《Havoc Fox》 Lore Dump - Optional Obsidian Dominion ¨C the UGC¡¯s greatest enemy and controls a third of the known galaxy. Their leader is currently in UGC custody. UGC ¨C United Galactic Coalition Controls half the known galaxy System Starting attributes are based on talent and training before acquiring the system. A 10 is average while 20 is the pinnacle of their species before the system. One¡¯s attributes affect the reality of the person in question. So, a human with a strength of 50 will be strong by normal human standards, but they are still weaker than an orc with a strength of 50. At the age of 18, everyone goes to unlock their system at a local faction hall, where a copy is sent directly to the coalition''s database. Upper-tier factions set alerts to let them know of any talents, though unless someone unlocks a rare affinity and/or a powerful class and/or title most are often ignored and need to get recognition in other ways. Upon activation, the system bestows a single skill onto the person that best fits how they¡¯ve lived or the skill set they are best with. While rare there are situations that people get a title when their system is unlocked. Hidden Attributes ¨C There are many hidden attributes such as charm or luck that remain static an unseen, however some skills, species, and affinities can unlock hidden attributes. At that point they can be increased like the base attributes Enhancement points (EP)¨C with some exceptions everyone gets a single point for every level up. These can be used to increase an attribute by 1 or give a +5(an additional +1 per class change) to health or mana.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Legacy Titles are titles that the system generates to reward impressive achievements. The more unique a title is the stronger it is, but also the harder it is to replicate. Cultural Titles are titles that are made by society but because enough people recognize it as true the system and thus benefits are gained from it. The greater the achievement is viewed and the harder it is to get it the better the results. Skill Tiers Finished ¨C the skill can not evolve further and becomes a Static skill regardless of its tier Mortal ¨C Max rank is 10 and can use mana stones to forcibly level them up. Superior ¨C commonly picked up by those around level 300+, though can be acquired at any level if lucky or having the right resources. Mana stones no longer help in forcing these skills to level up. Max level 5. Ascended ¨C Most don¡¯t get a divine skill until they reach level 600. Max level 3. Divine ¨C There are only 5 confirmed divine skills in existence and all of them are static. The requirements to evolve an ascended skill to a divine skill is unknown. Classes Everyone gets their first class at level 10. Every hundredth level a class change is given and level up is impossible until a new class. The character''s lifespan also doubles every time they succeed at their class change, but at the 6th job change the character stops aging. Classes are shown as cards where the front has the class name, a picture of the class''s stereotype, and the class''s potential and filled stars. Potential stars, often just referred to as class potential, appear on the card as hollow stars. The more potential stars the more powerful the class can become but most starting classes cap at 5. The highest recorded potential a class has had is 10 stars. Filled stars, often referred to as just stars, is how much power the character can draw from their class and is what people usually say when describing how powerful their class is. Stars will be shown in the following (filled stars)potential stars Characters can flip the card to see a description of the class as well as the quest to unlock it. Once the quest is completed the character can select the class to change to it. Other Common Knowledge Top 4 universities in the UGC (ranked best to worst) Invictus University: ¡°Strength in Unity, Power in Diversity¡± Starlight University: ¡°Justice Through Power¡± Reaper University: ¡°Where warriors are forged¡± Rainy Wind University: ¡°Elegance in Strength¡± Planet types Civ planets ¨C planets that have a fully developed civilization and all threats to the civilization have been neutralized. Beast Planets ¨C unless there is some highly desired resources these planets usually have a handful of bases on to rest at. They are left this way so people can hunt beasts for xp and materials. Sometimes expeditions on these planets can go on for months to hunt powerful creatures. Dead planets ¨C these planets have no life and are generally worthless in terms of resources. Item Slots Waist: Items such as belts or sashes that are worn around the waist. Torso: Clothing that covers a large portion of the body, including body wraps, corsets, coats, harnesses, robes, armor, and vestments. Upper Body: Garments like jackets, shirts, and vests that are worn on the torso or chest. Lower Body: Clothing like pants, skirts, etc. Eyes: Accessories such as goggles, contact lenses, monocles, and glasses that are worn over the eyes. Feet: Footwear including boots, shoes, and anklets. Hands: Items like gloves and gauntlets worn on the hands. Head: Headgear including circlets, crowns, hats, helmets, hoods, and masks. Forehead: Accessories such as headbands and laurels are worn around the forehead. Neck: Singular items like amulets, chokers, and necklaces that hang from the neck. Shoulders: Shoulder coverings such as capes, cloaks, pauldrons, shawls, etc. Wrists: Items worn on or around the wrist, including bracelets and wristbands. Weapons and Shields: The number of weapons and shields a person can equip depends on their ability to wield them. Thus, they are considered semi-slotless Rings: One ring can be worn on each finger. Earrings: One earring effect can be equipped on each ear. Slotless: Items that don¡¯t need to be equipped in the same sense as others. These are usually utility and are rarely worn. *Some items can restrict what can be used in other slots System Connected: Happy Birthday Lian stood in front of the orb, her green eyes filled with excitement about unlocking her system. Starting from today she can truly follow in her adoptive father''s footsteps and become an arcane blacksmith. When she touched the orb, it began to glow as she synced up with the heart of the cosmos. She stood there as she watched the system download into her soul, updating her very existence. [System Uploaded]
Name Lilliana Hughes
Race Human
Class N/A
Level 1
Titles Disciple of Fire and Steel
Affinity Lust
Health 108
Mana 140
Attributes
Strength 15
Agility 11
Vitality 14
Magic 12
Charm 18
Available EP 0
Skills
Active
Passive
Metalsmith level 1
The first thing she noticed was that she had a title and just from reading it she just took it as confirmation of how skilled her father was.
[Disciple of Fire and Steel]
Description: You are the disciple of a hidden grandmaster of his craft, one who avoids the spotlight to further his art in peace.
Benefits:
Flames Resilience: You gain 20% fire resistance
Mettle Quality: Any kind of crafting work you perform, whether with metal, monster parts, or other materials, is enhanced by 30%
¡°Can you stop showing me up?¡± She asked out loud after reading it with a smile. She didn¡¯t realize she said it out loud but was just impressed she got such a good title from the start. Her attention was snapped back to reality when the overseer coughed to get her attention and asked her to step aside for the next person. She obliged but went back to reading her status as she left and nearly yelled out when she read her affinity. Her face turned bright red from the embarrassment of it as she reread it and even pulled up the description.
Lust Affinity
Description: This affinity enhances your abilities to manipulate and influence emotions, especially those related to desire, attraction, and temptation while giving you a strong resistance to charm-based abilities. It grants you access to the hidden attribute ''Charm''
As embarrassed as she was, she was surprised to find out that she had a hidden attribute and went straight to seeing it and was surprised to see that it was an 18.
Charm: Charm measures your charisma and influence over others. It affects your ability to persuade, seduce, and inspire those around you.
Lian stopped looking at her status screen long enough to look for a place to sit as she looked through the rest of it. It wasn¡¯t hard to find a seat since the GAT guild hall is usually empty on this backwater planet. She chose to come to the guildhall to connect to the system for that very reason. Once she sat down the next thing, she looked at was her health and mana. While she had no plans on joining the military or becoming a hunter, she still thought it was worth seeing what her starting point was in case she did need to go hunting herself.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. She was happy with her health since she was expecting it to be around 90 but her mana was blowing her mind. She expected it to be around 70 or 80, but it was instead double that. She won¡¯t complain since her father told her that having high mana made it easier to place better enchantments on equipment and to manipulate the flames in the forge. The last thing she looked at was her passive skill metalsmithing. She expected something like this but to think she already got the higher form of blacksmithing. She thinks it had to do with the occasional bronze equipment she had to make or the triplets forcing her to make jewelry for them. ¡®Whatever.¡¯ She thought she couldn¡¯t hide the smile as she got up. As she was heading to the door someone called out to her. When she turned around, she saw one of the suits run up to her. ¡°You¡¯re Lilliana Hughes, correct?¡± He inquired, trying to hide the fact that he was out of breath. ¡°I go by Lian but yes.¡± ¡°My name is Dante Fowl. Mind if we have a chat in my office?¡± He asked while gesturing for her to follow. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Lian tried to figure out if she had done anything wrong but couldn¡¯t think of anything. She just came in, got connected to the system and then relaxed. Normally she window shops the various crafting materials. ¡°Not at all but an error came up when your status screen was copied into the UGC database and just want to confirm something.¡± He was a little shifty, but Lian wanted to stay on GAT¡¯s good side since she would need to at least be an outside member if she wanted to get by as a blacksmith. Though when they arrived at his office she was confused as to why he was treating her like some kind of VIP. ¡°Now can you show me the title you got when you connected to the system?¡± Mr. Fowl was quite insistent on this so Lian showed it to him and he could barely contain his excitement. ¡°Ms. Hughes, do you have plans on joining the Guild of Artisans and Tradesman?¡± ¡°I was actually, planning on taking the apprentice test in a month or two now that I¡¯m connected to the system.¡± Mr. Fowl smiled and breathed a small sigh of relief when he heard this as he pulled out some paper to give Lian. ¡°Due to your title the Guild of Artisans and Tradesman are willing to acknowledge you as an apprentice. Just sign these papers and you will be an official outer member.¡± He informed as he slid the paper and a pen to her. She read through it all and there was no catch. She was surprised by this and planned to ask her father about this, but for now signed it since she was going to join anyway. ¡°Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on joining the guild, Ms. Hughes¡± He congratulated as he shook Lian''s hand and some pop-ups came at the same time. [Acquired Title ¡°Apprentice Smith¡±]
[Apprentice Smith]
Description: As an apprentice in the ancient and revered art of smithing, you have begun your journey into the world of crafting and forging. Under the guidance of a seasoned master, you have honed your basic skills and developed an understanding of the fundamental principles of smithing. Your work is beginning to show promise, and your dedication to the craft is evident in every piece you create.
Benefits:
Increased Crafting Speed: You are 10% faster with all forging techniques
Enhanced Quality: Items you forge have a 5% increased chance of being of higher quality.
Durability Knowledge: Your forged items have 10% more durability than standard items.
Learning Boost: You gain smithing experience 20% faster, accelerating your journey towards mastery.
The fact that she got the cultural title, Apprentice Smith, she knew this was the real deal. Lian then thanked Mr. Fowl and quickly left. The second she was out of the guild hall she couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and ran home screaming her head off in joy. While she was embarrassed by her affinity everything else was better than she could have hoped for. * * When she got home, she ran into the house with enough force that those who were prepared to throw her a surprise birthday party were caught off guard and everyone could see that she was just a bundle of energy. None of them had ever seen her this excited except when it came to forging things. ¡°Happy Birthday!¡± They yelled, lacking unison as they tried not to laugh at the situation. While none of the people here were her family by blood, they all came to acknowledge each other as a family just from watching Lian grow. ¡°How did it go?!¡± Roark asked with enthusiasm. Like the others Roark Thunderfist was originally just a customer for Lian¡¯s adoptive father but as he kept returning, he eventually started seeing her as his niece. For Lian, Roark was the loud, crazy uncle. Between his tall, rugged look and the chaotic smile that screamed ¡®life is tough but I¡¯m tougher¡¯ energy. During all this, he had Lian in a massive bear hug causing his five o¡¯clock shadow to scratch her face. ¡°Air.. Can¡¯t breathe.¡± Lian gasped. Roark immediately let go while laughing it off. He gave a very energetic apology as his hand nervously found its way through his short black hair. ¡°Can¡¯t you control yourself for five minutes?¡± Sol asked. If Roark was the crazy uncle, then Sol O¡¯her was the serious and reliable uncle. Like all others present Sol was a hunter and became a regular at this smithy for the quality equipment. He could also be seen as Roark¡¯s complete opposite, not just in personality but fighting style and beliefs. Where Roark fights with his bare hands and using minimum equipment, Sol dual wields katanas and always prepares for as many possibilities as he can. If Roark prefers to engage the enemy head-on, loud and proud, then Sol prefers to outmaneuver his adversary. The only part of their philosophy they can agree on is to not rely on the skills they have acquired and hone the fundamentals of their chosen fighting style. ¡°Oh, come on! You were just as excited as I was!¡± Roark roared in response as Lian managed to slip away. ¡°Keep this up and not only will you break one of her bones with your strength, but Pops will definitely beat the snot out of you again.¡± Sol lectured and Lian went over to her sisters before she could be dragged in. ¡°Where¡¯s Pops?¡± Lian inquired. ¡°He¡¯s been getting phone calls non-stop for the last thirty minutes.¡± Alexa answered and since her body couldn¡¯t sit still when she spoke her short spiky hair bobbed around with every other word. Alexa was the middle child of the triplets. Her blue eyes sparked with electricity and mischievous energy as she began to think of what her next little prank would be, and her playful smile did her no favors in hiding her intentions. Like Lian¡¯s uncles, these three are hunters as well but they achieved their levels at a young age so compared to the others it felt right for Lian to call them sisters instead of her aunts. While the three were actual triplets the classes they chose caused subtle changes to their physical appearances, so they were easy to tell apart. Sera took this moment to pull Lian into a hug as she dragged her to the couch so they could all sit. Seraphina was the oldest of the three, but only by half a minute according to Alexa. Sera always took it upon herself to protect others, and this protective nature of hers was only amplified by her bold, confident, and (worse) passionate personality. Her amber eyes glared at Alexa to silently tell her to behave while she tried not to sit on her long red hair while holding onto Lian. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough everyone,¡± Winter yelled out as she came out with the birthday cake. Her long white hair flowed as she walked gracefully towards the coffee table. Her icy blue eye congratulated Lian while her calm composed aura helped everyone stop whatever shenanigans that were or would soon be. Pops was evidently done yelling into the phone as he followed behind her. He was the real source of everyone stopping. Roark learned the hard way years ago why everyone called him Pops. Break a rule and all you will hear is your eardrums popping. Despite being the same size as Lian at 5¡¯8¡± he was a force no one wanted to go against. Because of his dadbod, everyone assumed he wasn¡¯t in great shape, but most forget that the constant workout that blacksmiths get. While this usually meant they had terrifying grips, Pops used those same muscles to beat troublesome customers. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re all here now.¡± He smiled while stroking his messy beard. They sang the birthday song and cut the cake while asking about her attributes and plans from now on, so she told them about her attributes, including charm, and her title. The only thing she left out was her lust affinity. While the others were happy to hear that she got accepted by GAT as an outer member already a worried look appeared on Pop''s face, while he tried to hide it Alexa was making Lian''s vibrant orange statically charged, making her shoulder-length hair go in all directions. When the commotion died down everyone got their presents for her out. The triplets got her an ingot of oglunite, a type of living metal that makes for great crafting tools. Pops was immediately advising Lian to make a new forging hammer from it. When this was revealed, Roark cursed as if he lost some competition while Pops was advising Lian to make a new forging hammer from it. Pops said that his present is learning his manaurgy techniques later, as well as how to forge equipment out of beast parts. Roark got Lian a ring to help her forge longer which the triplets complained about, since they not-so-secretly want Lian to have a life outside the smithy. They only got her the oglunite because they knew she would never give it up.
Name: Flame Defender Ring
Type: Ring
Durability: 800
Perks
Fire Resistance: increase fire resistance by 20%
Stamina Spring: Increase stamina recovery by 10%
Lastly, Sol gave a 5000-credit gift card for the GAT market. He was labeled unoriginal and cheap, but he defended himself vigorously saying that Lian had too many personal projects to get some random material for. When the night winded down everyone left to go rest and leave the planet as they all had something going on. For Lian it was a good day, and she could only see things getting better from there. Fairy Deal It was a new day and Lian felt great. Now that she was eighteen Pops told her he didn¡¯t care if she kept going to school since she was interested in being his full-time apprentice/assistant, yet he was proud when she said that she wanted to see it through for the last few months. Still, before she left, he told her there were offers to recruit her. He was confused about some of it since some wanted to recruit her for her affinity, and others wanted to recruit her because of her title. Lian blushed and denied knowing about any affinity before leaving. However, it didn¡¯t stop Pops from texting her their contact information. She was surprised to find out that half of the council factions were trying to recruit her because of her affinity. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if her lust affinity was something special. For now, she had school to worry about, so she put such thoughts on the backburner for the time being. * At her school anyone that had recently unlocked their system was talking about how it turned out. Most mumbled about how they were average while others went on about how they were planning to become hunters. Since the job meant fighting to the death against beasts on foreign worlds, space pirates, and other hunters all to level up and gather more resources, most would give up early on. Just another reason why Lian wanted to help Pops out instead of following the popular route. She didn¡¯t want to risk her life when she could live decently making equipment. Since it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have access to such resources Lian thought it would be stupid to not at least consider the offers she was being given. However, her five seconds of research was interrupted by an all too familiar intrusion. ¡°Hey, Lian. Heard you got your system activated. How about we go hunting together?¡± Austin Krachen was the spoiled son of the mayor. Daddy dearest was also the reason Lian could never get a restraining order on this creep. The way he looked at her made Lian want to throw up. ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± ¡°Oh, come on baby. I¡¯m already level 5. I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡± This was around the point Austin started getting handsy and knowing what he was about to do she got up and started to leave the classroom instead of continuing to humor him. Austin is a perverted man-child who believes Lian belonged to him ever since they first met in middle school and in that time, they both learned a lot from each other. Lian learned to avoid people and Austin learned that if Pops ever saw him then it would be another one-way trip to the ER. To be safe Lian stayed hidden for the first three periods before assuming Austin had given up for the day, and in that time, she was able to schedule meetings with Tuatha, Spiritus, Gehenna, and Blood Garden. However, the last two were just to be polite as Lian has no desire to become a demon or an immortal leach. She was surprised to hear back from Tuatha so quickly and that they already had someone to talk to on the planet when she wanted. After thinking about it for a bit Lian figured it would be better to play hooky for once and meet up with their representative. * Lian had managed to get the use of one of the meeting rooms in the GAT guild hall for the meeting. This was something she didn¡¯t think she could get but they assured her that the guild hall on this planet mostly just bought local materials to sell elsewhere so they were happy to help any craftsmen. She didn¡¯t wait long in the meeting room, when the Tuatha representative showed up. He exuded the presence of a handsome athlete, his green suit accentuating rather than concealing his commanding, youthful appearance. His neatly combed blonde hair and fierce blue eyes, reminiscent of a raging sea, added to his formidable aura. Lian noticed with curiosity that he instinctively avoided metal objects, prompting her to ponder which other rumors about the fae might be true. Especially as she noticed the white silver brooch on the left side of his chest.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡®Is it just iron-based metals that affect them?¡¯ She wondered. ¡°A pleasure to meet you.¡± He gently lifted Lian''s hand and kissed the back of it as if she was nobility. His every gesture, while calculated, was one of respect. ¡°Y-yes.¡± Lian stuttered as she took her hand back. ¡°Thank you for meeting with me Ms. Hughes. You may call me Lugh.¡± When he introduced himself, she recalled several things about him. He is a great warrior, but what Lian remembered specifically about him was that he was one of the few craftsmen Pops ever praised in passing, or what counted as praise from the old grump. He said something about how he makes incredible spears or anything he makes could become a spear. Lian¡¯s memory of this was fuzzy, but she was secretly excited to meet other skilled craftsmen, hoping she could get some insight from him to improve herself. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, you are Lugh the master craftsman right?¡± Lian asked for confirmation because to her it was just a name and if she was right then the fae don¡¯t, or maybe can¡¯t, lie. ¡°Oh, few nowadays know me as such. Warrior sure. Savior¡­ that one is old history that few care about.¡± He chuckled as he reminisced about his long history. Lian was starstruck. There were only a hundred master craftsmen recorded in GAT and only ten grandmaster craftsmen. It is said that the difficulty of the test from journeymen to master made it exceptionally tough to maintain a certain standard and to become a grandmaster you had to redefine your craft. ¡°Now where did I put it?¡± Lugh said as he searched his pockets. When he found what he was looking for he pulled out a letter. Based on what happened next Lian assumed it was a script he was forced to read. ¡°Blah blah, magic dances¡­ Ancient knowledge. Titania¡¯s tits who wrote this garbage?¡± Lugh all but shouted this, which left Lian a little concerned about joining Tuatha itself. Lugh burned the paper to ashes with a look of disdain on his face, like he was insulted from simply reading it. ¡°I¡¯ll try this my way. Look, Ms. Hughes Tuatha is brimming with resources for a fellow craftsman regardless of whether you join the Seelie or Unseelie courts.¡± Lugh began but this time Lian felt the sincerity in his words. Lugh had no idea that this change in approach already had her put his words in higher regard. ¡°The courts?¡± ¡°Sorry, I sometimes forget that not everyone is familiar with Tuatha¡¯s hierarchy. We fae are divided into several courts that join to make larger courts. I¡¯m a member of the Seelie, but I¡¯m here at the request of the Unseelie since I owed them a favor.¡± His explanation brought up more questions for Lian, but her interest in joining was also fading a bit. ¡°Why would the Unseelie want me, and what would I get for joining Tuatha in general if you¡¯re this divided?¡± ¡°Both are good questions. I¡¯m not too sure about the Unseelie¡¯s motives these days, dark fae are unpredictable like that at the best of times. If I had to guess it¡¯s because of your Lust affinity. The affinity to bend desire to ones will align with a great many fae lineages.¡± He stopped to let Lian process what he said so far, which did not please her. Lian did not care about manipulation. ¡°If you join Tuatha then you will be turned into a fae. A changeling to be exact.¡± Lian became worried, if she became fae then wouldn¡¯t she have to give up being a blacksmith? This was non-negotiable for her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I think I will have to pass on joining Tuatha, if it means I have to give up being a blacksmith.¡± Lian stuttered as she got up. ¡°Who said anything about giving it up? First of all, while it is very rare some fae do have the passive skill Iron Kissed. That skill bypasses our metal weakness. A perfect example would be the dwarves and kobolds.¡± ¡°The dwarves are fae?¡± Lian was so stunned by this that she stopped in her tracks as the door was halfway open. ¡°Former fae. They shed it and became their own race generations ago, like the elves. Though back when the dwarves were fae they were all born with the Iron Kissed skill. No idea how they did it but they did.¡± Lugh explained with a chuckle. While Lian didn¡¯t think that Tuatha was for her, she at least decided to keep an open mind for now. After she sat back down the two of them ended up just talking about crafting various equipment and Lian was intrigued by what she learned. He even told her about Tuatha''s unique crafting ability that allows them to make growth equipment. He described it as equipment that grows to reflect their wielder''s skills and the older the equipment the stronger it was. Meanwhile, Lugh used this to genuinely try to recruit Lian to join the Seelie since he was longing for an apprentice that intrigued him. In the end, they both left happy and as a gift, Lugh gave her some sylvanite and ironwood to try his tips later. He also gave her a piece of advice when dealing with the fae. ¡°Rember Ms. Hughes, never thank us. All fae have a passive skill for making deals and it even enforces verbal agreements and thanking us is the same as saying you owe us. More importantly words have power, so watch what you say.¡± When Lugh said this Lian was silent for a minute before responding. ¡°I appreciate your advice.¡± Lugh smiled as she only proved that she was a fast learner. ¡°One last thing. If you wish to join Tuatha. Then speak into this with an offering and whoever, whatever court is interested will appear.¡± He said as he handed Lian a stone amulet before leaving. Final Lesson: HAMMER!! After leaving Lugh, Lian went home and heard Pops making a racket in the smithy and grew curious about what he was doing, and more than a little worried that he was trying something big on his own again. She was right that he was doing something big as there were many new items in the smithy. ¡°Welcome back Lilliana.¡± Lian was surprised to see the changes to the smithy. While it was always spacious there was now a second table and a complete setup with beginner equipment. The only things over there that weren¡¯t new were her old tools and some materials she had been collecting for her own personal projects. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± ¡°That is your side of the smithy. From today on words, you can make and sell your own creations.¡± Lians face lit up when she heard this. She was looking all over for the oglunite ingot when she heard a thud on the anvil behind her. When she turned, she saw that Pops had placed the oglunite ingot she got from the triplets. ¡°First you need to make new tools. Now that you have the system anything you make will be enhanced by it. Your equipment should help you not, hold you back. Once you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll teach you your final lessons.¡± Lian was excited until it dawned on her what exactly he said. Final lessons. Some part of her refused to believe there was nothing else to learn from Pops. She was his apprentice and assistant. ¡°What final lessons?¡± ¡°Manaurgy. How to imbue your mana and thus any affinity you have into your creations. Also forging beast gear requires a little finesse with your mana.¡± For years she helped Pops forge various things, but she was always told that she wouldn¡¯t understand manaurgy until she could use mana. Yet while she was excited to learn something new, she was also sad that this would be her final lesson. Could she still say that she was his student after learning this? She couldn''t let her thoughts linger for now. If she wanted to make Pops proud, her first task was to forge a new hammer. Working with oglunite felt surprisingly natural, almost as if the material itself understood her intentions. The entire process went so smoothly that it unsettled her, but she couldn''t deny the excellent results.
Name: Oglunite Forging Hammer
Type: Crafting Tool (Hammer)
Physical Damage: 0
Durability: 200
Perks:
Living Metal Resonance: Grants a 20% increase in crafting speed and precision.
Adaptive Shaping: The hammer subtly adjusts its shape and weight to suit the current task, improving the quality of the forged items. Increases the chances of crafting higher-quality items by 10%.
Material Synergy: Items crafted with rare and/or magical materials have a 15% increase in their inherent abilities.
Durability Boost: Items forged with the Oglunite hammer have a 20% increase in durability
Experience Amplifier: Using the hammer grants an additional 25% experience boost in metalsmithing and runesmithing
Living Tool Link: The hammer provides feedback to the crafter through subtle vibrations, helping them understand the materials better and improve their techniques. This results in a 15% increase in overall crafting efficiency.
When she noticed she had enough oglunite left to make a pair of tongs, assuming she didn¡¯t mess up, she went straight to work.
Name: Oglunite Forging Tongs
Type: Crafting Tool (Tongs)
Durability: 200
Perks:
Perfect Grip: 25% improvement in handling and precision during forging.
Heat Resistance: Increases safety and efficiency by 30%.
Material Harmony: 20% increase in the quality of the final product.
Adaptive Flexibility: The living nature of Oglunite allows the tongs to slightly adjust their shape to accommodate different sizes and shapes of materials, providing an optimal hold. This adaptability increases crafting efficiency by 25%.
Crafting Synergy: When used in conjunction with the Oglunite Forging Hammer, the tongs provide a 15% additional boost to the effectiveness of all crafting activities, ensuring a harmonious crafting process.
Durability Boost: Items manipulated with these tongs during the forging process have a 15% increase in their own durability, due to the careful and precise handling provided by the tongs.
Once she was done, she finally looked at both of her creations and was proud of the results. Though when she showed Pops, he didn¡¯t think highly of it.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Listen lass that was living metal. If you know what it wants to be it will make it so.¡± When he noticed that Lian was feeling down from the lecture he just sighed before patting her on the back. ¡°Still did good though.¡± Lian cheered back up after hearing that as he guided her to his side of the smithy for him to show her how to manipulate mana in the forging process. Pops explained that imbuing affinities is the easier of the two so they would start there. Pops had used a simple fire skill to manipulate the flame and imbued the affinity for flame in it. When he pulled it out, she was in awe of it.
Name: Inferno''s Edge
Type: Dagger
Physical Attack Power: 4000
Magic Attack Power: 6000
Durability: 10000
Perks:
Flame Enchantment: The blade is permanently engulfed in magical flames, dealing an additional 200 fire damage on each hit.
Burning Strike: Each strike has a 50% chance to inflict a burn status on the target, dealing 100 fire damage per second for 5 seconds.
Ignition Aura: When unsheathed, the dagger emits an aura of heat, reducing the fire resistance of enemies within a 5-meter radius by 30%.
Phoenix Rebirth: Once per day, if the wielder is incapacitated, the dagger can heal the wielder for 50% of their maximum health and ignite all enemies within a 10-meter radius, dealing 500 fire damage over 5 seconds.
Flame Mastery: Increases the wielder''s proficiency with fire-based spells and attacks by 25%.
Indestructible Flame: The dagger is immune to any form of water or ice-based attacks that would normally extinguish flames.
He had only taken an hour and a half to forge it, dismissing it as "so-so." He instructed her to practice at her forge and, until she developed a fire skill, to use powdered mana stones. While the principle was the same¡ªimbuing her mana into the powder as it was tossed into the fire¡ªit lacked refinement. Manipulating her mana once the mana stone powder entered the flames proved tricky. Pops guided her through the process, and after a few hours, she succeeded. She discovered that the key was to treat the flame as another medium, harnessing its properties to spread while suppressing its tendency to consume. Lian was quite happy with the result as she admired her creation. While there was a slight warp in the blade from the quench it wasn¡¯t anything she couldn¡¯t fix.
Name: Magisteel Dagger
Type: Dagger
Physical Attack Power: 60
Magic Attack Power: 10
Durability: 165
Perks:
Lustful Allure: Enemies struck by the dagger have a 10% chance to be temporarily charmed, lowering their aggression and making them less likely to attack the wielder for a short duration.
She looked it over and thought to herself maybe she could use lust affinity and not be embarrassed by it. ¡°So that¡¯s your affinity.¡± Pops said as he looked at the dagger and Lian realized she never told him what it was. She felt embarrassed and humiliated about her own affinity. The description of it made her sound like some kind of sexual degenerate. ¡°Yeah. The affinity of lust.¡± She stood there staring at her dagger in silence. It ate away at her until she turned to see Pops¡¯ judging gaze. Instead, she saw him do everything in his power to suppress laughter. ¡°It. It¡¯s not funny.¡± Pops did his best to speak in between his stifled laughter and was failing miserably. ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯re as pure as snow Lilliana.¡± Lian''s face turned even redder as she smacked him over the head repeatedly. Since both of them were 5¡¯8¡± this wasn¡¯t too hard. His defeat was swift and without mercy, as he apologized with fervor before fetching various beast materials for the last lesson as an offering. While Pops was bringing out the different materials Lian checked the notice her system gave her and was surprised to find out that she had reached level two already. While she chalked it up to her apprentice smith title and her new hammer, she was still surprised to see that she had already leveled up. However, she was surprised to see that her metalsmithing skill also leveled up. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the XP boost also applied to leveling up the skills themselves. For now, she looked at her attributes and decided where to put her newly earned enhancement point. She figured she didn¡¯t need to worry about increasing her health or mana yet. She ended up doing nothing with it for now, thinking it would be better to save up points and see what her options were for her first class at level 10. ¡°Now listen Lilliana, the process for forging beast material is similar to what you did earlier. Instead of imbuing your affinity into the material you are using your mana to reinforce the material. When done right it will act like metal, allowing us to hammer it as we please. I find it helpful to imagine giving the material a similar structure to steel.¡± Lian took his advice as gospel, as she made a mental design of her next knife. He grabbed the fang of a small wyrm and began to show her how to go about it. Once again, he called the end result a meh and tossed it to the side.
Name: Wyrmfang Dagger
Type: Dagger
Physical Attack Power: 5000
Magic Attack Power: 3000
Durability: 12000
Perks:
Poisonous Bite: The blade carries a potent venom that deals an additional 250 poison damage over 10 seconds.
Bleeding Edge: Strikes have a 40% chance of causing a deep wound, dealing 150 bleed damage per second for 5 seconds.
Predator¡¯s Instinct: The dagger increases the wielder¡¯s critical hit chance by 20% and critical damage by 50%.
Regeneration: The dagger slowly absorbs life energy from its surroundings, healing the wielder a passive regeneration of 5% health per minute.
Fang of the Wyrm: When the wielder strikes an enemy, there is a 10% chance to summon a spectral wyrm to attack, dealing 500 physical damage.
Hunter¡¯s Mark: Enemies struck by the dagger are marked, reducing their defense by 25% and making them more susceptible to subsequent attacks for 10 seconds.
¡°Hey Pops, how does the system decide what these are called? Shouldn¡¯t we be able to name our own creations?¡± Lian inquired out of curiosity. Though she wouldn¡¯t deny that it annoyed her that a name was given to them. ¡°The names the system gives them are merely suggestions. Once you own it you can change its name. The system calls this wyrmfang dagger, yet I could rename it dragon slayer. Then once it¡¯s sold the person who owns it can rename it to stabby.¡± On the one hand, Lian liked to hear that it was just ease of use but was still annoyed because the thought that someone could rename an item, she worked hard to make, into a gimmick for their personal amusement bothered her. Now that it was her turn, Lian approached the array of materials laid out before her with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. She had no idea which items were valuable, and which might be part of Pops¡¯ cunning tests. After a moment of deliberation, she decided on a large, imposing tooth. It belonged to a saber-fang, a less powerful relative of the fearsome smilodon beasts. Despite its inferior status, the saber-fang¡¯s tooth still held a promise of strength, challenging Lian to make something beautiful out of it. ¡°Well, that choice is a statement.¡± Pops responded as she chose and earned a dirty glare from Lian. As far as she was concerned it was too late in the day to be judgy, especially after he laughed at her affinity. Again, he guided her through the process, and it took a couple more hours but she managed to get it right on the first try.
Name: Saber-Fang Dagger
Type: Dagger
Physical Attack Power: 55
Durability: 165
Perks:
Savage Bite: Increases critical hit chance by 10%
Natural Armor Piercing: The dagger has a 15% chance of ignoring a portion of the target¡¯s armor
She felt a swell of pride as she admired her work. This time, even Pops couldn''t help but praise her for getting it right on the first try, though he followed up with a handful of critiques. Together, they cleaned up their respective workstations, carefully putting away tools and materials. By the time they finished, the clock had long passed midnight, and both were thoroughly exhausted, ready to collapse into their beds. A Fox Looking to Adopt Lian was still tired from working so late in the forge but was able to avoid Austin for the entire school day, but she was worried about something else. Today she had a meeting with the representative from Spiritus and they were insistent on meeting at some expensive caf¨¦. While it irritated Lian that the meeting wasn¡¯t at the guild hall, where she felt completely safe, she would at least take home as many sweets as she could as penance for it. When she walked in there weren¡¯t many people, but Lian was still wondering who she was supposed to meet with. All the messages said was that a kitsune would meet her, which made her nervous even though she was planning to rack up the bill. This was because even someone who didn¡¯t care about the politics of the UGC would know that the kitsune race ruled over all the yokai that made up Spiritus. When she looked around, she noticed a woman waving her down. Though the woman lacked any foxlike features, she possessed an extraordinary beauty. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded down to her lower back, and her yellow eyes sparkled like unrivaled gemstones. Lian, who had never cared much about her appearance or felt any attraction towards others, now found herself captivated. As she gazed at the woman, Lian began to understand the confessions she had turned down for years. She even started to question her sexuality, a realization that left her both intrigued and bewildered. After she regained some of her composure she walked over and asked if she was the representative of Spiritus. Once The woman confirmed it Lian sat down and had trouble looking away from her. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± The woman teased when she noticed Lian kept staring. ¡°No.¡± Lian stuttered as her face turned bright red. ¡°Well Lilliana, my name is Kyubi Kon. Kyubi is my last name. Do you have any questions before I begin? Maybe you would like to order something? On me of course.¡± She inquired and hearing her full first name pulled Lian out of her stupor. ¡°It¡¯s Lian.¡± She corrected. Lian didn¡¯t like to be called Lilliana and only allowed Pops to call her that. ¡°Also, I would like to order something real quick.¡± ¡°By all means. Take your time.¡± Lian got up and ordered quite a few things and asked for them to hold onto them for when she left. The caf¨¦ was happy to oblige and Lian went back to the table with a cup of hot chocolate, proper seasons be damned, and a slice of apple pie. ¡°Mind if I start by asking if you already talked to anyone?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the second I¡¯ve talked to. Other than talking to Lugh from Tuatha I still have a meeting with Blood Garden and Gehenna.¡± Lian explained before she took a sip of her hot chocolate. A part of her almost said that she had no real interest in the last two because of their reputations and Tuatha was sketchy to her because of the chance she might not be able to forge metal again. While Lian was deep in thought, debating how much to reveal, she missed the fleeting moment when Kon''s expression turned serious. By the time Lian glanced back, Kon''s face had already transformed, and her features softened into the familiar, warm expression she wore earlier. It was a welcoming look, one that exuded genuine care and a desire for the well-being of those she gazed upon. Kon''s eyes, now gentle and kind, conveyed an unspoken promise of support and understanding, making Lian feel reassured and valued. Lian swore she could feel a sense of longing in the way Kon stared at her. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what the fae offered you, but I promise you it would be better to join Spiritus. After all the odds of you getting that passive skill of theirs¡­ What was it called again?¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Iron Kissed.¡± ¡°Thank you. The odds of acquiring the Iron Kissed skill is less than 0.01%. That is the sole reason why they have so many resources lingering in their territories.¡± Kon was very adamant in her explanation that Tuatha would be a bad choice for Lian. ¡°Other than crafting materials what can Spiritus provide? I can get most materials by helping at the smithy. The reoccurring customers are hunters that range from level 300 to 560.¡± This revelation from Lian shocked Kon. While those could be considered lower-tiered hunters as they haven¡¯t achieved immortality by completing the 6th job change, these were still people whose levels were high enough that they would have no reason to come out to a backwater planet like this. Getting a craftsman with good skill was hard but this spoke volumes of her teacher. It also made Kon worry about the intentions of other factions might have toward Lian. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time a faction has resorted to some vile methods to get a hunter or a craftsman to join them. Even some of the council factions have a history of it. While most hunters could defend themselves or flee when they couldn¡¯t win, craftsmen couldn¡¯t since they rarely had any combat skills. This made them easy targets. This was why GATs was created and with so many angry craftsmen ready to rebel any way they could GAT was able to rise to power so fast. ¡°The exact rights you gain outside of whatever you negotiate is reliant on your position within the clan you join.¡± ¡°Let me guess, you are not only here to convince me to join Spiritus but your clan specifically.¡± Lian interrupted but Kon didn¡¯t seem to mind. She would let Lian do what little power plays she could since she did not want to force her to join. ¡°That¡¯s right. As the ritual to turn you into a yokai requires the blood of the clansmen you will be the daughter of your donor.¡± When Lian heard this explanation, she realized why that look of hers felt familiar. It was the same look Pops gave when he was proud or praising her when he thought she wasn¡¯t looking. She couldn¡¯t stand that this stranger was already assuming that she agreed, and they were family. Lian did not want to humiliate Pops like that. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not trading my father for a new family.¡± Kon understood where Lian was coming from. Many refuse to join because of how the ritual works and the idea of leaving their old family behind. ¡°If I may, we don¡¯t ask you to cut ties or to think of the family that raised you as strangers. It¡¯s more like being the bridge connecting your old family with your new one. We believe that it¡¯s insulting to both parties if you did such a thing just because you¡¯ve become a yokai.¡± ¡°This still doesn¡¯t answer why I should even bother to consider a clan of kitsune that may not be kitsune. I also don¡¯t even know what resources your Kyubi clan has access to in Spiritus.¡± Lian was getting more fed up with Kon. If this was how Spiritus was then she really didn¡¯t have much faith in how her meetings with Gehenna and Blood Garden would go. So, she was already betting on trying to become an inner member of GAT. Sadly, to do that you have to be factionless and have some variant of the title Master Craftsman. ¡°You don¡¯t follow politics, do you?¡± Lian responded to Kon¡¯s question with a resounding ¡°No¡±. She didn¡¯t care about politics and doubted if she ever would. Most of it is pointless bickering when most factions just resort to duels or wars over the topics. The only time the UGC was truly unified was when it was fighting an external threat, which there was only one left. ¡°Then please let me reintroduce myself. I¡¯ Kyubi Kon, leader of Spiritus. As my daughter, you would have access to all of Spiritus even if you choose to live your life as a craftsman and avoid politics.¡± As Kon said this she let most of her kitsune features show. Her ears, eyes, everything except her tails as she didn¡¯t want to bring too much attention to their conversation. After that big reveal, the conversation just went in circles as Lian was struggling to process she was being offered to join the royal clan in the Spiritus faction. When Kon figured this out she just sighed and gave Lian a talisman, telling her if she decides to join then imbue her mana in the talisman and she will appear. After sending Lian off Kon was surprised with the bill as she didn¡¯t see Lian leave with six pudding cups, three pies, and a cake. Yet all Kon could think about was what Lian told her when the conversation was going in circles. ¡°I lasted this long without a mother. I will continue to be fine without one.¡± As those words echoed in Kon''s head, she couldn¡¯t help but be sad. Not because Lian turned her down in such a way, but because she knew that Lian did not know the difference between a father''s love and a mother''s love. Regretz Pops was starting to get annoyed with these factions hounding him to recruit Lian, while some of the smarter ones actively tried to recruit him as well. He got to the point where he just turned off his phone and sat in his office fed up with them all. None of them were worthy of Lian as far as he was concerned. He only ever came into the office to be alone or to do the taxes. For this reason, Lian only ever entered to check on him and rarely stayed unless he made her fill out the paperwork. Right now, he was staring at the only three items in the office that were not related to paperwork with a glass of wine in his hand. With Sol and Roark, he would drink beers and relax. Maybe Scotch or whiskey if someone needed to vent. Those two could drink like his buddies in the good old days despite being so low leveled. With the triplets, he drank mead and vodka. He rarely drank with them, only when there was something to celebrate. Their choice of drinks surprised Pops but who was he to judge? He was a burly blacksmith who favored fine wine. Though Lian got a taste for the drinks thanks to some of Alexa¡¯s shenanigans. Just remembering that makes him itch to smack Alexa. The wine was something he only drank alone. He drank wine to forget the modern day. He drank wine to remember the old days. The good and the bad. The failures and the success. As he took another sip his gaze lingered mostly on the old forging hammer in there. He hated its history. Lian was the only one who had any idea what it meant to him since she had named it Regretz when she was six. He officially changed the name to that when he realized how accurate it was. Though he kept the z because of how Lian said the name, it was the only redeeming part of that cursed hammer''s history. He still teased her about her old speech impediment now and then. The other items in the showcase were even harder for him. One he refused to look at but still had ways to make sure it was locked away in this case. A case that by his design prevented anyone from reading their status or sensing the mana from them. Mostly to keep this one cursed object locked away, hidden in plain sight. Lian used to ask questions about the tablet. However, he never acknowledged any question or statement about it so she eventually stopped talking about it. The other was a battered and dented helmet. He crafted it for a swordswoman of remarkable talent. One who could have stood at the pinnacle of power. There was never love between them, but there was mutual respect and a promise. ¡°Tell me Bell, am I doing right by Lilliana? Should I have taught her my trade knowing I would be revealed? Knowing that it failed you and everyone we knew?¡± His worries spilled out as he remembered the last time he was on the battlefield. Surrounded by traitors. He had been hiding in isolation until Bell came knocking on his door with Lian in her arms. Pops never figured out how she found him, but he sheltered her for about a month before her pursuers caught up. Poor Bell held the line so that he could flee with Lilliana. The warrior stayed so the craftsman could support their ambition. So that her child could grow up safely. That was the curse of having clients that made a living fighting. You lose friends faster than you lose anything else. It was way many called Pops grumpy. His heart couldn¡¯t afford to get attached to any more of them, yet he still did. He stopped reminiscing when he heard a knock on the door. Pops took one more sip of wine before going to answer the door. When he opened the door, he saw an arrogant blonde woman who couldn¡¯t stand to be near some back-alley house. To be exact she couldn¡¯t stand to be on this planet any longer.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. At first, they sized each other up. Because of the location of his home and that she could smell the wine on him and believed that Pops was some drunk that had nothing to do with the talent she came to recruit other than getting lucky in raising a diamond in the rough. Pops saw the blonde woman and immediately pieced together who she was. The condescending look she gave, the red eyes, and if those didn¡¯t make it obvious, she had a daylight ring on. This woman was a vampire. Odds are she was the representative of Blood Garden. ¡°What can I help you with?¡± Pops asked as he crossed his arms and forced himself to sober up. ¡°Is Lilliana Hughes home?¡± She asked though from what she could tell with her vampiric senses only Pops was home, drinking alone. ¡°She is out meeting some important people from Spiritus right now. I can leave a message for you.¡± Pops was hoping to get rid of this vampire. If she was left alone, she might find some of his office. If that happens then he is prepared to deanimate a leach. Just like he was afraid, she forced her way by turning into mist and reforming inside. For now, he pretended to be surprised and yelled at her for being rude calling the blonde vampire all kinds of slurs. Her pride would not stand for some no name on some backwater world it insulted her. She didn¡¯t care even if he was the hidden grandmaster himself or if she lost her chance to recruit Lian. ¡°Listen here you blathering fool. The only thing in your worthless life you¡¯ve done right is raise that girl. Luckily Blood Garden will take her in. Lilliana should be grateful.¡± She all but growled her words at Pops before making herself comfy on a sofa in the living room. ¡°She prefers Lian.¡± His response was quick. Only Lian knew why she preferred to be called it, and yet she threw a fit if Pops called her Lian instead of the full version. For now, he simply had to play the simpleton and keep her in place until he could think of an excuse to chase out a council faction representative. Yet it was so tempting to smite a bitch. He¡¯s been on edge ever since Lian got connected to the system and she had the title saying that she was his disciple. Now this vampire is pushing his buttons. He took a deep breath as he began to plan how to get rid of her. The problem is that vampires are so arrogant that once they decide on something they will follow through unless they come across an overwhelming force they can¡¯t overpower or outmaneuver. Because of this most of the council factions love supporting Silver Moon behind the scenes. Werewolves respect the strong and protect their own. Yet their instincts compel them to fight vampires at every chance they can. By using that animosity both of their factions were forced to stay as the weakest council factions. To overcome this both sides have been looking into anything that can give them an edge and Pops refused to allow Lian to be reduced to a pawn piece for someone else''s game. ¡°When will she be back by?¡± The vampire asked as she began to tap her finger rapidly. ¡°Don¡¯t know. She usually hangs around at the GAT guild hall to buy smithing materials or just stares at the materials when she can¡¯t afford them.¡± Pops chuckled when he remembered seeing her reaction to finding out how much good materials cost. At that time there was a piece of black tempesteel on the market and people went crazy trying to procure it. Lian has been keeping an eye out for other rare materials ever since. He did enjoy teaching her how to handle such materials when his customers came in with some asking for a custom order. ¡°Where is her room?¡± ¡°If the WIZARD¡¯s needs a warrant to enter my house, then why should I show you my daughter''s room when you force your way in?¡± Pops was now clenching his fist hard enough to make his palms bleed, hard enough that space was starting to crack in his palm again. He decided to message Lian to not come home yet so he could get rid of the vampire, only to remember he left his phone in his office. He couldn¡¯t risk her following him in there. He cursed his stupidity for this. The option of just killing this vampire was getting more and more tempting. Pops wouldn¡¯t even need one of his weapons. Might even be able to craft something unique by using her body to fuel the flames in the forge. ¡°I don¡¯t like your tone you insolent smith. What do you honestly think you can do to a superior species like me?¡± She demanded an answer. The truth was that Pops'' constant gaze was unsettling her while her instincts were screaming at her to run but her inner beast and pride demanded to put him in his place. They both turned their heads upon hearing the front door handle jiggle. The vampire smiled as Lian returned while Pops cursed in his mind that she returned now. As the door opened the vampire''s smile brightened while Pop¡¯s frown deepened. ¡®Lousing timing as always lass.¡¯ Meeting With A Vampire ¡°Thanks for getting the door!¡± Lian shouted with all the sass she could muster, oblivious of the vampire feigning courtesy and patience. She was so focused on putting all the sweets that she was carrying on the table that she didn¡¯t notice the tension in the air. ¡°We have company lass.¡± Pops called out to her with a voice that was deeper than usual. This made Lilliana turn serious. The truth was that he only called her lass when he was either in a bad mood or was giving her a lecture and with the heavy tone that was currently set to default this ¡®guest¡¯ was not welcomed here. ¡°What is she a new customer?¡± Lian asked as she finally noticed the vampire. ¡°I¡¯m actually here to meet you.¡± The vampire interjected as she approached Lian. ¡°Emily House of Bathory.¡± The vampire offered her hand like a noblewoman expecting it to be kissed or at the very least gently held. ¡°Lian Hughes.¡± She responded as she grabbed the vampire''s hand like it was a normal handshake. Emily thought Lian was uncouth. She couldn¡¯t believe she was here to recruit this backwater hick. She recounted all her accomplishments in her head as if trying to find some kind of justification for her being here. Graduated from Rainy Wind University, one of the top four universities in the galaxy, subdued countless insurgents, and even led successful raids against Silver Moon on several occasions throughout her long life. Yet all this did was anger her further, not that she let it show. ¡°I thought that we had a meeting in two days?¡± Lian inquired. She didn¡¯t care about Blood Garden but wanted to at least hear their offer, but this vampire rubbed her the wrong way. Ever since she was little Lian had an instinct for people. Like how animals could tell good people from bad people she knew when people were itching to fight. This allowed her to intervene in many bullying situations, which in turn led her to go ballistic and send other kids to the hospital. It was a problematic time for Pops to try to reel in her temper. While her temper was kept in check by the discipline Pops gave her when he taught her how to create things. Yet the instinct remains strong, and this vampire was sending off all kinds of warning alarms in Lian''s head. The weird thing for her is that she couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of the person or if it was the fact that she was a vampire. ¡°I¡¯ve been called back so I dropped by in hopes that we can talk now.¡± Emily gave a soft smile in an attempt to appear endearing, but all that was conveyed was a predator hoping for a weakness to be created and exploited. ¡°I don¡¯t see the harm if we keep it brief. I have to help Pops since he¡¯s getting up there in age.¡± Lian guided Emily back to the sofa as Pops glared daggers for that comment. ¡°I can guess what Spiritus offered you, but I believe Blood Garden can guarantee you a high rank from the start. Just imagine eternal youth and beauty, all yours. Status and prestige are ready for the taking. What do you say?¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. During Emily¡¯s sales pitch, she spoke with a grand gesture, giving off the idea that Lian should be grateful for this opportunity. Which is why she was confused and annoyed that Lian¡¯s look spoke volumes. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Lian was genuinely not impressed. Maybe she would have been if she hadn¡¯t met Lugh or Kon first. Maybe she would have been more open-minded if Emily didn¡¯t ring so many danger warnings in her head. In the end, she was just disgusted that all that the Blood Garden representative had to offer was the notion that she should be grateful for the opportunity. ¡°This is a good opportunity. So, what do you mean by ¡®that¡¯s it¡¯?¡± The gentle facade was starting to fall apart as Emily¡¯s inner beast began to surface, hungry and pissed off for being treated so lightly. ¡°Well yeah. Tuatha sent Lugh as a representative and we ended up exchanging forging stories and ideas. He even gave me some samples of their common materials to mess with.¡± Pops couldn¡¯t help but give a small smug grin when she saw the vampiric bitch¡¯s reaction. Emily was in complete shock since Lugh was Tuatha''s greatest craftsman and was expected to become the 11th person in the galaxy to hold the title Grandmaster Smith any day now. ¡°Not to mention that the offer I got from Spiritus was to be adopted by their leader herself.¡± At this being just casually dropped Emily nearly had a stroke and Pops wasn¡¯t too far behind despite hiding it better. ¡°So how is a high rank in the weakest council faction compared to being the leaders adopted daughter of one of the council factions tied for 4th strongest with GAT?¡± Lian couldn¡¯t help but feel smug at this. It was a guilty pleasure of hers to knock arrogant people off of their high horse, even if the method bit her back in the long run. ¡°I suggest you don¡¯t make this choice so casually. Joining either Tuatha or Spiritus means to stop being human altogether.¡± ¡°Versus becoming something that has to feed off of humans like a parasite and has a history of oppressing others.¡± Emily had completely shut down and couldn¡¯t think of what to say. When she looked Lian in the eyes she didn¡¯t see someone that had just become arrogant after unlocking their system. This was the gaze of someone who would finish what they started, Gehenna or high water no matter the cost. A monster. ¡°In time you will regret this choice.¡± This was all Emily said before she left. Pops and Lian sat in silence afterward like they were waiting for the air to cleanse itself before they said anything. ¡°Adoption again?¡± Pops inquired with a teasing tone. ¡°Best offer so far. Not that I plan on getting a fluffy tail any time soon.¡± She shuddered imagining such a thing and just felt embarrassed by the notion of it. Don¡¯t forget animal ears. Just because she found it cute on others doesn¡¯t mean she wants it herself. ¡°Happy to hear it, Lilliana.¡± Pops placed his hand on her shoulder to reassure himself that he wasn¡¯t losing her yet. Adopted or not this was his baby girl. * Emily was seething with fury. She hadn¡¯t felt so embarrassed since before she joined Blood Garden centuries ago. Since she doubted that Lian would change her mind she was to switch to plan B. If Blood Garden can¡¯t have her then no other faction will either. That Lust affinity can be dangerous if trained right. Since vampires have innate charm skills, they understood how powerful such an affinity could be. For now, she simply focused on how to get rid of Lian. She couldn¡¯t just kill her, because on the off chance what she was told was true then doing so would draw the ire of Spiritus and maybe Tuatha if not Lugh himself. It¡¯s no secret that Kyubi Kon has been looking for an heir for centuries and Lugh has been wanting to train a successor for his crafting titles. She sent out her familiars to find anyone that had a bone to pick with Lian. Everyone had an enemy or two. While she searched through them, she missed someone walking up towards her. She turned to see who it was, only to be surprised to see a high-ranking member of WIZARD. ¡°I have a proposition for you.¡± Fire Skills Lian wanted a break from all the attention and refocus on becoming a proper blacksmith. For her that meant she needed to find a decent fire skill. Until she got connected all she could do was pay close attention and hope she didn¡¯t miss something while heating the metal. With Pops'' last lesson, she was determined to find a good fire skill. The problem was that all the fire skills she was finding were complete crap ¡°Firebolt. Produce Flame. Spark? Who made these skills?¡± Lian couldn¡¯t help but complain. The fire skills on her planet were either gimmicks or life-improvement skills. She had no problems with life improvement skills, it¡¯s just not what she wanted to find. Any that looked useful, such as Flame Aura or Burning Amplification were too combat-oriented for what she was looking for. ¡°I really don¡¯t have a choice, do I?¡± Lian asked herself this, knowing the answer as she changed tabs to send Sera an email for help on this. Before they left Lian remembered them saying they were going on an exploration mission and would be out of touch for a few months. She kept the email short, just asking for help and suggestions. Afterward, she closed her laptop and went down to talk to Pops about how he chose his fire skill. He wasn¡¯t hard to find since he was taking a break with a slice of pie. ¡°Hey Pops, what fire skill do you use?¡± Pops nearly choked on the pie when he heard that question as if he had just overheard some big revelation. However, he did calm down after drinking some water to help clear his throat. ¡°Why do you ask Lilliana?¡± Lilliana liked to believe that Pops did not hide anything outside of the three objects in his office, so she was very confused about why he was sweating bullets over this. ¡°I¡¯m having trouble finding one, especially since most trading groups don¡¯t come out this far.¡± ¡°I actually started with the skill Produce Flame and evolved it over the years. Now I can create powerful flames and freely control them with the same skill.¡± Pops explained this as he made a ball of fire and had it fly around the house to show off. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. Why didn¡¯t you tell me this after telling me to go get a fire skill?¡± ¡°Ah, you know how us old folks are. When you do something long enough it becomes common sense, and you forget that others might not know that.¡± Pops explained as he continued to eat the pie, while Lian began to think on the topic more but was less stressed about it. ¡°Alright. Now that I think about it, I also need to get the money for the skill.¡± Lian immediately groaned as she realized she spent most of her money on some more crafting materials, leaving her only the gift card for GAT. She made these purchases before her birthday, so she wished she was a little more patient. Though she also wished to be better with money and to have a billion credits but knew neither was going to happen any time soon. ¡°I can lend you the money to get the skill. Just tell me how much you need, and I will give it to you for this.¡± Pops knew that this was an important moment for her so he didn¡¯t want her to limit her potential and future resources when he could help her with this one.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this myself Pops.¡± Lian responded as she kissed him on the cheek and left to get the Saber-fang dagger she made. She bet she could get enough credits from selling it to buy a decent starting skill. When Lian left to sell her dagger Pops had called back his ball of fire and in the brief moment that he snuffed it out, it had a golden shine and he just sighed with a heavy heart. He hated hiding so much from her. * At the guildhall, Lian was waiting for an appraiser so she could sell the dagger. While a part of her was a little sad to let go of her first forged beast gear, so she looked it over one last time.
Name: Saber-Fang Dagger
Type: Dagger
Physical Attack Power: 55
Durability: 165
Perks:
Savage Bite: Increases critical hit chance by 10%
Natural Armor Piercing: 15% chance of ignoring a portion of the target¡¯s armor
She was still proud of it, flaws and all. No matter what it will be named later this would always be her creation. This moment didn¡¯t last long as she was called back rather quickly with a lack of outstanding craftsmen. Instead, it was just local starting hunters trying to buy some decent equipment to go hunting with. The appraiser took his time going over the dagger as if it would be the last time he would see new merchandise. He did every test he could on it, sharpness, hardness, edge retention, and all that before he even looked at the dagger¡¯s stats. ¡°Well miss, this is rather well made. We expect nothing less from a guild apprentice. I think the guild can buy it from you for sixteen hundred credits. ¡°Um yeah, that sounds good.¡± Lian was elated to hear that. Most of the fire skills she saw on planet side were about fifty to a hundred credits, so with sixteen hundred she was confident she could buy a good starting skill, and maybe some more equipment for her side of the smithy. She would spend her gift card, but she has that reserved for supplies to forge equipment to build a local reputation for crafting. While she did have the option to send her dagger to one of the lower-tier auctions, she was just happy to collect the money right now. She was fine with doing business like this for anything that she wouldn¡¯t call a current masterpiece. * Sera had just returned to her hotel with her sisters when she got the email from Lian and was more than happy to be the one to help her for once. ¡°Hey Winter. What was the website we got our skills from last time?¡± Winter was organizing their supplies for the drop. While they still had a few more days before the expedition. Sera¡¯s request struck her as odd, but it didn¡¯t stop her from pulling out her phone to check. ¡°Why are you asking for it now? It¡¯s not like you will get it before the expedition starts.¡± ¡°Lian is having trouble finding a fire skill, so I¡¯m sending her some suggestions. Figured giving her a proper online market we trust would help her.¡± After hearing Sera¡¯s explanation, she forwarded the link to her to put in the email. Sera has also recommended skills like Pyromancy and Pyrokinesis. Knowing Lian she wanted it to forge better equipment. For most she would have just said to grab fire manipulation but the skills she recommended not only allowed the user to control flames but create them as well. With Pops'' spartan-like mentality when it came to teaching others the skills that could do both would be more beneficial. When she sent the email Sera was sure that it would be it and wished Lian the best in whatever path she chose from now on. Even if they all knew exactly what their little sister would do. Delusional Spiral Austin Krachen paced back and forth with his shrine dedicated to Lian opened. He was currently contemplating what was going wrong now. Ever since she got her system, she has been avoiding him even more. He could not comprehend that she was done tolerating his existence. ¡°Why my love? Why do you avoid me still?¡± He began to think harder about the possibilities as to why they weren¡¯t together. While in thought, he knelt by his shrine, picked up a lock of her hair, and sniffed it, remembering when they first met. His parents cared more about prestige than him. Their son was nothing more than a tool to increase their standing. Because of this mentality, they didn¡¯t realize he was being bullied every day at school. Because he was the mayor''s son, other kids singled him out for their parents¡¯ suffering. His parents did nothing saying it would toughen him up. The only one that stood up for him when he was eight was another child. He still remembered the warmth he felt from seeing her vibrant orange hair that autumn day. She had yelled at them to knock it off and when they refused, she had turned feral on them. She had won the brawl in the sense that it became too much effort that day to mess with Austin, but he never got the image of her all bruised up asking if he was okay. When he asked why she helped him his mind was blown with her response. ¡°We were born to be part of a group, so no one should stand alone.¡± She said this with the most earnest smile that he took those words as gospel even if his interpretation was a bit warped. He believed it was fate that she was sent to help him see the light. Though after helping him, he couldn¡¯t find her after that day. Young Lian was just out with Pops getting groceries when she saw what happened. So, she thought nothing of her actions. It took Austin four years to find Lian again and he was so happy to have found his light. However, when he confronted her, he found out that she had forgotten all about him. The knowledge that even his goddess had forgotten about him shattered what little sanity he had left beyond salvaging. He believed that she was simply testing him. That it was the start of her playing hard to get. When he inevitably put the lock of hair back down, he had come out of his old memories. For now, he decided to head out to his favorite club to forget about today''s failure and drink his problems away.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Just when he remembers something good, he will remember something bad. A reunion showed he was forgotten. Getting her father''s approval (stalked her for months) led to him being hospitalized. Trying to get her affection again (for the first time) only to be ridiculed for asking (harassing). He did not realize how out of hand he was. When this first started Lian turned him down nicely but when this started, she was also getting into fights with local delinquents, so she had a very low tolerance for other people''s bullshit. He figured if he took his training more seriously then he could protect her and prove he was the only one worthy of her. By the time he scared off the delinquents (killed them), she had moved out of her violent phase by completely dedicating herself to the art of blacksmithing with Pops. The more he tried to convince(force) her, the further away it seemed she became. He had even made sure they went to the same high school so that he could spend more time with her. Was it hard to wonder why his innate skill was Evil Eye when he had such a strong desire to seize control? Evil Eye allowed him to interfere with his target''s nervous system. He can take complete control of his target with even the briefest eye contact. With how strong this skill was his parents finally paid attention to him, saying how proud they were and always expected great things from him. He didn¡¯t believe a word of it. He was exposed to their true faces for too long. He already tried to use Evil Eye on Lian but since they started high school, she has refused to look him in the eyes and always chose to get away as soon as possible, and this was before he got his system. He just thought she was playing hard to get. So, when he got to the club, he went straight to drinking his problems away. All he wanted to do right now was to not have any worries for just one night. To have that inner voice, telling him to take what he wants by force, to be silent for just a few hours. He drank and he danced. He spilled something on his pants, but towards the end of the night he found himself resting with a beauty from out of town named Emily and she listened to him complain about how he couldn¡¯t get acknowledged by Lian. ¡°What if I told you I had something that can make her see only you?¡± She asked. Austin turned to her and stared into her sanguine-colored eyes as they began to glow. He had no idea that she was using a vampiric racial skill, Mesmer, to direct his focus. She did not know that she was feeding that inner voice since it was not public knowledge that Austin was clinically insane. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± He was desperate to try anything, and this woman seemed to have the answers to his problems. Even provided him with an illegal consumable item that could bind someone to their will under the right conditions. If only someone had stopped this meeting, this planet might not have been abandoned by the UGC. If someone had stopped him from listening to her, Lian wouldn¡¯t suffer destiny''s curse. King In Yellow Today was the final meeting with the representatives from the different council factions and after Emily from Blood Garden dropped in unannounced Lian was nervous, especially since this meeting was with a representative of Gehenna. The only reason she agreed to this meeting was to avoid offending Gehenna since demons, like the fae, don¡¯t have a great reputation for being ignored. Though Lugh turned out to be nice, so Lian decided not to judge prematurely and instead to just be weary. Like with Lugh, Lian got a meeting room in the GAT guildhall where she sat patiently. When the door opened, she was surprised to see the representative. Lian was expecting someone to look more human despite hearing that demons come in all shapes and sizes. The demon that sauntered in had violet skin, with veins glowing acidic green while occasionally pulses with mana washing through them. His scaled tail moved with serpentine grace, and his inky black hair was neatly groomed around his two sets of horns: bull horns at the front and ram horns on the sides of his head. Dark orange eyes, surrounded by a sclera sea of vantablack, pulled her attention to his impossibly perfect, charming face. His smile widened slightly when he saw he had her undivided attention. Adjusting his yellow suit, he sat down across from her. ¡°Hello, deary.¡± He gently pulled Lians hand upwards as he delicately kissed it like he was greeting high nobility. ¡°I am King Asmodeus, and the pleasure is all mine.¡± His charming smile should have been enough to enrapture Lian, even without his charm-based skills being activated and his charm attribute being suppressed to its limits. The problem was that just like the Blood Garden representative the danger sirens were going off in her head, except this time the sirens were warning her that if angered death was unavoidable. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Gehenna had a king.¡± Lian couldn¡¯t help but stutter in this situation. While Asmodeus thought that she simply had a good poker face, Lian had been so overwhelmed by his presence that she subconsciously shut down her own emotions to avoid total panic. ¡°Kings technically. Nine kings and thirteen very annoying presidents. A couple of other varying nobility, but the point is that I am here to represent one of the strongest factions of the seventy-two nations in Gehenna.¡± Lian took a minute to wrap her head around this. She did not know that Gehenna was in such a chaotic state and as such her interest in possibly joining went even lower. For now, she had simply decided to play along with the smiling king. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking how many others you have spoken to?¡± Asmodeus already knew everything there was to find out about Lian. Her adoption, being stalked, and problematic personality in her youth. The more he learned the more he was curious about her. He had decided to come out personally to appease his boredom since it had been a couple of centuries since he left his realm and wanted to stretch his legs a little. When a copy of Lian''s system status showed up on his desk he figured teasing her would be fun, and successfully recruiting her would be a nice bonus. Now that she was in front of him there was something nagging him about her. Something he was missing. Something that she didn¡¯t know about herself. A single question circled through Asmodeus''s mind. ¡®What is your lust?¡¯This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°You are the last I¡¯m seeing, though that is because some were rather forceful when trying to meet and recruit me.¡± Lian did not want to make Asmodeus feel insulted when he had the power to erase her with a thought, but he might have been able to detect a blatant lie, so she decided to skirt around the truth for now. ¡°Yes, some of the council factions can be full of themselves. Mind if I ask why they want to recruit you?¡± He already had a few guesses, but if he could get Lian to say it then it would be easier to pretend to see the real her. ¡°Probably the same reason you seem to be interested in me.¡± Asmodeus chuckled at that response. It went to show that even she knew how to play coy to hide information. ¡°How many see you? I mean truly see you.¡± Lian shrugged as she thought about it for a second. ¡°About six people. Don¡¯t need more than that.¡± ¡°Hahaha. I bet. Though, doesn¡¯t it feel bad to be underestimated or valued simply because of an affinity? Let¡¯s be honest, your talent lies beyond a simple sin affinity. I will give you all the resources you need to grow in whatever direction you choose.¡± Towards the end of his little spiel, he gently held out his right hand. He knew mortals well enough to know that most human cultures put significance into the gesture of handshakes. When the hand is offered mortals almost reflexively trust the gesture and are thus prone to trusting the sale pitch. Lian was hesitant for a moment. She almost fell for the gesture but pulled herself back as her instincts blared even louder in her head. ¡°I do find it funny how all of you can make such tempting offers while being vague on what exactly I get. In the case of Gehenna, I suppose I become a demon. What kind though? What immediate resources would I get?¡± Lian responded hoping to steer away from being suckered into accepting without any fine print. ¡°A cambion. Very few humans can make the full transition to demons so we will turn you into a cambion and from there you will evolve as you get stronger.¡± Asmodeus said this with a heavy sigh. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how disciplined she was. If she truly had the lust affinity, then shouldn¡¯t he have already figured out her desire? And if he had then she would have been putty in his hand. If it weren¡¯t for being in the GAT guildhall, he would have used his skills to charm her into joining immediately. The guild hall couldn¡¯t stop him from using his skills, but their entire faction would have been alerted to his activity. Like many, he was worried more about them supplying his enemies than being cut off from GAT. ¡°But what kind of demon would evolve into after becoming a cambion?¡± In response to Lian''s question Asmodeus just shrugged. ¡°On that front, no one can say for sure. It¡¯s more similar to a human naturally evolving into a yokai than a fae evolving. It¡¯s automatically decided based on your actions, personality, and above all your affinities. If I had to guess, then something like a succubus or a jinn.¡± Based on that information Lian had all but decided not to join Gehenna simply because she did not want to take that chance of becoming a succubus. She may have the lust affinity, but she had no intentions of making sex be one of the most important things in her life. Asmodeus had picked up on this decision of hers and just sighed internally. If he wanted her to join, then he was going to have to play one of his old games. Just like he did before Solomon had saved Gehenna from collapsing on itself. ¡°I believe there is nothing else to discuss.¡± He stated as he searched his pockets until he pulled out a small box. ¡°If you decide to join then eat this pill. You will turn into a cambion immediately and I will be alerted to retrieve you. If you join us then know that I will stand by your side, loyal and true. Even if you become a hybrid.¡± Asmodeus set the small box down and slid it to Lian before leaving, his smile having shrunk but never gone. Violation Now that her final recruitment meeting was done Lian wanted nothing more than to go home and hammer some steel. However, she hated that she was still indecisive on what fire skill to buy. She was struggling to understand the difference between Pyromancy and Pyrokinesis. Their descriptions were almost identical as well. She was so engrossed in thought that she didn¡¯t notice that someone was following her. It wasn¡¯t until she got that sense of danger felt by some people that she realized something was wrong. This sensation was making her regret her initial decision to take the short cut in the back streets to get back home. They may be faster, but they were also isolated. She slightly sped up her pace while trying not to let her pursuer know that she was onto him. For every attempt she made to lose him and head back to the public streets the faster her pursuer became as it turned into a full chase scene. She was also regretting not bringing a dagger to protect herself, but she didn¡¯t think this would happen to her. Instead, she sent Pops text with her phone before calling the police. She managed to get in touch with someone just a couple feet from the main road before her pursuer grabbed her. He was stronger than her, evident as he just threw her deeper into the alley that she almost escaped from while smashing her phone. ¡°I finally understand. I know what you¡¯ve been wanting from me!¡± Lian recognized this voice, but what concerned her the most was that he had never sounded this insane before. Austin finally lost it. ¡°Searing slag! The fuck is wrong with you now?!¡± Lian cursed at him with all the hatred she had for the creep. Why now? What is he planning on doing? It didn¡¯t change the fact that she needed to get away. As bad as this looked, she didn¡¯t want Pops to be overprotective when she was so close to being done with her school life. She believed she could afford to think like this for two reasons. First was that Roark taught her basic hand-to-hand combat for self-defense. While she wasn¡¯t confident in fighting a professionally trained combatant, she was convinced that in the best case, she could take on someone like Austin who relied on others to help carry them to level up. In the worst case, she could fight well enough to make an opening and run. This was also her initial plan because she didn¡¯t want to risk him having some kind of plan. However, this plan was also the second reason she believed she could win. She did not know about his Evil Eye skill.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry beloved. Our love shall be eternal!¡± Austin charged towards her with a sickening laugh. Lian stayed calm and waited for the right moment. She took a basic boxing stance and Austin prepared for her to counter-attack him. To him, this was a test. Of course, his goddess would not want someone weaker than her to be with her. ¡°LEAVE ME ALONE!!¡± She yelled at the top of her lungs hoping someone would hear, but she would find out that it was to no avail. Both were amateurs in proper fighting but they both had some training and experience. While Austin trained and had experience fighting beasts, all of Lian''s training and experience was with fighting people. So, when he was within striking range, she did what wasn¡¯t expected. Instead of punching she kicked him in the crotch. Roark may have taught her to throw a punch, but she preferred fighting according to Sol¡¯s philosophy. The history of fighting is the history of deception. Failure to read the enemy is the failure to survive. The kick was poorly executed but surprising enough that Austin couldn¡¯t stop it. Powerful enough that it took him down as well. Lian didn¡¯t wait around for him to recover and wasn¡¯t willing to see if he had a backup plan. Yet when she ran, she also fell down. In that brief moment, before she kicked him, their eyes met. She fell for his Evil Eye skill. He may have lost control of the skill when he got kicked, but the delay it caused in her body was enough to make her fall, allowing him to grab her ankle with a death grip. While he was still recoiling from the low blow, Lian¡¯s nervous system was basically rebooting. This left her in a still vulnerable state. She was in shock to find out about his skill this way. To have such a powerful skill was a sign of potential but all she thought of it was how twisted he had to have truly been to have this be his starting skill. ¡°WHY WON¡¯T YOU ACCEPT ME?!¡± He yelled as he pulled her back to him while he slowly got back up. Just as Lian was shaking off the residual effects of Evil Eye he grabbed her head and stared her in the eyes to activate it again. He began to laugh in victory as he took control of her again. He made it so that she could not move or resist but still feel everything. He licked his lips as he pulled out a skill scroll and activated the skill Enslavement. The only requirement was forcing her to willingly submit within the time frame of the skill. Lian began to panic as she struggled to move, trapped inside her own body. She refused to stop fighting. She tried to will her body to move and do something. Any part of her body. An arm. A hand. A finger. Nothing moved. She screamed internally at her body to move. To not just lay there at the bastard''s mercy, or lack thereof. Yet it was to no avail. She had to wait for him to either lose concentration or run out of mana. She had no choice but to be patient and bide her time. ¡°We will be together forever.¡± A Shattered Mind Part 1 Eight minutes. It took eight minutes for the police to show up and arrest Austin. Eight minutes before something happened that made Austin lose focus control over his Evil Eye skill, allowing Lian to no longer be his living puppet. Pops wasn¡¯t too far behind. He went on apologizing about how he didn¡¯t have his phone on him. He was outwardly more panicked than Lian was, but Lian just wanted to go home before either of them decided to kill Austin. Sadly, by the end of the day his father, the mayor, bailed him out. Infuriated by this Pops marched towards GAT who were already gathering a legal team to give Lian justice. Protecting artisans is their primary focus, first and foremost. Kon''s hands were tied so she couldn¡¯t publicly help without painting a bigger target on Lian without her officially joining Spiritus. However, this did not stop her from helping GAT defend her behind the scenes. Pops thanked her for this and made sure Lian knew. Tuatha¡¯s policy is to not help others without a deal being struck or something to gain. They promised to help only if Lian joined them. This reminded Pops what the fae¡¯s true colors are like. Unreliable and ready to betray even family. Pops cursed them for this. There was no word from Blood Garden but there were signs of memory manipulation on some witnesses that weren¡¯t killed. Pops suspected their involvement. Asmodeus knew and waited with proof for now. There was no word from Asmodeus. Yet he watched it from behind the scenes. He was the only one to not leave the planet, for this was an interesting turn of events that could come out in his favor if he was patient. Pops suspected him of ulterior motives and tried to warn Lian about dealing with him in the future. Specifically, not too. In between going to court to fight this out legally, Lian dropped out of school because despite acting like nothing was wrong, she didn¡¯t feel safe leaving alone. Now Pops never left her side, doing what he could to help her. He had tried to contact Roark, Sol, and the triplets but Lian always stopped him saying that they were busy, and it would just cause them needless worry. Pops would regret not trying to contact them early on even if there was nothing they could have done right away. He would wonder if they would have helped Lian recover better than he did. As the courtroom dragged on it was obvious that the corruption on this planet ran deep. Nothing they did worked out and the more GAT tried to figure out what was going on the more their reputation got hurt as law enforcement agencies across UGC territory began to show the council faction hostility. This would lead to acts that turned the common folk against law enforcement. The cops who made the arrest were found dead.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The evidence was sabotaged. The jury coerced no matter how many times they were replaced. The judge didn¡¯t even try to hide that he was bought off. No one could find out who sabotaged the evidence, and many other cases were affected by the incident. With this going on for months Austin Krachen walked free and many suspected that another council faction was behind it. During the trial Lian powered through it by forging more and more. Yet with her mental state being unstable she couldn¡¯t finish a single piece. Still, the act itself kept her busy, and some days that was enough. Yet after the trial, she stopped trying altogether. She simply locked herself in her room and stopped eating. It was at this point that Pops couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He messaged the others, telling them to come and get Lian. He planned to do something beyond reckless. His blood boiled for justice. Some would say this was vengeance, but he no longer saw a difference between the two, except one being legal. It boiled hotter than it ever did in the forge. He took out a spatial storage ring that could hold both his house and smithy. With it, he began to pack everything into the ring but stopped in his office. He packed the tablet in its own unique case before putting it in the ring with a note explaining to never open it. He pocketed Regretz for personal use but stopped at the helmet. ¡°I understand that phrase of yours now. The law did indeed fail. Now I will enact my own law for Lian¡¯s peace.¡± He said this just before putting the helmet in its own container just like the tablet and stored it in the ring. Once everything was packed, he went to Lian¡¯s room. He knocked on the door to her room but just like the last few days since the trial ended, he heard nothing. He never heard anything from her room anymore. He was always scared of what state he would find her in. ¡°Hey, Lilliana. How are you doing?¡± When he walked in the lights were out and he saw Lian just wrapped up in a blanket, a plate of untouched food on the desk in front of her. It broke his heart to see her like this. He did try to get her to go to therapy, but when Austin walked free, she shut down to the point where she wouldn¡¯t leave her room anymore. ¡°Why don¡¯t you clean yourself up and we can go for a walk. I plan on leaving this place to meet up with the others. We can start over someplace new.¡± As he said this Lian looked up at him. It was the first time in days she even acknowledged his presence. ¡°That¡¯s right kiddo. One last walk to say goodbye to the good times and we can go elsewhere.¡± He didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her what he planned to do, but it needed to be done. While she cleaned herself up Pops packed Lian''s stuff in the ring and they headed to the GAT guild hall. * Once they arrived at the guildhall Pops had left Lian on the couch long enough to get the local guild master to come out for a brief talk. The guild manager agreed to give Lian sanctuary until either Pops or other family members came to pick her up. Before leaving her in their care he gave Lian the storage ring and told her that everything stored in it was for her and her alone. He also lied to her for the first time saying that he would be just outside of her room. The original plan was to have her use GAT''s personal portal to get her off-world, but Pops was concerned that their portal was down. It would later be discovered that all gates and portals in the surrounding fifteen sectors were all down. It was an attack on the UGC but with all the internal fighting they were too busy blaming each other since none of the council factions had any direct subordinates controlling these sectors as they were recent expansions. A civil war was on the horizon and the UGC¡¯s enemies were waiting for them to weaken, but this is a story for another time. A Shattered Mind Part 2 Lian sat alone in the room that GAT provided for sanctuary, believing that Pops was just outside her room. Why wouldn¡¯t he be? He may have withheld things from her, but Pops has never flat-out lied to her. Yet a gnawing feeling was making itself known in her gut. To distract herself she decided to turn on the TV and just flipped through the channels. She didn¡¯t know what she was looking for or if she was looking for anything at all. Just surfed without purpose like she got stuck on a series of social media shorts, not knowing when to stop and go to sleep. She surfed and surfed until she got to a news channel that showed Pops standing outside city hall. He looked angry and when she saw that he was holding Regretz she became worried. To make sure it was really him she checked outside her door, and no one was there. At this realization, she began to hyperventilate as she struggled to get free. ¡°GET OUT HERE YOU CORRUPT MAYOR!! BRING OUT YOUR SON SO I CAN KILL HIM!!¡± Pops shouted so loud that Lian thought she was about to go deaf. ¡°Sir, I am going to have to ask you to leave.¡± A cop spoke and tried to get him to leave thinking he was just a distressed father. It was the last thought he would ever have since when Pops struck him with Regretz he turned into a blood mist that was absorbed by the hammer. When other cops saw this, they tried to detain Pops with lethal force. But the more that attacked him the more Regretz absorbed and with every kill it got bigger as it grew a fleshy exterior. The abomination of a hammer just kept growing until it was more accurate to call it a giant blob of flesh in the form of an oversized maul. When they got him surrounded the video cut just as Pops unleashed a wave of golden flames. Lian screamed at the TV for him to stop. To not use that hammer. She began to believe that his first lesson was either a lie or just hypocrisy. A forge hammer is for creating, not killing. If he would so openly break this rule, then what other lessons did he teach her should she call into question? This circle of doubt made her waver in the belief she had in Pops. Her father was her anchor through those times, and he didn¡¯t realize what his actions were doing to Lian''s fragile state. When the screen turned static, she sat there trying not to cry or become hysterical. She tried changing the channel but no one else was covering it. In the end, she left it on one of the news channels while she checked the news on her phone, but no one knew what was going on and people were talking about explosions and bright lights. Some were saying that WIZARD and Elysian¡¯s army were there trying to subdue some rogue ranker. Lian ignored those since Pops was just a blacksmith. While she didn¡¯t realize how powerful his fire skill was or how powerful Regretz was but there was no reason for WIZARD or Elysian to show up so quickly here. Meanwhile, Asmodeus watched it all from a distance. It was a trap from the beginning. For some reason Elysian wanted Pops. He could only assume they were after the hidden grandmaster. For now, he recorded the events thinking it would make for good motivation for Lian. Even if he can¡¯t control her. He could perhaps aim her in the direction of his choice. Though these were plans in the far future. Meanwhile, Lian sat in silence. When the news hit the guild hall she was in they had someone check on her only to find her having fully shut down again as there was a picture of Pops, beaten within an inch of his life. They called him a terrorist. They claimed he was an agent of the Obsidian Dominion. Lian didn¡¯t try to refute it to herself or scream that it was all lies. She just sat there in silence. The person they sent to check on her turned off the TV and tried to reassure her, but she could tell that Lian heard none of it. No one could tell what Lian was thinking, not even Lian herself. While the members of GAT were now rushing to get things in order for Lian to leave the planet and be moved somewhere safer until someone from the list of relatives came to get her, she was looking at her own options. More specifically the three objects in front of her. The talisman from Spiritus. It would contact Kon and if she was as powerful as Lian believed she could teleport to her using the talisman as a beacon. This would mean being adopted again and becoming a kitsune. ¡°I wonder what it¡¯s like to have a mother.¡± After considering it for a moment Lian decided to look at the next option. The stone amulet. She remembered Lugh¡¯s offer. She remembered that the Unseelie are interested in her affinity.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Learning to make growth weapons sounds fun, but doesn¡¯t that make quality a bit meaningless in the long run?¡± Lastly was the box with what she called the cambion pill. Eating it will turn her into a demon, no questions asked. She was promised power and loyalty. ¡°What¡¯s the catch though?¡± This wasn¡¯t just about joining a faction now. She wanted to take back control. To have the power not to be pushed around again. That was when a wicked thought occurred to her. As she recalled part of Lughs advice. Words have power. Lian stored the cambion pill in the storage ring and put the amulet in her pocket while making sure she had her magisteel dagger by her side before putting some of her mana into the talisman. ¡°I hope this works. If not, at least I won¡¯t be alive to deal with the consequences.¡± She chuckled to herself as a tori gate appeared before her and Kon walked out looking disheveld. ¡°Thank the ancestors.¡± Kon did everything she could to hold back her own tears but failed as she moved faster than Lian could perceive as she embraced Lian in a hug while sobbing apologies over and over. What stopped her was that Lian had begun to hyperventilate in her embrace. She did not know why but the physical contact was giving her a panic attack. Kon ended up letting go and restrained herself as Lian took some deep breaths to calm down. ¡°I assume you¡¯ve made up your mind.¡± Kon asked hoping for some good news. Lian didn¡¯t answer right away. She thought she was prepared for this. Anything for power but some part of her still felt like going through with this was a betrayal to Pops. She had carefully thought about what to say but now her mind went blank and just said what came to mind. ¡°I¡­ I just want to take control back. I don¡¯t want to be weak anymore.¡± Lian got her determination back as she looked Kon in the eyes, showing her that there was still a fire burning in her. ¡°Please help me become strong.¡± Kon was happy to hear this. She vowed to take Lian under her wing and treat her like she was her own daughter from birth. ¡°Then let''s begin.¡± Kon said as she began the ritual. She drew a simplified form of the Kyubi emblem on Lian¡¯s head in her own blood before beginning the ritual to turn Lian into a kitsune, but the moment Kon was lost in the trance Lian pulled out the amulet and began to talk into it as she grabbed her dagger with her other hand. ¡°As an offering, I give my hair. If you turn me into a changeling now, I offer the name Lian Hughes.¡± As she said this, black smoke came from her shadow as it grabbed ahold of Lian. She began to panic, thinking something had gone wrong. Meanwhile, the guild hall intruder alert went off thinking that Lian¡¯s summons were people who meant her harm. As the smoke began to force its way inside of Lian¡¯s mouth and nose, altering her before Kons ritual was finished as her mana began to invade her body altering her genetics. These two very different changes would normally cause discomfort but both at once caused immense pain. Her bright autumn orange hair had turned silver and a matching tail sprouted. Her teeth sharpened into canines. Her ears vanished as a pair of fox ears sprouted on top of her head. Her eyes changed to match Kon¡¯s yellow foxlike eyes. Her skin turned white giving her a more ethereal beauty. \\From now on her eyes will regularly change colors but there is a pattern to it.\\ Lian cried out as she began to cry blood. Kon went into a panic, not understanding what was going on as she just came to. From the shadows, Mab, the queen of air and darkness, ruler of the Unseelie appeared. She couldn¡¯t believe she was had by a human, yet at least she was offered Lians name in exchange. At worst this would give her the power to bend Lian to her will. ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± Kon yelled at Mab as she pulled her away from Lian. ¡°Fulfilling a deal.¡± She replied with a sadistic smile. ¡°Leave my daughter alone.¡± Kon growled at Mab as her nine tails began to aim different spiritual skills at the fae queen. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this like civilized people. After I claim what is mine.¡± While Kon was focused on her Mab allowed her Fairy Deal to usurp the child of her name. ¡°We are going to have to kindly ask you two to follow us.¡± A voice had interrupted the two. They turned to see that a GAT employee was talking to them. This was the first time they realized where they were. The fae were bound by the rules of hospitality so Mab agreed. Spiritus relied heavily on GAT to help acquire crafting materials at a fair price, so Kon begrudgingly agreed. But only after she saw how tired her daughter was and made sure she was comfy. Made sure that the blood was wiped from her face. When she was alone, she checked her attributes and laughed. Perhaps it was enough to take vengeance herself. After double-checking to confirm what she did worked, she slipped out of the guild hall without anyone noticing as they were busy with the ruckus. None of the guild members even recognized her now.
Name: ERROR ¨C UPDATE: 1%
Race: Mystic Fox
Class: NA
Level: 2
Titles: Apprentice Smith, Disciple of Fire and Steel
Affinities: Lust, Spirit
Health: 114.48
Mana: 162.4
Attributes
Strength: 15
Agility: 17
Vitality: 14
Magic: 19
Charm: 25
Available EP: 1
Skills
Active
Foxfire Static
Passive
Fae Lineage Static
Fairy Deal Static
Iron Kissed Static
Metalsmith Level 2
Tails of the Kitsune Static
Erotomania vs Unsealed Fury Austin has been spending what free time he has since he made love(raped) her. He worked hard so that he could take care of her. Hoping she would return when she saw that he was now level 15 and was a three-star berserker. He wanted to celebrate with her. Though he was confused with the court trial. He blamed Pops for the whole thing and was cursing the whole event. He also cursed the woman who gave him the ¡®faulty¡¯ oath(slave) seal. ¡°Should have seen it coming from a leach.¡± He cursed Emily for giving him the faulty item, not realizing the condition was to make the person submit, but she never did. It wasn¡¯t in her blood. He also barely survived her deranged(vengeful) father¡¯s attack. If it wasn¡¯t for WIZARD and the choir of angels Elysian sent, he wouldn¡¯t be here now. Though none of these were why he decided to drink today. He could still remember her face. The look of joy(rage) she had in that blissful moment. He remembered her voice as she cried out in pleasure(pain). The location for every love bite (scar from biting) he gave her. He remembered the feel of her smooth skin. How her breasts fit perfectly in his hand as he kneaded(wrung) them. Yet now he can¡¯t recall the name of his beloved. He questioned his own feelings for her. He denied that they were so shallow. He wondered what was wrong with himself as he drowned out the voice in his head that he had to reel in. While he always had it under lock and key with minimal influence from it, Emily ripped the door off its hinges. While he was grateful that it brought him and his beloved closer together. He drank while praying to the cosmos to bring his beloved to him again. He laughed at this train of thought until he looked out into the club and saw her. Her hair was now a lovely shade of silver, and her eyes shined even brighter as a gem-like yellow instead of the emerald green they were before. Even hiding under a hoodie covering her head, he recognized her with ease. For the briefest of moments, their eyes met, and he ran with anticipation to meet her. ¡°I never should have doubted any of this!¡± He spoke with the excitement of a child finding a lost beloved toy. As he ran down, she began to head back outside. She had wanted to get the drop on him but had decided to head back outside when he saw her first. If she couldn¡¯t do it in one blow then she needed to make sure that no one would interfere with their fight. She struggled with her newly enhanced senses. Everything was loud, but Austin made it easy to know roughly where he was, so she was able to maintain a distance without losing him. Austin followed her out of the club and into the alley. He kept running after her until they hit a dead end and she stared at the wall. He thought she was nervous when she was actually excited. Excited to end this on her terms. ¡°My Beloved. You¡¯ve returned to me!¡± Austin walked up to her and just as he reached out to touch her shoulder she had turned around and stabbed him in the abdomen with her magisteel dagger. He jumped back before the wound got too deep. She cursed at her inability to finish it, but anyone would have been surprised that Austin was hurt considering not just the level difference but the difference between a classless person and someone with a class. The problem with the berserker class is that it¡¯s fueled by anger and adrenaline. The latter of which was starting to kick in. Austin was shocked to see that she had fox ears and a tail that was tucked into her clothes revealed themselves now. All he saw was that his beloved had been tainted. She shouldn¡¯t be a beast. ¡°Do the galaxy a favor and just die!¡± She yelled as she charged forward while they both succumbed to their own madness in this moment. At the sight of his own blood, Austin activated a skill he had recently purchased called Blazing Aura. The force of this skill activations forced her back but because of both her title and the ring from her uncle Roark, she suffered no damage. This was because Blazing Aura did very little damage to begin with. Simply being near him did barely five points of damage so this was negligible for her. Though the real power came from that the flames would retaliate when struck. If someone or something punched or bit him, they would take much more damage. She would find out that striking him would chip away at her dagger''s durability. Though she wouldn¡¯t find out about this until later. When they exchanged blows, she got hit once for every five attacks she got in, but the damage she was taking was its toll on her. Once the berserker class starts raging they deal significantly more damage and depending on the type of berserker they will either heal or tank damage. While Austin''s class was just a basic berserker this was more than enough to reduce her health drastically, while Austin was doing well enough. This was also because he spent every EP on increasing both Strength and Vitality, raising both attributes above twenty. Seeing that she was about to lose again she couldn¡¯t let it stand. She wanted to win at any cost, but at this rate, he would just lock her up as some kind of twisted toy. With her barely superior Agility, she was able to put some space between them as she took out the cambion pill. ¡°Alive or dead. You won¡¯t get away unscathed this time.¡± She chuckled as she swallowed the whole pill, and the effect was immediate. [Change Into Cambion Commenced] [ERROR] [Current Race Not Stable] Her veins began to darken as her blood turned into black ichor. [+5 Strength] [You Are Now Suffering Corruption]You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. [Immediate Restoration Advised.] She began to laugh maniacally as her primal instincts began to take over. As the sclera of her eyes turned inky black which only seemed to make her crimson eyes glow all the more fearsomely. [+5 Magic] [¡°Fairy Deal¡± Has Evolved Into ¡°Havoc Binding¡±] [¡°Demonic Heart¡± Acquired] Austin could feel the surge in power from her as the laughter intensified. The killing intent was so pure that he fell out of his rage and succumbed to fear. He tried to back away only to find that somehow, he was backed into the dead end, not knowing when that happened. ¡°WHY?! Why could-¡° She interrupted him by exhaling a cone of bright pink flames from her mouth. The flame did very little damage to him physically, but the kitsune racial skill foxfire was unique. It burnt away the soul and mana while taking on the properties of the user''s affinities. As the flames began to die down, she threw her magisteel dagger with reckless abandonment. Her dagger would find itself lodged in his shoulder causing immense pain. Foxfire: Lust + Erotomania + Magisteel Dagger: Lustful Allure = Maxed Charm Status and lost all will to fight. In the moment Austins guard was down she had lunged towards him as he nails extended into claws. Her right arm found the initial stab wound and went into his abdomen. Austin couldn¡¯t move. ¡®Why is this happening to me? What did I do wrong?¡¯ He asked himself over and over again. He could feel her clawed hand find its way up to his heart. Her fingers hovered just far enough from it that he could feel his heart. ¡°How does it feel to have someone force themselves inside you?¡± For the first time, he saw the true hatred she had for him. Just before he started to apologize, she ripped his heart out and in his final moments he watched her drop his heart on the ground as she ground it to a bloody paste under her foot. ¡°Now we¡¯re even.¡± As the life quickly left his body she laughed. [Level up] x8 [Acquired Title ¡°Vengeance Incarnate¡±] Her laughter started with the same maniacal glee as it slowly changed to one of sorrow. [Warning Death By Corruption Imminent] She didn¡¯t care. Pops was arrested. Roark was MIA She didn¡¯t know that Sol was racing to get back to her. She didn¡¯t know that her sisters were trying to abandon the expedition to get to her. She gave most of her name to the fae without understanding how it even worked. She was so distraught that she didn¡¯t hear footsteps coming up behind her. ¡°Now this is an interesting predicament.¡± It was Asmodeus. He had watched the fight from a distance and thought it was boring to say the least. He was so used to his battles being intense and meticulous that watching the two flail around was just sad. Now though he was entertained with the result of her eating the pill. It was rigged so that if someone tried to become a powerful hybrid with it they would die. Though one out of every couple million of such fools still lived, but those were fun special cases. Though, no one ever survived when trying to become a hybrid of three or more races. Yet here she was, so close to succeeding that he wanted to give her a nudge. With a wave of his hand, he stopped the corruption and stabilized her existence only to watch a new change happen to her. Streaks of crimson appeared in her silver hair as well as the tip of her ears, tail, and on the fluff inside her ears. ¡°One surprise after another with you.¡± He took off his suit coat and wrapped her in it as he picked her up. She should struggle. Her instincts were yelling at her not to let him touch her, but she just cried until she passed out, while Asmodeus took her back to the guild hall. To cure her corruption completely they needed a specialist like a master of mysticism, such as Kyubi Kon. All he did was keep it at bay until arrival. Though he was chuckling at what he witnessed when the demonification into a cambion was revealed. Turns out that there was a seal placed on her and with his skill Divine Analysis, he could peak at the stats of anyone below the class change at level 600. Even with this skill though he could only see a peak into the veil.
Name: ERROR - UPDATE: 60%
Race: Havoc Fox
Class: Pending
Level: 10
Titles: Apprentice Smith,D????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????@??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????u??????????????????????????????????????????&????????????????????????????????????????????????*??????????????????????????????????????????????????????t????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e??????????????????????????#????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????o???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????f??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????\???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????/?????????????????????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????????????????????|??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????|????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????o?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????n????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????@?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????, D????????????????????a????????????u?????????????????????????s?????c??????????????t??????????????????????e?????????????????? ????????o??????????????????????????f???????????????????? ????????F???????????u????????????l???????????????????e??????????????????? ??????????????????a????????????????????n???????????????????d??????????????? ??????????????S???????????t????????????????a????????n??????????????????l?????????????????, Vengeance Incarnate
Affinities: Lust, Spirit
Health: 125.28
Mana: 169.4
Attributes
Strength: 20
Agility: 17
Vitality: 14
Magic: 24
Charm: 25
Available EP: 17
Skills
Active
Foxfire Static
Passive
B???????????l??????????????*^d?????????l????????&s???????t????????? L???????????e??????????????????v??????????????e????????????????l??????????????? ??????????1????
Demonic Heart Static
Fae Lineage Static
Havoc Binding Static
Iron Kissed Static
Metalsmith level 2
Tails of the Kitsune Static
W???????????????????????????????????????*r??????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????%o?????????????????????????????????????????# ??????????????????????????????????????????S?????????????e??????????????????????????????????????????????????)s?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????*s????????????????????????????????????????:??????????????????????????????????????????? S????????t???????????????????a??????t?????????i???????????c???????????
Math Not Mathing The next couple of hours were very stressful for Kon. When it was discovered that her daughter had slipped out, she used what talismans she had on hand to make shikigami to go search for her. Meanwhile, Mab didn¡¯t seem to care. She was convinced that once the system acknowledged her as the owner of the name Lian Hughes, she would be able to control the little deviant however she pleased. Kon was relieved when her daughter was returned to her even if it was done by Asmodeus. When he had told her about the corruption Kon immediately went to heal her. Once Kon was done she left her daughter to rest but put a talisman in the room to not only alert her upon awakening but allow her to keep an eye on her daughter so that they could discuss what to do without worry. When she did wake up, she wondered what happened after she killed Austin. She didn¡¯t even know that Asmodeus had carried her back. ¡°Whoa.¡± She had immediately gone over to a mirror when she saw her reflection and wanted to get a better look at herself now. While she would miss her old hair and eye color, she had to admit she liked the new colors but when it came to her ears and tail it was another matter. ¡°Aah. This is a little embarrassing.¡± She groaned as she paid closer attention to her ears and tail. While she was one of those who thought seeing people with these traits was adorable and fascinated with seeing them, she was always embarrassed when someone made her wear headbands or made her imagine herself with them. She just thought it was so cringy when it was on her. While she continued to complain about how she couldn¡¯t shapeshift her ears and tail away like Kon was when she called forth her claws in frustration. The surprise of it distracted her from how embarrassed she was to have ears and a tail. ¡°In. Out. In. Out.¡± She kept making her claws appear and retracted them back inside her hands. As intriguing as this was, she just wanted to get used to the feeling of them. ¡°I should probably check my status screen.¡± While she kept messing with her claws, she pulled up her screen and was amazed to see that she had reached level 10, had another title, a new affinity, and several new racial skills. Yet None of this really mattered to her as she was surprised with how many EP she had. ¡°How in the primordial flame do I have seventeen points?! Wasn¡¯t it just one point per level-up? WHY IS MATH NOT MATHING!!¡± She was beyond confused by this. She began to mess around to find out how she had that many but couldn¡¯t make any headways with it. ¡°Fuck it. Let''s just bring Agility and Vitality up to twenty and deal with it later.¡± After she spent some of her points, she decided to reserve the others until she had a better idea of the path she wanted. Maybe spend them after she unlocks her first class. Next up was looking at her new skills. [Foxfire: An ethereal flame that takes on the properties of the kitsune''s affinities.] ¡°This seems like a rather unique kind of skill if I had to say something. Maybe I can forge with it.¡± When she said that out loud, she noticed her immediate excitement to forge something was missing. While she wanted to worry about that something seemed to bury that train of thought back under the surface. [Demonic Heart: As your infernal rank increases your mana and health go up by 10% as infernal mana pumps through your veins] ¡°No wonder demons are known for being so tough.¡± She was surprised by how amazing this passive skill was. She had heard that skills like this weren¡¯t one-time boosts but scaled with how the attribute in question increased, making them exponentially better. [Fae Lineage: For fae bloodlines and lineage are extremely important. The more you evolve the purer yours becomes. for every evolutionary realm you acquire your health increases by 2% and your mana increases by 6%] ¡°Maybe it¡¯s all of the big three of the council.¡± She said not knowing how to process that she got another similar skill. While she could rejoice over having two powerful buff skills she was aware of the catch with them that the boosts were tied to her rank with the groups. For now, Gehenna was officially ahead of Tuatha when it came to recruiting her for that alone. [Havoc Binding: All agreements made between you and others are reinforced by the cosmos itself. If no collateral or punishment is specified, then the system will corrode the minds and bodies of those who break their end of the agreement. The only way to stop it is to finish what was agreed upon or mutual agreement to nullify the contract from all parties.] She was silent when reading this skill. The sheer savagery of this skill terrified her and swore to be more mindful of what she said from now on. She didn¡¯t want her or those she cared about to end up dead because she forgot to do a household chore. [Iron Kissed: Blessed by iron and steel you have no fae weakness to metal] She should have rejoiced when she saw this skill but that same part of her that pushed her concerns about her lack of passion again shoved this train of thought away. As if she was trying to not acknowledge something concrete about her had changed. [Tails of the Kitsune: For every tail you possess, your health increases by 4%, and your mana increases by 10%. Furthermore, each additional tail after the first will unlock a new ability for you. your attributes also increase as follows for every additional tail: Strength +5, Agility +7, Vitality +5, Magic +10, Charm +5] ¡®Am I some kind of Mary Sue now? Not upset just surprised.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but think this. She just wasn¡¯t ecstatic about any of it. That worried her. Why did she feel empty inside? ¡°Nope. Not going down that road.¡± She all but yelled this in a not quiet but not loud voice as she next checked her spirit affinity.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. [Spirit Affinity: This affinity helps resist anything that would negatively affect your soul while enhancing any spiritual-based abilities.] She didn¡¯t question it. She noticed it when she checked her attributes after becoming a fox person the first time. She assumed it had something to do with being part kitsune and moved on to her new title.
[Vengeance Incarnate]
Benefits:
Unleashed Fury: In moments of extreme emotion, particularly when seeking vengeance, your physical and magical attributes increase by 50%, allowing you to perform feats far beyond your normal capabilities.
Revenge¡¯s Resilience: Gain a 30% resistance to physical and magical attacks when driven by a need for vengeance, making you more durable and difficult to defeat.
Madness Empowerment: Once per day, you can enter a state of focused madness for 60 seconds, during which your attack speed and damage output are doubled. While in this state, you are immune to fear and mind-altering effects.
Justice''s Might: Your victorious encounter grants you a permanent 20% increase in combat effectiveness against foes who have wronged you, making you a formidable avenger.
¡°Maybe I should go to therapy before I snap at someone I care about.¡± As she read the title, she was worried about any potential anger that might be used to lash out at someone over a minor slight. She knew the control and discipline she had relied on to control her old violent tendencies had been shattered after He-Who-Is-Now-Dead assaulted her. Though with all she had gained she was convinced she might one day be strong enough to find and save Pops. She believed something was wrong because there was no talk of a trial. It was as if his existence was now being hidden away after arresting him. For now, all she could do was get stronger and the next step for that was to pick a class. She was looking forward to this so she saved it for last to build up the anticipation. [Aberrant Trickster] Card Appearance: A figure shrouded in a dark, swirling mist stands at the center of the card. The figure has a mischievous grin, their eyes gleaming with cunning intelligence. Dressed in patchwork attire that blends elements of a jester and a rogue, they hold a deck of cards in one hand, each card glowing with a different type of magic. Shadowy tendrils curl around their form, hinting at the chaotic and unpredictable nature of their magic. The background is a dizzying maze of mirrors and illusions, reflecting multiple distorted versions of the Trickster. Stars: 6(7) She had never heard of this class or anything about trickster classes but having your first class be a six-star was a huge boon as whatever your next class is will have a minimum number of stars equal to your current one at the time. Though she called out bullshit on the quest to unlock it. Description: Aberrant Tricksters break the mold with magic and manipulations. They deceive others to get what they want even if it means risking their lives in the process. Quest: Deceive 30 people into something detrimental against themselves at your benefit Progress: 0/30 ¡°Let¡¯s just move on to the next one for now.¡± [Battle Master] Card: A towering warrior clad in mismatched armor pieces from various cultures and epochs dominates the card. The Battle Master stands with weapons in both hands ¨C a massive sword in one and a finely crafted spear in the other. Their posture exudes confidence and readiness, with an arsenal of diverse weapons strapped across their back. The background shows a battlefield with ghostly figures practicing different combat styles, symbolizing the Battle Master''s quest to master every form of combat. Stars: 3(5) Description: a warrior who doesn''t seek to be known for one style but seeks to master every form of combat Quest: Learn 5 different fighting styles, 5 different weapons, or some combination of them Progress: 0/5 ¡°I have my uncles to thank for this one.¡± If Roark taught her enough to defend herself while unarmed Sol taught her how to flourish with several weapons. This was back when she struggled to get the balance right with the weapons she forged, so Sol taught her extravagant flourishing so she could get an idea of how the weapons are meant to move and feel. While impractical for combat, the knowledge did help her find out how to properly balance the gear she forged and improved her hand-eye coordination. [Ember Smith] Card: A muscular blacksmith stands at a glowing forge, hammering a blade that radiates a fiery aura. The Ember Smith is adorned in heavy, fire-resistant gear, their face illuminated by the intense light of molten metal. Sparks fly around them as they work, and ethereal, partially-formed weapons float in the air around them, each one shimmering with potential power. The background is a dark, cavernous workshop, with runes and mystical symbols etched into the walls, highlighting the magical aspect of their craft. Stars: 4(5) Description: A blacksmith that stokes the embers of their creations as they desire to make weapons that will obtain new heights Quest: Forge 3 unique weapons each with a different elemental effect Progress: 0/3 ¡°Why am I not thrilled to see this?¡± Her heart was not moved like it should have when she saw this. Like she used to feel with anything to do with forging. With a heavy sigh, she moved on, for now, unwilling to dive too deep into her wounded psyche. [Sorceress] Card: A powerful mage stands confidently at the forefront of the card, with an aura of arcane energy swirling around her. She is dressed in elegant, flowing robes adorned with intricate symbols representing different schools of magic. She holds an ancient, glowing tome in one hand and gestures with the other, summoning a spectral dragon made of pure magic. The background is a grand, ancient library with shelves filled with magical artifacts and tomes, signifying her extensive knowledge and mastery of magic. Stars: 4(5) Description: The Sorceress is a powerful battle mage that becomes familiar with a specific type of magic art, they often discover new and versatile ways of making use of magics other spellcasters might overlook Quest: Learn 1 magic art Progress: 0/1 ¡°While this sounds powerful, what is a magic art? Maybe Kon or Asmodeus can explain it.¡± [Temptress] Card: A captivating woman stands alluringly at the center of the card, exuding an aura of irresistible charm. She is dressed in a revealing, luxurious outfit that accentuates her figure, with jewelry that sparkles with enchantments. Her eyes are half-lidded, and a seductive smile plays on her lips as she holds a delicate chain in one hand, the other hand reaching out as if beckoning the viewer closer. The background is a sumptuous, dimly lit chamber filled with silken drapes and opulent furniture, creating an atmosphere of decadent temptation. Stars: 4(5) Description: A temptress is a woman who uses their affinity for lust to tempt others into obeying their whims Quest: Charm 10 individuals Progress: 0/10 ¡°No.¡± She had grown tired of waiting to see what happened next. Nothing to do with she believed she ran out of things on her system to check when she got another alert from her system.
Name: Lila
Race: Havoc Fox
Class: Pending
Level: 10
Titles: Apprentice Smith, Disciple of Fire and Steel, Vengeance Incarnate
Affinities: Lust, Spirit
¡°Searing slag that fairy queen is going to have to explain this name shit to me.¡± It鈥檚 Lila Now Kon had been watching over Lila since she woke up and all three representatives were currently watching the same thing, waiting to see how she was doing. ¡°In. Out. In. Out.¡± ¡°It seems she is doing fine so we should get down to business.¡± Mab was the first to speak up just to get a glare from Kon while Asmodeus just gave his usual all-knowing smirk. ¡°I must agree with Ms. Doom and Gloom. What shall we do with her? I¡¯m not willing to give up such a talent.¡± Kon and Mab both turned to him like he had just spoken blasphemy. Not like a demon would ever do that right? ¡°I¡¯m not willing to give up a new toy. Especially not with what she offered to me.¡± Mab gloated but when she laughed so did Asmodeus. This entire conversation made Kon agitated. Though Asmodeus¡¯ laughter confused Mab. ¡°WHY IS MATH NOT MATHING!!¡± Upon hearing Lila¡¯s yelling, they all turned to the holographic screen to see her acting strangely. This had actually reset the mood of the entire room. Mab was beginning to doubt her own standing with owning the name Lian Hughes, all because of Asmodeus¡¯ behavior. Asmodeus was intrigued by what was going on with her while Kon was just happy that she seemed okay. ¡°Lady Kyubi, why don¡¯t we bring out little hellion into the discussion so she can represent her own interests.¡± Asmodeus suggested this in hopes that progress would be made because as things are no one will. ¡°I agree. Though I might just take some time since she seems to be going through her status right now.¡± Kon replied as she got up and left after turning the screen off. Kon has been alive long enough to know that when a king of Gehenna wants to speak to someone alone, it¡¯s safer to humor them. Besides Kon wanted a moment alone with her newly adopted daughter. Once she left, Mab and Asmodeus were silent for a moment. It didn¡¯t take long for Mab to get annoyed with Asmodeus¡¯ cheeky smirk. ¡°What¡¯s going through that demented head of yours?¡± ¡°I know something you don¡¯t~¡± He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at this. Mab dashed towards him in a smoky flurry as she lost her temper. She was the queen of air and darkness ruler of one of two sub-factions in Tuatha. Being split like this made Tuatha the second most stable organization in the big three of the council factions. She was not afraid to prove how she got and maintained her position. For this arrogance, she was caught off guard when Asmodeus¡¯ tail lunged towards her. A snakehead formed at the end and forced Mab into solid form as it held her neck in its jaw. Gehenna was divided into seventy-two sub-factions that were still at war with each other to this day. Asmodeus was considered one of the strongest in such a realm. Many forgot this since he usually shied away from the battlefield. People thought it was out of fear, but he just grew bored of constant warfare.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°You like to refer to yourself as the queen of air and darkness. All I see is a delusional princess of gossip and broody goths. If you¡¯re not going to play nice then go mope in a corner with your edgy slaves.¡± He had gently set Mab and dusted her shoulders and leaned back in his chair. Mab was speechless. She was restrained while her target never even got up like she was never even considered something worth taking seriously. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal then.¡± Mab offered gasping for air but was still able to regain her domineering attitude, even if Asmodeus didn¡¯t feel threatened at all. ¡°If I can command her like I know I can, then the girl comes with me. You will even get Kon on board one way or another.¡± ¡°I do love a good game. Tell me this. What if you can¡¯t command her?¡± He asked as his grin grew ear to ear, showing rows of dagger-like teeth. ¡°Then I will back down and agree to what you and Kon agree to.¡± Asmodeus stayed quiet for a bit to pretend that he was actually thinking it over. He had already decided and knew that he could squeeze out Lila¡¯s old name and get it returned. He ended up agreeing without any changes because he believed Lila¡¯s current state was perfect for molding. If he failed, then Mab was another target to put on Lila¡¯s hit list to motivate her to follow the path he wanted. He believed that with her old name gone most of her trauma and beliefs were ripped out with it, even if the scars might remain the damage should be minimal. From what he witnessed she was a ball of primal instincts with the knowledge of how society works. He figured out what her lust was. * Kon was on the other side of the door listening to her daughter. She had assumed that now she was deciding on what class to pursue. It was common to have a desired class to pursue even though they could select one after completing the requirements for all of them. Kon genuinely hoped she could help her daughter on whatever path she wished to pursue. She stayed and waited as per GAT¡¯s sanctuary rules. While Kon was now here as a guest of the seeker of sanctuary, she was not allowed to enter without GAT¡¯s consent as she was not on the list of those to trust immediately. After waiting a few more minutes the guild member showed up and explained the situation to Lila. She agreed and came out to follow Kon. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She inquired. ¡°Better now. I was just killing time by spending some EP and looking at class options.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you already reached level ten but please don¡¯t be so reckless with your life anymore.¡± Kon couldn¡¯t help but sigh at this as they began to walk back to the meeting room. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking what classes do you have available?¡± Lila was silent as she debated whether she should say anything to her, but Lila''s instincts were telling her to trust and believe in her. So with that, she pulled up her class options but decided to be vague for now, in case her instincts were wrong. ¡°I have a¡­ Three-star warrior class, an odd class, a four-star blacksmith, a four-star mage, and a nope.¡± Kon was impressed. The vast majority of people call it a blessing for their first class to even reach three stars so having two four-star options was a sign of good talent. While Kon was extremely curious about the odd class and the class she said no to, she decided it was better to respect her boundaries as they barely had a relationship at the moment. * Once they arrived, Kon sat down, and Lila was left at the end of the table. Kon could sense that the tension from Mab was all but gone. Instead, she could feel magic swirl around Mab as she began to activate her magic arts. ¡°Lian Hughes. Kneel before me and swear yourself to the Unseelie of Tuatha.¡± ¡®How dare she use name magic on my daughter!¡¯ Kon¡¯s eyes went feral, and it took every ounce of control not to lunge at her and rip her throat out. Lila¡¯s reaction was different. She slightly cocked her head sideways as her violet eyes stared back into Mab¡¯s eyes and a smile on par with the ear-to-ear grin appeared on her face. ¡°It¡¯s Lila now. You stupid bitch.¡± Lila responded as she gave her the finger. It鈥檚 Lila Now Kon had been watching over Lila since she woke up and all three representatives were currently watching the same thing, waiting to see how she was doing. ¡°In. Out. In. Out.¡± ¡°It seems she is doing fine so we should get down to business.¡± Mab was the first to speak up just to get a glare from Kon while Asmodeus just gave his usual all-knowing smirk. ¡°I must agree with Ms. Doom and Gloom. What shall we do with her? I¡¯m not willing to give up such a talent.¡± Kon and Mab both turned to him like he had just spoken blasphemy. Not like a demon would ever do that right? ¡°I¡¯m not willing to give up a new toy. Especially not with what she offered to me.¡± Mab gloated but when she laughed so did Asmodeus. This entire conversation made Kon agitated. Though Asmodeus¡¯ laughter confused Mab. ¡°WHY IS MATH NOT MATHING!!¡± Upon hearing Lila¡¯s yelling, they all turned to the holographic screen to see her acting strangely. This had actually reset the mood of the entire room. Mab was beginning to doubt her own standing with owning the name Lian Hughes, all because of Asmodeus¡¯ behavior. Asmodeus was intrigued by what was going on with her while Kon was just happy that she seemed okay. ¡°Lady Kyubi, why don¡¯t we bring out little hellion into the discussion so she can represent her own interests.¡± Asmodeus suggested this in hopes that progress would be made because as things are no one will. ¡°I agree. Though I might just take some time since she seems to be going through her status right now.¡± Kon replied as she got up and left after turning the screen off. Kon has been alive long enough to know that when a king of Gehenna wants to speak to someone alone, it¡¯s safer to humor them. Besides Kon wanted a moment alone with her newly adopted daughter. Once she left, Mab and Asmodeus were silent for a moment. It didn¡¯t take long for Mab to get annoyed with Asmodeus¡¯ cheeky smirk. ¡°What¡¯s going through that demented head of yours?¡± ¡°I know something you don¡¯t~¡± He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at this. Mab dashed towards him in a smoky flurry as she lost her temper. She was the queen of air and darkness ruler of one of two sub-factions in Tuatha. Being split like this made Tuatha the second most stable organization in the big three of the council factions. She was not afraid to prove how she got and maintained her position. For this arrogance, she was caught off guard when Asmodeus¡¯ tail lunged towards her. A snakehead formed at the end and forced Mab into solid form as it held her neck in its jaw. Gehenna was divided into seventy-two sub-factions that were still at war with each other to this day. Asmodeus was considered one of the strongest in such a realm. Many forgot this since he usually shied away from the battlefield. People thought it was out of fear, but he just grew bored of constant warfare.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°You like to refer to yourself as the queen of air and darkness. All I see is a delusional princess of gossip and broody goths. If you¡¯re not going to play nice then go mope in a corner with your edgy slaves.¡± He had gently set Mab and dusted her shoulders and leaned back in his chair. Mab was speechless. She was restrained while her target never even got up like she was never even considered something worth taking seriously. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal then.¡± Mab offered gasping for air but was still able to regain her domineering attitude, even if Asmodeus didn¡¯t feel threatened at all. ¡°If I can command her like I know I can, then the girl comes with me. You will even get Kon on board one way or another.¡± ¡°I do love a good game. Tell me this. What if you can¡¯t command her?¡± He asked as his grin grew ear to ear, showing rows of dagger-like teeth. ¡°Then I will back down and agree to what you and Kon agree to.¡± Asmodeus stayed quiet for a bit to pretend that he was actually thinking it over. He had already decided and knew that he could squeeze out Lila¡¯s old name and get it returned. He ended up agreeing without any changes because he believed Lila¡¯s current state was perfect for molding. If he failed, then Mab was another target to put on Lila¡¯s hit list to motivate her to follow the path he wanted. He believed that with her old name gone most of her trauma and beliefs were ripped out with it, even if the scars might remain the damage should be minimal. From what he witnessed she was a ball of primal instincts with the knowledge of how society works. He figured out what her lust was. * Kon was on the other side of the door listening to her daughter. She had assumed that now she was deciding on what class to pursue. It was common to have a desired class to pursue even though they could select one after completing the requirements for all of them. Kon genuinely hoped she could help her daughter on whatever path she wished to pursue. She stayed and waited as per GAT¡¯s sanctuary rules. While Kon was now here as a guest of the seeker of sanctuary, she was not allowed to enter without GAT¡¯s consent as she was not on the list of those to trust immediately. After waiting a few more minutes the guild member showed up and explained the situation to Lila. She agreed and came out to follow Kon. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She inquired. ¡°Better now. I was just killing time by spending some EP and looking at class options.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you already reached level ten but please don¡¯t be so reckless with your life anymore.¡± Kon couldn¡¯t help but sigh at this as they began to walk back to the meeting room. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking what classes do you have available?¡± Lila was silent as she debated whether she should say anything to her, but Lila''s instincts were telling her to trust and believe in her. So with that, she pulled up her class options but decided to be vague for now, in case her instincts were wrong. ¡°I have a¡­ Three-star warrior class, an odd class, a four-star blacksmith, a four-star mage, and a nope.¡± Kon was impressed. The vast majority of people call it a blessing for their first class to even reach three stars so having two four-star options was a sign of good talent. While Kon was extremely curious about the odd class and the class she said no to, she decided it was better to respect her boundaries as they barely had a relationship at the moment. * Once they arrived, Kon sat down, and Lila was left at the end of the table. Kon could sense that the tension from Mab was all but gone. Instead, she could feel magic swirl around Mab as she began to activate her magic arts. ¡°Lian Hughes. Kneel before me and swear yourself to the Unseelie of Tuatha.¡± ¡®How dare she use name magic on my daughter!¡¯ Kon¡¯s eyes went feral, and it took every ounce of control not to lunge at her and rip her throat out. Lila¡¯s reaction was different. She slightly cocked her head sideways as her violet eyes stared back into Mab¡¯s eyes and a smile on par with the ear-to-ear grin appeared on her face. ¡°It¡¯s Lila now. You stupid bitch.¡± Lila responded as she gave her the finger. The Sol Solution Sol O¡¯her had just finished another hunting trip. He was quite pleased both with his hunt and leveled up. He had almost forgotten the feeling of it, getting closer to achieving level 600. He sold off most of the materials from his kills but kept a few that he thought Pops and his niece would like, though something urked him. He could remember her face, voice, and personality. He could even remember the promise he made to let her reforge his twin katanas when she achieved the title of Grandmaster Blacksmith. He looked at his nameless blades and wondered why he couldn¡¯t recall her name. When he was hunting, he was too preoccupied to notice, but now he knew something was wrong. The first chance he got he wanted to send a message to them to find out if something was wrong. That was when he saw the email from Pops. The email explained what happened to @#%$. ¡°Why can¡¯t I even acknowledge that she has a name?!¡± His fury only motivated him to find out what was going on as he read the rest of the email as it also explained that Pops was leaving her with GAT, after reading that he immediately contacted GAT to get him in touch with his niece. While he waited for them to verify it was him he was setting his ship''s destination for the world they lived on. He didn¡¯t like having to go through so many portals so quickly as it wrenched his gut but if it meant arriving that¡¯s all that mattered. ¡°Mr. O¡¯her, we have verified that it is you on the guardian list. However, we must update you on recent events.¡± ¡°Please start with why her name seems to be glitched out of reality.¡± Outwardly he was calm even if his glare could kill. Inwardly he was panicking non-stop. He was wondering why they hadn¡¯t messaged him sooner. He would have gladly abandoned his hunt to be there for her. ¡°We are not aware of that ourselves, but there are other council representatives here saying that she joined each of their factions. She is also no longer human.¡± The GAT employee hated that he was the one who had to tell Sol this. They naturally recognized Sol O¡¯her, the Rot Bane. The man that is expected to reach level 600 in the next decade or two. The higher factions were going nuts trying to recruit him. ¡°What do you mean no longer human?¡± His worry was finally getting the better of him as his wrath made him lose control of his strength. This caused him to break the arms of his chair, making the GAT employee squeak out of fear, despite not even being in the same sector. ¡°We don¡¯t know what she is. She appears to be a kitsune, but they are calling her a hybrid. We offered to have someone represent her in these talks, but she has denied it. She claims that if she can¡¯t represent herself then only those on her Guardian list can.¡± ¡®Stubborn as always.¡¯ He thought to himself before thinking about what to do. ¡°Put me into that meeting. And I request access to GAT portals to get there sooner¡± ¡°We can grant you access but all portals within fifteen sectors are non-responsive.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Sol took deep breaths. He knew yelling at him would solve nothing. They were at least going to give him some access which should speed up the time greatly. Though even if that gets him to the closest portal it will still take a month or two for him to arrive. ¡°Okay, Mr. O¡¯her we are putting you into the meeting now.¡± As soon as he was done talking the screen changed as he was now looking at the most chaotic meeting, he had ever witnessed in his 2000+ years of living. A grey-skinned black-haired fairy queen was yelling slurs in a fairy tongue at his niece who looked drastically different. A high-ranked demon in a yellow suit was gasping for air from laughing too hard. Finally, there was the leader of Spiritus holding his niece in her embrace like an angry momma bear yelling back at the fairy queen. He only recognized her because she was the only nine-tailed kitsune alive and every tail was wrapped around his niece like she was afraid that his niece would disappear. ¡°Hi, Sol!¡± Lila waved at her adoptive uncle. ¡°Hey, kiddo. If the representatives be kind enough to give me a moment with my niece, it would be appreciated.¡± It took all of his restraint not to yell at them to get lost, but they obliged him for now, even if it was only because GAT¡¯s sanctuary rules gave him the authority to override Lila¡¯s decision on guests. ¡°Okay kiddo, explain what happened since Pops emailed me.¡± After hearing this request, he watched Lila¡¯s ears and tail droop and saw that her yellow eyes shifted to blue. ¡°Pops got arrested. I panicked and summoned both Kon and that Unseelie fae. From there I turned into a kitsune-fae hybrid. Though that fairy took my name.¡± She explained as if she was trying to remember something relevant to what she just said. ¡°She took your name?!¡± ¡°I did offer it. Oh, that¡¯s it she didn¡¯t take my entire name so I¡¯m Lila now.¡± Sol did not know whether to laugh or cry at this. Giving your name to a fae is the equivalent of being a slave that can¡¯t even hide from them until you can either get it back or change it. There has never been a known case where the fae didn¡¯t take someone¡¯s entire name. Sol at least understood why it was hell for him to recall her name. It was torn apart. ¡°Okay, Lila, which faction did you promise to join?¡± As her smile grew her eyes were dominated by a vibrant purple. ¡°None of them.¡± ¡°What do you mean none of them?¡± Lila was doing her best not to laugh at this. ¡°I mean I convinced the leader of Spiritus to turn me without saying I wanted to join and tricked Tuatha to turn me thinking that a window to recruit me was closing. I overheard you complain to Pops once about the fae collecting names so I gambled on giving most of it. I also killed someone where I took a pill that made me a cambion to survive the fight. Or atleast to take him down with me.¡± Sol went from relieved to furious in the course of this conversation as he began to reprimand Lila for her recklessness. * Outside of the meeting room, Mab was pacing back and forth. She had gotten conned so if she didn¡¯t find some way to get Lila her reputation would sink and for the fae reputation meant a lot. This was before taking her wounded pride into account. Asmodeus waited patiently. He has been alive long enough to know the value of waiting. Besides, if Lila wants to refine her demonic abilities, she will need to come to him to increase her rank. He won¡¯t let her go to the other demon leaders for this. While both were having their thoughts while secretly praising Lila for managing to deceive so many powerful people and get into a position where they weren¡¯t willing to harm her truly impressed them. The odd one out here was Kon. The reason was that when Sol asked everyone to leave, she realized that Lila wasn¡¯t fighting to be released or hyperventilating in her grasp. Thinking back on it, it felt like Lila snuggled deeper into her hold. This brought a smile to her face and warmth to her heart. Each sat in their own world thinking about how to end this meeting to their advantage when Lila came out. Her teal eyes only enhanced the saddened look on her face. ¡°You guys can come back now. My uncle has a proposition for you.¡± Once back inside Sol explained his solution. He was going to make a roaming faction to take care of Lila, but she would spend one month in each representative''s care. Afterward, she is free to join any of them but until she makes a decision, she will be part of Sol¡¯s faction. All three agreed, though Mab only did so reluctantly. Though now was the argument of who would Lila stay with first. Welcome To The Spirit Realm Sol had decided the order would be Spiritus, Gehenna, and Tuatha would be last. This made Kon happy since she believed that Lila needed to come to terms with the changes that had happened to her, and she was convinced that Mab and Asmodeus were more likely to groom her if she was unstable Kon fought hard to be first. Kon had summoned a torii gate to her palace in the spirit realm. When they crossed the gate there was a human with fox eyes waiting for them. ¡°Welcome back Lady Kyubi. Everything worked out I take it?¡± He asked as he looked at Lila. Lila looked at him up and down, seeing that he was dressed in priestly robes. From the little research she did about Spiritus. Lila assumed he was an onmyoji, a mage class that Spiritus specializes in. ¡°No. Haruaki. It was a complete disaster.¡± Kon informed him before looking at Lila. ¡°But it worked out in a way. Lila, meet Haruaki. He is my chief mage and will be your tutor while you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Pleasure to meet you, princess.¡± He responded with a slight bow. Lila¡¯s first instinct was to correct him that she hadn¡¯t joined, but just before saying anything she decided to hold it back. She wondered why she was struggling so much to control her impulses. She felt like she had to relearn her self-restraint and emotional regulation. If she felt a certain way she felt the extremes. Happy was Joy. Anger was rage. Sadness was depression. When a thought of doing something popped up in her head her body was trying to move to do it before she could think about it, like when she taunted Mab. ¡°I am a little excited to see what Spiritus is like.¡± ¡°In due time. For now, just adjust to the changes you¡¯ve gone through.¡± Kon advised. The way she said it and the worried look in her eyes all but screamed that she was hiding something from Lila. ¡°As much as I would like to show you around myself, I have some business to take care of.¡± ¡°You can leave her in my care.¡± Haruaki reassured Kon. Kon said her farewells before she left with a sigh of relief. She had to get things for Lila and the recent events kept her from her office work for too long. She was dreading seeing the stacks of papers on her desk. ¡°Come now, little princess. I will show you around the palace grounds for now.¡± During the beginning of the tour, Lila didn¡¯t act out of place, but Haruaki could see her look around with her vibrant orange eyes, taking it all in. ¡®Why are her eyes like that? Mutation?¡¯ Haruaki speculated several possibilities. His curiosity made him dying to know the answer and if it was anyone else he would harass her for answers. What stopped him was how it seemed Kon was walking on eggshells on her newly acquired daughter. ¡°Hey Haru, can I ask you something about Kon?¡± ¡°Haru? Kon? You don¡¯t have respect for your elders, do you?¡± He inquired as he turned towards her, seeing that her eyes were now light purple. Though he wanted to see what he could learn from her.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I don¡¯t have respect for formalities. It just gets in the way.¡± Haruaki just laughed. ¡°Okay, Lila. Let¡¯s go tit-for-tat. You can ask me whatever questions you like but I get to ask you questions in return. Deal.¡± ¡°Deal, but I go first.¡± ¡°Ask away.¡± Lila was silent for a moment. Haruaki could tell that she was trying to be careful with how to word it. Though he got a small smirk as he watched her facial expressions give way how little restraint she really had. ¡°Why was Kon so insistent on adopting me herself?¡± This question stunned Haruaki a bit. To him, this was no secret, just a sensitive topic. ¡°Perhaps we should sit down for this conversation.¡± He went over to a bench with Lila following behind him. ¡°When Lady Kon first left to hunt and train, she was reckless. Until you arrived, she was the last of the Kyubi clan and had to work that much harder to maintain her position as the leader of Spiritus. The only ones who were willing to back her at the time were the leader of the oni, Shuten-doji, and myself. At the time she believed everything would work out if she became strong enough. The problem arose when she was trying to break through the class change barrier at level 400. While she succeeded, she was heavily wounded and lost her uterus. She was more distraught than any of us thought she would be. After that, her only hope for an heir was to use the ritual she used on you. Though as the one who had been next to her for so long, she was distraught that she would never get to watch her child grow. To hold her infant in her arms. Yet if she went through with the ritual it had to be with someone with potential. Though now that she has you, she will probably be doting on you quite a lot.¡± Lila was surprised to hear this. She was Kon¡¯s only chance at being a mother. While Lila had no intention of calling her mother, she was thinking about playing along for Kon. She thought it was the least she could do for unknowingly manipulating such a strong and pure motivation from her. Lila¡¯s blue eyes shined as she regretted this action a little, knowing full well that if she went back in time, she would do it again. ¡°My turn for a question little princess. You¡¯re not just a kitsune are you?¡± The question snapped Lila out of her train of thought as her eyes drastically defaulted back to yellow. ¡°That¡¯s right. According to my status, I¡¯m a Havoc Fox, though there was a brief moment when I was a Mystic Fox. It¡¯s all very confusing to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. You¡¯re not entirely yokai are you?¡± ¡°I already answered your question, so I¡¯ll pass on that.¡± ¡®So, she¡¯s a kitsune-fae hybrid? That doesn¡¯t explain the shift in her race.¡¯ He thought as he planned to talk to Lady Kyubi about this. For now, Haruaki refrained from asking any more questions as he didn¡¯t want to stumble into a punishment for prying answers from her while Fairy Deal could still be in effect. For now, he decided to end the tour by taking Lila to her room. ¡°This is your room little princess.¡± He would never admit it, but he found it fun watching her eyes change colors and found that they got a slight red hue to them when he called her little princess. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that training starts at six in the morning, and you will be called to join Lady Kyubi for her meals.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ where¡¯s my storage ring?¡± She suddenly realized that the ring with all of Pop¡¯s stuff was not on her finger and she began to panic as her eyes turned into a deep teal and the white of her eyes turned black. ¡°Tell you what, you relax, and I¡¯ll send some of the servants to look for it. You had it when you came into the Spirit Realm with Lady Kyubi right?¡± Lila nodded her head furiously. ¡°Then it¡¯s here and I will have my personal servants scour the grounds for it. Once again, welcome to the Spirit Realm.¡± He did his best to comfort her while he was internally very upset. She was an Akuma. When Lila calmed down enough to go in she was surprised enough with what she saw to distract herself, giving in to the new impulses. ¡°What in the primordial flame is this?¡± You Keep What You Make Lila looked in her room and saw a bunch of skill books, various crafting tools, and materials. When she looked at the skill books prompts would appear to her. [Would you like to learn ¡®Tailor¡¯?] [Y/N] [Would you like to learn ¡®Carpentry¡¯?] [Y/N] ¡°She does know that I¡¯m a blacksmith, right?¡± Feeling insulted she looked at the others and to her dismay, none of them had anything to do with black smithing. When she put these down, she found a note. Curious about what it could say she read it, hoping it would clear her confusion. The letter would only annoy her in the end though. Lila, I can only imagine how worried you must be about your storage ring and the sudden appearance of so many crafting supplies and tools in your room. Asmodeus has informed me about your recent actions, and while my first concern is your safety, especially given your current state of adjustment and ongoing mental health challenges, I also recognize and respect that you are a crafter by heart and nature. With this in mind, I propose a compromise in the form of a challenge. You are free to keep everything you create. Each item you craft is yours to own and use as you see fit. Once Haruaki deems you ready to go out, I will personally take you on a tour of the capital. Additionally, any profits you earn from your creations are yours to keep, along with whatever you choose to buy with those earnings. When your time here is over, I will return your storage ring and all of your belongings without having opened or tampered with them. I understand the importance of trust, especially with the gravity of Fairy Deals and Infernal Contracts, and I assure you that I have no intention or desire to take anything from you. I won¡¯t even open your storage ring without your permission and won¡¯t ask for said permission or what¡¯s inside. I am here for you and willing to answer any questions you may have over dinner.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. With care and understanding, Kon P.S. I suggest starting with clothes, as the servants will likely take the ones you are currently wearing at the first opportunity. ¡°Searing slag.¡± Lila cursed at it all. She was a blacksmith. The fact that she now had to make her own outfits and learn all of these skills felt cruel. Carpentry was a laugh. Other than making wooden handles or sheathes Lila did not plan on using this skill. Leatherwork? Joke work. Her knowledge of leather was for leather-wrapped handles or making her own apron and gloves out of some fire-resistant material. Tailor? She did everything she could to avoid the lectures from triplets about fashion, so this was the cruelest joke to her. Enchant and Runesmith¡­ These were skills she wanted to learn anyway but was too upset to admit it. Lila grumbled to herself as she took the time to accept every skill. As the others were self-explanatory, she only focused on Enchant and Runesmith. While Enchant allowed one to imbue their own skills or techniques using the skills on gear then Runesmith was a skill that made it easier to imbue runes on equipment for a variety of effects. The downside of the Runesmith skill was that it didn¡¯t come with a working knowledge of the runes themselves, just how to use them. So, she decided to read the book of runes and made some design plans with them. This led her to make many plans for different armor equipment. While she wasn¡¯t particularly skilled or talented in anything beyond forging, she still learned such crafting techniques from Pops because some customers were very persistent in him making something that didn¡¯t require forging. To ease her own tension while losing herself in the design face she sang the song Pops always sang when he was inevitably convinced and worked on said projects. ¡°I¡¯m a dirty money whore doo da doo da~¡± ¡°I will do whatever you say, just as long as you pay~¡± Before she ever learned what the words of the song meant they were engrained in Lila as a form of venting. This led to a very awkward conversation between her and Pops when he had to explain why she shouldn¡¯t sing that at eight years old. Sadly, child logic just made her sing anyway, much to his dismay. Once she was happy with her designs, she remembered the P.S. in the letter and decided to test out some of her skills for now. She was only able to make a simple martial arts robe based off of some cheesy and flashy martial arts movies she watched with Roark. Most of those movies were so over the top that they viewed them more as a comedy than something with good fights. Though ironically the exceptions were the ones with the most over-the-top names such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Though Lila preferred the movies that were a middle ground of good fights and out their cinematics like The One, even though its setting was more modern than old-time martial arts world. She liked to refer to The One as martial arts the musical with how many rock songs were played in the fight scenes. She would have kept working while reminiscing if a servant hadn¡¯t snapped her out of the zone as they told Lila that dinner was ready and that they would escort her. While still annoyed she was in a better mood now. She did not have the same passion for tailoring as she did for forging, but it helped remind her that things would get better. It also reminded her to make sure her phone had a volume control setting for Roark since he would be screaming louder than usual when he called her for an explanation of her situation. For now, she simply needed to look forward. She had at least one ally in her corner for now. A new addition to her family. Tainted Lineage ¡°It¡¯s quite insulting that you thought I wouldn¡¯t find out.¡± Haruaki walked in with all the passive-aggressive sass he couldn¡¯t bother to hide. ¡°I have no idea what you mean.¡± Kon replied as she waved the servants away. She didn¡¯t want others to hear this conversation. Once the servants left Haruaki cast a barrier that prevented any form of eves dropping. No one below level 800 could break his barrier and even then, he would know. ¡°I¡¯m talking about your daughter being an Akuma. You know what our laws say about those that become tainted with demonic essence.¡± Hybrids occur when two species are mixed whether by ritual or birth. There has never been a hybrid of more than two species as any attempt would lead to a painful death. However, those who enhanced themselves with demonic essence tend to lose themselves to their basic impulses. This is extremely dangerous for any yokai as they instinctively rule through fear. Kyubi Kon was not a tyrant, and her clan learned their lesson when her clan''s founder, Tamamo no Mae, was overthrown for her cruelty. Many yokai abilities are based on fear the same way angels are holy, and demons are unholy. So, combining a loss of impulse control with a desire to spread fear has led to much discrimination of yokai-demon hybrids or Akuma. If such hybrids are found in the Spirit Realm they are often killed on sight before they commit some kind of atrocity. ¡°Well, she is a unique case, since she is a hybrid of kitsune, fae, and demon.¡± Haruaki''s eyes brimmed with excitement. He had theorized that such a thing was possible but never performed the experiments as he found it too cruel to do. Despite his outward lack of care for life, he was a caring person. ¡°You do realize that combination could make her even more volatile right?¡± A smile appeared on his face as the thought of training such a person made him excited for what he earlier thought was trivial. ¡°Careful Haruaki. Your true feelings are showing.¡± Haruaki faked a cough as he composed himself. He hadn¡¯t felt this excited in centuries and Kon was the only one he ever lowered his guard around as he practically raised her when he took her under his wing when she rose to power. ¡°I know you are only just trying to warn me, especially with how the tengu have been acting the last few centuries. As much as I despise the notion Lila will make good bait to draw out their true intentions.¡± Kon let out a deep sigh when she said that. She wanted to make sure those wishing Lila harm would never get the chance, but those who are determined will find ways to do so no matter how much Kon sheltered her. So, she decided that if it can¡¯t be avoided, she will prepare for it and make an example out of anyone that would threaten the Kyubi clan. ¡°You have truly become a wise ruler.¡± ¡°If only that wisdom could help me maintain my rule while being benevolent my worries would be gone.¡± They both laughed at that. For those that fight and rule with fear everything was a battle of wills. First to succumb to fear will lose everything. Haruaki taught Kon that a calm mind would take her far, but now that she has a daughter, she was finding rage to be far more effective. She doesn¡¯t want Lila to suffer again and will slay the tengu king or even the galaxy itself for her. That is what she was, how far she was willing to go.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I believe I learned what I need to, but how far can I push her in training?¡± ¡°As far as you need to. As Shuten-doji often tells his sons, sweat more in training and bleed less in battle.¡± * Over in the oni palace, the king of all oni¡¯s and the last Great Evil Of Spiritus lounged around drinking the centuries away. Peace has dulled his sense of battle as he had to learn the art of politics. He truly missed war, and everyone now knew his old tricks, making life repetitive and dull. ¡°A report for Your Highness.¡± A guard introduced himself as he bowed before Shuten-doji. ¡°What is it?¡± He inquired with a yawn, suddenly wanting to sleep for a month or two. ¡°Our guards have found out that Empress Kyubi has returned and with an unknown kitsune.¡± This piqued Shuten-doji¡¯s interest quite a bit. He sat up with excitement as he waved for another bottle of sake to be delivered to him. ¡°So, she has acquired that daughter she was eyeing all this time.¡± He bellowed a deep laugh. ¡°GOOD! GOOD! Things will finally get interesting around here.¡± As a new bottle was delivered, he began to drink out of celebration for that child he swore fealty to instead of boredom. The same excitement echoed across all of the oni in his presence. Oni¡¯s were known for being a race of giant drunken warriors that would rampage from one battlefield to the next. Yet in the Spirit Realm they were also the primary law enforcement as they were also driven to punish the wicked. The latter gave them a sense of purpose to guide them in times of peace as law enforcement, and their race was thankful to the Kyubi clan for giving this position to them. ¡°Go and request a meeting with Lady Kyubi and her daughter. I would like to meet our imperial princess. HAHAHA!¡± ¡°Right away.¡± The guard immediately ran off to deliver Shuten-doji¡¯s message with due haste. None of them had seen him in such a good mood in a long time and wanted him to stay that way for now. Maybe he might go through less liquor for a while. ¡°Someone go and get gifts. I can¡¯t very well attend such a fortuitous meeting empty handed now, can I? Also, get my children here so that we can discuss the future.¡± He took another chug of saki after bellowing his orders. He knew the tengu would not wait to act now that the great Kyubi Kon had a weakness they could target. How could he stay in such bad shape when such exciting times were upon him? As he stood up the sound of his joints popping echoed across the oni¡¯s palace as they saw movement for the first time in a year. ¡°Shit!¡± The echo was then followed by Shuten-doji falling over due to sudden vertigo, something his own daughter would not let him forget anytime soon. * The King of the tengu Shiro Tenno had just received similar news that Shuten-doji has. ¡°Finally, there is a weakness we can exploit.¡± When Tamamo no Mae had been overthrown the tengu tried to rise up to take the place of the kitsune, only for the tengu¡¯s great evil, Sutoku Tenno to die in the chaos that followed. So they were not happy when Tamamo no Mae¡¯s descendants formed the Kyubi clan and reclaimed the throne of power. The tengu had been planning to usurp the throne, only to be thwarted every time before they could have their plans take off. Every time this happened, they lost a little more power until Kyubi Kon came along. They thought it would be the end of the clan when they had her family killed, only for her to rise up like her bloodline was blessed by a phoenix. The outcome of that was that the tengu had been relegated to messengers, barely holding onto the political power allowing them to be one of the three main groups of Spiritus. ¡°We will bet everything on this. Capture her. If you can¡¯t do that then kill the brat. No witnesses.¡± With that the order was given and the tengu loyal to the Tenno clan went out to try again to claim the throne for themselves, blinded by greed and desperation. Dinner and Skills Lila was surprised to see the feast that was present before her. She didn¡¯t even know the names of most of the dishes. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Join me.¡± Kon¡¯s soothing voice welcomed Lila to join. As soon as she sat down Lila began eating with a complete lack of decorum. The servants watching were appalled. It wasn¡¯t like she was a slob. This was just the result of different lives where manners were mandatory in all matters versus an optional notion to be considered. They were watching someone who was using the manners of a family in an all-you-can-eat buffet, in a room that has only seen the highest standards for manners. Watching this made Kon smile as she got to see Lila enjoy herself. While Kon started eating herself she found herself at a loss for what to talk about. She had eaten alone for so long that she ate with someone outside of formal settings that she didn¡¯t know where to start. ¡°I¡¯m still not happy that you took the ring.¡± Kon was quite thankful for Lila to start the conversation, even if it was a topic she expected to get chewed out for. ¡°Would you mind explaining to me how you received such an item? If I had to guess your ring is on par with mine in storage capacity.¡± ¡°Pops gave it to me before¡­ before he got arrested. In there is everything I own and inherited.¡± ¡°That would be quite valuable indeed.¡± Kon stared at the storage ring that she had taken. She had kept it on her person so that no one would steal it or lose it before she returned it to Lila. ¡°How are you adjusting, all things considered?¡± ¡°Alright. Vented a bit making designs for the materials you left me. Though, I¡¯m also considering what class I should change to and what kind of skills to get.¡± Hearing this Kon¡¯s interest was piqued. Though while she wanted to hear more about the class options she had, she believed that it should be saved for later. ¡°Speaking of skills, I did get you three more if you¡¯re interested. These ones took a little longer to get.¡± ¡°You¡¯re used to overworking yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lila¡¯s question stung Kon as she knew nothing but work and level grind. She tried to have a neutral smile on to hide how much being called out hurt. ¡°These are for your safety and not for crafting.¡± She replied, pretending the question was never asked as she took out three skill books and handed them to Lila. [Would You Like To Learn Illusion Weaver?] [Y/N] [Would You Like To Learn Spirit Resonance] [Y/N] Before selecting yes to any of them she briefly read the books to understand what each did. Spirit resonance was a passive superior skill that not only enhances mana regeneration but also enhances spirit-based abilities. Even if she never acquired another spiritual ability the boost to fox fire was nice but, the fact that it was a passive that increased mana regeneration was a blessing, so she accepted it without a second thought.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°This is a really good skill. I don¡¯t think I can accept this.¡± The skill in question was Illusion Weaver. It was a static skill that had quite a few additional effects, but its main ability was to create illusions. With enough practice and mana invested, the wielder can generate illusions realistic enough to deal physical damage. ¡°You mean Illusion Weaver? Well, it does make sense as that is the Kyubi clan''s unique skill that¡¯s been refined across the generations. Regardless of whether you accept it, that skill is yours by right of being my daughter. ¡°I guess I might as well double down on that odd class option.¡± Lila accepted the skill Illusion Weaver and was surprised with the results. Name: Illusion Weaver Type: Active Level: Static Description: You channel the ancient and powerful illusionary magic of the Kyubi clan to weave intricate illusions that deceive, confuse, and control the battlefield. This skill showcases the Kyubi clan''s unparalleled mastery over illusionary arts, bending reality to their will. Additional Effect: Weaving Illusions: You create a complex web of illusions within a 20-meter radius, lasting for 25 seconds. Confusion Field: Enemies within the area have their perception distorted, causing a 30% reduction in accuracy and a 20% reduction in movement speed.Mirror Image: Summons up to 5 mirror images of the wielder that mimic their actions, each dealing 10% of the wielder''s damage. The images have 30% of the wielder''s health. Mind Fog: Enemies caught in the illusions have a 25% chance each second to be stunned for 2 seconds due to the overwhelming sensory overload.Spiritual Enhancement: Increases the wielder''s magic power and spirit-based skill effectiveness by 20% for the duration. Additional Effect Cooldown: 4 minutes. ¡°What is this odd class you¡¯ve mentioned?¡± Lila thought about how much she should say, but Kon has been nothing but kind in a tough time for her. With a deep sigh, she decided to stop keeping things from Kon and try to consider her as a new member of her family, even if she still doesn¡¯t accept Kon as her mother. ¡°My four class options-¡° ¡°Four? Everyone gets five class options.¡± Kon didn¡¯t mean to interrupt her, but no one had ever gotten more or less than five options for every class change. ¡°Nope, just four. There is no fifth¡± Lila continued to deny the existence of the Temptress class option from her very core. ¡°My options are a six-star Aberrant Trickster, a three-star Battle Master, a five-star Ember Smith, and a four-star Sorceress.¡± Kon was speechless. She didn¡¯t get the option for a six-star class until she reached level 300 and that was considered a great fortune. Even now at level 832, her class was a seven-star with the potential to reach eight-star. ¡°While I will support whatever class you choose, but I would like to know more about the Aberrant Trickster class.¡± ¡°I have a question first. Why me? No BS, why did you want to adopt me specifically?¡± Kon took a drink of some sake before answering and passed a cup to Lila. ¡°Does there have to be some big reason? I promise you that when I saw the picture of you something inside me said that you were the child that I wanted to adopt no matter what.¡± Lila felt the sincerity in Kon¡¯s words and didn¡¯t know what to do or say at that moment. A swirl of emotions went into overdrive as she didn¡¯t know how to respond. She was confused as to why a reason she believed was so stupid meant so much to her in that moment. She wiped away her tears while cursing in her mind. She didn¡¯t know when Kon had moved to be next to her and pulled Lila in for a hug. They stayed like that for a moment. Once Lila calmed down, she got free and explained the Aberrant Trickster class, only for Kon to be vexed for her to have the option of such a class. As powerful as it might be it sounded like a double-edged blade.