted so loudly it hurt Drayek¡¯s ears. The Priests sat in their designated places at the head of the Elders¡¯ Council, each one scowling at the chaos transpiring before them.


    Drayek stood near the back, as he always did, even though he¡¯d been the one to insist on the meeting of the Council.


    As panic ensued, Priest Kane said nothing and glared in Drayek¡¯s direction. Drayek glared right back with arms folded tightly across his chest. Did the Priest think Drayek had something to do with the approach of the Nagari army?


    To hell with that.


    Drayek spat on the floor, daring Priest Kane to lay out any accusations against him.


    But that¡¯s not quite what happened next.


    ¡°It was Drayek¡¯s boy!¡±


    Drayek perked up and scanned the room to find where the ridiculous allegation had come from.


    ¡°Explain,¡± Priest Kane said to the speaker but kept his studious eyes on Drayek¡¯s face.


    The other Elders stepped back to reveal Nicolas, one of the Tradespeople at the Markets. Drayek clenched his fists and stared the shorter man down. But Nicolas took it upon himself to avoid Drayek¡¯s glare at every cost.


    ¡°He returned from that failed hunt days after Drayek, Krato, and Korin had,¡± Nicolas announced to the room. ¡°He traveled back to Edrona by himself. An UnMarked child who would not know how to make sure a monster was not following him.¡±


    Nicolas finally dared to meet Drayek¡¯s eyes and sneered. ¡°It¡¯s that untrained boy¡¯s fault.¡±


    ¡°Untrained?¡± Drayek scoffed. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to? I trained him better than any of the other Edronan children could dream of!¡±


    That comment brought on some anger. Drayek had to lift his fists and prepare to defend himself against the oncoming mob, but the hollering and threats ceased as Priest Kane rose from his tall chair, and he bellowed for silence.


    The mob obeyed the command, but the angry scowls thrown in Drayek¡¯s direction did not desist.


    ¡°It does not matter how the Nagari found us. What matters now is how we will fight against them.¡± Priest Kane outstretched his arms to the crowd, billowy red sleeves waving underneath his arms almost comically. ¡°Please, we must work together now to decide our next steps.¡±


    An eerie hush absorbed everyone¡¯s words and thoughts as no one could provide any insight into the problem at hand.


    ¡°Well, the other Priests and I have discussed these matters and have come up with one thing we should change right now.¡± Priest Kane gestured at the other Priests, and they nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°All loot and prizes won on hunts and excursions should immediately be brought to the goddess¡¯s temple and placed into the Priests¡¯ care.¡±


    An entire crowd gasping at once was a new sound Drayek hoped never to hear again.


    ¡°What is wrong with reporting our findings at the Markets?¡± Nicolas said, voicing everyone¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Nothing, of course. At least in a normal situation. But in preparation for war, the Priests are best qualified to gather anything that can aid in battle and use it as the goddess sees fit. We will return everything to the people as per Lady Euridice¡¯s timing, for she knows all, and she knows best.¡±


    Drayek pursed his lips. He wasn¡¯t so sure about that sentiment anymore, not with everything that had happened to Rayden recently.


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    But if the Priests wanted to take the people¡¯s loot, fine. That wouldn¡¯t stop Drayek from smuggling away what he needed to in preparation for this war. And he was sure others would do the same.


    Drayek spoke up, ¡°Well, putting that aside for now, we all need to prepare. Meaning, we should enlist the help of every able body.¡±


    ¡°Of course all of the Marked will fight,¡± Priestess Rowena Hale snarled at him. ¡°No one is so cowardly.¡±


    Drayek shook his head. ¡°Yes, of course all of the Marked should fight, but that is not what I meant.¡± He stepped further into the light of the blazing torches and scanned the room. ¡°All the people in Edrona have some training with weapons and fighting, even the UnMarked.¡±


    More arguing. Drayek rolled his eyes but waited for the contention to die down.


    Priest Kane ceased the arguing for Drayek with the raise of his ringed hand. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Drayek. We cannot ask the UnMarked to fight. It will be a slaughter.¡±


    Drayek shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a slaughter either way! You all know that! Our odds against their numbers are not great, and we need every hand we can get.¡±


    Priest Kane, and the other Priests for that matter, shot daggers at Drayek with their stares.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Drayek said. ¡°We won¡¯t force the UnMarked to fight, but I don¡¯t think we should stop them if they¡¯re willing. This is their home, as well. These are their lives we are talking about¨Cnot just ours. In fact¡­ we should let all of the UnMarked go through another Marking Ceremony.¡±


    Drayek half expected another outburst of debate and fury, but he was met only with slack jaws and wide eyes¨Cincluding the Priests.


    Finally, Priest Kane gave a violent shake of his head. ¡°Absolutely not! That is a ridiculous idea, Elder Grim.¡±


    Drayek folded his hands behind his back and stood taller. ¡°It really isn¡¯t, and I can tell you why.¡±


    No one moved to interject. He had baited everyone¡¯s curiosity. At least for now¡­.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s never been done before¨Callowing someone to have a second Marking Ceremony. But do you know what else has never happened? Someone coming out UnMarked with any amount of Soul Strength.¡±


    Drayek spun around the room and met eyes with those who would return his gaze. ¡°You have all heard the rumors. Rayden came out with a ridiculous number of Soul Strength. And we know the goddess won¡¯t Mark people without Soul Strength to protect them¨Cbecause cultivating would destroy them. So, why would she not Mark someone with a high number of Soul Strength, like Rayden?¡±


    Priest Kane raised an unruly brow. ¡°How much Soul Strength does the boy have, exactly?¡±


    ¡°More than me,¡± Drayek said matter-of-factly. That brought on more off-putting, simultaneous gasping from the crowd of Elders.


    Imagine their reaction if I said Rayden¡¯s Soul Strength was so high, it was innumerable¡­.


    Priest Kane glanced at the other Priests behind him, and they all laughed. Rowena winked mockingly in Drayek¡¯s direction, and the others waved him off like he was insane.


    ¡°Lies,¡± Priest Kane hissed. Most in the room offered their agreement.


    Drayek stood his ground. ¡°It is not a lie. And because I am telling the truth, I believe the goddess made a mistake. Rayden should be Marked.¡±


    ¡°The goddess does not make mistakes!¡± Priest Kane¡¯s voice rose to such a high volume that most of the Elders cowered in fear.


    But not Drayek.


    ¡°In fact, we know that Soul Strength can increase over time,¡± Drayek continued, ignoring the reddening in the Priests¡¯ faces. ¡°How do we know that the other UnMarked haven¡¯t grown from zero Soul Strength to even one since their ceremonies? Meaning, the goddess may now want to offer them her Mark.¡±


    Looks of realization struck many faces around Drayek, and he even saw the beginning of slow nods as his words struck true with the Elders. It sent a flame of hope through Drayek¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a deal,¡± Drayek offered the Priests. ¡°Let Rayden go through another ceremony. Afterward, if he comes out Marked, you can offer a test for him to prove himself. If he is Marked, you will let all of the other UnMarked go through another ceremony. Who knows? Maybe more will receive a Mark, which would only increase our chances against the Nagari.


    If Rayden comes out UnMarked, or if he can¡¯t prove himself to your standards, you don¡¯t have to offer anyone else a second ceremony. And then you can send the both of us, Rayden and me, out to meet the army by ourselves. We will surely die, but we might kill off a few of the bastards before they reach you.¡±


    The smile that stretched across every Priests¡¯ face made Drayek shiver. He knew that deal would appeal to them, but they didn¡¯t have to look so eager.


    ¡°Fine!¡± Priest Kane said to the room. ¡°We will allow Rayden¨C¡±


    ¡°Rayden Grim,¡± Drayek interrupted.


    The smile faltered on Priest Kane¡¯s face, but it seemed he wouldn¡¯t chastise Drayek for taking on an UnMarked as an apprentice and allowing the boy to use Drayek¡¯s surname. At least, Drayek wouldn¡¯t receive chastisement for now.


    ¡°Rayden,¡± Priest Kane emphasized just the boy¡¯s first name, ¡°will go through another Marking Ceremony under those terms. And if he indeed receives a Mark and proves himself, we will allow all of the willing UnMarked to go through their own second ceremonies. Is tomorrow afternoon soon enough for Rayden¡¯s?¡±


    Drayek nodded and gave just a grunt in reply. Now satisfied, he retreated from the room before the Priests could even offer a dismissal.

 Chapter 28: Another Marking Ceremony

    ¡°You did what?¡± I rose from my chair and planted my palms on the table.


    Drayek picked up a particularly long piece of dried meat and strategically placed the entire thing into his mouth. He took his time chewing the meat and didn¡¯t so much as meet my eyes as he did.


    ¡°You heard me. You will go through another Marking Ceremony. Tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    My jaw went slack. ¡°How in the goddess¡¯s name did you manage that?¡±


    Drayek shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m really convincing, you know.¡±


    I raised both of my brows. ¡°Yeah, I know that. But no one in the history of Edrona has ever been granted a second Marking Ceremony.¡±


    ¡°These are dire times.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°We¡¯re all going to die anyway¨Cit doesn¡¯t matter if I have another ceremony or not.¡±


    ¡°There is always hope. And it makes more sense than you think. I made a deal with the Priests.¡±


    I rubbed my hands along my face. I didn¡¯t like the sound of a ¡°deal with the Priests.¡±


    ¡°What is the deal?¡±


    ¡°If you come out Marked, all of the UnMarked get to have a second ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that does make sense,¡± I ascertained. ¡°The more people they have that can fight against the Nagari, the better.¡±


    Drayek looked down at his food, which sparked some suspicion within me.


    ¡°Is there anything else to this deal you made?¡±


    Drayek met my eyes, jaw tight and face revealing nothing. ¡°You let me worry about that.¡±


    I puffed out my cheeks, then released the air slowly. I decided not to ask any more questions.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to come out Marked, Drayek. If there¡¯s anyone Lady Euridice doesn¡¯t want to bestow her grace upon, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Me, the clone of the god she hated and killed.


    ¡°I agree. I highly doubt you¡¯ll come out with a Mark. But that is why you¡¯re going to lie.¡±


    He nonchalantly took a large bite of bread while I couldn¡¯t even function as my mind reeled over this information.


    ¡°They¡¯re not going to believe me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, they will. I told them they could test you to prove you advanced to Tier 1.¡±


    I gulped. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. Thanks, Drayek. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t try to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, Rayden.¡± Drayek finally met my eyes. ¡°This is going to work.


    ***


    Flashbacks are not always fun. Especially traumatic ones. I stood in the temple¡¯s dingy waiting room. Standing alone instead of with dozens of other 16-year-olds awaiting their ceremonies felt worse somehow. The wood walls smelled damp and seemed to close in tighter synonymously with my breaths growing shallower.


    My uncomfortable awkwardness might have also had to do with knowing that the entire city stood outside awaiting the result of my Marking Ceremony. And this ceremony¨Cmy second chance¨Cwould also be the first time someone had ever been granted another try.


    I fidgeted with the itchy tan ceremony clothing and planted my gaze on the door that led out of the room, waiting for Priest Kane to finally walk through. I was ready to get this entire ordeal over with.


    Once he did enter with his long red robes dragging behind him, I felt relieved. Even as he shot a fiery glare at me, an innocent bystander in all of this. I¡¯d never even asked Drayek to arrange for me a second Marking Ceremony in the first place.


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    But I knew Drayek¡¯s intentions. He wanted me to help fight against the Nagari without the rest of the city questioning my newfound abilities. And, if we could get some other UnMarked to break through to Tier 1 and be able to fight, that could make all the difference that Edrona needed. So, this had to happen. Even if all of Edrona had to hate me just a little bit more for being granted another ceremony. But this way, I would still be able to help the city I grew up in and, regardless of some of the people within, the city that I loved.


    ¡°Follow me, Rayden. Let¡¯s get this finished as quickly as possible. War is coming, you know.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Yes, I know that, Priest Kane.¡±


    The Priest muttered something incoherent but gestured for me to follow him through the dark and narrow passageway leading to the altar room.


    Though just Priest Kane and I marched through the tight space, I felt more claustrophobic now than I had when walking through the same hall with a few dozen other teenagers. The Priest¡¯s silence was stark and uninviting. I could almost feel a certain cold emanating off of him and penetrating my insides.


    We emerged into the bright light of the altar room. It looked the same as it had before: large, empty, very white, and every corner lit by the suns shining through the tall windows that lined every inch of the side walls and even the ceiling.


    The other Priests stood as they had before, in a semicircle in front of the long gray altar box at the end of the room. Priest Kane turned his nose up in the air, waved a hand that indicated I should stay put, then took his place in the center of the semicircle.


    ¡°You know the rules, boy. Enter when I say, and stay in there until you are finished. You will relay everything you see in there to us.¡± Priest Kane¡¯s upper lip curled at me in disgust. ¡°No hiding the fact that you have Soul Strength, for example. Understood?¡±


    My mouth went dry, but I stood firm and maintained eye contact with the Priest. ¡°Understood.¡±


    Priest Kane gave a curt nod, then directed the Priests to split their clump wide enough to allow me a pathway to the altar box.


    ¡°You may enter.¡±


    I discreetly wiped my sweaty palms on the back of my shirt, remembering that my palms had been just as sweaty the first time, and walked forward, keeping my head held high. I didn¡¯t look too long at any of the Priests¡¯ scowling faces and forced all of my thoughts forward.


    I pressed my palms together and offered the Edronan sign of respect to the Priests, just as I had done before my first ceremony, but this time I didn¡¯t mean it¨Cwith every bone and vessel in my entire being, I didn¡¯t mean it one bit. These people followed the Goddess of Lies¨Ca goddess who stole from her people and had deceived them for many millennia. No, I didn¡¯t have to respect them anymore, but I would keep up with a good show. It could only help me.


    I stepped toward the stone door and heaved it open. A musty, earthy smell met my nose as the air inside whooshed toward me. With determination, I stepped over the threshold and entered the darkness.


    Just as they had before, the torches lining the walls lit themselves with an eerie blue flame as I passed each of them. I hurried my steps and finally reached the screen resting atop the small table at the end of the long path.


    I knew exactly what to do this time.


    PLEASE PLACE YOUR PALM ON THE SCREEN.


    I followed the direction from the glowing screen and placed my right hand on the cool surface.


    The screen went completely dark.


    I retracted my hand and bent over to study the device. Did I break it?


    Suddenly, a high-pitched ding sounded, and the screen lit up once again with its hues of blues and purples. New words floated atop the surface:


    HELLO, CLONE OF SOLOMON. I THOUGHT I COULD PLAY WITH YOU¨CAT


    LEAST FOR A WHILE. NOW I¡¯M TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT I


    SHOULD KILL YOU.


    I leaped away from the device, breath quickening and senses heightened. I whirled around myself, expecting something to jump out from the shadows and attack. The screen went dark, and the torches snuffed themselves out soon after.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    ¡°Codex?¡±


    ¡°You must get out of this place!¡±


    I ran. Ran for my life. Ran from an unseen evil; I could feel the presence of something else, maybe someone else, in that altar box with me.


    ¡°Go, Master! You¡¯ll be safe outside!¡±


    ¡°Outside of what?¡± I internally screamed at Codex.


    ¡°Outside of Lady Euridice¡¯s temple.¡±


    I finally made it to the door leading out of the altar box and pushed it open with all of my might. It slammed open and hit the outside wall of the box with a bang. The Priests scurried over to me, eyebrows raised at the sight of my heavy breathing.


    I looked to the exit leading out of the temple, still feeling a looming shadow of an unknown being behind me, but then I looked at the Priests¡¯ curious faces and knew my leaving couldn¡¯t happen just yet. I had to satisfy what I came here to do in the first place.


    So, I did the next best thing. I grabbed the door of the altar box and closed it shut behind me, hoping that it would keep the evil entity from reaching me¨Cat least for the time being.


    ¡°Well?¡± Priest Kane prodded, inching closer and closer to me. ¡°What is the verdict?¡±


    ¡°I am Marked.¡±


    The lie fell from my lips easily, and I found that I didn¡¯t feel bad about it. Not even a little bit.


    A few scoffs, a couple of eye rolls, and a chuckle here and there came from the group of Priests.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Priest Kane¡¯s lips ticked up into a condescending smile. ¡°And what is your Soul Strength?¡±


    ¡°50.¡± Again, I lied with ease and no guilt.


    Drayek had told me all he revealed to the Council was that my Soul Strength was higher than his, and I felt 50 was a good enough number to both shock them and keep my secret.


    More chuckles. But I didn¡¯t care what they thought.


    ¡°How do we know you¡¯re not lying to us?¡± said Priestess Nora, who stood at the far right.


    ¡°He will prove himself,¡± Priest Kane said before I could respond.


    I nodded. ¡°I will undergo any test of your choosing.¡±

 Chapter 29: Friends to Enemies

    It felt like a heavy weight lifted off of my chest as I exited the temple with the Priests. The tall entrance doors of the temple closed behind us, and I felt the chokehold that the unseen evil had on me lessen greatly. It was still there, like a phantom of an uncomfortable feeling, but I now felt like I could breathe.


    A large crowd, possibly all of Edrona, including Drayek, gathered around the front of the temple. And I¡¯m sure they were all there to witness the results of my ceremony. The crowd stood impatiently underneath the menacing shadow of the giant statue of Lady Euridice.


    And then a thought struck my mind.


    ¡°Codex? Was it Lady Euridice talking to me on that screen in the altar box?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say, Master. I cannot determine Lady Euridice¡¯s intentions and design.¡±


    I sighed. I guessed I couldn¡¯t expect Codex to know everything about Lady Euridice¡¯s current actions and thoughts.


    ¡°Sarina Kane,¡± Priest Kane¡¯s voice boomed over the loud chatter of the crowd, ¡°please approach!¡±


    I shot a nervous glance in Drayek¡¯s direction, but he met me with only a frown and a shrug of his shoulders.


    Sarina emerged from the crowd and stepped directly in front of Priest Kane. She pressed the heels of her hands together and offered the Edronan bow of respect.


    ¡°I am ready, Master.¡± Her voice was so quiet I could barely hear her.


    ¡°Ready for what?¡± I interjected.


    Priest Kane turned away from Sarina to look at me. ¡°You will duel Sarina Kane until one of you concedes. If you can hold your own for at least five minutes, we will accept your Mark, and all of the UnMarked Edronans will have the opportunity to proceed with their own second ceremonies.¡±


    A wave of excited chatter fell over the crowd. Most had already known this to be the case since many of the Elders at last night¡¯s Council had spread the information. But the novelty of giving a second ceremony to all of the UnMarked was a definite cause for enthusiasm.


    ¡°If you do not pass the test, not only will no one else receive a second ceremony, but you will also¡­ well¡­¡± the Priest glanced over at Drayek and grinned, ¡°your mentor can explain to you what will happen to the both of you if you fail.¡±


    I drew my brows together, but Drayek still offered no help or explanation, giving me only his usual stoic expression.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± I said, loud enough for all to hear. ¡°But do I get a weapon and some armor?¡± I gestured at Sarina¡¯s long, knobby staff¨Csimilar to those I¡¯d seen the other Priests carry at times.


    ¡°Of course we wouldn¡¯t leave you unarmed,¡± Priest Kane crooned. ¡°Gerald, I believe you brought a Tier 1 weapon for the young Rayden to use?¡±


    One of Edrona¡¯s Blacksmiths stomped his way through the crowd with a wrapped bundle in his arms. He was a burly man with a long beard and in need of another bath or two, but I¡¯d always liked him.


    Gerald approached me with the bundle and revealed its contents. I tried to hide my smile at the sight of a pure silver shaft and a deadly sharp tip at the end of the spear.


    Gerald winked at me knowingly, then retreated back into the masses.


    I tested the weapon in my grip. Yes, it would do very well indeed. And the silver of the spear would match my scaled armor extremely well.


    ¡°What about armor?¡± I voiced just as soon as I thought about my armor at home.


    ¡°No armor.¡±


    I scrunched up my nose in annoyance. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Priest Kane licked his lips. ¡°The deal was that the test is according to my terms.¡±


    I rolled my shoulders back and stretched my neck from side to side. ¡°Fine.¡±


    The Priests moved out of Sarina¡¯s and my way. She and I nodded at one another and circled around and away from the statue of Euridice, finding a wide enough space at least twenty feet away from the bystanders and any buildings.


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    It seemed like all of the onlookers held their breaths as Sarina and I stared each other down.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she mouthed.


    I shrugged and gave her a reassuring smile. Did I mean the intentions behind the smile? Maybe not¨CI wasn¡¯t sure. But what I did know is that I wouldn¡¯t hold back in this fight. Not one bit.


    Sarina dropped into a fighting stance and brought her staff to her side. I dropped into my own stance, planting my feet firmly into the rocky ground and directing the tip of my spear toward her.


    I glanced over at the Priests and noticed Priest Kane pull out a gold-encrusted timepiece.


    ¡°Begin!¡± he called.


    My eyes flicked back to Sarina, but she was already moving. She dashed to her left and attempted to circle behind me and catch me by surprise.


    But I would have none of that.


    I matched her speed and then some. Before she could react, I positioned myself at her back and slammed the butt of my new spear in between her shoulder blades.


    Sarina gasped and fell to her knees, red apprentice robes falling through the air like a dying bird as she went.


    I hesitated, a shock of guilt wrenching my gut as she collapsed. My moment of hesitation was all she needed. She took in a sharp breath and swung her legs underneath me, throwing me to the ground and on my rear.


    A dull ache shot from my tailbone and through my lower back as I landed, but I recovered quickly and rolled out of the way just before Sarina slammed the end of her staff toward my face. She tried a second time, but I was still able to evade the blow.


    I jumped to my feet and forced Sarina to jump away from the tip of my spear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± I said through heavy breaths.


    A look of sadness passed over her serene face in shadows but was quickly replaced with a sneer as she threw one hand over her head. I knew what she was doing¨Ccasting a spell.


    I held my ground and studied her movement, waiting to see how I should react to whatever would come my way. A large wave of water climbed over Sarina¡¯s head. The clear blue wave sparkled mesmerizingly underneath the light of the setting suns.


    She can summon water from nowhere? I thought, amazed.


    That truly was an important Skill for the wasteland that Edrona was. Especially if it was freshwater and consumable.


    How much can she produce at one time? And how often?


    I found myself distracted by my thoughts as I stared at the beautiful water and barely noticed as it barrelled over Sarina. Even as the water immersed her, then headed in my direction, Sarina still remained completely dry.


    I flailed about as the wave engulfed me. The mouthfuls of water I was forced to swallow answered one of my questions¨Cit was indeed freshwater.


    Due to the water filling my eye sockets and obscuring my vision, I couldn¡¯t see Sarina¡¯s approach. All of the air left my lungs as she smashed her staff into my gut.


    The water flowed away and spread over the ground, but I still desperately gasped for air. Sarina offered me a soft, sympathetic smile, then turned away from me and toward the Priests to claim her victory.


    But no. That wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    Over Sarina¡¯s head, I noticed a swarm of dancing essence streams. There hadn¡¯t been so many before she cast her spell, but now there were dozens, if not hundreds. This was the essence she had specifically used to cast her spell. They slowly slipped into Sarina¡¯s body as she naturally absorbed them, but I quickly called them to me before she could attract any more.


    Can I take essence away while someone is casting a spell?


    I had been so distracted when she first cast the spell to notice if I could have seen and taken the essence she had used to summon the wave. This was my first fight against a spellcaster since advancing to Tier 1. I needed to start paying more attention and use my Skill to my every advantage.


    As I rose to my feet, I shoved just a small portion of the essence I¡¯d just absorbed, maybe a fifth of it (I didn¡¯t want to kill her), into my spear. The weapon buzzed with a pleasant warmth in my hands. Then, I charged.


    Sarina had no chance to react. As she turned to face me, eyes wide in shock, I slammed the butt of my spear directly into her straight nose. But it wouldn¡¯t be straight for much longer. A resounding crack echoed through the area as I broke every bone in her nose.


    Sarina cried out in pain and fell to her knees, unable to control the tears that spilled out of her eyes and streaked down her now bloody face.


    ¡°Time!¡± Priest Kane hollered, rushing to Sarina¡¯s side.


    The crowd and the rest of the Priests remained silent and in shock.


    Priest Kane cradled Sarina¡¯s face in his hands and ascertained the damage.


    ¡°Priestess Nora!¡± he snapped. ¡°Heal her! Now!¡±


    I backed away, fearful of Priest Kane¡¯s wrath. His eyes shot up to mine, an angry fire burning within them that made me recoil in my own skin.


    ¡°Turns out we have another Marked in Edrona,¡± he announced. ¡°Since Drayek is so intent on being your mentor, you will be a Hunter along with him.¡±


    I stepped further away from Sarina, avoiding staring at her face too long. The guilt for hurting her so badly ate at me, but at least Priestess Nora could heal her and get her beautiful face back to normal. But still¡­ it was cruel what Priest Kane had made us do. I¡¯d never wanted to fight Sarina. Sure, we¡¯d had harmless scrimmages during training, but we¡¯d never given each other more than a nasty bruise or two.


    Priest Kane continued talking as Sarina underwent her healing, ¡°Serve Edrona and the goddess well, Rayden Grim.¡±


    I tried a smile in response. Edrona, yeah, I could help these people the best I could. But the goddess? Forget about it.

 Chapter 30: Marking the UnMarked

    The line of UnMarked winding its way into the temple did not dwindle for the entirety of the next two days. I didn¡¯t know of any UnMarked who didn¡¯t want a second chance to receive the goddess¡¯s grace. I even saw Sarina¡¯s parents, recluses as they were, waiting for their turns.


    Not only did everyone want a Mark, as was a normal desire in Edrona, but everyone also wanted to help fight against the Nagari threat. Edrona was their home just as much as it was for the Marked, and they wanted to help defend it.


    My curiosity reached levels that matched everyone else¡¯s in this situation; I couldn¡¯t help but watch and wonder if people would receive a Mark. Of course, I didn¡¯t have time to sit for two straight days watching people enter and leave the Temple of Euridice. I had to train. And I did train. But that didn¡¯t stop me from heading into town with Drayek at least a couple of times a day and marvel at the fact that about a dozen UnMarked for every 50 left their ceremonies with a brand new Mark.


    Even most who remained UnMarked insisted on commissioning Blacksmiths to forge non-Tiered weapons and non-Tiered armor so they could still assist in the upcoming battle.


    Near the end of the second day after my most recent Marking Ceremony, I had finally plopped down onto my lumpy cot. Just before I could start massaging my aching limbs¨C achy from a day¡¯s worth of training with both a sword and spear and forcing myself to run about 100 laps around our training arena¨CDrayek barrelled through the door, returning home early from an Elders¡¯ Council.


    ¡°Priest Kane wishes to address all of Edrona,¡± Drayek said.


    ¡°Tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Is it mandatory?¡±


    Drayek gave me a pointed look. We both knew that anything that Priest Kane requested was, in fact, mandatory. At least in all of the Priests¡¯ eyes. Meaning, we should feel that way, too.


    I sighed but began getting back into my Tier 1 armor that I had just taken off and then slid my sword that I¡¯d set next to the bed into its sheath at my side. Drayek and I had been wearing our armor and keeping our weapons at hand every time we left the hovel. The Nagari army was too close to take any chances.


    I nodded at Drayek, indicating I was ready to leave.


    ***


    The stares and whispers I brought about just from my presence in town were not anything I wasn¡¯t used to. In fact, I couldn¡¯t help but think of my past as an outcast as preparation for such behavior. But these stares and comments were¡­ different from what they¡¯d been before. I didn¡¯t hear a single insult, and I even caught a few smiles thrown in my direction.


    ¡°Drayek,¡± I said as he and I found a place to stand near the back of the gathering crowd, ¡°why is everyone acting so¨C¡±


    ¡°Strange?¡±


    I glanced around at the welcoming faces. ¡°Very strange.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how people treat a hero.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not a hero.¡±


    Drayek leaned closer to my ear and whispered, ¡°The fact that you are the first to ever receive a second ceremony and actually receive the goddess¡¯s grace, even after she denied you the first time, is astounding to everyone. You started a new age for Edrona, Rayden. Now, people will be offered a second chance from here on out.¡±


    ¡°One, I did not come out with a Mark,¡± I said, careful to keep my voice low so that no one else could hear. ¡°And two, Edrona might not survive this battle. Any regard to what the future might look like for our city is irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°But you gave them hope, Rayden.¡±


    Did I?


    I surveyed the tight crowd of a few thousand Edronans piling together in front of the Temple of Euridice. There were about 5,000 Edronans in total. And all of them¡ªthe elderly, children, Hunters, Tradespeople¡­ ¡ªstood tall with chins lifted and eyes shining with courage.


    Drayek was right. The air surrounding me felt almost light as it brimmed with hope. But how much did that actually have to do with me? Drayek was the one who had arranged my second ceremony. And I wasn¡¯t one of the UnMarked that had actually come out with a Mark.


    I felt like a fraud.


    But I couldn¡¯t help but feel thrilled by the change. I¡¯d spent my entire life trying to accept that no one would ever like me. And now¡­ they did like me. So, if there really was hope, something everyone needed at this moment, did it really matter where that hope had come from?


    A hush fell over the crowd as the 12 Priests of Edrona marched out of the temple doors, then lined up in front of the goddess¡¯s statue to face the people. The Priests'' current apprentices followed closely behind, all in similar robes but with less gold embellishment along the sleeves. Sarina was included among the number as the apprentices offered their respective bows to the Priests, then found their own places amid the crowd.


    I could not see Sarina¡¯s face very well from where I stood, but she seemed to walk without pain, and I could see no obvious deformity on her nose. Priestess Nora must have healed her well.


    My shoulders sank in relief. No amount of my rationalizing could have stopped the wrenching guilt I felt for having crushed her nose during our duel. I was glad that her face now looked as beautiful and as normal as ever.


    Priest Kane took two steps in front of his fellow Priests, then raised his arms high above his head.


    ¡°Praise the goddess!¡± he cried. ¡°Praise her all-knowing and all-encompassing love for her people!¡±


    He lowered his arms and stared into the crowd with tight-knit brows. ¡°We must all pray with gratitude to Lady Euridice. She has blessed more people with Marks than she ever has! She has allowed her UnMarked to gain Soul Strength and try again! With their new Soul Strength, she has deemed them fit to cultivate safely and further serve her and Edrona.¡±


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    She definitely wants them to serve her, I thought bitterly.


    I watched as many among the crowd outstretched their arms toward the Lady Euridice statue that stood tall as ever in front of her temple. With everything I knew about her, it made me furious to see the love these people had for the goddess¨Ca goddess that only cared about the potential power each of them could give to her. She didn¡¯t love us; we were her slaves!


    The more people the goddess could Mark, the more people she could steal essence from. She was probably thrilled by the ¡°second chances¡± the UnMarked had recently received. Perhaps this had been a part of her plan all along. Everyone knew you could build up your Soul Strength over time, so why couldn¡¯t the UnMarked do the same thing? The answer, as we had all learned over these last two days, is that they can. So why wouldn¡¯t Lady Euridice want as many people as possible cultivating and providing her power within the Erudition Collective?


    My narrowed eyes rested on the stone face of the statue, but I had to quickly drop my gaze as I felt a weight of darkness suddenly settle onto my chest. Even though I stood at the back of the gathering and a couple hundred feet away from the temple, the unwelcome presence I had felt during my last ceremony loomed over me like an ominous shadow.


    I shook my head and tried to pay attention to Priest Kane¡¯s words:


    ¡°Her generosity could not have come at a better time!¡± the Priest bellowed with an encouraging smile. ¡°An army of Nagari are but four days away! And instead of having just 2,000 Marked to fight against an army of much greater size, we now have 3,000!¡±


    ¡°Is that really going to make much of a difference?¡± I said to Drayek over the cheering.


    Edrona¡¯s population was right at 5,000, and even with the new Marked, we still only had just over half of us who could offer much to the fight. Others remained UnMarked, and many were too old and frail, and the rest were children not yet of the Marking Ceremony age.


    ¡°It makes a difference¨Ceven if slight,¡± Drayek said. ¡°You have to remember, most Nagari cannot fight someone above a Tier 2 alone. The Tier 3 Elders can definitely take on at least ten each at one time. And with 1,000 new Tier 1s, they can definitely hold their own. At least for a while.¡±


    ¡°Many of us remain UnMarked! What if we still want to fight?¡± someone I couldn¡¯t see shouted. His voice carried from somewhere near the front of the crowd.


    Priest Kane raised a hand to stop the eruption of hollered agreement. ¡°We will not stop anyone who wishes to fight. But we do ask that children below the Marking Ceremony age of 16 remain hidden in their homes for the duration of the battle.¡±


    Complaints from a multitude of adolescents rang in my ears.


    ¡°Hunts will increase by tenfold,¡± Priest Kane continued. ¡°Any loot we can find is essential to our battle preparations. And please remember to bring all prizes you find on these excursions to us.¡±


    He gestured at himself and the other 11 Priests standing behind him.


    ¡°We will decide, with the goddess¡¯s help, how we will distribute the goods when the time is right,¡± Priest Kane said amid the unhappy grumbling.


    The Priests had already announced this change to the city, but that didn¡¯t stop people from disliking the idea. But their faith in the goddess and her chosen, the Priests, was stronger than any doubt the Edronans had.


    Now, I¡¯m not Edronan. I didn¡¯t need faith. I didn¡¯t even know if the Priests had the ability to actually confer with the goddess, as they claimed to. For all I knew, they sat in that temple day in and day out, just drinking ale and laughing about Blacksmith Gerald¡¯s desperate need for a bath.


    But no, all I needed to worry about was how I could prepare myself for this oncoming war.


    ***


    I had already been on two hunts the day after Priest Kane¡¯s speech. When Priest Kane had said that they¡¯d increased the scheduled hunts tenfold, he¡¯d really meant it. On both of these hunts, I had accompanied Drayek and his Hunters. And I even had another five scheduled before the Nagari army was expected to arrive within the next three days.


    We gathered our monster hides, hearts, and cores during our hunts and turned them into the Priests, as they had requested, but not without Drayek, me, and the rest of the Hunters secretly pocketing what we could. Morally, none of us felt guilty about that. If we had any chance in this war (and we really didn¡¯t have much of a chance), we had to gather essence and try to get stronger.


    There was lots of talk about someone maybe breaking through to Tier 4, including in Drayek¡¯s group of Hunters. There were even arguments about who deserved it more and who would get there first.


    What I didn¡¯t like seeing, however, were the prayers and offerings made to Lady Euridice. All of the Edronans, save for Drayek, prayed in the streets and sacrificed their meat to the goddess for help. And that just made me angry. I had a hard time believing she would help any of us. Why should she care?


    But I ignored all of my emotions and dedicated every thought and intention toward getting stronger. If I wasn¡¯t on hunts, I was training¨Ctraining my butt off! I allowed myself only four hours of sleep each night, then hit that training arena with Drayek, as long as we weren¡¯t scheduled for a hunt.


    Drayek scrimmaged with me again and again, encouraging me to fight interchangeably with both my shortsword and my spear and keep both with me at all times. Gerald had made me a horizontal back sheath to carry the spear easily as I traveled. So, with the spear strapped to my back and the sword at my hip, I was ready for almost anything.


    At the end of the fifth day after my recent Marking Ceremony, I found myself alone in the training arena. It was well into the night, and I continued my repetitions of spear thrusts and practicing my rolls and dashes with the weapon in hand, and even a few times with the spear strapped to my back, all the while absorbing any stray streams of essence I saw floating about.


    Before I knew it, the night sky was beginning to transform into shades of dark blue, indicating that dawn was approaching. Knowing I had a hunt in a few hours, I decided to slow down for the night¨Cor early morning, I guess¨Cand get myself to bed as soon as possible.


    But I was determined to cultivate first.


    I sat down as comfortably as I could in the middle of the arena and breathed myself into a meditative state. I¡¯d gathered a lot of essence in the last few days since my second ceremony and had only meditated once, having already reached Tier 1, Level 7. But I knew I now had a lot more essence within me to use up.


    I did as I always did, transferring the essence to my core. The gold glow of the Tier screen popped up in my vision.


    STATUS


    NAME: CLONE #52


    TIER: 1


    LEVEL: 10


    Level 10? I thought.


    Codex had said there were 10 levels within Tier 1. Was I really that close to Tier 2? It took years, sometimes decades, for the Edronans to advance from Tier 1 to Tier 2. The amount of essence I was able to gather and not have stolen from me by the goddess must be a lot more than I had previously thought¡­.


    ¡°Would you like me to suggest where to allocate your 9 free stat points, Master?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied matter-of-factly.


    And before Codex could argue, I placed the points where I wanted them, then read over my work with satisfaction:


    STATS:


    MIGHT: 10 (+3)


    AGILITY: 9 (+1)


    VITALITY: 9


    INTELLIGENCE: 8 (+1)


    WISDOM: 7 (+1)


    WILLPOWER: 11 (+3)


    FREE STAT POINTS: 0


    ¡°Master, that is not what Lord Solomon chose when he reached Tier 1, Level 10.¡± It almost sounded like concern laced Codex¡¯s squeaky voice.


    ¡°And as I¡¯ve told you, I¡¯m not Lord Solomon. I am going through different experiences. Did he have to battle a Nagari army at Tier 1?¡±


    ¡°But Mas-¡±


    ¡°Drop it, Codex. That¡¯s where I want my points.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Master.¡±


    Codex went silent, to my satisfaction. When I looked at those numbers, I saw well-balanced statistics, perfect to aid me in a battle where who knew what could happen? And I had put an emphasis on Might to aid me in killing a large number of monsters, and I had tried to keep my personal strength up there, as well; my Willpower. Hadn¡¯t Codex said something about that category being Lord Solomon¡¯s favorite? So, I wasn¡¯t completely deterring from his path.

 Chapter 31: Tier 4?

    The next day, Drayek¡¯s hunting group met where we usually did, right on the outskirts of the city close to Drayek¡¯s and my hovel. Drayek, me (I was a replacement for Carissa as another melee fighter), Krato, Korin, and the other two new recruits: Noran replaced Marcus as a ranged fighter, and Leandra replaced Maran as a mage. She had powers similar to Maran''s. Leandra could increase our group''s stealth by casting a spell that made our entire party lighter on our feet. But, I had to admit, it wasn''t as cool as Maran''s Skill, where she could turn everyone and what we touched nearly invisible. However, Leandra¡¯s Skill was still useful.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been assigned to scout out to the west and determine if the Nagari army is indeed just a day out from Edrona,¡± Drayek told us. ¡°And let¡¯s hope they aren¡¯t any closer than that.¡±


    Leandra, a plump woman about the same age as Drayek, stood directly behind me and whispered a prayer to the goddess, asking her to grant our party aid and guidance. It set my teeth on edge, but I tried to ignore the prayer and focus on the task ahead.


    The suns were high in the sky as the afternoon welcomed our hike deep into the desert. We remained close together, Drayek and I flanking Krato, and the rest trailing behind in their designated formation.


    After a 20-minute march, our group scaled the mountain face that Drayek and I had climbed just days before. After a few minutes of climbing, we found a large enough ledge near the top to fit all of us and then some.


    We all peered into the distance. When I had first noticed the army, I could barely make out any shapes other than a giant blob of mass headed toward Edrona. But now, I could make out each individual Nagari and their grotesque reptile torsos and tails, meaning they were extremely close to Edrona. They definitely knew where they were going.


    I caught myself trying to count the Nagari numbers but knew that was fruitless. If I had to guess, Drayek and I had been slightly off with our first estimate; there were 12, maybe 15,000 of the creatures slinking their way to our city¨Cnot 10,000, as we¡¯d previously thought.


    ¡°I would say they¡¯re about a day out,¡± Drayek determined. ¡°Maybe a little more. We¡¯d better head back and inform the city.¡±


    Just as our group moved to climb back one by one, piles of rocks spilled over the lips of the mountain peaks and ledges above our heads. A particularly large stone flew into my cheekbone.


    I yelped and rubbed at the blood peeking its way through my skin.


    All of the Hunters cursed as they craned their necks upward. I followed suit and what I saw made me feel like someone had tied my heart to a weight and dropped it into the depths of the oasis.


    A chorus of hisses that rang through the mountain range accompanied the 100¨Cno, more like 200¨CNagari surrounding us from above. Their unnatural, fang-filled smiles spread across their faces as they observed our reactions.


    Drayek shouted a curse and drew his sword from its sheath. ¡°They must have sent a group of scouts ahead of the rest of the army.¡±


    More prayers to Lady Euridice were whispered around me, and I felt a strong desire to do something similar, but I had no one to pray to. Codex? No. Maybe to the Lord Solomon AI? No. I hadn¡¯t heard from him or seen him since our first meeting in that cave.


    I only had Drayek, the rest of our group, and myself to rely on. No help from any outside forces, including the AI of the dead god.


    Our entire party drew their weapons and gathered in a tight clump. We had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. All we could do was wait for the Nagari scouts to attack.


    The creatures slithered down the rock face with their scaly-humanoid limbs, each of them swinging their tails back and forth and flicking their split tongues over their lips in anticipation. Drayek and I stood just behind Krato, who had activated his Spectral Shield already. I held my spear out, ready to jab at any oncoming Nagari before they could get to the rest of the group. Drayek was poised similarly with his longsword.


    ¡°Master, you are facing 190 Tier 1 Nagari. And there are 11 Tier 2s, one Tier 3, and there is also one Tier 4.¡±


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    ¡°Tier 4?!¡± I shouted to Codex in my mind. ¡°How is that even possible?¡±


    On my first hunt, before I had met Lord Solomon, Drayek and his Hunters had told me about a Nagari who could fight against Drayek one-on-one¨Cneither of them able to kill the other. But I would have guessed this monster to be at a Tier 3 level, like Drayek. Was this Tier 4 a different Nagari? Or was it the same one but somehow broke through to a Tier no one in Edrona ever had before?


    ¡°My initial scan tells me the Tier 4 Nagari is somewhere near the back of these numbers. It hasn¡¯t revealed itself to your vision yet.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic.¡±


    ¡°You know, Master. This sarcasm of yours actually is amusing.¡±


    I ignored Codex and watched in horror as the Nagaris¡¯ slow approach abruptly turned into a leap over us. My eyes searched for the Tier 4 Nagari, but I had no way of knowing which of the creatures it might be. And Codex said nothing.


    Dozens of the Nagari landed in a line before us, and the others impacted the top of Krato¡¯s milky-white, almost transparent, domed shield. Krato grunted from the impact but stood his ground.


    I had no time to pay attention to what any of the Hunters did in defense. All I could focus on was thrusting my spear into the chest of the Nagari closest to me. I pushed a little essence into both the arms of my armor and my spear and stabbed through the creature¡¯s heart with ease. But even with my essence-enhanced speed and strength, it didn¡¯t solve the biggest problem of all; the speed of the Nagari was hard to keep up with as they replaced one another as each fell to a Hunter¡¯s blow.


    Krato¡¯s Spectral Shield was already beginning to crack as each Nagari hacked away at the dome with their splintered spears, chipped swords, and menacing daggers. They hacked away at every side of the shield, and a few continued to pound at the top of the dome. They had the advantage. They had attacked us from above and had already weakened Krato¡¯s Spectral Shield at the very beginning of the fight.


    Soon, the shield shattered, leaving Krato motionless for a moment. I screamed his name and jabbed at the three Nagari who threw themselves at him as soon as he¡¯d become vulnerable. I took down one, and Drayek sliced through the other two with one swing of his sword.


    My screams to grab Krato¡¯s attention weren¡¯t the only cries to echo through the mountain range. The other Hunters howled and shouted as they attacked the Nagari and also as they received wounds themselves. Korin seemed spread too thin as she rushed from one comrade to the other, but at least she still held her own.


    One by one, we each downed Nagari. I continued to draw in all the essence I could see as each Nagari died, not leaving much for the other Hunters to absorb, but they would have no way of knowing. But as each Hunter cast their spells, I left the essence they had used to activate their Skills to slowly flow back into each Hunter.


    But as Drayek ran his fingers over the blade of his sword, igniting it in an angry red flame that matched his red armor, I was shocked by the amount of essence that escaped him as he activated that Skill, once again reminded that he was a high-level Tier 3. I had no way of knowing how close he might be to Tier 4, but he was definitely close. I could almost feel it.


    Wait! The Nagari are casting spells¡­.


    I scanned my eyes over the crowd of monsters and watched as some of them summoned spells and Skills through various hand motions. If the Nagari were Tiered, like us, that had to mean they used essence similarly, if not the exact same way.


    I caught sight of bursts of blue lines forming into hovering clouds over the Nagari¡¯s heads, not only as they activated their Skills but also as they prepared to.


    I maneuvered most of my body behind Krato, hiding myself from view¨Ceven if just for a moment¨Cand stole the streams of essence away from every Nagari I could see before they could even use their Skills.


    As the hundreds of essence streams flowed into me, I watched with satisfaction as about a dozen Nagari thrust their arms in various ways to cast their spells, then furrowed their scaly brows in confusion as nothing happened.


    By some miracle, our group of seven managed to tear down all but 40 or 50 of the Nagari. My limbs ached from the overuse of pushing myself through my strategy of essence-enhanced armor and weapons.


    Our group tried to stay alert, but we were all beginning to slow down. The fight had already lasted for maybe 10 minutes, and I knew I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt tired. Korin¡¯s arms began to tremble as she went over to heal a gash in Leandra¡¯s leg, and Leandra threw one of her jeweled daggers at an oncoming Nagari¡¯s throat with a shaky hand, missing the creature¡¯s neck by an inch. I tore through that same Nagari¡¯s chest with my spear but was careful not to force too much into my blow and used a minimal amount of essence in my spear and armor. I was learning how to manage how much I should push myself and how much essence to use as I fought¨Cmy body¡¯s capabilities were far from limitless. I had to keep reminding myself of that fact.


    ¡°Rayden! Behind you!¡±


    I ducked as Drayek expertly scooped up a stray dagger from the ground and speedily threw it in my direction. It hit a Nagari poised to strike me from behind with a sword. The dagger dug deep in between the creature¡¯s slitted eyes, and it crumpled to the ground, sword falling from its slimy grip.


    I rose to thank Drayek, but the ¡°thank you¡± on my lips transformed into a horrified scream as one of the Nagari slithered behind Drayek and positioned a knife right over Drayek¡¯s throat¡­.

 Chapter 32: Battle Against a Tier 4

    ¡°Look out!¡± I warned Drayek, similarly to how he¡¯d warned me about a sneaking Nagari just moments before.


    I lunged forward, the hand not holding my spear outstretched toward him. But I didn¡¯t need to come to his aid. Drayek was fast.


    Drayek¡¯s eyes flicked down to the silver metal of the knife, and then he danced his head around the blade just as the large Nagari lunged for his throat.


    Drayek moved in a blur, finding himself behind the Nagari. He then brandished his sword in front of his body, threatening his opponent with the hot fire on his blade that consumed the air around them.


    ¡°I remember you, Nagari.¡±


    The Nagari, with muscles bulging out through its scaly hide and who stood about two heads taller than any of its compatriots, whirled around itself and sneered at Drayek.


    ¡°Yessss¡­.¡± it hissed.


    I started. ¡°Did that¨Cdid the Nagari just speak?¡±


    No one paid any mind to me and my outburst. The rest of the Hunters, except for Krato, who lay motionless, and Korin, who knelt beside him and tried to heal him, finished off the remaining Nagari. They then pointed weapons at the massive Nagari facing Drayek.


    ¡°Master, that creature is the Tier 4 Nagari,¡± Codex said.


    I figured as much.


    The Hunters slowly approached the Tier 4 Nagari, which made my heart pound nervously.


    ¡°Uh, guys¡­?¡±


    Before any of the Hunters could lunge forward at the creature, the Tier 4 Nagari waved a scaly hand in front of its slimy face. My eyes widened at the onslaught of a wave of essence as it cast a spell. And I was so shocked by what happened next, I couldn¡¯t even think of absorbing any of the streams.


    A blast of yellow light rippled out of the creature¡¯s fingertips, then expanded all around the Hunters coming at him. The light wrapped around each Hunter¡¯s torso, then threw them to the side and onto the ground. I took two steps back and scanned the damage around me. My comrades groaned and tried to stand up, but the Nagari¡¯s magic held them in place.


    Drayek stood his ground with the tip of his fiery sword nearly poking into the Nagari¡¯s ribcage. It seemed the Nagari hadn¡¯t wanted to hurl Drayek away with its spell.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten better,¡± Drayek said.


    The Nagari¡¯s smile spread to the ear holes on either side of its head. ¡°I cannot say the same about you. At least, not until you try to kill me. I¡¯ve been yearning to fight you again.¡±


    I swallowed. Hearing a Nagari speak was not something I¡¯d have ever expected to hear. I¡¯d always thought of them as nothing more than monsters. But I was obviously wrong. There was more to the creatures than met the eye. They cultivated, cast spells and had Skills, and could speak¨Cin fact, they could speak the Edronan language! I knew Codex could translate most languages in my head, but Drayek could understand the Nagari, as well. How did the creatures learn to speak our language?


    They must be a lot more advanced and educated than I thought.


    The Nagari slithered a circle around Drayek on its spindly legs and flicked its tongue in Drayek¡¯s face. I moved to try my hand at attacking the Nagari, but Drayek stopped me with a raise of his hand.


    ¡°This is my fight, Rayden. Stay back.¡±


    I opened my mouth to argue, but an eager look from the Nagari, as if it hoped I would try to attack, made me stay put.


    Besides, how much help could I offer against a Tier 4? Monster or not?


    Without warning, Drayek swung his sword over his head in a blur and aimed it at the Nagari¡¯s throat. The creature sidestepped the swing with ease, and then they engaged in back-and-forth combat, both lunging at the other with their weapons and both blocking and dodging each blow as they came. That is, until the Nagari spun its trunk-like tail around and hit Drayek¡¯s feet.


    Drayek stumbled, but only slightly. He returned the attack with a dash to the left, then sliced a chunk of the Nagari¡¯s flesh off its back with a quick flourish of his burning sword.


    The Nagari howled a nauseating, high-pitched scream. Its thin black lips distorted sickeningly as it cried out. But it wasn¡¯t done fighting. Just before Drayek could recover from the force of his own blow, the Nagari waved its hand as it had when casting a spell at the other Hunters before.


    I remained alert this time. I drew in all of the essence streams I could before the creature could activate its Skill, but I couldn¡¯t take in more than a third of it. There was a lot of essence. More than my body could handle taking in, apparently. It seemed I had limits¡­. Well, this Nagari was three entire Tiers ahead of me. That probably had a lot to do with it.


    But it did something.


    The Nagari threw its yellow wave of magic over Drayek, but instead of being hurled through the air and onto the ground, Drayek was able to remain standing. He struggled, though. He gritted his teeth and grunted underneath the pressure of the creature¡¯s spell.


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    ¡°Drayek!¡± I cried.


    I took a deep breath and moved essence through my armor and spear¨CIn fact, I moved a little too much. I could feel my head beginning to ache from more power and more force than my Tier 1 body could handle. But I ignored the pain and ran at the Nagari.


    That was a big mistake.


    A shock of yellow light shaped like a translucent boulder hurled itself at me and threw me to the ground. The force of impact threw my spear out of my grip, and it flew two feet away from me and at the feet of one of the dead Nagari. I landed on my right elbow so hard that my armor in that area cracked, and then my elbow cracked right along with it. Searing pain burned its way through my entire right arm as more than a few bones snapped.


    Bright spots danced in my vision, and I could barely turn myself over onto my back without crying out in pain¨Cthe motion of turning made even more difficult by a magic boulder resting on my chest. I blinked away the spots in my eyes and tried to catch sight of Drayek once again. The Nagari ignored him for the time being, staring me down with amused eyes and its forked tongue flicking over its chapped lips.


    Drayek glanced at me, brows drawn into a tight line of worry, but his glance didn¡¯t last more than half a second. He pushed one foot forward, even underneath the Nagari¡¯s heavy spell that attempted to force him down like the other Hunters. Then he moved forward with another foot¡­ and another. Drayek¡¯s sword still burned intensely with the red and orange fire from his Weapons Flame Skill, and the fire cast dark shadows over Drayek¡¯s serious face.


    I held my breath, praying to whomever that the Nagari wouldn¡¯t notice Drayek¡¯s approach.


    Just as Drayek brandished the sword over the Nagari¡¯s bald head, arms shaking from the grip the creature¡¯s spell had on him, the Nagari¡¯s eyes left my face. The creature noticed the sword¡¯s fall before it could strike. The Nagari spun itself around the blade, and then, in a flurry of motion that I could barely keep up with, the monster plunged its thin knife straight into the abdomen of Drayek¡¯s armor. With another heave, the Nagari dug the blade all the way through the silver plating and into Drayek¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed.


    I tried to move, but both the magic boulder and the excruciating pain in my arm kept me from rising. The combination of the two also made me feel dizzy, and I had to fight to maintain consciousness. After a sharp inhale of breath, I forced my head up to witness, in horror, what happened next.


    Drayek¡¯s body crumpled forward and over the Nagari¡¯s weapon arm. The Nagari cackled a high-pitched squeal of a cackle and leaned over to whisper something in Drayek¡¯s ear that I could not hear.


    The other Hunters and I squirmed underneath the creature¡¯s holding spell, each of us crying out for Drayek and cursing the monster that had stabbed him.


    Tears burned my eyes as I watched Drayek grow weaker and weaker. Both his eyes and his sword had lost their flame. The Nagari stood up straight once again and scanned his eyes over the rest of our party.


    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± it hissed.


    Suddenly, a flash of metal soared in front of the Nagari¡¯s face, and the creature had no time to react before the blade sank deep into its long neck.


    Drayek was standing straight again, blood spilling like a steady stream from a gaping hole in the mid-section of his armor. The Nagari¡¯s spell from earlier no longer affected him; the light disappeared as soon as the Nagari¡¯s head rolled off of its shoulders and fell to the ground. The creature¡¯s body twitched for two seconds, then fell soon after the head had finished its descent.


    Drayek groaned, sweat dripping off of his forehead. He dropped his sword and clutched his stomach, then fell to his knees with a thud.


    I couldn¡¯t even hear myself yell out for Drayek as I rushed toward him. The Nagari¡¯s spell keeping the other Hunters and me away from the fight had also faded away after the monster¡¯s death. My hurried steps felt heavy as I clutched my broken arm with my uninjured one. But I could barely notice the pain as I watched Drayek¡¯s body fail, and he fell onto his face.


    ¡°Drayek!¡± I cried his name again, throwing myself at his side.


    As gently as I could with one good arm, I turned him over onto his back, then cradled his head into my lap.


    Drayek¡¯s hands were turning gray as he continued to try to clutch at his bleeding stomach.


    ¡°No! No, let me.¡± I leaned over and pressed the palm of my good hand into his wound, trying to ignore the hot blood that gushed through the cracks in my fingers.


    ¡°Korin! Help!¡± I screamed.


    But Korin must have fought so hard against the Tier 4 Nagari¡¯s spell that she struggled to pull herself up. Not to mention the fact that she had already been feeling exhausted from too much spellcasting before all of this. Her arms shook underneath her weight, and her face had been drained of all its color.


    ¡°Korin!¡± I hollered again anyway, eyes moving back to Drayek¡¯s face.


    My bottom lip trembled as I watched his eyelids spasm.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to die, Drayek,¡± I breathed.


    Memories of the hellish labyrinth test in Solomon¡¯s cave flashed through my mind. I remembered how I had held an illusion of Drayek, just as I did now, with a similar wound in his stomach. Maybe this wasn¡¯t real, either! Maybe I was dreaming, or maybe the Lord Solomon AI was trying to test me again.


    ¡°Rayden?¡± Drayek¡¯s voice came out in a hoarse whisper, and spittles of blood landed on his lips as he coughed from trying to speak.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said, remembering what the dying Drayek had said to me in the labyrinth. ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say. That you wish I could have proved myself to you¨Cthat you wish I could have been the son you¡¯d never had. But¡­ but I failed you, right?¡±


    I sniffed away the blasted tears that mocked me with their threat to spill from my eyes.


    ¡°Rayden, just listen!¡± Drayek coughed again, and his body shuddered dangerously underneath me.


    ¡°Korin!¡± My voice was growing hoarse, but she was finally crawling her way over.


    Krato, who she had been lying next to, wasn¡¯t moving, and tears spilled down her cheeks as she came as fast as her weary body could take her.


    ¡°Boy! You will listen to the last words of a dying man.¡±


    I could barely hear Drayek as he forced the words out, but I heard enough to know I should obey. I leaned in close to better hear his words.


    ¡°I am proud of you. You always were, are, and always will be my son.¡±


    I let the tears stream down my face. His words¡­ they healed something within me. They healed my self-doubt, my worries, my trauma-inflicted pain¡­.


    With great effort, Drayek clutched the back of my neck with his right hand and stared into my eyes. ¡°Keep going, my boy. Don¡¯t ever stop. You will become greater than any of us could have ever dreamed of.¡±


    Korin reached us and pulled back Drayek¡¯s armor plates to reveal his torn clothing underneath and a deep wound that made my stomach churn. Her eyes found mine, and she gave a subtle shake of her head.


    ¡°I¨CI can try, Rayden. But even if I had all of my strength, which I don¡¯t, this injury might be beyond my capabilities.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I sobbed, ¡°Please, no. Drayek. Don¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°I love you, son.¡±


    And with that, and before Korin could even try to heal him, the light left Drayek¡¯s eyes, and his arm fell off of my neck and landed limply on his chest.

 Chapter 33: Traitor

    I threw my head back and let out the loudest, most raw scream I¡¯d ever had. The sound came from the deep recesses of my gut and tore up my throat as it escaped my chapped lips.


    Korin dropped a heavy head downward and released a distressed sigh.


    ¡°Rayden, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    I pushed away the sympathetic hand she attempted to place on my shoulder, then rubbed away the hot tears flowing down my face. I gently laid Drayek¡¯s head on the ground and rose to my feet. I favored my broken arm at my side, but I couldn¡¯t even feel the pain. I felt numb, all my senses overwhelmed by a heavy weight of grief.


    All Hunters, save for Krato, who still hadn¡¯t moved, turned their eyes to me and then to Drayek. A solemn silence fell, and I angrily dismissed all of the sad, sympathetic looks they directed my way.


    A soft hiss broke the silence, and I whirled around in search of the source of the sound. Just inches from Drayek¡¯s body rested a fallen Nagari. Its hisses continued as I stormed over to it, and they sounded like creepy, snake-like laughter.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± I demanded, pushing the tip of my boot into the gaping wound stretched across the creature¡¯s ribcage.


    It screeched at the pain but continued hiss-laughing. ¡°This is just the beginning,¡± it wheezed. ¡°Our army will slaughter all of Edrona, and then we can start anew.¡±


    I pressed harder. ¡°What do you mean? And how did you find Edrona?¡±


    The grin that broke through the humanoid face made me feel nauseous.


    ¡°There will be a day when the Nagari and the humans will live together. That is what they promised us.¡±


    ¡°They?¡± I shouted, pressing my boot so hard I heard some of the creature¡¯s ribs crack. ¡°Who promised you? Someone from Edrona? Did that person lead you to us?¡±


    The Nagari only continued to laugh, obviously done talking. So, I lifted my foot, then slammed it so hard into the creature¡¯s torso that it finally got what it deserved¨Ca painful death.


    ¡°No Edronan would ever do that,¡± Korin whispered behind me. ¡°No Edronan would ever betray us.¡±


    I kept my eyes on the Nagari I had just crushed with my foot and clenched my fists.


    ¡°How do you think the Nagari found us, Korin?¡± I shouted.


    She flinched back from my angry outburst.


    ¡°Someone in our city had to have betrayed Edrona¡¯s position¨Cthere¡¯s no other explanation,¡± I said to the entire group.


    All Hunters shifted their eyes downward, having no answers to my questions.


    ¡°Gather everything you can,¡± I said, moving to harvest the heart and core from the Nagari I¡¯d just killed. ¡°And keep a good deal of the loot for yourselves. We are not giving everything to the Priests.¡±


    No one argued, and all went to harvesting. Before I could move to join them, Korin offered to ease the pain of my broken arm. She wasn¡¯t strong enough yet to heal it completely, but I allowed her to do what she could. I could tell the healing she gave my arm made a difference, but I almost couldn¡¯t tell. My grief and anger overwhelmed all other feelings.


    As soon as Korin released me, I stalked over to the dead Tier 4 Nagari. I scowled down at the ugly face made of slime and scales. The face belonging to the creature that had killed Drayek.


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    I pulled out the left glove from my traveling sack and slid it onto my hand with my teeth, my right arm still useless. I needed the glove to harvest cores. If I touched them with my bare skin, I would deplete the cores of all their essence. And I didn¡¯t want to do that. Not yet.


    I scooped up the Nagari¡¯s fallen knife. I did the best I could with my left arm to carve through the monster¡¯s chest and abdomen. With no remorse, I ripped through its flesh and dug out the largest Nagari heart I had ever seen, along with a core also larger than I¡¯d ever seen.


    I tucked them away into my pack, determined to keep the Tier 4 Nagari loot for myself. No one else deserved it¨Cespecially the Priests. And I would keep them safe until I might need them in the future.


    ¡°What do we do about them?¡± Korin sniffed, pausing her own harvesting to gesture to Drayek¡¯s and Krato¡¯s bodies.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take them back with us and give them a proper burial,¡± I insisted.


    And then I am going to find and kill the traitor, I thought.


    ***


    I had insisted on burying Drayek at home privately. He had been my mentor, after all. No, he was my father. He had taken me in when no one else would and had raised me to become the person I am today. No one had any right to intrude on the final moments I wanted with him.


    After Korin had rested enough, she was able to heal my arm completely. No bending or twisting caused me any pain. And soon, we made it back to Edrona. The Hunters helped me with carrying Drayek to the back of our hovel near the training arena, then they solemnly waved goodbye and took Krato¡¯s body with them into town. Drayek¡¯s and Krato¡¯s bodies were just the first two among many that would find a home underneath the ground once the army reached Edrona sometime tomorrow evening.


    After finding a shovel tucked away in Drayek¡¯s storage chest behind our trainees¡¯ weapons rack, I found a soft patch of dirt near the hovel, which was hard to find in this craggy wasteland of rock, but I did find it.


    I avoided looking at Drayek, who lay near me as I dug, helpless and immovable. I almost couldn¡¯t believe he was actually gone. Angry tears dripped off my nose and fell into the dirt as I shoveled deep into the ground.


    ¡°What are you doing, Master?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Codex.¡±


    ¡°Shut. Up. I cannot understand your meaning behind those two words, Master.¡±


    I shook my head frustratedly. Codex tried asking his stupid question three more times but finally gave up when I offered no response.


    My hands were red and blistered by the time I finished digging a deep enough hole.


    Still not looking into Drayek¡¯s face, I rolled him into the grave as respectfully as my smaller body could muster against his weight.


    Drayek landed at the bottom, dirt clouds tarnishing his brilliant red dragon armor and the sword I had tucked neatly into his hands. Even after rolling him into the hole, his hands remained planted on his chest, with his beloved sword lying across the length of his torso and most of his legs.


    I had thought about keeping his armor and sword and storing them for future use, but it felt wrong to do that. Drayek looked most like himself while clad in his gear, and I wanted him to look that way even in death. And maybe, if I kept them with his body, the armor and sword would somehow follow Drayek on whatever journey was bound for him next. I did not know what the afterlife brought for the dead, but I hoped, for Drayek¡¯s sake, that it would be full of adventure and endless monster-killing.


    After having cleaned both his red blood and the dark Nagari blood off of his armor and weapon, Drayek looked just as strong as he ever did. Just¡­ peaceful, as well. The gaping hole in the armor plating on his abdomen had even healed itself already, hiding the wound that had killed him.


    I finally gazed into Drayek¡¯s¨Cmy father¡¯s face. He really was my father. I never had another father figure, and Drayek had given me everything he could in life. And I wished more than anything that I could somehow repay him.


    My throat closed up as more tears moistened my eyes.


    I might not be able to repay Drayek, but I could continue to make him proud. I would never give up, and I would get stronger and stronger. I would make it to Tiers 2, 3, 4, 5, and maybe even as high as Lord Solomon had gotten before his death¨Cperhaps even higher.


    But first, I needed to find out who had betrayed Edrona to the Nagari and kill them for it.


    ¡°Wherever you are, Drayek, I hope you are listening,¡± I said to the wind. ¡°I promise to avenge you.¡±


    And maybe if I did avenge him, it would not only provide me with some closure but also help Drayek in his journey of eternal rest.


    I then remembered his final words to me. That he loved me.


    ¡°I love you¡­ Father,¡± I whispered.


    I wiped a sleeve under my runny nose, having taken off my armor before digging the hole, then started refilling Drayek¡¯s grave with dirt. The tears didn¡¯t stop until the dirt covered my view of his body, and he was never to be seen again.

 Chapter 34: Betrayal

    I sat staring at the makeshift stack of rocks I¡¯d set at the head of Drayek¡¯s grave. My knees were tucked into my chest, and my eyes were swollen from too much crying. My tears were all dried out at this point. The three moons were dark tonight, as if they mourned the loss of a great warrior just as much as I did.


    ¡°Rayden?¡±


    My senses heightened, and I jumped to my feet, hands out in a defensive position. But then I lowered my arms once I saw who it was.


    ¡°Sarina? What are you doing here?¡±


    She stood beautiful in the starlight, the soft glow of the stars adding a mesmerizing luminescence to her dark locks that she left flowing freely past her shoulders. And her perfect face was just that¨Cperfect. Priestess Nora had done a great job healing the broken nose.


    Her large eyes reflected the tears she had been spilling herself, and the tip of her once-broken nose was red.


    ¡°Some of the Hunters¡­ they told the city¡­¡± She glanced at Drayek¡¯s grave. ¡°May I sit with you?¡± she whispered.


    I opened my mouth to protest. Things had been weird between the two of us lately, and I wanted this time alone at Drayek¡¯s side. But then I remembered the years she had trained with Drayek, too. I was wrong to think he wouldn¡¯t mean something to her, as well.


    I nodded and patted on the piece of ground next to me. She took my prompting and sat, also tucking her knees into her chest and joining me in staring at the grave.


    We sat together in silence. Our shoulders touched, but neither of us moved to remedy that. The closeness was comforting¨Cfor both of us, I could imagine.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Rayden,¡± Sarina finally broke the silence.


    I couldn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m¨CI¡¯m really sorry.¡± She sniffled. ¡°I feel like this is partly my fault.¡±


    I cocked my head in her direction. ¡°How would this be your fault? Our fight? We both had no choice in that, and it had nothing to do with Drayek¡¯s¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say the word ¡°death¡± out loud.


    She bit her lip but offered nothing else to say. At least, not for the moment. I found my eyes moving away from Drayek¡¯s grave and to her gaudy red robes.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± I said. ¡°You work very closely with the Priests¨Cespecially Priest Kane. Do they know anything about who betrayed Edrona¡¯s position to the Nagari?¡±


    Sarina¡¯s breath hitched, and I watched curiously as her eyes darted from side to side.


    ¡°How would I know anything?¡± she retorted sharply.


    I raised an eyebrow, shifting my weight and moving to sit directly in front of her. ¡°We have all been wondering how the Nagari found us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if the Priests know who did it.¡±


    She stared at me with eyebrows scrunched together, then she rose from the ground and began pacing in small circles.


    ¡°It was Priest Kane,¡± she declared suddenly.


    Her words sent a jumble through my mind. Had I heard her correctly?


    ¡°What did you say?


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    Sarina¡¯s entire body was shaking at this point. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Rayden. I¨CI should¡¯ve stopped him. Somehow. I¡¯m the reason Drayek died.¡±


    I placed my hands atop my head and interlaced my fingers together to keep myself from doing anything rash.


    ¡°Sarina, you better explain what you¡¯re talking about before I lose my mind.¡±


    Sarina cast her eyes downward and watched her hands wring around each other nervously. ¡°He has a plan. That is, the goddess has a plan.¡±


    Her eyes met mine, and she clasped her hands together as if she wished to plead with me.


    ¡°Rayden, you have to understand,¡± she breathed. ¡°He said it was her will, the goddess¡¯s will, to bring the Nagari to Edrona¨Cto create a world where our people could better live in peace.¡±


    ¡°How the hell do you think we¡¯ll have peace?!¡± I screamed, blood rushing onto my face and making me feel light-headed. ¡°An army is coming, Sarina! Their scouts just killed Drayek!¡±


    I waved angry arms over Drayek¡¯s grave.


    ¡°Priest Kane told them where to find us! I don¡¯t know how, and I don¡¯t know why he would do such a thing, but he has to be punished for it!¡± I continued, slamming a fist into the ground. ¡°He¡¯s the reason Drayek died!¡±


    Sarina¡¯s bottom lip trembled, then she threw her face into her hands and started wailing. In any other situation, I might have reached my arms out to draw her into a hug, but she had helped betray me, Drayek, and the rest of Edrona. The sense of betrayal burned within me like a raging, unquenchable fire.


    ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± she croaked through her tears, throwing her head back and toward the sky.


    I leaned back on my heels and slowly rose from the ground.


    ¡°What?¡± I growled, fearful of her answer.


    Her chin shook from her sobs, and she rose and tried to approach me, but I stepped away, blocking her arms with mine.


    ¡°I¨CI helped him contact the Nagari. I was the one who went out and found them.¡±


    My entire body stiffened.


    ¡°Rayden? Please, say something!¡±


    She tried to approach again, but I pushed her away this time¨Cand not gently. She stumbled back.


    ¡°Why?¡± I said hoarsely.


    Sarina ran shaking fingers through her hair. ¡°It was as I said; he told me it was the best for Edrona¨Cthat Lady Euridice wanted it.¡±


    ¡°Why,¡± I was screaming now, ¡°would a Nagari army be good for Edrona? Explain that to me, Sarina! They¡¯re going to slaughter us!¡±


    Sarina cast her eyes back to her feet and stepped farther away from me. ¡°That¡¯s the point. Priest Kane says the goddess wants her least faithful gone. She wants to start all over with Edrona and only with the most faithful.¡±


    ¡°Oh, let me guess! The most faithful are the Priests?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°And how do the Nagari play into this?¡±


    ¡°Priest Kane says it is time for the age where man and Nagari live in harmony.¡±


    That dying Nagari in the mountain had said something similar to me after Drayek¡¯s death. Priest Kane must have made that promise to the Nagari.


    I shook my head and clenched my fists so hard that my fingers began to grow numb.


    ¡°Sarina! Priest Kane is lying to you! You have to see that! I doubt the goddess even told him any of this¨Ctrust me, she doesn¡¯t care about what happens to any of us.¡±


    ¡°Blasphemy!¡± she was shouting now, too. ¡°Don¡¯t speak ill of Lady Euridice!¡±


    ¡°I will speak ill of that false goddess for the rest of my days!¡±


    I threw myself forward until our faces were mere centimeters away. I was still shorter than her, but I could now almost touch my nose to hers.


    ¡°I bet you anything that Priest Kane wants those who oppose him to die in this war, and he made a deal with the blasted Nagari to make it easier for him. It had nothing to do with what ¡®the goddess¡¯ wanted him to do. And guess what, Sarina? He just wants to rule over all of us as if he were a god himself!¡±


    Sarina threw her hand back, then brought it straight across my face. My face flew to the right, and I grunted from the sting. It was a hard slap¨Ca good slap.


    I slowly turned my eyes back to hers. ¡°You were right, Sarina. You killed Drayek. No, you¡¯ve killed us all.¡±


    Sarina¡¯s eyes filled with more tears, and she brought her hand back up to slap me again. I stood my ground and didn¡¯t even flinch. Slowly, she lowered her hand, but I didn¡¯t tear my glare away from her eyes for even a second.


    She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say more but then quickly turned on her heel and sped away.


    ¡°If you ever come back here, Sarina, I swear I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    She turned her head just barely over her left shoulder and slowed for a moment but then pushed her head forward and raced away even faster.


    There had been a time in my life when I would have died for Sarina, but I meant those words I¡¯d just threatened her with; I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill her if she ever came back to my home. She had not just betrayed me; she had betrayed Drayek and all of Edrona.


    And I didn¡¯t think I could ever forgive her for that.

 Chapter 35: Battle Preparation

    I stormed away from Drayek¡¯s grave and into our hovel, too hurt and angry at Sarina to even think to feel saddened by Drayek¡¯s empty chair and empty cot. I paced back and forth in the space, kicking up dust clouds as I went. With all of my training and the hunts I¡¯d been on in the last few days, I¡¯d neglected my chore of sweeping the place. But that was beyond trivial at this moment in time.


    I threw myself onto my bed and tried to calm my pounding heart. My head hurt, and my body groaned from exhaustion, begging me to allow it some rest. But I couldn¡¯t rest. Not just yet.


    It took an immense amount of focus to slow my breathing enough to drift into a meditative state. I had gathered a lot of essence during our hunt, and I had a feeling it was enough to advance into Tier 2. I would take any sort of advantage I could get when going into tomorrow. I was going to fight Priest Kane¨CI wanted to kill him. A Tier 1 would have no chance against a Tier 3 like the Priests, but maybe a Tier 2 Skill could very well provide me with a boost.


    It might not go my way, but I was going to do everything I could to see that miserable Priest dead at my feet. Even if I died trying.


    As I sat meditating, I found that I had been right¨Cthe most essence I had ever seen within myself swirled around inside my Soul and awaited my direction. It took a great deal of effort to remain calm amidst my tumultuous thoughts and emotions, but I was finally able to dive deep enough into my meditation and sift through the essence and direct the streams toward my core.


    Ding!


    My internal screen hovered in my vision.


    STATUS


    NAME: CLONE #52


    TIER: 2


    LEVEL: 1


    TIER 2 SKILL:


    SKILL SNARE


    -THIS SKILL ALLOWS THE USER THE ABILITY TO READ ANOTHER¡¯S ESSENCE USED WHEN THEY CAST A SPELL, MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR CLONE #52 TO STEAL SAID SPELL. BUT ONLY AS LONG AS THAT PERSON IS USING A SKILL RANKED TIER 3 OR LOWER. THIS SKILL CAN BE USED ONCE PER 10 MINUTES.


    The Imitator, I thought, Lady Euridice had called Lord Solomon ¡®The Imitator.¡¯ A nickname people had given Lord Solomon due to his abilities to steal and use others¡¯ Skills¡­.


    I remembered the memories the Lord Solomon AI had shown me, how the original Solomon was able to learn and use more and more Skills each time he broke through to another Tier. And, those Skills seemed to change every day. Lady Euridice had used the perfect nickname for someone who could read someone¡¯s spell and then use it himself. The Lord Solomon AI had even said that the original Solomon could tweak and adjust the spell to fit his own needs.


    This was incredible. If I could duplicate someone¡¯s Tier 3 Skill and use it myself, I could maybe even hold my own against Priest Kane!


    I turned to the next page of the screen and saw that my free stat points were at three.


    ¡°Master, if I may, I would like to suggest you place two stat points in Wisdom and one in Intelligence. Things like logic, problem-solving skills, and even your intuition and perception could come in very handy when deciding what spell to duplicate in a fight. You will often come across many choices of spells. And because you can only use your Tier 2 Skill every 10 minutes, your ability to quickly think through your options can prove vital in life or death situations.¡±


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    ¡°Yes, thank you, Codex,¡± I answered.


    I followed his advice and added one point to Intelligence and two to Wisdom. I read the new numbers:


    STATS:


    MIGHT: 13


    AGILITY: 10


    VITALITY: 9


    INTELLIGENCE: 9 (+1)


    WISDOM: 8 (+2)


    WILLPOWER: 14


    FREE STAT POINTS: 0


    After reviewing my most recent stat point allocation, I felt like I¡¯d made the right choices for a fight against a Tier 3. A battle against Priest Kane was all my mind could think about¨Cthe impending Nagari army was no longer a concern for me.


    I wanted to face the Priest right then, but some semblance of logic emerged from the torrent of the other emotions within me. Before I did anything, I needed rest.


    I released myself from my meditative state and finally laid down, my sore limbs thanking me profusely.


    ***


    I tried desperately to sleep that night, but rest evaded me. I maybe got in a half hour of sleep total in between the stupid tears that came as I occasionally woke from a nightmare and caught sight of Drayek¡¯s empty cot. Or, when I thought of Sarina¡¯s and Priest Kane¡¯s betrayal or the approaching army that would be within Edrona¡¯s borders in mere hours.


    I threw my covers off of myself and stepped toward the door. I peered into the approaching dawn and fog-covered lands. I couldn¡¯t see the oncoming army, possibly because of the heavy fog and also possibly because they were still hours away. Most likely both.


    I shut the door and hobbled over to my Tier 1 armor, spear, and sword. The three would do for now, but it would be best if I went into town and asked Gerald if he had any Tier 2 items to spare.


    I strapped on my armor, placed my spear into my back sheath, and then reverently slid Drayek¡¯s old Tier 1 sword into its sheath. It felt sad to think about not using his sword anymore once I upgraded to higher-Tiered equipment. As it rested at my side, it almost felt like a piece of Drayek would remain with me during every fight. But I knew that would be true regardless of whether I used his sword or not. Drayek trained me¨Ctaught me everything I know. And as I continued to grow in strength and Tiers, that basis of training would stay with me always. That is, if I survived a duel against Priest Kane.


    I shook away thoughts of death and decided to approach the oncoming day one step at a time. I rolled my shoulders back and retrieved my sack of loot from our last hunt. I¡¯d given over half of what I¡¯d gathered to the other Hunters so they could report it to the temple. This way, I wouldn¡¯t arouse any suspicion that I was breaking the new law. But I had kept more than enough to buy some new equipment from the Blacksmith.


    As I packed, I looked at the Tier 4 heart and core at the bottom of the loot pile. Both probably contained the largest amount of essence I¡¯d ever come across. I could almost feel the buzz of magical power just by looking at the items. But¡­ I couldn¡¯t bring myself to use them. Maybe because I felt it wasn¡¯t the right time, or possibly because the heart and core belonged to the monster that had killed Drayek. Either way, I planned to hold onto them for as long as possible.


    With gloves on my hands, I carefully procured the Tier 4 loot and placed them in their own small sack that I had tied to my right hip. I would use the rest of the loot to buy equipment and keep my Tier 4 heart and core secret¨Ceven from the Blacksmiths.


    I completed my packing by procuring the necessary provisions, like food and a waterskin, into my hunting satchel, and then I marched out of our hovel.


    I slowed my march, however, as I passed the small stack of stones marking Drayek¡¯s grave. I halted and turned to face the grave directly. Something in my gut warned me that I might never see his final resting place again. Maybe because, deep within me, I didn¡¯t expect to survive my fight against Priest Kane.


    I dropped my sack of loot at my feet and pressed the heels of my hands together, then directed my fingertips toward where Drayek rested, following the motion with a deep bow. The Edronan bow of respect was reserved for the Priests, the goddess¡¯s chosen, but Drayek had been better than all of her ¡°chosen¡± combined. If anyone deserved the utmost respect, it was the man who had raised me.


    ¡°Goodbye, Drayek,¡± I whispered into the wind.

 Chapter 36: The Blacksmiths

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me you¡¯ve already advanced to Tier 2?¡±


    Blacksmith Gerald eyed me over his smithing table as he pounded a giant hammer over a bent sword, attempting, and succeeding, at straightening the blade.


    ¡°I have cores,¡± I said, ignoring his question, ¡°and hearts. Plenty, actually. Take all of it. All I want is a Tier 2 armor set and a Tier 2 weapon, preferably a spear if you have one.¡±


    I threw the burlap sack full of my most recent loot in front of the smithing table. I¡¯d been careful not to touch the cores that I had harvested with my bare skin, knowing my unique abilities would suck the essence straight out of them just by my touch. I¡¯d even worn gloves on the hunt to avoid the problem. I had made sure to not absorb the cores¡¯ essence just in case I needed to trade them for something. And, now that I¡¯d advanced to Tier 2, it seemed that had been the right decision.


    I could make do with Tier 1 equipment, but I was better off in a fight against Priest Kane, and any Nagari I¡¯d come across, with equipment that correlated with my Tier.


    Gerald wrinkled his nose, upset by my purposeful cryptic behavior, but he allowed himself a peek into the sack. He nodded his approval. It seemed he cared about the Priests¡¯ new rule demanding all loot be brought to them just as much as I did. Meaning, he didn¡¯t care at all. The Edronans did respect Lady Euridice, but many of them were struggling to have faith in this new rule¨Ca rule that would keep them from attaining extra strength and aid for a war.


    But, even after the evident satisfaction on his face as he surveyed the eight Nagari hearts and eight Nagari cores within the sack, he slowly returned curious eyes in my direction.


    ¡°This is more than enough for a set of Tier 2 armor. Are you sure you want to give it all to me?¡±


    I gave a curt nod but subtly brushed a finger along the other small sack hidden at my hip. I¡¯d almost given him everything I had. But the Tier 4 heart and core were not going to leave my side. Not yet.


    Gerald sighed but didn¡¯t hide his eagerness in the way he pulled the sack into his chest. ¡° So, Tier 2 already, huh? Drayek did tell me you were special. And 50 Soul Strength¨Cthat¡¯s unheard of.¡±


    I forced a smile. It was tempting to reveal that it was probably even higher, but I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°So, who am I to judge if you need Tier 2 equipment? We¡¯ll all be dead by morning anyway!¡± He laughed jovially, and I tried joining him, but the laughter tasted bitter in my mouth.


    ¡°Come. I think I have something you can use.¡±


    Gerald ushered me to him with a large hand, then lifted my sack of loot from the ground and slung it over his shoulder.


    I followed him through the smithy and past two other Blacksmiths and their apprentices working. The smell of hot steel and burning coals permeated the air, and the heat from the five forges we walked by singed the hairs on the back of my neck.


    As Gerald led me into a back room blocked by a thick and scaly monster hide that acted as a door, he turned and frowned at me.


    ¡°I was really sorry to hear about Drayek, lad. He was the best of us.¡±


    A tiredness crept over me as thoughts of Drayek returned, like my body wanted to stop moving, curl up in a corner, and give up. But I would have none of that.


    I pushed away thoughts of sadness and allowed my anger toward Priest Kane and Sarina to overcome any other emotions.


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    ¡°He was the best,¡± I said.


    Gerald nodded, then turned his head back to face forward. ¡°Many of us thought he¡¯d be the first to advance to Tier 4.¡±


    He definitely would have been.


    And I wished very much that it had been him. But, if I survived this day, I would get there. In his honor. And I would surpass Tier 4. If blessed with a longer life, I would dedicate the rest of it to honoring him, what he stood for, and what he had given me.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    Gerald stopped us in front of a long chest made entirely from metal. He set the sack of loot down, then fished for a key out of his grimy black apron.


    The lock at the front of the chest clicked open as he turned the key. Gerald then revealed piles of unused armor and weapons. They were dusty from lack of touch, but I could imagine the gleam each set and blade could emit after a good polish.


    Gerald bent to his knees, then rummaged through the chest until he pulled a few things out from the bottom: a full armor set and a spear.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the best Tier 2 equipment I¡¯ve ever forged, but I¡¯ve already sold my good stuff in the last few days¡­ because of the war and all.¡±


    I nodded in understanding.


    ¡°But any Tier 2 equipment will serve you better than Tier 1 items.¡±


    Gerald pushed his lips and cheeks out and blew the majority of the dust away from the equipment.


    I bent to pick up the spear first. A sheer blue emanated from the iron shaft. The tip would need to be sharpened, but that could be remedied. The mild steel of the armor matched the weapon¡¯s sheer blue but had no other design or unique qualities. But I didn¡¯t care about that.


    ¡°So, the loot I brought can pay for all of this?¡±


    Gerald chuckled. ¡°As I said, it¡¯s more than enough. But are you sure I can have it all?¡±


    ¡°We all need as much as we can get before this battle,¡± I said. ¡°Take it if you think you can use it.¡±


    Gerald opened the sack and scanned the contents once again. ¡°You can never have too much essence. Who knows? Maybe I can break through into Tier 4.¡±


    I smiled slowly. If only they knew how much essence the goddess was stealing from them.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said anyway.


    I spun myself around the room and caught sight of various bracelets, rings, polished stones, and other magic items.


    The Blacksmiths were chosen for their profession by the Skills they had¨Cthe ability to use essence to create a magic set of armor. And being Tier 3, Gerald could create any rank armor Tier 3 and below. But many of the Blacksmiths also had Skills similar to some of the Tradesman¨Cthey could transfer enhancements into specific items. Drayek once had a bracelet from one of the Blacksmiths that allowed him to keep his Weapons Flame Skill going for longer than the allotted 20 minutes his Skill typically allowed him to.


    ¡°Gerald, what else could I get in exchange for my Tier 1 equipment? An item, maybe?¡±


    Gerald perked up and ran his eyes over the scaled armor I had strapped on this morning.


    ¡°That armor of yours, you bought it at the Markets, right? That set is the best Tier 1 armor I¡¯ve made yet. I¡¯d love to have it back. And if you throw in your Tier 1 spear and sword, I bet we could find you something decent in here.¡±


    I liked the sound of that. ¡°Show me what you have.¡±


    ***


    I walked back out into the light of the suns. It was a hot day (as it usually was on this planet¨Cat least during the day), but standing outside felt significantly cooler than it had standing in the smithy with its blazing forges.


    I held my hand up to the suns¡¯ rays and admired the sparkle that bounced off the black obsidian stone that resided in the ring on my pinky.


    A ¡°Skill Recharge Ring¡± is what Gerald had called it. The wearer¡¯s cooldown time for using their spells would be cut in half. As soon as Gerald had explained its purpose to me, I made the deal then and there. The desire to look at any more items dissipated, and I¡¯d put on the ring before Gerald had even lifted it off the table.


    My Tier 2 Skill allowed me to read the essence used for any spell leveled Tier 3 or lower, duplicate it, then use it myself. Then, after 10 minutes, I could repeat the process. But with this ring, I could do the same thing every five minutes instead of 10.


    I dropped my hand back to my side and adjusted my back sheath strapped over my new set of armor, making sure my new spear was secure and easy to grab at a moment¡¯s notice.


    War was coming, and I was ready. But I wasn¡¯t thinking of the war against the Nagari. All I could picture was the tip of my spear running straight through Priest Kane.

 Chapter 37: Challenging a Priest

    I didn¡¯t join the rest of the city as all those willing to fight gathered into their own army at the edge of Edrona¡¯s western border. Shouts of ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡± and ¡°Get ready to fight!¡± and other war cries resounded all around me as the Edronans were able to see the approaching Nagari. Chaos was all that prevailed in the city as fighters from all ages, even UnMarked children, ran to defend their home. Most children were caught and sent back to remain in hiding, but a handful slipped through the ranks.


    But I sat within a bubble of the only peace in existence as I hid in the shadows of a building adjacent to The Temple of Euridice. I sat and watched¡­ and waited¡­. I waited to see if Priest Kane would leave and join the fight.


    Not a single person was left in the center of town. All had left to join the fight or hid in their houses, all save the Priests hiding in the temple.


    A few more seconds ticked by before the tall temple doors suddenly heaved open. I straightened my back against the wall of the building that I hid underneath. A line of red-robed Priests and their apprentices revealed themselves from behind the doors and began a trek away from the temple. Priest Kane, nor Sarina, were with them.


    I narrowed my eyes and watched as the Priests left the temple and began a march to the east, away from the battle.


    ¡°Cowards,¡± I growled under my breath.


    But Sarina and Priest Kane must still be inside the temple.


    A part of me did want to join the battle. Somewhere within me, I knew that¡¯s what Drayek would want me to do. But I was able to convince myself otherwise. The revenge in my heart grew with every step I took toward the temple. I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth as I walked past Lady Euridice¡¯s statue without looking at her stone face.


    Kill him, I thought. I have to kill him.


    But as I drew near the doors, I felt a painful darkness enter my mind, making my limbs feel heavy.


    ¡°Master! Don¡¯t go in there! She will kill you!¡±


    ¡°Codex, Leave me alone!¡±


    But as I lifted a hand to push open the entrance doors, my vision went black for a moment, and I had to rush away. The pain subsided, and my steps grew lighter once I found myself about five feet away.


    I spat on the ground and screamed. I whirled around to face the back of the goddess¡¯s statue.


    ¡°Curse you, Euridice!¡±


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°Codex, if Euridice is as powerful as you say she is, why doesn¡¯t she just kill me now?¡±


    There was a long pause.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master. I cannot find the answer to that question.¡±


    I turned back to the temple and continued shouting. ¡°Mauris Kane! Why are you hiding in there?¡±


    No response.


    ¡°I know what you did!¡± I was yelling at the top of my lungs and knew he could hear me. ¡°Come out and face me, you coward!¡±


    As I stood before the doors with no answer, I could hear the clash of weapons and the screams of the injured and fallen resounding from the distance.


    ¡°You¡¯ve killed them, Mauris Kane! Do you hear that? That is your doing!¡±


    The heat in my face as my anger boiled within me grew uncomfortable. I almost walked back up to the doors to force myself inside, no matter what evil was trying to get at me, but the doors creaked open from the inside before I could move a step.


    I first saw Priest Kane''s bald head shining underneath the waning moons. The sleeves of his fiery robes hung underneath his arms like the wings of a red bird. He stepped through the open doors and offered me a snake-like smile.


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    ¡°Hello, Rayden Grim,¡± he crooned. ¡°I heard about Drayek. You must be devastated.¡±


    I bared my teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say his name!¡±


    The Priest raised his hands in mock surrender. ¡°Oh, dear. What did I ever do to deserve that sort of treatment?¡±


    I rapidly pulled my spear out from behind my back and dropped into a fighting stance. I aimed the tip of the spear and my eyeline directly toward his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Priest Kane raised an eyebrow and bit his lip to keep from laughing.


    ¡°What, are you afraid?¡± I spat.


    The Priest didn¡¯t stop himself from laughing this time. ¡°Oh, dear boy, no. I will crush you. Sarina! My staff!¡±


    Within a few seconds, Sarina emerged from within the temple with two staffs in hand. Heat flushed through my body, and my pulse sped at the sight of her. I gritted my teeth to keep myself from cursing angrily at both Sarina and the Priest.


    Sarina handed the taller black staff to her mentor without a single glance in my direction.


    Priest Kane pointed me to step back and far away from the temple and toward the wide space of the town square. Sarina followed close behind but kept her distance from both of us.


    ¡°We don''t want to cause any damage to the goddess¡¯s temple, do we?¡± Priest Kane said, explaining why he¡¯d moved us to the square.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I growled.


    But as the temple grew more distant, the heavy weight in my mind from the unknown entity faded into a dull ache. So, even though I didn¡¯t care what happened to that blasted building, at least the lack of the heavy, dark presence the temple placed on me wouldn¡¯t be a distraction.


    The Priest crouched into his own ready stance and aimed his staff at me, similarly to how I aimed my spear at him.


    ¡°Before we start, you still didn¡¯t answer my question, and I¡¯m curious¡­. Why all the sudden hostility?¡± His white teeth sparkled along with the stars above as he continued to smile. ¡°By the goddess, what did I do to make you hate me so much?¡±


    His mocking tone made my blood boil. All of the anger engulfing my entire being came out in one guttural scream as I lunged for him. I barely noticed the color leaving Sarina¡¯s face as she watched me throw myself at a Tier 3. I understood her terror¨Cshe thought me as still a Tier 1, but I had to ignore her and everything else around me. For my life¡¯s sake, I could only focus on this battle.


    I jabbed my spear toward the Priest¡¯s face, but he merely stepped out of my way quicker than I could comprehend. I stumbled forward but caught myself with a roll before I fell to the ground.


    I threw myself back into position with my spear pressed against my side and my hands firmly planted on the shaft, but Priest Kane wasn¡¯t where I¡¯d left him.


    I turned on myself to try and catch his approach, but I wasn¡¯t quick enough. The Priest slammed the end of his staff into my left ribs and sent me flying. I landed two feet away from his feet and dropped my spear. I couldn¡¯t catch the weapon as it rolled away; my body was too busy trying to catch some air¨Cany air. I clutched my left side and groaned in pain.


    Priest Kane sidled up to me and stared into my face over his nose. He set a boot into my bruised ribs and teased me with a light press.


    ¡°You are nothing, boy,¡± he snarled. ¡°You thought you could fight me? I am the goddess¡¯s chosen! I am a Tier 3, and you are a measly Tier 1.¡±


    He pressed his foot into me harder, and I could feel his brute strength cracking through my new set of armor. I scanned the air for streams of essence to direct into the armor to protect it and help speed its process of repairing itself, but no people were around to increase the presence of the streams. The few I saw scattered about would do nothing.


    The cackles spilling from the Priest¡¯s cracked lips were nauseating. I tried wriggling out from underneath his foot, but he was much stronger than I. But suddenly, his cackling stopped as the end of a wooden staff smacked the side of his head.


    He released his foot from my ribs and whirled around. I coughed from the rush of air that entered my lungs.


    ¡°Sarina? How dare¨C¡±


    Sarina whacked the Priest¡¯s face again before he could finish his sentence. I couldn¡¯t see the look on Priest Kane¡¯s face, but I imagined the look of raw fury reddening his face and bulging out his already large eyes.


    ¡°Drayek meant everything to me!¡± Sarina screamed. ¡°And we killed him¨Cyou made me kill him!¡±


    Priest Kane¡¯s fist tightened around his staff so hard I could see the skin on his knuckles begin to crack open.


    Once my breath finally calmed, I started scrambling for my spear. As I did, Priest Kane stalked toward Sarina. She stumbled back as he approached and quickly lifted a hand above her head to summon a wave of water, just as she had in her fight against me. But as soon as the wave crested over Sarina and headed toward the Priest, he flicked his own hand across his face and transformed the wave in the blink of an eye.


    The clear blue water transformed into a large sword. The sword rippled from its water material as it hovered over the Priest¡¯s head, then flew toward Sarina. She yelped and tried to jump out of the way of Priest Kane¡¯s water sword but wasn¡¯t quite fast enough. Though made entirely of water, the blade tore through her sleeve and broke a few layers of skin and tissue on her right tricep. Sarina cried out and grabbed her arm.


    The sword of water flew back to Priest Kane¡¯s side, awaiting another command. This was my chance¡­.


    A large cluster of essence floated around Priest Kane, all from when he had used his Water Manipulation Skill, a Tier 3 spell he had made very famous in Edrona.


    As quickly as I could, I called in the essence and studied the warm sensation tingling through my body as each stream entered my system. And then, almost instantaneously, I knew how to do it. I knew how to use Priest Kane¡¯s Skill.

 Chapter 38: Moving On

    The essence I¡¯d drawn in from Priest Kane¡¯s Water Manipulation Skill coursed through me like a heavy and warm internal wind. The streams of essence spoke to me as they swirled within my Soul. They did so in whispers and images, teaching me how to cast the Priest¡¯s spell.


    I threw my hand in front of my face in the same fashion as the Priest had when he¡¯d cast the spell. In my mind, I commanded the water and the essence to obey me. I pictured a giant hammer with a wide handle, similar to the ones Gerald and the other Blacksmiths used when forging.


    As soon as I finished casting the spell with the motion of my fingers crossing in front of my nose, just as Priest Kane had done, the Priest¡¯s water sword morphed into a water version of a Blacksmith hammer, just as I had pictured it. But this one was made entirely of water and about five times as large.


    Before Priest Kane could process what had happened, I internally commanded the hammer to crash down on his head.


    Priest Kane¡¯s legs crumpled underneath him, and he fell to the ground before he could catch himself. I called the water to me and stood with a magical water hammer and my spear at each side.


    ¡°How¨C¡± Priest Kane tried to rise from the ground, arms shaking underneath his weight. ¡°How did you do that? You are just a Tier 1! How do you have my Skill?¡±


    My lips tilted up into a crooked smile. ¡°I¡¯m a Tier 2, actually. And wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡±


    Sarina charged at Priest Kane again, but he rolled out of the way, dirtying his robes in the process. His Vitality must have been very strong, for he was able to pull himself back into a standing position after the roll and look almost as healthy as he had before my water hammer strike.


    Just as I pushed forward to charge, the Priest waved his hand, changed my hammer back into a sword, and commanded it to swing at my neck. I careened to the left and ducked underneath the massive blade of water.


    ¡°Codex!¡± I called in my mind. ¡°How long until I can use my Tier 2 Skill again?¡±


    ¡°Calculating¡­ with the help of your Skill Recharge Ring, you have four more minutes.¡±


    Okay, I thought to myself, I just have to stay alive for four more minutes before I can steal another spell.


    ¡°Codex?¡± I called to the AI again. ¡°Can I activate Skills I have already stolen, even if the person I stole it from doesn''t cast it again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. All spells you cast with your Tier 2 Skill become a part of you. You can use any Skill you have stolen. And I can help you remember what those Skills are as you gather them, if needed.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop the burgeoning grin on my face that came from that information, even as Priest Kane threw his water sword at me over and over again. But my adrenaline flowed strongly, and I dodged every strike.


    I shifted my focus completely on the fight and watched as the Priest tried to cast another spell, all while slinging his sword at Sarina and me. My cooldown time hadn¡¯t completed yet, and I didn¡¯t know what Skill Priest Kane was trying to activate, but I knew something else I could do to hinder his spellcasting intentions.


    A blossoming of essence clouded around the Priest as he attempted to cast a spell, and I called out to the streams. Every bit of it sped away from the Priest and entered through my outstretched hand.


    Priest Kane¡¯s water sword stopped for a second, faltering so much in the air that it started to fall. The Priest¡¯s dark brows drew together in confusion, but he shook his head and flicked a finger, summoning a second water sword before I could do anything. However, the summoning seemed to have exhausted Priest Kane, and the second sword was much smaller than the first. I had taken away his spell¡¯s effectiveness by stealing his essence.


    I moved to attack but was stopped as Priest Kane¡¯s strength seemed to return with just one long inhale of breath. Both water swords continued to swing at Sarina and me with just as much speed as ever.


    I met eyes with Sarina as soon as I dodged another swing from the swords, and she nodded in understanding. We dashed toward the Priest from both sides. His head darted back and forth as we came at him, as if he tried to decide who was the bigger threat. But that didn¡¯t seem to matter.


    With another flick of his finger, Priest Kane split both water swords into two smaller ones, creating four in total, and flung two at each of us. I side-stepped the blades but barely. Bits of water droplets splashed into my face as the swords whizzed by me, just centimeters away from my cheek.


    I continued charging for Priest Kane but was stopped in my tracks at what I saw next.


    Sarina lay on the ground at the Priest¡¯s feet, facedown in the dirt and motionless, red blood pooling underneath her head.


    ¡°No,¡± I breathed. ¡°No!¡±


    Was she hit? How did I miss that?


    Surprisingly, Priest Kane allowed me to push past him as I slid on my knees to reach Sarina. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else but helping her. I dropped my spear and gingerly lifted her head into my hands, whimpering at the warm blood wetting my hands as I did.


    ¡°Sarina?¡± I croaked.


    I turned her entire body into my arms and gasped at the gaping, bloody hole in her abdomen. Her robes were soaked, both from the massive amounts of blood that continued to spill from her wound and from the water swords that had both stabbed through her entire torso and splashed all over her from the impact.


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    I brought two fingers underneath her chin and felt desperately for a pulse. Nothing. Suddenly, I had forgotten all of my hatred toward her. All I could think about was that I didn¡¯t want to know a life without her in it. Sarina had been my closest friend¨Cno, more than that. There had been moments where I had wanted¡­ us to be more.


    Priest Kane had manipulated her. None of this was her fault. She had lived a life similar to mine¨Costracized for having UnMarked parents. She¡¯d just wanted to feel needed¨Cimportant. And she¡¯d thought Priest Kane had given that to her.


    I pressed my nose into Sarina¡¯s neck and choked back a sob.


    ¡°See what you did, Rayden?¡± Priest Kane clicked his tongue and stepped toward me. ¡°So much unnecessary bloodshed.¡±


    I ground my teeth and clenched my fists around Sarina¡¯s bloodied robes.


    ¡°The Nagari are about to overtake the city under my command.¡±


    The Priest placed a mock sympathetic hand on my shoulder. I tensed at his touch and caught sight of one of his still-intact water swords hovering dangerously close to my neck.


    ¡°There is no hope, Rayden. You can¡¯t kill me. And the Edronans are outnumbered. The Nagari will kill all of the Marked, and soon only the few UnMarked and the children will be all that¡¯s left. I can start anew! With an entire army of Nagari to heed my every command!¡±


    His words sounded distant. I could only stare into Sarina¡¯s beautiful, serene face. She looked like she was sleeping. Though I had hated her for what she¡¯d done, she chose to save me in the end. Just another person on the growing list of dead people I could never repay.


    ¡°You hear that?¡± Priest Kane pointed to the west, where the sounds of a large battle drew nearer. ¡°The Nagari will make it to the square any minute now. They won''t hurt me, but how will you fight an army of thousands by yourself? Somany have already fallen.¡±


    ¡°Ten seconds, Master,¡± Codex said.


    Priest Kane continued talking, ¡°If you leave this city and never return, I¡¯ll spare you. And I promise to not send any Nagari after you. You can run¨Crun far away and never look back.¡±


    I gently placed Sarina¡¯s body back on the ground.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to show you mercy, boy. But I¡¯m willing to. Go! Run!¡±


    ¡°One second, Master.¡±


    Priest Kane started cackling again. As soon as he threw his head back and laughed into the sky, I flicked rapid fingers in front of my face and took control of his water sword. Then, within half a second, I commanded the sword to thrust itself deep into Priest Kane¡¯s throat.


    ***


    I was still on my knees in paralyzed shock when the Nagari army began trickling into the square. I sat in between the two bodies stained red from their blood. A few Edronans still fought against the advancing lines. I caught sight of both Gerald and Korin in the mix, but I couldn¡¯t see anyone else I knew all that well.


    The Edronan numbers were dwindling exponentially, one falling every few seconds as the snake people tore through anyone who stood in their way.


    All I could see was red. The red blood belonging to both Sarina and Priest Kane drying on my hands and armor, the red blood shooting into the air as one Edronan after another fell to the wrath of the Nagari army¡­.


    With Priest Kane gone, would the creatures slaughter everyone? Even the children hiding in their homes?


    The screams of fear and pain were horrific, and the Nagari were drawing closer to me, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move.


    ¡°Master, you must leave.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond to Codex.


    ¡°Master, your time in Edrona is done. You must go where you can continue your journey and strive to become the next Lord Solomon. This is your purpose.¡±


    A single tear dripped off of my nose. ¡°They¡¯re all dead, Codex. Everyone I loved.¡± I glanced at Sarina¡¯s broken body and shuddered with sobs. ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°Leave, Master. There is nothing here for you anymore. But first, you must hastily retrieve the cores of your fallen opponents. The core from the Tier 3 Priest will especially aid you in the beginning of your journey.¡±


    I tried to swallow, but my mouth had gone dry. ¡°I¡¯m not doing that.¡±


    ¡°Master, it is vital that you harvest all of the essence you can at every moment. In order to ascend to godhood, it is the only way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I yelled aloud, struggling to look away from Sarina¡¯s lifeless face. I couldn¡¯t even think about mutilating her body and digging for her core.


    But Priest Kane¡­


    Codex had gone silent after my outburst, leaving my mind at peace, even if just for a moment. I wiped an armored glove under my runny nose and crawled over to the Priest¡¯s bloodied body. He lay mangled on the dusty ground, spiritless brown eyes staring up at the sky and neck teetering precariously off of his shoulders from the blow that had killed him.


    Priest Kane had a simple dagger sheathed at his waist. I pulled his red robes aside and pulled the sheath away from his belt. I slid the dagger out from the sheath and found my reflection in its polished blade. I looked terrible. Streaks of red blood mixed in with my dark curls, and dots of the same red freckled my tired face.


    I buckled the dagger¡¯s sheath on my own belt, then grasped the emerald jewels circling the silver hilt of the blade with both hands.


    What happened next went by in a blur. I barely even remember sinking the dagger into the Priest¡¯s abdomen and harvesting his core. All I know is that I came out of the bloody mess with a new dagger and the core from a Tier 3 Priest tucked safely away with my loot from the Tier 4 Nagari.


    None of the oncoming Nagari army had noticed me yet. They were still about a mile away from where I sat and were focused on tearing down the Edronans standing in their way.


    I lifted my spear from the ground and forced myself into a standing position.


    ¡°It is now time to leave, Master. You must hurry,¡± Codex insisted, breaking its prolonged silence.


    ¡°What about them?¡± I said to Codex, talking about the Edronans fighting. ¡°And all of their children? The poor children. Shouldn¡¯t I help them?¡±


    ¡°Master, you will surely die if you try to help. Based on my knowledge of human emotion, I can understand why that is a saddening thought, but you cannot help them. The best thing you can do is to continue your journey. There will be plenty of other people to help along your future path.¡±


    My feet moved from underneath me, and I soon found myself facing the east. I had no idea where I would go. I had never been more than five miles away from Edrona, and I didn¡¯t know what else there could be on this wasteland of a planet. The Lord Solomon AI had revealed to me that there were millions¨Cbillions of worlds out there, but¡­


    ¡°Where am I supposed to go, Codex? And how do I get there?¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, Master. I will lead you.¡±


    I forced my legs forward, reality slowly beginning to strike me as the menacing Nagari drew closer. Finally, I broke into a jog, then a sprint. Soon, I found myself outside of the Edronan borders.


    I slowed for just a second, tempted to look back.


    ¡°Keep going, Master. Edrona is no more.¡±


    I nodded, not knowing if Codex could see the gesture or not, then continued my trek east. I didn¡¯t know what else could be waiting out there for me. What sights I could see, what experiences I could have¡­. But all I could think to do in that moment, amid my heavy grief and the growing cold clutching my heart, was to force my steps forward and somehow trust in the AI embedded in my head.

 Chapter 39: Alone in the Desert

    I had lived on planet X-47-14 my entire life, so I should have had a grasp on the brutality of the desert. But journeying for nearly four days out in its unforgiving elements of bitter cold during the dark nights and its sweltering heat during the long days was something else entirely.


    I missed home. I missed Drayek. I missed all of the Edronans. I missed what my life had been before.


    I angrily shook away thoughts of home. Everyone I knew was dead. Edrona was gone. I could only move forward and focus on reaching godhood, as was my intended purpose as a Lord Solomon clone. It would take more than a few lifetimes, and I would see much more death before the end. I couldn¡¯t afford to wallow in the grief of lost friends. In fact, it would be better for me to remain alone with only Codex to keep me company.


    I wiped away at the stubborn tears streaking my dirty cheeks and continued to propel myself forward even faster than before, no matter how much my aching feet protested.


    ¡°Codex, I am running low on food and water,¡± I mentally called out to the AI living in my head.


    ¡°No need to worry, Master. Based on the speed of your steps, you are but one day away from Facility Number 106.¡±


    I continued forward underneath the blazing rays of the planet¡¯s two suns. The rocky, dusty floor crunched loudly underneath my worn boots. I wiped a sweaty hand along my equally sweaty forehead and let out a long breath of air. My breath stung my dry throat, and every inch of my body screamed for more water.


    Though the heat of the daytime on this desert planet was brutal, the nighttime didn¡¯t prove much better when it came not only to the elements, the night on the complete opposite side of the spectrum at an intense cold, but also the increase in lurking monsters that could attack me from the shadows. One, I didn¡¯t have the proper garb to protect my body against the cold. And two, I wanted to avoid fights with monsters as much as possible. Traveling during the day was my best and safest option.


    I stopped where I stood¨Cthere was nowhere else to go. The mountains surrounding me on every side were too far, and there were no trees or other foliage to offer me any sort of shade. With a heavy sigh, I collapsed to my rear and pulled my leather sack off my shoulder, relief rushing through me in a single breath as my back stretched freely and without the weight of the sack.


    I rummaged through the pack, pushing aside half-eaten strips of dried monster meat and the meager crumbs of the bread I had left. Finally, I procured a dark leather waterskin from the bottom of the pile.


    I threw the sack aside and eagerly tipped the spout over my cracked lips. A slow but steady stream of warm liquid spilled onto my tongue, and I gulped it down quicker than I should have. It took a great deal of effort to stop myself from drinking all of the water. The waterskin¡¯s deflation grew increasingly worrisome every time I took it out.


    ¡°Master, the suns will soon begin their descent, and I believe you should rest before another day¡¯s trek. Upon scanning the land in your vicinity, I found a small crevice about a mile ahead that you can take shelter in.¡±


    I licked my lips, trying to savor every last drop of water. ¡°Lead the way, Codex.¡±


    Rest. I liked the sound of that.


    The way Codex offered his directions differed from any other way a flesh and blood person would direct me. When Codex led me somewhere, it was like I could feel it¨CI could see where Codex wanted me to go.


    Having an artificial intelligence embedded in my brain would still take a while for me to get used to. Sometimes, I didn''t think much of it, but other times, I shuddered to think that another being residing in my head could read my thoughts and speak to me whenever it wanted to.


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    The Lord Solomon AI, whom I had met just weeks before the destruction of my homeland, Edrona, had told me Codex was an ¡°it.¡± Meaning Codex wasn¡¯t a human with human-like emotions.


    I often thought of Codex as an inanimate object that merely made calculations and directed me toward the best decisions when it came to cultivation and such, but sometimes, it seemed to have opinions. It seemed to want things. And it definitely had a masculine-sounding, though incredibly squeaky and flat-toned, voice. So, sometimes, at least in my thoughts, I referred to Codex as a ¡°he.¡± And the more I got to know the artificial intelligence in my head, the more it felt like Codex thought like a human would. Granted, a very emotionally stunted human, but human all the same.


    The path ahead of me, the path Codex wanted me to take, seemed to light up in a soft yellow glow. I knew it was in my head, but the way the cracks in the rocky ground lit up and guided me further east looked pretty underneath the shining rays of the suns.


    ¡°Right there, Master,¡± Codex said in my thoughts.


    Maybe it had to do with the exhaustion coursing through me, but I couldn¡¯t seem to find any sort of crevice nearby that I could wiggle into and take shelter.


    ¡°Uh, where?¡±


    ¡°You are right on top of it, Master.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± I said aloud, jumping forward and turning to see where Codex referred to.


    Just two steps behind me was a long crack, much like all of the other fissures in the craggy desert, but evidently wider¨Cjust large enough to let my small frame through. Though I¡¯d started filling out in the last month since advancing to Tier 2, I was still only in the very beginning stages of growth. Very beginning. Meaning I was still very small.


    Even with my Tier 2 armor, I slid through the crack with ease, barely scraping the sheer blue metal of my breastplate. I fell for less than half a second and landed firmly on the ground.


    I stumbled through the cave, my path lit only by the few sun rays that peeked through the crack above. I ran my hands along the surprisingly damp walls, my eyes taking their time to adjust to the dim lighting.


    Is there a water source nearby?


    I followed the walls down a slight hill. The cave continued on for about 20 or so feet until I reached a lip in the rock floor. Now adjusted to the darkness, I saw a small pool of water right beneath the drop in the ground.


    ¡°Codex,¡± I called in my mind eagerly, my hands twitching with a strong desire to scoop the liquid into my parched mouth, ¡°is this water safe for me to drink?¡±


    ¡°Scanning,¡± Codex said. ¡°Scan complete. Yes, Master. The water is safe for you to drink.¡±


    I had dropped to my knees next to the pool before Codex had even finished speaking. After removing my gauntlets, I shoved my hands into the water, the coolness of it alone easing my heat exhaustion. With trembling hands, I brought scoops of water to my dry lips and sipped the liquid slowly. It was hard to keep a slow, steady pace, but I knew if I overdid it after spending four days in the desert with not even close to enough water, I could suffer from water poisoning.


    The water trickled down my throat, soothing the hoarseness in my vocal cords and bringing a refreshing chill to my stomach. I dared one more scoopful, then settled back onto my rear to take in the hydration. After a moment''s pause, I procured my waterskin and proceeded to fill it all the way to the top. I wasn¡¯t about to take on the rest of my journey in the desert without enough water.


    ¡°Ah, mortals. So weak. So reliant on the most simple of elements, such as water.¡±


    My breath hitched in my throat, and my fingers instinctively hovered over the spear strapped into my back sheath. My eyes darted about, searching for the source of the silky feminine voice, but I found no one.


    ¡°Codex, was that you?¡± It hadn¡¯t sounded like Codex, but maybe¡­


    ¡°No, Master,¡± he replied matter-of-factly.


    I swallowed. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    I tucked the waterskin safely in my pack and slowly rose to my feet, careful to not make any sudden movements.


    ¡°Is someone there?¡± I called, hand still poised over my spear in preparation to pull it out at a moment¡¯s notice.


    No answer.


    Exhaustion and dehydration can do strange things to people. Maybe I was hallucinating. Maybe I craved company so much that I¡¯d imagined the voice.


    I paced the length of the cave and, not finding anyone or anything, I relaxed the hand reaching for my spear and dropped it at my side. I desperately needed some rest.


    As soon as the thought of rest went from my brain and informed the rest of my body, my limbs went nearly limp, and I had to force my legs over to walk to the wall in front of me. My body sighed in relief as I planted my back against the cool rock and sank to the floor. After my eyes drooped closed, it didn¡¯t take long for sleep to overcome me.

 Chapter 40: An Unexpected Visit

    I dreamt of Edrona. I dreamt of the Nagari tearing down all of my people one by one, adults, children, and elderly alike. A deep crimson red, the color of blood, filled my vision as horrified Edronan faces flashed through my mind. The faces cycled through everyone I knew; even the rush of Dorian and his cronies¡¯ faces that presented behind my eyes made me feel sick. Even they hadn¡¯t deserved the death that had befallen them.


    Soon, the cycle of the dead faces landed on Priest Kane¡¯s, his self-satisfied expression distorting to a split second of pain before the water sword I had stolen from him with my Tier 2 Skill had lopped his head right off of his shoulders.


    Then I saw Sarina. The image of her beautiful, peaceful face filled my mind as I rewatched her die in my arms, killed by Priest Kane just before I had killed him in return. And then my dream shifted to Drayek. I could almost feel my body squirming in my sleep, instinctively trying to wake myself up as the scene of his death by the hand of the Tier 4 Nagari played in my mind over and over again.


    ¡°I love you, son.¡±


    Drayek¡¯s strained final words repeated in my dream more than I could count. I could feel the tension in my shoulders as I had to relive watching the life leave his dark eyes.


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed.


    I was awake now, my shout still bouncing off the small cave''s tight walls. I clutched a hand to my pounding heart and tried to catch my breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you woke up.¡±


    I squeezed my eyes shut, afraid to look up and find the source of the voice that had just spoken. It was the same voice as before, soft yet full, and it filled the entire space with an eerie, inhuman strength.


    I could feel the presence of someone else in the cave with me. I didn¡¯t even have to look. But, after slowly opening one eye at a time, I looked anyway.


    I blinked rapidly to try to adjust my vision to the bright light my visitor emitted, so it took me a moment to even see her. Once I did, my heart plummeted to my stomach, and the dryness in my mouth that the cave¡¯s water had remedied returned with a ferocity.


    Let me tell you, seeing a living, breathing god in person is not something I could ever imagine getting used to. And I hadn¡¯t expected it to happen so soon. Lady Euridice was the first god to visit me. Yes, I had met Lord Solomon, but only an AI made to represent who he had once been. This¡­ person before me in the cave expelled godliness in all manners of the word.


    Lady Euridice stood at the wall opposite where I sat, hands clasped firmly in front of her stomach. Every part of her glowed in a brilliant, hot golden yellow. I could feel the hairs on my arms beginning to singe away from the heat that emanated from her. Her lengthy robes billowed around her bare ankles and rippled in a rainbow of soft yellows and oranges. Her blond hair, so platinum that it looked almost white, reflected the orange and yellow from her robe in a harmony of blends. She looked like a human flame.


    Thin lines of blue essence danced all around her in hoards of tens of thousands¨Cno, hundreds of thousands, at least. And the conglomeration of lines seemed to bend with her body as she moved, as if the essence and the goddess were one.


    Though there was so much essence, more than I¡¯d ever seen, amassing in the little cave, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to remember how to use my Tier 1 Skill and draw the essence to me. I knew gods were unimaginably powerful, but just the fact that Lady Euridice could attract so much essence, the matter that made up all of existence, was something else entirely. But then again, she stole essence from every person she Marked in the Erudition Collective. Of course she¡¯d have a constant plethora of essence ready to heed her every beck and call.


    The goddess¡¯s full lips tilted downward into an almost imperceptible frown, and her eyes, sometimes brown, sometimes green, sometimes blue¡­ in fact, I even saw purple and gold in her irises¡­ studied me with a fiery intensity. I couldn¡¯t look into her intimidating gaze for longer than half a second.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I opened my mouth to try to say something¨Canything! Something like, ¡°Oh, I guess you¡¯re here to kill me.¡± Or, ¡°Well, living was nice while it lasted.¡± But nothing but a high-pitched, very unmanly-like whimper escaped from my lips.


    ¡°Rayden Grim.¡± She tsked at me with a slight shake of her head. ¡°What am I to do with you?¡±


    I tried to swallow, but my throat felt just as frozen as the rest of my body.


    ¡°I had wanted to kill you,¡± she said, the word ¡°kill¡± bringing a slight uptick of her lips, ¡°but I have something else in mind.¡±


    I finally refound the ability to open my mouth and speak. ¡°Uh, goddess¨CLady¨CEuridice. Do you visit all of Lord Solomon¡¯s clones, or am I just special?¡±


    Lady Euridice quirked a thin white eyebrow. Even as she did, her forehead and the rest of her tan face still remained wrinkle-free.


    ¡°I¡¯m not actually here, boy. I am projecting myself as a hologram for you to see me. If I was actually here, my presence would burn you to a crisp before you could even blink.¡±


    My eyes widened, and my ability to speak left me again. If just a hologram version of the goddess could attract so much essence, I couldn¡¯t imagine how much I¡¯d see if I stood before her in person.


    ¡°You are but a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things¡­ as all Solomon¡¯s troublesome clones are,¡± she declared, pacing about the length of her wall. ¡°But an annoyance all the same.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know whether to feel pride or absolute terror.


    ¡°I have a plan for you. Do not misunderstand¨Cyou will die, but I have decided to use you as a sort of¡­¡± she tapped a long finger against her pointed chin, ¡°experiment.


    ¡°So, if you want to live just a while longer, you will not bring me more problems, like killing my Priests, for instance.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond. Of course, I didn¡¯t want to obey her! Though I¡¯d worshiped the Goddess of Knowledge, the Lady Euridice, for most of my life, discovering secrets about the god I had been cloned from, Lord Solomon, had revealed her deceit. She was truly the Goddess of Lies, having stolen the Knowledge godhood right from Solomon and taking over the Erudition Collective, where I lived, and other universes under false pretenses. And the more people she could deceive, the more powerful she got.


    No, with every part of my being, I wanted to defy her, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell her that to her face.


    ¡°What sort of experiment?¡± I asked instead.


    She turned her nose up at me and laughed, a melodious yet ominous sound that rang through my ears both pleasantly and bone-chillingly at the same time.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see, boy. You¡¯ll see. And don¡¯t forget¡­¡± She looked down at me over the finger she had pointed in my face. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to stay out of my way.¡±


    And with that, the goddess disappeared in a flash of golden light.


    ***


    Instead of catching up with more much-needed sleep, I repeatedly mulled over the entirety of Lady Euridice¡¯s strange visit in my head. My arms and legs still shook from shock, though it had been at least two hours since her hologram had disappeared. And Codex could offer no insight into her cryptic warnings and bizarre behavior.


    I rubbed my face with my hands and groaned. ¡°What can I do, Codex? How am I supposed to avoid getting killed by Lady Euridice? She told me to stay out of her way, but I have no idea what that means!¡±


    ¡°I do have a solution, Master. At least a temporary one.¡±


    I rested the back of my head against the wall behind me. ¡°I¡¯ll take any solutions¨Ceven temporary ones.¡±


    ¡°After we reach Facility Number 106, we will travel to a planet with certain protections against those Tiered 11 and above.¡±


    Despite everything, a sliver of excitement pulsed through my blood. ¡°Another planet? I¡¯m leaving X-47-14? I mean, I knew I would someday, but not so soon. I thought we were going to another facility of Lord Solomon¡¯s to have me train with his AI or something.¡±


    ¡°Facility Number 106 is not like the one where you met the Lord Solomon AI, Master,¡± Codex said. "This planet has two Lord Solomon facilities; the one I am guiding you to is a cosmodrome."


    I sighed, really wishing Codex could ascertain that I didn¡¯t know half the words he usually said. ¡°And a cosmodrome is¡­?¡±


    ¡°A place to house and launch a spaceship.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®spaceship?¡¯¡±


    End of Book 1

 Chapter 41: Three Rockcrawlers

    I thought I¡¯d been tense traversing the desert alone before¨Cconstantly looking over my shoulder for a stray Nagari or a Rockcrawler on the prowl. But now I anticipated goddess-sent lightning to strike me down or a carefully timed boulder to roll off the mountain and squish me flat. I anticipated some sort of death only a god like Euridice could inflict upon me.


    Even though the goddess Euridice herself had magically appeared to me as a hologram in an isolated cave on my little planet and had informed me that she had decided not to kill me, I didn¡¯t trust her word even a tiny bit. She had also said something about using me for one of her experiments. So, even if Euridice didn¡¯t have any current plans to kill me, how was I supposed to know whether or not this ¡°experiment¡± of hers would bring me any excruciating pain?


    But nothing happened. At least nothing had happened yet. I didn¡¯t know when she would strike. I didn¡¯t know what this ¡°experiment¡± of hers entailed. I had no choice but to keep going. So, I continued my trek toward Facility Number 106 with my senses at their highest.


    Codex had told me I could travel to another planet where Euridice couldn¡¯t get to me¨Ca place that blocked those above Tier 15, including gods. I didn¡¯t know how that worked or what sort of immense power a spell that could block gods would need, but traveling to this planet was my best and only choice at the moment. At least, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else.


    Facility Number 106, one of the many facilities Lord Solomon, the dead god with whom I shared identical DNA as one of his clones, held a sort of vessel that could take me to this planet. At least, according to Codex, and I had no reason not to trust the almost all-knowing AI somehow embedded into my brain.


    ¡°Just ahead, Master. You are so close.¡±


    Thank the goddess, I thought to myself. I cringed as soon as those words went through my mind. I¡¯d have to get out of the habit of thanking or praising Lady Euridice. She wasn¡¯t my goddess anymore.


    I looked toward where Codex directed me in my mind. The path ahead lit up in a soft yellow glow as it had for the last four, almost five days since I¡¯d left Edrona and took on the desert at Codex¡¯s bidding. Of course, even if Codex hadn¡¯t told me to leave, there had been no other option. It was either suffering through the elements during a lengthy hike across planet X-47-14 or getting torn to shreds by the Nagari army that had invaded and destroyed Edrona.


    A part of me wanted to die. Not because I hadn¡¯t had a decent night¡¯s sleep or enough food and water for nearly a week, but because I had difficulty deciding on anything that was worth living for.


    My steps grew even heavier as exhaustion increased tenfold. I missed Drayek. Sometimes, I could find myself ignoring the pain that accompanied thoughts of Drayek and his death, but most of the time, my grief gripped my heart in an agonizing vice. But, though slowed, I didn¡¯t allow my steps to halt. I had decided on one thing; I would live for Drayek. Not for Lord Solomon, the god I¡¯d been cloned from, but for the man who had raised me.


    Drayek had wanted, almost as much as I did, to see me thrive and progress through the Tiers. He¡¯d wanted me to prove to myself and to any naysayers that I could be just as strong¨Cif not stronger¨Cthan any of them.


    I¡¯d already made great strides in that goal. Even without the goddess¡¯s ridiculous Mark, something that people didn¡¯t actually have to receive to cultivate, I¡¯d advanced to Tier 1 and broke through to Tier 2 within weeks. No one else in Edrona could boast that sort of time frame. Most took many months or years to advance as far as I had in such a short time.


    I rolled my shoulders back and propelled myself faster toward the looming mountain Codex¡¯s path led me to.


    ¡°Keep going,¡± I whispered under my breath. ¡°Don¡¯t give up, Rayden.¡±


    Within just another five minutes or so, I found myself directly underneath the cool shadow of the tall mountain that stood proudly at the planet¡¯s north side. Its peaks and valleys stretched on either side further than I could see. And, as I stood so close to the mountain¡¯s rocky face, I could no longer see the planet¡¯s suns high in the sky. The looming mountain blocked them entirely from view.


    ¡°You must climb now, Master.¡±


    My tired legs wobbled precariously underneath me. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    ¡°It is not a long climb, Master. The cave isn¡¯t very high.¡±


    After a prolonged, exasperated sigh (I may have been trying to stall), I procured my waterskin. I took a long swig of the water I¡¯d acquired from that little hole in the ground where Euridice had paid me that lovely visit. Satisfied, I tucked away the waterskin, then ensured my sack was securely tied over my shoulder.


    ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± I grumbled aloud.


    My hands and feet found a good starting position on the rock, then I proceeded to scale the side of the mountain. My Tier 2 armor gave me a much-needed boost of strength, but my body still groaned at me from fatigue. Yeah, climbing a mountain after a days-long trek with little food and sleep was exactly what I needed.


    As I climbed, I kept my eyes open for any streams of essence. I found only five of the iridescent-blue, thread-like lines floating over my head. I was in the middle of nowhere. Essence typically liked to hoard in places where it could flow freely through people or creatures. And I was the only living thing in the area, as far as I knew.


    Still, I urged the lines to hurtle toward me and flow into the arms and legs of my armor. As the essence entered and essentially became a part of the armor, an almost imperceptible blue glow emitted from the metal encasing my limbs. With a long exhale, I pushed myself up on the mountain face a little harder and a little faster, my essence-enhanced armor now adding just a touch more strength.


    ¡°Master, there is a Tier 2 Rockcrawler two feet to your left.¡± Stolen novel; please report.


    Codex declared the fact in such a monotone, nonchalant way. But my head jerked back, and my instincts urged me to jump away from my position. I had to cling to my handholds even harder to keep myself from doing just that.


    ¡°What? Where?¡± I cried aloud. ¡°I don¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°The Rockcrawler is now right on top of you.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat¨Calmost like it had frozen. I held my breath and stared at the rock directly in front of my face. The rock, as all rocks typically do, remained still. But that¡¯s where the Rockcrawler had to be¨Cwithin the mountain directly in front of me. A quick look on either side, below, and above me revealed no gigantic snake out in the open.


    I willed all of the stealth I could muster into my arms and legs and continued a slow procession up the mountain. I breathed shallowly and silently through my nose, urging myself to continue on but also to not climb too quickly. My fingers gripped the handholds tightly, but I was still careful to make sure I didn¡¯t grab onto any loose stones that could fall and make noise. And I also made sure to tread lightly with my boots as I climbed.


    ¡°The Rockcrawler hasn¡¯t moved, Master. It remains where I initially sensed it.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t allow myself a sigh of relief. I had to keep climbing the mountain as quietly as possible. Sure, I could take on a Tier 2 Rockcrawler. I was a Tier 2 myself, and I had fought and killed one of the giant serpents before¨Cand that Rockcrawler had been a Tier 3. But I couldn¡¯t do much against a big snake while hanging off the side of a mountain.


    Finally, I found a ledge to roll onto and catch my breath. I laid my body down, rested my head against the cold stone, and squeezed my eyes shut against my heavy breaths. I couldn¡¯t calm my breathing any longer. I was exhausted.


    ¡°You are so close, Master. Just a little further.¡±


    ¡°Codex, I know you don¡¯t understand what it feels like to be human, but my legs are screaming at me.¡±


    ¡°I may not know what it¡¯s like to be human, but I do know legs can¡¯t scream.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and brought myself back into a sitting position.


    ¡°How close, exactly, is this facility?¡±


    Codex didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Codex?¡±


    ¡°There are three Rockcrawlers in your vicinity, Master.¡±


    I could feel the blood leaving my face. ¡°Three?!¡± I yelled in my mind.


    I scrambled to my feet and poised myself into a ready position. My eyes studied the various cracks and ledges along the mountain to either side of me, and then I dared a peek over the ledge I stood on.


    ¡°Where are they, Codex?¡± I slowly brought a hand over the spear strapped to my back and drew it out, careful not to loudly scrape the weapon¡¯s shaft against my back sheath.


    ¡°My calculations suggest you cannot take on three Rockcrawlers alone. You must keep climbing.¡±


    ¡°Where are they?¡± I thought back to the AI, grinding my teeth in frustration.


    ¡°One is two feet to your left, another is directly below you, and¨C¡±


    I couldn¡¯t focus on Codex¡¯s next words when, suddenly, the rock underneath my feet split open. Thinking quickly, I hurled myself to the left. I didn¡¯t have much room to dodge the giant snake as it erupted from the ground, but I was able to narrowly miss its gaping, fang-filled mouth that snapped at my legs.


    I instinctively thrust the head of my spear into the snake¡¯s face, its head the size of my entire body. It was a big one¨Cdefinitely full-grown. The rest of its body was still curled underneath the ledge, but I watched in horror as its slimy green scales slid into view one row at a time as the snake began coiling itself up and onto the ledge.


    I didn¡¯t have much time left before the reptile¡¯s tail crushed me against the mountain. Or before it tried to lash at me again with its menacing maw and swallow me for lunch.


    The only maneuvers I could accomplish in my tight corner were securing my spear into my back sheath and heaving myself back onto the rock wall in a climbing position.


    The presence of the Rockcrawler had attracted a couple dozen streams of essence, so I called them to me immediately with just a thought. The essence poured into my armor as I directed, and I scaled the wall much quicker than I would have without the essence. Both my adrenaline and the essence in my magical armor almost made me forget how tired my body actually was.


    The snake snapped at me, narrowly missing my heels as I leaped about another foot higher on the wall.


    ¡°Codex, now would be a good time to let me know where the other Rockcrawlers are,¡± I internally called as I dodged another toothy, venomous strike.


    But before Codex could respond, the rock wall directly to my left cracked open, then erupted in an avalanche of stone, revealing two more large snake heads.


    My knuckles turned white as I gripped my handholds even tighter than before. The mountain shook as the two additional Rockcrawlers broke through the stone and slithered toward me.


    More essence, I thought quickly. The arrival of two more Rockcrawlers had attracted at least a hundred more streams of blue.


    I called the essence to me and then to my armor, then immediately leaped up another foot on the mountain face just as the smaller of the two Rockcrawlers snapped at me.


    ¡°Keep going, Master. The cave is so close. Ten feet above you, there is another ledge. It leads to the facility.¡±


    I scurried up quickly, with the help of my essence-enhanced armor. I knew I was in no position to fight three Rockcrawlers. Even at my full strength, I had a slim chance of defeating all three by myself. And I wasn¡¯t at full strength¨CI¡¯d been alone in the brutal desert for days! So, I continued my escape.


    All three Rockcrawlers seemed to glide over the rock effortlessly, hence their name. Their speed continued to increase, and I could even feel the edge of one of their forked tongues impacting the heel of my boot. I urged myself onward and forced myself to not look down at the giant snakes gaining on me.


    My heart continued to race faster and faster, but it wasn¡¯t just from the fear of getting snapped into a hungry snake mouth. I also felt a sense of thrill. Fond memories of Drayek and me chasing and fighting monsters like the Rockcrawlers struck me almost as hard as my fear of three massive snakes trying to eat me did.


    I could almost picture Drayek at my side, hanging onto his own handholds and urging me to keep climbing. And, somehow, that helped. Imagining Drayek¡¯s company gave me the last burst of strength I needed to push myself higher¡­ and higher. I could almost feel him there, lifting me up with his ghostly presence.


    Soon, the tips of my fingers found a wide lip of stone, and I heaved myself up and over it, my eyes catching a flash of white fangs just centimeters from my face. My body rolled to the very edge of the ledge, but I found no opening to any sort of cave.


    ¡°Codex? Now would be a great time for the facility to open up for me!¡±


    Giant snake heads wriggled their way over the lip of the ledge, and I could¡¯ve sworn each of their slimy faces offered me chilling and eager smiles.


    ¡°Codex!¡± I hollered aloud, scrambling into a corner as the snakes made an agonizingly slow approach. They savored my fear and slithered toward me with long tongues mockingly flicking at my ankles.


    A rumble sounded from behind me, then the snap of rock split above my head. The Rockcrawlers hesitated in their approach, but only for a second. However, their hesitation provided me just enough time.


    I offered the massive snakes a cocky smile and a quick wink, then vanished behind the wide crack that had appeared behind me.

 Chapter 42: Facility Number 106

    The Rockcrawlers banged their heads against the small entrance I¡¯d just escaped behind, neither of them able to follow after me. I caught sight of their angry yellow eyes narrowing at me as if they were saying, ¡°Not fair! Please come out¨Cwe just want to eat you!¡±


    Of course, within a matter of minutes, they could burrow into my hiding spot and catch me, but I wouldn¡¯t allow them that sort of time.


    With my gauntlet-ed hands placed firmly on the tight walls on either side of me, I turned around and followed the descending path leading to who knew what? All I could see was increasing darkness. But the other facility that Drayek, his Hunters, and I had found had been the same. Only, I hoped this facility would provide me with a few crucial differences: For example, I didn¡¯t want to endure any of Lord Solomon¡¯s tests and nearly die, only to find out that I was the clone of a dead god.


    Alright, yeah, that¡¯s kind of incredible. And my status as a ¡°godspawn,¡± as the AI representation of Lord Solomon had called it, had allowed me to cultivate and advance through the Tiers without a Mark from Lady Euridice. But I could really go for a moment where something wasn¡¯t trying to kill me¨Clike when those stupid tests in Facility 105 had threatened to do just that. Maybe now that I already knew who I was and where I came from, the Lord Solomon AI wouldn¡¯t put me through anymore.


    Yeah, you guessed it¡­. I was wrong. Serves me right for having hope.


    ***


    The windy, tight path that descended deep into the earth led me to a dead end.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± I groaned, slamming a fist into the cold rock that blocked my way.


    Suddenly, a soft purple glow grew and resonated above my head, providing me enough light to see that there were no hidden paths or openings in the rock for me to follow.


    ¡°Codex! Where am I supposed to go from here?¡±


    No answer.


    Oh, great, I thought to myself. Just like the first facility. Codex had been conveniently quiet then, too.


    Codex¡¯s silence back then served the purpose of not allowing him to help me in any way during the tests¨Cthe tests that, if I passed them, would lead me to an audience with the Lord Solomon AI. Lord Solomon had wanted me to succeed of my own volition¡­. Without the help of an AI like Codex.


    I shook out my arms and legs, ignoring their cries of pain and exhaustion. Now that I¡¯d reached a dead end, I knew something messed up was coming my way. I had to mentally prepare myself for whatever this facility wanted to throw at me.


    ¡°Welcome, Clone Number 52, to Facility Number 106.¡±


    The sudden appearance of the deep, booming voice didn¡¯t faze me. It sounded like the voice that belonged to Lord Solomon, or at least to the AI, holographic version of him. I rolled my eyes and nonchalantly leaned against the wall behind me.


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the first test?¡± I said to the small room.


    ¡°There is but one test,¡± Lord Solomon answered, still hidden from my view. His voice echoed loudly in the tight space. ¡°One test to prove you are, indeed, a clone of Lord Solomon.¡±


    I threw my hands above my head, exasperated. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! Look at me! Isn¡¯t the fact that I am a younger yet identical version of the guy enough? Besides, you just called me Clone Number 52. You already know who I am.¡±


    ¡°When prompted, you will place a bare hand within the device behind you,¡± Lord Solomon said, completely ignoring my complaints.


    There hadn¡¯t been a device before¡­. I whirled around, and, just as he said, a small device about the size of my foot protruded from the once-empty wall. It molded itself into a cylindrical shape with a hollow interior. Blinking orange lights surrounded the front edge as if calling for my hand.


    Now, people shouldn¡¯t usually put their hands in things they know nothing about. And I felt no less apprehension about putting my hand in a mysterious cylinder that had suddenly appeared in the wall when it hadn¡¯t been there before. I grimaced as I stepped closer, my eyes just a few inches away from the device¡¯s opening to try to peer inside. I could find nothing out of the ordinary. It looked just like a hollow tube of rock. But I still didn¡¯t like it¡­.


    ¡°How, exactly, is this going to prove I am a clone of Lord Solomon?¡±


    My ears met with only the echoing sounds of my own voice. I squeezed my eyes shut and rolled my shoulders back. In the end, I hadn¡¯t died in the first facility, Facility Number 105, and instead came out with the ability to grow stronger. Perhaps I should just trust Lord Solomon and place my hand in the thing.


    I removed the gauntlet wrapped around my right hand and, with a sharp intake of breath, shoved my fingers, then my wrist, and then half of my forearm into the device¡¯s opening. I hadn¡¯t exhaled yet, and I could feel the blood leaving my right hand as I clenched my fist in anticipation of something to happen.


    ¡°Please relax as the machine runs the test,¡± Lord Solomon said.


    I finally released the breath I was holding and followed his instruction, releasing my fingers from the stranglehold of my shaky fist.


    ¡°Well done. Stay still until you hear the beep.¡±


    ¡°How long will¨C¡±


    My question was cut off by a pained gasp rolling over my lips. Something had jabbed into the pads of every single finger on my right hand¨Chard. I knew my fingers were bleeding as I could feel thick, warm liquid trickling over them. But no ¡°beep¡± of any sort had yet sounded. It took all of my willpower not to withdraw my hand and ascertain the damage.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    But I succeeded. I remained immovable with my jaw clenched and eyes locked forward in a determined stare.


    Still no beep.


    ¡°Seriously, how long is this supposed to take?¡± I growled through gritted teeth.


    Suddenly, something within the device wrapped around my arm then clamped down on it in a vice-like grip.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I exclaimed, instinctively trying to pull my arm out.


    But any efforts to withdraw only made the grip of the smooth, leather-like substance around my arm grow even tighter. I hissed as its grasp on me squeezed the bones in my arm¨Ceven through my armor. I could almost feel my bones giving way as if they¡¯d snap at any moment. I determined that remaining still was my only option for the moment.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± I said through heavy breaths.


    ¡°I apologize, Clone Number 52. The blood reader is old¨Ca couple centuries old, in fact. It appears to be malfunctioning.¡±


    ¡°Well, get this¡­ blood reader, or whatever it is, off of me!¡± I demanded.


    ¡°The good news is,¡± Lord Solomon¡¯s disembodied voice said calmly, ¡°that your blood was read and tested positive as blood from a Lord Solomon clone. So, you passed the test.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± I grumbled, feeling the machine tighten even more. Blood pounded loudly in my ears, and the bones within my right arm began to shake precariously.


    ¡°Just give me a moment to check the systems within the facility. It shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±


    ¡°Take your time,¡± I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. It took all of my focus to keep still and avoid the machine increasing its ever-so-welcoming hug and snapping every bone in my hand and arm.


    The seconds ticked by sluggishly, and I could feel drips of sweat rolling from my hairline and down my cheeks.


    ¡°Ah, there it is. The device should release you¡­ now.¡±


    As soon as the machine let me go, I scurried away and to the opposite wall, clutching my bruised arm covered in its cracked armor. Though the armor on my arm had now begun to heal itself, I could barely bend my arm and fingers without grimacing in discomfort. The discomfort came not only from the bruises but also from the punctures in the pads of my fingers. The wounds were deep, and my entire hand was stained red from the blood that had poured out from them.


    It seemed a little excessive for the machine to need to stab every finger to test my blood. Couldn¡¯t it do that with just one or two drops? Maybe that had something to do with the malfunction, as well. I stared at the wall where the machine had been just moments before; It had disappeared again as if it had never existed in the first place. Maybe it had just retracted into the wall?


    A flash of golden light replaced where the device had once been. I blinked away the bright spots in my vision, then found the holographic Lord Solomon hovering before me. He stood tall and regal-like and looked just as I remembered the AI from meeting him that first time. His golden armor glowed softly around him, and the matching helm on his face highlighted the stark blue in his eyes as he gazed upon me. His slight transparency due to his holographic nature didn¡¯t detract from his godly aura and intimidating stature. Even the golden hilt of the AI¡¯s ghost-like sword seemed to gleam menacingly underneath the purple light from above.


    ¡°I will commence your healing. I apologize for the inconvenience,¡± Lord Solomon said, gesturing to the arm I had cradled against my chest.


    ¡°Yeah, just an inconvenience,¡± I responded with a tight-lipped smile.


    Lord Solomon raised a dark brow at me. I knew he could detect my sarcasm, but I didn¡¯t care. And it seemed he didn¡¯t either¨Cat least not for the time being.


    He outstretched a hand clad in a golden gauntlet. Streams of almost imperceptible blue flowed through the leather underneath the gauntlet and wrapped around bits of his fingers and palms. The blue lines ornamenting his armor there and in other places, like along the leather wrapped around his neck, reminded me of the way threads of essence looked.


    I had no doubt that the AI could heal me. He had done so in the first facility, and back then, I¡¯d had much worse injuries. The AI had also explained to me that he represented who Lord Solomon once was, meaning he could even replicate some of the Skills Lord Solomon had attained in life. Not all of them, since the AI wasn¡¯t a flesh and blood human or an actual god, but many of the important ones, like healing spells.


    A ball of gold that blended in perfectly with his armor escaped the Lord Solomon AI¡¯s fingertips, then floated over to me in small twirls and bounces. The glowing ball landed on my arm, then fell underneath my armor. Warmth flooded over my entire right arm, and soon, I could bend my elbow and wiggle my fingers normally.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, unable to withhold my smile. But I was still mad at the AI for what had happened. ¡°Now, are you sure there aren¡¯t more tests you¡¯d like me to suffer through?¡±


    Lord Solomon shook his head. ¡°No, you are free to proceed.¡±


    I looked around us and cocked my head to the side. ¡°Proceed where?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Lord Solomon waved an arm, and the wall behind him slid away at his command. Stone against stone screeched painfully loud as the wall retreated to the side, revealing a wide path lit by glowing veins of gold, blue, and silver in the walls and ceiling.


    ¡°My presence is no longer needed,¡± Lord Solomon said. ¡°Codex knows what should happen next.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I said, averting my eyes from the path and landing them on the AI¡¯s covered face. ¡°There are no more ¡®lessons¡¯ or memories of Lord Solomon¡¯s life to show me? Last time we met, you¡¯d kept me away for three days!¡±


    ¡°We will meet again, Clone Number 52,¡± Lord Solomon replied. ¡°When I am most needed.¡±


    ¡°But what about Lady Euridice?¡± I exclaimed, stepping closer to the AI as if that would keep him from vanishing into thin air.


    ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°She threatened me¨Cwarned me of things to come. She said she¡¯s going to use me as an experiment.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­.¡± Lord Solomon tapped his slightly transparent chin in thought.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say?¡±


    I groaned and planted my face in my hands. My one hope against the goddess was that the Lord Solomon AI could do something to protect me. Or at least tell me how I could avoid her.


    ¡°Lady Euridice has paid close attention to all of Lord Solomon¡¯s clones in the past,¡± the AI finally said. ¡°But she hasn''t interfered much in their paths before. You¡¯re too weak at the moment for her to put much care into plaguing you at all times.¡±


    ¡°Then why would she take the time to have a chat with me?¡± I demanded.


    Lord Solomon waved a hand, dismissing my outburst. ¡°Regardless, Codex plans to take you somewhere she cannot reach. You can prepare and grow stronger there for the time being.¡±


    ¡°I have a hard time believing someone as powerful as Euridice is blocked from certain places,¡± I said. ¡°How does that work, and how do I know this planet will actually keep her at bay?¡±


    ¡°The gods have many rules and regulations when it comes to their interference on those below the Celestial Tiers. The planet Codex is taking you to was designated by the original Lord Solomon for those weak to have a chance to better learn how to climb the Tiers. It doesn¡¯t just keep gods at a distance, it also keeps any above Tier 15 with any sort of mischievous tendencies or petty malice from messing with the system.¡±


    ¡°So, someone put a spell on the place.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I did. That is, the man I am representing did. Lord Solomon built the academy for his followers just before he broke through to the Celestial Tiers. Then, as a god, he had the power to place a Dominion¡¯s Ward spell on the entire planet.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes. Sure, a god had put a powerful spell on the planet to block people like Euridice from coming in, but the guy who had cast that spell was dead. I didn¡¯t feel extremely comforted by that fact.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said anyway, despite my reservations.


    I headed toward the entrance leading further into the cave, then stopped and turned to say, ¡°But it¡¯s your fault if Lady Euridice kills me.¡±

 Celebrating the Patreon Launch!

    First, I want to thank all of you for reading Godspawn Ascendant. It has been a dream to have so many of you reading every chapter.


    Second, I launched the Patreon yesterday! Thanks to those who have already signed up. In celebration of the launch, I wanted to give you all a bonus chapter today (on here and on Patreon, of course). I''ll post the bonus chapter within the next couple of hours. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    My Patreon is 5 weeks ahead on the highest tier (currently 15 advanced chapters). Once the Patreon has enough members, my goal is to increase my weekly posting schedule from 3 a week to 5. Once that happens, the Patreon will have up to 25 advanced chapters instead of 15.


    I appreciate you all, and thanks for reading!


    -Aleese Hughes

 Chapter 43: Spaceship

    When Lord Solomon had hidden this ¡°spaceship¡± (and I still had no semblance of an idea of what that was), he must have been very paranoid that someone other than a clone would find it. The path that glowed with both thick and thin veins of gold, silver, and blue seemed to go on endlessly. And it twisted this way and that, making sharp turns that made my head spin. At least an endless, winding path made it less likely that the Rockcrawlers would be able to burrow directly to me¨Cthe twisty, endless path made it harder to find me.


    The Lord Solomon AI hadn¡¯t followed me, and I couldn¡¯t see him anywhere now. Who knew when I¡¯d see him again? The hologram wasn¡¯t keen on telling me things straight in that way.


    ¡°Codex, are you back yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. Lord Solomon deactivated me for a short period. But I am back to assist.¡±


    ¡°Codex,¡± I thought to it, ¡°why do you call me ¡®Master?¡¯ It¡¯s not like I am Lord Solomon.¡±


    I took another sharp left and sighed to see another long stretch of path.


    ¡°You are Lord Solomon, Master. And your purpose is to retake his glory in godhood and replace Lady Euridice as God of Knowledge.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. All of the clones are trying to do that, right? Meaning we can¡¯t all become Lord Solomon. For now, why don¡¯t you just call me ¡®Rayden.¡¯¡±


    ¡°I am not programmed to call you that.¡±


    I paused in the hall that was beginning to narrow. ¡°Is there a way that I can reprogram you? At least to program you to call me Rayden?¡±


    Codex didn¡¯t respond for a moment.


    ¡°Yes, Master. There is. You can use command code 1,950.¡±


    ¡°Command code 1,950?! How many command codes are there?¡±


    ¡°Calculating¡­¡± Codex responded. ¡°There are 1,098,002 command codes, Master.¡±


    I whistled, the sound traveling down the path, bouncing off the walls, then ringing loudly in my ears.


    ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to teach me all of the command codes today. How do I use command code 1,950?¡±


    ¡°You say out loud, ¡®Activate command code 1,950.¡¯ Then you follow the prompts that I will tell you.¡±


    ¡°Activate command code 1,950,¡± I said aloud.


    It took a moment, but soon, I felt a soft buzzing at the base of my neck, making me wonder for the 1,000th time where and how Codex had been embedded into my mind.


    ¡°Command code 1,950 activated,¡± Codex said, even more flat-toned and slower than usual. ¡°After the tone, please say the name you would like me to call you.¡±


    A high-pitched hum that made my head hurt sounded. It was so loud that I couldn¡¯t tell whether or not the tone existed only in my mind, like when Codex spoke to me, or if it could be heard on the outside, as well.


    ¡°Rayden,¡± I said in my thoughts. Then, after a few seconds of nothing happening, I repeated my name out loud.


    The same high-pitched tone reverberated through my skull.


    ¡°Name received.¡±


    Another pause.


    ¡°Codex?¡±


    ¡°You have officially changed the command code, Rayden,¡± Codex responded.


    I grinned. Though it was a small accomplishment, having Codex call me by my given name¨Cthe name Drayek had given me¨Cfelt like a relief. I felt like a person again¨Cnot some clone among a mass of other clones all striving to become the same person. I still felt very much like me, and I wanted Codex, the forever-stuck-in-my-head-and-always-talking-to-me AI, to treat me as such.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I continued my trek, trying to ignore the growling coming from my stomach. ¡°Is there something you would like me to call you other than Codex?¡±


    ¡°No, I am Codex. I am artificial and have no feelings. I do not need any other name.¡±


    I shrugged, unsure that Codex could see the gesture. It felt like a real person to me. Sometimes, it even had inflections and sped up its speech when nervous¡­. Codex even sounded masculine. Maybe I¡¯d at least think of the AI as a ¡°he¡± in my head. Doing so might personify Codex more and maybe aid in my loneliness to think I had a true companion.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a nickname anyway,¡± I decided, feeling like calling him something personal to me would not only aid in humanizing my forever-brain-buddy but also further help me feel like an individual. I mean, how many of the other clones, or Solomon for that matter, called their AIs by a different name?


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna call you Dex.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish to call me, then that is fine, Rayden.¡±


    I grinned. I felt like a rebel. I felt like¡­ me. Not some clone designed to become someone I wasn''t.


    After another 10 minutes, at least, of walking, the hall finally ended at a wide mouth leading into another brightly lit room.


    This must be it.


    I stepped into the warm yellow light, but it seemed I had not prepared myself for what met me inside. My jaw fell open, and my arms dropped limply to my sides. I don¡¯t know what I had tried to imagine a spaceship to look like. For one thing, I didn¡¯t understand any part of the word ¡°spaceship.¡± But even if I had understood it or had a better imagination, the vessel that stood before me would surpass anything I could''ve ever imagined.


    A monster of a machine filled up an equally massive room. Its dark metal with subtle streaks of blue lights touched every wall and even brushed the ceiling that towered above me by at least 100 feet. The spaceship had straight legs protruding from its underside and darkly tinted windows dotting the front and sides.


    ¡°Dex, I¡¯m gonna ask you again, what is a spaceship?¡±


    ¡°Well, Rayden, it is like a ship, only¨C¡±


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± I waved my hands in front of me. ¡°Go back. I guess you need to first explain to me what a ¡®ship¡¯ is.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. You have lived in a rocky desert your entire life. You would not know. A ship is a vessel¨Can instrument¨Cused to travel large bodies of water to reach another destination.¡±


    I furrowed my brows. My head hurt trying to picture a large enough body of water that would need a vessel to carry people across, but I let Dex continue:


    ¡°This ship is similar, but it allows people to journey through space and travel to other planets¨Csometimes even to other universes.¡±


    I moved myself to sit on the floor, then I just sat and stared at the spaceship. That¡¯s all I could do. I felt overwhelmed by the new information Dex had just given me. As I stared at the massive machine, I noticed the ceiling was made of a similar metal. It had a straight line down the middle as if waiting to open. Is that how the spaceship left the facility? I guessed¡­ if we had to travel to other planets, that hunk of metal had to fly. Like a bird!


    I narrowed my eyes and studied the shimmering blue lights dancing along the sides of the spaceship. I couldn¡¯t find any wings, much less any wheels like we had on wagons or carts in Edrona. How did this thing even move?


    ¡°We should get going, Rayden. My scans tell me the Rockcrawlers have sensed your location and are burrowing this way. They¡¯ll be here in approximately seven minutes.¡±


    That shook me out of my stupor.


    I got up and ran to the spaceship, then realized¡­


    ¡°How do I get on this thing?¡±


    ¡°I will open the door for you, Rayden.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what Dex had to do to open an unseen door on the spaceship, but he did it fast. A panel, about three times my height in width and length, dropped down with a strange sound. It sounded like a release of a hiss of air. I leaped back to allow the panel to fall to the ground, which offered me an incline to climb into the spaceship.


    ¡°You may board now, Rayden.¡±


    ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to use my name all the time. Do I say ¡®Codex¡¯ or ¡®Dex¡¯ every time I talk to you?¡±


    ¡°No, Rayden. You do not.¡±


    I pinched the bridge of my nose. ¡°Never mind.¡±


    I climbed the shiny black panel until I reached the inside of the ship.


    Can I call it a ¡°ship,¡± or is it just a ¡°spaceship?¡± I thought to myself, though I knew Dex could hear all of my thoughts if he wanted to.


    I didn¡¯t know what I should or shouldn¡¯t call the thing, but ¡°ship¡± is faster to say, so that made my decision for me.


    As I entered the vessel, I had to blink rapidly to adjust to the intense white light flooding the interior. Once I could see clearly, I learned that it wasn¡¯t just the light that was white¨Calmost everything in the first room of the ship was white. White and short cushioned seats lined the oval-shaped room. The entire floor was also white and was so smooth and shiny that I could see the reflection of myself and everything else within its surface.


    My eyes went back to the seats¨CI counted 20 of them. Had this spaceship carried groups of people at once before? Was it intended for that?


    A narrow staircase of equally white steps led away from the entrance, and I walked over to them. As soon as I left the inclined panel, Dex must have commanded it to close. It slowly made its way back up and into the ship, disappearing without a trace¨Cblending into the floor as if it had never been there.

 Chapter 44: Takeoff

    Any sort of description I could muster wouldn¡¯t give justice to what I met with next. However, I will do the best I can. But in that moment, I had no idea what 99%¨Cno¨C100% of what I saw on that spaceship was.


    Needless to say, it overwhelmed me.


    ¡°This is the control room, Rayden.¡±


    I whistled, impressed. To tell the truth, whistling was really all I could do. The staircase I had found near the entrance climbed higher than I had expected, leading to this spacious room that must have sat at the very top of the ship. In fact, once I looked out the trapezoid-shaped windows circling the entire room, I could see the ceiling of the cosmodrome just inches above us.


    A wide oval desk sat right below the strange, tinted windows. The desk acted as the wall, filling every side and corner, leaving just a space large enough for five people to stand side by side in the center. The desk was colored a deep black, save for the multitude of odd lights that flashed in every color and danced along its surface.


    An oversized chair with small silver wheels at its feet stood at the front of the room, right before a part of the desk that protruded from the wall a little further than any other part of it. Similar chairs lined the sides of the room next to smaller parts of the structure.


    The rest of the room matched the deep black of the desk, including the floor. The floor looked so dark it almost tricked my mind that a hole gaped beneath my feet, and I¡¯d fall into it at any moment.


    ¡°This room is where I will help you fly the spaceship,¡± Dex said.


    ¡°I have to fly it?!¡±  I looked again at the other chairs on the sides and behind me. ¡°It seems to me this isn¡¯t a one-man operation.¡±


    ¡°With my help, you don¡¯t need more than one man. I can inject myself into the systems and guide you through everything. In fact, it will almost feel like you are not the one operating the ship at all.¡±


    My eyes scanned the strange lights surrounding me and blinking at me erratically. They made my head hurt.


    ¡°Alright, fine. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Dex directed me to sit in the large chair at the front. In front of the main ¡°control panel,¡± as he¡¯d said. Now, I was only a Tier 2 and still an adolescent¨CI wasn¡¯t even yet 17¨Cbut none of those facts stopped the frown that dug into my face once I sat in the plush black seat and sunk so far that my shoulders sat about half a foot below where they were supposed to.


    Dex didn¡¯t even have to speak to me. It was like he took over my brain, though I still maintained all awareness. My own thoughts remained at the forefront of my mind, but the rest of my faculties were in Dex¡¯s control. I tried not to think too much about the fact that he could literally take me over.


    Through the promptings of Dex, my hands moved without me having to think, and I watched with tight lips as my thumbs pressed against the two divets in the desk at either side of me. When my thumbs landed, the divets emitted a white glow, and the entire ship buzzed. I could feel the vibrations from the buzz travel from the floor and through my legs.


    Again, Dex didn¡¯t have to say anything. The information describing what was happening filled my mind with no prompting. The machine had just connected with me. Like its systems were in my head, and I in its systems. Or was it Dex¡¯s mind in the mix of everything, and I was just along for the ride?


    A rumble, then a loud creak, sounded above. Through the windows in front of me that stretched to the top of the domed ceiling, I saw the two slabs of metal in the ceiling of the cosmodrome slowly chug open, revealing a tunnel leading upward, just wide enough to let the ship through.


    My hands, still working against my will, landed on two levers just in front of where my thumbs had just been. The cold of the metal levers bit my palms as my hands gently pushed them forward, but only about an inch.


    Another loud rumble, this time its source seemed to come from underneath me, reverberated through my entire body. Within another two or three seconds, my insides seemed to lift and travel toward my head, and then I realized the ship had begun its ascent into the tunnel.


    I was floating! No¨Cflying! In the air¡­ just like a bird! Kind of. The ship had no wings that I could see, but what else could I compare a flying vessel to? With my connection to Dex and the ship¡¯s systems, I knew immediately that something called ¡°rockets¡± affixed to the ship¡¯s underside was propelling us upward. Except for the loud rumble of the rockets, the ship hovered so smoothly.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    As the spaceship continued its ascent, I wished Drayek could see me now. But the higher we went, every part of me¨Cthough thrilled¨Cwanted to squeeze my eyes shut. I was raised in Edrona¨Ca desert city with nothing akin to a spaceship that could help me imagine something like it. It was beyond anything I could have ever dreamt up. But something about Codex¡¯s hold on me kept me from closing my eyes. I couldn¡¯t even shiver at how unnerved that made me feel.


    The spaceship continued its slow climb up the tunnel and to the surface. My hands remained firmly planted on the levers and didn¡¯t budge even a centimeter. And, of course, information popped into my mind, telling me that pushing them anymore forward would speed up the ascent, which would cause for less accuracy in the tunnel that the ship could barely fit into.


    The information that kept spilling into my head didn¡¯t stop there, and I could feel blood painfully pounding behind my eyes. But, from what I could gather, if the spaceship flew less accurately, it would mean more bumps against the tunnel, which would cause damage to the ship. I could determine for myself that damage wasn¡¯t desirable.


    Once I had finally settled into my situation and felt myself relax, a blur of shiny green scales and white fangs flashed over the windows in front of me. If Dex hadn¡¯t taken over my faculties, I would have leaped out of my seat in shock. Another bigger Rockcrawler burst through the tunnel rock on the right and, not having enough room to maneuver, immediately slammed into one of the spaceship¡¯s windows. Once my speeding heart settled, I studied the glass for cracks and was relieved to see none. But there was a smear of snake slime and some dribbles of its dark blood on the windows. But I wasn¡¯t in a good position to see if the Rockcrawler had been severely injured or even where the snake had gone.


    ¡°Dex!¡± I called. ¡°I think we might need to go a bit faster!¡±


    Another bang, from the bottom of the ship this time¡­. It had to have been the third snake. The Rockcrawlers had devotedly hunted me down and burrowed through possibly miles of rock to get to me. There must have been a shortage of prey for them to hunt on a regular basis.


    ¡°Codex!¡± I called again, reverting back to his full name. He still didn¡¯t respond.


    But then my hands, by themselves and through the will of my AI friend, shot forward with the levers in tow. Every one of my organs plummeted, and the skin on my face flew back past my ears as the ship hurled upward at speeds I¡¯d never thought possible. My eyes felt like they¡¯d been hammered deep into my head, but even with the discomfort, I still caught sight of a sliver of sky peeking above. Within a second, the bit of sky transformed from a sliver to a gaping hole of blue that soon engulfed the entire ship.


    Yes! I cheered in my thoughts.


    I didn¡¯t have much of a view of what lay below, but considering how high the ship continued to climb through the clouds, I doubted any Rockcrawlers could get to me at this point.


    Two great balls of yellow met my ascent and grew bigger and bigger. My eyes felt like they¡¯d burn right out of their sockets. Were those yellow balls the planet¡¯s suns?


    ¡°Dex, should we adjust our path? If we fly into the suns, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll come out any less than crispy.¡±


    No answer. Again. Instead, more knowledge from Codex and the ship poured into me. It felt very similar to how I would recall my own memories, but since I didn¡¯t actually remember any of this information, it was, as one would imagine, uncomfortably strange.


    I learned that the suns of planet X-47-14 were still millions of miles away¨Cin space. The information also helped me better understand what ¡°space¡± is. It¡¯s an expanse of never-ending matter with stars, suns, planets, universes¡­ I felt so small compared to the extent of what and who must be out there.


    Is Drayek somewhere in this ¡°space?¡± I thought.


    I didn¡¯t know where Souls went after death, but I had always imagined they¡¯d float somewhere up into the heavens¨Cwhere the picturesque suns, moons, and stars resided. It felt like a great place to spend the afterlife. But I might never know. That is until I died¡­ Still, if I did somehow achieve godhood some centuries down the road, I might never know!


    Well, Lord Solomon was the God of Knowledge. Would I be the same? He could read the past and present of all essence. Did that mean he knew things about the afterlife?


    I pushed away my spiral of deep and provoking thoughts and focused my attention on what was happening. My breath caught at the sight of my fingers dancing all along the lights of the control panel¨Cpushing into them and making them sink into the desk. My Dex/ship connection told me these were called ¡°buttons.¡±


    The ship maneuvered to the right and increased its speed even more, my skin continuing its stretch, making me feel like it would fall off at any moment. The only way I could describe the sensation was as if some giant had placed the ship into the string of their bow and then flung it up into the stars with levels of strength even a god couldn¡¯t replicate. Well, I could be very wrong about what speeds gods could accomplish, but hey, I was new to all of this! The farthest I used to think anyone could ever get into the Tiers was Tier 4. Spaceships, traveling to other universes, and any other scientific quandaries were not my expertise.


    Before I could comprehend what was happening, darkness flooded my vision. It was as if someone had blown out the light of the suns like a candle. All I could see now were the lights flashing across the control board. My AI connection told me we had made it up into space¨Cup with the stars.

 Chapter 45: Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

    After I¡¯d watched, in fascination, my fingers twiddle over nearly every button on the control panel (my arms had even pushed the mobile chair I sat in in about three circles to hit others around the entire desk), we entered what the information in my head called ¡°hyperspeed.¡± The ship flew by the dots of silver stars so quickly that the lights from the orbs transformed into long streaks of silver flying by me so fast that I could barely see them.


    But now, in this space, even going at the insurmountable speed that was hyperspeed, I didn¡¯t feel my skin pull against me, or my eyes hammer into my head uncomfortably. And, of course, just by wondering why, the AI and ship in my head revealed to me that this was because of an artificial gravity I had somehow activated within the ship. Yeah, my internal companions also had to teach me what ¡°gravity¡± meant, too.


    All of a sudden, a release of pressure flowed over me, and I found that the twitching of my fingers and the tapping of my feet came from my own commands. Dex no longer had control over me.


    ¡°Did you release me? Do I not need to fly the ship anymore?¡±


    ¡°Not for the moment, Rayden,¡± Dex actually responded. ¡°I, through you, placed the spaceship into autopilot once we entered hyperspeed.¡±


    I expected more images and words to flash behind my eyes to explain the word ¡°autopilot,¡± but it seemed my strange connection through Dex and to the ship had indeed been severed.


    ¡°What does autopilot mean?¡± I asked Dex instead.


    ¡°We are on a straight course for approximately two hours. So, the ship is able to fly itself for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Two hours?¡±


    I leaned back into the cushioned chair and smiled with closed eyes. I finally felt like I could rest. But then my stomach presented itself at the forefront of my mind with its aches and groans. My eyelids fluttered open, and I sat up straight with a hand pressed into my abdomen.


    I glanced around the control room, not feeling much hope about finding food in this room. But I had seen a lot of floors on this spaceship¡­.


    ¡°Is there anything to eat on this thing?¡± Even in my head, my words sounded tired.


    ¡°There is a dining facility on level three, Rayden.¡±


    The AI offered no other explanation. So, I just shrugged and rose from the chair. I stretched out the numbness in my legs. How long had I been sitting there? I attributed my sore muscles to have something to do with the fact that I¡¯d had no control over my body for a lengthy period of time.


    Remembering the staircase I¡¯d discovered at the ship¡¯s entrance that had climbed past multiple levels and led me to the control room, I found myself on those same stairs. I continued to climb down, passing every hall along my route that called out to me for a little exploration. But taking care of my angry stomach had precedence over anything else.


    Once I reached the third floor of the ship, I found two branches on either side of me. Both halls were wide and tall, with cord-like strings lining every inch of the ceilings and emitting a dull yellow glow that lit the paths.


    ¡°The dining facility is to your right, Rayden.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I responded to Dex.


    The hall I followed remained straight, and I only walked for half a minute before a sharp left turn led me to an oval-shaped room, similar to the control room but decked in all-white, like the entrance of the ship. Tall structures that protruded from the high ceiling jutted all the way to the floor. There were 10 of them, by my count. These flat pillars lined each side of the room, split evenly, with five on the left and the other five on the right.


    Each of these structures had a large glowing square covering about a third of their surfaces. These squares with soft hues of blues and purples glowing and reflecting off of the pure white floor reminded me of a screen, like the one on the device in Lady Euridice¡¯s temple¨Cthe very one that determined whether or not you had a Mark or any Soul Strength. Or, in my case, come and out UnMarked and learn that your Soul Strength number was too high for the device to compute.


    In fact, both Dex and the Lord Solomon AI said it could never be possible to find out my Soul Strength number. I had a ¡°god¡¯s soul,¡± as they¡¯d called it. Meaning, my Soul was perfect, and I didn¡¯t have to strengthen it in order to advance through the Tiers like anyone else did. I had no limit to how strong I could get or how high I could climb¨Cas long as I didn¡¯t die on the way, of course.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Right in between the strange pillars stood three long white tables and stools of the same length across on either side of the tables. So, there were definitely places to sit and eat, but I had yet to see any food. My stomach growled at me, even stronger than before. This felt like torture.


    ¡°You may place your food order into any of the kiosks, Rayden,¡± Dex told me mid-stomach-growl.


    Like I said, torture. ¡°What¡¯s a kiosk?¡±


    ¡°The structures with the screens, Rayden.¡±


    I released an exasperated sigh. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I had been right. The white pillars taking up both sides of the room had screens on them. I approached the ¡°kiosk¡± closest to my left and stood before the screen. The light it gave off seemed to shine even brighter once I stepped into its vicinity. I blinked a few times, then decided to press a finger onto the smooth surface of the screen. It felt exactly like the one in The Temple of Euridice back in Edrona; smooth, cool, and overall pleasant to the touch.


    The screen reacted immediately to the poke of my finger; it flashed in a bright white then presented the words,


    WELCOME, PASSENGER OF THE AMBITION.


    The Ambition, I thought, is that the name of this spaceship?


    I wondered about the vessel¡¯s history. Had Lord Solomon built it? How old was the thing? I made a mental note to ask Codex these questions later. I was too hungry to care enough about it. However, I felt no surprise that, if this was indeed Lord Solomon¡¯s ship, he had named it The Ambition. As far as I knew who the god had once been, he¡¯d been one of the most ambitious people I¡¯d ever come across, climbing the Tiers at record speeds, creating academies on entire planets, becoming a god¡­


    PLEASE MAKE YOUR FOOD SELECTIONS, the screen read.


    My eyes widened as a list of hundreds of words scrolled over the screen. The only food names I recognized were ¡°eggs¡± and ¡°water¡± and one or two fruits and vegetables. Like, what was a chicken? Or a steak? I only ever ate lizard and snake meat. Sometimes, if we were lucky, we¡¯d catch a quail or crow and eat their meat and eggs. But it was becoming apparent to me, as the list of food options continued, that our palates in Edrona had been severely lacking.


    The food was listed on the left side of the screen, and the drinks appeared on the right. Through a lot of guesswork, I finally decided on one of the first meals listed, ¡°Roasted chicken breast, green beans, and potatoes.¡± And, not wanting to dare into unknown territory any more than I already had to, I selected water to drink.


    The screen went blank, then read,


    THANK YOU FOR YOUR SELECTION.


    PREPARING YOUR MEAL NOW.


    I stepped back, eyebrows drawn together over narrowed eyes. I circled the kiosk, searching for a tube or compartment that could hide away some food. Then, I whirled around myself and studied the dining facility as a whole. Besides the kiosks and empty tables, the room was bare.


    Where does the food come from?


    It seemed the kiosk could read my thoughts. Just as I wondered where food was kept in the entire empty room, the kiosk I stood in front of hummed softly. A whoosh sounded, and then a slim panel fell open right underneath the screen, revealing a tall glass of clear water with a shiny silver envelope resting against it. The silver package was thick and had no resemblance to food.


    I couldn¡¯t help but circle the slender pillar again. Had the food just appeared from nothing? I determined that it had to have been some sort of spell.


    Cautiously, I wrapped my hands around the water and package, then pulled them off of the tray within the machine. I had to balance the silver envelope on my entire left arm to carry it successfully to the closest table. It was heavier than I¡¯d anticipated.


    Once seated, I downed the entire glass of water first. I couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since retrieving water from that cave where Lady Euridice had visited me. Hours? An entire day? Regardless, I knew that I needed it. The crisp liquid soothed the dry burning in my mouth and throat.


    I slammed the glass down once I¡¯d emptied it and smacked my lips. The water tasted almost as pure as the oasis water back home. Water mages had the ability to conjure water that tasted like nothing, which was definitely a good thing. Not a speck of dirt or any strange metallic taste. ¡°Pure¡± was the only word for it. And the water on this spaceship held a close second to the oasis water.


    I could get used to this.


    My eyes moved to the ominous package sitting suspiciously beside the now-empty glass. Without too much thought about it, I pulled the envelope in front of me and tore off the top. An onslaught of steam stung my face, and I threw my head back, squeezing my eyes shut against the heat. The package hadn¡¯t been hot on the outside!


    With the tips of my fingers, I pulled at a sliver of something metal-like poking out of the hot envelope. As I kept pulling, a tray revealed itself and slid out of the bag. Piled atop the tray was a mound of something pearly-white with a golden rectangular slab melting on top of it. Next to the mound stood a thick piece of brown meat glistening in its juice, and a pile of green stem-like plants also sat in the mix.


    I could guess what each was based on the name of the meal the kiosk had shown me. And it didn¡¯t look too strange. The chicken breast looked similar to a quail breast, and the green string things had to have been the green beans. So, that made the cloud-like pile of white¡­ potatoes. A fork and a knife were conveniently packed into the envelope with the rest of the food, so I decided to dig in without another thought.


    My eyes widened as I took a scoop of the soft potatoes and shoved it into my mouth. Salty, soft, and creamy all at once. I especially loved whatever that golden-yellow square was that melted in my mouth.


    ¡°Dex,¡± I called to him mentally, not worried about still chewing and shoveling more of the delectable potatoes and equally tasty chicken and green beans as I did, ¡°what¡¯s the golden piece of food on top of the potatoes?¡±


    ¡°Butter, Rayden.¡±


    ¡°Delicious!¡± I said aloud through another bite of the potato cloud. ¡°I want butter on everything!¡±


    Even as I ate, I pictured how good this ¡°butter¡± would be on a piece of bread. And that was a genius idea if I might say so myself. I doubted anyone else had ever thought of it.

 Chapter 46: The Ocean

    Partway through my third meal (I was so hungry), this time eating something called steak and potatoes, the ship lurched forward. It almost felt like it had stopped too quickly, and the force was too much for the vessel to stabilize correctly. As it happened, my food slid off the pristine white table and into my lap. I leaped from my seat and cursed.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°The ship has left hyperspace, Rayden. We are almost to our destination.¡±


    Grumbling, I wiped off perfectly good potatoes from the armor I still had on. I hadn¡¯t felt comfortable removing the armor, especially in places I knew nothing about¨Clike a spaceship with magic food and hyperspeed.


    Dex directed me to return to the control room, so I did, but I wasn¡¯t happy about it. The gravy from the steak had seeped through the leather bits in my armor and started making my legs cold.


    ¡°Are you going to control me to fly the ship again?¡± I asked Dex.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t controlling you, Rayden. I merely connected my system with your brain and the ship¡¯s systems. We became one entity, and only temporarily.¡±


    His explanation didn¡¯t make me feel any better about it. I slowed my steps on the stairs, nervous to return to that vegetative state where I¡¯d watch my body do things without my say.


    ¡°Are you able to do that with me whenever you wish?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, Rayden. Only when there is a vessel or other machine you are intended to connect with. The Ambition was built by Lord Solomon many centuries ago and responds to his DNA. Artificial intelligence is important in the functioning of this ship, so he designed it that way. Once the ship recognized you as Lord Solomon, I was able to help you control it.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t feel like ¡®helping¡¯ at all,¡± I muttered aloud and under my breath, ¡°more like you forced me.¡± But Dex ignored me. He probably had no idea what it felt like to have someone take over your body¨Che didn¡¯t have one.


    Soon, I settled back into the large chair at the head of the control room and closed my eyes, awaiting another takeover. But it didn¡¯t happen¨Cnot yet.


    ¡°Rayden, if you look out the window ahead, you should be able to see planet X-47-35. That is our destination.¡±


    Eagerly, I rose just enough from my seat to get a good view. My breath left me at the sight. Is that what planets looked like? Just giant orbs floating in the sky among the stars? The planet was still distant but massive, definitely at least 100 times bigger than The Ambition.


    The sphere turned slowly, revealing colorful swirls of cloud-like matter that covered every piece of it. I then saw strips of gray, green, and red underneath the clouds¨Cland masses, maybe? But what surprised me the most were the large sections of deep blue boring into the planet. Was that¡­ water? So much water! Had water mages been able to create that much water that could cover nearly an entire planet? The water mages in Edrona had had a hard enough time maintaining an oasis just half a mile wide. Or had the water on this planet just¡­ been there all the time? Naturally?


    I couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around it. Is that what Dex had meant about needing ships to travel across large bodies of water? The blue on this planet stretched beyond pieces of land and even cut into some of the masses in thin and wide branches. People would definitely need some way of traveling through the water to reach other lands on planet X-47-35.


    I was standing now, the chair pushed far behind me and my hands leaning against the control panel. I couldn¡¯t tear my gaze away from the sight. Thoughts like, ¡°How many other planets are like this out there? Are they all the same? Different? Are there others like where I¡¯d come from?¡± tumbled in my mind before Dex interrupted,


    ¡°Rayden, we must begin our descent now.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    With eyes still on planet X-47-35, I scrambled behind me in search of the chair, then finally pulled it underneath me and sat.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    The same as before; A wave of other-worldly thoughts coursed through me, taking control of all my faculties. I tried to avoid internally screaming in terror this time and just enjoy the descent.


    I screamed internally anyway.


    Something else that I would have no way of knowing¡­ Objects enter a planet¡¯s atmosphere quickly. A little too quickly for my liking. I swear to you that I saw orange flames licking every side of the ship as I plummeted to what I was sure would be my death.


    And that was the first time I felt grateful for the AI¡¯s control over my brain. If I had been flying the ship by myself, which I doubted was possible in any sense of the word, well¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have been able to. I would have been too scared.


    After I¡¯d calmed my thoughts for just a second, I found through Codex¡¯s and my connection that the flames and terrifying speed were all very normal, and the construction of the ship and the set-up of the interior kept me safe.


    Well, don¡¯t hold it against me for thinking that something that looked life-threatening was indeed life-threatening. And I planned to make that mistake again. It seemed like the only way to survive this insane world that I apparently knew nothing about.


    The speed of the ship just seemed to get faster as it fell through the pinkish-red clouds in the planet¡¯s sky, then approached a dot of blue that increasingly grew larger and larger.


    ¡°Uh, Dex, are we landing in that water?¡±


    No answer. Of course, I should have known Dex wouldn¡¯t respond while he used me to fly the spaceship. He hadn¡¯t before! And, of course, I couldn¡¯t squeeze my eyes shut in anticipation of the impact. I couldn¡¯t even blink. I hated this mind control situation more and more.


    Just before the ship smacked against the smooth surface of the blue water like a beetle against my shoe, the ship made a whooshing sound, slowed, and then rose slightly higher. My pulsing blood rushed to my head, and I pictured myself sighing in relief (somehow, imagining myself controlling my own body made me feel better). And then, without any warning, the ship dropped from its hover and landed in the water.


    Foamy waves of dark and light blue crested over the ship''s hull, and I half-expected the vessel to sink. Who knew how deep this body of water was? If it could cover a large portion of a planet, it could also have great depths.


    But, the ship floated. Like that one fat priest back in Edrona who had never even needed to learn to swim¨Chis massive body had been buoyant enough.


    As soon as the spaceship settled, my hands clicked a few dozen more buttons, then pushed the levers forward. All of a sudden, I was cruising through the water toward¡­ What? Land?


    My question was answered once the hull of The Ambition struck a strip of yellow dirt-like land. I hadn¡¯t seen dirt like what the spaceship had wedged itself into before. I searched my head for the information through my AI/ship connection but found that I had moved my hands into my lap by my own volition. The connection had been severed yet again.


    ¡°Dex, that is the strangest dirt I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    The golden flecks of dirt were so small but piled up in tall crests and peaks, and they continued on as far as I could see. The dirt glinted brightly against the one massive sun in this planet¡¯s sky¨CI had to squint my eyes in order to continue studying my surroundings.


    ¡°It is called sand, Rayden. Often found at the banks and within the depths of oceans.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s an ocean?¡±


    ¡°The body of water you just traveled across. An ocean is a large body of water filled with salt. Many sea creatures, or ocean creatures, live within its great depths. These include countless types of fish, sharks, whales, and various plant life.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand any of the creature names Dex had just listed to me.


    ¡°Did water mages conjure these oceans?¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine the Tier level of a mage that could create such an expanse of water. The ocean made the oasis in Edrona look like a tiny puddle.


    ¡°No. Oceans form naturally on planets like this one.¡±


    I looked through the spaceship¡¯s windows behind me and back to the vast expanse of water. Who knew what mysteries lay beyond the giant waves and salty water? Salt in water, however¡­ I didn¡¯t like seeing so much water that I couldn¡¯t even drink! It seemed like a complete waste, and the thought wrenched at my desert-raised heart.


    ***


    The spaceship seemed to have reentered its ¡°autopilot¡± function. Before I knew it, the dripping wet machine had begun a slow, hovering descent into a cave-like structure, similar to the first facility I had found the ship in.


    The land the ship had flown over before tucking itself away underneath the earth had consisted of nothing but sand. I hadn¡¯t caught sight of any buildings or life¨Cnot even any animals, just a few strange, bent-over trees with a bundle of long green leaves hanging off the ends. But I had a feeling that there was much more of the planet I had yet to see.


    Dex said I¡¯d be safe on this planet for the time being, I thought to myself. He said that I''d be protected here from anyone above Tier 15, which should include a god. But if there are no people or any creatures to fight, how am I supposed to train?


    My worries, however, would soon be squelched. All I needed was just a little more patience.

 Chapter 47: The Entrance

    I was beginning to lose count of how many times I¡¯d found myself traversing a dark, stony hall beneath the surface. And I grew less fond of it every time.


    ¡°This is Facility Number 502, Rayden. This facility is another cosmodrome we can use to land the spaceship. There are three other facilities on this planet that are similar to the first one you entered, the one where you were gestated and where you learned of your origin.¡±


    Dex¡¯s words brought on a disturbing thought. If there were so many of these facilities built by Lord Solomon on this planet, did that mean I¡¯d be meeting a bunch of other clones? I didn¡¯t like that idea.


    I said as much to Dex, but he didn¡¯t seem to understand why I felt odd about meeting other mes. But I shouldn¡¯t have expected him to. Besides, I was clone #52, and the Lord Solomon AI had told me that more clones than just 52 existed. Meeting other people who not only looked exactly like me but also all had the same goal of vying for this ¡°becoming Lord Solomon¡± title might be something I¡¯d have to get used to.


    But the longer I could avoid it, the better.


    Dex reassured me to continue following the windy path, even as it descended further into the earth.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± My legs wobbled precariously as my body realized the last I¡¯d slept was a mere two or three hours in a damp cave almost a day ago.


    ¡°To the city, Rayden. Lord Solomon built this planet as a training academy for those who followed him.¡±


    ¡°Followed him?¡± I suddenly remembered that the Lord Solomon AI had said something about followers when he¡¯d told me about the original Solomon¡¯s purpose for building an academy on this planet.


    ¡°So, he had worshippers? Even though he hadn¡¯t been a god for very long before he died?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Lord Solomon attained many admirers throughout his life. His quick ascension to power made many humans believe him to be a god long before he¡¯d even reached the Celestial Tiers. He traveled to many worlds, met many different peoples, and created a reputation for himself.¡±


    I pursed my lips and nodded, then rolled my eyes as the next turn I made in the hall led to yet another branch of trail to follow.


    ¡°So,¡± I said to Codex, ¡°this ¡®training academy¡­¡¯ What is it, exactly?¡±


    ¡°An establishment with many adept teachers who help train students to hone their Skills and advance as quickly as possible to Tier 10. Suppose one wishes to advance to Tier 20 or the Celestial Tiers. In that case, breaking through to Tier 10 before one is too old is important. Aging begins to slow at Tier 7, and it is much easier for one¡¯s body to keep up with the required Soul Strength for high advancement if they attain those higher Tiers sooner rather than later. That way, their body stays limber, and frailty won¡¯t get in the way.¡±


    I rubbed my forehead. ¡°Uh, so¡­ How old is too old?¡±


    ¡°It is best to reach Tier 10 before the human age of 50. But, of course, the quicker you can get there, the better.¡±


    ¡°How old was Lord Solomon when he reached Tier 10?¡±


    ¡°22 human years old.¡±


    That tracked. Dex had said aging only slows once someone hits Tier 7, and the Lord Solomon AI looked to be in his mid-40s. I didn¡¯t know if the aging process continued to exponentially slow once you continued to climb the Tiers past Tier 7, but I did know that Lord Solomon had lived at least two or three centuries and still managed to remain looking middle-aged.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Dex, does aging stop completely at some point?¡±


    ¡°At Tier 15, Rayden.¡±


    That made sense. ¡°How old was Lord Solomon before he died?¡±


    ¡°541 human years.¡±


    I stopped walking. Of course, I had already known Lord Solomon had lived for several hundred years, but hearing his actual age and realizing that I might have to live that long someday sent a shiver through my spine.


    I shook my head and continued walking, starting to reason through the ¡°age-slowing¡± process. Advancing to Tier 7, then climbing through to Tier 15 had obviously only physically aged Lord Solomon by 20 years or so. And then his aging had stopped. Of course, his mind and Skills continued to grow and strengthen. I wondered how wise someone could become at 541 years old. In fact, many of the gods I¡¯d seen in Lord Solomon¡¯s memories the first time I¡¯d met his AI must be much older than that¨Csome even millennia older.


    I remembered how agonizingly slow it had seemed to take to just turn 16, the age requirement for going through a Marking Ceremony in Edrona. To even have the patience to let centuries pass me by before I could even think about ascending to godhood felt daunting.


    ¡°You said there were teachers and students. Will I be meeting a lot of people?¡± I asked.


    A part of me, the lonely, and I¡¯ve been running on my own for too long, part of me, wanted human interaction. Dex didn¡¯t quite cut it. But another part, the part of me that had just witnessed everyone I cared about die by the hands of the monstrous Nagari tribe, wanted to isolate myself and learn to live without companionship. People just¡­ die.


    ¡°Yes, Rayden. As I said, there will be many teachers and students. My database also informs me that there are civilian settlements on this planet, some within academy boundaries. This planet started as a home for this training establishment, and it has quickly turned into a place where many of his clones could learn and advance to Tier 10. I know many other Codexes have directed their clones to this very spot.¡±


    A groan rumbled in my throat. It sounded like I would have to meet other ¡°mes¡± sooner than I¡¯d thought.


    ¡°Not only can you learn to advance through the Tiers more efficiently with the tools here, Dex continued, ¡°but there are also treasure rooms that Lord Solomon had set in place to reward his clones and further help them on their journeys.¡±


    I knew what the word ¡°treasure¡± meant but didn¡¯t see how piles of gold and jewelry could help us clones much on our ascension. Maybe it could help pay for things, but¨C


    ¡°These rooms are unlocked for the worthy and have many items and tools to choose from,¡± Dex said, interrupting my personal thoughts.


    ¡°What sort of items? And how do you unlock these rooms?¡±


    A pause. ¡°My database does not have that information, Rayden.¡±


    I shrugged, bringing my eyes down to watch my feet as I stepped and thought, so I missed the stone door carved at the end of the path, only noticing it once my head slammed into it.


    ¡°Ow,¡± I grumbled, rubbing the sore spot on my forehead.


    ¡°This is the entrance to Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy, Rayden.¡±


    I stepped back and directed a quizzical eyebrow at the simple gray door with shoddy stonework and no handles or knobs to be seen.


    ¡°I expected something more¡­ grand,¡± I thought back to Dex. ¡°And this academy is underground? Why?¡±


    ¡°Press your palms into the center of the door,¡± was all he said in response.


    So, I did. The rough surface was so cold it was numbing, but I pressed in even harder. Still, nothing happened. I retracted my arms and very much wished Dex had a head so I could knock him over it.


    ¡°Dex, are you sure¨C¡±


    A soft buzz shook the door in front of me¨Cslightly, but still enough for me to notice. A warm yellow light shot over the lines meeting the edges of the door and the wall it had been carved into, leaking out gold-like streams that seemed to pour from the other side of the stone slab.


    Strange symbols, unlike anything I could compare them to, carved themselves magically into the center of the door as if an unseen person stood there and slowly chiseled them into the stone with an invisible knife.


    At first, I couldn¡¯t make any sense of the symbols with their long lines and random swoops and dots. But then, every stroke seemed to lift from the door and jumble together until they spelled out ¡°Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy¡± in gold Edronan lettering. Had Codex just translated the words for me? I¡¯d thought he could only do that when people were speaking.


    Well, that¡¯s convenient, I thought with a smile.


    A sound like nails scraping against rock resounded as the door rolled over like the turning of a wheel on a cart, then retreated to a hidden side pocket of the wall. I brought up a hand to my eyes as bright white light flooded my vision once the door disappeared. I rubbed my eyes with my palms to adjust to the light. Once I did, my breath hitched in my throat at the sight before me.

 Chapter 48: Underground City

    My first thought was that I felt ashamed that I had ever thought of Edrona as a city. My second thought was that this city didn¡¯t seem like a place for Solomon worshippers.


    I first cowered at the sight of two lines of giant marble statues depicting Lady Euridice, which started from the entrance I stood at and then continued down a long, straight road. But my discomfort was soon forgotten once I noticed more people than I¡¯d ever seen at once milling about on the straight road and conducting their various tasks. I still stood alone right outside the little cave entrance, but just looking at the masses felt suffocating.


    And there was essence. Massive amounts of it. There were definitely enough people to attract the thousands of streams. The blue threads bobbed and weaved in hoards over the thousands of heads, offering a glowing blue decor that lit up the already bright and bustling city.


    Without even thinking, I began pulling the essence toward me and storing the streams in my Soul for later cultivation. And I would continue to do so until my body couldn¡¯t take anymore.


    My attention fell back on the lines of eerie Euridice statues with white eyes that I felt could bore into my flesh with just one glare. At the end of the lines of statues stood a massive structure made from marble like the hundred or so Euridice statues. It towered several hundred feet tall, with looming spires and wide columns to hold the heavy structure erect. Circles of iridescent blue lights that blended in with the hoards of essence lined the building in an organized pattern of straight lines and offered a beacon for the entire city.


    Similar lights, just larger, dotted the walls and ceiling of this underground metropolis, like glowing blue stars that trapped the people in a never-ending, eerie night. I could see no windows or source of natural light anywhere¨Cnot even behind the towering buildings made from metal that lined every inch of the circular area.


    A sound like the hum of a beetle, just much louder, rang in my ears, offering me just enough warning to duck back into the hall in the cave before a flying object whizzed past my face. The object was large and slim, entirely made of a shiny black material. It carried two people in narrow seats as it flew. Four circles protruded from the underbelly of the machine like wheels on a cart, but these wheels were horizontal, had no spokes, and glowed a dim orange around their edges.


    ¡°Watch it, idiot!¡± one of the passengers yelled at me, waving an angry gloved fist in the air. His voice was deep and lilted with a heavy accent that I couldn¡¯t recognize. But, of course, Dex had still been able to translate his words, though I would¡¯ve been fine without knowing them.


    Eyes wide, I stumbled back into the light and found that many of these machines buzzed around the city, carrying people to various destinations. Some were bigger than others and could even carry up to six people.


    I¡¯d never seen anything like it!


    And the people¡­ They were all so different! All of the Edronans, except for me¨Cthe baby found mysteriously in the desert¨Chad been dark-skinned with brown eyes and hair and naturally tall and lanky. But that wasn¡¯t the case here. I saw many who looked very similar to the Edronans, which did ease some of my anxiety as they reminded me of home, but I also caught sight of people who looked like me¨Clight-skinned and smaller in stature.


    I found myself rushing forward five more steps, excited to see such a wide range of different people. I even saw people of varying sizes and hair colors¨Cincluding hair colors that I¡¯d never imagined seeing on someone¡¯s head. Long hair with pink streaks, blue spiky hair, golden hair¡­


    In addition to some who looked similar to the Edronans or even to me, others looked slightly tanned or even darker than an Edronan. I also saw children running about, some escaping the watchful eyes of their parents and snatching at the strange piles of food and toys displayed at different booths set up along the city¡¯s main road.


    Feeling my excitement increase, I dared yet another step forward but froze before I could set my foot down for a second step.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Nagari!


    I held my breath and reached a hand toward the spear strapped to my back, slowly retreating deeper into the safety of the cave.


    Wait¡­.


    I relaxed the hand reaching for my weapon but maintained my ready stance as I watched a group of three humanoid and Nagari-like figures strolling past me. They laughed with one another, eating foreign foods, and they paid me no mind. They looked a lot like those who belonged in the savage Nagari snake tribe back on my planet, with their snake-like faces covered in scales and narrowed, yellow eyes. But upon closer inspection, I realized there were more human features in their faces and in the way they walked that differed from the Nagari I¡¯d come to know back home.


    And these three made no move to attack anyone.


    In fact, the closer I studied the rest of the people in the city, I noticed that many of them had animal-like qualities. I saw people with tails on their rears, scales covering arms, feathers protruding from long necks¡­ It seemed I had no idea what sort of races and human-type species existed in not just this universe but all others. And everyone seemed civil and acted¡­ normal.


    It made me wonder again how ¡°savage¡± the Nagari back on planet X-47-14 really had been. The Edronans and I had always treated them more like monsters than anything else. But¡­ maybe the way we¡¯d treated them had been unfair.


    ¡°There will be a day when the Nagari and the humans will live together. That is what they promised us.¡±


    The words that dying Nagari had said to me right before one of its companions had killed Drayek ran through my mind. The chaos of the Nagari army massacring all of the Edronans and learning that the Priests of the city and my best friend Sarina had been working with them had made it difficult, at the time, to think too much about why the Nagari had followed along in the Priest¡¯s plan. Maybe they¡¯d wanted to show the Edronans that they were people, too. Maybe they¡¯d felt like we¡¯d deserved their attack on us.


    And had the plan to attack the city and kill all of the Marked even been Priest Kane¡¯s plan? The Priests had always talked about how they worked to enact Lady Euridice¡¯s will. Maybe she¡¯d used a ploy to manipulate both the Priests and the Nagari to make sure I had died in the end. The leveling of one city in her expansive domain wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference to her. She had plenty of supporters. And perhaps she¡¯d really wanted me dead back then.


    I shook myself out of my reverie and clutched at my pounding heart, feeling sick at the possibility that Euridice had actually been in Priest Kane¡¯s ear that entire time. But now, she didn¡¯t want to kill me¡­.


    I ignored any thoughts of such things and focused on the city before me. Thankfully, not one of the hundreds of thousands of people had moved toward me or offered me any uncomfortable attention. Possibly because the population was already so great that my presence was of no consequence. Maybe I could blend in after all.


    But there was one problem: Euridice was everywhere. Not only depicted as many, many statues, but I could see her visage painted on blankets that Tradesmen and Tradeswomen (were they called that here? Well, they were merchants of some sort) sold, and on banners that rippled over the ledges of various buildings.


    I took cautious steps backward again, remembering her ominous warnings to me back on my home planet.


    ¡°I thought you said this establishment had been built for followers of Lord Solomon.¡± I tried to shove an irritated tone into my thoughts, even though I knew Dex didn¡¯t have the capacity to recognize the context that human inflection could bring to dialogue. ¡°It seems to me that these people worship Euridice.¡±


    As suspected, Dex didn¡¯t grasp my annoyance one bit. ¡°This Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy looks significantly different from the one my databases are showing me.¡±


    I retreated even further back into the cave, avoiding staring at the two statues starting the line of Euridices just four feet away from the gaping entrance.


    ¡°Is it still safe? From the goddess?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, Rayden. I need to do some scans and update my data.¡±


    I dared a glance up at one of her statues. It wasn¡¯t dissimilar from the gray stone structure depicting the goddess that had stood before her temple in Edrona. But, unlike the one back home, I didn¡¯t feel a darkness or a heavy weight slinking toward me as I stared at this statue in front of me. Her eyes seemed motionless and as inanimate as a hunk of carved marble should be. I had no reason or feeling to assume she could see or get to me.


    And did I even have a choice?


    ¡°Is there somewhere better for me to go? Should we get back into the spaceship?¡± I asked internally.


    ¡°No, Rayden. The Ambition cannot run again until it has refueled itself, which will take approximately six days.¡±


    ¡°Is there somewhere else on this planet I can go to?¡±


    ¡°You could. However, human life above ground on X-47-35 is difficult to sustain. Tier 5 through 7 monsters on the surface prowl the entire planet, one of the many reasons Lord Solomon built this academy underground. That and to keep it hidden. Though, the population has grown exponentially than what my records say it should be at.¡±


    It was decided. Staying at Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy was my best option, at least for now.

 Chapter 49: Merchants

    I clenched my teeth and stepped out of the cave and back into the light, darting my eyes about to remain alert and keep from getting my head lopped off by another flying machine. A handful whizzed by a few feet above my head, but the drivers seemed more aware of my presence than that first one had been.


    I walked past the first two Euridice statues that stood at five or six times my height, but other than my uneasiness that stemmed from my negative emotions toward the goddess, I felt no threat or dark presence threatening to crush me. Though changed and obviously not a city with evident Lord Solomon worshippers, it could prove safe anyway.


    The more Lady Euridice statues I passed without getting struck down, the straighter I stood. I felt completely invisible with so many people clumping around me, which eased my anxiety a great deal.


    I¡¯d expected everyone to study me, a newcomer, and ask where I¡¯d come from. People may arrive in this city more often than not. Even wearing my silver armor while everyone else was clad in black (which was strange¨Cwhy did they all need to match?), I still blended in just fine. Many shoulders and knees did bump into me, but no one even stopped to apologize. I found myself bouncing around the crowds like a ball with nowhere to go.


    I wiggled through the hot and sometimes smelly bodies and aimed for the sides of the wide paved road. But then, I was no longer invisible, at least not to the merchants. Eager hands shoved unusual objects in my face, yelling out their self-proclaimed amazing deals.


    ¡°Only 20 credits!¡± one scrawny woman with sunken cheeks and fraying gray hair screeched at me as she waved a slender piece of metal that glowed yellow on either end. It just looked like a glorified stick. ¡°This Chroma Spark is better than any you¡¯ll ever find! It will whiten your teeth in just two seconds.¡±


    Whiten my teeth? Why would I want that? And what are credits? Is that their form of currency? I pushed her hands away and continued toward the large marble building at the end of the road. I didn¡¯t know where else to go, but it seemed like my best option.


    My stomach growled at the various savory and sweet smells that wound their way into my nose. I found my mouth watering at the sight of juicy meats and foreign fruits displayed at many of the booths. I didn¡¯t know what food tasted like on this planet, but it all smelled delicious.


    I made my way to a long table with a purple awning hanging over the seller, which cast shadows over his face and made the elongated scar across his eye look deeper, further sallowing his sickly features.


    ¡°You hungry, boy? I can see it in your eyes,¡± the man grumbled deep in his chest as he picked at the dirt underneath his fingernails with a knife. Not something I¡¯d want to see someone doing around food, but I was too hungry to care.


    I opened my mouth to respond but found my words stuck in my throat. The overstimulating atmosphere of babbled chatter and the buzzing of flying machines zipping overhead made it difficult to think straight. So, I just nodded.


    ¡°I have some freshly seared tuna and sea bass. Caught them myself on the surface. I also have some sliced pineapple and a bundle of peeled mangoes.¡±


    I didn¡¯t recognize the names of a single food item he¡¯d listed. Given how little I knew while in the spaceship''s dining facility, I should have expected this to happen. Still, my confusion must have shown on my face because the merchant chuckled. He leaned over the table with dirty hands planted extremely close to the lines of pink and white meat¨Cthe tuna and sea bass, maybe?The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You new to this planet, kid? Never seen fish before? Or pineapple?¡±


    I eyed the strange foods he gestured to and found I didn¡¯t care if I didn¡¯t know what they were or what they¡¯d taste like. I was so hungry.


    I swallowed. ¡°Uh, you talk as if new people from other planets show up here every day.¡±


    ¡°Not every day, but often.¡± The merchant leaned back in his wooden chair and scratched at the stubble dotting his tan face. ¡°I take it that you are new here and don¡¯t have any credits to pay for anything. You¡¯re wasting my time, boy.¡±


    He shooed me away, but I raised my hands in front of myself and shook my head. ¡°But I have some things worthy of trade, maybe¡­.¡±


    My right hand landed on the small leather pouch tucked underneath the armor at my hip. My fingers twitched over the area as I debated pulling out the two cores I had.


    Every living thing had a core¨Ca marble-like object that used the essence stored in our Souls to cultivate. The stronger the person the core belonged to, the stronger the core.


    One of the cores in my pouch had belonged to the Tier 4 Nagari that had killed Drayek, the only father figure I¡¯d ever had. The thumb-sized marble core had more essence within it than I could imagine, and I¡¯d been saving it for when I might need it most. But¡­ It was also hard to get rid of it so soon when it had belonged to the monster that had ended Drayek.


    The other core buried in my pouch, slightly smaller than the one from the Tier 4 Nagari, had belonged to Priest Kane, a Tier 3 Priest of the goddess Euridice. Through the use of my Tier 2 Skill, I had replicated his Water Manipulation Spell and killed him with his own makeshift water sword. I¡¯d gotten lucky. Extremely lucky. And I could remember vividly the squelch of his flesh and blood as I dug the core from his abdomen.


    Decidedly, I fumbled with the pouch strings and pulled it out into the open. I procured Priest Kane¡¯s core and held it up to the shimmering blue lights shining above. I didn¡¯t have to remain cautious about touching the core with bare skin because I had the gauntlets that matched my armor wrapped over my hands. But, something that worked along with my ability to draw in essence, touching a core with my bare skin would drain it of its essence stores. Most people had to swallow a core, but that was another advantage of mine. And I didn¡¯t want to drain the essence of a core I was trying to sell. It would make it worthless.


    ¡°I have this for trade. It¡¯s a Tier 3 core.¡±


    ¡°Tier 3!¡± The merchant spat over his shoulder in apparent disgust. ¡°That¡¯s worth next to nothing, child. Now move on. You''re in the way of my real customers.¡±


    I threw my free hand onto the table, clutching the core in my other tightly. Any trepidation I¡¯d felt earlier dissipated like an errant breeze. ¡°You can give me something for that, can¡¯t you? What about some of those credits you were talking about?¡±


    The merchant scowled, deepening a thin scar cut over his bottom lip. ¡°I couldn¡¯t give you much for that, kid. Honestly. Maybe two or three credits?¡±


    I had no idea how much these ¡°credits¡± were worth, but the numbers ¡°two¡± and ¡°three¡± didn¡¯t excite me.


    ¡°But have you even registered yourself into the city yet?¡± the merchant said. ¡°You can¡¯t carry any money without entering into the academy¡¯s systems. But once you do, they¡¯ll insert a neural implant into your head, and you can store your credits there.¡±


    I felt the blood leave my face. ¡°A neural implant? In my head?¡±


    The man¡¯s grin grew from ear to ear. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not too bad. Just a minor surgery where they cut into your skull and deposit a piece of metal into your brain.¡± He propped his hands behind his head and leaned back into his chair. ¡°There¡¯s never too much blood, and most survive the procedure.¡±


    The hint of a laugh in the merchant¡¯s voice clued me into the fact that he was messing with me, most likely aggrandizing how bad the procedure actually was. But I still did not like the sound of a ¡°neural implant¡± or anything foreign going into my head. Especially if they had to cut me open and dig into my brain. But then again, I already had an AI in my head. I could at least do more research and decide whether this "registering" would benefit me more than deter me.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°Where do I go to do that?¡±


    The merchant pointed a knobby finger toward the looming building with dozens of pillars and eerie dark windows¨Cthe place I¡¯d been heading to anyway.


    I turned my body toward the marble building and rolled my shoulders back.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said half-heartedly to the merchant, continuing my trek down the road.

 Chapter 50: Registration

    I quickly noticed that everyone in the place wore matching outfits¨Cblack and connected with no seams like the shirt and trousers had been sewn together. The only thing that differed from one person to the other was the colors dyed at the end of their sleeves and right over their wrists. I saw yellow sleeves, orange, blue, red, purple¡­ Some had the same colors as others, and many walked in groups with a different color for each person.


    ¡°Dex, do you know what the different colors on people¡¯s sleeves mean here?¡±


    A long pause. Longer than Dex¡¯s pauses typically lasted¡­.


    ¡°No, Rayden. I still need to complete my scans. But would you like me to tell you as soon as I have the information?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡±


    The wide steps that stretched below the gaping mouth of the building¡¯s entrance were filled to the brim with people sitting upon them. They lounged on the marble steps, many craning their necks up to the high and massive ceiling that enclosed the city in a dome-like structure. Most of them had yellow-dyed rings on the ends of their sleeves and those with yellow looked close to my age¨Cboys and girls alike. Some maybe slightly younger, and others just a few years older, but all adolescents or barely in their 20s.


    A handful of the loungers on the steps had orange on their sleeves and looked older than those with yellow on their wrists. The youngest of the oranges was maybe in her mid-30s. Did the colors differentiate age groups? Levels of life? Maybe their Tiers?


    One person in particular stuck out to me, and I slowed my march at the sight of him. He stood underneath the open archway entrance with arms crossed over his broad chest and black clothes rippling underneath him, blown by the air that flowed out of the building as people walked past him. The portion of the sleeves above his wrists displayed the flame-like orange that a few others in our surroundings displayed.


    But this man was still different from everyone else. Why? A dark, helm-like covering hid his entire face. Even the smooth surface hiding where his facial features would be was tinted so dark I couldn¡¯t make out what he looked like at all. But the strangest thing¡­ It felt like he was staring at me. I couldn¡¯t quite determine why I felt that way, but I could almost detect some sort of power prickling along my skin and causing the hairs on my neck to stand on end. And if I had to guess, that power came from the hidden-face-man. That and I noticed that his head moved, though slightly, to follow me as I moved.


    Though I was different and one of the only ones not in one of these black outfits with a color on the sleeves, no one else paid me any attention. Newcomers in this city must be a common occurrence. But this man did, and that set my teeth on edge.


    I forced my attention away from the mysterious man but could still feel him watching me. I did my best to ignore it and walked over to the crowd sitting on the steps in front of the building.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said to a young woman with bright yellow hair plaited in tight braids. She sat on the bottom step of the three and twirled the end of one of her many braids around a finger.


    Her gray eyes (I couldn¡¯t get over the variety of people in this city¨Cmy blue eyes had been the only differing color in all of Edrona) flicked up to my face, then she rolled them with an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°What d¡¯ya want?¡± she snapped in a shrill voice.


    ¡°Uh, I was told I need to register. Where do I¨C¡±


    She pointed a finger over her shoulder, directing me to the entrance of the building.


    ¡°In there,¡± she said. ¡°Now leave.¡±


    Was everyone in this place going to treat me like scum?


    I hiked up the steps in my clanking armor, feeling increasingly self-conscious that I was still in a set of armor while everyone else wore their matching black clothes. At least no one seemed to care about my presence there. But I couldn¡¯t shake off the chill shuddering down my spine as I passed the helmeted man leaning against the right wall of the archway, burly arms still crossed and head following me as I went.


    Once inside the building, I found the interior looked even more ethereal than the city itself. Long, billowy banners painted a deep red spilled over the dozens of white balconies. Sewn into each banner were golden symbols like the ones I¡¯d seen at the entrance to this place, but Dex quickly translated them for me, and I read ¡°Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy¡± everywhere I looked. The balconies that these banners hung from were built into the tall walls of the building and protruded from doors entirely made of glass. These doors led to what I could only guess were rooms of varying sizes.


    The floor was black, with subtle gold veins swirling within its glossy surface. The floor was so slick as I stepped that I had to concentrate to keep my boots from sliding. Orbs of yellow light dangled from the ceiling, hanging by thin silver chains.


    I peered up at one of the large orbs. It was transparent, but I couldn¡¯t see any fire within the objects. Where did the light come from? Magic? I¡¯d seen many mysterious lights since entering that first facility of Lord Solomon¡¯s back on my home planet but could only ascertain that some sort of spell was used to create them. But back in Edrona, we''d used torches and candles to light rooms and even to light the spacious altar room in the Temple of Euridice. I¡¯d have to figure out what Skill one needed to create these fireless lights and use my Tier 2 Skill to steal it and use it for myself. It¡¯d definitely come in handy. I¡¯d lost count of the times I¡¯d found myself in some dark, creepy place with no light to reveal my path.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    The long hall that started at the entrance led to a desk at its end, set before a midnight black staircase that wound its way through the many floors above and all the way up until I couldn¡¯t see it anymore. I squeezed between lines and clumps of yellow and orange-sleeved people, the only two colors I saw in this building, save for a sprinkling of a person or two with green on their sleeves. These green people remained on the sidelines and scrubbed floors or wiped windows.


    I approached the older woman sitting behind the wide wooden desk at the end of the hall. The desk displayed intricate carvings of creatures with pointed tails and buggy eyes. Carved atop the creatures¡¯ bodies were detailed scales, similar to scales I¡¯d seen on snakes, Nagari, Rockcrawlers, and other reptiles in Edrona. And whoever had carved these reptile-like beasts had depicted them mid-swim in a wave of water hitting a bank of sand. At least, it looked like the piles of grainy golden dirt I¡¯d seen on the surface of this planet, the same dirt Dex had called ¡°sand.¡±


    ¡°How can I help you, child?¡± the woman croaked through a near-toothless yet kind smile.


    My shoulders relaxed as I felt relieved to see even an inkling of kindness. ¡°I was told I need to register or something?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Are you new to this planet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    Her beady eyes narrowed into slits as her wrinkles crested over them due to her growing smile. ¡°Very good, very good. And where, may I ask, did you come from?¡±


    ¡°Should I tell her¡±? I instinctively thought to Dex.


    Another excruciatingly long pause.


    ¡°Codex, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°My scans are not sensing any imminent danger, Rayden,¡± Codex said, answering my first question with no acknowledgment of the second.


    ¡°My home is on planet X-47-14,¡± I said to the woman.


    ¡°Ah, so you hail from the same galaxy as us. I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t have to travel far.¡±


    I forced away a grimace at her rotting grin. I didn¡¯t want to offend the one person who¡¯d shown me kindness.


    ¡°No, not far¡­.¡± I agreed half-heartedly.


    It felt far to me. Having to climb onto a spaceship, travel through space at hyperspeed, travel across an ocean (and as far as I understood, oceans could cover a lot of distance), then walk an hour down a tunnel to even make it to the city felt exceptionally far. But then again, I haven¡¯t had to leave a galaxy before, or a universe for that matter. Who knew how long it would take to travel to another universe?


    With frail, shaking fingers, the elderly woman tapped along the surface of her desk, seemingly pressing buttons that I couldn¡¯t see. But I could hear the clicks as each of her long nails landed on the spots her fingers danced across.


    A puff of air blew into her face, making her straggly gray hairs fly up like startled birds. A piece of the desk in front of her slid away, and then an enormous rectangle with a smooth black surface rose from beneath the new hole. The rectangle stopped just above her nose, so I could still see her eyes over it.


    ¡°Name, please?¡± she sang.


    ¡°Rayden Grim.¡±


    Her fingers began clicking along the desk again. The desk stood at about my mid-chest, so I rose to the tips of my toes to better see what she was doing. I could barely catch it, but something akin to symbols that quickly turned into Edronan letters, thanks to Dex, flashed across the surface of the rectangle. Was it a sort of screen?


    ¡°R, A, I, D¨C


    ¡°R, A, Y, D, E, N,¡± I interrupted.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she chirped merrily, tapping her pinky on one spot multiple times before all her fingers began click-clacking again. ¡°And how old are you?¡±


    ¡°16.¡±


    ¡°And what status would you like to assume? Academy Resident or Academy Student? As a resident, you can attain jobs in the city and stay for as long as you¡¯d like. As a student, you can still take on a job, but you will also live within the academy building,¡± she waved enthusiastic hands around us, gesturing to the entire premises, ¡°and you can take classes and more efficiently advance through the Tiers.¡±


    ¡°I still have not found any danger here, Rayden. I recommend you enroll as a student.¡±


    Taking Dex¡¯s urging, I told the woman, ¡°I¡¯d like to be an Academy Student, please.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± More clicking. ¡°And what Tier are you currently?¡±


    I swallowed. ¡°Uh, Tier 2.¡± Even before I saw the shadows fall over her eyes, I knew my Tier wasn¡¯t something to be proud of. The Tier 3 core I had couldn¡¯t even buy food here.


    ¡°Well, Rayden, I¡¯m sorry to inform you, but Tier 2 is too low to enter the academy program. Please come back and try again when you¨C¡±


    A shrill and lengthy beep interrupted the woman. She flicked her eyes back onto her screen and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh¨Cuh¡­¡± she stuttered with more hurried clicking on her desk. ¡°Well, it seems there is an alert attached to your name. The headmaster is expecting you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? How? Does someone already know I¡¯m here? Why would they want to see me specifically?¡±


    I didn¡¯t dare imagine how someone would know I¡¯d arrived. Or imagine the type of someone who wanted to speak to me personally. I didn¡¯t know anyone outside of Edrona. Something felt off about it¡­.


    A whirring sound was followed by another sound of paper ripping, all behind the large screen that obscured my view of the bottom half of the woman¡¯s face. She snapped a white sheet of paper in front of me, then set it down on the counter between my clenched fists.


    I read the words, ¡°Admission to see Headmaster Jaeke Bohin,¡± on the square paper in large black letters.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked. ¡°Am I in trouble?¡±


    The woman ignored my questions, stretched a long fingernail over the paper, and tapped the words. ¡°The headmaster is on the top floor. His offices are the only rooms on that floor, so you should be able to find him quickly. And this slip will grant you an audience in case anyone asks.¡±


    The woman¡¯s words were snippy, all her kindness and warmth slipping away and leaving my insides cold. Was it that bad to be a Tier 2? Did she feel like I¡¯d wasted her time? Maybe I wasn¡¯t allowed on this planet at all. Maybe everyone was stronger than I thought¡­.


    Only one way to find out.


    Sighing, I pulled my arms away from the top of the desk and offered her a quick nod in thanks. I retreated to the base of the winding staircase positioned just behind her desk and began the long trek upward.

 Chapter 51: Headmaster Bohin

    I was embarrassingly out of breath when I reached the top of the seemingly endless staircase. But if I had counted right, I¡¯d passed forty floors. Thankfully, the stairs had been mostly deserted, and even the people I walked by paid me no heed; some even came close to running into me. No one seemed to care, and the fact that newcomers were common became more and more apparent to me.


    But even if my Tier 2 armor somehow didn¡¯t stick out in a world full of matching black outfits, I still longed for the moment I could finally rip the metal off of me. I¡¯d only taken off the armor two or three times while in the desert after escaping Edrona, but only to try and wipe out my sweat with my dirty tunic. Otherwise, I kept the set on to protect me against any enemies. And especially after the visit from Lady Euridice, I felt a strong desire to keep any protection I could.


    Darting my eyes back and forth, studying the top floor designed in an oval shape, I noticed no one around to see what I did next. Sighing in relief, I planted my hands on my wobbly knees and took a second or two to gasp for air. A few flights of stairs shouldn¡¯t have taken it out of me, but my body had had enough. What I desperately needed was a meal and a real bed.


    I allowed myself only a moment¡¯s respite before straightening my back and wiping away a drip of sweat that had escaped past my hairline and threatened to fall over the tip of my nose.


    ¡°Offices,¡± I muttered aloud, staring at the six doors circling me on every side.


    The woman downstairs had said the headmaster¡¯s offices were all that occupied the top floor of the building. Did this ¡°headmaster¡± really need so much space? What even was his job? And did it really require so many offices?


    ¡°Dex, do you have anything in your database on Headmaster Jaeke Bohin and what he does here?¡± I asked, wanting to know what I was about to get myself into.


    ¡°I do not have anything specific on Headmaster Jaeke Bohin, Rayden, but I do know that Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy has always had headmasters. The headmaster is in charge of the school, and back when Solomon had established the city, the headmaster also, by default, managed the entire city.¡±


    ¡°Like the Priests in Edrona?¡± I said, stepping closer to one of the doors in front of me. This door boasted a wider girth than the others, with some dark staining splashed along the wooden trim, making it look more aesthetically pleasing.


    ¡°It is a similar situation, yes,¡± Dex said.


    ¡°Alright, guess I should talk to the boss of this strange place,¡± I thought more to myself than to Dex.


    Based on only a guess, I assumed the larger door of the six was my best option for finding this man. Maybe it was the entrance to his main office¡­. If he wasn¡¯t behind this first door, I had to reconcile with the fact that I might have to knock on every one before finding him.


    As I raised my fist to rap on the door, a shimmer of gold rippled in front of me, forming a slightly transparent wall that struck my hand.


    ¡°Ow!¡± I cried, retracting my fist from the wall that had magically appeared and stung my hand on impact.


    Bold black words floated over the shimmering wall and read,


    PLEASE PRESENT YOUR ADMISSION SLIP TO SEE THE HEADMASTER


    Blinking away the shock, I lifted the slip in my left hand to the screen.


    YOU ARE ADMITTED


    The wall wafted away as if blown by an unseen wind. I rubbed my stinging knuckles, afraid to try to knock on the door again. But the appearance of the magic wall boded well for the fact that I¡¯d picked the right door.


    With a long exhale, I slowly brought my knuckles up to the wooden door and knocked. Thankfully, nothing but wood met my fist.


    ¡°Come in!¡± a high-pitched and barely masculine voice called from behind the door.


    I hesitated, then finally fumbled with the doorknob and twisted it with shaky fingers.


    It didn¡¯t take much effort to swing the door open. In fact, I pushed it forward a little too hastily and winced as the wood slammed against the textured maroon-colored wall inside the room. I craned my neck around the agape door and grimaced at the chipped paint that revealed white stone underneath.


    ¡°Sorry¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no issue,¡± the same voice from before said. It came from the opposite end of the room, but I couldn¡¯t see the face that belonged to the voice as the headmaster had buried his face into a stack of papers clutched between extremely calloused hands.


    ¡°Happens all the time. That mark was already there,¡± he finished, gesturing to the chipped paint on the wall.


    ¡°Oh, uh, alright,¡± I said, shifting from foot to foot, unsure what to do.


    ¡°Oh, goodness, boy. I said come in, not stand there with a stupid look on your face and let the drafty air from the hall into my cozy office.¡±


    The man threw down his stack of papers and rested pointy elbows atop them. His beady green eyes, enlarged by a pair of oversized spectacles, searched me up and down. He wrinkled his nose as he studied me, but a hint of a smile danced along the corners of his lips.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Following his prompting, I scurried in and shut the door behind me. The office was cozy. And warm. A furnace-like object loomed in the corner on my right. I didn¡¯t think fire or warm coals burned behind its metal door because I only saw a floating orange and yellow glow with no dancing flames¨Csomething magical like the lights hanging from the ceiling on the first floor. But I knew it was used to warm the room because I could feel the heat waves radiating from the device and permeating the air all around me.


    And something about the clutter dirtying the office contributed to the headmaster¡¯s self-proclaimed ¡°coziness.¡± Papers, pens, and small devices that I could only guess were screens of some sort littered the floor and scattered over the few pieces of wooden furniture that matched the tall desk the headmaster sat behind. And his desk was just as cluttered, if not more so. Piles of papers, stacked so high that I feared they¡¯d teeter over and start a storm of flying, paper-made torrents, surrounded the headmaster in untidy lines.


    The man who studied me behind his comical spectacles matched the clutter. His dark hair, peppered gray from age, stood up in unruly clumps, and it seemed he¡¯d only shaved half of his face this morning, as his left cheek hid under a shadow of hair and his right cheek shone like the skin of a newborn baby.


    The silver streaks in his hair and the wrinkles scoring his eyes suggested the man was at least middle-aged, but I realized I really had no way of determining his actual age. As the headmaster, I¡¯d assume him to be at least a few Tiers above Tier 7, which could make him much older than he looked.


    ¡°So, you were able to pass my barrier. You must have been given an admission slip to see me.¡±


    I quirked my head to the side. ¡°Are you talking about this?¡±


    I procured the slip of paper the older woman had given me during my registration with his name and instructions for me to see him.


    The headmaster nodded rapidly and waved his hand at me to come closer. I did, holding out the slip of paper to him. Once I barely came close enough, he snatched the slip from my gauntleted hand and perused the words.


    ¡°Ah, yes, yes. Very well, then. Let me check my records to see why they sent you up here.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I was told you were expecting me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll see about that.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Uh, what? You don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re expecting me or not?¡±


    The headmaster didn¡¯t answer. A screen similar to the woman¡¯s downstairs rose out from underneath his desk after just a wave of his hand. He tapped fingers along the surface of his desk, pushing aside stacks of papers as he did, which made the urge to hold my breath and anticipate the inevitable fall of papers difficult to suppress. But nothing fell. This man seemed accustomed to his cluttered habits and could navigate his mess better than I¡¯d given him credit for.


    ¡°I¡¯m Headmaster Bohin, by the way. But you can just call me by my first name, Jaeke,¡± he said as he tapped.


    My tense fingers relaxed, and I found myself smiling. I shouldn¡¯t have been so nervous to meet this man. He was the only one showing me any kindness, save for the woman downstairs¨C at least before she¡¯d learned I was a Tier 2.


    I bit my lip. Would Jaeke do the same thing? Would he dismiss me once he found out my low Tier? Back on my home planet, Tier 2 was respectable. But I was learning rather quickly that things were very different here¨Cin a lot of ways.


    ¡°And you are¡­?¡± Jaeke said, narrowed eyes glaring into mine. He¡¯d stopped tapping on the unseen buttons. I hadn¡¯t noticed he¡¯d been waiting for me to respond.


    ¡°Oh, uh, Rayden. Rayden Grim.¡±


    He rolled his eyes, but that same ghost of an amused smile from before played on his face. He then continued tapping.


    After another few seconds, Jaeke stopped his finger drumming and looked at his glowing screen, and then he looked at me. He looked back and forth from me and to the screen at least three times before taking a sharp inhale of breath and pushing his glasses out of the way to pinch the bridge of his nose. He mindlessly waved his hand again, and the screen returned to its place underneath the desk.


    ¡°It is very good you came up here. It seems I have been expecting you.¡±


    My mouth fell open as I tried to conjure up a question that would gain the answer I needed as to whatever he meant by that. Wouldn¡¯t he know if he¡¯d wanted to see me before I came up?


    ¡°It seems we are to allow you to compete for a chance to enter the academy.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I wrung my hands, which I¡¯d tucked behind my back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say someone important wants you here,¡± Jaeke said, his large smile still intact.


    I wanted to push for more information, but something about the steady stare the headmaster gave me said that he wouldn¡¯t say more on the subject. But who would want me here? Did someone know I was a Solomon clone? Maybe Solomon himself put some sort of alert into the city¡¯s systems to allow all his clones a chance to enter the academy program.


    Yeah, that¡¯s it! I thought.


    ¡°Codex, did Lord Solomon set up a way for all his clones to enter the academy regardless of their Tier?¡±


    No answer. Codex¡¯s responses were starting to get spotty. But I didn¡¯t feel like now was the time to think too much about that.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re only a Tier 2?¡± the headmaster said, eyes back on the screen.


    I rubbed the back of my neck and avoided his gaze. ¡°Is it really that bad?¡±


    The headmaster sighed and leaned back into the cushioned headrest of his tall chair. He positioned his hands behind his head, making the loose sleeves of his black robe fall over his shoulders. I noticed just then that he was dressed differently than everybody else in this city. It could have something to do with his being in charge.


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily bad, per se. Many residents at Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy have never advanced very far. But when it comes to the students¡­¡± He clicked his tongue and leaned forward. ¡°We¡¯ve only ever accepted a Tier 2 into the program twice in the last century.¡±


    I swallowed down the groan that rose to my throat. ¡°But, you have accepted Tier 2s before. What do I need to do to make it a third time?¡± I tried to keep a hopeful tone from leaking through my voice. ¡°You said something about competing.¡±


    Jaeke rested the tips of his fingers on his desk and pushed himself out of his chair. I stepped back, surprised. The man was even shorter than I was. Yes, I¡¯m short. But I had reason to believe that wouldn¡¯t always be the case¨CI¡¯m the clone of a mighty god who, I know firsthand, was a very tall man.


    But the headmaster¡­ He stood about two heads shorter than I and filled out with pudgy rolls in his mid-section, and his shortness only enhanced his roundness. I would have never guessed his weight based only on his sallow cheeks and pointed chin.


    ¡°There is one thing you could do,¡± he mused with a glint in his eye. ¡°You can prove you are adept, even at Tier 2.¡±


    I rolled my shoulders back, daring to allow hope to burn in my chest. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Survive a duel against one of our beginner students.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®beginner?¡¯¡±


    ¡°A student in their first year, still a fresh Tier 4.¡±

 Chapter 52: The Terms

    ¡°Tier 4?!¡± I couldn¡¯t see myself, but I knew I had gone pale. My hands dropped to my sides, and I looked dejectedly at my feet. ¡°Your beginner students are Tier 4?¡±


    The headmaster shrugged and marched over to a short table that held a silver pot and two matching cups with thin handles. Teacups? I¡¯d seen them before, at a Tradesman booth in Edrona at the Markets.


    ¡°Sometimes we¡¯ll have a promising Tier 3 and, like I said, twice had some Tier 2s. But typically, our first years start at Tier 4.¡± He held up the silver pot. ¡°Would you like some tea? It¡¯s peppermint.¡±


    Just another nonsense word I couldn¡¯t understand: ¡°peppermint.¡± It was starting to get irritating that I had to approach this new world like a newborn child. I made a mental note to ask Codex if we could program him to explain new things to me as I went, kind of like he had on the spaceship. But only if we could figure out a way to do it without him needing to take over my body. I wasn¡¯t keen on experiencing that again.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I said, not feeling much like tea at the moment. ¡°But, if I agreed to this duel of yours, what would be the terms?¡±


    The headmaster whistled an unfamiliar, short tune as he poured steaming brownish liquid into one of the teacups. ¡°All we need to see, in order to proceed with your student enrollment, is whether or not you can survive a duel against one of our Tier 4 students for at least 60 seconds.¡±


    I pursed my lips and watched curiously as Jaeke sipped cautiously at his hot tea. He shook his head after one sip and walked over to another short table with silver dishes covered by matching lids.


    I had done something similar before, a duel against someone to prove I had advanced to Tier 1. That duel had been against Sarina, my best friend. My heart wrenched at the thought of her. Her lifeless face filled my mind, accompanied by a memory of what it felt like to hold her as she¡¯d gone limp. I shook my head and pushed away any of the negative emotions that bubbled uncomfortably in my stomach.


    But in my duel against Sarina, I¡¯d had to prove that Lady Euridice had Marked me after my second Marking Ceremony. Edronans had only ever been allowed one Marking Ceremony¨Can event reserved when you turn 16 and attend the goddess¡¯s temple for the first time in the hope of receiving her Mark. As we¡¯d all been told, a Mark would allow us to cultivate and advance through the Tiers. Even though tradition allowed only one Marking Ceremony per person, Drayek had convinced the Elders¡¯ Council to allow me a second one. Granted, I never got a blasted Mark. Turns out I¡¯d never needed one. In fact, nobody needs one!


    At that time, I¡¯d had to last five minutes against Sarina, but she was only a Tier 1. A Tier 4 was a whole different story. Sure, I only had to last 60 seconds in this duel, but a lot could happen in a fight in even 10 seconds. But¡­ I had killed a Tier 3 Priest! That reassured me, especially when I ignored the fact that I had gotten very lucky.


    Jaeke plucked the lids off both the dishes on the second table and scooped spoonful after spoonful of white sugar into his cup. He lifted the other dish, the one shaped like a tiny pitcher, from the table and then poured some sort of white liquid into his tea. The liquid looked creamy and refreshing, and I found my mouth had started watering.


    The sooner I agree, the sooner I can eat, I thought hopefully. Maybe if I agreed to these terms, the headmaster would offer me a decent meal and a place to sleep.


    But in reality, food isn¡¯t what motivated me. Both Codex and the Lord Solomon AI had told me that this academy helped people learn and advance to Tier 10. I didn¡¯t know exactly what the ¡°academy program¡± entailed, but I knew for a fact that I could learn more here than I would by myself. Codex had said the sooner you reached Tier 10 while remaining relatively young, the easier it was on your body. And I wanted to get to Tier 10¨Cno, I wanted to get to the Celestial Tiers. For Drayek. If he could still watch me in the afterlife, and I hoped that he could, I wanted to become a god for him. Making him proud took precedence over anything else.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it,¡± I finally answered.


    ¡°Splendid!¡± Jaeke did a little hop on the balls of his feet, causing a splash of his tea to crest over his teacup and fall to the wood floor. ¡°We will discuss details tomorrow. I am sure your travels have left you weary. I will call in a member of the staff to take you to a vacant room and provide you with some food and clothes. We at Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy are nothing if not hospitable!¡±


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever felt so much relief as I did after hearing those words in my entire life.


    ***


    I stared at myself in the dormitory¡¯s (dormitory is what that staff member with the green color on his wrists had called the room) full-length mirror with narrowed eyes. The ¡°jumpsuit,¡± as the scrawny, sickly man had called it, hung on my body loosely, like it was meant for someone three sizes bigger than me. The sleeves and pant legs hung so far over my hands and feet that it was almost like they weren¡¯t there anymore. I looked ridiculous.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Sighing, I pulled the sleeves over my shoulders as high as I could. As I did, my eyes caught sight of the color on the wrists of the sleeve. They¡¯d given me a jumpsuit with dark gray rings, a color I couldn¡¯t remember seeing on anyone in the entire city. Granted, the city and the academy building were massive. There could very well be ¡°gray-sleeved¡± people about that I just hadn¡¯t seen yet. But I wondered what the gray color meant.


    It was evident to me that all the colors designated people into specific groups; I just didn¡¯t know what groups those were yet. I guessed those with green on their sleeves, like the man who had led me to my dormitory, were servants of some sort¨Cworkers for the academy. Every person I¡¯d seen cleaning the building had green sleeves.


    But Headmaster Bohin had no color on his ensemble whatsoever. In fact, he hadn¡¯t had a jumpsuit on at all. He had long robes colored black all over. I could determine easily that his robes represented his authoritative status, but I had no guesses about anything else.


    My reflection looked back at me warily as if my mind begged me to retreat to bed. I stepped closer to the mirror and placed fingers under my eyes, stretching my skin down to reveal the redness around my blue irises. Though my face was now clean thanks to the magic shower down the hall that that staff member had shown me (Who knew you could have water run through pipes to clean you, let alone hot water? I¡¯d be raving about that for years to come.), my face still looked disheveled. My cheeks had sunken in further than they used to, and dark circles surrounded my tired eyes.


    I¡¯d definitely lost some weight since my last day in Edrona before it had been destroyed, and I could do with a few more of those amazing showers and a lot more of that pineapple the staff member had brought me just minutes before leaving me to myself. That and all the fish he had piled onto my plate. For a city where I couldn¡¯t buy any food with a Tier 3 core, the people within the actual academy were treating me very well.


    I tried not to think about that too much because, knowing myself, I¡¯d end up dwelling on it and never getting any sleep. My tired limbs succeeded in convincing me that rest was more important.


    With a yawn, I retreated to the narrow bed tucked away into the far right corner of the dormitory. The room itself didn¡¯t impress with size. It was hardly more than a wooden box that held a simple bed with white covers, a mirror, and a small desk that could barely fit a pen and sheet of paper on its surface. But I had no desire to complain, and I felt not even a sliver of annoyance. I¡¯d been raised in a hovel that housed a place for Drayek and me to sleep and an acting kitchen and dining room. And that had only been three times the size of this dormitory. Just the sight of a bed¨Csmall, narrow, lumpy, who cares?!¨Cmade me more than happy.


    I fell onto the soft white covers¨Csofter than the covers I¡¯d had at home, that¡¯s for sure. I¡¯d never noticed how scratchy my blankets and monster hides had been in Edrona¨CI¡¯d had nothing to compare them to. But these were cloud-like in comparison. Or, at least, they felt like what I¡¯d imagine clouds to feel like.


    I buried myself into the covers with a satisfied chuckle and continued to wrap them around my body until I¡¯d effectively cocooned myself. Just as my head hit the thick pillow¨Cwhat did they fill it with, feathers?¨CI felt myself begin to drift off into that state of semi-conscious lightness just before you fall asleep.


    ¡°Rayden?¡±


    My eyes flew open and I groaned into the pillow, which muffled any of the sound that came out of my mouth.


    ¡°Where have you been, Dex?! You haven¡¯t answered me for hours!¡±


    ¡°I do not know what you mean. I have been here the whole time.¡±


    I wiped the grogginess from my eyes, too tired to argue with him.


    ¡°My scans of the city are complete,¡± Dex said. ¡°At least what I could scan. I was able to connect with some of their electronic systems and learn more. I now know how most of Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy functions and can help explain things to you when prompted.¡±


    I rubbed my eyes. ¡°That¡¯s great news. Thanks.¡±


    I thought the words with a lot of sarcasm, but in reality, it really was great news. Maybe I wouldn¡¯t be scrambling in a world I couldn¡¯t understand anymore.


    ¡°Is there any way you could tell me what things are and what they mean as I come across them? Like how you did it on the spaceship? But,¡± I added hurriedly, ¡°without taking total control over me? I can¡¯t even begin to guess what some of these foods, machines, and even clothing that I¡¯m coming across are.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Rayden. Now that my scans are complete, I can do this for you. I will send definitions and images to your mind whenever you come across something unique to this world¨Cas long as my scans include information on the things you come across. It will be similar to how I automatically translate foreign languages in both writing and speech for you.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I replied, too tired to think too hard about how it would feel to just know instead of feeling absolutely lost. I could think about those things tomorrow. However¡­


    ¡°What do the gray-colored rings mean on my jumpsuit? I assume the variety of colors put people into different categories of some sort.¡±


    ¡°This is correct, Rayden,¡± Dex chirped back. Though his voice always had a monotone, mechanical quality, I could somehow sense an air of excitement. Was he excited? Could he feel things like that?


    ¡°You may have noticed that there are many different colors one can have on these required jumpsuits,¡± he finished.


    ¡°Required?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Rayden. Once registered as a student or resident, one is required to wear a jumpsuit.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not a resident or a student yet. Why¡¯d they give one to me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where the gray on your sleeves comes in,¡± Dex responded. ¡°Gray is reserved for those who do not have a designated job or title yet. Once you are a student, they will switch your jumpsuit to yellow. If you just become a resident, you will receive blue. And if you are a resident and attain one of the many jobs here, you will receive a different color.¡±


    I nodded with a yawn. ¡°Alright, alright. Makes sense. Can I go to sleep now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Rayden. I will never keep you from your much-needed rest.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, still unsure if Dex could see me make facial expressions but not caring either way. He¡¯d already interrupted my sleep just minutes before. But it didn¡¯t take long for sleep to come. As soon as I closed my eyes, a deep slumber overtook me.

 Chapter 53: Mess Hall

    I awoke from my dreamless sleep to the sound of someone¡¯s knuckles rapping on the narrow dormitory door. As I woke, I jerked my head back and snapped a kink in my neck that only made it more sore¨Ca kink I¡¯d developed some time during my lone travels on my home planet¡¯s desert.


    ¡°Ow,¡± I mumbled hoarsely, rubbing at the back of my neck as I slowly sat up and swung my legs over the mattress.


    The mattress bounced with a squeak as I braced myself to push off and land my feet on the cold, stone-like floor. I winced as first my toes, then my heels, landed on the cool surface and wished more than anything that I could just dive back into the warm covers. I tiptoed over to the door with hurried steps and turned the knob, opening the door just a crack, but even slightly open, blinding yellow light spilled into my room from the brightly lit hall.


    Blinking wearily, I peered around the door and out to the hall but found no one standing close enough to have knocked. I looked down and frowned at a pile of neatly folded black cloth and a folded white note resting atop it. I stepped out to retrieve the bundle but stopped at the sound of high-pitched giggling coming from somewhere down the hall to my right.


    I threw my head in that direction to find the source of the giggling, remembering my trauma-filled years of enduring bullying from people who didn¡¯t like how I differed from them or how they made fun of me for my relative weakness.


    I found the group of girls that snickered and pointed my way, some with golden hair, some who looked more Edronan as I remembered them, and even one with bright blue pigtails. All six of them had the yellow rings dyed into their sleeves, and they definitely were poking fun at me for some reason. But I quirked my head at the flush of red blossoming on half of their cheeks.


    I looked down at myself. Yeah, I had just gotten out of bed, but other than the jumpsuit that nearly swallowed me whole, what was so funny? Was it really just that? Or maybe my hair stuck up in some unruly and amusing fashion¡­?


    Frowning, I retreated back into my room and shut the door. A chorus of hastened footsteps ran by, and the giggling continued with them but faded along with their footsteps.


    That was strange.


    I dropped the bundle on my modest-sized desk and scooped up the note. I ran a finger underneath the folded crease and pulled it open to find very swoopy, hard-to-read words.


    After a moment of squinted eyes and real effort, I finally made out,


    Rayden Grim,


    With this note, you will find a jumpsuit that should better fit you. I am


    sorry you had to endure wearing a larger size last night, but that is all I could


    get you in such short notice. But now that we have had the time, we


    should be able to provide you with a supply of jumpsuits your size.


    The mess hall is open from 6:00 in the morning to 10:30 for breakfast, noon


    to 3:00 in the afternoon for lunch, and 5:00 to 9:00 in the evening for


    dinner. I have arranged for you to eat at no cost to you in preparation for


    your duel. After that, we will then decide your status at the academy, and you can find work to


    provide yourself the means to purchase your own food.


    At your convenience, please see me in my offices again this afternoon. I


    will be there all day today and will await your presence. There, we will


    discuss further steps we need to take before your duel.


    Regards,


    Headmaster Jaeke Bohin


    ***


    The least the headmaster could have included in his note were directions to this ¡°mess hall.¡± Of course, I figured out what a mess hall was on my own, even without Dex¡¯s help, when I read that the mess hall was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And those were all the words I needed to read to know I wanted to find the place as soon as possible.


    I figured the many students milling about the halls in front of their individual dormitories might eventually lead me to where I needed to go to get to this mess hall.


    That, or I could just ask, I thought, chastising myself for not wanting to muster up the courage to talk to any of these people.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Many yellow-sleeved students looked close to my age, with some younger, but only barely, and some slightly older. I really shouldn¡¯t have felt trepidation to have a conversation with my peers, but a lifetime of ostracization and other children not wanting anything to do with me sort of messed me up when it came to making friends. Sarina had been my only friendly peer my entire childhood and through our teenage years before she died.


    Thoughts of Sarina¡¯s bloodied, broken body plagued my mind, which caused me to slow my steps toward a group of three boys huddled in front of a door at the end of the long hall. What right did I have to even try to make new friends? The only people I¡¯d ever cared about had died. And Sarina had died because of me.


    I clutched my chest as that thought crossed my mind. In the past few days, I hadn¡¯t once blamed myself for Sarina¡¯s death. But maybe that was because I hadn¡¯t allowed myself much time to dwell on the events that had caused it. She had betrayed me and Edrona by working with Priest Kane. She¡¯d followed his vile intentions to take over Edrona by slaughtering all of the Marked with an army of ruthless Nagari. But¡­ she¡¯d helped me in the end. Without her joining in on my fight against Priest Kane, I wouldn¡¯t have come out alive. And if I hadn¡¯t been fighting him, she would have never come to my aid, and she might be well and alive right now instead of buried underneath the dust of a destroyed city.


    I don¡¯t have to make friends with anyone, I decided to myself. I just need to ask where the mess hall is.


    I continued my steps toward the three boys. I had to clear my throat three times to get their attention. Once I finally did, they turned their noses down at me and frowned.


    ¡°What?¡± the one in the middle, an extremely tall boy with dark hair like mine, snapped.


    I lifted my chin confidently. The fire in the boy¡¯s eyes and the disdainful quiver in his downturned lips that he aimed in my direction reminded me of the bully Dorian back on Edrona. He¡¯d seemed to have made it his life¡¯s goal to torment me without end. But, along with Sarina, Drayek, and the rest of Edrona, Dorian was also gone. And I wasn¡¯t about to let anyone new bully me.


    ¡°Would you care to tell me where the mess hall is?¡± I said with a tone of ironic politeness.


    The three boys looked me up and down, all of their eyes landing on the gray rings on my sleeves.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a student or a resident yet?¡± the one on the right, much shorter than his other comrades, quipped. ¡°How did you get a dormitory in the academy without a yellow jumpsuit?¡±


    I shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°That¡¯s between the headmaster and me, I guess. Now, mess hall. How do I get there?¡±


    ¡°Second floor,¡± the middle boy chimed in again with a roll of his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t miss it.¡±


    I offered the three of them a mocking salute and turned on my heel in the direction of the staircase. My dormitory was on the fourth floor, so I didn¡¯t have too far to go, thankfully. But later, I still had to climb to the top floor and meet with Headmaster Bohin¡­ again. But first thing was first, food.


    ***


    The mess hall reminded me a lot of the dining facility on The Ambition, with kiosks donning glowing screens to order and magically receive meals and long tables spread along the length of the entire room. Yes, very similar, but about three times the size of the dining facility on the spaceship. Here, there were a dozen kiosks on every red-painted wall. A line of at least ten students and some other older people with orange rings on their sleeves stood before each kiosk, all waiting patiently to order their food.


    The noise from the endless chatter in the mess hall set my teeth on edge. It reminded me of the noise and bustle that the Traders¡¯ Markets back in Edrona brought every day. I didn¡¯t much like large gatherings of people there and found that I liked it even less here.


    Not wanting to attract too much attention to myself, I kept my head down and tucked my sleeves into the deep pockets at my sides to hide the gray rings. Those boys back in the dormitory hall had seemed all too curious about my status here, and I didn¡¯t feel like having more than one of those confrontations. The sooner I could get through this duel and receive a jumpsuit without the gray, the better.


    My goal of not attracting attention succeeded all the way through my wait in line at one of the kiosks and even during my turn to make food selections.


    My fingers no longer tense, I clicked through the prompts on the screen until it read, PLEASE HOLD STILL FOR SCAN.


    I did remain still, but mostly because I didn¡¯t know what to expect next. A blue wave of light shot from a disc-shaped lens atop the tall screen and ran over my entire body in an instant. I blinked from the flash, seeing white spots in my vision.


    As soon as my eyes readjusted, the kiosk read, NO NEURAL IMPLANT DETECTED. ARE YOU RAYDEN GRIM?


    Two words flashed at the bottom of the screen: YES and NO.


    I selected the ¡°yes¡± and held my breath, half-expecting another blue light to blind me. But only the words, THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE. YOUR BREAKFAST HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, rolled over the screen.


    I waited for a list of meal, snack, and drink selections to flash in front of me, but instead, the screen went completely back. The only thing that met my eyes was my blurred and confused reflection.


    A soft hum came from the machine, and a panel at the bottom flew open, revealing a tray with a tall glass of water and a thick white package, similar to the food packages on the spaceship.


    I shrugged, not annoyed in the slightest that I didn¡¯t get to choose what I ate. At least it was free. I pulled the cold metal tray out of its tight compartment and carefully balanced it above my hands and wrists, successfully keeping the gray rings on my sleeves hidden from view. People continued to pay me no heed as I weaved away from the kiosk, dodged the lines of hungry students, and headed toward a relatively empty table.


    The white package revealed a hot slab of tender beef, Dex¡¯s system revealed to me the name ¡°beef¡± with no effort on my part. It was like I¡¯d recalled the name of the brown meat with hints of red from my own memory.


    Next to the meat rested a potato. When Dex showed me the word ¡°potato,¡± it initially excited me, but I quirked an eyebrow at the shape of it. Instead of a pile of gorgeous white softness, the white food was contained in a wrinkly brown sleeve. Through Dex¡¯s database, I learned quickly that the log-like shape was how potatoes looked when plucked from the ground, and the pile I¡¯d eaten on the spaceship had used the potato¡¯s innards to create a mash. However, I happily discovered that the potato remained delicious in any form.


    I quickly shoveled the food into my mouth, only stopping to wash it down with some of the cold, refreshing water. It didn¡¯t taste as clear and tasteless as the water on the spaceship, but it was more than welcomed by my parched throat.


    Feeling satisfied with the meal, I leaned into the rigid backrest of the metal chair that matched all the other seats around the many long red tables in the mess hall. Though no longer hungry, I reminisced over the juicy pieces of beef and the perfect salty taste that had accompanied it. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder eagerly what they¡¯d serve me for lunch.


    With my eyes still closed and my mind still reeling over the deliciousness of my breakfast, I suddenly felt the hairs on the back of my neck and arms standing on end. I could feel someone¡¯s eyes on me.


    I opened my right eye only slightly and discreetly searched the room. Finding no one watching me at the front, I slowly turned my head over my shoulder. Once I met her stone-cold, forest-green eyes with strange flecks of purple and gold, my heart leaped to my throat.


    ¡°She found me,¡± I whispered through trembling lips. ¡°Lady Euridice found me.¡±


    End of Book 1

 Chapter 54: Meeting Nic

    Book 2


    No! No, it can¡¯t be her, I thought, instinctively pushing my back against the table behind me to try to get as far away from the goddess as I could. She looks like her, but¡­


    It wasn¡¯t her. This¡­ girl was just that¨Ca girl. Though Lady Euridice emitted a godly agelessness, she still looked like a grown woman. And this girl standing twenty feet away from me and staring me down with narrowed eyes couldn¡¯t have been more than 18. But the similarities she shared with the goddess were uncanny.


    Tucked away behind the shadows of one of the kiosk columns, this young Euridice look-alike twirled loose curls of her white-blond hair between a thumb and forefinger. The locks of her thick hair fell past her hips and curled at the ends like the curves of a dozen hooks. She was slender and small, most likely shorter than I, and the delicate features on her tan face matched her petite size well. She was pretty. Very pretty. But just thinking that churned my stomach into knots. She looked too much like the all-powerful goddess who hated me. Objectively, Euridice was gorgeous. But she was also deadly, deceptive, and evil.


    Regardless of the way this girl looked and the way she glared at me, I felt drawn to her for some reason, like an indescribable pull of a string that had been tied between the two of us. I found myself rising from my chair and taking a step toward her, then another, and another. The girl straightened, no longer leaning against the kiosk. Her pink lips drew into an ¡°o¡± shape as I approached, and she gave me a subtle shake of her head. I read it like a warning¡­ like she didn¡¯t want me to come any closer.


    I ignored the shaking of her head and continued forward but was stopped by the weight of a firm hand grasping my shoulder. I gasped as the hand whirled me around to where I could no longer see the girl. Instead, my eyes met with nothing but a dark helmet that hid the face inside of it.


    ¡°You,¡± I whispered to the man I¡¯d seen at the entrance to the academy building¨Cthe one I¡¯d sensed had been watching me when no one else in the city had even acknowledged my presence.


    ¡°You must come with me,¡± the tall man said. His words were muffled underneath his head covering, which made it hard to hear him clearly, but something about the deep timbre of his voice sounded familiar.


    The mysterious man gave me no chance to argue as he wrapped firm fingers around my right arm and pulled me out of the mess hall.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing!¡± I cried, making more than a few heads turn our way.


    ¡°Quiet, boy,¡± he scolded.


    He continued to barrel his way down the corridor just outside of the mess hall and turned us around one sharp corner, then another. We whizzed past large paintings of old men and women sitting very stoic as they¡¯d posed for the painter, and I caught sight of maybe three portraits of Headmaster Bohin. Were all these paintings depicting past headmasters? They all wore the billowy black robes that I¡¯d seen on Jaeke just the day prior.


    But even as we walked by detailed, extraordinary paintings and bits of marble architecture that differed from anything I had yet seen in this building, my main concern was why this mysterious person who didn¡¯t like to show his face was dragging me somewhere. In fact, I was concerned about where he was taking me.


    ¡°Who are you? Where are you taking me?¡± I finally said as he stopped us in front of a narrow wooden door with white paint.


    ¡°So many questions. I don¡¯t like questions,¡± he grumbled back as he turned the brass knob, then threw me into the dark room that lay waiting behind the door.


    The man followed in after me and slammed the door shut but didn¡¯t move to do anything that might light the pitch-black space. My back was met with a cold wall, and a few stick-like objects prodded against my ribs.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll answer your stupid questions now.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see the man in the dark, but his voice sounded way too close for comfort.


    ¡°I took you to a storage closet¨Csomewhere people won¡¯t spy on us,¡± he said. ¡°And two, it doesn¡¯t matter who I am. What matters is how, by the gods, you got to this planet?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I muttered, pressing myself against the wall to avoid touching this crazy person. ¡°Why do you care?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°You are a clone of Solomon Rohn, are you not?¡±


    ¡°Wh¨Cwhat? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± I sputtered.


    ¡°Stop with the ridiculous lies, boy. I know who you are.¡±


    ¡°How?!¡±


    ¡°Another question where the answer does not matter,¡± he snapped. ¡°Now, how did you get here? Did your Codex take you to one of Solomon¡¯s spaceships?¡±


    I folded my arms tightly across my chest and frowned. This was getting ridiculous and somewhat terrifying. How did he know so much about what it was to be a clone, like the fact that I had a Codex? Was he a spy for Lady Euridice? Did he want to kill me? Unless¡­


    ¡°What clone number are you?¡± I whispered.


    Silence. I¡¯d caught the man off-guard. Maybe he hadn¡¯t expected me to deduce his identity so easily.


    ¡°23,¡± he said dejectedly, his voice lilting with surrendered defeat. ¡°What number are you?¡±


    ¡°52.¡±


    I heard the clone¨Canother me, but I was choosing not to dwell on that too much. It helped that I couldn¡¯t see his face¨Crelease a heavy sigh. Through his helmet, his sigh sounded like the sudden halt of a rushing wind.


    ¡°Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy isn¡¯t what it used to be,¡± he said. ¡°I learned that the hard way. Everyone here worships Lady Euridice, and there are some people who know of Solomon¡¯s clones¨Cpeople who don¡¯t take kindly to us and our existence.¡±


    I noticed that was the second time this other clone hadn¡¯t called Lord Solomon, well¡­ ¡°Lord.¡± It seemed strange because even I still called the goddess Euridice ¡°Lady,¡± even after everything I¡¯d learned about her. But that mostly came from habit. Maybe I was reading too much into this clone¡¯s speech patterns.


    ¡°Is that why you hide away beneath a mask? Because people don¡¯t like Lord Solomon clones?¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. If you haven¡¯t noticed, there is a wide diversity of species and races here. And I have developed an¡­ eccentric reputation here. Wearing a helmet at all times isn¡¯t as weird to the citizens of Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy as one might think. And now that I am a teacher at the academy, people tend to let me be.¡±


    I had so many questions and no idea where to begin. This was my first time meeting another clone. I knew it was bound to happen at some point, but standing there in front of another me made it all too real, and I found myself at a loss for words.


    The only thing I could finally get out of my mouth was, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± A very bland question compared to the millions of others I was dying to know the answers to.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have the time to get to know each other. I think you should leave this place before anyone notices who you look like.¡±


    I threw my hands up in the air, annoyed. All of my shock had disappeared in an instant.


    ¡°I have nowhere safe to go!¡± I said. ¡°Lady Euridice said she has ¡®plans¡¯ for me, whatever that means¨C¡±


    ¡°Wait, Lady Euridice?¡± I could feel the other clone¡¯s body leaning in closer. ¡°She visited you?¡±


    I gulped. ¡°Uh, yeah. Sort of. As a hologram.¡±


    He just called the goddess ¡°Lady Euridice¡± but doesn¡¯t say Lord Solomon¡¯s title¡­. I shook my head. No, he was just repeating what I¡¯d said.


    More eerie silence that grew all the more uncomfortable in the pitch-black darkness.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± the man finally said. ¡°You¡¯re right, though. This might be the safest place for you. People above Tier 15, including gods, are still unable to reach this planet. That part of Solomon¡¯s construction of this city remained intact, at least.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I was trying to say,¡± I breathed, planting fists on my hips. ¡°Codex thinks I should stay here, too, and he believes it is safe. His scans haven¡¯t sensed any danger.¡±


    I froze, realizing something. ¡°You should have a Codex, too, right? Hasn¡¯t he told you that there is no present danger?¡±


    ¡°I turned that thing off a long time ago.¡±


    My jaw dropped. ¡°What? How? Why?¡±


    The other clone, who still wouldn¡¯t tell me his name, groaned. ¡°Again, with the questions. Look, kid, for now, try not to draw too much attention to yourself. I assume you¡¯re enrolling as a student.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, I noticed the gray rings on your sleeves. You must be lower than they wish you to be. What are you, Tier 3? I was only Tier 4 when I arrived on this planet all those years ago.¡±


    I wrinkled my nose up in embarrassment. ¡°Tier 2,¡± I muttered.


    I hadn¡¯t expected him to laugh so hard. In fact, he guffawed so loudly I had no problem whatsoever hearing it through his face covering.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky they¡¯re considering you at all,¡± he wheezed.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± I said, ¡°So, they¡¯re not giving me a chance because I¡¯m a clone? There¡¯s not something in the system that alerted my presence to the headmaster?¡±


    The other clone gave a little shrug. ¡°I couldn¡¯t answer that for you. There could be lots of reasons you interest them.¡±


    But that didn¡¯t explain why the academy systems sent me to the headmaster before he¡¯d even met me. I¡¯d assumed it had something to do with my DNA matching the man who had created this palace. I¡¯d tried to ask Codex and search his databases for an answer to that mystery, but even my AI¡¯s scans hadn¡¯t determined the reason. And I didn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°What are they having you do to prove yourself?¡± my companion said, distracting me from my nerve-wracking thoughts.


    ¡°Duel a first-year student,¡± I answered.


    More laughing. ¡°The lowest any of those kids are is Tier 4. Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said half-heartedly, which matched his sarcastic ¡°good luck.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again, kid. But, like I said, try to stay inconspicuous. Those gray sleeves and a duel won¡¯t help with that much, but I¡¯ll see what I can do to help you.¡±


    Those words of his were actually sincere. I nodded, forgetting he probably couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°By the way, my name is Nic Gerves.¡±


    I smiled, despite myself. ¡°I¡¯m Rayden Grim.¡±


    ¡°Glad to see you go by your given name, too. I hate all that ¡®Clone Number So-and-So¡¯ nonsense.¡±


    And with that, Nic left me alone in the dark storage room, leaving me to think about how much I agreed with his sentiment: I hated that nonsense, too.

 Chapter 55: The Opponent

    Headmaster Bohin gestured for me to sit and held out a steaming cup of peppermint tea. Once I sat, I accepted the cup of tea this time around. It tasted nice, especially with the added sugar and the cold white liquid that I learned through Dex was called ¡°milk¡±¨Ca white substance that came from the same animals where they got that delicious beef: cows. I was starting to really like cows and their contributions to food on planet X-47-35.


    The subtle bite of peppermint warmed my throat as the sweet liquid spilled down into my gut. I sat uncomfortably on one of the many wooden chairs in Headmaster Bohin¡¯s office, squirming under his steady gaze. He sipped his own tea nonchalantly, amused eyes never once leaving my face, even as he tilted his teacup to drink.


    ¡°Well, uh, thank you for the tea,¡± I said, placing my now empty cup on the short table next to me. ¡°You said you needed to meet with me, so¡­ here I am!¡±


    I twiddled my thumbs in my lap and waited for an irritating amount of long, drawn-out seconds of silence.


    ¡°Yes, you are here,¡± Jaeke finally replied, also setting down his teacup. He rested his elbows on his cluttered desk and settled his chin atop his clasped hands. ¡°Final preparations have been made, and we have your duel scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    I released a long breath of air. ¡°So soon?¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be relieved.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am!¡± I assured him, but the sweaty palms that I mindlessly wiped over the pant legs of my jumpsuit begged to differ. ¡°So, I assume you¡¯ve decided who I am to duel against.¡±


    ¡°Indeed we have. Come in, Cinthara!¡±


    The headmaster waved an enthusiastic hand toward the door that stood cracked open just a sliver. The door swung open the rest of the way, slamming into and further chipping the wall in the office¨Cthe same wall I¡¯d accidentally slammed the door against just the day before. But the person who swung the door so aggressively didn¡¯t look nearly as remorseful as I had.


    I bore down on my teeth, unable to hide the frown that scored my lips at the sight of the Euridice-look-alike¡¯s bored yet determined face. Seeing her again made my heart plummet to my feet.


    I have to duel her? Something about the situation felt off and extremely dangerous.


    Cinthara¨CI guess I now had a name to attach to the Euridice-like face¨Cstrolled into the office with her hands tucked in her pockets. She didn¡¯t glance at me once, but as she came closer, that odd feeling of an unknown connection and desire to get closer to her burned within me even stronger than it had in the mess hall. To keep myself from rising and going to her, I gripped the seat of my chair so hard my knuckles turned a dangerous white.


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t guessed by now, Rayden, you will duel Cinthara tomorrow.¡±


    The headmaster gestured for me to stand and approach Cinthara, like he wanted us to be friendly with one another. I cautiously rose and stepped over to her with my lips drawn into a tight line. I reached out my hand to shake hers, but she kept her own tucked away into her pockets. Maybe shaking hands on this planet wasn¡¯t a thing. But the way her violet eyes scanned every inch of me sent a shudder down my spine. I could feel the condescension in her gaze. But there was something else in her expression¡­ Recognition? Did she recognize me as a Lord Solomon clone? Or, maybe she just felt the same tug as I did, like our minds needed to connect in some way.


    Jaeke cleared his throat and gave Cinthara a pointed look. She sighed and let her eyes roll dramatically, but she pulled a hand out from one of her pockets and shook mine.


    ¡°What a pleasure to meet you, Rayden. I am so excited to bash you up tomorrow.¡± Her soft yet firm voice dripped with sarcasm.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s all mine,¡± were the only words to come out of my mouth. I winced and withdrew my hand from hers, dropping my head to hide the redness beginning to warm my face.


    Cinthara shoved her hand back into a pocket and turned to the headmaster. ¡°Is that all, sir? You just wanted me to meet the kid I¡¯m supposed to defeat tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± I interjected before Jaeke could respond. ¡°How do you know you¡¯ll beat me?¡± Now that we had stopped shaking hands and I wasn¡¯t trying to stare down her gaze, I felt confident enough to defend myself.


    She whirled over her shoulder to face me again. ¡°Because you¡¯re a Tier 2, idiot.¡±


    ¡°Remember, Rayden,¡± the headmaster interrupted before I could slew some annoyed profanities in Cinthara¡¯s direction, ¡°you don¡¯t have to actually defeat her.¡± The headmaster grinned at each of us in turn. ¡°You just have to last 60 seconds.¡±


    ¡°I doubt he¡¯ll last 10,¡± she scoffed.


    My face warmed, but not from embarrassment this time¨Cfrom anger. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°To answer your question, Cinthara,¡± the headmaster chirped up, ignoring my whispering under my breath, ¡°yes, I wanted you to meet Rayden. I want the two of you to treat each other amiably, no matter what happens. It¡¯s the most sportsman-like thing to do. Now¡­¡±


    Jaeke procured the silver teapot from his desk and held it up for Cinthara to see. ¡°Would you like some tea?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Cinthara! How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Jaeke!¡± He looked at me with amusement twinkling in his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s a character, this one! But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find that out tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I asked, glancing once again at the mini Euridice (it was hard not to keep thinking about how much she looked like her).


    ¡°Oh, Cinthara is a fighter. And she takes everything so seriously.¡±


    The way Jaeke said that last word with a mock scowl on his face made me want to chuckle, but I stopped myself upon seeing the furrowed brows and narrowed eyes on Cinthara¡¯s face. She really did take everything too seriously.


    ¡°If that is all, sir.¡± Cinthara offered the headmaster a quick nod of her head, then turned on her heel and sped out of the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s Jaeke!¡± the headmaster hollered after her, but she slammed the door shut without a glance back.


    Jaeke shook his head and chuckled. ¡°Oh, that child.¡± His eyes fell on me. ¡°But, I am glad you two met! Cinthara is a talented Tier 4, so prepare yourself. Have you ever fought anyone or anything higher-Tiered than you?¡±


    Many memories flashed through my mind, most of them unpleasant. My fights against the Nagari, my duel against Sarina in front of all of Edrona, and the time I¡¯d killed Priest Kane. Some happier memories presented themselves, as well. Like the friendly skirmishes I¡¯d had with both Drayek and Sarina during my training. Even though, at times, those skirmishes felt frustrating on account of my relative ineptness compared to the rest of the Edronans.


    Though, I¡¯d learned my incapabilities had never even been my fault. According to the Lord Solomon AI, my Soul was ¡°perfect¡±¨Cthe Soul of a Godspawn. Because of this, my body had a hard time keeping up with the insurmountable level of Soul Strength I had, making me seem behind but, in fact, hiding away immense amounts of potential.


    But potential didn¡¯t help me win fights. My training and Tier Skills did. That¡¯s why, the more I thought about it, I wanted to enroll as a student in the Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy. It was the best option I could think of that could best help me take the next steps in getting stronger.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve fought people who were higher-Tiered than me,¡± I said after a long moment¡¯s pause.


    But that was all I said. I didn¡¯t tell Jaeke what circumstances had placed me into those situations, how I¡¯d fared, or the fact that I¡¯d been able to kill a Tier 3 by stealing his spell and using it for myself, thanks to my Tier 2 Skill that could steal and duplicate any spell used by a Tier 3 and below.


    Jaeke raised a bushy brow and studied me. I could read on his face that he knew I was holding back, but he didn¡¯t press me for more information.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something,¡± he responded, referring to the fact that I¡¯d had some experience fighting those stronger than me. ¡°At least we¡¯re not throwing you in completely clueless.¡± Jaeke rose and grinned at me from one large ear to the other. ¡°I will walk you out.¡±


    He saddled over to me, then rested a short arm on my back. He guided me through the messy trails of papers and trash, then opened the door for me.


    As I stepped out, Jaeke said, ¡°Make sure you have a good night¡¯s sleep tonight. Tomorrow is a big day.¡±


    ¡°Uh, so, is there anything more to this duel I should know about?¡± I said, feeling the gravity of the upcoming event begin to crush me with anxiety. ¡°Where do I need to go? Do I need to provide my own weapons? Armor?¡±


    Jaeke waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, child! You will receive all the instructions and details in a letter tomorrow morning. You just worry about resting up!¡±


    The headmaster waved much too enthusiastically as I headed down the stairs, and I left even more confused than before.

 Chapter 56: Strategizing

    The night before a duel against a Tier 4 seemed like a good time to try to cultivate all of the essence I¡¯d gathered since first finding this city. And, let me tell you, there was a lot of it. In packs and swarms, all attracted to the 10s of thousands of diverse people in the city.


    And you better believe I took in as much as I possibly could.


    I had learned during a fight against a large Nagari scout party that my body definitely had its limits when it came to how much essence I could absorb at one time. Though, I had been a Tier 1 back then. But after two days of finding essence flocking around the city¡¯s large population, I definitely had enough to at least level up within Tier 2.


    I tucked my legs underneath me as I sat on the dormitory¡¯s bed, waiting for the mattress to stop squeaking and bouncing long enough for me to fall into a deep state of meditation. I finally did, feeling a wave of relaxation swell within my chest, then spread through the rest of my body. Darkness enveloped all my thoughts, and soon I saw it¨Cmy core. Every time I cultivated, my core looked slightly bigger. Very slightly, as I said, but bigger all the same. I was getting stronger.


    The white glow of my core burned with a hot brilliance and seemed to stretch out arms of light toward the throngs of essence streams wiggling around inside of me, waiting for someone to tell them where to go.


    And that someone was me.


    I commanded the lines of blue to bury themselves into my core with barely a thought. My core snapped at them eagerly, burning brighter as it absorbed each stream.


    The familiar high-pitched bell-like tone resounded in my mind, and I eagerly scanned the words presented before me:


    STATUS


    NAME: CLONE #52


    TIER: 2


    LEVEL: 9


    I went up eight levels! I thought as calmly as I could to maintain my meditative state. Just six more levels before Tier 3.


    I read over the next screen and felt myself grin upon seeing the 24 free stat points.


    ¡°Dex, where would you recommend I allocate the 24 stat points to help me with my duel tomorrow? Were you able to scan Cinthara and learn a little about her strengths?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Rayden. I scanned your opponent. She is extremely agile and intelligent. But, would you like me to recommend where you should allocate points in order to increase your chances of beating her or recommend allocation based on what Lord Solomon had done?¡±


    I paused for a moment, staring at the 24 free stat points glowing in my vision. ¡°I need to survive this duel. Besides, if I don¡¯t, I can¡¯t go through the academy program. You, yourself, wanted me to be here.¡±


    I¡¯d likely imagined it, but I could have sworn I heard an audible sigh from the AI.


    ¡°As a Tier 4, Cinthara will be stronger than you in every way. I recommend you increase your Might, Agility, and Intelligence by at least five points each. Then spread out the remaining points among the rest of the categories.¡±


    I¡¯d already started allocating the stats before Dex had even finished talking. I felt excitement bubble up within me as it always did as I increased my statistics. Finally done, my screen read:


    STATS:


    MIGHT: 13 (+6)


    AGILITY: 10 (+6)


    VITALITY: 9 (+2)


    INTELLIGENCE: 10 (+6)


    WISDOM: 10 (+2)


    WILLPOWER: 14 (+2)


    FREE STAT POINTS: 0


    I released myself from my trance and stretched out my stiff arms and legs, satisfied with the outcome of my cultivation. Though still a Tier 2, every little bit of extra strength would help.


    All I have to do is last 60 seconds.


    ***


    A knock on my dormitory door in the dead of night shook me out of my restless sleep and completely destroyed any chance I had of getting the rest I needed.


    I grumbled awake, stretching my arms over my head.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I called out with a yawn.


    The sphere-shaped knob on the door turned quickly, and the door whooshed open just as fast. I released an audible gasp and instinctively reached for my spear that I had tucked under the bed.


    ¡°Hush!¡± the newcomer hissed, leaping toward me and grabbing my arm to stop me from procuring the weapon. He was much stronger than I and easily pinned me to the bed. ¡°What are you doing hollering out in the middle of the night? I¡¯m not supposed to be here!¡±


    I bit my lip to keep from shouting in fear and steeled myself to get a better look at the intruder.


    ¡°You!¡± I whisper-yelled as I caught sight of a sliver of moonlight peeking from my small window and glinting off of the man¡¯s dark helmet. ¡°You know, I might not have said ¡®Who is it,¡¯ or anything if you hadn¡¯t knocked on my door and woken me up.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The other Solomon clone¡¯s, Nic¡¯s, arms relaxed once he realized I¡¯d recognized him, and I pushed him away. His interrupting my sleep made me tired and grumpy, which tempted me to still threaten him out of there with the tip of my spear.


    ¡°We have to talk quickly,¡± Nic said gruffly. He began pacing the length of the dormitory, though he didn¡¯t have much space to move. He continuously turned on himself every four steps.


    I yawned again, straightening my back up against the wall behind me. ¡°What about?¡±


    My mind was so groggy it took me longer than it should have to guess he wanted to talk about the duel.


    ¡°What is your plan for the duel tomorrow?¡± he whispered.


    I ignored his question and narrowed my eyes at the bulky mask covering his face. ¡°Do you really have to wear that right now? It¡¯s just us.¡±


    But even as I said it, my stomach flipped just thinking about seeing another older version of myself. This time, a version made of flesh and blood, not an AI copy of a dead god.


    Nic stopped pacing and brushed his fingers over the surface of the helmet. ¡°I rarely take it off. I¡¯ve grown accustomed to wearing it.¡±


    ¡°What about when you wash your face or clean your teeth?¡±


    Nic threw his hands up in the air. ¡°You and your questions!¡±


    I held a finger to my lips mockingly. ¡°Shh¡­ Someone might hear you.¡±


    The sound of a muffled groan coming from somewhere within the helmet made a smile twitch on my lips. Served him right for waking me up in the middle of the night¨Con a night I¡¯d particularly wanted to get some decent rest!


    ¡°Anyway, Rayden, we need to discuss how you are going to survive this duel tomorrow. First, many people will be watching. We can¡¯t avoid that. But many have already seen what you look like, and thank the gods, no one has come and tried to approach you or, gods forbid, attack you yet. So, we won¡¯t worry about that. For now.¡±


    If no one sees me as some sort of threat or oddity or recognizes me as a Solomon clone, shouldn¡¯t Nic be able to take his helmet off? I shook my head at my thoughts. No, if people saw he and I looked exactly alike, that could bring more attention to us than we¡¯d want.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what type of attention we didn¡¯t want, but Nic had said some people didn¡¯t take kindly to us clones. I felt inclined to believe him.


    ¡°What we really need to plan for is how you¡¯re going to survive your 60 seconds in the duel,¡± Nic said.


    I perked up. ¡°So, you know about the duel¡¯s stipulations? That I have to survive 60 seconds to be allowed to enroll here as a student?¡±


    ¡°Many do. But especially the teachers know. We¡¯ve been making preparations.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°People keep saying that: ¡®preparations.¡¯ What sort of preparations, exactly?¡±


    Nic waved a hand¨Cmy hand. That odd thought struck me as I saw we had the exact same long fingers and wide palms. Would I ever get used to the fact that so many of us were out there? Who knew how many I¡¯d meet in my lifetime? And who knew if all of them would take to me as kindly as Nic did? Well, he took to me kindly in his own way. At least he didn¡¯t go into some sort of jealous rage like, ¡°I¡¯m the new Lord Solomon¨Cnot you!¡± and tried to kill me as soon as he saw me. In fact, he didn¡¯t seem to care much for Lord Solomon at all.


    ¡°The preparations and other details don¡¯t matter,¡± Nic insisted. ¡°You just have to focus on how you are going to beat your opponent. What are the Skills you currently have?¡±


    ¡°I can see all of the essence in my surroundings and draw the streams to me almost instantly. I can also direct the essence streams where I want them to go. I can enhance my weapons or even my armor, for example.¡±


    Nic¡¯s helmet bobbed up and down. ¡°Yes, yes. I have the same thing. Seems like an important Skill to have as a Solomon clone. He could read essence perfectly, as I¡¯m sure you know.¡±


    I did know. The AI version of Lord Solomon had shown me that his Celestial Tier 1 Skill had allowed him to further read essence and see the past and present of every stream. Meaning he could attain all knowledge of the past and present. Essence made up everything¨Cplants, people, animals¡­. This Skill had made Lord Solomon the God of Knowledge, a title Lady Euridice had wrongfully stolen from him.


    ¡°And your Tier 2 Skill?¡± Nic said.


    ¡°I can duplicate someone¡¯s spell and use it myself as long as the Skill belongs to someone Tier 3 or below.¡±


    Nic tapped the part of his helmet where his chin would be, and the way he did it looked comical. But he didn¡¯t seem to notice the silliness of the gesture.


    ¡°That¡¯s very similar to mine,¡± he mused.


    I opened my mouth to ask what was different about his, but he continued:


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t do you much good against a Tier 4. Have you duplicated anyone else¡¯s spells in the past? Something you can recall from a time you¡¯d used it before?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, Codex told me that I could use spells I¡¯ve stolen in the past. I stole one¡­ I used one that belonged to a Tier 3 back home,¡± I said, thinking about Priest Kane. ¡°But that¡¯s my only spell. I can also steal the essence people use to cast their spells and even the essence that casting spells attracts. That could come in handy in a fight, right?¡±


    It had come in handy for me many times before.


    ¡°Yes, yes. That could be useful.¡± Nic continued his pacing. ¡°Your best option is to take away as much essence from Cinthara as possible and to dodge her attacks as quickly and as often as you can. You want to keep your main focus on defense. That way, you have a higher chance of lasting the required 60 seconds. What is the spell you stole from that Tier 3?¡±


    ¡°Assembling nearby water into any shape I want.¡±


    Nic¡¯s helmet-ed head twisted to the side. ¡°Like a weapon?¡±


    Memories of blood splatter dirtying Priest Kane¡¯s neck as I had turned his water sword against him during our fight flashed through my mind.


    ¡°Yes, like a weapon,¡± I whispered despondently.


    Nic didn¡¯t seem to notice my change of mood.


    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡± He clapped his hands together but kept it quiet so as to avoid anyone hearing him. ¡°You said you can use nearby water to make a weapon¡­ How close does the water have to be?¡±


    I shrugged. For Priest Kane, one of his lower-Tiered Skills had also allowed him to conjure water out of nothing, but I had only stolen his Water Manipulation Skill. I could only use the spell if I had water close by. I¡¯d tested it while traveling the desert by myself, once my water supply had gotten low, but the spell hadn¡¯t worked for me without a body of water or even a puddle nearby. Maybe I had to see the water.


    ¡°Perhaps I can arrange for a bucket or two to be near you during the fight¡­¡± Nic mused. ¡°Now, once you¡¯ve created the weapon, do you have to hold it or keep it near you?¡±


    ¡°No, I can control it to go wherever I please. I think.¡± I said the last two words hurriedly. I hadn¡¯t done much testing of the Skill.


    ¡°Good. This is just what you needed, Rayden. This water spell of yours can help you play the perfect defense¨Cif you follow everything I say.¡±


    ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± I said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Is it because I¡¯m a clone like you?¡±


    It was frustrating that I couldn¡¯t see Nic¡¯s facial expressions, which made the silence that ensued all the more unbearable.


    ¡°It is because you are me.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not! I don¡¯t care what Codex, Lord Solomon, or anyone says. I am my own person!¡± I demanded in a low-leveled shout.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Nic insisted. ¡°You remind me of myself when I arrived here all those years ago¨Cnot just because you look as I did, but¡­ There¡¯s something about you. A sense of heavy loss in your eyes, but mixed within that is a fire of determination. You might be the one.¡±


    ¡°The one?¡± I said. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    The helmet wiggled slightly as Nic¡¯s head shook. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time and place. Tonight, we talk about strategy. Cinthara¡¯s good. I know because I taught her.¡±


    Wonderful, I thought.


    ¡°Have you noticed,¡± I said aloud, ¡°who she looks like?¡±


    ¡°Pure coincidence,¡± Nic insisted, but his quick answer confirmed to me that he saw it, too.


    ¡°But everyone here seems to worship Lady Euridice. The statues around the city don¡¯t look exactly like the goddess, but there are real similarities, and Cinthara is like a living statue of her. Surely others have noticed that.¡±


    ¡°Rayden,¡± Nic said while determinedly folding his arms, ¡°you need to focus.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, sitting back and folding my own arms, ready to listen to how this stranger thought I should survive my own fight.

 Chapter 57: Day of the Duel

    My sleep was fitful, to say the least. My mind played cruel ticks on me, convincing me through my dreams that my upcoming duel was against Sarina. But instead of a duel, we met for a friendly skirmish¨Clike we used to. We took our places on either side of Drayek¡¯s and my arena back home. Sarina whirled around to face me, her dark hair with hints of copper red framed her angular face as she smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got this, Rayden!¡± she called across the arena. ¡°I think you have a chance at beating me this time!¡±


    I pulled the simple spear that I¡¯d trained with back home to my side and grinned back at my friend. ¡°Oh, I will beat you this time!¡±


    She and I both knew that wasn¡¯t true. Even before we had both advanced to Tier 1, Sarina had always had the upper hand due to her height and overall adeptness with every weapon. Once I¡¯d begun cultivating and advancing, I could take her on¨CI¡¯d even beaten her in our duel that the Priests had set up.


    But in the timeline of my dream, that duel hadn¡¯t happened yet. Sarina and I were both 15 years old and still trainees.


    Sarina dashed at me, a long dagger poised to strike my ribcage. I narrowly dodged her strike, and she stumbled to the left. But she quickly recovered and lightly tapped the butt of her dagger against my shoulder. We continued lunging at one another, laughing and smiling and altogether enjoying the fun we used to have.


    For the duration of the entire dream, I was all too aware that it was just that¨Ca dream. But I didn¡¯t want to wake up. I missed the way Sarina¡¯s eyes squinted up in amusement, her brilliant smile, and her overall enjoyment of spending time with me.


    But life is cruel. A sharp knock on my dormitory door snagged me away from the pleasant dream. I jolted awake and rubbed my eyes, still feeling half asleep. A large part of me wanted to close my eyes and try to return to the dream, but reality hit me like a splash of bitter-cold water. I needed to answer the door¨Ctoday was the day of the duel. I needed to accept that and prepare myself.


    I found no one at the door but instead saw another slip of parchment resting at my feet. It looked just like the last letter the headmaster had sent to my room.


    I scooped up the paper and found the headmaster¡¯s scrawled, swoopy handwriting:


    Rayden Grim,


    You are expected in Battle Room #15 on the fifth floor 10 minutes before 3:00 in the


    afternoon. You are expected to provide your own armor and weapon. As I recall, you arrived


    here equipped with both.


    You will not receive help from anyone in preparation for your duel. You are expected to last


    the allotted 60 seconds based on your own merit. If not, we will not accept you as a student


    at the academy.


    Good luck!


    Headmaster Jaeke Bohin


    I walked back into my room and set the letter down on my little desk, feeling my pulse beating hard in my fingertips as I did. My eyes glanced at the glowing numbers hanging just above the desk. Dex¡¯s database had informed me earlier that the black rectangle with green numbers was similar to the clocks and watches back on Edrona; it told time just like they did, but this one only needed numbers. It displayed the time without me having to read the thin hands on one of the clocks back at home. I found reading numbers instead of hands much easier, to be honest.


    The numbers read ¡°9:01.¡± 3:00 in the afternoon was still hours away. I gripped the back of the short chair sitting in front of the desk and leaned into it, anxiety eating away at my gut.


    Maybe some breakfast will help, I decided, releasing the chair and moving to my muddy boots that I¡¯d placed next to the door.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I needed to kill some time and distract my overactive, worried mind. Eating a hot meal was as good a place to start as any. Food will always rank high in the category of ¡°good choices.¡±


    But I had a lot of¨Cno, too much time until 2:50 in the afternoon, the time I¡¯d been requested to arrive at the designated battle room. The title alone of such a room helped me safely assume that that was where they expected Cinthara and me to duel.


    I slithered out of my dormitory like a stealthy snake and scurried down the hall past the mingling students traipsing about on the dormitory floor.


    However, I didn¡¯t succeed at being as sneaky as I wanted to.


    Just before I made it to the winding staircase at the end of the hall, I flattened myself to the rough wall to get by a group of three boys and four girls who all laughed together boisterously. I snuck past each person until my right shoulder bumped into the arm of one of the boys on the end. And I¡¯d been moving so fast that the force made him stumble for a split second.


    Growling, the student with the yellow on his sleeves turned to me. ¡°Watch it, newbie! Or you¡¯ll be having more than one duel today!¡±


    The many pairs of eyes on me made my face grow warm. Turned out that lots of people knew about me and my upcoming duel to prove myself. Did that mean they all knew I was just a Tier 2, as well? The academy was a big school, though. Maybe not everyone knew about me¡­ or cared.


    But these boys knew of me and cared enough to cause me some trouble.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, raising my hands in surrender. ¡°Just trying to get by you.¡±


    The student drew two steps closer and stared me down over his nose. He was only half a head taller than I, but the annoyance burning in his dark eyes somehow translated to make him seem much larger.


    I wasn¡¯t going to let him bully me. I did enough of that with Dorian and his cronies back home. I straightened my back and glared right back.


    ¡°Just say when and where,¡± I retorted, ¡°and I¡¯ll gladly fight you.¡±


    Yeah, that was stupid.


    I didn¡¯t expect the punch to my face and still couldn¡¯t process it until seconds after pain exploded in my chin. I grabbed my face and groaned, curling into myself and blocking my face from any more flying fists.


    ¡°Try not to draw too much attention to yourself.¡± Those words, some of Nic¡¯s first words to me yesterday, ran through my head as the aching in my chin traveled through the rest of my face.


    Guess I¡¯d failed at accomplishing Nic¡¯s demand. But an actual semblance of intelligence within me (I wasn¡¯t entirely stupid) helped me steel myself from throwing a fist at the bully¡¯s face in return.


    The entire group walked away, laughing as they went. I wasn¡¯t establishing a very good start with fostering any decent relationships in this place. I didn¡¯t much yearn for any friendships, but I had at least wanted to avoid any less-than-desirable encounters like the one I¡¯d just had.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I drew in a sharp breath and winced at the shooting pain that even just breathing brought me. I slowly straightened my neck and searched for the source of the soft voice. Cinthara.


    ¡°Oh, uh, hi,¡± I stuttered, impulsively taking a step away from her. She stood so close to me, our noses only inches away.


    ¡°Gregory can be a jerk,¡± she said while shooting a hot glare in the direction the bully had gone. She pointed at my chin. I could feel the bruises forming on both my skin and bones. ¡°I can help you with that if you¡¯d like.¡±


    I defensively put my hands up to my chin. ¡°Why are you being so nice to me?


    Cinthara still looked at me with something akin to contempt, especially in the way her lips dug into her face with a scowl that did not suit her otherwise pretty face.


    She put down the finger she had pointed at my chin and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just hate bullies.¡± Her violet eyes scanned my face. ¡°And maybe I just want a healthy opponent to crush in the duel.¡±


    A trace of a smile upturned the edges of her mouth like she had just tried to make a joke, but the smile disappeared just as quickly as I had noticed it.


    I lowered my hands and aimed my chin toward her slightly. ¡°How do you plan to help?¡±


    Cinthara winced at the sight of my chin, and I winced right along with her as tendrils of pain continued to shoot through my jaw and face at the slightest movement.


    ¡°I have a healing spell,¡± she said. ¡°Just stay as still as you possibly can.¡±


    Cinthara¡¯s slender fingers danced around each other in circles. Then, a yellow glow dripped from her fingertips like magical water droplets. The droplets soon formed into a small marble-sized ball, and she gently pushed it toward me with an outstretched palm.


    I squeezed my eyes shut, half expecting a whole new burst of pain to accompany my injured chin. Why? Because I didn¡¯t trust her. But instead, I felt the impact of a pleasant warmth that started at the tip of my chin and spread through my entire jaw. Soon, I was able to open and close my mouth without any discomfort at all.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said freely through a painless mouth.


    Cinthara shrugged again, making her long, loose curls bounce all the way down to the ends of her hair that passed her hips. ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    Without another word, she whirled over her shoulder and sped up the winding staircase to another higher floor. I was tempted to follow her, but I couldn¡¯t explain why that temptation arose at all. Was I grateful? No. I mean, yes, but I¡¯ve had much worse injuries, and I could have lived with a bruised chin. It was that pull I felt to get close to her. Maybe it was just my curiosity about why she looked so much like the goddess Euridice or why she acted contemptuously toward me. But if I was being honest with myself, the urge to follow her came from some force I could not name, define, or control.


    And why had she even been on this floor? Was her dormitory on the same floor as mine? Had she seen my encounter with Gregory and the others while walking down the stairs? What had made her want to help me at all?


    My stomach moaned and begged at me. Sighing heavily through my nose, I decided to drop it and head to the mess hall. I had more than enough time to worry about Cinthara later.

 Chapter 58: Let the Duel Begin

    Battle Room #15 looked like the training arena Drayek had built for me back home. But grander¡­ Larger¡­ And with a dozen rings of seats stacked above the fighting arena for audiences to sit and watch a duel.


    I tried to count the number of metal seats circling the arena but got frustrated once I¡¯d counted close to 100. There were probably 2 or 300 seats meant for eager onlookers as duels commenced in Battle Room #15.


    Great. 300 people get to watch a Tier 4 destroy me, assuming the seats are filled. I stretched out my limbs in my Tier 2 armor and shook my head. No, I can¡¯t think that way. Nic and I have a plan.


    I checked for probably the 100th time that my spear was tucked safely into my back sheath, then circled around myself to further study my surroundings. For Nic¡¯s and my plan to work, I needed to know the terrain well. That¡¯s why I arrived 10 minutes earlier to the battle room than what was requested of me.


    No dark corners to hide behind, and the only exit at either end of the arena was the double doors I¡¯d entered through. The rest of the doors that led out of the battle room stood behind the stacks of audience seats. So, no hiding behind doors, which I felt sure wasn¡¯t allowed anyway.


    A silver-colored metal rack of swords, spears, bows, and other weapons¨Csome I¡¯d never seen before with lights blinking on various spots of shiny metal¨Cstood just next to the double-doored entrance of the arena. There were dozens of weapons, and the rack¡¯s length continued three times as long as the weapons rack Drayek and I had had in Edrona. And, for some reason, Headmaster Bohin had said procuring my own weapon was required¨Ceven with the availability of so many others. Maybe they wanted to see I was equipped and ready¨Cthat I knew how to handle a weapon in the first place. And, by having a weapon, that was a good sign that I might know what I¡¯m doing.


    Next to the long weapons rack, I found three metal buckets filled to the brim with clear water. Nic was really trying to help me, after all.


    I marched the length of the arena, now studying the different obstacles someone had set up within the oval-shaped fighting area. Some of the soft-looking towers, all colored a deep red, that acted as obstacles stood tall; Others stood short and acted as a platform for someone to stand on. But none of the obstacles were wide enough to fit more than one person on top or behind.


    So, I had some objects to utilize when defending myself against Cinthara¨Csome things to put between the two of us.


    Lasting one minute might seem like a short time to most people, but a lot could happen in 60 seconds of a fight or battle. What type of power did Cinthara have? She had easily healed me just hours before, but I had seen similar Skills belonging to healers in Edrona, like Korin. All Nic had told me last night was that she would be much stronger and much faster than me, that the only chance I had was to not fight and avoid getting hit by her weapon or any of her spells.


    The double doors swung open behind me. I quickly turned over my shoulder and straightened to attention.


    ¡°No need to act so startled, boy.¡± Headmaster Bohin strolled into the room with a skip in his step. ¡°Just calm yourself. It¡¯s not time for fighting yet.¡±


    I tried to relax my tense shoulders and allow myself a reprieve at Jaeke¡¯s insistence, but my efforts proved ineffectual. My trembling fingers and quick breathing betrayed me with any sense of calm.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t today exciting?!¡± The headmaster clapped his stubby hands together, and the sound echoed continuously through the entire arena, reaching my ears at loud volumes about three separate times.


    I opened my mouth to agree, though I¡¯d be uttering a lie. I had to admit, however, the adrenaline that sent a buzz through my fingertips offered me some pretense of thrill. But anything I might have said in response to the headmaster was interrupted by the sound of someone banging the double doors open.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Cinthara marched through the open doors with her pointed nose thrust high into the air. Her long curls had been tied into a single tight braid that wrapped around her shoulders and fell over her waist like a platinum-blond scarf. The color of her hair blended in nicely with the pearly white color of her armor. She sidled in next to me, hands folded protectively over a rapier tucked into a thin golden-colored sheath. She didn¡¯t offer me even one glance, though the kindness she had shown me by healing my chin had just happened that morning.


    It made me further question our earlier encounter altogether. Couldn¡¯t we be civil with one another? Honorable, respectful opponents? But I didn¡¯t have the liberty to worry about whatever went through Cinthara¡¯s head at that moment.


    I brought my eyes back to Headmaster Bohin as he began speaking to us:


    ¡°I appreciate both of your punctuality this afternoon. Within the next two minutes, some teachers and students will come into the battle room and settle in for a show.¡±


    The headmaster¡¯s smile grew so grotesquely big. I found myself shuddering at his words, the reality of an audience coming to watch me, a weak Tier 2, fight a Tier 4¨Ca Tier 4 that was a beginner in all their eyes!


    This¡¯ll be great.


    ¡°There are only two rules,¡± Jaeke said with a sing-songy lilt to his voice. ¡°One, no leaving the room during the allotted 60-second-length duel. Two, do not give one another any killing blows.¡±


    He gave Cinthara a pointed look. Her face merely hardened while my stomach clenched in trepidation.


    As the headmaster had said, trails of people chaotically filed into the seats. The excited chatter set my teeth on edge, and I could feel dozens of pairs of eyes studying and judging me. Cinthara didn¡¯t seem fazed. Her eyes were closed, and she muttered incomprehensibly under her breath.


    Jaeke retreated to a wider chair in the center of the right side of the battle room. As he walked away, he gave Cinthara and me an energetic wave, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel like the gesture acted as an official ¡°goodbye¡± wave for my sake.


    He settled into the chair that looked more throne-like than the simple gray seats intended for the rest of the audience.


    ¡°Will both parties please take their places on either side of the arena?¡± the headmaster¡¯s voice bellowed.


    I proffered Cinthara a friendly smile and subtle nod, but she ignored me. Sighing, I withdrew to my side of the fighting ground. She did the same, spinning around herself so quickly that her braid flew behind her like a whip.


    After our simultaneous marches, Cinthara and I faced each other. We stood at least 200 feet away from one another, but I could still see the determination in her furrowed brows and tight lips.


    She¡¯s going to do everything she can to make sure I don¡¯t succeed, I realized. But why?


    ¡°On my command¡­¡± Headmaster Bohin lifted an arm, black robes falling over his lap like a dark wave. He nodded to a scrawny man seated just below him.


    The man pulled out a large, slender black device with glowing numbers, like the clocks they had on this planet, but the numbers only read ¡°60.¡± As soon as the device came into view, Dex informed me it was a timer for the duel.


    Cinthara slid her rapier out from its sheath, and I procured my spear from behind me at the same time.


    Jaeke threw his arm down. ¡°Begin!¡±


    As soon as the timer ticked down to 59 seconds, an explosion of pain erupted through my entire jaw. I cried out, falling to my knees and dropping my spear. I had never felt pain like this. It felt like searing hot flames licked at every nerve in my jaw, especially where Gregory had punched me that morning.


    How? Why? My thoughts tumbled within my head in disarray. Gregory had only punched me; why would¨C


    My breath hitched in my chest. Cinthara. Her healing spell¨Cit had done something to me. Somehow, she had been able to offer me temporary healing that faded off to not only bring back the pain but increase it by at least tenfold.


    My vision went dark from the pain, but I gritted my teeth and searched for my fallen spear with a shaky, panicked hand. I had no time to lose. My hand gripped the smooth shaft of what could only be my spear, and I held it out in front of me defensively, not knowing what else to do. How much time had passed? Five, six seconds?


    ¡°Codex!¡± I thought to my AI with great effort. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°She is five feet to your right, Rayden.¡±


    I threw my head to the right, ignoring the burst of stinging pain that coursed through my face by doing so. As I desperately searched for any sign of light or my vision returning, I caught sight of a swarm of essence threads hovering in thicker clumps in one particular spot. They shone before me like a beacon in my otherwise dark world. And they were attracted to something.


    Before I could think to draw in the streams, the swarm lunged at me, forming what looked to be the outline of a small person¡¯s frame. Cinthara.

 Chapter 59: Sabotage

    I dodged the Cinthara-shaped outline made of essence as she lunged at me, but she must have gotten close because I could feel the wind from the speed of her weapon right on my cheek. Before I could pass out from the increase in pain that my roll had caused, I took in about two-thirds of the blue essence lines surrounding Cinthara. I directed them to every inch of my armor, leaving a small percentage to course through my spear.


    I leaped up and backed away as far as I could, but my back impacted a squishy surface. One of the obstacle towers. I felt around the obstacle with my shoulder and maneuvered myself behind it. My essence-enhanced armor had already begun to increase my speed and strength, and I noticed that even my pain began to ebb. I blinked rapidly, relieved to see that I could start making out shapes within my surroundings again.


    I had no time to wallow in my anger about how Cinthara had tried to sabotage me with some deceptive healing spell¨Cand before our duel had even started. Instead, I searched for more essence streams, and there were a lot hovering over the blurry heads of the audience members. I took in as much as I could, feeling my Soul about to burst as I took in almost more than my body could handle.


    I ran a steady course of essence through my equipment and started Nic¡¯s and my plan. I dodged and weaved behind every obstacle in the arena as quickly as I could. Cinthara threw herself toward me at an impressive speed, getting closer and closer to striking me with her rapier with every attack. The only thing that kept me from an unfortunate hit from her blade against my armor was my use of essence.


    I shouldn¡¯t have, but once my vision returned to full capacity and the pain had decreased to a dull ache, I caught myself glancing at the seconds left on the timer. But before I could read the numbers on the screen, a flash of glowing green that emitted from Cinthara¡¯s thin blade flew over my eyes, and then a blow that knocked the wind from my lungs struck my ribs before I could do anything about it.


    I heard a collective gasp from the crowd that engulfed the sound of my pained groan. But I did not allow my knees to buckle underneath me. I stood my ground, though I knew her strike had broken more than one rib. I pointed the tip of my spear toward her chest and stared her down.


    Cinthara poised her rapier above her head and spun her fingers in circles around the hilt. She was casting a spell. I knew it because of the eruption of blue essence flaring up around her in hoards. I couldn¡¯t copy and use her spell; she was a Tier 4, but I could take her essence.


    I took as much as I could, instinctively outstretching a gauntleted hand toward the blue lines, but I could feel my Soul almost creaking like an overloaded wagon. But what I took was not enough to stop her spell. The soft green glow emanating from her blade blazed even brighter. She spun the rapier in circles in front of her face as if showing off her magic.


    The essence I¡¯d taken from her was only enough to ease the pain of my broken ribs. Granted, my essence-enhanced armor could only mask the pain by offering me temporary increased strength. Still, masking symptoms of pain is better than feeling said pain during a fight.


    Cinthara seemed to come at me in slow motion. I didn¡¯t hear a call for the timer¡¯s end or the headmaster saying I¡¯d lasted 60 seconds. All I saw was the red in Cinthara¡¯s sweaty face as she came at me with teeth clenched and hands gripped tightly around the hilt of her green sword.


    But then, something within my Soul ignited. I knew I had enough essence to¡­


    ¡°Dex! Is it at all possible for me to Tier up right here and within two or three seconds?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous, Rayden.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s possible!¡±


    Dex paused, and Cinthara got even closer. ¡°You would have to let me take over. And if you want it done quickly, I need to be the one to allocate your statistics.¡±


    I rolled away from another swing of Cinthara¡¯s blade, but it still hit. I winced at the cut that started to bleed on my cheek, but I bolted as far away from my opponent as I could.


    I didn¡¯t have time to argue with Dex about what statistics I wanted him to increase. But any extra strength would help me immensely.


    ¡°Do it!¡± I commanded Codex.


    My limbs froze as Dex gained control over my body, and I couldn¡¯t even turn my head to see where Cinthara had gone. But I prayed to anyone who would listen that Codex could cultivate my essence before she attacked again.


    A warm, tingling sensation blossomed in my gut, then spread throughout my entire body. But suddenly, the pleasant warmth transformed into an agonizing heat that seemed to burn my insides. My body wanted to double over, but I still couldn¡¯t move. My eyes watered from the pain, and I could hear the confused chatter of the audience: ¡°Why isn¡¯t he moving? She¡¯s going to get to him!¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Dex had said allowing him to cultivate for me would be dangerous. I¡¯d thought he¡¯d just meant dangerous because I wouldn¡¯t be able to defend myself against Cinthara. But this¡­ burning¡­ it felt like I was dying! Even my essence-enhanced armor failed to conceal the pain from my nerves. Something must have been wrong internally¡­ Or with my Soul and core itself.


    At least two seconds must have passed since Codex had taken control of me¨CCinthara had to be close. But then, the beautiful ding that accompanied a leveling-up screen sounded in my head.


    STATUS


    NAME: CLONE #52


    TIER: 3


    LEVEL: 2


    My head pounded and hurt too much, making it impossible for me to focus on the words describing my Tier 3 Skill, and, believe it or not, there were more pressing issues at hand anyway. But what I could make out was the number of my free stat points: 21.


    Before I could even think about where the 21 stat points should go, the screen flickered, then went from 21 free stat points to zero.


    ¡°I have just allocated all of your free statistic points, Rayden. You may look at them if you like.¡±


    ¡°No time,¡± I answered Dex.


    Suddenly, I could move again, and the burning sensation disappeared. I felt my armor adjust to accommodate the slight increase of my muscles from my increased stats. Feeling energized, I whirled around myself, searching for Cinthara, but I failed to catch sight of her before the butt of her rapier slammed into my stomach.


    Though my breath rushed out of my lungs, the pummel of the hilt in my abdomen couldn¡¯t compete against the essence still coursing through my armor. I barely felt it.


    I rolled away from Cinthara again and, now thinking even quicker than before, thanks to my new stats, waved my hands over my nose in the same way Priest Kane had when he¡¯d first summoned his water sword. Long streams of water flew out of the buckets tucked behind the weapons rack and soared over Cinthara¡¯s head. The water then snapped together above me and formed into a large, transparent water hammer. Casting the spell had taken a lot out of me, though, and I had channeled some of the essence from my armor into the spell to ensure I could assemble the water hammer quickly.


    With the last ounce of my strength, I sent the hammer crashing down over Cinthara¡¯s head in a splash. She crumpled to the floor under the impact, but not before the blunt end of her rapier slammed into my shoulder.


    I couldn¡¯t tell who fell to the ground first, and I didn¡¯t have the sturdiness to allow myself to pay attention.


    But just before my knee hit the hard floor, Headmaster Bohin called, ¡°Time! Congratulations, Rayden Grim, you endured the 60 seconds.¡±


    ¡°Just barely,¡± I heard Cinthara grumble from her own kneeling position.


    Her breathing was heavy, and she was drenched from my disassembled water hammer. Pieces of her very blond, almost white, hair fell over her face in frizzy damp curls. Her cheeks were red, and her perfect armor had scuff marks along the greaves and vambraces.


    The essence coursing through my armor had worn off even more, meaning the pain it masked started to grow stronger again. But I forced my arm forward through the pain and outstretched it, offering to shake her hand.


    ¡°Well played,¡± I said.


    She shoved my hand away and pushed herself off the ground.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be so lucky next time,¡± she growled. And with that, she stormed away from me and toward the double-doored exit.


    Next time?


    I watched her go with my brows furrowed, and my lips pursed. I did not understand that girl. And then I remembered the problem with my jaw right when the duel had started. I was sure her healing spell from before had been the culprit.


    I rose from the ground and wiped bits of dust off my armor. Cinthara looked back at me for a split second, violet eyes turning darker as she glared, before she escaped behind the doors and away from my sight.


    Her healing spell had been deceptive¡­ A lie. Something she said would heal me but, in fact, made my injury worse in the end. It made me think of Lady Euridice and her deceptive Skills and spells she¡¯d used against Solomon in their battle to the death.


    Cinthara was so similar to the goddess. Too similar. But I didn¡¯t think she was Euridice. Maybe¡­ I felt the blood drain from my face.


    ¡°Did your scans say anything about Cinthara¡¯s DNA?¡± I asked Dex as the headmaster jumped down from his seat and headed toward me with outstretched arms, ignoring that Cinthara had taken her leave without a dismissal.


    ¡°I did not do a scan that deep into her composition, Rayden,¡± Dex responded. ¡°Would you like me to?¡±


    Jaeke reached me and patted the shoulder Cinthara had struck with a firm hand, but I was so distracted I didn¡¯t even wince.


    ¡°Yes! Do it quickly!¡± I answered. ¡°I think¡­ I think she is a clone of Lady Euridice.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, Rayden Grim!¡± The headmaster gripped both of my shoulders and turned me to face him. ¡°I¡¯d like to officially welcome you as a student at Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy!¡±


    He whirled me around to face the larger part of the audience in the circular arena, ignoring the pained grimace I made as he forcefully maneuvered my body to where he wanted it. Half-hearted applause rippled through the battle room¨Cno one seemed to care all that much. But, regardless of that and my questions about Cinthara, I felt a sense of pride swell within my chest.


    I did it! I thought. I can learn and train at the academy!


    A flash of light glinted off a smooth, shiny surface in the left corner of my eye. I peered in that direction and found Nic, helmet and all, standing a few rows from the front of the audience. He kept himself partially hidden in a secluded corner, but I thought I saw him give me a subtle nod, which was all the approval I needed. Even amid sabotage and against someone two Tiers (now just one) above me, I had succeeded in the plan we¡¯d made the night before.


    ¡°Rayden, I have finished my DNA scans of Cinthara Damaris. Her DNA matches that of Lady Euridice¡¯s perfectly.¡±


    Everything around me faded away, as if everyone in existence and the sounds surrounding me diminished and went sort of blurry.


    Euridice had found me, and she did it by copying Lord Solomon Rohn¡¯s methods. She had found a way to reach me on this planet that blocked those above Tier 15 by sending an essentially weaker version of herself. Was this a part of her experiment? Had she sent Cinthara to kill me?


    All of the pride and glory from my triumph melted away, and all sentiments I¡¯d had prior to feeling safe here went away with them.

 Chapter 60: Student Companion

    ¡°What happened there, Dex?¡± I asked my AI once I¡¯d safely returned to my dormitory.


    I silently shut my door and twisted the lock on its handle, half-expecting Cinthara¨Ca blasted Euridice clone¨Cto come find me and try to kill me.


    Codex still hadn¡¯t answered. ¡°Dex?¡±


    ¡°Is there something I can do for you, Rayden?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at Dex¡¯s response as I trudged over to the bed and flopped onto it, feeling too exhausted to start taking my armor off. I closed my eyes against the pounding in my head and released a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked Dex. ¡°It¡¯s like you didn¡¯t hear me. I just asked what had happened back there¨Cwhen I Tiered up. I thought I was going to die!¡±


    ¡°I did warn you it would be dangerous. It is easier on one¡¯s body to cultivate through meditation and at a slow pace. Having me speed up the process for you could tear up your core.¡±


    My eyes flew open. ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡±


    But it had been worth the risk. The extra constitution from my higher stats had made all the difference in my duel against Cinthara. I most definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure the allotted 60 seconds, and my position in the academy would look very different than it did now.


    ¡°It is best if we do not try to do that again, Rayden.¡±


    I nodded mindlessly but couldn¡¯t bring myself to promise Codex that I¡¯d never put myself in a similar situation again. I didn¡¯t know what the future had in store for me, and advancing to Tier 3 during the duel had changed everything.


    ¡°Will you pull up my current status and stat screens, please?¡± During the fight, I hadn¡¯t been able to see my new Tier 3 Skill, and the anticipation was killing me.


    Dex followed my request, and soon my vision was filled with a glowing screen.


    STATUS


    NAME: CLONE #52


    TIER: 3


    LEVEL: 2


    I forced myself not to look at my new Skill yet, allowing a moment of inward celebration at finally having advanced to Tier 3. The highest anyone had reached in Edrona was Tier 3, including Drayek and the Priests. And now, I could be counted among them. Many would have never guessed that I¡¯d ever do it¨Cincluding myself.


    With a burgeoning grin on my face, I continued reading the screen:


    TIER 3 SKILL:


    ENHANCED SKILL SNARE


    -CLONE #52¡¯S SKILL SNARE¡¯S COOLDOWN TIME DECREASES FROM 10


    MINUTES TO 5 MINUTES. THE SKILL SNARE SKILL¨CTHE ABILITY TO READ ANOTHER¡¯S ESSENCE USED WHEN THEY CAST A TIER 3 OR BELOW SPELL, MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR CLONE #52 TO STEAL SAID SPELL¨CCAN NOW BE USED ONCE PER 5 MINUTES.


    Feeling a little disappointed in my new Skill, I glanced at the black ring made from obsidian still wrapped around my pinky. I had traded some old equipment for the magical item from Blacksmith Gerald in Edrona, enticed by its power to decrease my cooldown time for spellcasting by half. Though my Tier 3 Skill wasn¡¯t necessarily exciting, it definitely gave me a new advantage when it came to fighting. Now, my cooldown time would only last two and a half minutes with the help of my ring, which I had to admit was significant.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I mentally switched the status screen to my statistics screen, curious to see where Codex had allotted the 21 stat points I¡¯d earned.


    STATS:


    MIGHT: 19 (+2)


    AGILITY: 16 (+2)


    VITALITY: 11 (+5)


    INTELLIGENCE: 16 (+5)


    WISDOM: 12 (+5)


    WILLPOWER: 16 (+2)


    FREE STAT POINTS: 0


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you allocated my stat points to better match Lord Solomon¡¯s statistics.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Rayden. Lord Solomon focused heavily on becoming well-equipped as a mage. And your Skills rely greatly on spellcasting, as well. Hence the heavy allotment I placed in Vitality, Intelligence, and Wisdom.¡±


    What Codex said made sense, and I realized I probably should decide on what type of warrior I wanted to be. I¡¯d thought about it before, but past days¡¯ events had preoccupied my mind.


    Now that I had more time to think about it, I found myself wanting to rely on brute strength with the support of spells because of how Drayek used to fight. But my Skills and strengths were different from his. Maybe Codex was right¡­. Maybe I should focus on becoming a mage. But I wanted a mentor¨Csomeone who had first-hand fighting experience¨Csomeone to advise me in these decisions. Not an AI who had never once picked up a weapon.


    Groaning, I rolled off the bed. I needed to change out of my armor. As I slid out of the hot, sweaty metal, I made a mental note to try and figure out where I could get armor better suited for my Tier. Perhaps in that market area near the entrance of the city?


    But I didn¡¯t know when I¡¯d have time to do that. And I didn¡¯t have money to pay for any new equipment.


    Just after the duel, the headmaster had told me that someone would come along shortly to finish getting me set up as an academy student. A ¡°student companion¡± is what he¡¯d called the person. I hoped that this ¡°getting me set up¡± also meant that I¡¯d soon be able to find a job and earn enough money to buy the things I needed.


    Though my day wasn¡¯t over yet, I mostly just wanted to fall into a deep sleep, then inevitably make my way to the mess hall for some much-needed food. But, I wanted to follow the academy program as closely as possible. And the sooner I could get set up at the school, the better.


    ***


    Student companion. More like student nightmare. I followed the person that the academy had assigned to me, a third-year student with way too much bounce in his step. I mean, what about life was there to be so overly cheery about?


    ¡°You¡¯re going to love it here,¡± Emmett, who was maybe just two years my senior, chirped. He turned to face me, yellowish eyes glowing with excitement, but he did not stop in his steps down the stairs.


    I resisted the urge to hold out my arms to catch him if he fell. It seemed highly unnecessary to skip down the stairs backward just to look me in the eye and chat. Though, I should be grateful for the other student¡¯s niceties. The gods knew I was owed some friendliness based on my poor track record.


    Emmett had met me at my dormitory door just seconds after I¡¯d changed out of my armor and tucked the set and my spear safely away. It felt like he¡¯d been waiting for me to finish the entire time because the enthusiastic rap of his knuckles on my door sounded just as I¡¯d slid the equipment under my bed.


    I¡¯d opened the door to a boy¡¯s face with orange-ish lips scoring his cheeks into a smile and lifting the strange set of black whiskers growing out of his skin. No, not regular facial hair whiskers¡­ He looked like a human cat. Not quite human, not quite cat.


    I¡¯d seen a lot of animal-like people in this city. Not only that, but I¡¯d seen people walking about in full varieties of bright colors like blue skin, rainbow-colored hair¡­ Some people even had completely midnight-black eyes or no eyes at all. And, of course, I saw people who looked like the Edronans or even like me.


    Due to the wide variety of people I¡¯d met and seen at Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy city, Emmett¡¯s slightly furry face and the hint of a tail poking out of the back of his pants didn¡¯t quite shock me as much as it would have a couple of days ago.


    After introducing himself, Emmett had then explained that he¡¯d been assigned to me as my student companion. He also defined the term ¡°student companion¡± as another student charged with helping a first-year student learn the ins and outs of the academy. He went on and on about how he¡¯d be there for anything I needed, which, though overly eager, was nice to know.


    ¡°Where are we headed, exactly?¡± I queried.


    Emmett¡¯s smile grew at me, then he whirled back around and sauntered down the steps facing forward, which made the speed of my heart slow, thankfully. But he skipped every other step, his boots threatening to slide every time.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting you set up with a class schedule.¡±

 Chapter 61: Classes

    ¡°Class schedule?¡±


    Even as I asked that, a portion of Dex¡¯s database flashed behind my eyes, and I saw a multitude of ¡°classes¡± and was able to ascertain what that word meant. I saw different teachers instructing students on a variety of topics, from meditation, how to cultivate, efficient spellcasting, and even how to read or write.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have a lot of class options as a first-year, but you might be able to choose one or two.¡±


    A wide grin spread over my face. ¡°What types of classes are taught here?¡±


    I could hear the excitement lilt my voice to a higher register, but I didn¡¯t care enough to feel embarrassed by it.


    I did it! I¡¯m a student at a place that could teach me more than I could have ever imagined!


    I caught myself craning my neck upward, subconsciously searching for Drayek¡¯s approval of my success so far. Just by picturing him, I could almost feel his excitement budding with my own.


    ¡°Oh, there are lots of classes.¡± Emmett waved a hand. ¡°There are some dueling classes, classes that teach you how to battle in a group, classes where you can learn more about what essence is and why it exists¡­¡±


    I perked up at the last one. ¡°A class that dives into the meaning of essence?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s a requirement for first-years, actually. So, you¡¯ll have to take that. Probably one of the more boring classes I''ve ever taken at the academy, but there''s some good stuff, I guess."


    Emmett had no idea. I knew the basics of essence, that the streams made up everything in existence, but maybe there was more. Maybe there was more I could learn that could help me better understand the essence I saw on a daily basis¨Cthe essence I took in or stole to strengthen myself or my spells. And maybe I could learn precisely how Lord Solomon¡¯s Celestial Tier 1 Skill worked. That Skill had allowed Lord Solomon to further read essence, not just to copy and cast spells, but to read the past and present of all streams. Maybe I could learn to do that¨Cto an extent¨Ceven without a Celestial Skill.


    ¡°You¡¯ll also complete your registration as a student at Solomon¡¯s Realm Academy,¡± Emmett continued. ¡°That means they¡¯ll situate you with your own neural implant.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond. I¡¯d heard mention of needing a neural implant in this city my first day when I¡¯d tried to buy food from that rude merchant. The merchant had described a gory procedure that involved digging into my skull and inserting a piece of metal into my brain. However, the merchant also said that the neural implant acted as a necessary component for living and working in this city.


    I shuddered, unable to shake away the discomfort that arose from the idea of putting something foreign in my head. It appealed to me about as much as it had when I¡¯d first learned about it. But, I convinced myself that I would do what I needed to in order to fit in on this planet and learn as much as possible. As long as it was safe.


    The floor Emmett and I ended up on branched out into five separate hallways, all decked with the academy¡¯s seemingly favorite deep maroon wallpaper and furnishings. We took the path that split the others directly down the center and passed many students with stacks of books piled on their arms and others with sharp weapons and bright, glowing staffs that I could only assume were also weapons.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I received a handful of curious stares but nothing that made me feel too uncomfortable. But I found myself searching frantically for Cinthara at every corner. Now that I knew for a surety that she had something to do with Euridice as her clone (maybe one of many Euridice clones¨Conly the gods knew), I wasn¡¯t keen on running into her again anytime soon. Or ever.


    Though, I knew it was inevitable that I¡¯d see her again¡­ eventually. We lived in the same city and were both students. Maybe the best thing for me to do was to try to remain in the sight of large groups of people at all times. Maybe outside of the setting of a duel, she¡¯d feel less inclined to attack me around groups of onlookers and witnesses.


    But I had no way of knowing what she had planned for me at all, or even if she knew she was a Euridice clone. But her obvious dislike of me didn¡¯t bode well for her intentions.


    I caught no sign of Cinthara anywhere as Emmett led me to our destination. He took me through a wide-open door. Above the doorframe, a silver sign had been nailed into the wall  and read, ¡°Citizen and Student Registration.¡± On the door, I saw metal carvings of different types of fish welded onto its surface. Information from Dex tried to explain to me every species represented on the door, and there were so many it made my head hurt.


    I attempted to tune out the information piling into my head, but it proved difficult. Most of the time, my AI¡¯s database was extremely useful, but at other times, I found it inconvenient. I made a mental note to try and practice turning away my focus from major data loads. Maybe that was something Dex knew about and could help me with.


    A very bored-looking woman with eyelids drooping over her eyes as she napped sat behind a wide black desk. The entire surface of the desk was a sleek screen that had a soft glow to it.


    ¡°Hey, Lucinda!¡± Emmett sang loudly.


    Lucinda jerked awake with a snort. She adjusted the thin, gold-framed spectacles on her wide nose and looked the two of us up and down.


    ¡°Yes. Hello, Emmett. You have a new student for me?¡±


    She knew Emmett by name. And with such a huge school, that felt improbable. Did Emmett serve as a student companion for a lot of people?


    ¡°Yeah! This is Rayden Grim!¡± Emmett gestured for me to step forward, and I did, simultaneously nodding at the woman.


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± she said, holding out a long-fingered hand for me to shake. Her soft voice came out in a croak. That, plus the dark circles under her eyes, made her seem older than she was. In reality, she couldn¡¯t have been more than 25 unless she was Tier 7 or higher. The woman scanned me up and down, and her frown only grew deeper.


    I smiled and leaned forward to shake her hand. So, handshaking was a thing on this planet. The many times Cinthara had refused to shake my hand when I offered made me hope that handshaking wasn¡¯t customary here. But no, Cinthara just despised me.


    I shook Lucinda¡¯s hand and flinched at the feel of her sharp fingernails digging into my skin.


    ¡°I heard about you,¡± she mused with large eyes studying my every movement. ¡°You¡¯re the Tier 2 who had to survive a 60-second duel. Congratulations, by the way. It¡¯s impressive that you passed.¡±


    ¡°Uh, thanks.¡± I ripped my hand out of her grip and tried to offer a shaky smile so as not to offend her in any way.


    I wanted desperately to correct her and blurt out that I was now a Tier 3, but I didn¡¯t know how advancement worked on this planet. In Edrona, people had to attend the goddess¡¯s temple to unlock a Tier and receive a new Skill. Of course, I never had to do that, but I needed to search Codex''s databases or find out for myself how people advanced on X-47-35 and keep up pretenses that I was the same. I didn¡¯t want to attract suspicion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set you up with a class schedule, then.¡±


    Lucinda danced her elegant fingers along the screen, brilliant lights bursting in reds, yellows, greens, and purples on the surface with her every touch.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you to it,¡± Emmett chimed in, throwing us a goodbye wave. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get to my next evening class. If you need anything, Rayden, my dorm is number 103 on the seventh floor.


    I watched Emmett leave with his stubby black tail that poked out of his trousers, wagging as if waving goodbye. I mentally pleaded with him to not leave me alone with this strange woman and her cold stare. But, of course, Emmett couldn¡¯t read my thoughts, and the door shut behind him with a click. And I found that I missed Emmett''s cheery company. Maybe I wouldn¡¯t feel so against making friends after all.

 Chapter 62: Scheduling

    The glare Lucinda bore into me turned even colder as I turned to face her. It sent a shudder down my spine. Though I felt there was no danger, I could tell this woman already hated me. But¡­ not quite in the way Cinthara seemed to despise me. Lucinda acted just as bitter toward Emmett. Maybe she just detested her job.


    ¡°It seems Headmaster Bohin has already enrolled you,¡± she said. ¡°Now, I¡¯m curious, is ¡®Grim¡¯ a family name? Because that last name is rather depressing.¡±


    ¡°Family name?¡± I quirked my head to the side.


    I¡¯d only received the name ¡°Grim¡± after Drayek had officially taken me on as his apprentice, as was custom in Edrona. But then the information Codex had attained from his scans of the planet suddenly informed me in a whoosh of data that almost everyone here had surnames inherited from their parents.


    I smiled at Lucinda, trying to hide my confusion from earlier. ¡°Uh, yes. Grim was my father¡¯s last name.¡±


    Calling Drayek ¡°my father¡± out loud sent a pang through my heart. I cleared my throat and forced myself to focus on Lucinda¡¯s quick fingers as she typed different things on the screen. I only caught a few words here and there¨Cthe images on the device flew by so fast. I saw mentions of ¡°first-year student¡± and ¡°first-year class list.¡±


    ¡°Alright, here we go,¡± Lucinda said with a bored click of her tongue. ¡°You do not have many options to choose from as a first-year at the academy. Most of the classes you will have to take are mandatory.¡±


    ¡°So, you are saying I¡¯m a ¡®first-year,¡¯¡± I said. ¡°Am I starting at the beginning of the year like everyone else? Surely not because I see students already taking classes.¡±


    Lucinda took her glasses and rubbed her eyes with her thumbs. She really didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to be there.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± she retorted. ¡°Your year starts the day you start at the academy. And then your second year starts on the same date of the next year, and so on.¡±


    How does that work? I thought, not finding any relevant information in Dex¡¯s database. Maybe it took time for him to scan everything about an area or planet, or maybe he just hadn¡¯t scanned certain specifics. Surely, a teacher can¡¯t just restart a course because a new student arrives. Are there some teachers who are specifically assigned to teaching new students?


    Turned out I didn¡¯t need Dex¡¯s data to find out:


    ¡°Information you missed at the beginning of a course will cycle back around by the end of your academic year,¡± Lucinda said. ¡°You will have the chance to learn everything offered in each class.¡±


    A bright white flashed onto the long screen that made up the surface of Lucinda¡¯s desk. The eruption of white engulfing the entire screen sent a shock through me, and I leaped back an inch or two. Lucinda eyed me over the thin lenses of her spectacles but didn¡¯t say anything about it.


    ¡°You are required to take the following three classes as a first-year: Mastering Group Combat, The Study of Essence, and The Art of Cultivation.¡± Her nails clicked over the screen a few more times. ¡°There are not many choices for times. Would you prefer to attend the majority of your classes in the morning or evening?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± More tapping. ¡°You can choose one more class out of the electives to add to your schedule.¡±


    I heard a whirring sound that exactly matched the sound of paper printing back at the front desk of the academy. Lucinda ripped the freshly printed paper from the slit it had come from and shoved it in my face. I leaned back to avoid one of the sharp edges poking into my eye.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Read through this list of elective options and let me know which appeals to you,¡± Lucinda said.


    I pulled the paper out of the vice-like grip of her red-painted nails. The white page was still warm from its printer, and the black ink pressed into the paper was still wet and bled as my fingers ran over the lettering. Ignoring the fresh ink staining my fingertips, I vigorously read over the list of classes:


    ELECTRONICS MECHANICS


    AERORIDER EDUCATION


    NON-HEALER¡¯S GUIDE TO HEALING


    Dex¡¯s database informed me of the basic meanings for each of the classes on the list, and most sounded intriguing to me. AeroRider Education, for instance, would teach me how to operate one of those flying vehicles I¡¯d encountered when first arriving here. That could be fun¡­. I turned the white sheet over to see if any other classes were listed.


    ¡°Only three to choose from?¡± I said.


    Lucinda waved an exasperated hand over her head. ¡°As I said, you are a first-year. These are the only three elective classes available to a first-year student. It is required to take one of these electives as a first-year. Then, you will pick two from a larger list for your second year, three for your third, and three for every year after that. And the list of available electives increases with every year, as well.¡±


    I ascertained from the information Dex had attained through his scans that students could attend the academy for only five years. By that point, a student either had advanced to Tier 10 or hadn¡¯t. Either way, no one was allowed more than five years attendance in the academy program.


    With only five years to remain in the program, I determined that I needed to be very particular when choosing my electives. I needed to take what I thought was the most important for me and my goals because I wouldn¡¯t have a chance to take everything.


    With that logic in mind, I felt inclined to select the class on healing for non-healers. Learning to better aid in healing a fighting companion or even myself, especially without the availability of someone with healing-related Skills, seemed inherently valuable.


    Drayek had died because a healer couldn¡¯t get to him on time. I bit my lips as I recalled the dire night of Drayek¡¯s death. If I had known some non-healing methods, could I have helped save him? At least do enough while we waited for a healer to make it to him?


    It was decided.


    ¡°Have you picked one?¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to look at her to feel the eye-roll that accompanied Lucinda¡¯s question.


    ¡°Non-Healer¡¯s Guide to Healing,¡± I said quickly and without hesitation. Though, once the words flew from my mouth, I wondered if I¡¯d made the right decision.


    Holding my ground, I handed the paper back to Lucinda and frowned as she merely crumpled it up into a ball and threw it behind her into a dark corner. I peered over to where she¡¯d thrown it and found many other similar balls of white in a pile standing about two inches off the floor.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll put that in here¡­. The only Non-Healer¡¯s Guide to Healing class available is at six in the morning.¡± She offered no pause in her typing to allow me to change my mind. ¡°I¡¯m printing your class schedule now.¡±


    Lucinda ripped out another sheet of paper that her desk spit out, and then she held it out to me. I took it and saw the four classes I had to take listed neatly, with timestamps printed on the left side of each.


    ¡°You will see the room and floor number in tiny print next to each of your classes,¡± she said while scratching at her neck with a demoralized look on her face.


    I looked closer at my schedule and found the tiny print she referred to, printed on the right of each class, then made a face at the five-minute break between Mastering Group Combat and The Study of Essence. What concerned me was the fact that the former class was on Floor 14 and the latter on Floor 38.


    I opened my mouth to ask if that could be changed, but Lucinda held up a hand as if she already knew what I wanted to say.


    ¡°That¡¯s the best schedule I can give you. We have a lot of new students this year, and there are limited time slots. Take it or leave it.¡±


    ¡°But how am I supposed to get to my classes on time?¡±


    With the heaviest sigh I¡¯d ever witnessed, Lucinda responded, ¡°Take the lift.¡±


    I readied myself to ask what a ¡°lift¡± was, fully expecting, yet still fearing, another eye-roll or incredulous look from the woman, but thank the gods, Dex¡¯s information told me what a lift was before I could further make myself look like a fool.


    I felt the blood leave my face as images of a lift, essentially a transparent box that shot people up through a building at scary speeds, flashed behind my eyes.


    Looking forward to that¡­.


    ¡°New jumpsuits with the yellow sleeves for a student will be sent to your dorm. The system has you in dorm number 61 on the fourth floor. Is that where you are currently staying?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Good,¡± Lucinda said with a yawn. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to get you situated with a neural implant.¡±


    And yet another thing to look forward to. Yay.

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