ã€ŠShell Out(turtle litrpg)ã€‹


 Prologue: Noble Death

    Ah.

    I¡¯m dying.

    I wouldn¡¯t have minded that normally, as we all die someday. An inevitability, rather than something to fear. As a noble, I had to deal with many things, and that included death. Death was my friend, and I looked forward to arriving in the land of Hades.

    But this wasn¡¯t the way I wanted to go. I grimaced, looking up at the grinning assassins, and then looked on my household.

    As Earl Rudalius, marquis of Rudalius, I had worked tirelessly since I was 10, and had always treated my servants as family, who in turn, had treated me as family. And my family was dead. All around me, their blood soaked the ground.

    ¡°Ke ke ke ke.¡± One man cackled, a truly ugly man. ¡°Look at him now! Look at how broken he looks! I love that last look as they fade away.¡±

    ¡°W-h-y?¡± I utter, trying to get the question out. My body bleeds from the cuts they carved on me. A hundred cuts, yet not enough to finish him quietly. They wanted to drag it out. The fools don¡¯t realize that if I die, so will they.

    ¡°What do you think? Money! Obviously.¡± Responded another, who looked bored out of their mind.

    ¡°W-h-o-¡° I utter, but another voice responds. A hateful voice. That bastard.

    ¡°Who else cousin? Who else will inherit your estate once you¡¯re gone?¡± Came that silky smooth voice. And out came Dliucius von Hearthfire, my second cousin.

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    Diliucius was a handsome young man. He was a smooth speaker, second son of count Hearthfire, and the ladies man. Apparently he was conniving too.

    I push myself up, to the delighted smile of Dilucius, Even now he was as handsome as they come. ¡°Wonderful, you¡¯ll die looking me in the eye¡± cooed Dilucius. I assure you Dilucius, I won¡¯t be the only one dying as another looks me in the eye.

    I cough as hard as I can, hacking blood in his face. Wiping his face with disgust, Dilucius kicked me hard in the head, and held me so as he laughed. ¡°Once you¡¯re gone¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll take everything from you.

    Your fianc¨¦,

    Your title,

    Your people

    Everything¡±

    I look up, as solemnly as I can. I want to make sure he sees my face as we die together. ¡°I hate to leave my fianc¨¦e a widow so soon¡± I complain. Then I activate the circle. And at first, he was confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me, Earl? You won¡¯t be leaving her alone. She¡¯ll have me soon¡± He asked incredibly. He must¡¯ve thought I was delusional. Maybe I am. Who in their right mind would make themselves a bomb?

    ¡°No. She won¡¯t¡±

    And then he sees it. My body lights up, as patterns etched across my body begin to glow, and soon, so does the rest of the house, as the magic circle came to life. I had a trigger carved into me when I was 15 to self destruct, so I could protect the people I cared about. If I ever had too, I could take my enemies out with me. The house had a similar self destruct initiative, meant for assassins, should they ever get this far.

    Eyes widened, he and the assassins attempt to leave, but that won¡¯t be happening. The magic circle has been made so that not only would the explosion not leave the estate, but no one could leave save those with the proper items, but they didn¡¯t have those. The assassins try to break the windows, or even use magic, only to find their strength and magic being sapped by the magic circle.

    I grab Dilucius as I look him in the eye, as he grows ever more desperate. ¡°Wonderful¡± I mock, as he grows angrier, desperately trying to get free from my grip. ¡°Now we¡¯ll both die looking each other in the eye.¡±

    And finally, the end comes.

    Boom!

    ¡®Death, here I come¡¯.

 Chapter 1: The gates of Hades

    As I come to, I find myself in a simple boat, alongside a multitude of other people. Considering I¡¯m pretty sure I just died, Hades does exist. And at the helm of the boat stands Charon. Fishing my pockets, I find only a few silvers. It¡¯s known that depending on your place in life, you¡¯re expected to deposit a certain amount of money to Charon. Nobles are expected to pay in gold. Sadly, given the way I went out, I seem to lack the proper compensation.

    Nonetheless, I walk up to him hesitantly, and offer the silvers I have. ¡°My apologies, I do not have enough to pay you.¡± I say as I give him the silvers and an apologetic look. Charon looks at me, and the cloaked figure turns to me and greets me with a gaunt yet young face. ¡°Apology accepted Earl. Considering how you died, I¡¯m willing to accept your fare. Besides, someone¡¯s waiting for you.

    Charon turns, leaving me with the curiosity about who could be waiting for me. I choose to sit down with the rest of the people, who seem rather uncomfortable. Makes sense, I¡¯m more comfortable with death than others. Besides, we¡¯re heading to Hades, where we will be judged and assigned to our afterlife. Their eternity will be determined here.

    I sat quietly and awkwardly with the rest before finally arriving at the gates, as they loomed over us. I was glad to finally get off the boat, as the rest were just too quiet. Not a peep out of them.

    The gates were huge, and frankly he¡¯d say overwhelmingly huge. Frankly speaking, as a noble, he wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d ever seen gates this big save the one at the imperial palace. On one hand, this was the underworld, on the other hand, this was the underworld.

    Before I knew it, I was sitting in a seat before a rather familiar face. I¡¯d seen it every single time I¡¯d visited the temple of death. Everyone went to the temple of Hades; who didn¡¯t want to pray to the lord of the Underworld and riches? Say what you will of Ausir Hades, but he ruled the spirit world, arguably more important than Poseidon and second only to Jorvus Mars.

    I didn¡¯t go to the temples to pray for riches or to appease the lord of the next world. I went there for peace. For quiet I could not receive at the mansion, with the bustling people, the nonstop flow of papers, the constant dangers, I found my peace and quiet at the temple. I found it ironic of course; people always did their best to appeal to the emperor of the afterlife, but none went to visit the palace of the judge. Perhaps they felt an unconditional fear, for he was never easily bribed; perhaps the nobles hoped they could appeal to the lord of riches to give them leniency. I however, always welcomed the sight of Anubis.

    ¡­

    It is said there are two guard dogs one must pass through before reaching the underworld. One must pass Cerberus, the three headed guard dog. It was easy going in; it was getting out that was the hard part. Cerebus never let anyone leave without the permission of Hades, and only those who could beat him in warfare may leave.

    The other guard dog was the jackal-headed god Anubis. Judge of the dead, Anubis determined who went to the great halls of Elysium, who continued to live their daily lives in the farm field of reeds, and who was cast out to Tartarus for their actions. Not only was Anubis said to be strong, but it was known that he had a beast, Ammit, who was just as feared as Cerebus. Ammit was even said to be stronger than Cerebus, only stayed by Anubis¡¯ hand.

    And here I was, face to face with Anubis. Anubis was both exactly like I imagined him, and both very far from what I had expected. He was very much the jackal headed god, his headwear the same as it had always been, finely forged gold and embedded with beautiful jewelry, said to be a gift from his partner in management Hades. Ammit itself slumbered in the background, and it may not even be wrong to attribute a fourth of the wall being Ammit¡¯s back. Which led to a very fashionable lion fur wall, if I do say so myself. I was told I had horrible fashion taste though, so who knows how reliable that was.

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    His aura was a powerful yet quiet aura, like a predator at rest. Despite it being at ease at the moment, you could feel the power and regal feel behind the being. It was not to be underestimated. It reminded me of the former duke Rasta (bless his heart that solemn yet good man), who was quiet yet overbearing.

    The rest of it though, was far different from what he imagined. He wore a suit, not different from what the chancellor himself dressed as, far different from the tunics or cloaks that Anubis was typically depicted as. He had the good old flannel and suit set up, and even a decorative scarf wrapped around his body. There was a scale on the table, though it looked dusty and unused. Funnily enough, I¡¯d always wondered what it was for. Every statue of Anubis had one, but no priest had ever been able to tell me why he had it. Oh well.

    His desk was messy, with plenty of papers stacked up and strewn across the desk. God I don¡¯t miss those, why I¡¯m almost glad I died. Almost. I could see the stress on Anubis¡¯ face as he worked on filling papers. I also saw his monocle, which I had not noticed earlier. Huh.

    Anubis looked up and his face softened up. He got up and I discovered that when standing up he was a foot or two taller than I am, which was definitely an interesting experience. I was known for nothing if not my great height of 7 feet, hypothesized to be the result of giant ancestry.

    And hugged me. What?

    As I stood there, wondering what was going on, the lord before me smiled and spoke. ¡°Little Earl,¡± he rumbled, his voice a smooth baritone voice. ¡°I¡¯ve looked forward to meeting you for a long time. I have seen you, every single time you visited my temple, and every single time you¡¯ve confided in me. I have heard you.¡±

    I trembled as something broke within me, and in spite of myself, I couldn¡¯t help but shed a small tear, knowing that Anubis was listening. Someone whom I could unbottle my emotions and share them with. I¡¯d gone to the temple to pray and complain, believing no one was listening. Even if I was in the temple of Anubis, I thought myself alone.

    The smile on Anubis¡¯ face seemed comforting as he sat me down on the (surprisingly) comfy wooden chair before himself sitting before his desk. Clearing his throat, Anubis said simply: ¡°Shall we begin?¡±

    ¡­

    The next few moments were a breeze, with Anubis speaking to me about my life, from the smallest of things to the most pointless of things. ¡°You really were paying attention,¡± I say as I find myself astonished by this fact. Did a God have this much time. Anubis coughed awkwardly. ¡°Well,¡± he said. ¡°So few ever come to me save my very own priests, so a child like you, who has attended so diligently, is special in my eyes.¡±

    Since Anubis was willing to entertain me, I decided to ask something that was bothering me. As a noble, I had responsibilities. ¡°May I inquire,¡± I begin my question ¡°About the status of my servants? Are they doing well?¡±

    I might be overstepping my boundaries, and I know this, but that doesn¡¯t matter to me. No, what matters is that I try. For the maids who cleaned my house day in and day out, for Sir Tobias, my loyal butler who¡¯d not only raised me in my parent¡¯s place, but also helped me hold my position even as I was attacked by nobles on all sides. Chef Bourgeis, Head maid Lilian. The stableboys, the maids, the butlers, everyone. It was my job to see to their wellbeing, even in death.

    Anubis smiled, and seemed proud. ¡°Even in death, you put your people before yourself Earl. It¡¯s always been one of your best qualities you know.¡± He sorted through the papers before throwing a bunch onto the table, and I recognized at least three of them. ¡°They went to Folkvangr. You had a loyal household. There¡¯s a reason Dillucius decided to kill you instead of ousting you out of the house. He couldn¡¯t get or make any dirt on you. They all fought till their last breath, and Bourgeis managed to take 2 assassins down with his frying pan.¡± Anubis seemed amused by that and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in spite of the situation, but relief flooded me. My people would go to Folkvangr, one of the better realms of Hades, managed by a Goddess of nature.

    Now that I knew my people were safe, I was ready for my fate. Noticing the change in my aura, Anubis became serious. And gave me a look that made me sit up straighter than before. It wasn¡¯t killing intent (he¡¯d gotten that enough), but rather the dignity of a God, that made you want to do your very best.

    ¡°Are you ready to hear the verdict¡± his voice echoed, vibrating throughout the whole room, far different from the previous disposition. I nodded firmly, prepared for my judgement.

    ¡°You will join your servants in Folkvangr once your life is done (huh?) but first you will be reborn as a turtle.¡±

    Despite the volume of his voice, I was unsure if I heard him correctly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you just say turtle?¡±

    Anubis went back to appearing more informal and grinned. ¡°Of course, unless you prefer jackal?¡± Joked the god.

 Chapter 2: The Favor Of A God

    I obviously had a lot of questions as Anubis saw it fit to explain circumstances better. ¡°You see child, Isis has started a program with a handful of people who died with regrets being reincarnated as monsters with their memories intact. I do not know what goes on in the heads of the Gods above, but I decided to take advantage of what was going on and submit you as an applicant.¡°

    Alright, this seemed like something far beyond his paygrade. In life he wasn¡¯t privy to the works of Dukes or the emperor, but in death he was casually hearing about the machinations of Gods. Truly, the underworld is as weird as described in legends.

    Of course, this beget the question: ¡°Why me? And why a turtle?¡± It was obvious why human wasn¡¯t on the list at least. Some monsters can talk straight from birth, and a human reborn as a monster wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to reveal their past life. But being reborn as a human baby not only meant starting life from scratch,(God that would be embarrassing. Imagine having to poop you pants and drink mother¡¯s milk with the consciousness of an adult!) but also risking the possibility of exposing that you were reincarnated. Of course, people could interpret that another way.

    That you were a demon and needed to be purged. People have been killed for less.

    Not that being a monster was that much better, but it was better. And turtles were inconspicuous.

    ¡°The reason is simple. I vouched for you. You always wanted a chance to enjoy life, but your responsibilities as a noble always kept you busy. And then you died, so even retirement was taken from you. And since Isis was allowing us to choose people to give second chances to, lo and behold the one child who always diligently prayed to me came to mind. ¡°

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    Well, I feel extremely flattered, but also feel bad for the god who seems to have no one else worship him. It seems my pity reached him, as Anubis scrunched up his face, as if he¡¯d eaten something rotten.

    ¡°Turtle was chosen because of mana density laws. You know what those are right?¡± Of course, A noble¡¯s duty is to be aware of all dangers that pervade their estate. ¡°SO, to keep you away from the more dangerous environments, you have to be spawned as a low level monster. And we have:

    Goblins

    Wolves

    Slimes

    Kobolds

    Undead

    birds

    See a problem?¡±

    ¡°They all die easily¡± I respond. Since Anubis was being kind enough to reincarnate me so I could enjoy a slower life, the last answer would be to bring me back as something that dies easily. And most monsters in low density mana zones die easily. And if I wanted to be a stronger monster like a dragon, I would in turn have to be placed in a high mana density zone. No thanks. Turtle it is.

    ¡°Then when will I go?¡±

    ¡°In a minute or two. But first,¡± Anubis got up and walked over to me before giving me one more hug.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to send me a prayer hmm? Tell me how you¡¯re doing once in a while. I can see you whenever I want, but its better when you call first.¡± I nodded. Even as a turtle, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have plenty to tell him.

    Seeing my nodding in understanding, he claps me on both shoulders. ¡°Very well then Earl, here¡¯s to a new life hmm?¡± And with that, I black out.

    ¡­

    Anubis looked where Earl had once been, now sent back to the world of the living. Sighing,, he sat down, ready to get back to work.

    Frankly, he had no clue as to what the plan was with Isis, or why she would implement such a system. He knew people reincarnate in the east, but they did so without memories is what the old lady told him. This¡­ this was something else entirely.

    Nonetheless, he¡¯d at least gotten a chance to send the kid back to the world of the living, so all he could do was pray for Earl¡¯s wellbeing.

    ¡°Next!¡±

 Chapter 3: Hatching Day

    It¡¯s a very warm feeling right now. I can¡¯t see anything right now, but I¡¯m in a warm gooey liquid, which I can only assume is my embryo. I mean, I am a turtle of some sorts currently, and even the spawned ones usually spawn in the form of an egg.

    [Hello] A weird illusion box appears inside my egg, lighting it up a bit, though not enough to really see anything

    Hmm? Who¡¯s that? Well, Anubis mentioned something about a program, so is this part of it.

    [Something like that, yeah. I¡¯m your system aide I look forward to working with you] The voice works in tandem with the box, what a weird box.

    The voice is a nice soothing tone, and sounded like a youthful voice with a calming feel to it. In a second, another weird illusion pops up, which seemingly takes the form of a man. A very relaxed one. I say relaxed, as I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen anyone that relaxed ever.   This miniature, bond long-haired man with blue eyes is slouching on some sort of pillow. His clothes are weird, and almost something you¡¯d see on a beggar, but the pants are made of a material I¡¯ve never seen before.

    [They¡¯re called sweats. And this is a t-shirt. I like to dress comfy y¡¯know?]

    Ah. Well, who am I to complain. I¡¯ve literally come back to the world of the living to live a life of freedom and rest, defying the normal laws of nature, so dressing comfortably isn¡¯t wrong.

    [Glad you get that. Anyway, you¡¯re just about ready to hatch, so feel free to break out. I think you know what you need to do.]

    And with that, the weird illusionary man disappears, leaving me in the dark place. Well if I¡¯m just about ready to hatch, then¡­

    I reach my hand(paw?) out till I find a hard shell. So that¡¯s the edge of the egg. If I recall correctly, they use the edge of their beak to break through. The caruncle, as they call it. How do I know this? Random trivia I heard from a scholar discussing how a dragon turtle would hatch. Weird man, the Luke was. I¡¯m pretty sure he was out that day.

    Banging my head against the egg is a bit dizzying, but I can feel with each thwack, that the egg slowly cracks. And soon,

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    Crack!

    I¡¯m free, as I feel the gust of air breeze through the hole. It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s enough to inspire me to keep moving. I will say though, I¡¯m feeling quite cold, likely a result of breaking out my yolk. Like when I leave a warm bath for the harsh cold.

    Climbing out, I look about and find that I¡¯m in a nest with three other eggs. Or, they were what remained of three eggs. As I looked about, I saw three tiny trails of footprints having wandered off already in three directions.

    The nest itself was near a lake, though not too close, and partially dug into the ground. If I had to guess, it was hidden, but also open enough that the kids had options.

    The weird illusion man shows up once more, as he gets up from his couch and stretches, groans, and pulls a book out of nowhere, which he begins flipping through, and finally settling on a page. With an ¡®ahem¡¯ he begins.

    [Let¡¯s see here. Mhmm, yeah, alright. Welcome player 105 to the newly established system, as well as your second life, blah blah blah,] He flips through a few more pages [The god Anubis has seen your plights and offered you a second chance and uh] He closes the book with a loud thud and smiled. [Aaaand that¡¯s it! You have a stat section if you want to look at it and a level system. Feel free to call me whenever you want to talk. I¡¯m going to take a serious nap.]

    And with a poof, my new system aide was gone. I could deal with all that later. For now, I want to set out into this new life.

    I begin walking in the direction in which no footsteps led, and I can¡¯t help think about how slopy I feel walking on 4 legs, yet how much joy I find in such a simple thing. Pitter patter pitter patter¡­

    I¡¯m looking forward to this.

    Chapter 3: Forest

    The lake is surrounded by a forest, and that is a lush ass forest. I can hear chirps of both birds and crickets, like a natural symphony, a chorus of nature. And unlike those in the palace, I don¡¯t have to compliment them!

    The trees seem to be rather tall, though it¡¯s possible I¡¯m rather small. I was told I¡¯m a turtle, but turtles alone aren¡¯t monsters. They¡¯re animals. I¡¯m likely some sort of turtle monster. So, system guide I¡¯d like to see that stat page you mentioned earlier.

    And out pops that blond fellow from earlier, who is now on a different kind of pillow.

    [Bean bag] was his response. Fascinating, this bean bag. I think I would¡¯ve quite liked this as a man.

    [Your status is right here. Run wild. {Yawn}] And he¡¯s gone again. Did he yawn inside of an illusionary box? Weird. Speaking of weird:

    Species: Moss Turtle Hatchling

    Level:1/5

    Hp: 200

    Spd:20

    ATK: 10

    Def: 400

    Moves: Photosynthesis, harden, vine lash, bite, Appraisal lvl 1

    Pts:

    Skill pts:

    [Shop]

    So those seem relatively useless. Not the skills mind you, it was undoubtedly valuable information for me to know what I can do. No, the stats were relatively useless for me, as I had no form of reference. Well, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll figure that out in due time.

 Chapter 4: Mmm, Grass

    Walking is far harder than it used to be. I pretty much knew that would be the case, but it became more and more obvious as I walked more and more, with an hour¡¯s effort finally getting me past¡­ a tree. And a few rocks and even a snail. My speed¡­ is not great.

    Tired out, I know that I need something to eat, but there aren¡¯t many options. The snail in question is still there, but it¡¯s not appealing to me at all. I of course used to eat snails cooked once in a while, which I recall being called escargot, as it used to be some of my acquittances favorites, and although it was a bit much for me, I found it palatable enough. Staring at the amorphous blob with two eyes is far less appealing. As in, I¡¯m not interested in the slightest.

    I fear as this life goes on the food choices I make will be questionable.

    ¡­

    My first meal of the day ended up being grass. Not an amazing surprise I suppose. I¡¯m a turtle, and my options are essentially bugs or grass. Perhaps fish would¡¯ve been an option, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in that lake, and when you hear the stories of adventurers being assaulted in lakes by giant monsters *shivers* I¡¯d rather take the forest than the murky depths.

    I¡¯ve decided it¡¯s better to adjust to my body before I try anything outrageous like hunting, (and frankly, I don¡¯t know if I want to eat grub or insects for that matter) it¡¯s probably best to taste my most available source of food.

    So I just take a big bite out of the floor beneath me.

    Does it taste good?

    Sure, kind of. It¡¯s not a dinner made by any chef, but it¡¯s about what I expected.

    It¡¯s chewy, and takes me a minute or two to get through, but it¡¯s perfectly palatable, with just a tint of sweetness in it. In fact, I take another bite.

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    Again, it¡¯s not bad, but it¡¯s already getting old after the third and fourth bite.

    [You do know you can just photosynthesize right? You were chosen the moss turtle form specifically for that.]

    I hadn¡¯t noticed him, lost in my meal, and the guide¡¯s snuck up on me at some point, holding that ¡°beanbag¡± from last time. Wait a minute.

    Photosynthesis can be used to fill my stomach?

    [Yeah. It also allows you to gain experience to level up. If you photosynthesize at least once a day, you¡¯ll evolve in a year or so.]

    Seriously? I fill my stomach and I gain these ¡°exp¡± to evolve. Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?

    [It was fun watching you eat grass. I¡¯ve taken a recording and shared it with some other ai]

    Ah. There are other players, so there are other guides. And you¡¯ve recorded it¡­ thank any lord above I don¡¯t know these other players or I might just die of embarrassment.

    Well, now that you¡¯ve had your fun, might telling me how to activate photosynthesis be on the menu?

    [It¡¯s extremely easy actually. Just imagine it.]

    There is no way it¡¯s that easy. Actually, now that I think about it, monsters do this stuff on a regular basis, so if anything, it should be easier.

    Let me try.

    I imagine myself like a plant, absorbing the sun through me, and moving it through my body to produce sugar or something. Wait, I¡¯m a turtle, so what exactly am I gaining from this exa---- woah!

    In between thoughts I can feel something warm enter my body, and dear lord that feels great! DO all plants feel that way? Maybe I should¡¯ve been a plant instead if that¡¯s what they feel 24/7! No, actually, I¡¯d be stuck in the same spot all the time, and frankly, I could end up being eaten by an herbivore, kind of like how I just ate that grass. Alright, not that great.

    Anyway, I feel warm for a while as it travels through my body, until it eventually stops, leaving me full. I¡¯m still receiving sun on my body, but it doesn¡¯t quite feel the same.

    My body feels complete, and yet I still feel a need to eat. I know I¡¯ve had something to eat, but still begin to chew on grass again, which causes the guide to mirthfully chuckle as I hear a weird click. I ignore him of course, as a noble, harassment was perfectly normal. That sunlight just wasn¡¯t filling.

    Grass doesn¡¯t taste bad at all, but dear lord, I pray that I find something else to eat. The creatures I¡¯ve seen so far have not been to my palate so far.

 Chapter 5

    I don¡¯t know what a moss turtle is. I mean, I was a noble, so I did study a great deal of monsters in pursuit of being prepared for threats to my territory, but for the most parts I studied monsters that were high level dangers, like dragons, kobolds, wyrms, monster hordes, and goblins. Goblin are often underestimated compared to creatures like dragons, but you won¡¯t always find dragons, and as long as you pleased the beast you were generally fine.

    Goblins can be found everywhere, and if they¡¯re not managed carefully, they become high level threats as their members evolve into higher species.

    Anyway, I assume that moss turtles aren¡¯t that dangerous since they weren¡¯t on the list of monsters I was told to study, but it is better to be sure. System?

    [Sure. Moss turtles are uncommon, but not rare monsters. The most valuable thing about them is their shells, though not many hunts them for the shells due to their peaceful nature, and how hard it is to actually breakthrough said shell. Moss turtles often hunker down, absorbing sunlight and often assaulting unsuspecting victims, though humans are just not of interest to them due to being outside of their normal diet. A history of watching adventurers in action has also quelled that notion as well]

    Indeed, from a monster¡¯s perspective, we are either walking cattle to be eaten, or a horrifying horde of monsters that ravel in groups and slaughter en masse.

    Anyway, it seems that moss turtles aren¡¯t particularly dangerous but aren¡¯t hunted by humans often either. Good. I have no issues with killing humans, neither before or after my death, but I don¡¯t need the extra trouble that comes with hunting people.

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    I assume these skills work the same way the photosynthesis works then.

    [Duh. Seems obvious. Let me rest already]

    ¡­

    Rude.  From now on your name is stolidus.

    [Fuck you.] Stolidus seems generally offended now. So he knows ancient latin. Interesting.

    Silence Stolidus, I¡¯m thinking.

    Upon thinking of the skill bite, I felt an urge to do something as I felt a concentration of mana flow to my jaws, which resulted in my head lunging forward abruptly as my jaw clamped around thin air. As I did so, I found myself recoiling a bit from the ferocity of the blow. I had practiced some basic sword fighting, as expected by every heir to a noble family, but to say I was inexperienced was an understatement.

    I decided that harden was next, as the recoil for that skill would hopefully be less. And to my relief, it was not as energetic as bite. However, it was also rather uneventful. I felt something flow all throughout my body, but that was about it. I couldn''t really tell what had happened. I assume my body hardened, but without a target, nothing really happened.

    I finally used vine lash, which resulted in another chunk of mana dissipating, but this time I got to see some visible results. Two vines came out of the ground, writhing, and I found I could control them if I focused hard enough.

    Amazing. Magic is a lot more fun when you have time to learn it. Being forced to take on my place from a young age meant I never had time to really practice magic or swordsmanship. I guess I get to practice one of those now.

    Speaking of practicing and lack of targets, something wanders onto the scene, perfect for me to give my skills a go.

    A goblin grunting and growling as it prowls (or tries to. Looks more like stumbling honestly) before stopping, sniffing and turning to me, a smile appearing on its crooked face as it eyes me, clearly not in the mood for friendly conversation or friendly anything.

    That''s fine.

    I wasn''t having friendly thoughts either.

 Chapter 6: Goblin Smashing

    Goblins are perhaps some of the most common monsters in this world. Despite the fact that they''re treated like beginner monsters, alongside the likes of slimes and other basic monsters, they are arguably some of the most successful monsters in the world.

    They''re like vermin, despite being weak, manage to thrive in this world and are everywhere.

    What I didn''t realize is how big they were.

    Or, bigger than I was currently.

    Goblins were generally 3-4 feet tall, like little ugly elf children, with warts and everything. And bald. Bald ugly little elves.

    It also towered over me, being about twice my size. Meaning I''m about 1-2 feet tall, and about 2-3 feet wide and 3-4 feet long if my estimates are correct. So, I''m pretty small, though bigger than normal turtles, and I am a hatchling. I''ll get bigger. Whether or not that''ll be a problem will have to be seen if I''m ever seen by a human adventurer.

    For now, I have shorter things to worry about as the goblin clumsily walks over to me. I can barely call it walking honestly, as it drags a club along with it. I''m pretty sure it''s having a hard time holding its club, so thank goodness for that. I''ve never actually fought any real monster before, having only trained for a short while.

    Eventually the creature gets over to me, and with a horrifying thing I''m sure it calls a smile, it raises the club, before dropping it hard.

    And then looking dumbfounded when nothing happened save for a thud.

    I can say it most certainly was painful, but using harden meant that it only hurt slightly, but like a hard smack more than anything. I also discovered that I can feel things through my shell. Yay.

    My turn.

    As the stupid little goblin tried to lift its club once more, which had rebounded off the shell and landed on the floor once more, I activated bite and grabbed the goblin by the legs, much to its confusion, before yanking hard, causing the creature to tumble over. I sadly couldn''t tear anything significant off, but I could cause it to fall over. And once it was on the floor, I would finish it.

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    The creature screeched as it finally let go of the club and tried to get up, but I wouldn''t let it.

    As soon as I had seen it, I had been thinking of ways to kill the goblin, and given its slow movement, I had time to think.

    I considered binding it down with vine lash while I promptly tore its throat out, but that seemed gross to say the least. I could try crawling back to the lake from earlier (or was it a pond, considering how small I am) to clean my mouth up but that seemed like a lot of trouble all things considered. I''m already slow enough.

    So, I shortened the process.

    My first vine lash produced vines that wrapped around the goblin as it shrieked, desperately trying to get out.

    Activating vine lash, I imagined it differently. And with a clean blow,

    Vine lash,

    Plunged straight through the chest.

    The goblin shook violently, and I could not help but wince at the sight. Yeah, that was horrible to watch the blood pour forth. Even after the massacre at my house I''m not quite used to the sight of death.

    The lash looks different this time, and looks more like a wooden stake, barbed and gnarly. Is that a

    [Yup. New spell. You''ve unlocked stake strike. And killed a goblin. Congrats.]

    [Congratulations. You''ve slayed a goblin! You''ve gained a level!]

    Stolidus showed up, announcing the following, though I notice he takes out a book for the second statement. So, it''s more like procedure for him than anything else. Is every other person like me receiving the same treatment then? Something to ponder I suppose. I have the time now after all.

    And I''ve learned a new spell. Cool. I mean, normal magicians do so all the time, so I suppose the only real difference is that this system records and allows me to easily repeat it, rather than memorizing it, though I must admit, it''s quite the brutal spell.

    And speaking of things to ponder, that goblin is meat...

    I glance over and sigh. t''s already dead, and it''d be a shame to waste it. And I do still need the magic core.

    Using the vine lash, I manage to pull its core out, smaller than most monsters, and eat it, which does taste quite pleasant. Familiars often indicate the same, as cores are treats for them, and I must say, I do agree. It tastes good.

    The goblin is less so. It tastes like raw chicken, or what I assume raw chicken tastes like. I occasionally heard stories from foreign ministers of the taste, which I always found gross.

    And it does taste pretty gross, I admit. Just, not as bad as I thought it would.

    Oops, I got blood on me. Sigh. Now I will have to walk back to the lake and wash it off. What a pain. At least I got a level.

 Chapter 7: Skill Unlocked: Turtle Launcher

    The walk to the lake took me an hour, though I felt it was faster thanks to the level than I thought it''d be. Thank Isis for that. I continued wandering through the forest, and I couldn''t help but notice something.

    Usually when your friend goes missing, you would do anything to find them wouldn''t you? At the very least, you''d send an investigation party to find out if something is posing a serious threat that lives nearby right?

    Not a single goblin showed up looking for the fool.

    Of course, that could be due to multiple reasons. They live in the forest after all (and so do I now) so maybe death is common. Goblins have never been shown to be particularly smart, so it''s possible they dismissed his disappearance.

    It is equally possible that he was just a singular goblin, spawned by the natural density of mana, and I killed him before he was able to ... populate the location.

    I do have a personal theory though, and I think it''s the most amusing. What if he was so stupid, that he was kicked out of his settlement. I don''t know how stupid goblins usually are, but considering it was using a club 2 times its size, I could see it as being the stupid one of the groups. I was also sure it was cross-eyed. I think. I''m not sure, I was taught to watch out for signs of higher-level settlements, not study the anatomy of goblins.

    After using the vine lash, and producing stake strike, I decided to experiment. Life was going to get boring quickly if I don''t have a little fun. And I won''t have any fun at this rate I''m walking.

    First off, according to Stolidus, I can buy skills since I got a skill point from my last level up. Stolidus?

    [Yes, I heard you. You want to buy a skill, right?] There you are my lazy guide. Are all the other guides like you? Like, really lazy? [No, most of them are either active or professional. They decided for the guy who will be living a slow life, that you should have a slow guide. ] That''s stupid. [Yup] Agreed the little illusion. Today he looks weird and deformed, like a children story illustration. Stolidus coughed. [It''s called chibi. What skill do you want?] He asked, clearly trying to steer the conversation off-topic.

    He succeeds though, as an illusionary table appears before me, stocked with all these skills, with some of them having rather impressive names, and equally horrifying prices. Stolidus, don''t point bait me with stuff I can''t afford. Only 1 skill point skills please.

    The table flickers for a second before the expensive skills disappear, leaving me with 1-point skills only. By the way, get rid of all the wood and plant-based skills. I''m sure I can learn those in my spare time.

    And again, the table flickers, and soon I''m left with a smaller set of skills, among which, I think I''ve found one that could be used quite well. I want that one please.

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    [This is going to go so wrong]

    This is going to go great.

    [Skill gained: steel imbuement.]

    <hr>

    So, I found out I can fit inside my shell completely, so I at least know that this part of the plan should work fine.

    [None of this plan is fine. I thought you were a noble. This is a stupidly impractical plan. It''s insane]

    No innovators were ever sane. I spent my whole first life cooped up; I''m not spending this one the same.

    [Fine. Whatever. At least you bought the right skill for this.]

    You''re damned right about that. I focus, thinking of my brilliant plan and soon, a rumbling sensation begins beneath me as the ground begins to lower around me.

    Or I rise above it.

    I''ve often been told that hawthorn, ash or even blackwood is great for my purpose, so I imagine ash in particular to create what I want.

    [Skill: wood work is unlocked]

    I can even see Stolidus gripping his forehead and sighing, though it looks more cute than anything else in this form. Chibi is quite cute, isn''t it.

    Soon, a wooden y structure is present near me, attached to a clump of vines, carefully created, and woven into a comfortable shape.

    I always wanted a slingshot; never quite had the time to play with one, and I always envied the commoners in this way, free to use their life the way they want.

    Now, I get to play with the slingshot I always wanted.

    [Are you really sure about this?] Asked Stolidus worriedly.

    Absolutely. And using steel imbuement, I turn my whole body into steel as I will the vines to pull backwards, and the ash screams as the slingshot is pulled backwards by an invisible hand, and the vine grows taut, that I can''t see it go any further.

    And I tell it to let go.

    [Skill unlocked: Turtle Launcher]

    Despite not seeing a thing, I can hear plenty, as the immense change in air pressure around me creates a roar of winds as I fly through the woods, literally, as I hear myself fly though a tree or two, and I even hear a horrendous squelch. did I just fly through something?

    [Congratulations! You blew through a mimic magpie! It didn''t feel a thing! You gained a level]

    I did kill something.

    Soon I crash into something hard, but thankfully, it doesn''t seem hard enough, as I don''t feel my shell hasn''t been broken in any way, though I do feel a bit hurt.

    I check my stat box:

    Level:3/5

    Hp: 224/244

    Spd:22

    ATK: 14

    Def: 480

    Moves: Photosynthesis, harden, vine lash, bite, Appraisal lvl 1 stake strike, steel imbuement, turtle launcher

    +[Shop]+

    Skill points: 1

    Points: 14

    Neat. I got 10 points from killing a mimic magpie. No clue what that was, but it seems stronger than the goblin at least. That was fun!

    [Neat! Neat my ass! You could''ve killed yourself like that! You moron! Where is any of that noble self! You were 18! Bull**it! You were practically 10 with a stunt like that!] I ignored him of course, he needs to cool down. I pop my head out and find myself buried into a stone wall, as I even see smoke coming out of the wall. Did I really do that much? I look at my shell and find splotches of flesh and feathers.

    Yuck.

    Alright. Time to head back.

    [Don''t you do it!]

    I ignore him as I start setting up another turtle launcher. Why shouldn''t I? Why shouldn''t I fly like a cannonball?

 Chapter 8: New Friend

    So after the first test, I used it again to try and get back to the starting area near the lake. I''d like to tell you it took me but one tries to get back to the lake.

    Turns out though, that it''s a lot harder to get to the same place with one, shot, and I overshot the shot a few times, and it took me about 10 tries before I finally arrived by the lake.

    Crashed into it actually. I''m pretty sure I scared a few creatures deeper into the lake by accident. Oops. On the bright side, I was able to wash myself off, and by Isis, did I need that shower. I was already covered in corpse after the first shot, but with 10 more shots came 10 more shots of corpse covering me all over. I was a really ugly meatball.

    Sadly, no levels. Apparently, everything I crashed into was just normal animals by this point, so I didn''t receive any exp. Wonder if the first shot caused them all to run.

    After the shower, I was just about ready to head to nap, as I crawled over to a little space underneath a ledge, satisfied with the fact that I was faster at level 3, though not by much. And with a simple prayer to Anubis, I went into the night.

    <hr>

    When I woke up, I felt rather refreshed, and I got up ready to celebrate a new day of retirement. I got up and...

    I''m heavier.

    Did I get bigger already?

    I didn''t even eat much?

    So I start twisting and turning, trying to see if I did in fact get bigger, before I lock (eyes?) with a giant metal blob on my back. With shiny rocks sticking out of it.

    Pardon?

    What''s that?

    Appraisal please.

    [Species: Ore Slime]

    Alright, new question, why is there a slime on my back? Stolidus?

    Stolidus showed up, clearly amused.

    [Took you long enough. It''s been attached to you since yesterday, ever since you crashed into the side of a mountain.]

    The mountain? Ah, the mountain. The first one I crashed into? I didn''t see a slime there.

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    [No, the third mountain you crashed into.] Commented Stolidus dryly. I admit, I forgot that I crashed into 3 mountains due to incorrect calculations.

    The third mountain... yes that was the one where I crashed into a looming cavern, right? Yes, I couldn''t quite see in the darkness, so I just slingshotted my way out of there. That also had been the last shot before finally arriving near the lake. And I was covered in flesh by that point, so it''s certainly possible I just didn''t see it.

    But why was it clinging onto me?

    [It likes you] Stolidus commented dryly. [Youve both got rocks for brains]

    Slimes don''t have brains.

    [Cores are basically brains for slimes.]

    Fair. But seriously, why is it clinging on? Is it a parasite or something? Can I even photosynthesize with it on?

    [I told you. it likes you. The ore slime isn''t very smart, but it sees you as a source of mana, so it''s clinging on and feeding on your mana. Check you stats.]

    Well that doesn''t sound good.

    Level:3/5

    Hp: 244/244

    Mana: 99/99

    Spd:22

    ATK: 14

    Def: 480

    Moves: Photosynthesis, harden, vine lash, bite, Appraisal lvl 1 stake strike, steel imbuement, turtle launcher

    +[Shop]+

    Skill points: 1

    Points: 14

    ... Just realized that I have not had a mana count up to now. Hey Stolidus-

    [Too Lazy!]

    Ah, there it is. So is that a loss of mana or...

    [Your original mana count was 120 at level 3. You''ve lost 21 points of mana.]

    All right, time for it to die then.

    [Wait. Before you do that, keep in mind that you will gain more evolutionary options if you keep it!]

    I''m trying to live a quiet life, why would I want to become a rare hunt variant? That''s how monsters get killed.

    The ore slime, completely unaware of the situation below, begun rubbing my head, and I had to admit it felt good.

    Fine, not killing. I''ll remove it. And keep it like a pet or something. I''ll feed it goblins or something. Or I''ll get it more food when I launch myself into the skies.

    Stolidus sighed exasperated, which I think is rather unfair, considering I have to deal with him. [You liked flying through the sky, didn''t you?] he asked softly, like how I often saw others speak to children. Is he treating me like a child! How rude!

    But I do like soaring through the skies.

    But what does that have to do with anything?

    [Well....] Stolidus is clearly grasping for straws, as he pauses.

    He gives up.

    [Let me be honest with you. You''ve been dropped in a relatively safe forest in regard to monsters, but relative is never quite guaranteed. At bare minimum, you''ll live for a hundred years. Do you think nothing will go wrong within 100 years?]

    ... No, that would be stupid.

    [Exactly. You''ll stand out the longer you live either way, but at least if you use the ore slime, you''ll have more options in regards to evolution.]

    Fine.

    Hey you just said use. The slime won''t like, die if I absorb him during evolution right?

    Stolidus rolls his eyes. [If you want, I''ll get rid of all evolutions that erase him as a being and keep the ones that keep him as a secondary conciousness.]

    Yes please. If I''m keeping him around, I''m keeping him  around.

    [sure.] Sighs Stolidus.

    ''You hear that little buddy?'' I think as I look at the metallic slime on my back. You''re with me for the long haul.

 Chapter 9: Bonk

    pat pat

    I''m really enjoying this new companion I have.

    Pat pat

    No, it''s more like a pet at this rate, honestly

    Ever since that discussion with Stolidus about the ore slime on my back, I found that using vine lash I can pet my new companion and honestly, it''s a lot of fun just patting it.

    [Ugh, (vine pat) acquired]

    Oh, I got a skill from that.

    I''m not the only one who''s enjoying this new grouping, as the ore slime seems to enjoy snuggling with me, the ore slime produces an oblong object that I can only assume is a pseudo head and rubs it against mine. My head of course. I don''t have a pseudo head.

    I haven''t been able to use the ore slime in any other way than that though. Sadly, it doesn''t seem smart enough to understand commands.

    Wait, I don''t talk anymore do I?

    Stolidus!

    [Yeah yeah, the skill telepathy is available for one point.]

    One point? That''s rather cheap for the ability to talk to people in their minds.

    [High level psychic attacks include rearranging minds, creating whole dream realms, and lifting islands with your whole mind. This is only telepathy.]

    Fair enough. And uh, while you''re at it, how about some low-level mind resistance. None of that sounds fun.

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    [you only have 1 point.]

    Ah well, telepathy it is I suppose.

    [skill (telepathy) acquired]

    Alright, flood of information acquired. Hello? Hello little ore slime?

    The ore slime turns to me for a second, cocking its pseudo head.

    Can you coat this, I produce a stake, with metal please?

    The ore slime doesn''t really send me any thoughts. It just stares at me, confused.

    Ah, it''s too dumb for telepathy to really work on it. What''s the point of communicating with minds if there''s not a mind to communicate with.

    Stolidus doesn''t say anything, but he does produce his avatar so he can muffle his laughter.

    That''s clearly mockery because he has no reason to create his avatar otherwise.

    As I grow exasperated with my guide, something else attracts my attention.

    A salamander crawls out of the grass into my sight and locks its with mine.

    We stare at each other for a second before the creature rears its tiny little head back.

    Uh oh. Flame salamander

    The creature spits forth a glob of flaming mucus, which lands on my exposed shell for a second, which results in some serious pain!

    I''m a moss turtle currently! Shit!

    I''m trying to figure out what to do before the heat on my back fades, causing me to look back and see the ore slime having smothered the glob of fire on my shell, before returning to the center.

    By the way, it rests in the middle of my shell most of the time. I didn''t really mention that did I.

    Not important! I turn back around to glare at the salamander. That hurt! I decide to return fire.

    I decide to use the vine pat skill, but utilize it a bit more, constructively.

    Imagining something more than a tap. I produce a vine that continues wrapping itself around itself, again and again, slowly taking shape.

    And finally,

    I have a bat!

    I take the bat and swing downwards, Bashing the brains of the flame salamander!

    The ore slime seems to have thought it looked fun, because to my surprise, it produced a bat too, made out of hard metal, and brings it down too, and for a second I feel bad for the creature.

    Then I remember it lit my shell on fire.

    Take this you little beast1 I swing my bat once more, and the slime joyfully copies.

    [Level 3 flame salamander slain.]

    No level up this time, but that''s expected. I''m assuming that each level up represents some energy or experience gained, and since I get stronger with each level, it''ll no doubt get harder each time.

    [True]

    And that''s confirmation.

    [and skill (vine bash) was gained as well.]

    Well, at least I got something out of it, right?

 Interlude: Snowsberry village

    Tiel had once been an A-rank adventurer, having traveled across the Romana empire, and reached his peak when he was 300, before settling down and becoming a guildmaster out in the middle of nowhere. Plenty of nobles at the time had protested this action, but after a century or two they calmed down(died), though a few still lived and made sure he knew, still contacting him. The duke of Rasta had given up contacting him around 5-6 years ago. Elves did perceive time differently from men.

    As an elf, Tiel fit in just fine in Snowsberry village, a village on the border of the Romana empire, near one or two of the smaller countries that bordered it, though Snowsberry village was always ignored due to its small size and positioning near a relatively peaceful forest. It was at best, a place for new adventurers to start slow and steady, but too far out for major players of the empire to send their children.

    Tiel had enjoyed doing his work in quiet. Of course, he missed his old friends, but as an elf, he was well aware that they were all most likely dead by now. A reason as good as any to lock himself up in an elf only village.

    Even though he missed adventuring and the comradery, he often felt that same friendship once he listened to the cheer and joy downstairs, as the local adventurers joked and had fun. It may not be as crowded or exciting as the more popular guilds, but the quaint and peaceful aura had its own charm.

    Of course, there was a whole other problem that was shaking up his peaceful life.

    A high elf was going to pass by this village soon.

    Most elves will never evolve. They just never do. Only .1 percent of the whole elven population ever evolve into a high elf. No one''s quite sure what the requirements are, whether it''s a natural evolution like monsters undergo, or a unique recessive trait amongst elves. Many choose not to discuss, for discussing this leads to moral arguments about the elves and their place amongst men and monsters. Humans had used this argument to invade elven countries, claiming they were nothing but monsters.

    Thankfully this sentiment had long faded, especially since dwarves also evolved into high dwarves, though many races like lizardmen, kobolds, harpies and even giants still faced this same judgement, by status of actually being monsters, regardless of sapience.

    The mere thought was enough to make him mad... and he ended up breaking another pen. Sighing, he picks up another pen and continues to write. He does buy a lot of pens sadly.

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    Thankfully, none of that is his problem. No, his problem is that a high elf, treated as greatly as nobility, or even greater, was going to be passing through this village soon, and that would be Tiel''s problem now. If that high elf were to be hurt, or Isis forbid, she was killed, the blame would all be laid at the former A-ranks feet.

    Of course, he found that unfair, but politics are politics. Sigh. There was a reason he retired to this random rural village after all.

    As Tiel worked, he heard muffled footsteps before he heard a knock on the door. Oh joy, it seems something else has come up. Please let this be good news.

    "Come in"

    Upon hearing this, the door burst open, and a young elf burst through, clearly rather excited. Oh boy, it''s Leon.

    Leon is a young elf, born and raised here in Snowsberry village, and at a young 100 years, was a rather excitable child, eager to be an adventurer and see the greater world.

    A child like this was obviously not going to be contained in this village forever, but for now, this bottled-up puppy was here to bark at him once more.

    "What is it Leon?" Tiel asked as he rested his head upon his arm. Leon usually brought the most mundane stuff to him or brought more trouble than a kid his age should be able to. Tiel was hoping it was another mundane thing, like that two headed skink he brought back one time.

    "cannonballs!" declared Leon, as he jumped up and down, earning himself a skeptical look from Tiel, but Tiel held on. He was sure Leon wasn''t just lying now.

    "I looked around and found evidence of an object crashing through trees, approximately 3 feet long maybe, in a parabola shape."

    Tiel''s eyebrow furrowed. That did sound like a cannonball. Had he missed a recent political issue? Was Friendce in danger of another revolution?

    "How many do you think there are?" Asked Tiel.

    Leon hummed, and seemed to be unable to come to an answer. "Well, guildmaster, there seems to be one, I think but it is just the weirdest thing. At the site of impact there seems to be another cannon shot. With all ten shots being done consecutively. If I didn''t think it was absolutely stupid, I would think that whatever shot itself out of the cannon-"

    "Is the exact same thing that shot itself out of another cannon." Finished Tiel, groaning as he rubbed his eyebrow. He might actually have to get the gin for the first time in a century. It had been too much to ask for, to ask for another century of peace hadn''t it.

    "I thought the same thing" Agreed young Leon. "But what could be so stupid as to shoot itself out of a cannon? You''d have to be stupid or something."

    "We have a variant monster on the loose. That is just the worse." Grumbled Tiel, but Leon didn''t get it.

    "Well, if it''s just a monster guildmaster, couldn''t you just kill it? It can''t be that strong."

    Tiel rolled his eyes. "The problem isn''t killing it Leon. The danger of variant monsters is how unpredictable they are. Even now, we have no clue what kind of monster it''s becoming. It could be doing something absolutely catastrophic, or something extremely stupid."

    <hr>

    ''Now, swing whenever I do so. 3,2,1,''

    swing

    "..."

    ''fine, bonk whenever I do so''

    bonk!

    ''bonk!'' bonk!

 Chapter 10: Pick me up

    Ever since the incident with the flame salamander, I''ve discovered that the ore slime on my back likes to mimic what I do at times. This has both been great, and kind of troublesome. I tried using turtle launcher, and it tried using turtle launcher...

    ... that almost ended up being a disaster.

    Thankfully, crisis averted, and I managed to stop both of our departures.

    Still, it''s a bit hectic trying to get the ore slime to do what I say, but I''ve managed to teach it key terms to follow when I suggest them telepathically.

    I''ve taught him to swing using the word: BONK

    To hang on during turtle launcher by announcing: LAUNCH!

    Yeah, it wasn''t great progress but I did spend a whole day doing this, so I didn''t get far, sadly.

    Anyway, the next day I began traveling through the forest, the normal way. Cannonballing myself throughout the forest is fun, but not a smart way to survey an area. Or, just enjoy it for that manner. Leveling has slightly increased my speed, so I''ll either rip through trees like wet paper, or waddle like a duck.

    I wasn''t bothered that much thankfully, as most creatures that ran into me seemingly ignored me. I even ran into a few gladius lupins, which inspected me, but eventually left me alone. Makes sense. Gladius lupins, or sword thieves, are a monster with a peculiar taste, seeking out prey that''s worth fighting, and things with a sword worth taking.

    I guess I don''t fulfill either condition, so that makes sense to me. More often than not, they prefer more active prey, such as adventurers and monsters like orcs and boars, generally more energetic monsters.

    I''m a turtle.

    So far, lord Anubis'' choice to make me a turtle so far has proven fruitful, given most monsters don''t bother me, since I don''t seem worth hunting, in spite of the weird ore slime I have on my back. Perhaps it serves as a deterrent, making me weirder than other moss turtles, so that wouldn''t surprise me. Either way, I''m still having a rather relaxing life so far. Hopefully evolution won''t change that.

    I found a rather nice meadow filled with horn rabbits, which I don''t hunt, as I don''t feel like an active hunter. Even as a noble, I preferred not to pick a fight. As a result, I was often categorized as part of the neutral faction, but that wasn''t really correct. I just didn''t have any ambition, and thus held no interest in choosing a side. Afterall, my land wasn''t particularly amazing or anything, it was just larger than most people of a similar rank. Without anything to offer really, why bother throwing in with a side that wouldn''t really offer anything I want, but only create more enemies.

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    Then again, considering my cousin''s attempt to take my position was so smooth, I wonder if one of the factions had a part to play in my assassination. Perhaps I had something worthwhile to them. Well, I hardly care now. I''m dead, and in no position to avenge myself.

    I''ll have to remain content knowing that my mansion self-destructing in the middle of the royal capital will cause trouble.

    As I find myself musing over this, I also find myself suddenly feeling hanging in the air, as the ground quickly becomes smaller and smaller as I soar upwards. Looking up, I find the answer lifting me as I''m in fact being carried up by some sort of avian beast. I quickly use appraisal to see, and I find:

    Race: gust raptor

    Level: 4

    Seeing that, I immediately use vine lash to bind myself to the raptor, earning me a squawk, as the beast attempts to shake me off, but I certainly won''t let it.

    I do in fact know what gust raptors are, because just like fire salamanders, gust raptors are considered lower-level monsters, and are in fact considered base level monsters, much like goblins and slime.

    Gust raptors are known for one thing, and that''s ambushes. Frankly, gust raptors aren''t dangerous to people, as they only hunt smaller monsters, something connected to their way of hunting.

    This only becomes a real problem once they start targeting cats, dogs, chickens... babies. Once that happens, they go to the high priority list. They''re already on the adventurer''s board as starter monsters for rouges and archers, however I did occasionally receive high priority requests to hunt down gust raptors, so while I''ve never seen one, their names I remember quite vividly.

    So how do they prefer to hunt? They drop it, raptor style. There''s a reason that gust raptors could receive plenty of hatred at times. The scenes can be quite gruesome.

    Using their wind magic they amplify their flight speed, flying so fast that their prey cannot retaliate before they promptly drop their prey to the ground.

    I guess since I''m a turtle with an ore slime on top, that it''s taking extra effort to drop me, and that''s it''s mistake. It''s taken too long for it to drop me, and that was enough time for me to secure myself.

    I know what it''s trying to do, and I refuse to let it do so.

    There is a simple reason gust raptors are considered so low, and that is because of its hunting method, it''s rather exposed during a hunt. It specializes in speed amplification via wind manipulation, focused on its wings.

    Which it''s using currently.

    In other words, it''s unable to do anything currently, besides peck at me, as it''s currently doing so.

    Guess who isn''t that busy? Yes, this very free turtle is free to kill this silly raptor.

    What ensues is a back-and-forth, with me constantly pummeling the raptor with my vines, as the ore slime follows suit, while the raptor helplessly tries to peck at my vines, or peck at my head, or even the ore slime.

    I make sure it remembers it has something else to do with a good smack or two.

    And eventually the gust raptor loses consciousness after repeated bludgeoning. It doesn''t die, as the system hasn''t given me a notification.

    Great.

    Not so great as the gust raptor falters and begins to fall, and I panic, wondering what I should do as the land begins to greet me.

 Chapter 11: A favor

    As I plunge to the ground, I can''t help but think about it.

    How was I planning to get down?

    Answer: I clearly didn''t think about it hard enough.

    Nonetheless, I have a simple solution, the best solution.

    The unconscious raptor that is still attached to me. First, using vine thrash, with great difficulty, I managed to position myself right above the hawk. It''ll take most of the blow hopefully. Probably still going to hurt.

    Next, with a simple command of "LAUNCH" to the ore slime, we roll up and form an iron ball, which I can hopefully use to bear the fall.

    And that''s it. That''s all I can do to brace for the fall.

    3...

    2...

    1...

    Bang

    I hear the impact long before I feel the sensation.

    Augh! Isis almighty! That hurts like hell.

    [You killed the gust raptor lvl 4!]

    [You''ve reached level 4!]

    [Warning! You have 4 health left currently. Its recommended to find a place to rest!]

    That certainly doesn''t sound like Stolidus. I wonder where Stolidus is right now, I was just picked up by a gust raptor and nearly dropped to my death?

    [What the F*CK happened here!]

    There he is. What took you so long?

    [I was napping! What were you doing!?]

    Getting captured by a gust raptor. If you think about, I got off quite light. Aooouch. I can''t feel anything but pain!

    [Serves you right!] Is that... worry?

    [...no]

    Hah! It is worry. Auugh, it hurts to laugh. I can''t even see anything right now.

    [You''re still curled up moron.]

    I know that, but I don''t really trust my body to stay together if I try unfurling currently.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Hey, what are the chances I''ll die from this?

    [50/50]

    Well that doesn''t sound good. Do you have a regeneration skill or something I can use.

    [You just leveled up. If you turn in all your points, I can give you regeneration(f), which will increase you chances of survival to 80 percent.]

    That sounds good. Very well, I wish to purchase the skill regeneration.

    [Done! You''ve acquired the skill regeneration(f)]

    And then, the pain got WORSE! Stolidus? What the hell?!

    [Regeneration means your body is stitching itself together. slowly. Did you really think that wouldn''t be more painful?] I can''t see him, but I''m sure stolidus is mocking me.

    Nnngh, that hurts more, but at least I know my body is putting itself together again.

    But then the pain stops. Instead of pain, I feel warmth, numbing the pain, and if I were perhaps not absolutely wrapped up like this, I would be tempted to snuggle into whatever is emitting that wonderful warmth.

    I settle for rolling into the warmth, and my exterior comes into contact with a hand.

    A hand?

    Ahh! It''s a healer. I can feel my body getting better and better, though I must admit, that might just be my mistake. I''ve never been healed before. How generous of this person. But I''m a monster. Why would they use this on me? I''m sure this is healing because of the sensation, it''s so much better than regeneration.

    After a while, the light fades, and I hesitantly raise my head out of my shell, and I find my eyes staring into another''s eyes.

    A little elf child is staring at me out of curiosity, and I can''t help but notice she has silver eyes and silver hair. What an adorable young child.

    Some distance behind her is a carriage coming to a stop, which looks rather extravagant, and the emblem on the carriage makes me nervous and alert.

    The emblem is a tree, on which a woman rests as she embraces a squirrel, while a serpent wraps around the tree, and a bird sits in the branches.

    Thats the emblem of the Elven royal family.

    While I''m certainly grateful, I also want nothing to do with them. The elven royal family, like any royal family, means trouble.

    I give the little girl as great of a bow I could possibly give as a turtle, which I''m sure looks ridiculous, but it''s the best I can do. Maybe one day I can repay the favor if I see her again.

    I see the carriage shake a little as whoever is on board disembarks. Time to go! I curl up and begin to roll.

    Huh, I don''t think I''ve ever rolled up to this point. Why haven''t I done this yet.

    Roll, and roll, and roll.

    Actually, this is kind of fun...

    And nauseating.

    <hr>

    Willow looked on happily and amused as the weird creature rolled away, while her knights Sevante and Lenore rushed over quickly, worry on their faces.

    "There you are Willow! What were you doing, disappearing like that?" Demanded Sevante, as he shook her shoulders worriedly. Lenore merely snorted, though she was clearly bothered by Willow''s "childish actions."

    Perhaps they wouldn''t have acted so severely had Willow not simply teleported somewhere randomly, leaving the two guards dumbstruck, forcing them to search wildly for the missing child, and luckily, they finally found her, next to a dead something that was laying on the floor, all the while a weird ball-like object skittering away as they approached. The knights had already quickly figured out that the monster had not harmed the target, and that Willow had merely been in the nearby vicinity.

    They may have been used to seeing bodies, but that didn''t stop them from being grossed out at the sight of the gust raptor, now a splatter on the floor, a result of falling from high up, and acting as a safety cushion to what amounts to a giant hunk of iron.

    Sevante and Lenore didn''t know that however and could merely look at the splatter in disgust.

    They had to move on though, so ultimately, they chose not to investigate the weird little critter rolling away even as the group watched on, and Sevante could not help but worry about the situation, making sure to make note of the unusual creature.

    His instinct dictated he investigate, and when one considered the importance of the escort mission, everything should be checked.

 Chapter 12: Nearing the Brim

    The core melts in my mouth, and it tastes like roast chicken. Delicious. I wonder if that''s what it tastes lie to all monsters, or if it''s psychological reaction designed based on what I find delicious.

    I rolled away, glad that I didn''t have to worry about confronting whoever was in the carriage, they seemed to have decided to let me go.

    As a noble, I didn''t like owing people favors, but I doubt that she''d ever feel the need to collect on that favor.

    I mean what trouble could she get into that would need my help? Surely there''s nothing.

    Stolidus is going off in the background, complaining about my stupidity.

    [Why would you bludgeon the raptor into unconsciousness while it''s carrying you! How stupid can you be!?]

    It was about to drop me you know.

    [Yeah, but why knock it out?! You could''ve just damaged one of its wings and then lead it into a downward spiral! You wouldn''t have suffered nearly as much that way!]

    ... Oops.

    [Don''t oops me you moron! You had vines wrapped around its legs, you had time to think!]

    And I did think. I just came to a different conclusion than you did. Why is this so important to you.

    [I''m literally your system guide. I was created to keep an eye on you and make sure you don''t do stupid shit like this.]

    Then where were you just now? Eh? Where was my guide hmm?

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    [Napping! I didn''t think leaving you alone for a few minutes would cause this much trouble!]

    You were wrong.

    [I see that! sigh. Why couldn''t I have gotten a more sensible player?]

    Why couldn''t I have gotten a more sensible guide? I mean, you typed sigh into your box. That''s extra effort for no reason.

    [...]

    And while we''re at it, why were you napping in the middle of the day? I''m a monster. I live in a dangerous environment. It shouldn''t surprise you things like this will happen once in a while.

    [But we chose this forest because it''s peaceful!]

    Relatively peaceful. There is no such thing as peaceful in a monster filled environment, even children now that.

    [Are you comparing me to a child! ]

    Well I mean if the hilt fits...

    [You!]

    But as I roll away in a little bicker section, I recall something, now that I no longer have to worry about elf shenanigans.

    I''m about to evolve.

    Yes, at level 4/5, I''m about to evolve.

    So I''ll go explore.

    What? I just got here. Let''s enjoy life a little.

    <hr>

    So wandering through the forest, I managed to discover the horned rabbit borough. It''s slightly bigger than I am, and it''s enough space for me to explore through the tunnels.

    I do run into quite a few horned rabbits, and they are quite confused at first, but choose to push past and ignore me. I guess that makes sense?

    I mean, I haven''t done anything, so they may have evaluated me as a non-threat, but I''m also in their boroughs. Do they think I''m not dangerous at all? How weird.

    These are fun little tunnels for sure. They loop and weave, interconnecting into endless tunnels, and it seems very easy to get lost.

    So after a few hours I got out, after getting lost for two, but eventually getting out, having had a rather nice day of tunnel navigation. Maybe next time I will navigate using a vine bound to the outside.

    I probably could just break out using attacks, but that seems quite rude for rabbits who chose to ignore me and let me be.

    The next few days, I spend resting in the sun, exploring tunnels, and killing f rank monsters.

    Not many of course. Salamanders, bugs, and even another raptor, though this time I reacted faster, and with a good stake through the head, the situation ended.

    The scolding did not.

    Finally, after a few days, I feel a sudden surge of energy. Something refreshing, energizing.

    Overwhelming.

    It feels like its about to burst.

    [Congratulations! You are about to evolve! Choose your evolution wisely.]

    [Emphasis on wisely.] Grumbles Stolidus.

    I ignore him, just as I always do.

 Chapter 13: Choices

    [Congratulations for reaching level 5 and reaching the conditions for evolution! The options are as follows:]

    [Metaljaw snapping moss turtle]

    [A form of turtle evolution that chooses to develop a stronger jaw seemingly made of metal. While a rather simple option, sometimes simple is the best, and for those looking to tear throats out and tear into harder hides, this may be the option.

    Speed and attack power will increase, while defense will remain at average]

    [Cannonballer boxer turtle]

    [The cannonballer boxer turtle is for those who find that moving around inside their shell the most convenient form of transportation, and thus have evolved properly. Although one''s defense will go down in this evolution, their body will become more spherical, and thus more specialized in the form of rolling, sling shooting and crushing people.

    In boxer form they will receive an increase in defense, but suffer a decrease in defense when out of boxer form. Direct attack power will decrease, but expect an increase in speed]

    [Pygmy living fortress tortoise]

    [For those who have decided to specialize in slingshots, the pygmy living fortress tortoise has a multitude of catapults built into their shells, capable of launching a variety of things, from wood to metal and more, and while they may no longer be capable of swimming, the living fortress will see a heavy increase in defense and firepower, with the catapults containing the potential to become something greater. Speed will surprisingly increase slightly.]

    [Ironwood forest turtle]

    [Those who come to rely on vines for combat will find themselves pleasantly pleased with the ironwood forest form, which chooses to increase the power of all vine-based attacks, with the vines having been hardened into ironwood, and will gain an extra set of appendages in the form of ironwood vines that do not require continuous mana maintenance

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    An increase in strength will occur, alongside a increase in defense and a decrease in speed]

    Wow, those are some options for sure. None of them seem bad at any glance, but there are sure a lot. I''ll break them down before I make a choice.

    So first we have the metal jaw snapping turtle, which certainly seems interesting, but doesn''t quite fit my combat choices up to this point. I''m not even sure why it''s there frankly.

    [ That was just a general choice. Were you still a moss turtle, the choice offered to you would''ve been a snapping moss turtle just as a general alternative that moss turtles evolve into.]

    Thank you, system that''s not stolidus. Oh, so it''s just obligatory? That makes sense. But then I have to ask, is there an obligatory main evolution of the moss turtle? I don''t see one.

    [That one has been scratched since its inferior to all the alternative options.]

    Mm. Not sure how I feel about my options being limited for me, but I suppose that''s irrelevant currently since that option is weaker than the rest.

    Cannonballer huh. Is that because I''ve been-

    [Rolling? Yes. Also, you moron, slingshotting yourself across the sky, dozens of times. Does it surprise you that you got such a silly evolution?!]

    No, not really.

    It looks good for sure, it would allow me to fly and roll better, but I can''t help but feel like it''d be more inhibitive in terms of fighting if my specialty is rolling alone. I may as well just be a millipede at that point.

    Pygmy living fortress sounds promising, if not a little weird. Why pygmy? Was I going to be small? How small? I don''t know how I''d feel if I was smaller than I am now.

    [Pygmy is relative, an actual fortress turtle can grow to the size of entire mountains.]

    Ah. That sounds better, yeah I have no interest in being mountain size. How else would I enjoy traveling if doing so catches everyone''s attention.

    But, countless catapults... and I''m pretty sure I saw potential. Does that mean cannons? Can I have a bunch of cannons on my back! Mini fortress sounds fun!

    And ironwood sounds useful. I know that ironwood is considered a valuable material amongst people due to its hardness yet it''s flexibility, and makes for cheap and reusable, since it can be grow indefinitely.

    Even if I ever get caught or attempt to be killed, I could bargain for my life by offering ironwood. I could even become a merchant turtle. That, would be fun. Earl, the psychic merchant turtle.

    As I noted though, it''s ironwood, and replacing my current vines with it would make for only slightly more rigid appendages in combat for something harder and more painful in a fight. And the fact that I get to maintain two vines at all times without mana upkeep? Sounds useful! It would definitely keep me more active in a fight!

    What to do, what to choose...

 Chapter 14: Evolution Sucks

    Ultimately, I decide to go with ironwood turtle. While the snapping turtle was amusing, boxer would take me for a spin, and the pygmy fortress offered potential, ultimately, the ironwood forest turtle seemed to offer versatility, with the vines as well as stakes having played a rather vital role in combat up to this point. It just offered more in the long term, though pygmy fortress seemed to be close, given it''s potential for the future.

    Nonetheless...

    I choose Ironwood.

    [Very well then. Initiating evolution.]

    [You might feel a slight sensation of pain. Don''t worry, it is temporary, and will be over soon]

    [Hold on to your butt!]

    With the last statement having been uttered by Stolidus, I was rather worried, why would he say that? The system said it would be a sli-

    Aaargh!

    Oh my lord Anubis that hurts!

    Ow,

    oW

    OW

    OW

    OW

    [it will all be over soon]

    WHy DiDN''t yoU Say SOMEthing StOlIDus!

    [AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH]

    [You can''t even roll over in pain! Oh my god, Hunter was right, this is therapeutic! I feel better already!]

    GOOD FOR YOU, YOU SON OF A BITH! OH my LORD I JUTH Bith MYSEF, HOW DITH I DO THATH

    I keep struggling, but all I can feel is pain. Oh lord this huuuuurrts. I hope I won''t be evolving again. Why don''t monsters roll around when they evolve!?

    <hr>

    Oh, thank Isis, Anubis, whoever is responsible for its end, the pain is finally over.

    [Shame. It t''was only a minute.]

    Fuck you Stolidus. That really hurt.

    All right, whatever. New body. I should be happy. All right, let''s take a look.

    Earl begins to look at his body, only to discover a tiny surprise.

    I HAVE TWO HEADS

    [Hi!]

    IT TALKS.

    [Well jeez Earl, you wanted the ore slime to survive the evolution, so we had to incorporate it somehow. What, did you think we''d just turn it into the tree on your back?]

    I... said that didn''t I. I mean, to be fair, that wasn''t mentioned in any of the descriptions in regard to the evolutions though?

    [That''s ''cause all your evolutions were going to have an extra head. It was, the easiest solution.]

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Wait, that sounds rather sketchy?! Are you sure you didn''t just get lazy when creating the options?

    [Nah, I don''t design the evolutions. The main system plucks design concepts from player 0''s thoughts and then creates future evolutions for you. Of course, when the system needs more difficult evolutions, the system requests direct intervention from player 0.]

    Eh? Player zero? Why would this player 0 be able to design evolutions though? That sounds like something god-level though right? Actually, player 0, that sounds like a prototype number. Or case zero like an infection. Who is he? Actually, never mind, a god recommended me to this, I shouldn''t be surprised.

    So, the rest of my body...

    Earl''s shell has changed, becoming flatter in nature, and the moss was gone, replaced by grass, like a tiny lawn, with the shell''s marginal/edge having become something different.

    In the center of his shell, a small birch tree had grown, more akin to a shrub in stature, the wood containing the occasional shimmering of metal, with two vine like appendages growing out of the small tree on his back.

    Although they very much looked like vines, even wrapped around the tiny tree as vines do, the vines were metallic in nature, and not nearly as flexible as your average vine, trading flexibility for strength.

    Both heads had a slight ridge above the eyes, and the ore slimes head was completely metal, unlike Earl''s which was very much an organic head.

    Fleck''s of metal pervaded the rest of their whole body, and the tail had grown ever so slightly longer in proportion to his old body.

    And speaking of his older body. He was bigger, just not by much. It seemed like a few inches taller at best, since his position next to a bush hadn''t really changed. He could stare at a bush instead of looking up now. So a light change to be sure.

    Looking at his new twin, Earl had to wonder...

    ''So what should I address you as?''

    "ORE!"

    I have been calling him an ore slime this whole time, so I guess he now assumes his name is ore from now on.

    Alright. That works for me.

    So, stats I suppose. I''d like to see how those turned out.

    Stolidus.

    [Species: ironwood forest turtle]

    [lvl: 1/35]

    [Hp: 765/765]

    [Spd:72]

    [Mana:360/360]

    [ATK: 60]

    [Moves: Photosynthesis, harden, vine lash, bite, Appraisal lvl 1 stake strike, steel imbuement, turtle launcher, vine tap, Vine Bash, Regeneration(f), telepathy]

    [Shop]

    Skill Points: 10

    Points: 50

    Wow uh, those are certainly something. They''re at least triple my last count right? That has to account for something right?

    [Eh, not really. Considering you merged with another monster for your evolution, the fact your stats only tripled is kind of sad actually.]

    Oh shush you! At least it is an increase in stats. That''s something I can say with pride at least. Though, I also noticed that my level requirement for my next evolution is 35. That seems to be a rather random number. So what''s the reasoning behind that?

    [Well, since you merged with another monster, the exp requirement is higher than other moss turtles at your stage. It should''ve been 20, but now it''s 35 thanks to your new partner there.]

    Ah, ore.

    ''ORE!''

    So it''s still a net gain then?

    [I suppose so, yes. I mean, now you''re a rare commodity, but whatever.]

    Whatever indeed. I suspect that''s inevitable as monsters become more valuable as they age. What''s more, since I''m offered actual choices, I''m going to assume most of the choices are rare evolutions for monsters, no?

    [Yeah, basically. In its path to making you stronger, the system will ultimately make you more valuable. Sigh, how tiring.]

    Well, we''re in the middle of nowhere, so that shouldn''t be a problem.

    [...sure.]

    <hr>

    I was rather eager to test out my new powers, but I soon came to realize a real problem.

    Nothing around here is that strong.

    I did get to watch ore morph his head into a club and beat the living daylights out of a random salamander, so that was fun. It seems that while turtle head is his new preferred form, he can just morph into whatever he wants within reason. I think. I didn''t make him do that after all, he just did that upon seeing a salamander spit fire at him.

    This area, wherever it may be, doesn''t seem to have that many strong monsters. That''s great for my day-to-day life, but when I want to try this brand-new power I''ve attained, this actually works against me.

    I could probably head deeper into the woods (wherever that is, still haven''t gotten my bearings), but then I might make the mistake of jumping into the deep side. It''s known that areas of mana do not consistently increase or decline in mana density. Places with low mana density can exist alongside locations of high mana density, so trying to find a new "zone" might be dangerous.

    Whatever, I''m trying to enjoy this new life anyway, and I can still level by napping and photosynthesizing right?

    Aah, sweet sunlight, tastes like sugar...

 chapter 15 Interlude: Snowsberry Village 2

    "Hahahaha!"

    The joyful laughter rang through the air as Willow ran around the quiet village, much to the amusement of the onlooking elven adults.

    The happiness, down in the village contrasted with the tense setting higher up, in a room overlooking the guild hall, the guildmaster Tiel sat down reluctantly to talk with Lenore and Sevante, with Lenore fiercely staring at Tiel.

    Ahem.

    "It''s my pleasure to welcome a high elf to Snowsberry village as the guildmaster of this hall here.I hope your stay here is peaceful and quiet." Tiel forces through a smile.

    Sevante smiled as he returned the greetings. "Indeed, I hope our stay is quiet as well. Hopefully it should be a few days at most, before we''re ready to move to the next station."

    Tiel smiled halfheartedly, thinking this was not what they were really thinking, or they wouldn''t feel a need to make a rest stop specifically at this village.

    Lenore snorted, seemingly verifying Leon''s thoughts.

    "You are the A class adventurer Tiel correct?" she stated bluntly, earning her a sigh.

    "Yes, that would be me. I thought everyone had forgotten me by now. " He said dryly, earning himself a grin from Lenore.

    "Not quite. The elder of Oaksreach hasn''t forgotten you."

    He frowned. "The old goat hasn''t died yet? How stubborn." He sighed. "So, what''s the issue then. The fact that you mentioned the elder means that a problem''s brewing."

    Sevante nodded, politely coughing as he chose to move on from the elder. "There is someone chasing the child down."

    Tiel frowned as he thought about it. "Probably one of the other families, maybe even one of the royal family members. A high elf young in age is a malleable tool that many would have in their hands. And if not theirs; in nobody''s hands. The Pando network perhaps? The Redwoods have been a longtime enemy of the Oaksreach family."

    As Tiel pondered, Lenore grunted. "Doesn''t matter. Enemy approaches."

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    "You shouldn''t have brought them." he reproached.

    Shrug. "Only way to get you to act, no?" The serious expression finally giving way to a thin smile on Lenore''s face.

    Tiel rubbed his face as he thought of all the trouble that was following this group.

    Nonetheless, he looked outside, and saw the smiling child. Little Willow, joyfully playing with children, Leon amongst them. Playing adventurer, dreaming of a hopeful future. Aspiring to be heroes, to explore the unknown.

    How could he let anything happen to them?

    "Fine. It''s not like I have a choice by now. How close would you say they are?"

    "A day or two." Said Lenore frankly, as Sevante cringed at that. "They are close, probably a day or two, yes."

    To this, Tiel grabbed a bottle of wine, gave it a pop, and swigged.

    Yay. Eventful days.

    <hr>

    And eventful days would follow, with the number of monsters suddenly increasing.

    The monsters began coming out in droves, besieging the town. Luckily, nothing strong was attacking the town, at worst d ranks were amongst the monsters, but the problem still remained.

    The mastermind had yet to show themselves.

    <hr>

    A distance away from the town were a group of elves, dressed in simple leather armor, nothing excessively unique, and were it not for the airs they put off, they could perhaps be mistaken for random mercenaries.

    Which was exactly what they need. Should they fail, it would serve as a perfect cover up, with no way to trace them back to the ones behind the machinations.

    A scout came back.

    "Report" came the voice from the one in charge. The elf had a dull orange hair, and looked to be in his late 600s, maybe 700s. Even so, as an elf, he still held a youthful aura compared to the elderly of other races.

    "Snowsberry village is still holding strong against the incursion of monsters."

    "And their rations?"

    "They looked to be well stocked. Probably another month''s worth of food."

    The man squinted as he stared thoughtfully. "And how are the defenders faring?"

    "They seem to be doing fine for now, though some seem to be fatigued."

    "Mm. It may be well stocked, but the real problem they''ll face is mental fortitude. Given a few weeks, I suspect that their mental strength will falter. And then we will strike."

    "Well sir if I may, why don''t we attack right now? Are the knights sent to protect the child that strong?"

    Another elf, with green hair responds. "Yes they''re strong, around B rank each. The real problem here is that they''ve managed to get to snowsberry village. The village is home to a retired A-rank adventurer."

    The older elf leader interrupted. "Retired or not, Tiel is not to be underestimated. An A rank adventurer in his prime, he''s still in good shape and will be quite an obstacle. There''s a reason they chose to pass through this town."

    The green haired elf nodded. "Yup. Thankfully we prepared for possible interruptions." Patting the artifact, he grinned. "As long as this artifact is being run, we can continue to generate and control these monsters in droves. Even if they have a few months of food, we have a few months of monsters here."

    The older elf nodded. "Indeed. Either their morale breaks, or their desperation breaks out.

    And we''ll either get the high elf for ourselves, or..."

    The man''s eyes turn grave.

    "See to it no one does"

 Chapter 16: Hello New Neighbor!

    While the onslaught began at Snowsberry Village that would last more than a few weeks, a certain turtle was building an altar...

    <hr>

    And one more branch...

    Done!

    I look proudly upon my hard work, an altar to honor Anubis.

    It''s been a week or two, maybe a few weeks ever since I started my new life, and I just wanted to say thanks. Admittedly, this is a little late on my part.

    The altars a bit crude, being mostly made out of ironwood, but I believe it''s the thought that counts, as well as the effort.

    "Hey Ore, pass me the corpse."

    "Pass!"

    Ore hands me a giant ant which I drop on top of the altar.

    Oh by the way, giant ants.

    Yeah, those just started showing up randomly.

    Everywhere.

    Not just ants of course, bigger wolves than usual, bee monsters, which was a pleasant surprise their honey is great, and other creatures.

    The most prominent ones were the ant monsters, which like the other monsters seemed to be heading in the same direction, and attacking anything in their way. A lot of monsters have been harassed actually, me included.

    On the bright side, it meant I had more chances to kill things and test my might.

    I''m even level 3 currently!

    It also means that I have something to offer to Anubis currently.

    Now, this isn''t the normal offering one offers a god, but I want to offer him something.

    Hmm. Do I pray?

    Can I even clasp my hands actually?

    I get on my hind legs, and for a minute, I wonder if I can actually pray as a turtle.

    That illusion shatters once I realize that first off, I can''t actually put my hands together, and second, I fall forward, flat on my stomach.

    Right, the tree growing out of my back...

    With vines growing out of my back...

    Hey, the vines!

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    So I clasp my vines together and start praying to Anubis.

    The corpses disappear, and a warm feeling envelops me.

    Lord Anubis.

    My Child, thank you for the gift you have sent my way.

    My apologies lord Anubis, I don''t quite have anything else to give you, so I can only offer you these measly offerings.

    It is no grievance to me my child. In fact, I can give these to Ammit as a snack. I can''t recall the last time I took him out for a real meal, so snacks like this once in a while are good.

    Really!? Alright, I''ll make sure to send more snacks you way then lord Anubis.

    I appreciate it. I can hear him chuckle, and I probably would''ve flushed a little bit as a person, feeling a little embarrassed by my own over eagerness.

    There''s a pause, before a hesitant voice comes out of Anubis.

    Earl, out of curiosity, what do you think about your fianc¨¦?

    Don''t you mean my ex fianc¨¦ lord Anubis? Now that I''m dead, I''m sure she''ll get engaged soon.

    ...Yes, her.

    Well, she''s a wonderful young lady! She was a little older than me, was bright, friendly, and I thought she was a ravishing young beauty. She was always so warm and open, and I hope she''ll find a wonderful new fianc¨¦.

    She didn''t die did she? I ask worriedly. It would be unfortunate if somehow she got caught up in my suicide bombing. I hope she''s doing fine.

    ... No, she didn''t die.

    Odd choice of words my lord.

    Anyway, I''m sure you''ve noticed the influx of monsters that have showed up recently, being a fair bit stronger than other monsters.

    Yeah actually, I was wondering about that. I thought it was some sort of monster wave that had started up.

    Yeah, actually, that would be about right. An artificial monster wave has started up.

    I think about it as I recall a little elf girl who had helped me a few days prior, healing me, and was riding in the royal carriage of the elves.

    Is she in danger lord Anubis?

    Yes, actually. Do you feel like helping the young elf child?

    I have to think about that. On one hand, I certainly owe her a favor, but on the other hand, getting involved with the elven royal family is a little bit more than owing her a favor.

    Hmmm.

    All right lord Anubis, how can I help the child? I do, owe her a favor after all.

    Oh don''t worry, you don''t have to do that much at all. Just keep killing the monsters that head in that direction.

    That''s it? I mean, I can see how that would help, and I am just a turtle, but that doesn''t seem very helpful. Shouldn''t I go there and help personally?

    No need. The monsters are attacking a village right now, and so it has become a siege. By killing them off before they get there, you''re culling the invading forces, allowing them to stand longer. You''ll naturally benefit yourself as well. Honestly, this is quite the win all things considered.

    ... So free levels and I get to repay the favor. Sounds easy enough.

    Right?

    Thank you lord Anubis for your great insight.

    No problem. Thank you for your gifts. I''ll see you next time.

    The presence fades and I leave to go return the favor.

    And kill some monsters.

    <hr>

    As the call ends, Anubis chuckles, as he tosses another ant corpse behind him, hearing a loud chomp and chewing confirming Ammit having his meal.

    "I can''t wait to brag to Isis" chortles Anubis. "Her chosen one hasn''t sent her a sacrifice yet, but mine has. He sends such wonderful snacks and wants to return favors! She can only dream of such a devotee. My devotee!" gloats Anubis, before pausing to think. "Then again, she couldn''t lift his curse so that makes sense." That dampened his mood a bit.

    Calming down, he sits down to face the annoyance in front of him.

    "Why did you lie about me!" demanded the person across from him.

    Anubis sighed. How bossy.

    "That''s because you didn''t die."

    Its not my fault, nor his.

    "Who could imagine someone would willingly charge into Hades hmm?"

 Chapter 17: The Invasion

    "Fire!"

    Upon hearing the command, the villagers loosed arrows, which fell upon the monsters, and they fell in droves.

    But even as the monsters fell, more jumped in to fill in line, droves after droves.

    Cursing could be heard, but there was no choice but to endure.

    Waves did not allow time for distraction, for now was the time for action. Complaints could be taken up later.

    <hr>

    A day after the mysterious carriage arrived, defenses were shored up, and a tense feeling arose amongst the villagers, who in their long lives, weren''t ignorant to procedure.

    When the village was walled up like this and weapons were gathered, a few conclusions could be drawn, and all of them involved something big coming.

    The walls were reinforced with life magic as the walls were grown and blended into one another, thanks to the efforts of the people at large.

    Weapons were brandished, and villagers prepared, knowing something was coming, and they would not allow the young to get hurt.

    And it started.

    <hr>

    The monsters started coming.

    Not in huge waves, just clusters of monsters. Nothing much, but it already confirmed their fears, as the realization a monster wave was coming set in.

    No one blamed the people who arrived in the carriages. As far as they, the common people were aware, this was just a normal wave that had onset upon their village.

    Even if they did know, they would not blame the child who had arrived, clearly ignorant of the world at large.

    For the young elves, most who had not left the village, much less seen a city, could not imagine a monster wave.

    Those below 200, who lived on these outskirts, could not dream of what was to come.

    These younglings were sent out at first, to hunt the monsters in groups while they still could.

    It was still relatively safe now, and a good time to gather materials. They would be covered by the guards from the walls holding bows ready to fire upon any dire situation.

    Right now it was safe enough for the young to challenge the monsters, for them to let loose.

    After all, normal hunting would not suffice later in the waves.

    What use are an adventurer''s way of fighting in a siege after all?

    <hr>

    At a certain point, groups of monsters stopped being small clumps, and started becoming groups, from a handful to at least a dozen at a time from all sides.

    The youth were withdrawn from the battle outside the walls, to watch the elderly and more experienced who knew how to fight in real wars.

    Elves live for centuries, and thus see far more than an average elder could ever see.

    Some of the elves here, despite not being top adventurers, had lived long enough to see countless wars, the rise and fall of empires, and seasoned by war, were apt to teach children how to fight in war.

    The arrows came out, and spears prepared for jabbing at the monsters to force them off the wall, which had holes to allow for spears to knock monsters off their advance off the wall, while arrows picked off monsters in the back.

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    The terrain was altered by long distance earth magic to act as obstacles to monsters.

    Monsters would get over it eventually, but every minute counted.

    At this point it had become apparent that a majority of the monsters were insects, in particular ants, and thus preparations were made for ants in particular.

    The soft and unaware adventurers watched in awe at the precision at which their elders moved. Despite their age, they moved smoothly, and with great momentum.

    Together they thrusted forth their spears, and together they shot their arrows, sometimes at the same creature to take down the stronger ones.

    And at this time, the young were introduced into the mix, so they may prepare for the coming waves.

    Better they learn now than later.

    There would be no time to learn later.

    <hr>

    The waves picked up once more, as dozens became innumerable.

    Finally, Tiel got involved.

    Perhaps it would be something they would forever remember as a fireball the size of a house come down, smashing into a group of d rank monsters, killing it with ease.

    He stopped there, but that alone was enough to inspire the young to not only to try harder, but to aspire to more, as they renewed in their efforts.

    For the elderly, anxiety set in as they wondered what an A rank adventurer would need to save their strength for.

    What could be out there that he would worry about in such a situation.

    Some even began to suspect that there was more to this than another wave.

    Thankfully the north started clearing up for some reason, as less monsters came from this direction, allowing them to lessen the number of soldiers stationed there, to divert them to more crowded sides.

    Nonetheless, it was starting to wear on the soldiers, wondering when the light at the end of the road would shine, and this monster wave end.

    <hr>

    "What''s the status on the food stock currently?" Asked Tiel as he stood upon the guild building, surveying the battle down below. The guild building was the tallest building in this town, and at the moment, gave him the best vantage point to watch the battle.

    "We have enough food to last us a few more weeks, but after that we''ll have to scavenge monster corpses." Said the reporting soldier gravely.

    "Any sign of enemy movement."

    The soldier shook his head and Tiel could only sigh in frustration.

    This was a clear battle of who could outlast the other. Since this was likely a man made monster wave, it was likely being stimulated by some sort of device. Tiel assumed the device could only be used for so long but had considered the possibility that the device could in fact be used indefinitely. Ultimately, he ruled it out, partially because of how unlikely it was, but also the fact that if it did not do to consider the possibility, since there was no other solution but to flee in that case.

    And currently, fleeing was not a simple solution, not with this being either an abduction plan or a assassination plan. They were surrounded on all sides, and escorting those incapables of fighting would be a difficult and foolhardy task.

    Either way, the idea of witnesses to such an act surviving was unlikely, so the chances of actually leaving varied heavily depending on how strong the pursuers were.

    Thankfully, they weren''t moving yet, but it was likely to change when the other side started running out of whatever allowed them to simulate a monster wave.

    <hr>

    In a camp some distance away from the town, the elves went over the plans.

    "The monster core is starting to run low. We''ll have another week or two before the stone drains and we can no longer produce monsters."

    The orange haired elf sighed. Tiel had only moved once throughout the sieging of Snowsberry village. Clearly, he had underestimated the tenacity and skill of the other retired soldiers and adventurers within the town, too focused on the one A-rank adventurer.

    "And how much longer do they have?"

    "A few more weeks of food."

    Looks like sitting back and waiting was out of the cards.

    "Alright, a day before the end of the week we''ll initiate the attack on the village when we''re at our best moment and they are at their worst, because after that, the advantage is theirs. "

    One elf piped up. "Uh sir, the north in particular has been more empty than the other side. We believe it might be the interference of a monster stronger than the average."

    The elderly elf waved his hand dismissively. "In this area with low mana density it''s probably a d rank monster at best. Lenard, go and deal with the monster quickly before returning for the assault. I want all variables eliminated before we go. It would not do if we fail the patriarch."

    Lenard nodded. "Hah, I''ll be back in a jiffy; there''s nothing out here that can stop me!" he boasted and then paused. "Hey about the women..." he trailed off, clearly looking at him questioningly, earning snorts of disgust from some of the female elves in the camp, but he ignored them. Lenard had always been a bit of a disgusting bastard. Why else would he be chosen for such a dirty mission?

    The older elf snorted. "Pig. Fine, whatever, you can do whatever you want, but make sure to kill them afterwards." The elf grinned before leaping off into the distance brandishing his bow as he did so. "That''ll serve as incentive for him to finish up quickly. He takes too much time playing with his food." muttered the elderly elf.

    Lenard snickered, imagining the things he could do with the people at the village. He was going to have so much fun after this was done.

 Chapter 18: Get Back Here!

    Sooo many monsters!

    That''s not a joke, there''s just been a nonstop flow of monsters to kill.

    Sadly, none of the other monsters seem to be helping. The natural ones. They''re either too weak, or run away at the sight of trouble, like the horn rabbits. Can''t blame them though, they''re a rank or two too low from the abnormal monsters.

    I''ve gotten into the habit of using ore as a helmet, having ore wrap around my head, which has saved me once or twice from a direct blow to the cranium.

    An acid blast flies at me, as I raise a wooden platform in front of me in turn, blocking the acid blast, and returning the favor with an ironwood stake plunging through its head in return, causing it to burst, as another five ants swarm me at once. Using my whips, I thrash each one hard before popping another 5 wooden stakes up, killing the last five monsters in the nearby area.

    Those hadn''t been the only monsters, but they were the last for the day. It''d been 20 monsters just an hour ago, now reduced to zero. Whew.

    [Congratulations! You''ve reached level 5]

    Leveling has slowed down dramatically, but that''s basically expected, when one considers this is my second form. It''s known that monsters take far longer to grow after their second evolution, being one of the many reasons few people want to have a familiar, which is an expensive investment, choosing to invest in themselves instead.

    It became more of a noble thing, and even I had considered getting one. I was going to get a shadow jackal imported from Egypt, though that never came to fruition.

    Ah well. Now I am the monster, so I don''t need a familiar anymore.

    Then again, I kind of am like the familiar and master in one, when we consider ore.

    ''Ore!''

    Yup.

    Anyway, I''m going to harvest the cores, dedicate the bodies to the altar and then-

    Hmmm?

    <hr>

    "I Got you, you half shelled bastard."

    Lenard cackled as he let the arrow loose, hitting the turtle square in its head.

    The monster wasn''t weak, but it had merely managed to kill a bunch of e-rank monsters, the ironwood arrows wouldn''t have a problem cutting through its flesh. It was just a moss turtle evolution.

    Perhaps to the villagers and even the monsters it was dangerous, but to him? A d-rank scout? Nah. It would be a quick and easy activity.

    And the turtle froze after being hit squarely in the head.

    Score!

    Alright, I should go back and-

    Hmm?

    Did the turtle just move? That''s impossible. That''s an ironwood arrow! Even if it''s not the best, its still more than enough imbued with mana to easily kill a c rank monster!

    Lenard watched in surprise as the head of the monster split in two into two heads, one completely silver, the other a normal turtle head.

    The turtle was completely unaffected.

    It was staring at Lenard.

    Annoyed, Lenard notched another arrow and shot at the turtle, confident this would kill it for sure.

    Fwoosh!

    The arrow flew, but this time, it was caught in midair by the vine emerging from the turtle.

    While he was flustered, he remained calm. Fine, he couldn''t do it for now. Just had to get something stronger, and he could fix his mistake. Sure, he''d be laughed at, but that would be fine. A small loss, but he''d still get what he wanted once the siege was over.

    Deciding the arrows he brought clearly weren''t enough, Lenard was getting up to leave, before he realized something.

    The turtle at first had walked over to the tree, looking up, and he had sneered at the foolish turtle, walking over to him up in the tree.

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    What was it going to do?

    Stare at him?

    Even if it destroyed the tree, he would just hop to another tree. As long as the turtle was down there, and he was up here, it was helpless before him.

    Getting ready to go, Lenard was not ready for the next thing that had happened.

    As quick as could be, the turtle''s vine shot at him, and Lenard had dodged, surprised at the reach the turtle had, beginning to get anxious.

    This turtle was clever.

    Too clever.

    And it had two heads.

    Clearly a variant.

    He realized something though.

    The turtle hadn''t retracted the vine yet.

    Something shot through him, an instinct, a warning.

    Feeling dread, he jumped backwards onto another tree, and did so just in the nick of time, to witness the turtle arrive exactly where he had been a moment before.

    The turtle had used the vine to climb onto the tree.

    Immediately Lenard turned tail and ran.

    Only to look back and see the turtle swinging.

    <hr>

    I have no clue who he is, where he came from, or what he came for, I''m going to gut that bastard.

    Well, I can take a gander why he came here, I received an arrow to the face for that, and I know he''s some sort of scout.

    And I doubt he came from the village, streams of monsters have been heading in one direction for a while, I doubt they have the leisure to leave.

    And since this involves the elven royal family, it doesn''t take a genius to figure out this is sabotage.

    So I have a totally legitimate reason to gut this knife eared bastard.

    I''m sure he''s a gross pig or something. I''m sure of it.

    Swinging? Yeah, I started doing that just now, but so far I''m working just fine.

    He definitely looks terrified as I catch up to him.

    Huhuhuhu, yes, looks like I''ll have something else to offer to Anubis.

    [...I did not know you had this kind of streak. You''ve seemed childish up to this point, I didn''t expect you to be the vindictive type.]

    Puh-lease. I''m a noble. And as a noble, I''ve learned some very important lessons. Like knowing when to offer the hand of friendship, and when to show em these hands!

    [... I''m impressed.]

    Did you forget I called you stupid in latin?

    [...]

    Anyway, I''m catching up, so let''s do something a little dangerous.

    [Wait...]

    Gather the vines, and create a catapult. Aim...

    [I thought you stopped doing that!]

    YOU WERE WRONG!

    FIRE!

    <hr>

    ''What the hell is that turtle doing?''

    Lenard was panicked, but that panic gave way to confusion as he watched the turtle stop and produce more vines, only to grow horrified.

    "There''s no way..."

    Splat

    Earl missed, but missing is subjective.

    He missed the head...

    ...But took a leg.

    Lenard hopped on one leg as pain soared through his mind, before falling from the branch.

    Earl, lodged in a tree nearby, fixed his conundrum by simply cracking the tree in half.

    <hr>

    Oh Anubis, that hurts!

    There''s this really itching and uncomfortable feeling right above me somewhere, but I can''t put my metaphorical finger on it.

    Ore?

    ''Tree broken''

    whimpers Ore, and in fact the little shrub on back is a little cracked!

    [Maybe you won''t do something that stupid again] harumphs Stolidus.

    Shut up. That was fun. I haven''t done that in a while. I mean, if there was any reason to remain small, than this would be the reason.

    ping

    Oh, the arrow bounced off. I''m guessing it''s because my shell is made partially of ironwood?

    [Not quite. Your shell''s harder than ironwood, but not actually ironwood, being mixed with ore slime properties]

    Ah. Anyway, time to go kill him.

    As I walk towards him he keeps shooting.

    At some point, he stops shooting and begins trying to crawl away.

    Anyway, one iron stake later, and he''s dead.

    Stolidus was staring at him curiosy, before asking a question.

    [Did you kill a lot of people as a noble out of curiosity? Because I feel like the answer is yes.]

    Yup. I was well loved despite being a child when I started by making sure to be very active in the estate. I executed my first bandit somewhere around, 10? And my first traitorous noble around 15. A bit gruesome, but it may be popular.

    [Huh, so you were a competent noble. I thought you were completely reckless and died in some stupid way like blowing yourself up.]

    Hey, why don''t I go ask Anubis if he takes elf bodies?

    <hr>

    yeah, sure! In fact, that same elf is coming around right about now, just send the body down.

    Yeah sure, give me a min.

    Sheryll, send Lenard down now. Yes, early. Trust me, it''ll be funny.

    Don''t think I was meant to hear that. I''ll just drop the body onto the altar.

    Aand done!

    <hr>

    Lenard shivered as he felt the cold glare of the jackal-headed god before him.

    He''d been waiting in line, before being called down early, causing him to be filled with dread. Why would the god of judgement call him down early of all people.

    He couldn''t also help but notice his corpse on the floor in the room he was just admitted into.

    "Oh that? That''s just an offering I received from one of my most favored followers. Y''know, the one that just killed you."

    Gulp.

    "The one you just tried to kill."

    "Lord Anubis I-"

    "Don''t worry, I don''t allow my personal bias to get involved in my judgement of souls."

    Oh thank the great mist-

    "But! If I recall correctly, Lenard the killer has raped his way through three different villages during his time under his current employment (say nothing of outside of that current employment) and killed 100 non elf children throughout his lifetime. Just because I ignore one crime do you believe I''d ignore the countless lives you''ve taken?"

    Anubis leaned in as the intensity of his stare increased.

    "It''s been a while since Ammit''s been able to eat a person body and soul, isn''t that right Ammit?"

    Grrrr

    "I hear that being reincarnated after coming out of Ammit''s ass is very painful."

    The room shook as a giant eye appeared before the elf, and the room became damp with breath.

    No...

    "Ammit, try not to get any bones stuck in your mouth. You know how elves are always the stringy kind."

 Chapter 19 : Waive

    So after I killed that guy, I started pillaging his stuff.

    Not really classy, sure, but hey, I''d be remiss if I didn''t.

    This was of course, before I sent the body to Anubis, so the body arrived butt naked, but I hardly think it matters, since a body is going to be eaten either way, so who cares if it has clothes on.

    So what''d I find?

    Well first, clothes.

    Standard scout clothes, nothing impressive by any means.

    The bow, the arrows, a quiver, nothing much.

    Oh, and the whole plan about the attack of snowsberry village.

    Yeah, that was written down. I can''t tell if that''s poor memory or if that''s pure stupidity. Either way, now I know where I am.

    Snowsberry village, it''s that place known for its unique berries, and is primarily a elven locale for starting adventurers.

    I guess the system wasn''t kidding about far out, Snowsberry is on the fringes of the Romana empire, and actually borders a few kingdoms near us.

    So the plan.

    It mentions a high elf, which automatically sets a lot of bells off. I guess that explains the royal family of elves getting involved.

    The royal family is officially acknowledged, but the actual kingdom of elves is not recognized, because no one knows where it is.

    The elven royal family has made great efforts to keep it hidden, and one of the few reasons they''ll send a carriage with their emblem would be high elves, which are rarely born.

    Maybe every few centuries, like high dwarves, but no one''s sure, because the royal family is secretive like that, and most of them end up with them.

    Of course, officially, high elves don''t belong to anyone, but it''s pretty much unofficially recognized not to interfere with that business, unless you want the secretive high elf families getting involved.

    And speaking of which it''s probably the high elf families who are involved with this, because no one else would so blatantly try to sabotage the royal family.

    Unfortunately, the nicely laid out plan does not indicate which family is behind this, so its likely the chump here was just a disposable pawn.

    Not like it matters, since most of elven politics are hidden from the world.

    The only ones I know of are the ones that showed up at the last conference between the Romana empire and the elven kingdom, which was well over 2 centuries ago, so who knows what''s changed.

    According to this, they''re using a machine that utilizes monster cores to encourage natural spawnage of monsters, which when born are born under the influence of the device?

    And the device is using an ant magic stone which explains why the majority of the monsters spawning in are bug monsters?

    That certainly explains things, and backs up the idea that a noble or someone of great influence is doing this, because with the amount of monsters there''s no way some small ant monster magic stone is being used to produce the number of monsters I''ve seen. Has to be like an A-class probably, maybe B class, and that''s not something cheap to use to power a device this long. They might''ve burn through more than one. Most magic devices don''t just use one stone after all.

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    And this plan details how a week from now they plan to directly attack snowsberry village, kidnap/kill the high elf, and then burn the village down.

    Now I have to help.

    Because I''m a noble.

    A reincarnated one, sure, but a noble nonetheless.

    And as a decent moral being, I can''t really blatantly let a whole village of innocent people get killed.

    I should probably at least go near the village and watch from afar, to at least view the situation.

    Time for a hike!

    <hr>

    So I finally arrive at Snowsberry village, and I''ll admit it''s not a heartening sight.

    The defenses are still decent, and still clearly holding up under the weight of the waves, but the eyes of the people are fogged over like only exhausted people could have.

    The plan was obvious here. Start an artificial wave, turn them on the people, ride it out and jump on the weakened people. It makes too much sense, yet there isn''t really a solution to it.

    I''ve heard there''s a retired A class adventurer hear, and since they''re elves, even if it has been a century or 2, he''s probably still here.

    However, there''s no way they wouldn''t start a wave if they weren''t sure they could clean up.

    That''s probably why he''s not attacking anything either. I''m sure he can see me, but has chosen not to act for now.

    Actually, I think I can see him.

    He''s on top of a guild building, noticeable because it follows the same standard layout all guild buildings have.

    Yup, he''s looked at me all right. Hasn''t attacked me yet either.

    Why hasn''t the other soldiers shot an arrow at me though? No magic spell or anything?

    Because I''m on top of a tree right now.

    Most of the monsters have been laying that ground assault all the time, but me? Nah, I''m blending in with the trees.

    Not sure why the guild leader isn''t ordering for me to shot down. I expected that at the very least.

    I also see the two knights I encountered with the little high elf, so that definitely checks out. They''re both staring at me, though one of them has sharper eyes than the other. The female knight clearly saw me about the same time the A class did, but the male knight had to follow their gaze.

    Though, the fact they even see me is still impressive.

    I''m quite a distance away, and I can only see them because I''m using a handheld telescope I looted off that elf dude.

    Wonder what they''re thinking right now?

    <hr>

    "Is that a turtle with a telescope" muttered Tiel as he looked at the turtle in the tree. Clearly some kind of variant since it''s not attacking first, rather it was observing. It was unnerving. It probably got that from killing someone, and that clearly defined the turtle as some form of danger.

    Tiel wasn''t sure what to make of the two heads. Variant monsters were often unpredictable and hard to deal with.

    Lenore squinted. "Huh. This might sound weird, but doesn''t that turtle remind you of some-"

    "Turtle!" Shouted an excited young voice as Willow teleported next to Lenore, eagerly waiving at the turtle.

    Little Willow had become more silent than usual and depressed when the attack began, seemingly aware of how she was involved with this surprise wave, closing herself off from the other kids.

    To see her happy again was a sight for sore eyes. Lenore rubbed Willow''s head fondly. "Sorry kid, but I don''t think mr.turtle will waive at you."

    The turtle froze for a minute, before waiving back to the little girl. Hmm.

    "Well, if that doesn''t confirm that turtle''s a variant, than I don''t know what does." Commented Sevante watching the turtle. Had this been any other time, he would''ve recommended shooting the turtle, but with little Willow here, this would be the incorrect move, since that would merely distance her from the family, the illogical choice.

    "Huh. Guess that''s the turtle willow healed on the way here. Looks like it''s evolved since the last time we met."

    While Sevante worried about the possible dangers the turtle posed, and Lenore was amused by the child''s antics, Willow was just happy to see the turtle she saved.

    She couldn''t wait to visit him!

    <hr>

    When the little high elf girl waived at him, Earl was a little dumbfounded.

    And I waived at her. Would that be an oops moment? If they weren''t suspicious before, then they were now!

    Huuu, it couldn''t be helped The kid reminded me of my distant relatives who used to bring kids along with them. They were just so adorable!

    Alright, I''m going to rest up and keep watch. I''m not sure how I can help, but what I do know is that I''ll at least try.

    I still owe someone a favor and I''ll be damned if I don''t return it.

 Chapter 20: Night Assault

    It just happened.

    The monsters had lessened up for a while, and for a second, the elves thought the wave was finally going to be over.

    But Tiel told the soldiers to stay focused, to not let down their guard even at the last moment.

    He would be proven right when the efforts of the monsters redoubled as a huge concentration of monsters emerged, as if they had been gathering for a final push, likely, considering the suggestion another family would be behind these choices.

    As the monsters mindlessly rushed into the walls, an unpleasant surprise would soon reveal itself.

    It happened at night, quiet but surely, signaled by a scream at night.

    The scream wasn''t terribly unique, people had been screaming for the last few days, another scream wouldn''t stand out, even the ones of one in death throes.

    What was different was the accompanying elf slitting another elf''s throat.

    An elf shrouded in a cloak appeared at the northern walls, accompanied by elves coming in from all directions, confirming some of the worst suspicions people had throughout the siege.

    "Invaders at 3 O''clock!"

    "Invaders at 8 O''clock! Reinforcements needed!"

    "Invaders at 11 O''clock!"

    Shouts and alerts rang throughout the town as the well prepared walls were disrupted as monsters finally broke through into the town.

    The invaders leapt into the town, clearly correlating towards one spot in the town, seeking their target first before clearing the town.

    <hr>

    "Has Lenard not returned yet?" asked the elderly elf annoyed. "Did he die to some random ass D-rank monster? Pathetic." sneered one elf.

    A more professional one shrugged. "It''s a shame he died. We''re now down 1 asset, but ultimately it''s not enough to drastically drop the chances of success. Even if he had the plans on him, it''d hardly matter, since the chances of anyone managing to find the plans after the monster has killed and likely eaten him is unlikely. The monster likely ate the plans; even if it somehow understood the plans since intelligent monsters exist, it''s probable the monster wouldn''t care since a monster has no reason to protect an elven village."

    The elderly elf nodded in agreement. "Indeed. If he could not kill the D-class monster, then he is worthless anyway. Well then, the monsters should be about ready. Do we have the location of the child?"

    Another elf nodded. "Yes sir. The child was witnessed heading to the local tavern with her two guards, separate from the children."

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    The former huffed. "A clear attempt to separate the child from the other children to avoid harm coming to them. Alright, so here''s what we''ll do..."

    <hr>

    Though 16 elves were originally planned to come, 6 c ranks and 10 b ranks, they were now left with 15, but ultimately this did not change the plan.

    Of the c ranks, four approached from the North, taking advantage of the lower number of soldiers to rush towards the orphanage and create mayhem.

    One C-rank stayed behind to cause chaos on the walls, and to command the monsters to keep fighting.

    The 10 B-ranks, led by the elderly elf, split into two groups, with the majority of 6 heading to face off against the A-rank and 4 heading off to fight the two B ranks guarding the child.

    6 B ranks may seem overkill, but one can never be too sure.

    The elderly elf smiled as he stared down the retired adventurer who was now surrounded on all sides.

    "Adventurer Tiel, I''ve heard so much about you. You never did answer our elder''s response. A shame we have to meet under these circumstances,"

    "Whatever." said Tiel as he dismissively waived. "You''ve broken into my peaceful life and not only disrupted it, but killed a lot of my neighbors.

    I''m skinning you like I skinned that fucking wyvern." He sighed as he brandished his blade, while the elderly elf''s smile tightened as he signaled with his hand for the team to move into position.

    <hr>

    The second group approached the tavern.

    One elf frowned. "Not a lot of guards around here."

    "Another elf shrugged. "They have other things to be concerned about. Besides, if two B ranks can''t handle it, there''s no way they would send out the elderly to fight in their stead. Alright who wants to open the door?"

    And for a second, no one volunteered. Who wanted to be the one to open the door was like asking who wanted to take the hit? No one, duh!

    "I will!" came the muffled response before a spear flew shattered the door, piercing a guy''s shoulder as Lenore came out picking up another spear.

    She smiled as she watched the one grunt in pain.

    "Well?" she asked. "Who here can entertain me!?" she shouted as Servante stayed exasperated by the door, guarding the room.

    One would think the reported B-rank knight would have difficulty fighting off four B-rank fighters.

    They''d be wrong.

    "Dammit, Why''s she so much stronger than us! I know there''s a bit of disparity between B ranks, but not like this!"

    Servante smiled at that, casting four fireballs at the invaders.

    "From what I can tell, you seem to think being B level in strength means something" gloated Servante. "When they trained you disposables, did they tell you what B rank refers to."

    Ignoring the glares as he parried the spells aimed at him, he continued. "B rank in strength is not the same as B-rank in accomplishments. B rank legally refers too the feats of the person in question, whereas rank for monsters is dependent on the threat they can pose. True-"

    Bash!

    Servante used his staff to hard slam the opponents head into the ground.

    "-feats can serve as a good way of measuring the opponents strength, but that''s the thing about feats, they don''t determine how strong you are, merely what you''ve accomplished officially,"

    Servante chuckled as he looked at their dumbfounded faces. "You really were disposable. The only one of you who even likely had direct contact with the actual family was that old man, wasn''t he?"

    One of the invaders, spurred into a momentary rage, rushes forward, only to have a spear plunged through the back, as he''s pulled back by a grinning Lenore.

    As she does so, the elf eeks out the question:

    "W-h-e-r-e~i-s~s-h-e~?" he gets out before biting the dust.

    The gig is up as the question now arises on the minds of the intruders:

    Where is high elf Willow?

    <hr>

    Why is the high elf child in my tree right now?

    "Heheh?!" she giggled as she tussled in my tree, and in the distance sounds of fighting intensified, with new shouts of ''invaders!'' as a bloom of foreboding goes through me.

    So it''s begun...

 Chapter 21: Keep Your Kids On A Leash!

    Sevante took one look behind him as his face turned ugly real quick.

    "Where''s Willow!"" He frantically shouted, and the faces of all the combatants went straight to panic.

    They didn''t know where the kid was.

    We don''t know where the kid is!

    Panik!

    If the fight wasn''t hectic before, it sure was now.

    The priority of the battle had changed, going from a capture mission to an all out battle, now no longer concerned with trying to capture the kid and bypass the guards, but rather kill the guards, and rush to find the child first.

    And the knights had no reason to hold back, with Sevante now truly joining the battle, no longer forced to stay by the shelter.

    <hr>

    The elderly elf''s face changed into an indiscernible expression. "So, you moved the child before we arrived. Clever." He stated, while watching the A-rank, looking for any reaction.

    Tiel clearly looked like he couldn''t care less. "I hardly think that''s your major concern." he said, indicating to the other adventurers. "Your team''s in poor condition to do anything."

    He was right. Half the fighting force was already downed, and the other half weren''t faring great either.

    "I''ll have to admit, I underestimated you. Had we known you were stronger than we guessed, we probably could''ve talked something out."

    They had ranked him perhaps on the lower end of A rankers, and thus had ignored him when considering the number of elves needed for this mission. Although they had considered the possibility that the carriage would use this location as their way to drive them off, but they had believed they had brought the appropriate number to deal with the guards and even the A-ranker.

    They were wrong.

    They should''ve attempted to placate the A-ranker and coerce/convince him to deny the carriage entry.

    Tiel''s face twisted in disgust. "Politics. There''s a reason I retired to a rural border town like this you know.

    Dirty schemes like these always disgusted me. No matter what race, nobles are always ready to throw innocent people into the fire."

    The elderly elf grimaced as his thoughts changed. No, chances are negotiation would''ve been impossible, considering the guild master''s attitude. The stubborn ones are the ones that rarely bent to negotiation.

    As it was, this mission was a failure.

    He''d heard the shout of surprise earlier.

    Could it be an attempt to misdirect them?

    Possibly.

    However, they had miscalculated several factors, and the plan was already a failure, a carriage falling off the cliff.

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    Bluff or not, this was their last chance to complete the mission.

    The elderly elf sets off 2 different flares, each with their own meaning.

    The blue flare is an indication to flee in multiple directions in the hope of at least one of them escaping or to direct the foe''s attention to multiple directions.

    The black flare is to kill the objective, in the situation where the objective cannot be secured.

    With both sent out, the message is clear:

    Spread out and kill the objective.

    The remaining B ranks turn tail and flee, intent upon clearing the mission.

    The C ranks cannot respond, since they''ve all been killed or captured.

    A failure. Hopefully they know what to do.

    The elder stays, hopefully to distract the A-rank.

    "You''re not going to try to escape?" asked Tiel, as he watches the remaining B ranks flee.

    The elderly elf chuckles. "I''m already old; I may as well stay behind to fend you off while the youth escape."

    Tiel snorted disdainfully. "I''d find that honorable if it weren''t for the fact that I know what you''re really going for. Whatever, I''ll just kill you and move on." He said, as he brandishes his blade.

    <hr>

    While Sevante and Lenore fight the B-rank soldiers, two flares go off, and the group of elves immediately turn tail and retreat rather untactfully.

    Sevante curses. "Dammit they''re going after Willow!"

    "Where is she anyway!? You were supposed to keep an eye on her Sevante!"

    "I was! she was just here a few moments ago! I mean, why would she just teleport here out of nowhere, there''s no reason to leave ri-"

    He stops as he recalls one weird turtle on a tree.

    "She''s just a child." Lenore says panicked" Of course she would get distracted at the worst time. Oh mistress of the forest! Do you know where the turtle is!" she asked Sevante.

    "No clue," he admitted. "I''ve only seen that turtle at that tree some distance away from here."

    "Then what are you waiting for!? Lets go!"

    They start running immediately, with their foes already on a head start.

    Clearly, the enemy had no clue where the turtle is, or even to look for a turtle. They were unaware of the situation regarding the child, with the group clearly splitting up to find the child.

    True, they had a guess as to where the child was, but would that be enough to even the odds?

    What could a D-rank monster do against a group of B rank warriors?

    <hr>

    As I look upon the battle raging in the village, and the child snuggling onto my tree, I sigh.

    Once they find out their objective is not in town, they''ll either try to flee and regroup, or try something desperate.

    I wasn''t an amazing general by any means, but this was clearly meant to be a quick grab and run or grab and kill.

    With every moment that ideal situation for them disappears, and desperate people are dangerous.

    I can only hope the people there are capable enough to finish them off, but I certainly won''t wait for them.

    Ore is encourage to wrap around and hold the child as we move down the tree, so that I can set up.

    I cannot run, but I can distract.

    <hr>

    Whoosh

    An arrow flies, breaking through a wall of ironwood, rushing over, preparing any number of weapons to kill the child.

    The scout had seemingly discovered this wooden fort, created by life magic.

    The child.

    His orders were clear, to eliminate the child, since escape was unlikely.

    And now, to confirm the kill

    As he walks over, standing above the rubble, a rustling goes off.

    click

    Did he hear something?

    The soldier tenses up, knocking his arrow once more, only loosening up when a horned rabbit bounces by.

    Ah.

    Right.

    How could there be anything that threatened him as a B-rank warrior? They were in a low level forest, where horned rabbits and the like were around.

    Assuring himself, he doesn''t notice it.

    beep

    beep

    Ignorance is a poor thing.

    beep

    beep

    beep beep beep beep beep beep beep

    Not only does he find no confirmation of the kill, he finds a huge gaping hole going straight into a hill.

    He curses. A horned rabbit den.

    And he doesn''t notice...

    BOOM!

    ...The trap he walked into.

    <hr>

    [If you ask me, that''s a total waste of skill points]

    [...Actually, I take that back.]

    [For someone like you, it''s just crazy enough to work.]

 Chapter 22: Tunnel Vision

    Because I had the inventory of the very much dead elven scout, I knew there were 10 B ranks and now 5 C ranks.

    And that made me feel confident.

    Yes confident.

    Because they''re not B ranks and C-ranks by feats, but by strength.

    This may seem to be a weird distinction, but it is a very important one.

    To be ranked by strength is in essence a false measurement, everyone who analyzes the ranking of the adventurer''s guild realizes that.

    To be labelled B rank by strength means to meet a certain minimum of strength that a B-rank should have.

    But to be ranked by feats leaves far more ambiguity.

    Because chances are, many B-rank adventurers are hiding a few aces up their sleeves.

    If one were to go by minimum strength, chances are half of all B-ranks are more like minimum A-ranks, and A-ranks are more like S rank.

    Even though the guy I killed should be C rank, he''d probably scale more of a D-rank by feat.

    So how do I know this is the case and they''re not B-rank by feats?

    Because the guy wrote it all down.

    No seriously, he did. What kind of scout does that?

    Admittedly, it''s his journal, so I guess he didn''t expect to die, this did seem to be a basic enough mission.

    Whatever the case is, I have to thank him, because he''s made planning so much easier.

    <hr>

    Even if they''re all basically C and D ranks in reality, that doesn''t mean I''m going to underestimate them.

    They probably all know death is expecting them, so they''ll be a little irrational right now, take a few more risks. They''ll be rash.

    They''re also B and C ranks, so a forest where the strongest creature is generally on the low end of D rank they''re bound to let their guard down.

    Perfect.

    First off, I''ll need a skill to produce bombs, because traps are a commander''s best friend.

    [Well... We have a few, but I suspect not that many will be to your taste.]

    That''s fine Stolidus. Just show me what''s within price range. I''m at level 5 right now right? So I have around 15 skill points, so show me a skill within that budget.

    [Alrighty then. We have:]

    [turtle poppers]

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    [minion charge]

    [potato mine]

    [fruit fall]

    Ok, so, afraid to ask but I guess I have to. Turtle bombs?

    [Turtle poppers]

    [Generate eggs from which your spawn will hatch. These "turtle poppers" will move at your command, and at your command, deto-]

    Stop!

    Nope,

    Nope,

    Not at all. I''m not using kid bombers.

    Next!

    [Minion charge]

    [Generate minions from the grass who will charge forward with no regard for their life and exp-]

    Next!

    [Oh come on, they''re not baby turtles this time so it''s clearly not as bad.]

    Next.

    [Fine. Picky]

    [Potato mine]

    [Generate a potato which will explode upon impact/command.]

    [better?]

    Yes.

    Let''s see the last one.

    [Fruit fall]

    [Generate fruit that with a good shake will explode on contact with enemies.]

    ...

    Potato mine it is I guess, since it is the only one that fulfills my needs.

    How much?

    [7 points]

    Alright then.

    <hr>

    Why does it have eyes?

    Earl sighed, giving up on the notion that he could have not alive weapons of self destruction.

    It''s not sapient at least right?

    [Yeah, they come into existence wanting to explode so its fine. Don''t worry about it.]

    Alright I guess that''ll have to do.

    I also ended up buying a cherry producing skill for 3 points to keep the little girl distracted.

    Apparently, these potato bombs have a higher explosive potential the more mana is put into them.

    Sadly, I couldn''t put too much energy into these, but that''s fine. These are meant more to slow them down and distract than anything else.

    The ones with real punch will have to be underground.

    It''s true B-rank adventurers are strong, but even they can die from suffocation.

    And without a scout, they''re less likely to pick out traps than usual.

    That''s why I''ve chosen the rabbit den as my choice of battlegrounds.

    It''s dark and cramped, ill fit for a tall race like elves who are used to being out in the open.

    All the better to hide traps and filled with dangers elven folk aren''t used to.

    This does have its downs of course, because what''s good for the goose is good for the gander, so chances are I could end up suffocating myself this way, but it''s better than just simply standing out in the open or attempting to camouflage.

    So lets prep, shall we?

    <hr>

    I create multiple fake shelters, each positioned near or on top of the rabbit hole. And near each of them, I place a potato mine, in which I poured into each about 10 mana points. Appetizers

    Me and the kid? We go into the tunnels, into which I leave a few unpleasant surprises.

    Not all bombs sure, but unstable tunnels, pitfalls, stakes and more are sure to cause trouble, and most of it just requires a little effort, though do feel the pain of lacking resources.

    How much easier would this be if I had some actual resources.

    On the bright side, apparently the potato mine eyes are for more than just creeping people out; they act as surveillance for me, allowing me to see through them, so I planted a few on the roof of the cave so I can use them to keep track of all scouts.

    That should be it.

    After setting myself up to play the long haul I bunker down.

    Let''s see if I''m still competent.

    <hr>

    "Tch" the scout flinched as he pushed himself to his knees.

    His feet were bloodied from the explosion.

    It wasn''t bad enough to do any more damage beyond the feet, but his feet were definitely not in a good situation. His feet failed him whenever he tried to get up.

    Could a child set up something this nasty?

    He might''ve even thought someone else had set this trap up for him, which was suspicious to him.

    Unease settled in, but nothing could be done about it. He was already dead. He has nothing to lose.

    Drinking the last few drops of the potion he had been holding onto, he grabbed his bow to steady himself as he walked into the tunnel.

    Whatever the case was he would not be fooled again.

    On guard, he walked into the tunnel, confident he would take out the target.

    Confidence, one of the greatest weaknesses of adventurers.

    Confidence is what 3 B-ranks and 1 C-rank entered the tunnel with.

    But did you know?

    Confidence often blurs with arrogance,

    and confidence is often the rotten leg in the plan that''ll crumble

 Chapter 23: Bury the Fools

    Booom!

    All right, that''s the first explosion.

    Well, first set of them.

    If there is one negative about these potato mines and their surveillance, its that the surveillance system no longer works once the potato mines are gone, leaving me unaware of the current status of these invaders.

    And unfortunately, I had to plant a lot of these, especially underground, and the result is that unfortunately I couldn''t spare more to put extra up for surveillance near the sight of the blast. This is even more important because I still needed a few on the surface so I could keep a lookout for the escorts so that the sooner they arrive, the sooner I can escape to them.

    Thank god the shop offers mana replenishment potions for use.

    I''m not sure 50 points is a huge amount or a small amount, but considering I haven''t had need of the shop so far, it''s perfectly fine to use the shop in my time of need.

    Hey Stolidus, can you really not give me a status on these scouts? It''d be a huge help.

    [Sorry, no can do. As a system, I can give you general info as well as common world knowledge, but asking for something specific, like the location of your foes or their plans without a skill for that is cheating.]

    Wow, Stolidus actually sounds apologetic currently.

    [... Whatever, I''m going to go take a nap, tell me when you''re done]

    He yawns and stretches before flickering out of existence.

    Alright, well, thankfully I guess at least I''m aware they''re not beyond my chokepoints.

    All I can do is wait...

    <hr>

    Stiff was sure this was all a trap.

    Dammit! He punched the wall in frustration.

    Those reactions earlier from the escorts were clearly fake! There''s no way they would set up this many and leave a child here!

    Chances are, the child''s somewhere else.

    Not like he had a choice though.

    When that bomb(?) went off it took a decent chunk of his leg as well as collapsing the tunnel beneath him.

    He''d tried heading to the entrance in question only to find that tunnel had been blocked off preemptively.

    So now he was crouched over, trying to carefully navigate this tunnel.

    A scout would''ve really been helpful right about now, but sadly they had only brought about 4 of them with them, all C-rank.

    And none of them were here currently.

    Frankly, as a result of their general assignments, none of them were very good scouts.

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    They were a group meant to act as bandits as the outer rim of kingdoms, where nothing could really hurt them, acting as the extended hand of their family, damaging the interests of other families, or furthering their own.

    Whatever it was, the need for quality scouting had long dissipated.

    It was this very reason that the elf unknowingly had started walking in a particularly damp area, as his feet slowly sunk into the wet mud.

    He was aware of, but ignoring the small pangs in his foot.

    The boots he had been wearing had been broken by the initial explosion, so he waved it off as merely rocks boking his feet in the mud.

    The mud did not give any indication otherwise.

    However, had he chosen to examine his feet more closely perhaps he would''ve noticed small bloody holes in his feet.

    Ironwood is considered a rare and sharp material, good for making weapons, especially the elves who specialized in wooden weapons.

    So of course, they made for good small spikes, good for piercing the soles, but not too big to draw attention.

    Like sharp splinters, meant to increase the blood flow.

    And so, the elf kept walking, unaware of what was happening as he grew slower as more and more blood flowed, his mind growing hazier...

    He stared having a hard time breathing, slowing down...

    He was panting, taking deep breaths...

    Each step taking more effort then the last as the distance seemed greater and greater...

    The darkness grew more intense, as elementally...

    the elf fell, never to wake up again...

    <hr>

    Well that''s one down.

    Of course, I suspect were it not for the fact they''re already worn out from one battle, and unprepared for this next one that it''s managed to be so successful.

    Knowing is half the battle, and in this case it''s absolutely vital to know what kind of battle was approaching.

    As noted, many higher rank fighters often underestimate the small things. The stronger one gets, the more often they tend to ignore smaller things, especially forests like these, which are treated as places of no danger.

    Of course, since we''re in the tunnels, parts of it are damp and partially mud, so thankfully that was useful for me to hide tiny little spikes.

    The initial goal of the potato mine was not only dropping them into the tunnels, which were large enough for one to fit, but small enough to limit the efficiency of a fighter and leave no way to get out by blowing the roof in, but to tenderize their feet to ensure that any floor traps reached maximum efficiency.

    Damaging any enchantments would be a nice side effect too.

    Sadly, that was a gamble that only succeeded 5 out of the 8 entrances from what he can tell.

    I''d set up 9, and only 8 were activated with only 5 of the 8 working, blowing up the entrances and forcing the elves in. The other 3 had either been lucky, competent, or some weird combo of the two.

    Nonetheless, so far it wasn''t going bad. 1 down already, and another one is approaching the first...

    <hr>

    "Stiff, Stiff!"

    Annie shook her friend, before checking the vitals, and finally coming to an answer that worried her.

    "He''s dead." How? He was a B-rank? Sure, the explosion was a surprise, but that shouldn''t have been enough.

    She had to check. Death was at stake here. She could not afford to stop here, when the target had not died yet.

    And she still... wanted to live.

    She immediately began checking his body to find the cause of death.

    Privacy was for those who could live to afford it.

    And when she finally found the poisoned ironwood needles, she urgently checked her feet, and finding them also poisoned, quickly began treating it.

    <hr>

    Oh yeah, I did poison those using some weak poison from one of the many monsters running around during the waves.

    Was mostly a gamble, but I guess according to her it paid off. She seems urgent enough.

    Buut, there is a chance to get rid of her sooo...

    ... Boom.

    <hr>

    Sensing an influx of mana above her, Annie looked up, coming face to face with a round brown lump.

    beep

    ''A potato?'' she thought, as the potato stared at her.

    beep

    All the while it faintly flashed red, and Annie felt a sense of urgency, as she turned to flee, only to feel a sharp sense of pain as the ironwood suddenly grew into her foot keeping her trapped.

    beep

    She could only helplessly stare into the blank emotionless eyes and the suicidal grin. ''May the Goddess take me quickly'' she thought.

    Boom!

    The goddess would not take her quickly, though it would take her quietly as the initial explosion knocked her out, allowing her to sleep through the suffocation.

    <hr>

    Two down, three to go.

    Lets see what the other three are up to.

 Chapter 24: Traps

    It''s a bit gruesome, I won''t lie, but I''m also immune to it.

    I''ve been killing since a young age, and its a responsibility I used to bear, but that doesn''t mean I''ve come to enjoy death.

    Nonetheless, they''ve come to harm this child, and I refuse to allow them to do so.

    So... where are the other three?

    I couldn''t find one, but the other 2 were traveling together.

    It seemed by pure luck, the two had managed together.

    I am worried about where number three is, but for now its best for me to prioritize the other two. I am somewhere safe, so even if they find me I should be safe.

    <hr>

    Dimitri huffed as he hauled along his fellow scout.

    The two had met in these dark tunnels by chance, where Dimitri discovered it had been to his luck that his shoes had very much shielded him from what lay below, row after row of piercing ironwood stakes.

    His comrade was not so lucky and thus he was carrying him.

    He wasn''t sure why, mind you. This mission had become a suicide mission after all, now that death had become assured.

    Even if the man died, it didn''t matter.

    Perhaps he would use him as a meat shield. Perhaps he would require aid to deal with whomever had set up these traps when he finally encountered his foe.

    Well, perhaps not aid. The man was already going in and out of consciousness.

    Was there any reason to actually keep him?

    As Dimitri considered this thought, he soon came to realize he had come to a dead end.

    An abrupt one no less, and one he suspected was artificial, given how unstable the wall looked, unlike the rest of the walls.

    boom

    An explosion occurred, small, but still within his field of hearing.

    He immediately dropped the other scout without hesitation, watching as the roof caved in, leaving his fellow scout either buried or trapped inside, and in either case he would be dead.

    <hr>

    Damn. I was planning to trap both, with the hopes of interrogating one if the child''s guardians arrived in time to apprehend him.

    Oh well.

    Considering the direction he''s currently traveling in, he''s very likely to encounter...

    <hr>

    fwish

    Without warning something plunged into Dimitri''s side, causing him to arch back and cough out blood.

    Don''t take it out...

    Using the small fire he made, Dimitri looked downward, seeing the arrow that was currently protruding from his stomach.

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    A shallow wound that he was stuck debating whether it would be worth pulling out the arrow, or risk the chance of poison.

    Eventually choosing to pull it out quickly apply pressure using some of his comrade''s ripped clothing to bandage it as best as possible.

    Having bandaged it as well as possible, Dimitri slowly walked over to where the arrow had emerged from, to discover...

    <hr>

    ...A crossbow

    I purchased it and a tripwire from the shop.

    It was expensive, being 100 points, but it was also made out of at least semi-decent material and at least pierced the B-ranks gear, so it was worthwhile, though it only left a shallow wound.

    Whatever. For a one-time trick to further wear him out, I think it was worth it.

    There is the risk of him using it for himself(all the elves seemed to have brought arrows) but it doesn''t matter if he bleeds out before he can use it.

    <hr>

    "What in the great goddess'' great name."

    Dimitri muttered as he looked at the crossbow emerging from the wall.

    It seemed to be made of decent material, weird for being all the way out here.

    This must''ve been prepared in advance.

    They were played.

    Dimitri laughed half heartedly as he picked up the crossbow.

    Even so, the crossbow was still salvageable.

    This situation was still salvageable.

    They''d been disposable from the start, but the high elf wasn''t.

    If he could kill her, then the pawn could destroy a queen, and that''d be worth it.

    With this crossbow...

    Carefully, he began disarming the crossbow. There was in fact, a wire attached to it, which he had to treat carefully in order to successfully claim the crossbow, but he did manage to do it as he sighed in relief when nothing followed suit.

    Picking it up, he began loading an arrow into it.

    click

    Something clicks and immediately Dimitri begins to move, dodging backwards, only to stiffen as an arrow plunges into the back of his head.

    plop

    And thus Dimitri dropped face first into the floor.

    <hr>

    Good thing I loaded multiple crossbows.

    When people react they tend to jump backwards, so I placed two or three crossbows at intervals in the side of the wall so that the chances increased for them to land properly.

    Of course, I made the crossbow inside a slight dead end that it was more appropriate to call an indent in the hall to encourage a person to move in the opposite direction of the crossbow, into the line of fire of crossbows.

    If those hadn''t worked, I would have had a potato mine that was under him explode to drop him into a pit.

    That was just good luck on my part that one managed to actually hit him in the head with an arrow, meaning he could now serve as bait for that last elf in the tunnels.

    The trap? It was a bluff.

    Even if he disarmed it, I had it connected to a potato mine made with one point of mana.

    That one point mana mine couldn''t damage him, but it did allow me to trigger the trap remotely and watch him from behind the crossbow.

    Yeah, these mines work great both as mines and trap activations apparently.

    So four down, one to go, and three out of my control.

    Fingers crossed!

    <hr>

    Earnest began to arm the bomb.

    At some point, he realized that he was trapped.

    Spikes, traps, mines, suffocation, this whole place was a death zone.

    He wasn''t even sure if he could get out.

    He knew he couldn''t get out.

    But he did have something.

    A bomb.

    Secret orders from the family, to use the bomb to erase any evidence of their existence, given to him especially for the high elf mission.

    It turned out they needed it after all. The core of the bomb was the core of a young dragon, s+ in quality.

    The explosion should be more than enough to take him, these tunnels, the perpetrator, and even the high elf child.

    And most of the forest too.

    But why would he care? He was already going to die.

    Fuck them.

    He was supposed to kill them, he was supposed to win and move on.

    Fuck them all.

    FUCK. THEM. ALL

    Earnest began laughing, a maniacal laughter, cackling as his eyes bulged and his heart rate went insane. The elf was unaware of a giant black clawed hand emerging from the shadow underneath him.

    The hand lunged forward, grasping the mans hand, crushing it, causing it to drop the bomb.

    The man tried to scream, only for another to crush his windpipe.

    He reacted immediately pulling his dagger out with his free hand, trying to stab the hand, only for the dagger to crack upon impact.

    His other hand was broken mercilessly, before the hands grasped his head.

    snap

    A quick twist and Earnest is gone, with the hands silently pulling the bomb into the shadow, before pushing the man face forward into a set of stakes, before finally dissipating into the shadows.

    <hr>

    Did the man fall face first into the stakes? What a stupid way to die. The blood loss from his feet must''ve caused him to collapse face first into the stakes then.

    Lucky I guess.

    What should I do now then?

 Chapter 25:They Come From Above

    What to do, what to do...

    Yeah, I have to consider where I''ll go from here carefully.

    On one hand, all 5 that entered are dead.

    On the other hand, there are still 3 of them running around above ground beyond my grasp.

    I could leave the spot I''m in and go into the tunnels with the intention of gathering all the materials I bought with the points, because they''re definitely worth something, and most still seem perfectly usable.

    Sure, some were produced with mana, but using this "storage" the system provides I could always reuse these resources without use of mana.

    I''m not a waste thrift after all.

    However, that also exposes me to the possibility that the child''s pursuers will follow me into the tunnels. I''m not a fast turtle and running is to my disadvantage.

    Oh, the kid wants a cherry.

    Here you go.

    It''s amazing that the child has been this patient so far, though I''ve been lulling her with my mental abilities to keep her quiet.

    So should I run, or stay put until reinforcements arrive...

    Bang!

    And that sounds like my signal to flee.

    <hr>

    "You sure this is where the energy is radiating from?" asked one of the scouts worriedly. "I''m not sure we''ll have enough time to kill the child if we miss them this time. The two guards are nearly at this location. "

    The eldest of the group looked towards the one who had led them here since they were the only one with accurately trained mana sight. "Well?" he snapped.

    The elf nervously looked around before confirming. "The source of that energy seems to be here, if this concentration is anything to go by. And there is this huge concentration of life mana, so no, maybe it''s a cicada nest." He ended sarcastically.

    Before the second elf can respond however, the nervous one becomes a bit worried as he changes tones. "Guys, I think he''s doing something right now, the mana is starting to-"

    Bam!

    A huge explosion of dirt occurs, blinding them for a second as it blows into the air.

    Being B-rank elves, they recover quickly, just in time to avoid the giant silver spikes that shoot at them.

    It misses 2, but manages to hit the nervous one in the face, plunging through his eye, causing him to scream in agony, before falling over dead.

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    Out of the dirt a turtle leaps out with a cloth draped over the top of its shell, quickly grappling onto the nearest tree before swinging away.

    The child!

    "Dammit! The B-ranks are probably already on our tail now! After that damn thing!" cursed one elf as they began running after the swinging bastard, with the second in hot pursuit.

    The child was getting away!

    <hr>

    You okay ore?

    "Mmmm" Ore gurgles softly, clearly tired out from that as it begins to recede into my neck, which does lead to a very funny lopsided turtle.

    I had ore shoot spears of whatever ore Ore''s head is made out of in order to distract and very much piss off the elves.

    I did ask Ore to prioritize the mana sensitive elf, based off my appraisal, since he''s the most troublesome one, though it seems to have come at the cost of exhausting Ore. Crap. There goes attacker 2.

    The explosion wasn''t meant to injure them, which they both knew.

    It was just to bring in someone who could beat them in a direct fight.

    <hr>

    "There!" shouts Servante as he immediately jumps through the tree tops as Lenore quickly followed after.

    They''d been searching for the child this whole time, and yet had neither seen the child, nor encountered any of the scouts somehow.

    It had left them worrying for the worst, just hoping for a signal.

    They did encounter an exploded rabbit tunnel, which worried them, but with no trace of the child''s mana they had ignored it since the child took priority over other worrisome local issues.

    This explosion could either signify the worst for them, or it could be an immense stroke of luck.

    The two could only hope they would arrive in time.

    <hr>

    They are fast down there.

    Earl noted this as he swung, seeing the elves were in fact catching up.

    No clue if they''re the B-rank ones or the C-rank ones, but I''ll tell you that I''m sure that I can''t beat them, not in a straight fight.

    It might take them some time to wear me down, but they will do it eventually.

    Fwish!

    An arrow flies by as it attempts to cut through my vines, only to bounce off.

    I have no time to look, but I''m sure that surprised them a bit.

    Jokes on you, part of my evolution involved the hardening of all plants on my body into a wood metal hybrid, demonstrating great flexibility and great durability.

    And from what I heard, your arrows are made of ironwood.

    That''s not going to work.

    Buuut that dead end in front of me most certainly would.

    Crap

    Stopping, I slowly turn around to the astonished faces of the elven scouts as the draped cloth fell off.

    I can already see the anger on their faces, and I can only offer a mocking face in return, snickering in stupidity.

    I hadn''t really expected it to work this well, but I''m guessing the attack on their friend caught them off guard.

    Seeing the cloth, they must''ve assumed that the child was hiding on me.

    How foolish were they to fall for this simple visual trick?

    After all, the child wasn''t with me.

    <hr>

    The two guards quickly landed at the sight of the explosion, finding a huge whole in the floor, and a dying elven scout.

    "Quickly, we have to go!" Shouted Lenore, as she moved to follow the trail of blood and carnage, only to be stopped by Servante grabbing her shoulder.

    "What!?" she snapped, only to shut up as she watched a tiny little hand waive at them from the hole, connected to the hand of a very little high elf child.

    Willow was safe.

    Lenore went to quickly hug the child, relief present on her face, while Servante stared at the carnage.

    Fleeing? Not likely. Not when their target was this close.

    A distraction was far more likely.

    And if that''s the case, then someone was in danger as they protected willow by guiding away the scouts.

    The turtle perhaps? They had headed into the forest on the hunch in regards to the turtle.

    Regardless of who it was...

    They owed a debt.

    Speaking quickly with Lenore, they quickly agreed to follow the carnage, to best aid whoever had helped Willow, even if they were a turtle, and they could only hope that they weren''t too late.

 Chapter 26: Hold!

    Aargh!

    Dammit, this hurts. My shells little garden is now stained with red as blood leaks out of my shell.

    I managed to lead them on for a bit into a ravine, but ultimately we ended up in a corner against the side of a cliff, so with no way to escape, the only thing I can really do is last as long as I possibly can, hoping for reinforcements. And other less reliable methods.

    It''s been an hour or two by now and a strenuous experience the whole time, as my shell has begun showing cracks and my soles are bleeding from the effort of keeping steady.

    I''ve been doing my best to fight back, using stake strikes, using the vines to fight back, even erecting defenses in an effort to trip my foes, but none of it works quite the way I''d wanted.

    Of course not. This is only my second evolution, and these are still C-rank to B-rank foes.

    In the tunnels which I had prepared I controlled the environment and was able to use it to gain a step on them, but here in the open the advantage goes to the agile elven scouts.

    Dammit, my vines have been cut to all help, and there''s only so much regenerating that can happen from what I can tell.

    Thank goodness I''m a defense type, because had I been an agile type of fighter I likely would''ve been outpaced and cut down.

    However, what that means is that I''m essentially just sitting here and taking it all, so one would argue that this is just a drawn out form of execution.

    There''s also a chance they''re just screwing with me in frustration after failing such a mission, since they''ve been taking their time dodging and scratching my shell in what I assume is supposed to be excruciating.

    It hurts for sure.

    Not the worst pain I''ve endured, but unpleasant all the same seeing the gouge marks on my shell that my regeneration skill can''t keep up with.

    Nonetheless I must persevere.

    I will not falter.

    Death is no excuse to give up.

    Those potato mines are prepared right?

    The potato mines thanks to their subtle color and inconspicuous form, paired with their ability to be planted underground meant that I can hide them from the sight of the enemy.

    Alright then, time for one hell of a gamble.

    My vines are torn, so unfortunately I can''t use them to grapple them and drag them in, but that''s fine, they''ll work into the illusion instead. It''s not like I could''ve used them to drag in a pair of C-B ranks anyway.

    My vines flop, and I start panting slowly, letting the exhaustion seep in. That''s how you act, letting your real feelings help accentuate the acting. I am tired after all.

    So I begin backing into the side corner that they have driven me.

    "Look, he''s fleeing!"

    "Like hell he is! If I''m dying a failure because of this tree freak than he''s going too! Flee all you want you little tree pot!"

    They start advancing slowly, as if to savor this. The looks on their face are appropriate for bandits

    And so, I keep trailing back, and little by little I lure them under the cliff as my breathing grows more laboring, and the blood keeps flowing.

    Soon my shell is bumping against the back of the wall, and they''re under the cliff with me.

    I can''t help but snort at how easy this was.

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    "That! That damn thing just snorted at me! I''m going to rip its shell off!"

    No you won''t

    Confusion runs through their face as they hear a voice echo in their head.

    Boom!

    The ravine rumbles as it comes down, thanks to a little effort by my potato mines. I don''t want them able to escape after all, so a ravine happened to fit my needs to the letter.

    The confusion shits into realization. Too little too late as the rocks come tumbling down, as one of them knocks out one elf, maybe killed.

    "Damn it! Another trap! The turtle was behind them all along!"

    Yeah, took you a while. Did you think a kid planned all this?

    Anyway, it doesn''t matter anymore. Goodbye!

    boom

    A tiny boom occurs behind me as I explode a small cluster of potato mines.

    Not very explosive, but I essentially created them to take up space, and now that they''re gone, there''s enough space to lodge myself into before quickly shutting myself in.

    The elf sees me doing so but is helpless to do anything as she attempts to flee.

    I don''t really care. If she flees then she''s still no longer my problem and if she fails here and dies, then she''s still not my problem.

    I''m a lot more worried about whether I''ll survive this rockfall, since there''s a chance I won''t even get out.

    So I take one last look around the shelter I have made before going to sleep.

    Whether this will be my shelter or my tomb remains to be seen.

    <hr>

    Servante and Lenore finally arrive at where the trail wen cold, finding themself at a dead end.

    In spite of their desire to help Willow''s benefactor, they had quickly traveled back to the village and dropped off Willow before rushing back. As the guards assigned to protect her, it only made sense that they prioritized her. It wouldn''t be due for her to be killed by any surviving scouts due to carelessness.

    And if the benefactor was dead, it was probably best that the child did not see. They could tell her the turtle went back into the forest to comfort her.

    The trail ended at a huge pile of rubble, of which Servante and Lenore was sure due to the dead scout sticking out of the rubble.

    Servante analyzed the corpse. "Death by bleeding, multiple puncture wounds, likely due to the rock fall."

    Lenore nodded. "I don''t see the turtle or the other scout for that matter. You don''t suppose..."

    Servante looked at the pile of rubble, while looking for any signs of life using his mana detection spell, an efficient way of looking for living beings, though in some cases predators and fighters are more than capable of hiding theirs.

    "I can sense one living being in that rubble, though the mana signature is unsteady."

    "Alright. Where?" she asked as she walked over the pile of rubble, ready for excavation.

    Turtle or scout, either way it would be beneficial for them to dig them up. If the scout unfortunately survived, they would have a source of info in regard to who called for this attack on them, regardless of how little.

    Using her bare hands, the elf Lenore began lifting rocks, following Servante''s instructions.

    They found the other elf scout dead first, due to blunt force trauma, likely by one of the many sufficient rocks within the vicinity.

    They eventually found the turtle in a hidden enclave, likely dug by the creature itself.

    The turtle was healing, but still in a rather critical condition, so they decided to take it back to get it some first aid to speed up the healing process.

    "Looks like a bush turtle." noted Lenore as she examined the turtle, who seemed exceptionally small for his species, being little larger than the size of a child.

    Servante disagreed. "Not quite, it might look like a bush turtle, but if you look at the plant in question, it looks more like a tree rather than a bush. A forest turtle. Rarer than bush turtles, but not an uncommon variant."

    Lenore frowned as she thought about it. "That doesn''t feel right though. A E-rank monster managed to kill 2 C-rank monsters?" she narrowed her eyes as she stared down at the turtle resting in her grasp. "It''s also weird how active this turtle has been."

    Servante nodded in agreement before adding on with a frown. "Hold on, this isn''t normal wood." he noted giving it a closer look, before surprise bloomed on his face.

    "Ironwood" he said, and Lenore also looked surprise. "Really?" she questioned. "I know forest turtles come with many forms of trees like birth and oak, but I didn''t know they could have ironwood as a base."

    "They don''t" stated Servante as gears started moving in his head. "This creature... is a variant for sure." before he''d merely commented that off-handedly, but now examining the wood, he had a guess. "Ironwood forest turtles. They''re recorded in some obscure books as a documented variant of a variant, but they''re rare for sure. They''re usually killed or grabbed by private groups before they can be examined by biologists or nurtured. To think we would find one here..." he breathed in exclamation.

    Lenore shrugged. "Who cares. We promised Willow we''d bring back her savior, and we have him, so we''ll bring him. Unless someone looks really hard, they''ll mistake it for birch, and after we leave people will likely be none the wiser. It seems smart enough for that." Lenore turned to leave, with no hesitation in her actions. She didn''t want to think about consequences, just to make Willow a little happier.

    Servante nodded unconvinced but seeing no point in arguing that point decided to leave with Lenore and to head back to the village.

    And yet he was worried, very much.

    There was something weird about this creature, and now it turned out to be a variant of sorts. Was this premeditated? He didn''t know who was behind this, and now there was no evidence. Were they really so lucky.

 Chapter 27: Elven Village

    So I''m up, and I''m pretty sure I''m alive, so that''s great!

    [Yeah, you''re alive, congratulations!] Stolidus is back, sounding ever so slightly relieved.

    Oh, you do care!

    [Shut up! I just don''t want to be reassigned so soon!] He denies fervently, as he shakes his little illusionary head. Very cute

    Speaking of little heads, how''s Ore doing?

    "Good!" Ore shoots out and cheerfully responds, no longer looking nearly as tired as before.

    Thud

    Oh, there''s also an elf healer here, currently conked out.

    I think she checked out when ore popped out of my side.

    Oops. My apologies ma''am.

    Well, I think I''m going to check out and head outside.

    I''m grateful for the help, but I''m also sure that I don''t want to intrude, being a turtle monster, with some sign of sapience, but most definitely not something I''d want prowling around in my village.

    I apologize to the fainted lady as I leave the medical room and exit into the elven village.

    I mean, I leave a branch first, filled with cherries, out of politeness of course.

    And the elven village is... an elven village.

    Kind of.

    Yeah, despite being on the outskirts it''s still a village bordering more on the human side than the elven side.

    Normal houses, which are admittedly constructed with wood in the form of log houses, unlike the house constructs usually built within trees or even tree houses in more traditional elven villages. It''s not like elves don''t build houses, but one finds that houses that require one to actively disrupt the forest is not a residence that more traditional elves would approve of.

    There are some elven house constructs, but this village is an example of a village influenced by the outside influence of retired adventurer elves who have come back, bringing what they''ve learned with them.

    Oh, and most of the elves are avoiding me. They seem to be whispering and keeping a wide berth from me.

    I''m more surprised they''re not attacking me currently.

    Do they think I''m a familiar?

    No, if that were the case, they wouldn''t be that wary of me. I''m the size of a small child to them, and a form of low rank turtle in their eyes. If I were a familiar to them, the tension wouldn''t be this thick.

    [The 2 guards brought you in, but confirmed you weren''t their familiar, so you can figure the rest from there, no?]

    Yeah, I can do the math from there. They aren''t attacking since the guards brought me in, but they''re still very much wary. A monster wandering their village?

    Familiars already cause some discomfort in society, and wild monsters more so.

    Yeah, I''ll be out of their hair soon.

    Just have to find the entrance...

    Thud

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    Hmm?

    Thud

    A rock skitters by following the thud, leading Earl to look at the aggressor.

    A child.

    An elven child.

    A young boy, dressed in a simple tunic, with a little red bandana wrapped around his neck.

    The boy seems to have used his hand to throw the rocks. Well, pebbles.

    A rather cute little child were it not for his angry little face.

    No...

    He''s actually still pretty cute even with the little pout on his face.

    Is it considered courageous, bold or stupid that such a little boy would choose to confront a wild monster like this?

    Is he confident because he''s in the village? No, that requires the child to be thinking ahead. He doesn''t seem the type to plan things out, more like the bold reckless type.

    Those rocks were infused with mana, but ultimately just bounced off because I''m a defense C-rank monster.

    I suspect under different circumstances he could hurt maybe an F-rank monster like a slime. Maybe

    He''s been shouting at me for a bit, but I''ve been mostly ignoring it.

    "Monster! Get out of our town you bug ugly!"

    Yeah, stuff like that.

    I think it''s reasonable he''s upset, since this town has been under siege this whole time.

    Who knows what the child has been through this entire time?

    That doesn''t mean I don''t want to tease him though.

    No, I definitely do...

    Alright, one little cherry and...

    Toss!

    The tiny little cherry flies and boops the child in the face.

    bop

    Pause.

    His face reddens.

    "You!" he shouted, getting riled up rather easily, grabbing another pebble to throw at me.

    After that I got dragged into a pebble fight with a little child, and soon it became a fight with the children of the village, and I ended up humoring them.

    My family always said I was a bit of a pushover when it came to kids

    <hr>

    After a good hour of playing, the turtle as well as the children were all done playing, with the pebble fight devolving into a game of tag(?) and at some point the kids started treating the turtle like a miniature playground.

    The turtle even played along, creating little attachments for them to play on.

    Otherwise, it would have been fairly comical since the turtle itself was barely the size of a child.

    This obviously had the adults fairly worried.

    Fairly may be an understatement, as many were practically waiting for an outburst, and it was only by the personal assurance of the guild master that no adults came forward.

    This only worked because as an A-rank he could move and react faster than anyone else, so his personal guarantee was a better insurer of safety.

    "It is rather cute isn''t it. Shame that Willow''s asleep right now." Commented Lenore.

    Willow had been conked out after the last few weeks of excitement and was spending the last few days napping a great deal.

    She was still a child after all.

    Tiel, the guild master, was watching from a distance just as they were, and he was smiling fondly at the children. Had the turtle even tried anything, it would likely have been killed

    Servante pushes up his glasses as he continues writing down observations.

    "... humors kids..."

    "... actively protects them..."

    "... handles children well..."

    "Knows the concept of a slide..."

    Servante murmurs, as he fervently scribbles down observations.

    Lenore did have to wonder how a turtle knew what a slide was, but she could scratch that up to understanding the basic concept of sliding down a smooth curving surface.

    Still, considering the turtle''s temperament, it might just work.

    Lenore walked over to the turtle confidently, deciding to talk to them personally.

    Servante had thought that while the turtle might be smart, sapient even, it may be unlikely to understand the common tongue, so perhaps bribery would be more appropriate.

    And yet Lenore just felt instinctually that there was something special about the turtle. The way it treated the children, the way it seemed to understand some form of cultural norm as it simply ignored the nearby threats and headed for the exit, and even the way it had made a slide and vines for kids to enjoy themselves on.

    So why not give it a try?

    Lenore got on a knee in front of the turtle.

    The weird secondary silver head gave her a curious look and sniff, before being given a light prod by the main head, causing it to reluctantly pull back.

    "...Fascinating. Dominant mind..."

    "Hey, you can understand me right?" she asked softly, doing her best to not aggravate the turtle, in case she was wrong. And of course not wake the children.

    The turtle gave her a curious tilt of the head.

    "Looks like you''re wrong" came muttering in the back, but she ignored it, merely waiting for the turtle''s response.

    And for a good moment, nothing happened.

    But when it happened, it exploded.

    A mature voice rang through her head, and clearly Servante''s head, considering she could sense him tensing up from the distance.

    "Indeed, I can understand you."

    Lenore''s eyes widened slightly in shock.

    This low-rank turtle...

    was capable of telepathy?

    <hr>

    [You just love taking risks don''t you?]

    Hey, it got me places.

    [It got you killed]

    Fair, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

    Besides, if they think me not sapient, or some lower lifeform, than they will not treat me as an equal, and that''s important when talking to those who I cannot outpace or escape. They must see me as worth treating like an equal.

    [... Fair]

    So, let''s see how this plays out...

 chapter 28: Negotiations were Swift

    Lenore''s face swiftly changed back, but I still caught it. In my time as a noble, I became more aware of rapidly changing expressions, a skill that holds great importance in the world of masquerades that is the noble world.

    I expected her to be surprised of course, and now suspicious, because variants are rare enough, and frankly, I can''t actually recall the amount of monsters that could use telepathy. Most that could communicate talked. I''d talk, but I''ve found that my current vocal cords are unable to talk. Shame. That could''ve been one less gamble in this situation.

    "Good to see you can understand me. Do you have a name I could call you by?" she said, flashing the turtle a friendly smile. She was a bit suspicious, but ultimately, she doubted the turtle was a spy. Suspicious in so much of its true nature, but it was unlikely to be involved in this battle, when it would not benefit the perpetrator to make the plan needlessly complicated, bringing in extra factors where there need be none.

    The turtle had nearly risked its life as well, a risk that only an extremely devout spy would take, and if that were the case, it would continue to follow them as well.

    The turtle had a bit of an accent, one that was easily traceable to the Romana empire, which made sense since they were on the outskirts of the empire, though this led her to speculate that he was a turtle not from around here, otherwise he''d have less of a romanan accent, and more in line with the elven way of speaking.

    It also sounded very refined, and reminded her very much of a noble, a stark contrast to the flat little turtle before her.

    "My name is Earl. A pleasure to make your acquittance"

    The turtle introduced himself eloquently and even his stance seemed more proper and upright as he raised his head.

    Perhaps he just liked acting like a noble?

    That would certainly explain why he spoke with a Romanan accent rather than with an elvish one, meaning he may have purposely have learnt the way nobles spoke, though how similar it was to the real deal was a little eerie.

    "My name is Lenore and my partner over there is Servante." Servante merely nodded in acknowledgement before getting back to writing.

    "we wanted to thank you for saving the young miss during this incident."

    The turtle waived his hand in dismissal. "It is of no consequence to me. She appeared suddenly before me and gave me a chance to repay the favor of saving my life when I fell from a great height."

    "Perhaps," said Lenore. "But you were helping before this as well right? Helping to lower the number of monsters during the monster wave? That was a great help."

    "Hardly," The turtle disagreed. "With 2 B-rank knights such as yourselves and an A-rank guild master, I suspect the danger was never that great anyway."

    "How did you know about that?" interrupted Servante, and even Lenore seemed slightly more on guard, watching carefully as Earl pulled out a leatherbound book.

    "One of the scouts attacked me due to my interference. Luckily, he also had all their plans written and relevant info written down."

    Servante strode forward, grasped the notebook, and quickly ran through some of it, as his face darkened some.

    "They planned this ahead of time, even taking note of our route and all possible obstacles to their plan. Intel was leaked." He growled, while Lenore looked mildly upset.

    Earl nodded. "Probably. Unfortunately, all of the bandit fakes are dead so more info is unlikely."

    Indeed, the stupid Lenard had left a trail to pursue thankfully, or else the best they would have is conjecture. Now, they have a paper trail.

    Her eyes flickering between the turtle and the book, she smiled.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    "It seems we owe you more than we thought before."

    "No worries, I consider the debt paid." The turtle firmly denied.

    Lenore pushed anyway. "I would still like to repay the debt." She insisted.

    "We''re heading to a port town some distance away, and we were thinking, perhaps we could take you with us, and you could pick your rewards on the way there Your choice."

    "This would perhaps be a great boon for an adventurer. Unfortunately, as a turtle, I myself find such a reward unnecessary. Such thanks is unneeded. I would find myself more grateful if you were to leave me here. "

    Lenore clicked her tongue, understanding both her and the turtle both knew something was up.

    And Earl did know something was up.

    After all, I was a noble. And I knew that even a B-rank knight belonging to the royal family could easily repay me with something else. If not gold, then just bringing me a good magic stone would''ve sufficed.

    Or honestly, maybe nothing, since as a monster, normally they would''ve known nothing about the world, so the offer of a trip was pointless.

    Most monsters in a low-level forest are unwilling even, to leave their home.

    Besides, Earl already had a hunch he knew about what they wanted.

    "Fine. You''re a smart turtle Earl, a little too smart; you should know it''s not just about favor."

    "Of course. Had I thought this was purely a favor, I might''ve considered; though you haven''t actually listed the port in question."

    "You wouldn''t know the name."

    "That''s for me to decide, no?" he snapped mildly insulted.

    "Alright then; we''ll be heading to Sobek''s snout, before taking a prearranged boat to the kingdom of elves."

    "Oh HADES no! To think you would scam me that way! That is all the way across from the Romana empire!"

    "Thank you!" Called Servante, as he clearly agreed with the statement. Chances are, they had to go the long way here in order to collect the young high elf themselves.

    The empire was by no means small, covering a huge amount of Europe, dipping into Asia and Africa as well as Americas continent, with Snowsberry village being located far inland, with Sobek''s snout being a port at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea.

    That is a very long, year-long ride. If there were no problems.

    Unlikely

    Admittedly, I''m a turtle now, so a year or so shouldn''t be too much peril, but the fact remains that the year will likely be filled with perils and dangers just a little too much for fun.

    Lenore''s face turned awkward, revealing she did in fact know what that meant.

    "Well... I thought since it was only a year... and you''re a turtle... that it wouldn''t be too much for you..." she muttered awkwardly

    I gave her a very long look, letting her know that we both knew that was a load of behemoth shit.

    She sighed. "Look, Willow seems to really like you. And, she''ll have to deal with this the whole year, so I was hoping you could come along and keep her company."

    "You and I both know how dangerous this will be with a high elf in the balance."

    She nodded. "I know, so how do you think this is affecting the child? She''s been an orphan her whole life, isolated and rejected, and now her life is being placed in mortal peril, with this being just the beginning."

    I''ll admit, my heart softened a little at that thought. Being an orphan, it often feels like everything is stacked against you and that the world is out to get you; being a high elf likely only accentuates that feeling.

    Perhaps she could read my face somehow, because she continued on with renewed vigor. "I understand that I''m asking a lot of you, and I can assure you that you''ll be properly rewarded for your work. Although gold probably doesn''t mean much to you, we can get you equipment and artifacts as well as potions amongst other things; stuff that you can''t get in this small village. "

    That... was tempting. It''s true that as nice as the forest was so far, it was also sparse of fun to a certain extent. I like being active after all.

    No, it''s more like I''m not used to being inactive, so I''ve already been causing nonstop havoc in this forest.

    So a tour through the empire could be great fun.

    "Regular visits to forests and dungeons. At least once a week."

    She showed no hesitation. "5 hours a week."

    "Weekly budget of 10 gold."

    She frowned a little. "10 gold a week is a lot. 6 gold."

    "Fine. And in return I''ll comfort and protect the child when you can''t"

    Lenore gave a dazzling smile. "Works for me. You want to draw a contract up or..."

    Hmm...

    I mean, how much should I reveal?

    Should I use the binding contract of Anubis?

    No, that''d probably be too much.

    Well, 6 gold a week for the elven royal family really shouldn''t be that much, so a simple contract sounds fine, perhaps bound by a simple binding contract spell.

    Pulling a piece of paper out of [shop] alongside a pen, I quickly write up the contract and terms, and imbue it with a quick binding spell.

    [ You have unlocked the spell, minor contract binding!]

    Lenore was quite surprised, though she managed to keep her face straight this time around.

    "...Understands the concept of spells..."

    "Do you agree to these terms?"

    She gave them a quick look over, noting the clean handwriting and inwardly marveling at how professional the contract was, in terms laid out, as well as the careful use of words, to avoid any loopholes, at least none that she could see.

    "I agree" she stated as she picked up the pen and signed it, with my own signature quickly following suit.

    Al right, a year long babysitting journey with a high elf.

    This will be... Exciting likely.

 Chapter 29: Wrapping Up

    The village had begun to return to normalcy, as one does after surviving a monster wave.

    People mourned of course, with 10 people dead as a result of the attempted assassination, but ultimately time passes, and people must move on.

    Reconstruction began as multiple landmarks in the village had been damaged, including the adventurer''s guild and the orphanage.

    Elves could be seen rushing back busily as they set to gathering the necessary resources to fix it all up.

    As for the kids? I was distracting them, acting as a makeshift playground in place for the current one which was unfortunately destroyed in the attack, for some reason.

    We were still here of course, as Lenore and Servante had to restock before moving on from here, and that would take a while thanks to a number of factors, including a deficit of available produce, and the distance from the nearest town, which was going to be a good while away.

    The kids were an excitable bunch, led by the kid wearing the red bandana he had played with earlier.

    Leon was apparently his name, and from what he could tell, the kid served as the leader of the kids in the village.

    During their play sessions, he would lead the group in any game they sought to play, from tag to make believe or even hide and seek, it was Leon who made the choices, watching out for the kids.

    It was also him who included Holly in play the most.

    Holly seemed isolated from the rest of the group, albeit unintentionally.

    For some reason, kids seemed to instinctively distance themselves from her.

    All but little Leon, who always made an active effort to involve the high elf child in their activities.

    He seemed able to push over this distance and always invited her to play tag, to hide and seek, and any game they played, and it was heartwarming to see her giggle and play like she did with me during the fight.

    [He just has higher mental resistance than the rest. Otherwise, he''d be like the rest.] Grumbled Stolidus.

    Doesn''t matter to me. Either way, the fact remains that he alone made that improved effort.

    So I gave him more fruit during snack time.

    The skill that produced fruit went up a level after I paid 2 skill points. A bit expensive, sure, but it was worthwhile if you ask me, to see the faces of the happy children Now I can grow cherries, bananas, apples, berries, and something called "lychee". No clue what that is.

    Speaking of snacks, I decided to offer lord Anubis some more sacrifices after the battle, and with my new variety of fruits, I''ve offered him a variety of monsters and fruits.

    It didn''t take much for them to let me leave thankfully, though I am a bit worried that someone might follow me. I am a suspicious turtle after all, so I''ve decided to venture into the rabbit tunnels to create an altar and pray.

    And praying...

    It is good to see you''re doing well my child.

    Once more, the presence of Anubis made its appearance before Earl, a vague yet definite presence in the air.

    Earl bowed his head in respect before lifting it once more.

    Lord Anubis, I wanted to offer some fruit that I''ve made to you. There are a variety of fruits and something called a lychee.

    A lychee? I haven''t had those in a long time, not since that monkey came from the east.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Ah, so the lychee is an eastern fruit then?

    Indeed. Some crazy demigod monkey brought them with him last time hoping to bribe me into allowing him a dip into the river styx.

    Something about "8th way of being invincible?" Whatever. Lychees are delicious my child.

    Try peeling off the skin and you''ll find under the harsh exterior is a delectable inside.

    Following lord Anubis'' instructions I peel off the skin, and indeed, a clear yet milky interior greets me.

    nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom

    Oh, those are good.

    indeed

    Well my lord I just wanted to offer you some fruits and a quick thank you and-

    Wait

    A tense feeling enters the area, as a silence spreads for a quick second.

    The lord seems a bit... anxious.

    Indeed, Anubis was fidgeting a bit, unsure how to break the news, as it was.

    I have something that I must confess.

    What? The way his voice wavers slightly makes me anxious, as I go through the reasons that a god would hesitate.

    Dilucius... survived the explosion

    What?

    Dilucius... survived?!

    How! I used a mana circle designed by a 9th circle magician purely made to detonate the whole mansion, powered by 4 s class crystals! How could he survive!

    Oh no.

    If he''s alive, then who knows what he''ll do to any one of my subordinates that survived.

    Did I fail to protect them!?

    Maria, what about-

    Stop

    Calm down.

    He was alive.

    I force myself to calm down, as my thoughts race up and down.

    Was?

    Was!?

    Well, I was planning to send an assassin, but ah, someone else got to him first.

    Oh thank whichever god I should thank for that then.

    I can feel that anxiety all washing out.

    Unfortunately, it''s not all finished yet.

    Don''t be happy to soon kid.

    Was it one of my subordinates? They didn''t try to kamikaze themselves right? They should know I would never want themselves to do something like that, right?

    It wasn''t one of your subordinates.

    Oh ok, good.

    It was your fianc¨¦.

    My fianc¨¦! You told me she didn''t kill herself!

    She didn''t.

    BUT YOU SAID-

    Hear me out here. It is a very interesting situation to say the least.

    Interesting?

    Well, you see-

    <hr>

    "OPEN UP IN THERE!"

    "You should listen to him you know! I am going to be your fianc¨¦ soon. If you release me know, I''ll forgive your impertinence and-"

    "Gag him!"

    "Yes, my lady!"

    "Mhmmph! M hmm hhmmph!"

    Inside a blockaded room, the bound-up body of one Dilucius can be seen squirming as it struggles to free itself of its bindings, only to be slapped hard over the head by the maid holding him underslung.

    The maid stood next to a crouched over lady, who had beautiful bronze skin, contrasting with her deep blue eyes, dressed in stealth wear that she''d never be caught in otherwise, were it not for the fact that they snuck into the mansion of her new "fianc¨¦".

    The pounding can be heard as the room shakes violently, the magic circle on the door wavering.

    "Lady Maria, are you sure about this? Once you do this, there is no coming back from this!"

    Maria swept back her curly brown hair as she furiously scribbled the incantation circle down around the whole room. "Too late to worry about that. We''ve snuck into the room of the new heir to my fianc¨¦''s position. There''s nowhere to go but down!"

    "Finished!" she exclaims.

    The magic circle opens in an explosion of energy and divinity, exposing a damp and dark staircase as an ominous air leaks out.

    Pause

    BANG BANG BANG BANG!

    The banging intensified, pushing Maria further into action.

    "Let''s go!" she grabs the maid, who in spite of her hesitancy, followed without question, both walking into the underworldly tunnel.

    Finally, the door breaks open, and the guards rush in, only to discover no one there. The room empty, with no sign of the former heir.

    They no longer existed in the overworld.

    <hr>

    The walk was a silent walk, as the spiraling staircase seemed to go on endlessly, forever and ever.

    And ever.

    And ever.

    It was a long and seemingly endless walk.

    Eventually the staircase ended, leading into a barren land, plagued by hordes of spirits.

    Misshapen bodies, the elderly, bodies depicted in mangled and horrid states, all in transparent unnatural forms.

    A headless dog passed by them, following a young spirit.

    The spirits stood in line after line, seemingly waiting for something.

    OOOoooooohhhhhm

    An ominous wind flew by, as the spirits all stood to attention, ranging in their expressions from anxious to excited, hopeful to hopeless.

    Maria was amongst the former, excited while her maid anxious, and Dilucius struggled harder than ever.

    A boat sailed along the winding river before stopping in front of the hordes of the dead.

    Upon the boat loomed an ominous entity in a cloak, slowing down the boat in front of them.

    Without hesitation Maria strode forward as her maid helplessly followed.

    The hooded figure stared at them quietly as they approached.

    "Dilucius" Charon noted. "you are here sooner than I expected. But not by much." He added that last part jeeringly.

    Turning to face Maria, the hooded figure paused, it''s aura becoming chaotic, as if the entity was conflicted.

    For her, he bowed in respect.

    "Lady Maria of house Sobile. You are here... much earlier than I expected."

    <hr>

    YOU TOLD ME SHE WASN''T DEAD!

    SHE ISN''T! NOT TECNICALLY

 Chapter 30:6890, 6892

    HOW DID SHE EVEN KNOW THE WAY TO THE UNDERWORLD!

    She went to a temple of Orcus apparently, and managed to bribe them for the spell to open the gateway to Hades.

    Frown.

    Orcus. The minor god who hunts contract breakers as well as those who attempt to escape the underworld. Of course he would hold a spell that opens the underworld.

    What happened next?

    Well...

    <hr>

    How did you even get down here? Anubis looked bewildered.

    "Orcus showed me how." At that statement Anubis'' expression changed to exasperation.

    Figures. Well, it seems you''ve brought me a gift.

    With a click of his fingers, the bindings on Dilucius disappeared.

    Before he could speak, Dilucius was bound once more, this time in an appropriate mummy binding.

    Normally, I''m not allowed to judge people unfairly, as the lord of judgement.

    He paused. An unnatural grin growing on his face

    Thanks to the grace clause though, I get to choose your punishment myself.

    Guards! As he roared, two spirits in armor arrived, and at his order, apprehended Dilucius.

    You wanted to rule, did you not? Very well, you''ll be sent to work under Hel for the next thousand years in Tartarus. You''ll even get to be a marquis.

    The mummified Dilucius struggled, but he could not stop his fate.

    <hr>

    The grace clause?

    The grace clause. Usually, gods must act within certain parameters, as prescribed in the religion, but once a generation we may choose someone we may specifically spoil and shower with gifts. They''re not saints per say, but there''s no name for them really. It''s called the grace clause. Unfortunately, as the god of judgement and contracts, there wasn''t much I could spoil you with, but in this regard, I could give you something.

    Thank you, lord Anubis. Having a second life if already blessing enough, as well as you taking the time out of your day to talk to me.

    ... And I''m sorry about getting mad about this, it''s just that-

    No worries child. I understand your anxiety in regard to your fianc¨¦. One gets worried when the people they care about get into imminent and reckless danger.

    <hr>

    Now, as for you.

    Anubis turned his gaze upon the two other intruders, causing the maid to squirm ever so nervously, while Maria strode forwards without hesitation.

    "I''ve come to take Earl back!" she announced.

    Hoh? And what makes you think you can do that? Anubis asked curiously, as he rested his head upon his hand.

    "I read that Orpheus in ancient times was allowed to bring back his wife by persuading the lord of the dead with music."

    And you think you can do that child? He asked, amused by the way the child acted. How bold to compare oneself to an infamous musician of old.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    "I can try, can''t I? What do I have to lose!?" She stated confidently, a bluff considering the chaos she left behind.

    Anubis narrowed his eyes in amusement. She could just leave afterwards, but still, the audacity.

    Well, as much as I''d like to humor you child, I regret to inform you that Earl is not here.

    "What?" she wavered, her momentum lost.

    Your princess as you''ve described, is in another world.

    "What?"

    He''s already back in the overworld, Midgard. Back in the land of the living.

    "But usually it takes a year for someone to reincarnate, and Earl was a great man, he did great things! Shouldn''t he have gone to Elysium? Valhalla? Folkvangr? "

    Anubis shrugged. New program. Certain unfortunate people get chosen, sent to the overworld with their memories intact and are reincarnated as monsters to live a second life. They call it a system or something.

    Maria lost all momentum for a second, just pausing, unsure what to do.

    This didn''t last long.

    "Does this system have a way to track other participants."

    Anubis paused, as his eyes read through an unseen document.

    He hesitated.

    Yes, you could find other players within this system, but there''s no guarantee, and it''ll be a trial amongst trials, you do not get to choose your race nor your location-

    "I don''t care. I''m willing to take that risk." She said without hesitation, and the maid soon followed suit.

    "Wherever my master goes, I''ll follow."

    Anubis squinted at the two before chuckling.

    Very well. Usually, you have to be chosen by the system or recommended by a deity. And luckily, you have someone to recommend you.

    And with a waive of his hand, they''re gone.

    <hr>

    ...So she''s in the system now?

    Indeed. Though, where the two have went is beyond me. You would have to ask the system

    Stolidus?

    [Sorry, that''s beyond me as well. Currently, the system has a rule of not sharing player locations to other players. I can tell you, however, that both players are now alive as players 6890 and 6892 respectively.]

    Good, good, that''s good to hear.

    Maria will do fine.

    Such confidence in a child who has never ventured into the greater world, her house being her own prison.

    And yet she managed to thrive, excelling, and even managing to break into another noble''s house, inspite of her limitations.

    I can''t disagree with that

    Besides, she also has Nessie, her maid.

    Nessie will protect Maria as best as she can.

    That maid is talented I suppose.

    ... You''re not mad, are you?

    Of course not! I''m upset, but I know it''s not your fault.

    Maria has always been strongwilled.

    I just didn''t realize that meant that she would go as far as she did.

    Mmm, that''s good to hear. Well, I wish you the best of luck, my child.

    And to you as well, my lord.

    Anubis'' presence fades, leaving me alone to ponder these problems.

    Sigh.

    I may as well go collect the leftover equipment and bodies as well as equipment, so that I may best explain my disappearance as well as reap as much as I can from this situation.

    <hr>

    Bzzzt.

    The connection gone, Anubis sighs, very much annoyed with someone close by.

    This is all your fault you know. Anubis grumbled, as a raspy hoarse laughter echoed in the chamber, for Orcus the hound entered the room.

    Orcus, the hunting hound. If Anubis and Cerebrus are the guard dogs of Hades, then Orcus is the hunting hound, sent out to retrieve the lost souls who do not come willingly.

    His priests are thus appropriately, exorcists and paladins who often seek to extinguish the undead, to see that they properly head to their final destination, all under the watchful eye of the hunting hound Orcus.

    It''s also his followers who pursue those who have broken contracts and greater oaths.

    They were really stretched out.

    Orcus was always... a sight.

    A tusked, flaming skull of a beast set upon the body of an ogre, he''d always stood out amongst the dogs of the underworld, being one of the more feared and less revered.

    Considering Anubis'' status amongst the people, as well as Cerberus, that basically meant he had few followers.

    The deity laughed.

    I had little other choice. Had I denied her what she wanted, she would have sought less... proper means.

    You know that would not bode well, not with her will, not with her status.

    Anubis sighed, agreeing with this. Indeed, he knew Maria''s will.

    At least, he thought he had. Clearly, he had underestimated the girl.

    However, it was with such will that he was sure that Maria would survive, and that he would seek out Earl once more.

    She would be fine, with the support she has.

    Though...

    Really brother Orcus? Did you need gold that badly?

    Orcus snorted.

    It''s hard to track all the oath breakers of the world when I barely make more than the average marquis.

    I could give you a loan.

    That''s embarrassing. Orcus rattled

    Sigh.

    Little brothers. Either too over reliant on hand me downs, or too stubborn to accept it.

    <hr>

    On a sandy beach, far far away

    Two eggs stood, one significantly bigger than the other.

    Crack!

    Crack!

    [Welcome, player 6890]

    [Welcome, player 6892]

 Chapter 31: Departing The Village

    Returning to the elven village, I encountered Lenore hanging out by the entrance, seemingly waiting for someone.

    Probably me.

    I hope they haven''t allowed Willow to escape again, though if they did, I suspect they would be out looking instead of standing here.

    My guess is confirmed when she walks up to me casually.

    "You''re back! I see you''ve finished up whatever you needed to finish up at home." She noted as she stared at my back, as I nodded.

    On my back are some of the things I gained from looting the bodies that remained. Not all of it, of course, but enough to avoid suspicion.

    It''s possible that they managed to trace me without my own awareness, but considering I was convening with a god, there''s little chance they managed to trail me without Anubis himself noticing them.

    So, I''m pretty sure that I managed to do my thing without them noticing.

    Good.

    <hr>

    After that, another few days passed by quickly before the carriage was fully stocked.

    I couldn''t help but notice there was no horseman, something that admittedly I probably should''ve noticed earlier.

    And once Lenore hopped onto the front of the carriage, I picked up quickly that Lenore was the one leading the carriage.

    The horses were monsters.

    Horsetail stallions, a D-rank monster, considered weaker relatives of other plant-based horse monsters such as kelpie, they''re considered a commodity amongst nobles and common people, much like many horse type monsters viable as carriage pullers.

    Their horsetails are made of horsetail. Well, that and their manes are made of horsetail, and they happen to be healing type monsters, often traveling in herds or even joining other herd type monsters as well, the types that travel across the land, regardless of mana density.

    It may not seem that grand when one considers them merely as D-ranks, but what they must be seen as, instead, is a rare commodity since familiars are rare amongst adventurers, and especially so amongst the average people.

    It''s an expensive expenditure to raise and strengthen horse monsters to merely increase their speed and stamina, when one considers the fact that they must hire adventurers who they have to trust will not get the horses killed, take them for the black market, or be remotely competent.

    It''s the kind of thing only the influential can do, though I wonder why the elven royal family didn''t send something stronger.

    Perhaps to avoid attention? If that was the case, then why place the royal emblem on the carriage.

    Wonder if it''s a case of sabotage and purposeful misdistribution of resources.

    No point in overthinking it, since I likely won''t be able to guess the situation by pure guesswork and poor intel.

    Getting up into the carriage was a minor task, which involved me climbing into the carriage by way of vines.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The royal carriage was much more befitting of the title, as it was one of those spatially compressed carriages, which was a far more expensive item than a spatial pouch.

    I can see a kitchen as well as three beds, and a bathroom, all magic stone powered, of which I assume are higher class magical stones, or even cores. Whatever the case was, it didn''t look cheap.

    There''s even a painting made by Ludith here, one of the greatest artists of the last century. I remember seeing that one bid for platinum coins. It was an intense bidding session.

    Wow.

    At least I won''t have to worry about a bumpy ride, given that spatially compressed carriages like this one are also known for the fact that there is no recoil to the riders

    There wasn''t that much fanfare as we left, which makes sense, given that the arrival of this carriage was followed by a wave of monsters, which was then revealed to be orchestrated by a group of elves seeking to kill the person who had come in the carriage. It doesn''t take much to suspect the monster wave was unnatural, and that they had been caught up in the matters of nobility.

    The kids aren''t here either, seemingly having gone off elsewhere, which is weird, given I thought at least Leon would try giving Holly a good sendoff.

    Nonetheless, I left them a basket of fruits and instructions on how to eat them so the kids could enjoy them. I wrote it both in basic elvic and the empire''s main language to make sure they can eat it without problem.

    It was fun playing with kids again, something I didn''t get to do often as a noble, with all the work I had to do.

    Now that I''m not a noble anymore, I guess I''ll be able to do a lot more stuff in my free time.

    What a refreshing concept!

    To this thought, Earl departed Snowsberry village with renewed expectations about how much fun this trip around the empire would be.

    <hr>

    Just as Earl had expected, the ride inside the carriage was a smooth ride.

    What he hadn''t expected, however, was a stowaway.

    A very familiar stowaway, in fact.

    One with a red bandanna.

    Yes, somehow Leon had stowed onboard the carriage, and that... sounds like trouble.

    Looking at the stowaway I couldn''t help but feel sorry for the village. I was wondering where the kids went.

    Perhaps they went in search for their missing leader.

    Who had managed to sneak onboard the carriage somehow.

    We found him at some point when he fell out of an ingredients box, hiding amongst the radishes.

    Honest to the god of truths, apparently neither Lenore nor Servante had noticed the elven child sneaking onto their carriage.

    Servante, I get. His nose is buried in books and notes most of the time, and I can see him closing his mind off to the sorroundings. ANd he''s a mage, mages are known to be less instinctual and reactive.

    Fine.

    But Lenore?

    She''s a B-rank swordsman! How did the child sneak by!

    Her response?

    "I don''t know."

    That''s all she had to say for herself. Frustrating.

    Noticing my face, Lenore couldn''t help but pout and complain.

    "What about you, huh!? How did you miss the child? Huh?"

    Well, I''m a turtle.

    But I was a noble, who always had one ear open though.

    Damn it! I feel so embarrassed right now! Even if they don''t know, I know that I was a full-blown human and an actual warrior, so for me to miss them as well really does feel bad.

    Sigh

    Ah, well, putting that aside, what do we do now?

    Obviously, we''ll have to go back and inform the village, since a kid has run off, and we don''t want them thinking the kid died.

    It''s only been a few hours, so going back to inform them shouldn''t take long.

    Servante seems pretty dead set on sending the kid back. "We don''t need any more luggage tagging along." He deadpanned, and the kid''s ears drooped.

    Mean.

    Lenore seemed more hesitant, and honestly, so am I.

    I think Willow could use a companion for this trip, and honestly, from what I can tell, Lenore and Servante make good guards, but not good guardians, if you catch my drift.

    And I may be here, but I''m also a turtle. I suspect that''s not the same as a friend, and with most children likely to eschew the child, Leon seems like a good choice.

    Can I, a monster and an adult, really fulfill the role of a friend for this child?

    Maybe that''s why Lenore''s hesitant to say no.

    Perhaps she thinks Leon could be a good companion to Holly.

    Hmmm...

    And I mean, while we''re out here, I could take him out with me to train some, and he could even go back with me after this whole trip is over.

    But it''s also going to be dangerous, accompanying a high elf child.

    However, the world has always been dangerous, and the boy already dreamed of being an adventurer, so perhaps getting him started now would be better than later.

    Well, we have to go back either way, so I suppose I''ll have time to think about the choice I''ll make.

    Should we take Leon with us, or return him to the village?

 Chapter 32: Leon

    We had to turn back and head back to the village to alert the guildmaster that one of the orphanages charges has managed to escape his grasp somehow.

    As for the little escapee?

    He had at first resisted, insisting they keep going.

    There''s no reason, they would be fine without him!

    The others would do just fine!

    He was an orphan, no one would notice!

    He''s already 11!

    Please!

    Pretty please!

    He promises he''ll be good!

    We ignored him of course. In spite of his claims, the boy had already left a hole in that village, if the anxious looks shared on that last day were any indication.

    Even if they did want to take him along, they couldn''t just take him, lest the village go crazy looking for the brat.

    The boy settled down eventually, giving up, and instead turning his focus back to the inside of the carriage, and promptly ran crazy.

    It was... amusing.

    Seeing the more calm, reserved child be dragged around by the loud excitable one. A familiar sight I used to see as I surveyed my own territory.

    Why, I even used to be the excitable child, dragging Maria out of her miserable old room.

    It''s funny to think I was the energetic one, and she, the reserved one.

    Could you imagine that?

    [Yes. You just infected her.] Stolidus said pointedly.

    Infect is not the right word. I merely encouraged her to be more active, and not to be so shut in.

    [Yes, infect.]

    Whatever.

    The kids were limited in what they could do in the carriage. The carriage may have been the size of a small cottage on the inside, but there is only so much one can do with a space of that size.

    They were forbidden from playing tag, likely to avoid any incidents of falling out of the carriage as it moved along.

    They played multiple games of hide-and-seek, with the rounds ending relatively quickly

    <hr>

    The villagers were very relieved to see their lost child.

    They were so relieved that they even hugged him before smacking him over the head and launching into a good scolding.

    Lenore and I got called into the adventurer''s guild to talk with the guildmaster.

    The rumored A-class elf, occasionally spoken about in the circles of nobles. I''d never really talked to the man before.

    This''ll certainly be interesting.

    <hr>

    Tiel was a rather withdrawn man, and a rather similar scenario he had encountered before.

    Many guild masters who were retired adventurers were like this.

    None of them really wanted to remain in the adventurer business, but were "convinced"

    In the case of Tiel, he had been pursued for centuries, and only through great efforts had he managed to fade into obscurity.

    I knew him because he was a friend of my grandfather, a story I often heard from the older servants who had stuck around.

    And he was just as they had described.

    Calm, and collected. He felt less like an adventurer, and more like a nobleman, and apparently, he who always stood in stark contrast to grandfather, that wild bastard.

    According to others of course. I only met him when I was really young, don''t have many memories of him.

    I was currently meeting Tiel alone, as Servante and Lenore had came in first, and I afterwards.

    I was curious why they discussed things separately from me, but I assume its classified stuff.

    Putting down his teacup, the elven guildmaster spoke.

    "I must thank you for looking after Leon for me. I apologize, he can be quite the troublemaker."

    ''The child was of no problem to me. Leon is excitable, but he is a bundle of joy.''

    Tiel nodded as he heard this. "Yes he is.

    Chuckle

    " We found a note written by him hidden in the kitchen, announcing his plans. By the time we had realized he had snuck on board your carriage, you were already long gone. I was considering sending a message to any upcoming towns on your passage, but thankfully he has returned safely."

    ''Indeed.''

    The guildmaster tapped the chair as he spoke carefully.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "I do have a favor I''d like to ask of you, sir..."

    ''Earl''

    The elf''s eyebrows shot up. "What an interesting name." he commented.

    ''I was named by an interesting man.''

    One of grandfather''s jokes apparently.

    Tiel chuckled. "It certainly sounds like it."

    Tiel said it straight. "I want you to watch over Leon."

    Huh, I thought I would have to fight with him to bring a kid with us, but it now seems we''ll be doing the opposite.

    ''That hardly seems safe guild master. You must recognize the danger traveling with a high elf being escorted to the secret kingdom is. To request me to bring a child along is practically inviting danger to the child. The priorities of the knights are-''

    "-Not whom I am asking." Tiel interrupted. "I''m asking you to protect the child. I understand you have a contract to assist and protect the high elf child, but between the two of us, I think you understand that your efforts will not be as productive as theirs."

    ''Perhaps, but I do not believe that bringing another child would be conducive to this issue and may even increase the difficulty of the mission. An extra child is an extra burden. Say nothing of the excess danger to the child''

    I deadpan, because there''s no reason for me to bring an extra burden, and there''s no reason for Tiel to encourage to bring a child with me into a danger zone. I get what he''s suggesting, but I want to know why.

    I''m already being paid well enough, with the 6 gold, more than enough for a turtle who no longer needs clothes and now has a shop based off of me killing things decreasing the value of money for me.

    The elf guildmaster sighed. "Normally, you''d be correct, and that this would be too dangerous for the child, but in his case, this is for his own good."

    That causes me to perk my ears.

    For his own good?

    ''What makes you think so? From what I understand, he''s an orphan. His whole life is here. There''s no good reason for him to leave now, much less his own good.''

    He can afford to wait and train until he''s reached an appropriate age.

    Tiel looks out the window as he uses his stir spoon to mix a little sugar into the tea.

    "Leon is a bright energetic child. A little too energetic actually." he murmured as he chuckled.

    "Usually, for the orphans, we raise them here for a good few years until they reach 18, whereupon we send a group of adventurers out with the young elves, where they will begin to learn about the outside world under the guidance of the older adventurers, before the old adventurers return home, leaving the orphans in the city with the necessary knowledge to survive."

    Tiel paused.

    "That was the plan for Leon."

    He sighed, as exhaustion could be heard, practically pouring out of every word.

    "This is the tenth time he''s attempted to leave the village early."

    Tenth!

    Seeing my surprised expression, Tiel laughed. "Yes, ten." he affirmed. "He''s gotten better at hiding and escaping each time, getting further and further away from the village. It just so happened that this time you were the perfect escape in his eyes."

    Yes, it would''ve been the perfect escape, given the carriage is pulled by monsters, it''s faster than the average. He probably went farther than he did than any of the last 9 times.

    Still.

    ''He couldn''t have thought he''d escape the eyes of the royal guard did he? They are B-rank, regardless of their own individual faults. There''s no way he thought he could escape a group of B-ranks, much less A-ranks!''

    To this, Tiel gave a pinched sour smile.

    No.

    ''Has he perhaps...?''

    "Yes, he''s managed to avoid my eyes more than once before. It''s been something of a small miracle really."

    Ah.

    So he wasn''t let on, he just genuinely managed to escape onto the carriage.

    Wow.

    We found him eventually of course, but that''s likely due to the fact that he was locked inside the carriage, unlike the forest, with less space to maneuver.

    Tiel continued to talk.

    "Unfortunately, it''s become quite clear that Leon desires to leave, and at this point, I don''t know how much longer we''ll be able to keep him here, much less until the day he reaches 18. The only thing more dangerous than him going with you would be for the child to escape on his own and ending up in a bigger city without guidance. I''m sure you understand that the real danger in cities doesn''t involve escaping monsters."

    Indeed, it''s true that in big cities, the real danger is stranger danger, especially for elves, much less ones who were children.

    I could see where he''s going.

    ''Could you not just have an adventurer leave early and take Leon with them?''

    Tiel shrugged. "We considered that," he admitted "but that idea was shut down once we realized how difficult it would be to keep track of him. I''m better at keeping an eye on such a child, but I''m an A-rank. How many elves could we send to keep an eye on one child before it becomes crippling for this village? This village is mostly comprised of retired elven adventurers and young ones training to head to bigger cities. "

    He indicated outside.

    "You have two very educated B-rank elven knights who can keep an eye on Leon. And you." he said as he indicated towards me.

    "You''re quite observant for a low rank turtle monster. While others have a hard time keeping an eye on the kid, you''ve been better than most."

    I can agree with that.

    As a noble who personally went to clear out the bandits on my own, I often had A-ranks under my command, and even fought a few on my own; as a result I''ve gotten good at keeping an eye on those who like to slink away.

    Tiel''s not wrong. However...

    ''You haven''t acknowledged the danger the child would face.''

    "Of course not. After all, you''re there." he said simply, much to my confusion.

    ''What does that mean?''

    tap

    The clinking of ceramic could be heard as he put down the teacup.

    His eyes bore into me.

    "Cannonball." he said, as unease rose in me as I figured out what he meant.

    ''hmm?''

    I play dumb.

    It''s ineffective.

    "You were the one who''s been disrupting the forest recently in the last few weeks, haven''t you?" he said, with such assurance that I cannot help but agree.

    ''Yes.''

    Damn adventurer intuition.

    He nodded.

    "You''re not very old from what I can tell, nor very strong currently, but you''ve grown exceptionally fast. I couldn''t find any particular monster that matches your two heads or the two vines that protrude from that little sapling on your back, but I can think of a certain turtle monster that grows here: moss turtles. And those have only begun hatching in the last 2-3 months. In that time you''ve managed to reach the point of being able to fight multiple C-ranked adventurers and communicating with humans."

    He narrowed his eyes.

    "It''s very suspicious, I must admit; but if you had any negative intent you wouldn''t have helped the child in the first place. The plan of those rogue elves would''ve went that much smoother, especially with your aid."

    This one is smart. A little too smart.

    Well, considering how he''s managed to avoid nobility troubles, I suppose that fits.

    ''Is that enough for you to bet on?''

    I ask, making sure he is sure of his choice.

    Tiel nodded without hesitation.

    "It benefits you too you know."

    Hmm?

    ''And how is that?''

    "When the high elf is escorted back to the secret kingdom of the elves I doubt they''ll let you in. You''ll likely be turned away at the boat, alongside Leon. Monsters without collars aren''t allowed to run rampant in most cities, so it wouldn''t be a bad idea to have Leon act as your faux master. With the many misconceptions about elven lifespan, they''ll be more wary of him and you, and the two of you could enjoy exploring the empire for a long time. You are both long lived after all."

    That''s not a bad plan actually. Quite convincing actually, and quite cunning to seal the deal with that.

    ''Very well then, as long as you have gained permission from the other two, I agree.''

    I extend my vine, shaking Tiel''s hand to indicate my consent.

    Money would be valuable, but truthfully, the ability to use the child as a cover for my existence in cities was far more useful than any piece of gold they could offer me.

    Tiel smiled as he sipped his tea.

    "Wonderful. Then, before we talk about payment, I wanted to give you a weapon."

    ''A weapon?''

    What''s this about a weapon.

    "Yes, I couldn''t help but notice the closest thing you have to a weapon are those vines and spells, however, if you''re going to assist in the protection of the high-elf child, I think it be appropriate if I give you an appropriate weapon, yes? It would be useful in protecting Leon as well."

    I''ll admit, a bit beyond my expectation.

    ''Sure, I suppose.''

    It went even further beyond my expectations when I saw...

    "This belonged to an old adventurer friend of mine..."

    Grandfather''s spear!?

 Chapter 33: Grandpa you bastard!

    Receiving the spear was quite the shock of course.

    It was grandfather''s spear.

    THAT DAMN THING!

    I feel less pleased and more annoyed seeing the thing, something I had only seen in paintings.

    I also saw plenty of fakes from distant relatives of the family who had tried to use it for legitimacy.

    Broke all of them I did, but seeing another of its kind wasn''t pleasant.

    This likeness had come to haunt my dreams of bureaucratic nightmares, where I had to endlessly disprove the legitimacy of others.

    It was made worse by how basic the spear looked, like a basic spear with a particularly large tooth as its tip, and the handle made of an unknown golden rod like item.

    Apparently, grandfather had sent that spear to an old friend for "safekeeping" after his death.

    If you ask me, he was just being troublesome again. My butler was right, he was a great old pain in the ass.

    I still took it of course, because that spear was an S-rank spear.

    Yeah, S-rank.

    To this day, I''m not quite sure how our family gained it, but there was a reason it was regarded as a family heirloom, something passed down in the family, which gave it such legitimacy.

    And then grandfather made it disappear, which led to so much ensuing chaos.

    There are even times I wonder if my parent''s deaths were in part due to the spear.

    I thanked Tiel for the spear before leaving the room as politely as I could manage.

    Let''s see if I can nudge the route to the boat in direction of my old territory so I can drop this off with whomever has taken up my position, if only to stabilize the territory.

    Not like I don''t ever want to see the damn thing ever again or anything.

    <hr>

    Watching the turtle walk off with the spear, he was sure it was the right choice judging by the turtle''s reaction.

    It had a strong reaction, though it wasn''t quite what he thought it''d be.

    Frankly, Tiel had never planned to gift the spear to the turtle, but to pay him in gold.

    The spear, had been meant to go to Earl, his old friend''s last surviving descendent.

    After his death, the old fart had sent the spear to him with a request.

    Hold the spear until one of his descendants proved themselves worthy of the spear.

    Doyle might''ve been a moron and a bit of a buffoon, but he was a responsible buffoon.

    No doubt he knew the conflict that would erupt after his death.

    The fact his only son died leaving behind his grandson shortly thereafter was proof enough.

    Tiel had wanted to go to Earl, but bound by his obligation to hide the spear, and with the understanding that Doyle''s butler was a good man that would carefully watch the child.

    As the boy grew, and accrued more and more feats, Tiel grew more and more sure that Earl was the right choice, sure that the spear should go to him.

    The plan had been to wait for the boy to reach 20 before gifting him the spear, to establish him as the true head of the family. He had managed to do well for so long.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Another year or so should''ve been fine. To an elf, it was like another day.

    Unfortunately, tragedy took Doyle''s whole family this time, as an explosion killed Earl, alongside everyone in the mansion, with only one survivor.

    There were whispers to the contrary, but those did not matter.

    Earl was gone, and thus he was left without a worthy candidate.

    And frankly, knowing the likely cause of what killed his old friend''s only grandson, he was uninterested in giving them the spear. Unwilling even. They had failed to not only avenge his dear friends lost son, but had likely killed his grandson as well. Tiel had no good will for them.

    So when the spear started reacting to the presence of the turtle, Tiel found it, a small chance for revenge, and a way to properly send Leon off to his dream journey.

    This way, that family may never get to see the spear, and the spear would likely be forgotten and lost, forever attached to a random turtle.

    Or perhaps the guards may try to buy the spear off the turtle.

    Tiel didn''t really care, as long as the spear was beyond the reach of that family.

    Tiel didn''t know Earl''s plans of course, and even if he did, he likely still would''ve sent off the spear.

    It had responded to Earl''s presence after all.

    <hr>

    I put the spear into my inventory.

    A spear of this magnitude would attract attention, attention I did not want. I''m sure even my new traveling companions may be tempted to finesse the spear, and if that did not work, take it.

    Better to keep it in secret, a last resort for desperate usage. I knew the thing contained terrible magic, and it was believed the tip itself was from those creatures that lived in Australia, those "kaiju".

    Whatever the case may be, it made for a good trump card.

    Lenore was a bit curious about what we were talking about. I mentioned the talk about protecting Leon, and how I had been offered some gold in return for my promise.

    I suspect that Servante knows I got something more, or at least believes so, but he will not likely prod, thinking it C-rank item or maybe even B.

    Nothing major would a guildmaster give a turtle, and yet this one received awn S-class spear, something that Servante couldn''t imagine.

    So I''m sure I''m safe on that front.

    <hr>

    We were off the next day.

    There was a tearful send-off, with many kids sobbing as they sent off Leon.

    I kind of felt bad about that.

    phhhhbt!

    I was displeased with the occasional child who got snot on my shell(because it''s really sensitive, eww) but I let it pass. They''re just children.

    The adults are not nearly as emotional, but they do seem somber, and seem like they''re sending someone off to die more than saying goodbye.

    Probably because they''re sending a child off to escort a high-elf.

    As far as they''re concerned, they basically are sending off the child to die.

    I can''t assure them of anything, but I can promise that I''ll do my best to protect the child.

    This is the promise I made as we waved at them, watching those heartfelt farewells to the child fading into the distance.

    I guess our journey begins here then!

    <hr>

    knock knock

    "Come in." Comes the cool voice as the door quietly opened, the butler entering the quiet room.

    "My Lord" the old elf bowed as he walked in.

    "Report." came the curt voice.

    The lord in the room was looking out the window, seemingly inspecting his territory.

    He paid the butler no mind, because he already suspected the outcome.

    "We''ve yet to receive any reports from the agents my lord."

    "They''re likely all dead." the lord commented calmly as he played with a tool in his hand.

    Seeing it, and seeing the blinking light, the butler understood immediately.

    They used the bomb.

    A monster core, magically bound to a far weaker, f rank core.

    The result was that when the bomb went off, so too did the F rank magic stone, causing the device to begin blinking, to signify the use of the suicide explosion.

    The butler''s eyebrows crinkled. "So they''re failed then."

    The lord shrugged as he put down the device. "I had hoped that we could kill the child early on, but I also expected this as a possible outcome. They were only B-ranks and C-ranks, with an A-rank in the vicinity."

    He turned and walked over to a map he had pinned up in the room.

    Sip

    He took a small sip of wine.

    "It''ll likely be a few weeks before we find out if the high elf is dead or alive. Send the traveling merchants to investigate the area."

    Nothing blatant, traveling merchants were always a good way of subtly investigating things.

    "Of course my lord."

    Tracing the map, the elven lord gave another command. "They''ll be traveling to the boat, so I expect them to take this route, which means we''ll likely see them arriving at Pittendsdale in a week''s time. We''ll place the majority of our forces there"

    "My lord what if they take another route?" the old elf couldn''t help but express himself, to make sure to eliminate all ways for the convoy to escape them.

    "It''s unlikely" the lord commented as he sloshed the wine in its glass. "This is a race against time. The last thing they would do is dally, knowing that chances are, all the families would see them dead. I doubt we''ll be the only ones sending assassins, and they should know as much as well."

    He paused, contemplating this.

    "Very well. Send scouts into these areas." he said as he placed pins into the nearby areas surrounding Pittensdale, as well as a few far out areas, like Skip village.

    "We should take no chances. The further they get into the empire, the bigger the rebound will be. In order to avoid the brunt of it-"

    Looking at the picture of a child in his room, he quietly ripped it into shreds.

    "-The child must die now."

 Book 2: Chapter 1: Thank the lord for my other head!

    I''ve always thought kids were a lot of fun.

    Whenever my relatives came over(the ones I didn''t hate or suspect) and they brought over their children, I couldn''t help but adore them, and I even slipped from the stern lord image I had worked so hard to cultivate, and I used to enjoy sharing stories of monster conquests and clearing out bandits dens, even showing off loot.

    I started keeping loot, once I found out how that fascinated kids. Stories are best paired with the stuff. Scales of a wyvern, blade of a bandit, a roaming thief''s most favored ring, one to rule them all.

    I started being known as a ruthless killer, who collected "trophies" from my victims. Not that I cared.

    And at the village I enjoyed entertaining the kids.

    But, over the last few days, I have come to discover an important lesson.

    What was it that was said. Distance makes the heart grow fonder? Yes?

    I understood that well now.

    Kids are fun.

    In small doses.

    Leon is clearly a well-meaning kid. Unfortunately, well meaning, does not mean good results.

    "Is that the stove?" Lenore asked gravely as she watched the trail of black smoke emerged from the kitchen within the carriage.

    What would Gaston say?

    He''d say that this kitchen looks like a crime scene.

    Ugh, food splotches everywhere, and black smears plague this kitchen, and they are only emphasized on those burned pans.

    The pain is real! Those are probably magically enchanted pots and pans. and knifes made out of high-quality metal like mithril, so to see it damaged smeared by clumsy cooking...

    ... it really hurts the heart.

    It''s not permanent damage, nothing like a magical cleanse couldn''t fix, but clearly, some of it will need the aid of a professional.

    On the bright side, I''ve managed to convince them to take a turn and take a detour route, which happens to cross over my old territory, thanks to this. I suggested taking this chance not only to throw pursuers off track, but also to avoid spies who will be in higher concentrations in places such as Pittendsdale

    I suggested we first stop at Skip village, given that was the closes town to change routes at. It was also a place with lower numbers overall, but still popular route due to its historical importance.

    Still....

    One has to put up with kids even longer now thanks to ones own decision.

    Skip village is 5 days further than the previous location, so this ride will be even longer.

    Ugh...

    <hr>

    And that''s where my second head comes in.

    Ore, being the more child-like entity it is, has been useful in keeping the kids distracted.

    When they(Leon) come to me to play, I basically let Ore take over the body while I do something else.

    Yes, it turns out Ore can take over the body if I allow it too, something good to know should I need to multitask.

    I do supervise though, because I know for a fact that if I leave them alone long enough, they''ll cause trouble.

    Not Willow of course. She''s very quiet and inactive unless Leon brings her along.

    I think its good for her though. She''s very withdrawn, and not in a natural kind of way, and moreso of a no one else is interacting with her.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    I can tell. She''s clearly not used to being showered with attention, and Servante''s a bit of a distant one. The only time I really see him is when he''s coming in to eat, or he''s taking turns with Lenore to change posts.

    Good soldier I suppose, but bad company for a child.

    Lenore''s better, but I''d be remiss if I didn''t acknowledge the obvious distance between her and Willow.

    She cares, I can tell, but it feels as if it is purposely established distance, the hesitation when it comes to acting with her, and while her voice is affectionate, she keeps interaction to a minimum.

    They''re not doing Willow''s mental well being any good if you ask me.

    Thankfully, Leon''s here.

    He''s a positive influence I believe, even if he is trouble, which is probably why Lenore was in support of the child''s addition to our party.

    I''m glad to see the children having fun, but there is no way it can remain like this for the rest of the year.

    They have to have something to entertain them, or they''re just going to cause havoc all year long.

    I have a plan at least.

    <hr>

    "No"

    This was Servante''s simple response to my proposition.

    ''May I ask why you are so averse to me teaching the children elven writing?''

    Leon clearly knew some basic elven, but Willow? Willow didn''t seem to know how to write at all and leads me to wonder how she had been treated before I had ever met her.

    Servante frowned at the question, responding curtly. "A turtle, offering to teach elvin? How ridiculous is that?"

    Pomf

    Servante looked surprised as I tossed a scrunched up paper at his face, and as he unfurled it, his eyes widened.

    I received a perplexed look. "How?" he asked, clearly surprised at the page long talks about basic elven history.

    ''We all have our secrets, no? Nonetheless, does my proposition hold water now?''

    Despite his surprise, Servante''s response remained the same as his expression grew firm. "The answer''s still no" he affirmed.

    What reason is there to deny children their due learning?

    ''If I have proven capable, I see no reason to not teach the children. At the very least, you could teach them, no? They might get in less trouble were you to do so, with less free time on their hands"

    Servante shook his head. "It''s not about capability; we''re forbidden from teach the high elf anything written."

    Pardon?

    ''With all due respect, who came up with such poppycock? ''

    "The decree was made by the king regarding all high elves. No high elf is to be taught anything by their guard before arriving at the elven kingdom, lest the guards influence the opinions of the easily influenced child. Its meant to prevent sabotage from any of the houses, who may try to influence the children to their side before arriving at the kingdom."

    '' Ah, so its politics that would cause you to deprive a child of the ability to read? Truly, the elven kingdom is as wonderful as I''ve heard from all of its immigrants." I said scornfully. The elven kingdom may be seen as a superpower, much like the dwarven kingdom, but a respected one? No, no it is not. Its even mockingly commented there''s a reason so many elves do not live in their kingdom, while dwarves love returning.

    Servante''s eyes narrowed dangerously, and killing intent could be felt, directed at me.

    Eh, I''ve felt worse

    "I did not think you stupid enough to blatantly insult the elven kingdom in front of a royal knight of the kingdom."

    Snort

    ''And I thought you weren''t meant to sabotage the children. Tell me, how would you be influencing the high elf if you decided to scorch the turtle for having an opinion? Her benefactor?''

    Servante still looked upset, but the killing intent lifted.

    "No teaching her." said Servante, clearly emphasizing his stance.

    ''And what of you, Lenore? Do you too, share that opinion?''

    Lenore looked uncomfortable, but she still spoke. "Rules are rules, and those have been the rules for a very long time. We the royal knights are not meant to influence the minds of the high elf children." she paused. "Buuut, you''re not one of us, are you?" she said as a smile lurked onto her face.

    Servante looked annoyed at the suggestion. Me, I''m glad she picked up on that.

    "You''re bypassing the rules Lenore, we''re not meant to do that." he warned, but Lenore brushed it off.

    "And the other houses aren''t meant to be assassinating the kingdom''s greatest assets, yet here we are, fleeing from their pursuits. " she shot back. "At the very least, we''re trying to work on a technicality. Earl over there will be teaching Leon, right?"

    ''Yes, I will be teaching "only" Leon. If Willow happens to pick something up, well, that''s not my fault. Children are intuitive like that.''

    Servante glared at the two of us, but I personally feel no regret for my choices.

    To neglect a child''s education over the statements of a king who''s too scared to even face the greater world? Nah, I refuse. Those kinds of people do not have my respect.

    I don''t feel particularly in danger either, since if Servante were to try to kill me because of his overreacting, he''d not only have to suffer the negative stigma he''d gain in Willow''s eye, but the whole of the elven kingdom as well. This alone, would prevent him from doing anything like killing me, because that would conflict with the interference statement.

    One must also consider that he couldn''t even if he tried, since I still very much have an S-class weapon, which I am capable of using. He can''t really hurt me.

    Seeing that neither would back down, Servante sighed.

    "Fine, you can teach the child the elven language."

    ''And math''

    Glare

    ''Neither affect perception. Otherwise, I''d be suggesting history too.''

    "Fine." he groaned, aware that if he tried to argue otherwise, I''d probably start pushing to teach other things as well.

    And with that, I had the right to teach the children language and math. I''d wanted to bargain more, but with these 2, I should be able to distract the children for a good while.

    Maybe combat will help temper Leon''s energy into something more productive.

    Or it''ll grease his wheels even more.

    We''ll see.

 Book 2: Chapter 2: Beginning of the Shellmester

    From that day forward I became their instructor in the basics of language, magic, and math.

    ''Repeat after me:''

    ''Ah!'' "Ah!" "Ah"

    ''Buh!'' "Buh!" "Buh"

    ''Cuh!'' '' "Cuh!" "Cuh"

    ''Duh!'' "Duh!" "Duh"

    This started becoming the norm, where I first began with matching sounds with letters.

    I won''t lie, this will likely be a difficult project. I mean, I was taught elvish, but to learn and to teach are two very different things.

    It''s also in part thanks to the noticeable difference in education levels between the two.

    Leon clearly already knows the basics, seemingly knowing the basic letters of the elven language, and even basic words.

    Willow on the other hand?

    Nope.

    Nada.

    Nein.

    Not a single thing.

    I''ve already got a good guess when it comes to the way she''s lived up to this point, and this only confirms to me that she was likely isolated in her own life.

    I''m sure she was an orphan now, since most orphans don''t learn letters and the like, with Leon having been lucky to have been raised in a supportive rural village, but Willow was not likely as lucky.

    She might''ve had parents, but if she did, they clearly taught her zilch in the years she''s been alive.

    Regardless, her education was severely lacking to say the least.

    The fact that she knows how to talk seems to be more of a miracle by the minute.

    [Bloodline suppression]

    Pardon?

    [It''s a case where a superior bloodline dominates inferior ones. For creatures in the wild, it''s a powerful tool to help young beasts with great potential avoid being killed. ]

    Stolidus sighed, as he and I both came to the same conclusion.

    [But for a child trying to adapt to society...]

    ... It''s basically a wall that separates her from others.

    [The high elf domination is far stronger for elves, so any elf near her likely showed an instinctive rejection of her. Adults are better at it, but they likely still felt uncomfortable around her.]

    That explains a lot.

    It does lead one to wonder if the elven kingdom knew this from the beginning, and thus always had blank slate rejects wheeled in ready for reeducation. Hence why they forbid education.

    It''s a disturbing thought to say the least.

    Regardless, this means I had to start from scratch when teaching her the basics of language.

    And Leon is happily playing along.

    He doesn''t seem uncomfortable near her at all.

    [He has strong mental energy. Were there a strong mental energy amongst you, they''d quickly recognize his potential.]

    Is that how come he''s so stealthy?

    [It''s easier to stealth if you can subconsciously block your presence from the minds of others]

    Wow...

    It''s a shame I don''t know what mental energy is, because it sounds like we''re missing out on his potential.

    [Definitely. Not unexpected though. Mental energy is not a school studied much in the empire, so the number of people who could properly teach Leon are limited ]

    But you could, right?

    [Nope. I could install the knowledge in you, and you could teach Leon, but that risks your own inaptitude ruining Leon''s ability. I suggest you just let him develop naturally, and let the pieces fall where they will fall.]

    Snort. Of course you would go with the flow.

    Whatever. You''re not completely wrong anyway. For now, its beneficial in allowing Leon to be a good companion to Willow.

    Of course, math and magic will be far more difficult to teach to a certain extent as well.

    Magic more so, since Willow was a high elf and was already capable of magic. In this regard, I''m not sure I''m qualified.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    I''m actually teaching magic solely to Leon for now, and math as well.

    He knows basic math, so I''m pushing up his schedule a little, teaching him this while I work on the basic alphabet with Willow.

    Servante keeps a close eye on our lessons, making sure we don''t slip anything in that he doesn''t agree with.

    Before this, he''d basically always been outside, as if to consciously avoid contact with both children, but now you can practically feel his presence in the room at all times.

    It was annoying, but bearable.

    <hr>

    "You''re a good teacher" Lenore commented out of the blue.

    It''d been 3 days of teaching the young children when I had heard this statement.

    ''You flatter me.'' I respond, because from where I stand, I would hardly call my teaching so far great.

    Lenore shook her head. "You''re patient." she insisted, continuing her argument. "You know how to interact with kids, and are taking it slowly, and keeping Leon in check quite well. I don''t know if I could do that."

    I shake my head. ''I think you''d be a great teacher if you put your head into it. And I''m sure Servante could if he wanted to''

    Lenore gives me a piercing look. "You really are like a real noble you know that?" she said, feeding me a backhanded compliment as well.

    I verbally chuckle.

    ''Well, one learns that to deal with nobles, it is best to talk like them.''

    "I doubt they''d let someone with no power talk to them like that."

    ''If you''re better at it than them, then they''ll never pick up on it, or they''ll figure you''re too stupid to realize it. ''

    Backhanded compliments are always more fun if they think they''ve been unintentionally insulted, and can''t take offense without looking overreactive.

    Lenore nodded. "I''ll keep that in mind." she said thoughtfully.

    The air between them got awkward for a second.

    Lenore broke the silence first.

    "I wish I could do something for Willow." she said, as she said, the burden present in her words.

    ''And you have, allowing me teach her some language and magic.''

    Although she smiles, Lenore seems uncomforted.

    Her gaze as she watches the children play on their break time seems burdened.

    "When I first saw Willow, I felt so bad for her." she said, watching as they acted out their imaginations.

    "An orphan, dirty and unwanted, she was practically a skeleton." she frowned as she recalled that distasteful memory.

    "It was infuriating, even though I understood the elves around her wouldn''t be comfortable around her, I couldn''t help but blame the adults for turning their backs on a child. And the other people who weren''t elves, who willfully ignored such children."

    ''You wanted to help her.''

    She nodded. "And we''ve fed her and helped her. Yet she didn''t seem that much happier than before." Sigh. "It''s not like I don''t know why."

    I nod. ''The no interaction rule.'' I snort disdainfully, without hesitation.

    Lenore shoots me a look. "Don''t say that in front of Servante again." she warned. "He''s very much a by the books kind of guy, doesn''t like people who break rules."

    I retort. ''Bad rules are meant to be broken, especially when they tell you to isolate children. ''

    "It''s meant to prevent the influence of the other noble families from corrupting the children."

    ''If the royal family cannot prevent infiltrators from breaking into their order, then there is more to worry about than brainwashing children.''

    She rolled her eyes. "It''s not that simple." she protested.

    ''It is that simple. The child needs help, and you''ve ignored her, ignoring the natural rule of the older caring for the younger.''

    "Are you suggesting that I ignore the long-held rules and traditions of the elven kingdom?"

    ''Long held does not mean correct, merely that it is old and meant to be replaced. Make stupid rules...''

    "I can''t believe a turtle is telling me to break the rules." she said exasperatedly, yet she seemed a bit more upbeat than before.

    ''I''m a talking turtle monster who knows multiple dialects as well as human fundamentals of magic.'' I point out. ''I''m a walking rule breaker.'' I jokingly respond.

    She laughs. "Yeah, I guess so. I just wanted to get it off my chest. Despite being a turtle, you feel really reliable, really sturdy."

    ''Tough shell, after all. I would hope I''m tough and sturdy''

    "All right, all right, you can stop with the turtle jokes. I just wanted to talk to someone about it, and Servante is, you know?"

    ''A prude. As men would say, he has a stick up his ass.''

    Lenore chuckled, as she gave Earl a grateful glance. "Thanks, that makes me feel better." she said as she went over to the kids to call them back onto the cart.

    Earl mused as he watched her get ready to leave.

    After observing both Servante and Lenore, he had deducted that she wasn''t a bad person and neither was Servante, both were just simply following the rules they had been taught to enforce.

    It was disappointing that he could only teach Willow so little, but there was hope that Willow would gain life by traveling through the empire, and see new things, experience new things, and develop her own views, the rules of the old be damned.

    He never appreciated it when nobles harmed and brought others low for their own benefit, and did his best to avoid such poor actions, and condemned those who openly did so.

    Hey...

    Come to think of it, maybe that was why he got assassinated? He was an avid protestor for commoner''s rights. That might''ve gotten him a good deal of undesirable attention.

    Not like his cousin could''ve pulled all that off on his own, not without backing.

    Oh well. Too late for that.

    As long as he remained within certain limits and avoided stepping on too many toes when teaching Willow, nothing bad will come of it by the years end.

    <hr>

    Willow was catching up and by the fifth day, she had learned all the basic sounds associated with the basic lettering, something I was thankful for. She seems to be a rather quick learner, though that may also have been an effect of having to be quick on her feet and learning how to survive on the streets without any support.

    The trip to skip town was going well enough, with no active interference up to this point.

    So they were settling down for lunch, to allow the kids to play.

    Servante insisted that they speed up, and hurry along to the town, but I insisted that we slow down. Even if the carriage lacks the issues a normal carriage has, kids will get bored locked up all day, and with Lenore''s aid, we managed to convince him to sit down for a meal.

    So, we were settled for a meal.

    Stew, using the meat of a normal deer Lenore had managed to catch.

    While we were eating,

    Rustle

    something stirred the grass.

    Immediately, we were ready, with Servante immediately moving the kids behind him and Lenore moving closer to the front of the danger.

    I also prepared, standing there. Not much for me to prepare.

    "Show yourself!" Lenore demanded as she aimed her blade at the bush, a saber from what he could tell.

    A green creature came out of the grass, taller than the children, but still shorter than the elves.

    Despite the normal clothes it wore, and the hair that adorned its head, I undoubtedly knew what it was.

    A goblin. A lost less ugly than usual, and a lot less wrinkled, with sharper eyes for sure, but a goblin, nonetheless.

    It had carefully raised its hands as it entered the clearing and shivered under the sharp gaze of the two elven guards.

    "Greetings!" it rasped, desperately trying to put up a friendly front.

    ''Put your weapons down.'' I said to the two, causing Servante and Lenore to look at me in confusion.

    "It''s a goblin." Lenore pointed out, and Servante nodded. The goblin''s eyes widened at that, looking at me with newfound appreciation.

    "A talking one, but a goblin nonetheless." he said, pointing out the obvious.

    "Rude!" the goblin retorts, only to be threatened with a blade for his outburst.

    I can''t help but roll my eyes at the importance of that statement.

    ''Yes, he talked. And has hair. And wears custom tailored clothing.''

    "He could''ve stolen it!" Argued Lenore.

    ''... Do you not know what a sapient goblin is?''

    "...A what now?"

    "Nope"

    ... Are they stupid?

    How do they not know what a sapient goblin is?

 Stocking Stuffer 1: King Richard 3rd, 2.0 Eletric boogaloo!

    Beep

    -For your crimes against the people of England-

    Beep

    -Dream on thy cousins smothered in the tower-

    Beep

    -The first was I that helped thee to the crown-

    BEEP

    -And fall thy edgeless sword, despair and die-

    BEEP

    -The last was I that felt thy tyranny!-

    Thunk!  The sound of a halberd pierced Richard''s mind, the very moment of his death.

    Gasp

    His eyes shot open as he started to gasp for air, unable to piece things together as he struggled for dear life, finding himself within a great transparent container filled to the brim with water.

    -004 is awake- -prepare the IV- -contact the- -Clarence will-

    Sounds rushed through Richard''s head as he watched the strange people dressed in clothes of white rushed pass the glass, as he struggled.

    He''d already pulled himself together, even as he struggled to reconcile the memory of the blade piercing his skull with the current situation.

    He stopped struggling, understanding that struggling would only cost him precious air.

    He was naked in this glass jar, with a weird cord attached to his stomach, and a weird mask attached to his face, one that he quickly realized gave him air, also giving him piece of mind to observe properly, watching these people.

    Everything was alien to him currently, and he had no power as of now, no way to truly do anything.

    If he was alive, by some miracle, then he was now in a world where his crimes were laid bare, everything he''d strived for, destroyed.

    He would have to start from the ground up.

    Plead reformation, claim he''d seen the error of his ways.

    It''d be a difficult road, but once he returned to the top...

    Richard couldn''t help the small lip curl, as he found himself with a seemingly new lease on life, a new chance to play the game.

    The odds were against him, nay God himself was against him, but he had returned.

    He had fallen into the pits of Hell, and had risen, an act of defiance against the lord.

    He would be their scourge again.

    Fwoosh! the sound of gas exhaling as the water drained, and the container opened up, signifying Richard''s second birth into this world. And this time...

    ... things would be different.

    <hr>

    The people and this singular room were not the only things were different, for nay, everything was different.

    There was no deference, no spite at him, the man who had brought ruin to England.

    There were whispers however, as the people kept their distance, and no deference was shown to the king, even if he was merely the former one. It was irritating, enough to make one want to show them their place...

    But not now.

    Now was the time to observe.

    Although most kept their distance, a few occasionally let their curiosity get to them, and revealed a few things.

    The most important thing he learned was that it was 20xx.

    It had been well over 5 centuries since he had departed this world.

    It all made so much more sense now.

    They weren''t meeting a king so much as they were meeting a relic in the past.

    No wonder they did not fear him. He was more myth than reality for them.

    Knowing that made it so much easier for him to lure them in, keeping a kind facade, as if that which was written of him was nothing but fabricated lies. Reality is always malleable, and with that much time, Richard could easily make himself the victim of rumors, of a history written by the victors.

    As for the victors, they were all gone now. When seen that way, perhaps he could be seen as the final victor, though the chance remained that they too may be brought back the same way he had been.

    This science, it sounded very much like the heresy the church once would''ve had one crucified for.

    Not that he minded, for church was nothing but a tool to him, God nothing but a cursed reminder of his damned back.

    And now that was removed, and the position of God destabilized. How wonderful.

    Yes, Richard had confirmed that his back had been fixed. He''d suspected that to be the case when he had emerged from the tank, and his walk felt more natural and comfortable, the pain gone.

    They gave him a quick guide to the years that followed his death, the centuries that followed.

    They quickly taught him some modern sense, the modern governments, and bits of knowledge here and there.

    But they did not tell him why.

    Why he was alive again.

    Why they had brought him back.

    Why they would bring back a usurped and vile king, one who was infamous, and even had a play written about him.

    Why in an age where kings had no power, and most were relegated to mere mascots of a country, more useless than Henry the 6th or even Edward could ever aspire to be.

    Why he was the fourth.

    After two weeks of thinking and contemplating, his questions were to be answered as he was escorted to meet the person in charge of this project.

    <hr>

    As Richard entered the room, he heard a voice echoing through the hall.

    It was a vibrant and warm voice, annoyingly enticing, warm and happy.

    He hated those.

    The lines themselves were arguably no better. Worse even perhaps.

    "I do the wrong, and first begin to brawl,

    the secret mischiefs that I set abroach,

    I lay unto the grievous chare of others,

    Clarence, who I indeed have cast in darkness,

    I do beweep to many simple gulls,

    namely to Derby, Hastings, Buckingham,

    and tell them ''tis the queen and her allies

    that stir the King against the Duke my brother,

    Now they believe it, and withal whet me,

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    to be revenged on Rivers, Dorset, Grey,

    but then I sigh, and, with a piece of scripture, tell them that God bids us to do good for evil,

    and thus I clothe my naked villainy

    with odd old ends, stol''n forth of Holy writ,

    and seem a saint when most I play the devil!"

    As Richard walked in, he quickly noted the names, and guessed the source, but played dumb.

    Walking into the room, Richard came to the source of the voice, a man adorned in more weird clothes, what they call "jeans" and a "casual short sleeve".

    The man with tanned skin and bleached white hair, turned towards him with a fresh(gross) smile as he greeted him warmly.

    "Well? what did you think?" he cheerfully asked.

    "It was wonderful!" Richard lied as he returned the smile with a smile of his own, carefully observing the tall man.

    The man rolled his eyes. "Now tell me what you really think." he said, and Richard "ceded" his truth.

    "Those lines were horrid, absolutely horrid."

    The man giggled. "I know right! That was their impression of you, king Richard the 3rd!"

    Richard scoffed. "I would never speak like that" he said, as he eyed the secretary standing next to the man, who seemed to be... oddly familiar in spite of his formal clothing. That orange hair...

    Seemingly ignorant of Richard''s suspicions, the man continued. "Come, sit! Let us talk in depth. I''m sure you have a fair amount of questions." The man guided Richard to a seat in front of a small coffee table as they both sat down, and Richard had to marvel once more how wonderful chairs in this new world was.

    "The names Jonas. Jonas Trunks."

    He put his hand out. A handshake they called it?

    Richard copied the motion fluidly, as he reached his hand out and shook it in turn.

    "And I''m sure you know of me." Richard said politely.

    "Ha! Of course." Jonas chuckled.

    Clap

    "So, shoot." the man said in his weird lingo, but Richard ignored it, as well as the blatant disregard of him and politely asked.

    "Forgive me if I come off as rude and ungrateful, but I wanted to ask the obvious." Pause. "How am I alive exactly?"

    "Ah, right to the meat and potatoes huh? No entrees first?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

    "Hm? No, no, let''s uh, as you say, start with the main course." Richard said, playing along with some difficulty.

    The man shrugged. "Cloning. We copied your body and the mind followed." he said.

    Richard paused there, as his body went stiff. "So, I''m not the original Richard then?

    The man casually shrugged, disregarding Richard''s existential crisis.

    "Who knows. We may have copied the body and extracted the memories, cured your back(your welcome by the way) so honestly, who knows? The experiences are the same, the dna is mostly the same, supplemented by some of the modern royal families less screwed up Dna, so I suppose it''s all up to you."

    Richard struggled with it for a good moment, before putting it all down to contemplate later. His plans may change, but his intent would remain the same.

    "And where was my body exactly?" asked Richard, struggling past that mind boggling thought, and out of some morbid curiosity as to how the man had managed to get his hands on his body, when there was no way the royal family would have so easily allowed such a dangerous man such as himself to be brought back.

    Jonas shrugged. "We found you beneath a parking lot." he said, and although Richard did not know what this "parking lot" was, he could hear the mockery easily enough.

    He was more surprised his body was kept after what he had done. He expected his body to be burned or crushed to bits. To his good fortune it seems.

    A chuckle could be heard as the man behind Jonas broke out in laughter, cutting himself off quickly.

    Richard could not help himself, for he swore there was something similar about laughter, but different, for it was a joyous laughter. At his own expense no less.

    "Buckingham?" he asked disbelievingly.

    The man stopped, as he looked at Richard with a sense of familiarity.  Cracking a smile. "It''s good to see you again your majesty!"

    Richard maintained his composure, but inwardly, was baffled at the smile Buckingham showed.

    Jonas nodded. "Yes, 003, Buckingham." he frowned for a minute, before starting his next statement. " Unfortunately, you''re the most successful, and in the case of 003 Buckingham, the memories and mind were seemingly "damaged" in the" he makes another annoying hand gesture, this time indicating the motion of a falling guillotine. Of course Richard knew how Buckingham died. He ordered his death, which was why he was so unsure why Buckingham was so happy to see him, though he did have a guess. Damaged...

    Jonas sighed. "Yup. His mind is still sharp, but he can''t quite recall his last few months of life, nor does he understand anything at all when it comes to his death, so mentioning it is pointless."

    Buckingham got down and gave Richard''s a hug. It was stiff, and a bit awkward, and it led Richard to question the truth of the statement.

    "Hugs, not quite used to those" Buckingham said, excusing the stiffness of his posture. Richard did not comment on this.

    Richard found that greatly suspicious, but seeing as Buckingham wasn''t jumping to end him, he put those suspicions aside. And if it were true, there was something interesting about hanging with the man he killed.

    "Why."

    "Why what?" Jonas said, slightly cocking his head, yet there was a hint of a smile, as the man once more

    "Why bring back a king without a throne? There is no reason to bring me back when clearly history does not look upon king Richard 3rd as a leader?"

    Jonas snorted. "Good. I''m not looking for the king called Richard, but the duke of Gloucester Richard, the schemer. The saboteur."

    "I do not know what those God-forsaken plays say, but I assure you that-"

    "-Richard." The tanned man interrupted him for once, and in this instance, the facade dropped. Not on Richard''s part, but Jonas'' part.

    "Did you know? My name happens to be derived from Janus, the god of choices." His stare was piercing through the soul of Richard, as he felt himself scrutinized beneath the stare of the man. Richard felt as if all he was had been stripped down to his core, that he was seen through with but one glance, as if his essence was laid bare.

    He hated it. He hated how small he felt, how insignificant.

    "You''ve come at a crossroads here. Choose, and choose carefully. You can play dumb, and we simply mark you up as a success of the project and you get to live a simple life. We won''t treat you bad." He added, emphasizing Richard''s safety.

    "But you will live a boring mundane life, and do an average 9 to five job, come home, sleep, wake, work. Repeat" he said, as a sense of boredom slowly overcame Richard just hearing the monotone words.

    "Or." He leaned in. "Or you tell me that the king of lies and sabotage stands before me..." He paused, and Richard leaned in, interested in what the man was implying.

    "And?" he asked as he leaned in, breath bated, as he could feel the lure, the chance to do once more.

    Jonas smiled

    "And then we can play. You get a new identity, we place you in England, use that new royal blood that runs through you, tie you to the current family, and you. run. loose. You get to start the game all over again, and this time, you rule. "

    Richard was tempted. The idea of living a boring life was out of consideration immediately. He couldn''t imagine it. A quite life?

    Nonsense. He was not a man of peace and quiet, but war and blood. Of manipulation and deceit. Living the life that Jonas offered would never be enough.

    Richard could practically smack his lips at the deal the man before him offered.

    Still.

    "What''s in it for you?" he asked, as curiosity flashed through his eyes.

    Jonas shrugged. "I have orders. Orders to bring England to heel. I could grab a plethora of other people, sure, but dare I say it, you are best fit for the modern age."

    "Me? Really?"

    "mmm. The modern age is not an age of chivalry, but a world of cunning and manipulation. False facades and the manipulation of the crowds."

    "Oh!?" Richard said as his eyebrows went up.  His blood was practically tingling, his hair raising. Even in spite of the obvious alarms that rang, the danger of Buckingham looming overhead, and this new, incomprehensible world.

    He was tempted. Another chance at the game, a chance that he would not ruin.

    "Oh yes. You would be like a shark in water. The new England is practically yours for the taking. And all you have to do is agree to a few conditions. Janus'' eyes glinted ominously, and just for a second, the shadows behind him seemed to split into 2. Two heads, two paths.

    And Richard had chosen his path.

    "I am..."

    <hr>

    As Richard left the room Buckingham watched carefully until Richard was gone, departing through the door.

    Unlike the cheerful radiance he had given off like he had been sending off an old friend, Buckingham''s aura was now the presence of pure spite flowing through the man''s veins.

    "Geez." complained Jonas as he dug his finger through his ear. "Calm down over there, huh? With that kind of spite, I''m surprised he can''t feel it from over there. What''d he even do to piss you off so much?"

    "He chopped off my head. Immortalized me as the traitorous scrooge under some 3rd rate villain for all to read out of a book" Buckingham said through gritted teeth. If his pathetic death were not enough, then the fact that he was forever immortalized in plays as a villain who flipped sides so quickly, and fooled so easily was more than enough to garner his hatred.

    Jonas shrugged. "Fair enough. So what do you think? Does he believe you truly don''t remember what comes after, and you know?" he made a cutting gesture across the throat, making a weird sound. Ssshhhck

    Buckingham thought about it for a minute. Finally, he responded. "He''ll suspect but will likely tread carefully. " Buckingham chuckled painfully. "I''m sure he''ll derive some sick joy from hanging out with someone he''s killed, while the other remains blissfully unaware."

    "He''ll betray you eventually." Buckingham commented now that Richard left the room, his cheerful demeanor having since long disappeared, trying to convince the man(?) known as Jonas that this was the wrong choice.

    Jonas shrugged. "Of course, both you and Richard the 3rd over there are both dangerous and conniving people, who managed to claim the whole of England through tricks and backstabbing. I expect nothing less."

    Buckingham had to concede on this front. Despite the fact that he now firmly took a stance against the monster known as Richard, he recalled all the horrible things he had done at the service of the man.

    It took death for him to realize the wrongs he had done, the betrayals he had made to everyone around him only for the one he trusted to betray him in the end.

    And here he was in the end, given a second chance to restrain the beast, to restrain rather than enable the beast.

    Buckingham shook his head. "You do not know him as I do. That man, no, that thing is a monster, and if he gets what he wants-"

    "But what if he never gets what he wants?" interrupted Jonas. "You''re right, that he is undoubtedly a monster. But he is a cunning monster, one that ultimately only failed once he became king, brought down by his own brutality as he shed his previous cloak. It is this cloak that will also be his tarp binding him down. As long as he is far from his goal, he will not act rashly, and will tread carefully."

    He tapped his desk thoughtfully.

    "I''m curious, I''ll admit. No hunched back to fall back on and offered the chance to have England in the palm of his hand, how he''ll move forward. No people from the past left to resent, a whole new world, a whole new identity."

    "Do you think he may have a change of heart?"

    Silence

    Seeing the dumb look that Buckingham was giving him, Jonas couldn''t help but laugh.

    "No, he''ll probably never change. But that''s fine. I don''t need him to change. I simply need him to play his role. And should he ever step out of line and try to repeat history..."

    Jonas tapped on his computer upon which multiple codes ran, with familiar names running down the line.

    "Well..."

    002 Clarence

    003 Richmond

    005 Hal

    Jonas cracked a smile, vile in its very form.

    "Richard''s not the only one who can replace an unreliable subordinate."

 Book 2 Chapter 3: Goblin Merchant-Wannabe

    It''s not like sapient monsters are common.

    They''re really not, much less a consistently sapient species like sapient goblins.

    But still, really?

    The average commoner, I get if they don''t know, but the royal guard of the royal family of elves doesn''t know about the sapient goblins?

    The piercing stare I sent their way was clearly bothering them, as Lenore scratched her head awkwardly.

    "I''m a country bumpkin" she admitted sheepishly. "Theoretical knowledge has never been my strong point."

    Servante looked even more embarrassed. "It wasn''t in the libraries." he admitted awkwardly, trying not to look downright stupid.

    I mentally sigh. ''When you get a chance, go to a library and make sure to update your knowledge. Whatever libraries you''ve been sourcing your info from is at least 1200 years behind the time.''

    Yup, sapient goblins were discovered around 1200 years ago, undoubtedly having existed longer than that.

    They''re rare however, as far as the general public goes, and for good reason.

    The goblins most commonly seen, like the one I killed, are labeled feral. Basic.

    From what research has managed to gather, this is in part due to mana density.

    Seemingly all goblins born in places with low mana are born as feral goblins, relying on base instincts and barebones thinking skills that seemingly go in circles.

    All traps and structures they produce are seemingly instinctual, and thus it is easy to identify feral goblin traps and huts, making them good fodder for starting adventurers.

    In places with higher mana density, there are what could be labeled "high goblins." I say "high", because their evolution line is seemingly the same as the ferals, with the feral variants differing in certain key features, with feral orcs looking more like pigs, while sapient orks maintain more of a brutish humanoid appearance.

    Because of the fact they''re born into places with high mana density, they are always seemingly weaker than most monsters in their area, the mana going to the development of consciousness. That''s the working theory anyway.

    ''Sapient goblins are goblins born into places with high mana density, or born to fellow "high goblins". Write that down Servante, because I really don''t want you embarrassing me in the cities."

    Although Servante looks annoyed, he still quickly opens his book ready to scribble notes down, while Lenore seems interested as well, with the goblin seemingly relieved that the blade is no longer aimed at him.

    ''Sapient goblins, as the name suggests, are capable of individual thoughts, and are above the feral nature the average goblin shows. If feral goblins are F-rank monsters, then sapient ones are more like D-rank monsters.''

    While Servante scribbled, the goblin spoke up.

    "Excuse me, if you could, please stop calling us sapient goblins." he asked politely.

    Ah yes. That part.

    ''If I recall correctly, you guys do not enjoy being called goblins, because it''s not the name chosen for yourselves correct?''

    The goblin nods patiently.

    ''All right, so sapient goblins actually prefer the skarpas, or the sharp ears as they call themselves. They also use the term to denote themselves, orks, and all derivatives of the goblin family.''

    Lenore frowned. "If that''s the case, why don''t more people talk about this? If you ask me, it sounds like they have a pretty united culture. Kind of weird how little people know this."

    I shrug. ''It''s not hidden, and people who live near places with higher mana know about them, since sapient variants of feral races only spawn in places with higher concentrations of mana. It''s even common for the empire to create outposts together with skarpas, since they know their home forests better than we do, and the northern border is infamously a place where many ice type monsters mingle with the people.''

    Servante asked. "So which monsters fall within this category? Because from the way you said it, it sounds like goblins aren''t the only ones."

    Well, it is a difficult subject really. Are the kids getting bored? Yeah, they''re already knocked out.

    ''A lot of races. Monsters that spawn in places with higher mana are more likely to be born sapient. So, goblins and orcs, and many of the goblin evolutionary line follow a similar set of traits. There are feral ogres, and sapient ones. There are other monsters, like minotaurs, gorgons, sirens, and more who follow the sapient feral rule. Of course, some monsters have no feral variants, such as kobolds or dragons, or giants who are intrinsically sapient. It''s very difficult to note the differences at times.''

    Servante frowned at the answer. "And how do you know that''s the truth, and not just a lie posed to cast off the less enjoyable fringes of their society." He questioned, which caused the goblin to give him an upset look, one that Servante easily ignored.

    ''Physical features. Ferals and sapients are not merely mentally different, but also physically. Sapient goblins have hair, their features are less warped, they stand a bit taller, more around the height of your average dwarf, and take a year to mature, unlike the month feral goblins need, and live for 20 years versus the average 10 feral ones live before breaking down''

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    That was how it was possible for it to be differentiated. Otherwise, how could they trust the words of monsters?

    Anyway, speaking of the goblin in the room.

    ''What is a Skarpas doing in this part of the woods exactly anyways?'' I ask the goblin.

    The goblin brushed himself as he announced proudly. "I didn''t come alone! I came with a group of friends, and we''re planning to become merchants!" He declared proudly.

    ... To become merchants.

    I''m not the only one with a skeptical glance of course, and I can see Servante''s look as well as Lenore.

    "Hey, Earl, what exactly is the perception of sapient monster''s in society?" Lenore asked hesitantly, yet the look on her face said it all.

    ''Not good, especially for lower rank sapients like goblins and kobolds.'' More corrupt nobles were occasionally caught with sapient monsters, especially goblins as exotic pets.

    If they were lucky.

    The goblin''s face had a worried look on it as it heard a firm obstacle appear in the way of its plans.

    "Really!?" it exclaimed.

    ''... How old were you again?''

    "I''m 8" it said confidently, its nose turned up, as Servante and Lenore shared a confused look.

    ''Ah, a midlife crisis. Already worried about not evolving onto the next stage?''

    The goblin quickly refuted this, denying it sternly. "No, I''m already about to evolve!" he announces, with his arms crossed. "It''s why my brother allowed me to go explore the world already."

    I give him a pointed look. ''Allowed, or didn''t chase.''

    The goblin faltered. "... Didn''t chase" he admitted as his eyes looked away evasively.

    ... If I still had fingers, I''d be pressing the bridge of my nose right now.

    Oh wait, I have vines.

    There we go. And Ore''s mimicking me. No, bad ore.

    ''How many friends?'' I ask with a pinched face, thinking about how to deal with this.

    I do have to deal with it after all.

    This road only heads towards the same locale, so ultimately any drama circling goblins entering the city will undoubtedly attract attention to us, and that''s not something you want when being chased by pursuers.

    Besides, we can use them to our benefit.

    "Three! Borsch, Fenil, Damil, and I Redgar!" he said proudly, clearly proud of his name.

    Servante gave me a questioning look, but I can only shrug in response.

    Hey, I know some stuff about goblins. I am not a master biologist.

    <hr>

    Redgar as he called himself, did have two more friends.

    Fenil and Damil, and Borsch, all three being goblins nearing their first evolution, with one of them specializing in magical projectiles, and the other being a more hands on physical type.

    Borsch was 10, the other two both of them were also 7 and 9 respectively, making them rather young, confirming his worries, only built upon when mentioning that the strongest in the village was a blue humanoid with two horns. The elder as they called him, who was a master of winds and storms.

    Well, it was settled.

    They had to help these goblins.

    <hr>

    ''We have to take them with us.''

    Servante crossed his arms, and even Lenore looked unsure.

    "You may have convinced me to take an orphan with us, and teach him, but 3 goblins is too far." Servante said firmly.

    ''I do not say this out of a mere benefit, but because if we don''t, this could go very badly.''

    "Badly how, exactly?" Servante asked, eyebrow raised.

    The goblins weren''t being left alone with the kids, but rather in their own self made cart, which was quite durable made in their home village. The kids had been moved to our carriage to sleep better, but in reality, to keep them away from goblins.

    ''They''re taking the same route as us.''

    "And?"

    ''There''s no other branch offs to this route you know. This route only goes one way.

    To skip village.''

    Servante''s face hardened as he realized what I was implying.

    The trouble that came with sapient goblins arriving at rural towns?

    That would be our problem.

    And considering our situation, the last thing we''d want was drama.

    "We could just kill them." Servante said coldly, and while Lenore looked uncomfortable, she was also clearly waiting to see, keeping quiet. I disagree with this wholehardedly, but I understand that they''re acting from the standpoint that they''re merely goblins in the way of their mission.

    ''That would be foolhardy. Have you forgotten they come from a village, departing at the mere age of 8?''

    "You say that as if it means something to me."

    ''Have you considered how sapient monsters villages survive if they''re comprised of monsters weaker than other monsters of the surrounding areas?''

    "I thought it the same way humans survive in such situations. Cunning and tools."

    ''Sure, until a monster wave happens. Most human settlements made within monster infested areas get torn down the second a monster wave gathers, but monster villages survive for decades, if not centuries at a time. Can you figure out why?''

    "Well, I assume they evolve. Even if they are born weaker, evolution compensates for their weakness, and their cunning should speed things up."

    ''Sure, sure. But evolution takes time and effort to nurture. And a group of weaker than average monsters usually gets torn down quicker than they can grow their numbers.''  Sapient monsters spawn in yes, but like most monsters who spawn in, they rarely spawn in groups, rather spawning alone, or in pairs. How could they survive without that preexisting herd?

    Something clicked in Servante''s mind as he guessed. "A supporter?" he asked as he looked at me probingly, as I gave him a nod in agreement.

    A supporter, yes. Many times that support is a sapient monster who''s grown strong enough to survive in the wild and support a whole tribe as they gather fellow sapients born into a harsh situation. At the very least, these supporters are 1 rank above the rest, but usually two.

    Minotaur tribes ruled by a Gaiataur, sirens who rule Harpy covens.

    Goblin clans were dangerous for the same reason real goblins are. They breed faster than most sapient monsters, and evolve faster, with their supporter, their village''s progenitor usually being the strongest.

    I can recall one goblin village situated in my territory that was ruled by an oni.

    Shiver

    He was a terrifying fellow. And given this elder seems to be an oni who receives favor from the oni God Fujin.

    "Even so-"

    ''There is no, "even so".'' I cut him off pointedly. ''They let those three kids leave, and I doubt they did so without any form of protection. Best case scenario, we manage to do so, and suffer some permanent damage from a painful retaliation tool, and worse case scenario, a group of adults who''ve already evolved past their goblin stage and reached easily into B and C ranks, and maybe A ranks come after us, with the intent to kill.''

    The idea that the oni who supported this village was a direct apostle of the god Fujin was merely speculation on my part, but the chances of C,B,A ranks pursuing us is not. On the contrary, it''s highly expected, regardless of the size of the village.

    Servante''s expression looked grim. "But if we bring them with us, we''ll be attracting attention too, and we''ll be in the same situation as if we let them go." he pointed out. "If that''s the case, we could use the excitement as cover."

    ''Maybe, but we could also use them as aides. They''ve admitted they''re close to evolving.''

    "...And?"

    ''I''ve known a few sapients of the skarpa race over the last few years, and some have even been so kind to enlighten me as to a special spell they can use to blend in amongst the races, including elves'' I narrow my eyes as I emphasize the importance of the statement. ''We were planning to blend in once we went to skip village, right? How convenient would it be to clothe our presence with 3 additional elves?''

    "They would be C-rank if they evolve..." he said thoughtfully as he pondered it.

    They would be 3 C-ranks, who''ve been training since they were one, so years of training, and considered prodigies in their own right.

    It''s the kind of benefit backed with its own fair share of danger that you can''t say no to.

    And that was how 3 goblins joined them on their journey to escort one child.

 Stocking Stuffer: 2 Isekaied to another world: I aint dealing with all that!

    I died by truck.

    Two of them in fact. Technically one and a half.

    The first time I tripped over a toy truck a kid left on the street, flipping and cracking my skull.

    I should''ve died there, but I didn''t.

    Perhaps I could''ve came back from that.

    So where''s that other truck?

    WHHHHHRRR!

    There it is.

    Apparently I had fell right into the pathway of an actual truck, and if my head was cracked the first time, then the second time around, it was positively crushed, as I got the unfortunate pleasure of feeling as my brain splattered against the side of the sidewalk.

    I thought I was dead.

    But if you know any isekai novel, or transmigration, you know what happened next.

    Yup, I woke up as the main villain of a fantasy romance story.

    Reincarnated as, actually.

    Apparently I was reborn here without any memories, and lived my whole life up to this point, until recently, where I tripped and hit my head, knocking myself out, and getting all my memories back of my past life.

    A bit cliche?

    Definitely, but that hardly matters to me.

    I''m out, leaving, gone.

    Who am I now?

    Well, I''m the villain. The former heir to a relatively powerful baron.

    Former, because a few days from now, my father, the pathetic wheezer who''s never shown me a lick of attention, is going to arrive with my half-brother in tow, as he promptly replaces me with him, causing my ultimate down spiral as I see all the hard work, I''ve done over the years go down the drain.

    I still remember my life as Alan, his son. All the efforts, all the desperation to get that man to look at me.

    I feel so pathetic recalling that.

    Well, no more!

    Alan would go on to sell his body and soul to a demon and stand in the way of the female lead, Leah Vales, the daughter of a nearby baron, and the duke of the north''s son, Connor Bergstrom, which ultimately results in Alan''s death and eternal damnation.

    Thankfully, that selling your soul bit only occurs near the end of the book, so I have plenty of time to ditch the story line.

    No point in sticking around any way. My father has already gone out, so I''m sure that he''s gone to collect my bastard brother.

    That''s harsh, but he also drives me into insanity, so screw him. He''s not a bad person, but neither was I.

    I take my sword, steal some clothes belonging to the servants, pocket change, and I''m off!

    Well, that and a letter.

    Dear Father,

    I have no doubt that when you return, you will return with an appropriate replacement for me as heir to the barony.

    That''s fine, but don''t mind if I collect what rightfully belongs to me, and finally collect an allowance, which you have refused me for the last 16 years of my life.

    I wish the bastard the best of luck, putting up with the biggest bastard that is my negligent father.

    Sincerely,

    your progeny Alan, since I do not want to be recognized as your son.

    P..s., go fuck yourself.

    <hr>

    It''s not hard sneaking out of the house undetected. As Alan Iskey, I trained my body to the level of a low B-rank swordsman, with my aura control barely falling behind.

    Admittedly, sneaking''s not my strong suit, but I managed.

    The knights around here only fall within C rank, since the empire is huge, we''re a fringe barony, and the Iskey family is only relatively strong, with the average knights around here falling within the D-E rank.

    It means that it isn''t hard to sneak past most of the soldiers here.

    A few close calls, but ultimately, it goes relatively smoothly.

    You may wonder, then what''s the plan?

    What''s my aim in this next life?

    Flee. Run, far and hard, and apply to the adventurer''s guild for a new identity.

    The adventurer''s guild is shady that way, as I know from this life that all kinds of people sign up to become adventurers to gain a new identity in this world.

    You might wonder why I would need to go this far, to start a new life with a new identity. I mean, I''m being replaced, so that means he''ll have no reason to come collect me right?

    Well, that''s right.

    It''s also not right however, as he''ll be looking to collect my corpse.

    Alan Iskey is like any good villain, in that he has a tragic backstory.

    His father seeks to eliminate him and replace him as heir with his bastard brother, who doesn''t hate him, but their father''s repeated efforts cause the desperate Alan to crack under pressure and eventually go crazy, killing his father and keeping his bastard brother under lock and key, only to later be discovered by the female leads friend, and later helps to bring down his brother, who''s by this point gone mad.

    Yup, all of this, because of a moronic, abusive, bastard.

    Grrr, that damn father! To think I ever wanted his attention!

    Huff, whatever.

    It''s more important I run now, since once he gets back, the attempts to kill me will start.

    Poisonings, assassinations, sending me on high level expeditions, and handing me cursed artifacts.

    I hear I had an uncle who had mysteriously disappeared on a hike, leaving father as the only successor to the barony.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Back then, I merely regarded it as a mystery, and I couldn''t even fathom the thought of my father killing his brother just for a stupid piece of land.

    But recalling my past life''s memories of the man described in flash backs, in conjunction with my real-life experience with him, I can see it, I can definitely see it. The fog has been cleared, and to me the ugliest beast called my father has been revealed.

    I''ll be heading near the Western bank of the empire for now, since it''s the easiest and cheapest way out.

    Well, first I got myself an adventurer identity.

    Hmm. Nothing too fancy, but nothing too simple.

    I have to be able to use it like a real name.

    How about... Flash.

    Yes, Flash works.

    I could add more, but adding a last name feels like trouble, especially since so many noble families use a last name. What if I step on some toes?

    Nope, flash is fine.

    <hr>

    No missions, not a single one.

    My priority is to get out of there as fast as possible, and raising rank can come at a later time, amongst many things.

    Now that I am no longer aiming to be a noble, my next goal is to live a comfortable life, maybe buy a new noble title under my adventurer''s title.

    But before that, doesn''t it only make sense if I start gathering some golden fingers?

    Yes, around this point in the story, it''s noted that countless brand-new species of monsters begin to appear in the Romanan empire.

    Some of them sound like horrible rip-offs of certain brands, like a roomba turtle, which is obvious what it is, a group of monsters that initially take the form of a ball, before appearing in an explosion of light and a fancy transformation of the spherical storage form, and golems that combine and transform into larger golems. Or living tops that use their mana to generate elemental tornadoes as they clash with their enemies, or even monsters that give the user the ability to "henshin".

    And others seemingly new out of nowhere monsters, like plants that act as laboratories, dragon ants, dragon birds, bird/dinosaur kobolds, axolotl kobolds, fungal beasts, all types of symbiotic monsters and more.

    It''s clear the author had a weird mind.

    The book also described a number of magical artifacts and countless hidden dungeons that are all basically hidden treasures for me to harvest.

    But what about the story?

    Well, I''m the main villain, and I''m gone, so really, what''s the worry? They''ll be fine.

    I''m just taking some of the more useful things that they''ll never use.

    And in the case of the monsters, I''m just being proactive right? It''s not like I''ll be taking all the monsters, and the empire seems lacking when it comes to monster taming anyway.

    Besides, the story mentions a crazy powerful madman being the one behind the creation of these monsters. I''m sure he can deal with all of that.

    The book mentioned crazy monster tamers living in the north pole, but they''re not my problem, and never relevant to the main story, so there''s no chance they''ll ever be my problem.

    What''s the first familiar I''m aiming to tame?

    A draven.

    The most practical familiar to take on as mine.

    Because when you tame one, you don''t merely tame one, but it''s future partner, and the drows it''ll take as its own adoptees, caring for them until they get too old and then get kicked out once they become dravens to raise their own family.

    Taming a draven isn''t merely taming a draven however, as it also means getting on the good side of all dravens around the whole world!

    Even if they''re D-rank monsters, only as strong as an orc, they also happen to number in the millions, and maintain a close community.

    It''s even noted in the story that when they first appear, the dravens cause widespread havoc due to their first appearance, and stupid people who attack the newly formed race, only to find their homes constantly bombarded by the beasts. You can''t even kill them all, since they''re spread worldwide, and happen to flock with the crows and ravens, with any corvid with sufficient dragon blood becomes a drow or a draven.

    One can only grovel and apologize, hoping the draven collective accepts your apology.

    They''re basically rats with wings, more pigeon than pigeon!

    That''s a worthwhile ally to have.

    Since I have most of the book memorized, it shouldn''t be that hard to tame one, really.

    It''s really not much different from normal crows and ravens.

    <hr>

    I found myself a draven.

    Just... not the way I thought I would.

    I hadn''t been looking for a familiar that day, but rather going on an expedition to complete a mission.

    Finally having escaped the territory anywhere near the Iskey Barony, I had managed to land myself in Shonin village, a village near the 3 part jump village, and a small out of nowhere village.

    It was a nice quiet village to start from, bought a small house with my gold, and it was a nice and quaint place, whether I chose to live there or use it as a rest stop..

    So, I picked a small simple mission, and began scouting out the nearby area, looking to find a small flock of drows and dravens.

    Hunt some wolves.

    ...

    I ran into a staguar.

    It thankfully wasn''t after me but was actually hunting a draven.

    I could''ve carefully left, head to the village, report seeing a staguar, and be done with it.

    I didn''t have to save it.

    But... it looked so brave.

    It was standing in front of a drow, who had been knocked unconscious at some point, and it stood stalwartly in front of the smaller dragon like bird, sustaining grievous injuries.

    ...

    Damn it.

    I got involved, getting into a fight with the beast.

    I might''ve been a B-rank fighter in theory, but with lacking aura control, it''d be more accurate to call me a high C-rank.

    I obviously couldn''t win, but merely had to scare it off.

    Thankfully, staguar''s are cautious creatures, and thus, after trading blows for an hour straight, the creature backed off, seeing me as not worth the extra effort.

    I still left that fight with a broken arm, and gashes way too deep to be normal.

    The draven didn''t warm up to me at first, being more weary than grateful.

    I respected that. It still had its brood(?) to care for.

    Still, in the end, it was worth it, after forcefully tending to the draven, watching it fly away slowly, as it shot me one more grateful glance.

    Walking back was still a bitch and a half of course.

    <hr>

    It started visiting me after that, the start of it signified by a tapping on my window.

    The first time I responded by opening my window curiously, I found a cluster of berries good for healing potions and their own healing qualities.

    And the next time I found a cluster of twigs. Huh. Nice I guess.

    A few trips later, and a cluster of random items later, I had a drow and a draven resting in my house, making themselves at home. Half my bed goes to birds now.

    It''s true what they say, birds can be very bold.

    I didn''t mind, except for the occasional worms they brought in.

    They started following me on hunts, which meant I stuck to low level hunts.

    Drows are ranked F, having the strength of a goblin, but being slight larger than the average crow.

    And dravens are orc levels of strength, while easily being double the size of an actual crow.

    It was fun having companions in a fight, when most with whom I had teamed up with were more temporary acquittances than anything else.

    The two of them became roommates I guess.

    The drow was quick to warm up, easily allowing me to rub it''s feathers.

    They were interestingly soft, with slight little bumps beneath the surface, evidence of the drows draconian lineage. A little ball of fluff really.

    He wasn''t allowed to touch the draven''s feathers though.

    When he tried, he received a fierce nip, and a glare from the draven, as if its space had been pervaded, as it screeched offended.

    Yet the day after, it practically yanked his finger out of its socket to get it to rub the down coat, cooing at the sensation, but stopping him from doing too much before flying away to the other side of the room.

    It was confusing, but still, he enjoyed the feeling, rubbing the feathers, which felt slicker and smother than the fluffy down of the drow.

    The feeling of scales was more prominent beneath the plumage, and he even felt the small forepaws of the draven, hidden beneath the frontal down of the draven.

    The new life was good, fun in its simplicity, something he''d never gotten to enjoy, whether it be as the heir to the barony, or as an overtime worker on Earth.

    It still came with its own fair share of difficulties.

    The occasional punk who bothered his pretty bird, or small-time bandits, even the occasional assassin or two, since Baron Iskey''s efforts still reached him once in a while.

    Life was good nonetheless, and he managed to settle into a comfortable rhythm.

    Perhaps the greatest issue came when he named the two of them.

    After spending two months together with the two, Alin decided to name them.

    Not just so he could identify them, but because just as the book suggests, naming monsters in this world with magic can help boost the monsters mana storage, and push it closer to evolving again.

    It made sense to name them, just as he''d been feeding them mana cores, even if they were worth a lot of money.

    The drow was named Andy, and the draven was named Lety.

    He''d come to realize the energetic bird was female, and it made sense all of a sudden why she''d been so offended the first time he had carelessly rubbed her.

    Alin had almost stopped rubbing her feathers for good, until Leticia had insisted that he rubbed her, and ultimately he determined that she had come to really enjoy belly rubs, and he''d overthought it.

    Until the next morning when he heard a sharp screech in the morning, and for once, it wasn''t the screech of a bird, but the screech of a woman.

    Roused to waken, he found himself sleeping next to a girl with raven black hair and sparkling purple eyes, with a small boy also resting on the bed, with both having tails of feather throughout their body, and a pair of wings to boot.

    "Lety?" he asked, unsure, yet also feeling that creeping sensation, the foreboding understanding that...

    "Flash!" squealed Lety, as the girl jumped forward, squeezing poor Andy as she hugged Alin.

    Poor Alin wasn''t aware that this was merely the start of a common trope of isekai and transmigration alike:

    Harems.

    <hr>

    Supporting female character: I don''t know where the villain has gone! ;(

    Vicious female villain: come back to bed wife :)

    Villain''s brother: who''s left me with all this work?

 Stocking Stuffer 3: Woolymander- From parasite to guard dog

    Ol'' Jimmy was a farmer.

    Ol'' Jimmy Mcdonald. A common last name amongst farmers, seemingly propagated by a famous hero in the past, as part of an old nursery rhyme, featuring old Mcdonald. And now it was a commonplace last name for farmers, as if to suggest a kinship, like how nobles used last names to denote their kinship.

    Ol'' Jimmy didn''t really overthink it.

    In fact, he rarely overthought anything.

    So death was just that. Death. 25 and crushed to death by a passing monster. It probably didn''t even notice him, much like Jimmy didn''t notice it.

    That was fine.

    He barely felt it.

    Ol'' Jimmy rarely overthought anything.

    But when he was reborn as a sheep''s parasite, he might''ve overthought it a little.

    However, was it really overthinking, if there was a lot of thinking to be considered when involving reincarnation?

    No, there''s plenty of thinking necessary. In that case, Ol'' Jimmy was thinking just right.

    ''Oh lord! Oh sweet mistress of harvest! Why me!? Why a parasite?!''

    Jimmy got it out of his system fast enough. Never let a bur stay in his coat too long, that Jimmy.

    He gave me a call, and I showed him his stats.

    I''m his system, by the way. Pleasure to meet you.

    Well, he gave me a call. I suppose it''d be more accurate to say:

    ''Who did this to me!''

    [Howdy.]

    And that was how I met Ol'' Jimmy, that fine fellow.

    ''Who are you?'' He asked me in a horrified voice.

    Did he think I was God or something? Silly Jimmy.

    No need to overthink.

    [Nah, your guide.]

    ''Oh''. Yeah, Jimmy calmed down reeeeaaaal quickly after that.

    Laid back fella, I tell you that much.

    it surprises me, given he''s a woolymander.

    What''s a woolymander?

    Y''see, they''re like ticks.

    Really big, fluffy, cute bastards they are.

    Were it not for them nasty old fangs o theirs.

    Real nasty things, like them cookie cutter sharks have, but hidden underneath all that wool.

    They''re some rather nasty pieces of work, parasitizing off the sheep they hatch on.

    Like a baby on a mama''s teet, if that teet was the hole them sheep fakers make with them mouth over there.

    They feed on a sheep''s flesh, kind of like a vampire, but fluffy, until that sheep dies and them old parasite finds them a new teet to feed on.

    But Ol'' Jimmy was a farmer. He didn''t want to cause no harm to his fellow man, another farmer in arms.

    Kinda rude of that there Goddess of harvest to do that to such a good fellow; but who knows. Maybe that goddess got a plan or something, I''m just a simple old guide assigned to a simple old farmer and happens to run a virtual farm in his spare time.

    A bit redundant? Perhaps, but that''s my choice.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Jimmy, bless that young man''s heart took it upon himself to defy the stereotype, instead feeding on grubs and bigger prey, like the occasional frog or two.

    Little known fact: we guides are generally omniscient, and can see pretty much everything in the nearby area.

    I say this to say that he was caught pretty quickly by the farmer.

    When a woolymander takes it upon itself to intentionally climb off a lamb and feed on grub, they stand out worse than a blade of grass in a sidewalk.

    Woolymanders are basically black salamanders wrapped in wooly fluff and easily the size of a small cat, so wandering on the floor exposed him rather quickly.

    Thankfully, his quirky actions caused the farmer to hold his blade, so I felt no need to comment.

    His poor thinking saved his life.

    From that day forward, Ol'' Jimmy took it upon himself to start hunting down the critters that used to bother him as a young centaur, though the lack of his upper body continued to confuse him.

    Jimmy used to be a centaur, which meant he was better suited to rounding the sheep himself once upon a time, and even now, it helped him orient himself.

    It also meant that Jimmy galloped like a horse, and if he didn''t stand out like a sore thumb before, then now he stood out worse than a snail in a group of slugs.

    I thought poor Jimmy was done for.

    On the contrary, fate seemed to have other plans for Jimmy.

    <hr>

    "Don''t think I''ve ever seen a woolymander gallop before." Muttered Tawny as his friend Don sat down, a rum in hand.

    "Well I''ll be a monkey''s uncle." commented the farmer as he watched the woolymander gallop, warding off the encroaching goblins.

    Ben chuckled as he heard his reaction. "It is weird right?" he asked as he lounged on the front porch.

    Ben had invited his pals over for a gander at the new sight that had greeted him for the last week.

    And gander they did, for there was quite the sight.

    A parasite, playing guardian.

    Their eyes were practically jumping out of their sockets.

    "What do you make of it?" Ben asked, watching as the woolymander thoughtfully chewed on the goblin''s corpse.

    Don shrugged. "Didn''t you ask Demeter for a new guard dog?" he asked jokingly as Tawny rolled his eyes, before saying his part.

    "I think it''s dangerous. Not going to kill it?" he asked as he warily eyed the suspicious monster.

    Only to watch in surprise as a sheep walked by, picking the critter up by the scruff of his neck, tossing it onto his back.

    "It''s unnatural." he muttered.

    Don rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Isn''t that more your choice Ben?" he said as he skillfully passed the bill onto Ben once more.

    "I''m going to let it be, see how it plays out." he said casually.

    "This could go wrong quickly." Tawny warned and Don agreed.

    "Tawny might be an overthinking dumbass, but I''ve got to agree, this seems really suspicious. Could go wrong in so many ways." Don grudgingly admitted.

    "Well, you know my intuition?"

    Nod

    "My intuition says this could be a good thing."

    Tawny and Don shared a look.

    "I mean, his intuition is good..."

    "I don''t know." said Tawny as he pondered worryingly.

    Ben rolled his eyes. "Look, if it does go wrong, as you''re both so worried about, we can always call the constable." he said, assuring his two old friends.

    Ben understood that his friends were only looking out for him, but Ben just felt it. That little spine tingle.

    He felt that little woolymander could really change things up.

    <hr>

    Boompf!

    An explosion of fluff blew out, blinding the orc as it swung its club blindly, squealing all the while it looked for the annoying foe who had been fending off it''s herd of goblins.

    Out of nowhere, a sharp pain ran through the orc''s leg, causing it to collapse on one leg, the blood bleeding out of the leg, seeping into the ground.

    A rock came flying out of nowhere, hitting the beast square in the eye, blinding it in one eye.

    Squuueeel!

    Jimothy threw another stone, using its tail to throw the stone, using his old skills as an archer to aim, and blind the large beast.

    Circling the beast had been to his advantage.

    Just as centaurs circled their foe to confuse them, he now used it in this explosion of his own wool to confuse the dumb beast.

    This was his herd, and nothing touched it, not while he was here!

    Deciding to finish it off, he lunged at the beast.

    Wham!

    Unfortunately for him, the orc swung wildly, hitting Jimothy firmly on the flank, sending him flying.

    The beast turned, feeling the sensation of hitting something.

    Even with its leg torn and eyes bleeding, the beast charged wildly, charging with the intent to kill.

    Feeling the pain in his flank and his bones cracked, Jimothy rolled, barely dodging the first strike. He couldn''t charge any more.

    Desperately, he jumped onto the leg of the orc, climbing relentlessly as the orc tried to shake off the climbing critter.

    Scratches littered the beast as the two struggled in a life and death situation, the woolymander attempted to strangle the orc, as the orc tried to tear the critter off.

    One had to give and one did, as the orc breathed his last, before falling back and dying, fading from this world.

    Jimothy struggled up, after defeating the orc, a surge of triumph rose through him.

    Using his jaws, he ripped through the chest of the orc, finding a magic stone

    Crunch

    Breaking the stone into bits, Jimothy watched as a screen appeared before his very eyes, as he quickly scanned it, knowing he would soon pass out from exhaustion.

    He limped, heading towards the herd, finally tapping his choice, before collapsing, failing to reach the herd before he fainted.

    As he passed out, his body underwent changes.

    His claws increased in size, and his tail thickened, splitting off at the end into two different prehensile tips.

    The tongue split off just the same, becoming a forked tongue.

    The body grew in size, as his size approached that of a newly born sheep.

    No longer was his mouth round like that of a salamander, but more akin to a muzzle, the small mandibles replaced with sharp canines.

    And above all else, two nubs began to pop out of his head.

    [Congratulations!]

    [Proceeding to evolution: Ramodo guardian(hatchling)

 Book 2 Chapter 4: Fe-ra-tol!

    So now I have 5 students in the language class.

    Why''s that, you ask?

    Because of the 4 goblins who arrived, only 1 of them happens to actually read the common language. The other 3 don''t.

    Their plan was to let one of them read.

    Of course, for that 1 goblin, I''ll start him in advance on contract terms. Reading the language is a step in the right direction for sure, but it is nothing but the bare minimum. Just because you know how to read sentences and understand basic conjugation, does not make you ready to be a merchant.

    Frankly, I''m not the best teacher for this subject, since I was used to dealing with the merchants as a lord, rather than as an appealing and new merchant.

    But I recognize those two are more introverted and hardly able to teach the very idea of merchanting. Something that were I still a noble, would take notice of as a great weakness of the elven secret kingdom.

    They are sitting there and listening in. I assume Lenore merely got curious, and Servante was more likely curious what manner of spell I''m teaching.

    ''First off, you''re probably wondering how I planned to sneak you four in?" I say as the goblins nod curiously.

    After telling them about how terrifying the outside world is for the skarpa race is, I also assured them of a way to blend in amongst the elves, thus allowing them to sneak into the romanan empire.

    Redgar is the most average amongst the group, while the others vary in shape in size, bearing a silverish hair.

    Fenil was a girl with black hair, though one would be forgiven if they couldn''t tell. Female goblins have few differentiating features that would make them seem female, save for the longer hair, and any makeup they may choose. Of course, since goblins are viewed as something more akin to a transitionary stage, it''s no surprise that for them makeup is minimal at that stage.

    Borsch was a rather large lad, actually around the size of an average human, rather large for a goblin, bearing silver hair. He was "big boned" and contrary to his brutish size, was the one who actually knew the most about the romanan language and writing, and seemingly had a passion for magic.

    And Damil was a sneaky looking lad, being a head shorter than Redgar and was the smallest of the group. Like Fenil, he also had black hair, fitting given they were introduced as siblings.

    The four goblins nod, as the curiosity is obvious in their eyes.

    And you''re sure this skill will completely change my physiology?

    [Yup, true shapeshift, while expensive to purchase, completely guarantees that your body changes accordingly, and each template costs a singular shop point each, with the skill itself being 20 skill points.]

    Still think that''s ridiculous.

    [You''re lucky you knew a transformation spell beforehand, and thus understand the basics of transformation. Otherwise the cost would be more like 100 skill points.] Stolidus said as he rolled his eyes, going back to the small handheld magical tool.

    I get it, I got lucky.

    Purchase the true shapeshift skill for me please, alongside the template of a high goblin please.

    [Donezo]

    [Skarpa(orc) base template acquired!]

    [True shapeshift skill acquired!]

    All right, the information is pouring in, and honestly the basics behind the spell seem simple enough.

    Understandable enough to make me wonder if I could''ve learned this spell on my own.

    Until the template rushes in, and I understand the true difficulty lies in the template itself.

    So much information...

    Glad that this system just kind of stuff the information in.

    All right...

    Focus...

    Crick

    crack

    click!

    The shifting of the bones is uncomfortable, but bearable, as I see my height shift, and my posture as well.

    Lets see, fingers?

    Check.

    Arms?

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Check.

    Lack of shell?

    Check.

    Where''s ore though?

    Imagine my surprise when the tunic that seems to have been made alongside my goblin form seemingly flows, as a small metallic turtle head grows out of my tunic.

    ''Ore!''

    It prominently declares, as it moved it''s head around, seemingly showing off it''s well being.

    Good. I was worried for a bit where Ore would go, before Stolidus assured me Ore would be fine.

    I''d like to experiment with this some more, but I have some priorities.

    It''s a bit weird being back on two legs, but fine.

    I''m taller than the elves right now by a fair margin, thanks to choosing the orcish form. The spell requires the skarpa to be of at least one evolution above the base goblin form after all.

    "So, tell me" comes my raspy voice as the class looks at me in surprise."

    I ignore that in favor of focusing on my class, though the raspy voice still amuses me, as much as the bulging eyes.

    "What do you know of the felatol spelll?"

    Borsch, the big-boned and seemingly the pudgiest of the three raises his hand.

    "The elfish troll?" he asked, directly translating the term.

    Indeed, the term was exactly that, the elfish troll, referring to the supposed maker being a troll who sought to sneak into the society of man, using the form of an elf.

    Of course, what I was referring to was the spell.

    "No, the spell" I said shortly.

    All of them shook their heads, indicating that they in fact, did not know this spell, causing me to click my tongue. I knew not all of their tribes knew the spell, since many of the skarpa tribes lived independently, rarely interacting with one another, so it''s not too surprising.

    Regardless...

    "The name refers to the ability for the skarpa race to blend in with elves by using this spell." I explain as I begin the chant, a basic rhyme of skarpan words.

    The magic begins dancing through the air, as the change can be felt on my skin, but venturing no deeper.

    A more basic spell compared to the true shapeshifting spell on the shop.

    Once I''ve done the neccessary steps, I finish up, saying the command.

    "Fe-ra-tol!"

    Another change ripples through my body, as I grow shorter, and my skin pales as it takes on a similar sheen to Servante''s and Lenore''s.

    my bulk is replaced by an air, an absence, as my body thins out.

    The hair goes on to take a blonde shade, and my teeth pull back into a more humanesque layout.

    The goblins waste no time as they quickly begin observing the change I had pulled off, inspecting me from all direction, with Borsch being the most curious.

    Servante was more curious about other things of course.

    "What was that first spell?" he asked as he studied my face. "The second spell is interesting to be sure, but that first one is... weird. I can''t even begin to follow it." he admitted, and I could see how deeply it piqued his interest.

    Sadly, I had to shut that down.

    "Don''t know." I admitted, before preparing to mix a little lie with truth.

    "I picked it up from a mysterious master from the Eastern lands."

    Servante''s eyes went round. "You mean the Qing empire?" he asked, as his interest increased.

    "You know of them?" I ask, curious to once more test how much the elven kingdom actually educates their knights.

    "A little." he said. "Not a lot though. Most elves who head to the east rarely come back and those who do..." he paused, as if recalling an unfortunate memory. "... Rarely ever come back the same."

    I nod as I relate to that. "The land to the east is a mysterious and terrifying place. There''s a reason the Romana empire has never managed to gain any significant footholds in that land, with it being filled with an unnatural energy called qi."

    I move on.

    "There''s a mysterious elder who has traveled from the eastern lands and settled in the Gamecas marquisate. I managed to have a run-in with him once, and he taught me a rather interesting shapeshifting spell."

    He didn''t of course, though I did know that elder, and he did teach me many things, some of which I''ll be using soon enough.

    Servante seemed to buy it, as interest grew in his face. "Well then, I guess the detour in our trip can''t all be bad then." he said, almost begrudgingly. "But why show it now? I thought you said it can''t be used until you''ve reached the C-rank?" he asked, being puzzled by my choice to show him this prematurely.

    I shrugged. "The whole point of showing it is to show that it is possible for them to disguise themselves as elves. It looks rather real, right?"

    "It does. How strong is it?"

    "Relatively, to the extent that it can take a good fight or two before it wears off. It also wears off after a day and requires reapplication."

    Servate rubs his chin thoughtfully, raising his finger as if to ask something, before Borsch interrupted.

    "How does it work!?" he asked excitedly, with a genuine sparkle in his eyes.

    I have to chuckle seeing the desire to learn in those eyes.

    "Well, seemingly it taps into the skarpa races connection to the elven race." I say as I do my best to recall the basics behind it. "Supposedly, the spell only works with elves, so people theorize that there''s something special that connects elves and goblins. Some people imply more... crude reasons, but that only works for feral skarpa, as the civilized side rarely came into contact with elves. I''ve heard outspoken theories that the skarpans and the elves are actually relatives, and that changing is more akin to flipping a switch, like werewolves do."

    "I assume it''s the elves who objected to this?" asked Servante as he seemed appalled at the very thought, but to his surprise I have to show a waving hand. Not quite.

    Because looking at the skarpans, you can see they quite hate the thought as well, using the simpler sign of sticking their tongues out.

    "It''s a mutually disliked idea actually, the skarpans dislike the thought of being connected to elves, who they see as lesser versions of themselves, unable to evolve. And elves see skarpans as a bunch of barbarians, if not beasts, the few that even know of them. "

    Servante made a difficult face upon hearing this, but I do kind of understand where they''re coming from. The skarpans have the ability to evolve and in general, are far more expansive than the elves, who are either hiding in their kingdom, or merely integrating into the societies of others. Arguably, when seen from that angle, the elves are the ones with a smaller presence and existence.

    I don''t say that of course. No need to lay it on that thick.

    "Regardless," I say, moving on from the topic, "this should work in tricking others, right?"

    Servante nodded thoughtfully. "It definitely should. It could even fool me if I didn''t know what to look for."

    Seeing that I managed to demonstrate successfully, I undid the true shapeshifting, as well as the feratol spell, returning to the form of a turtle once more.

    Lenore pursed her lips. "I was fun seeing you in elven form." she admitted, and I chuckled.

    ''Charmed?''

    "No, just a lot easier to deal with than a voice mysteriously popping into my head.

    ''Fair enough.''

    "Like that."

    I was willing to concede that could get annoying, considering that I used to be on the receiving end of that.

    ''Well, if it so suits you, I''ll use the elven form more, or the orcish one, so you only have to deal with the telepathic voice less often.''

    "Deal."

    I chuckled.

    Anyway, enough time was wasted on shapeshifting. One can never slack on children''s education.

    ''So how about we talk about the history of Skip Village?''

 Stocking stuffer 4: Titant Eater: The Kaiju of chaos

    The last thing Sethorbjorn saw was the ax flying at his head as he cackled wickedly, delighting in his incoming death.

    Finally! A truly worthy death!

    Sethorbjorn had long searched for a worthwhile death, one not only placed within a good cause, but a death at the hands of a worthwhile foe.

    And behold! A criminal minotaur twice his size, and adapt with an ax, one that he used to cut him down.

    He did not care, for he had already sent a message ahead of time, calling others better suited for hunting beings such as this.

    He merely had to injure it enough so that the beast would be forced to temporarily retreat.

    And he had done so, managing to nearly tear off the minotaur''s arm, for it was hanging by a few strings.

    And thus-

    Swish

    -Sethorbjorn found his worthy death.

    <hr>

    Sethorbjorn had expected an apparatus of death to come retrieve him.

    Would Thanatos come to him, guiding his soul to the underworld for his judgement?

    Would his death be great enough to be personally escorted by the Valkyries to the eternal battle that was Valhalla!?

    What he did not expect was to encounter the God he had faithfully served in death.

    He could mistake him for no other being, for it was his one and only god.

    The thin snout, and the two great crests upon the back of his head.

    The two goats that followed the God.

    His very presence which came with the spark of sulfur and storm.

    The glimmering and taut muscles.

    A was-sceptre headed by a dual bladed axe which hummed with power, proof that he alone ruled the storms of chaos!

    It was Sethor, god of storms and chaos, uncle to Jorvus Mars, the great warrior himself. If Jorvus Mars was the god of legions and their commanders, then Sethor was the god of great warriors, people who stood alone at the pinnacle, beloved by adventurers.

    The very being whom Sethorbjorn had been named after, his name being the stone of Sethor in it''s direct translation.

    For he was just that, the stone which his lord cast down at the enemies of the empire!

    But why was his lordship here?

    His son may judge the dead, but Sethor had no such role.

    Perhaps...

    Perhaps he was here to test him!

    To see if Sethorbjorn was worthy of his lord''s name!

    Sethorbjorn understood, as he pulled out his twin tomahawks, ready to prove himself to his God, to prove himself as a warrior!

    Sethorbjorn charged with vigor, roaring as he lunged forth, practically foaming at the mouth for the chance to personally be tested by his lord!

    The lord of chaos and storms put his hand up as he cackled happily, but commanded, nonetheless. As much as I would relish in the chance for us to test your mettle child, that is not what I''m here for currently.

    Sethorbjorn lowered his axes in mild disappointment as he skids to a halt, but regardless, heeded his call.

    Do not worry, you have earned your right to enter Valhalla, and the entrance is rightfully yours, should you wish to depart now. However...

    The bestial god''s lips curled back as he gave a fierce grin, his gleaming fangs bared for all to see.

    ...Should you be interested in a new form to enact my crusade once more, I would gladly accept your service once more.

    Without hesitation, Sethorbjorn kneeled.

    From the day he was blessed by the god of storms and chaos, he had always been in the god''s service.

    But more combat?

    That was hardly business, but pleasure!

    There he is! God, I love your everlasting vigor. Very well then. So here''s what''s going to happen...

    <hr>

    pop!

    The shell of a rather inconspicuous egg hatched cleanly, with one claw puncturing the shell, as the rest of the paw attached to this singular long claw followed suit, as three more equally thin and long claws followed through, tearing through the shell with vigor.

    A tiny head popped through the shell, a long thin snout popping through first, as two large horns also broke through the shell.

    Sethorbjorn marveled at how strong he felt, stronger than he had ever been in his prime, and yet how thick this shell had felt, or how cleanly these new claws were capable of cracking through such a thick object.

    His tongue felt weirded than it had ever felt before, as Sethorbjorn watched as it flickered in and out. A long thin, tubelike tongue.

    An anteater''s tongue.

    Indeed, the lord had said that he would be reborn as a kaiju, an individual which lurked within what was described as the "Hollow Earth".

    Sethorbjorn did not know these words, nor did he care.

    He had been sent here with one purpose, and one purpose alone, the only one he cared about.

    Kill, and kill, fight until you can fight no longer. I leave the rest to you.

    His lord had left it up to his interpretation, his freedom to fight as he wished in this bizarre land.

    Wonderful.

    He did mention something weird...

    There was supposed to be a "system" but you don''t need that, do you?

    Never!

    Good! You''re a true warrior, your instincts are enough!

    I will leave you the guide though, if only for fear of your mind cracking over time.

    I do not crack!

    I believe you.

    He still had this guide however.

    Not that Sethorbjorn minded.

    This guide was adept enough.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    <How ready are you ready to kill!>

    It was a good guide.

    Something easy to start.

    <Indeed! Let us start with an entree!>

    <Head eastward, there is suitable new prey there!/

    <hr>

    Sethorbjorn did not feel large.

    He felt rather small in fact.

    The land was something akin to a plain, with the plain covered in grass that was shaped like trees, with small bumps here and there.

    His new form was barely twice the height of the grass, making poor Sethorbjorn was small.

    He was also a bit of a thickheaded moron, not realizing that the "grass" in question were trees, and that these small bumps would be hills and large bounds of land.

    It likely did not help that Sethor had taken away his system, and thus taken all stats and proof of this point.

    Instead, when facing this ant hill, Sethorbjorn felt incredibly small, for the mount loomed overhead, easily dwarfing him.

    And yes, he had turned a mountain into a mole hill.

    The titanteater crawled towards the hill as it observed the prey that the guide had led him to.

    Ants, that felt larger than they had ever been before.

    Compared to normal ants at least.

    They felt smaller than the monster ants.

    What could once easily be squashed underfoot was now a tangible meal.

    Because indeed... he was an anteater.

    So this would be his first hunt!

    The ants had already noticed him as they turned to face him, quickly gathering in a large group as they charged at him, with the intent to kill the intruder.

    Titants, unlike normal ants, had sight.

    Not great sight, but good enough to recognize the approach of kaiju, something important in these lands.

    Sethorbjorn showed no hesitation either, using his claws to slice through the ants, as they cut through it like warm butter.

    It didn''t take long for Sethorbjorn to cut through all of them.

    However...

    After he killed the first bunch, he realized that cutting all the ants into pieces kind of resulted in, nothing.

    They didn''t look very appetizing.

    Oops.

    As more of them approached him, he decided to try a different approach.

    The approach he probably should''ve started with first, but he''d never been one for using his head when he could use his hands.

    The tongue slowly slithered out of his mouth, and grabbed another approaching ant.

    Crunch

    Pulled into his mouth, he felt a satisfying crunch as his teeth grinded down the insect.

    It was good, and not the worst thing the man had eaten before.

    Looking at the anthill, Sethorbjorn saw it just a bit differently.

    A little bit less like an enemy, and more like lunch.

    <hr>

    Screee!

    WwwwhhrrrrooooOOO!

    Roaring in response to the challenger''s screech, Sethorbjorn raised his claws in an offensive posture, preparing to fight the approaching creature. A horrendous mix of goose and snake.

    A hissing serpentine head raped in feathers, a body with feathers and scales alike, with the tail of a scorpion.

    It charged at him, hissing and screaming, but Sethorbjorn was no slouch.

    Standing on his hind legs, he extended his hands outward in a show of dominance, with talons so long that the goose-snake-scorpion faltered in it''s run for a few seconds, before ramping up it''s speed again.

    The titanteater ran forwards as well, preparing for its collision.

    3...

    2..

    1.

    Crash!

    The sound of flesh and feather meeting reverberated in the area, as his claws dug into the hide of the beast, and honking hisses could be heard.

    Sethorbjorn did not go unscathed, for he could feel the teeth of the beast ripping into his flesh, the teeth feeling more akin to the teeth of a wolf than the fangs of a snake.

    The scorpion tail lunged forward, plunging towards the nape of his body.

    Deftly dodging, Sethorbjorn instead grabbed the tail with his tongue, it''s grip being far stronger than the likes of the new appendages he had.

    Twisting his head, he threw the geese on the floor.

    SLAM!

    Wasting no time, he used his claws to tear off the stinger, eliciting a honk of pain from the goose.

    It flapped its wings, desperately trying to escape, but Sethorbjorn was firmly on top, pinning it from above.

    Each scratch took a pound of flesh off the beast, as it grew weaker with every gasp.

    And finally...

    Rrrrrriiiiiippppp!

    The snake-like head came flying off as the creature finally fell limp.

    Panting, Sethorbjorn could feel the blood pumping vigorously through his body.

    This...

    this feeling...

    THIS was what he lived for.

    SSScccreeeeeooonk!

    A screech of dominance burst from the titanteater''s throat.

    The sound of satisfaction, the sound of triumph.

    The dawn of a new apex had just begun.

    <hr>

    In the countless battles that had followed his body had undergone many changes.

    He had grown exponentially in size, though Sethorbjorn had long come to realize how small he was in this land of beasts, which caused him to often complain to himself how lord Sethor had brought him into a world of kaiju this small.

    Right now, he would dwarf 4 dragons stacked upon one another.

    The fur on his body had become a dark black, highlighted by the occasional streaks of lightning that ran through his body.

    A long serpentine tail came out of his fur, splitting into two circular tips. There were feathers protruding from this tail, a deep shade of blue, that gave the tail the appearance of a particularly rough fan.

    His hands had changed, becoming reptilian, much like his tail, and the talons had changed, becoming made to rip and tear, while his previous claws had been better for breaking into mounds.

    The hind legs had grown, and taken up a structure that Sethorbjorn often attributed to drakes, or even birds were he to compare.

    The guide Barren had called them, "traits of the Therizino" whatever that meant. Maybe some form of dragon, or bird.

    His neck had grown, taking on a slenderer stature, coiled almost like the neck of a goose, covered in a black matte coat.

    Rows of teeth now filled the face of the anteater, giving it a more sinister, look, as did the two horns protruding from the back of his head.

    The eyes a dark amber.

    According to his lord Sethor, he had evolved in his image, becoming what Sethor called the "Sethorian eater".

    Sethorbjorn took pride in this title, much like he took pride in his name.

    Today was another successful day of hunting, as he had managed to hunt down this weird porcupine cricket and was about to chow down when....

    Thoom

    Thoom

    Thoom

    Thoom

    The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard as the beast approached his direction and the Sethorian eater heaved himself upwards, preparing for a fight.

    A giant bipedal lizard broke through a clearing.

    It was easily thrice his size.

    To his surprise, it was not chasing him, but rather,

    it was chasing fairies!

    Well, he thought they were fairies.

    They were small humanoid creatures at the very least and were even very similar to what he would describe as giants in their physical features, were it not for their size.

    They were small.

    Terribly small.

    Each maybe came up to his knee, were he to be generous.

    They were running from the beast, leaving him to wonder if they had angered the creature, given how little worth they''d be as prey for such a large creature.

    He watched thoughtfully, wondering for a split second whether or not to save these little folks.

    His mind was made up quickly.

    He was a paladin of chaos.

    What else could he do but save them?

    Rushing forwards, he watched as the fairies eyes widened in panic as they turned to run in a different direction, but Sethorbjorn strode past them, rushing towards the beast claws prepped.

    The beast shifted focus as it saw him, roaring a challenge to the approaching foe.

    The creature took a big bite forward, as Sethorbjorn ignored it, lunging for the creature''s side.

    Using his claws, he gouged himself a grip onto the creature, before climbing it''s back, with each gash bringing the beast pain.

    A clean cut was all it took to bring the beast down, alongside the marks of his climb.

    Boom!

    The sound of the large beast falling reverberated throughout the whole area, being followed by silence.

    Having finished up, Sethorbjorn settled down to enjoy his pound of flesh before moving on.

    Before he could, he noticed the fairies walking up to him, before dropping to their knees, bowing in a show of respect.

    Scrutinizing them, he couldn''t help but notice they really looked like giants, were it not for their size.

    They were almost exactly the same minus their size.

    They were just too small.

    Unless...

    Maybe he was too big!

    As he recalled the words his master had said, commenting on his size, something he had merely dismissed as a bad joke, he came to realize the truth.

    he was huge!

    Lost in these thoughts, Sethorbjorn didn''t notice that one of them in particular strode forward, a woman slightly taller than the rest, with special markings on her head.

    Black hair and amber eyes.

    She kneeled as she spoke words, words at first incomprehensible to him, until they started becoming understandable.

    [-We offer our respects to the great clawed god of the plains, he who cleaves the world in two, the great badgerlord-]

    Hmm?

    Clawed god? What do they mean by that?

    At this moment, a murky laughter filled his mind, one that brought the sethorian eater great worry.

    He loved his god Sethor with all his heart, but like all men, he knows-

    I am a god of chaos, you know?

    -The things Sethor enjoys most, the things he relishes in and even encourages,

    -is chaos.

    <hr>

    I still think my turtle is better. Anubis grumbles as he watches these new devotees to his father''s favored one fall to their knees.

    Sethor cackled, as he poured himself another mug, and drank once more.

    Come now, you must appreciate the sheer scale of their fights, It is something to behold.

    Anubis had to admit this much begrudgingly as he pondered to himself.

    Well, it could be fun if Earl chose to become a kaiju.

    Sethor howled in delight at the very thought. Indeed, indeed! He agreed wholeheartedly. Imagine how my nephew would pull his own feathers out in frustration at the mere thought. Sethor found delight at the frustration Jorvus would face with the prospect of a kaiju lurking within his empire.

    Father, he''s not a bird anymore.

    He''ll still pull hair I guess. How delightful!

    Anubis looked worried at the look on the god''s face.

    Father... He warned as his divine aura grew, causing Sethor to roll his eyes.

    Fiiiiine. You''re so defensive of that kid. When you were born-

    -You were a horrid father and dumped me in a pond filled with mad hippos. Anubis retorted simply.

    They were your hungry hungry hip-aunts! Exclaimed Sethor, as if that justified his actions.

    Anubis rolled his eyes. Just keep your grubby hands off of my player.

    Fine. I have a better toy anyway. He said as he turned back to the view.

    Now, let''s see-

    Sethor smiled.

    -How chaotic can I make this?

 Book 2 chapter 5: A little About Skip Village

    ''What do you know about skip village?''

    This question was addressed primarily to the skarpans and the elven royal guards.

    That''s because for Leo and Willow, all of this means nothing.

    Well, they may glean something, but the one''s who will truly desire this knowledge will be the Skarpans and the two elven guards.

    They undoubtedly know something, but first, I have to ascertain how much they know, so I can fill in their gaps of knowledge.

    And for the Skarpans, the importance lies less in the knowledge itself, but the nature of the knowledge.

    As I thought, Servante and Lenore knew something about a skip village, given both of their hands jump up.

    I guess my repeated scoldings has made them eager to volunteer.

    Goodness, it gives me flashbacks to that old bastard teaching me.

    My hand stings even now...

    ''You may speak Servante''

    I say, and Servante pushes his glasses up, before speaking.

    "A skip village is part of a 3 city passage system, which are scattered throughout the Romana empire. It''s said that by going through the three transitionary villages of Hop, Skip, and Jump, that one may get to the capital of the empire, and is hailed as one of the most impressive systems in the world! This is done by portals stationed at each village-"

    ''That is correct, but what I actually refer to is the history of Skip village, and more importantly, the history of the skip village that we are heading to currently.''

    Servante''s face scrunched up as he admitted awkwardly. "I-I-I don''t."

    ''Hmm. That''s fair, but as a foreign person of great importance, it''s important for someone of your status to be aware of certain things like these, especially when you choose to pass through it. And for you-'' I say as I point to the three goblins, ''-as merchants, it is important to be aware of the history of the place you plan to settle in and practice in, so that you may know how to orient yourself and the way you approach selling. Do you understand ?''

    Seeing them nod, I continue.

    ''The skip village we are heading to is the original skip village. Did you know Servante, that the original Hop, Skip, and Jump villages were part of a joke?''

    Hearing my question, Servante''s eyes widened in disbelief, and even a surprised gasp from Lenore popped out.

    "Oh, like hop, skip and a jump!" She said, slamming her fist in her palm with the realization.

    ''Yes! It is, in fact that pun!''

    "... That''s stupid!" says Servante.

    The skarpans merely tilt their heads in confusion, with Leon laughing and Willow giving a precious smile.

    I''m sure she''s smiling only because of the atmosphere.

    ''It is. It was done by a particularly powerful duke of the north who was considered a great power in his time, perhaps even surpassing the emperor. It just happened he also seemed to be a bit of an eccentric going by historic records.''

    Well, eccentric describes it mildly.

    He was downright insane, going by my old master''s descriptions.

    Yes, even my old master knew of the man.

    He''s left quite the footprint in history, though I''d be remiss to say any of its bad.

    In fact, most of it was good in the long run, making him quite the controversial figure.

    Servante frowned. "But we''re in the south..." he pointed out quizzically and I can''t help but laugh dryly.

    ''I told you, he was quite the influential figure in his time. The duke of the south happened to be good friends with him, to the point that he was willing to humor his friends'' joke. The emperor saw an opportunity to do something with it and created the hop, skip, jump village station system to allow people easier, more regulated movement to the capital. ''

    "He does sound quite strong." commented Lenore after hearing my statement, and well, I can''t say she''s wrong.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    The ability to strongarm an emperor into following his whims, and to have a strong enough friendship with a fellow duke to be allowed to play on his land was not a statement to be underestimated, and this alone fails to convey the strength of this duke alone.

    ''Yes, well there''s more to the story.'' I comment. ''The land on which hop, skip, and jump village were once vast expanses of wilderness, home to SS rank monsters. It''s said that when the duke and his men set out to excavate the land, they encountered great resistance in the form of entire flocks of wyverns, armies of undead headed by undead kings and even tribes of dragons! It is said even monsters once unheard of prowled the lands before he crushed them all with the giant''s knife!''

    "WWWWHHHHOOOOOOAAAHH!" The kids say as they lean in, clearly more interested in this than the political intrigue.

    Even Lenore and Servante seem more interested, though Servante seemed to have realized something.

    "You''re talking about Ymir Bergstrom!" he exclaimed, less than questioning, and I nod, unsurprised to see he knows the man.

    ''I''m surprised you guessed the man''s name based off how little I''ve mentioned.''

    "Well, I didn''t know, until you mentioned clearing out vast spaces of wilderness and then the giant''s knife. It wasn''t mentioned in the books what he did afterwards." he sheepishly admitted. "Perhaps that was due to the fact that the villages were treated as a joke and ignored. The three-village system is only mentioned a century later in the books I read."

    Sigh

    ''That is the problem with being long lived. Things pass by so fleetingly, that it becomes harder to notice the connections. Though I''m amused to note that the knowledge about the giant''s knife has made it there.'' I say a hint sarcastically.

    I mean, they know about the Hop, Skip, Jump village system, but don''t know about the infamous story behind it, but they do know about Ymir being the greatest wielder of the Giant''s knife.

    It could be a coincidence, but on the same note, that sounds very war oriented.

    Servante rolled his eyes. "Come on now, Ymir is the most famous wielder of the giant''s knife; and once you mentioned the clearing out of vast expanses, I could think of no other duke besides Ymir Bergstrom. I mean, as a nation, of course the elven kingdom has to consider the threat of such a man!"

    I mean, that''s not wrong I suppose.

    Whatever.

    ''The reason I mention this is that the skip village we''re heading to is the original skip village, being one of the three made by the duke himself before being promptly returned to the duke of the south. Can anyone tell me why that is important?''

    "Is the duke still there?" Redgar asked. ''No''

    "Did he hide a secret magic spell!?" asked Borsch. ''Nope''

    Fenil shrugged, clearly uninterested, with Willow merely smiling, waiting to see what others say.

    "Treasure!" shouted Damil, while Leon gasped. "A secret weapon!" he said, and I sadly had to tell them both no.

    Redgar seemed to be thinking hard about it, before finally responding.

    "A legacy?" he asked, and I found that response interesting and close enough.

    '' What could you mean by that?" I asked proddingly, for I could tell he was unsure.

    He even admitted as much.

    "I''m not sure, but you emphasized that he was important to the creation of these three villages." he said as he attempted to deduce something. "It doesn''t seem to be anything physical, based off what the others said, but rather something intangible. I just don''t know what."

    The kid''s got a good head on for a kid who''s never ventured out.

    Alright then.

    ''To that, the answer is simple child. He did leave a legacy of sorts I suppose. Think about it. He made those villages, but who populated them?''

    And with this, the young skarpan''s eyes opened, wide.

    "Northerners?" he asked and I nodded.

    ''Do you know what that means?''

    "I suppose that means the village is filled with northerners, who would stand out amongst the people of the south?"

    ''Exactly. Despite a few centuries having passed since the duke passed away, a great deal of people who live in these first three villages clearly remember their legacy, and culturally, are now a blend of both northern and southern culture. This is context, something important to consider within the wider vision of knowing your customer''

    That''s why this was all so important.

    These three villages also happen to be great tourist attractions yes, but that''s not something they can so easily capitalize on. They may get some shallow benefits, such as selling food for tourists or trinkets and more nonsense like that, but it would miss an important question.

    To whom are you selling? What will the people of these villages appreciate most? What will they dislike most? Is there something that offends them as a culture?

    '' I am no merchant, but what I can tell you is that as merchants, knowing your targets is the most important thing, especially when you aim to make profit in the long term. It''s nice to make money, but it''s vital to maintain good relations with them, and to sell them what they want. ''

    I pause for a moment.

    '' You are not merely there to sell merchandise, but to sell a reputation.''

    Well, that''s what I''ve gathered after talking to merchants at least.

    As a noble, I didn''t deal with the ones who made the most money, but the ones who knew how to appeal to their consumer base and knew how to play the field.

    Redgar nodded thoughtfully, as did the others, but he seemed to be the only one who really understood my point.

    Makes me wonder if the others had other goals that happened to line up with heading out, but that''s irrelevant.

    ''In line with that point, you must consider that as northern aligned people, many of their tastes happen to align with northern tastes. The food, preferred weapons, and even values. All of it is related to context.''

    I glance at Servante. ''Do you understand what I''m saying?'' Though that statement is also directed at all of the kids meant to be learning.

    The kids nod.

    Servante asked with a thoughtful expression. "Are you suggesting I study up a bit on northern culture?" he asked, trying to probe my intention.

    ''It doesn''t hurt to make sure you understand the people you''re going to be interacting with over the next few days.''

    "Well if that''s the case, then I don''t suppose you could help me?" he said, extending the metaphorical hand.

    Unfortunately,

    ''Sorry, I don''t know that much about the northerners.''

    Servante had an awkward look on his face as he remembered.

    "Oh, right, because you''re a-"

    ''I''m a turtle, yes. I don''t know that much and frankly don''t need to know that much, since I''ll just be a dumb turtle.''

    Sorry Servante, I was the marquis of Gamecas, not the local lord of Skip village.

    Good luck studying Northern culture laced with southern culture.

    From what I can remember, the people of Skip village were certainly... interesting.

 Book 2 chapter 6: First kill and arrays

    I took young Leon out to go hunt his first monster.

    The boy was talented in the ways of stealth, but it means little if all he uses it for is to hide.

    The boy also desires to be an adventurer, something which obviously precludes the ability to hunt monsters.

    Some would argue that a boy at such a ripe young age should not be hunting monsters, but I disagree. I believe it important the boy learns the feel of a kill, whether it''d be to reign in darker notions, or for those less comfortable with the thought of killing to get used to it. Besides, at his age, I was executing criminals for the people, so, perhaps my perception of reality is skewed.

    Learning his aptitude happens to be to my benefit as well, as it means I''ll be able to better determine how to teach him. Do I teach him restraint, or drive?

    I do train warriors better than I teach merchants after all.

    The two of us travel alone into the woods.

    Although the skarpans volunteered to come with us, I politely refused.

    Greater numbers may ensure safety, but it also ensures that the level of monster approaches us will be too high for my needs, and the cowardice of these training dummies too low as well.

    A child and I will make far more tempting targets.

    I''ve already learned how to conceal my mana, like all good scouting people do. While I can conceal mana according to my tastes, I''ll be hiding it all.

    Smarter monsters are more cautious of those whose mana they can sense, but the less intelligent will eagerly target such prey.

    And by less intelligent.

    Rrraargh!

    I mean ferals like goblins.

    The goblin this time around was bigger than the one I fought, and seemingly smarter, with a smaller and more proportional club this time around.

    Speaking to the boy, I gently encourage him.

    ''You may start whenever you''re ready.''

    Leon looks a little nervous, as he wields his dagger carefully.

    Good.

    I dislike the reckless kind the most when it comes to training them especially when they''re talented, and thus their brashness supported.

    He''s hesitant, but the goblin isn''t, as it hisses, raising its club and charging at him, forcing the boy to move.

    He dodges the first blow, and uses the blade reactively, scratching the creature''s side, causing it to screech.

    ''A good first try'' I compliment the boy.

    I expect the goblin to turn around and face the boy, only to find that it doesn''t seem able to find him, swinging its head around, with the boy plainly in front of him.

    Is this the mental power camouflaging him?

    Interesting, I can''t even sense the change in the air, not like I can sense mana.

    This mental power, whatever it may be, just seems invisible to me.

    The beast seems lost, and while I compliment Leon for his effort...

    ''Leon, finish it.''  I order, a bit harshly, but we have taken him out to train, to kill.

    An uncomfortable truth of reality.

    The boy rushes up to the goblin stabbing it in the neck.

    Despite how uncomfortable he seems with the order; he still does it.

    I guess he''s hunted before.

    With a firm stab, he plunges the knife into the goblin''s exposed neck.

    The creature writhes, desperately struggling to survive, attempting to swing its club.

    I don''t let it, my vines stretching out and binding the creature''s limbs, so the boy doesn''t get hurt.

    In seconds it is dead, and I am beside Leon, comforting the kid.

    The boy quivers a little, uncomfortable with the sight.

    ''You did good Leon.'' I reassured him placing a vine on his back.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Contrary to his earlier, more cheerful demeanor it is darker,, and uncomfortable all around.

    "They won''t be mad at me, will they?" He asked in a quivering voice.

    ''Who?" I ask, already having a guess.

    "The other goblins." he responded, specifying. "The friendly ones."

    It''s good to see he''s worried about that, and not too bothered about killing something.

    I do think it important to make the distinction, though he seems to have some form of distinction already.

    ''They call themselves skarpans.''

    "Skar-pans?"

    ''Yes, skarpans. They are not the same thing, like how dogs and wolves aren''t the same thing.''

    Despite this emphasis, the child feels no better seemingly, appearing anxious.

    It''s good to see he''s still feeling anxious though, as it gives me reassurance that his worry about killing is not so light, but at least moderately so. Though, that also means I''ll have to also lighten his worries a little.

    Still, I''d rather have a warrior who thinks less of killing, than one who has no qualms, especially a child. on the contrary, I''d actually be worried.

    Honestly though, he has nothing to worry about.

    <hr>

    Servante seemingly couldn''t believe his ears, hearing how plainly I said it.

    ''Leon killed his first goblin!" I said, clearly showing off the goblin ears that Leon carved off the corpse.

    The dagger he had used earlier was also a carving knife, one given to the kids in the orphanage, accompanied by lessons in how to carve something, to give them opportunities for later in life as carvers, as a job to fall back on.

    Leon seemed a little more anxious about presenting his prize, hiding slightly behind my shell.

    Redgar walked up to inspect the ears of the slain goblin.

    To his surprise though, he was complimented instead of yelled at.

    "Good job Leon!" said Redgar, patting Leon on the back reassuringly.

    "Good riddance, I say!" said Damil with a grin.

    Borsch gave a thumbs up, stuck in a book of magic spells.

    Leon looked confused, but clearly felt better about himself, as the skarpans congratulated him.

    Servante looked more confused than anything else, as did Lenore.

    ''Can you explain to the elves why you approve of the kill?''  I ask Redgar, who is eager to explain once I asked him to.

    "Much like many elves view skarpans as primitive beasts that should have no relation to them, we skarpans have a similar relation to ferals. They''re cursed beasts." he spat the last part, emphasizing the last part. "They are merely blights upon our race and tarnish our reputation. The only good feral is a dead one." he said, true disgust present in his words, before he turned to the young Leon again, his voice softened. "Okay? You don''t have to worry about killing those. They are only beasts. Not like me." he said, emphasizing the last part softly, specifically for the young child.

    Leon seemed finally relieved, understanding that the new companions he had did not hate him for his action.

    Taking the goblin ears, he ran off to show them off to Willow.

    Willow smiled softly, offering her own version of a congratulations, though I could tell from her face that she had less than an interest.

    Not grossed out, but it was clear she was just going along with it, before the boy lost interest in the ears and quickly dragged her off to play another game.

    Well, that was over with.

    Servante was amazed by this standpoint, though both he and Lenore seemed to easily pick up the idea. Understandable, since they probably think the same of ferals as skarpans did, merely seeing them as beasts. Skarpans just happen to have a closer tie to their cousins, and a greater revulsion.

    Anyway, after seeing how he did on his first hunt, we''ll work on a few things later, like teaching him some basics about fighting as an assassin given that I''ve affirmed he does seem apt enough with a dagger and his ability to just disappear is apt for this role.

    Can''t rely on his disappearing trick since I have no clue what the requirements are.

    I also have another thing to deal with, arguably far more important when it came to us approaching the upcoming tow.

    The skarpans needed to evolve, and quickly, if they are to blend in amongst elves once we''re there.

    <hr>

    The next day I set to making the array once I finished teaching the kids again. And the skarpans who are kind of kids, but not really. Skarpan culture. It''s difficult.

    The array was something I picked up from the old hermit who used to crash at my house. In particular, he lived at my mansion within the territory, hence why he wasn''t there to save me when I died at the mansion in the capital.

    He''s probably still hanging around my house, more likely than not, lazing in his room "cultivating"

    I hope my replacement doesn''t try to kick the old man out of the house. If I hear about the untimely death of the recently chosen marquis of gamecas territory, then I''ll know someone pissed the old man off, especially if the news mentions a string of deaths regarding a new marquis.

    The array wasn''t something simple really, but apparently something of a masterpiece according to the old windbag.

    Supposedly. Realistically, he could be lying for all I knew, but regardless, it fit my needs currently extremely well.

    And he wasn''t one to give cheap gifts, just cheap when it came to giving gifts.

    According to him, and many from the qing empire, there exists an energy of life called qi.

    When I ask them to explain, they start dodging around the subject, claiming that trying to teach me would ruin my understanding of mana, fundamentally affecting my ability to use mana.

    I don''t push him too hard, since I have no reason to learn qi anyway. And I knew he wasn''t bluffing about the existence of qi after watching him fight better than an 10,000-year-old man should be able to.

    According to him, although it thins out in our lands, qi is very much present, just a lot less, given that all living things contain qi.

    Creatures that rely on qi are called spiritual beasts by the way. According to romanan legislation, though qi users still call them monsters or cultivators, depending on their relation to the entity.

    Anyway, this array seems to be the inverse of another array designed to convert mana into qi, something he used to cultivate while at my house.

    He gave this to me after I nagged him to repay me for staying at my house. It was the least he could do after taking up my guest room for a good five years.

    As an inverse, this array gathers the thin qi in the air and converts it into mana.

    I say thin, but it is relatively thin here, not completely absent. Where there is life, there will always be qi apparently.

    Using this array, we can boost the skarpans absorption of mana, therefore speeding up the progress of their evolution. Given they are close, it should only take a few days before they evolve, and then we can speed along to Skip village.

    Oh, and cover the array up, since according to the old man this array is super rare and valuable and I should totally hide it from all prying eyes, including Servante.

    Apparently, he learned it from his master, a large tortoise, and if the tortoise finds out he leaked his secrets, then he''ll strangle him. Supposedly.

    Just need a few leaves and a tarp to cover it up, and-

    Clap clap.

    - done and done.

    Anyway, done with the array. Let''s go get the skarpans and we can start this up.

 Not an update: Someone has stolen my book.

    I really didn''t want to do this.

    I was hoping to deal with this quietly and off the record, get it reported and get it finished.

    Unfortunately, amazon has chosen to refuse to close it.

    For those curious, here''s the link:

    Amazon.com: A Turtle''s Path : A LitRpg Isekai Adventure eBook : Dukespino: Kindle Store</a>

    Yes, they''re using my name. That may be the most infuriating part about all of this.

    I do want to say thank you to the multitude of people who reported this story to me. If you want me to mention you, feel free to comment! I''ll credit you in the afternote.

    I will be sending an additional report to amazon if I can, since this is rather blatant all things considered.

    It''s not the first time either, as my dragon story was also stolen one time. However, I managed to get that cleared on my own time, through filing a simple report.

    It''s just this time they''ve refused to do so, and according to the people who told me, it''s not only me who''s faced this problem, but many who''ve written their stories on royal road.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    You might wonder why I mention this to you. Or you don''t since there really is only one reason I could mention this to you.

    According to others, reviews that call the story out as stolen help expedite the story being taken down from amazon, something I am unable to do myself due to circumstances.

    So I have a favor to ask of you. One I don''t really want to ask, but I suspect asking my family to leave bad reviews alone will not help.

    Here''s my request.

    Please take a look at the story and determine for yourself if it is stolen. I''ve given you the link, and like all kindle unlimited stories a sample is available, and the story free for kindle unlimited users is free.

    Take a look. Even the first few pages, since I think it obvious there. And if you think it is stolen.

    Please leave a review saying so.

    Call it out for being a fake. Share a link to the real story here on royal road.  If for no other reason, then so my story is not butchered by some foolish dickens trying to make some nice and easy money off my story. Like all stolen stories the writing is horribly mangled, even moreso than it usually is!

    I do eventually want to publish this story, once book one has been re-edited and perhaps given a fresh cover to look like a proper story.  Not now, not until I''m a good book or two into the story, but eventually.

    But that won''t work if there is someone else parading the story around, and using my pen name so blatantly like this.

    You don''t need to help if you don''t feel comfortable doing so, because I don''t want to force you to do anything you don''t feel uncomfortable doing.

    I will be grateful for your help, or even your attention to this update. With luck, the copycat will screw up and induct this into their story.

    Looking forward to seeing you next chapter!

 Book 2 chapter 7: Evolutions

    As I gathered the skarpans, the elves came over naturally.

    I''m sure Servante has been curious about how I would speed up the evolution of the skarpans, so he''s come to take a look, and Lenore seems to just enjoy participating in things.

    Neither can leave the kids alone, so here they are watching, with the two kids in tow.

    The kids don''t really seem interested, since there''s not much visual for them, though more fruits should keep them put for now.

    After making a bowl of fruits for them to quietly munch on, I guide the skarpans over to the magic circle so they can sit inside of it.

    As I enter the array, I can feel the lick of mana entering my body.

    It feels warm and invigorating, but I do have to push it down for now. I don''t want to take too much from the others who have to use it after all, and I can still gather mana on my own time.

    As they followed into the array, their eyes widened as they marveled in the flow of energy.

    "What is this?" Redgar asked, getting down to inspect the leaves and covering before I stop him.

    ''Sorry, trade secret. Can''t share that.''  I declare, warning the goblin off.

    "Oh, ok." Redgar accepted easily enough, merely choosing to indulge in the array''s plentiful energy, though Damil did try to get a pick before getting his hand slapped by Redgar and Borsch looked really curious, though he managed not to give in to temptation.

    Servante chose to directly ask me. "What is it that you''re hiding?" he asked, curious but also slightly suspicious, which was fair, given that I chose to hide it from him.

    I explained the general concepts behind it, of qi and the way this array converted that which existed qi wise into mana.

    Hearing this, Servante''s eyes flickered with interest.

    "This array is that rare?" he asked, as a bit of sadness seeped into his voice, disappointment that he couldn''t take a look.

    He even pleaded me to allow him a look, to see if he could grasp any of the intention behind the array.

    Sorry, I promised the old man.

    And so, they just sat there.

    Not in meditative stances of course, since there''s nothing I can really share in that area. I do have something, but that''s my family''s secret technique, so I can''t really share that.

    This should be fine anyway. Within the next few days, they should be close to evolving or evolving. We should also probably send them out to hunt as well, so they can speed up the process.

    And over the next few days I did exactly that.

    Thankfully, they are adept hunters, and coming to a forest with weaker monsters has been a boon to them, allowing them to increase their rate of growth.

    In fact, it took less than a week for them to evolve.

    <hr>

    It was a rather explosive event, with the change being a radical change.

    I had never witnessed my own evolution, merely accepting it hurt like hell.

    Watching it was quite the sight.

    They were hunched over, screeching painfully as their bodies painfully morphed, warping in unusual form. Their body was exploding from within, as the uncomfortable change was undertaken.

    You hear about it from the rare beast tamer or two who manage to evolve their familiars, but seeing is believing.

    i could believe they were in pain, and could practically taste it as well. There was also a sense of revulsion, as if witnessing the evolution was unpleasant. Supposedly this was a thing all monsters felt, theoretically meant to scare off predators that would prey on this opportunity. As a rational monster, I could ignore it, though I''ve heard creatures with great fear or paranoia could do the same as well.

    Leon was next to them, dabbing their head as he tried to ease their pain. A commendable effort, if not a little dangerous depending on if they were to lash out or not.

    I suspect that Willow would''ve been doing something similar were it not for the fact that she was stopped by Servante and Lenore, which was more difficult than you would imagine stopping a child could be.

    She was a high elf child after all, and in times like these, it was obvious.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The presence of the magic blowing off her was easily C, maybe B-rank magic. Raw, unfiltered magic.

    It was wild, and random, with it mostly taking the form of growth, vines, and even small plant like monsters, harassing the two elves clearly trying to stop the child from running over without doing anything drastic. A small jungle was growing around them, as she tried to run over to them.

    I didn''t think the child had a particularly strong bond with the skarpans, and yet she''s desperate to help them. She hadn''t teleported, something I suspect that she had merely not thought of in her franticness.

    Thank goodness she wasn''t particularly trained in magic, or she might''ve done something more strategic and intelligent.

    It was a very stressful situation, thankfully one that ended quickly with the evolutions being relatively quick.

    With the evolution finishing, and the group of skarpans getting back up exhausted, Willow finally calmed down as she saw them get better, paying no heed to their changes.

    And surprisingly, they had not all evolved into the same thing.

    Fenil and Redgar had all become hobgoblins, with their bodies now large enough that they could be accounted for as a small human, rather than an average sized human. Their magic had clearly increased from their previous forms, and their noses became less prominent, and their skin became a shade darker compared to their light green skin earlier on.

    Damil had remained the same size, but his body had become less scrunched, less goblin like in that regard. His ears had become more prominent, larger, though his nose had shrunk much like the hobgoblins. I believe he is a dwarfgoblin, though those are quite rare from what I recall amongst the skarpans.

    His skin had actually lightened a bit, turning less green.

    The one who stood out the most was Borsch.

    Borsch had been described as big boned before, but now he was just big, towering over even the elves, for now he was an orc. He still had fat of course, but his body was more of a "dad bod" as some would describe it.

    The words of famous hero Michaelangelo. He was a strange man with a way with words.

    Borsch, much like Damil, had undergone a rather radical change.

    His body now rippled with muscle, and his mouth now had two protruding fangs emerging from his mouth.

    Both Fenil and Redgar had better, well defined faces, but Borsch''s was more chiseled, like comparing a sharp-edged rock to a round pebble. A side effect of evolution was always that monsters improved upon their weaknesses, often resulting in them becoming more handsome by the races definition.

    Borsch''s skin, like the other two, had gotten darker, and his too, was a shade darker than theirs, a dark olive green compared to the more leaf green of the hobgoblins.

    Seeing that they were better, Leon''s demeanor changed quickly.

    "Wow, you''re so cool!" He shouted as he eagerly started touching their ears, arms, and even clambering onto their bodies to investigate, specifically Borsch, who was now an orc.

    He didn''t do that to me, if I recall. It might have something to do with Borsch''s less impressive aura. Despite evolving and having gained quite the large form, he still had the awkward, introverted aura, and he was slouched over a bit, clearly trying to hide his presence, even as his body worked against him.

    The group of skarpans were clearly celebrating as well, happy over their new forms, even humoring Leon.

    "Look at that, it wasn''t all fat after all." commented Damil, as he patted Borsch''s stomach, getting promptly slapped over the head by his sister. "What?!" he complained after rubbing his head. "It''s true! He did jump over the hoskar stage! He''s become an ostan!"

    Borsch took it in stride, clearly having a thick skin. "I see you have become a duskar Damil. Congratulations, you seem to have been blessed by good luck! Once we get back you''ll likely be personally taught by senior Waylin."

    "Thanks Borsch." Damil said shortly, but not rudely.

    And Leon hadn''t stopped clambering, specifically on the noow very large Borsch.

    No, I don''t think he should be doing that.

    Grabbing Leon with a vine, I scolded him.

    ''Leon, it''s rude to climb all over someone, especially without permission.''

    Leon grumbled but didn''t fight me as he got down.

    Servante and Lenore walked over with Willow, seeing that they were finished.

    "Congratulations!" said Lenore cheerfully as she observed their new forms. "Now that you''ve evolved, I guess you can work on that new feratol spell!"

    Servante looked at Borsch in particular. "Is the orc form an alternative for the hobgoblins amongst the, um, skarpans?" he asked, trying to be polite but his curiosity getting the best of him.

    Redgar stepped in to explain. "Well, Borsch has always been a chubby fellow. Most people thought he was fat, but the elder said that Borsch was merely storing excess energy." Looking at his friend, he looked a little awkward. "I guess he was right after all. Even I didn''t believe him." the skarpan sheepishly admitted.

    "So he''s skipped a stage?" Servante said earnestly, scanning the orc. He already suspected this to be the case but pushed to confirm it earnestly.

    "Yes, he''s skipped a stage. As of now, he''s what you would consider a B rank in pure strength."  Redgar confirmed, understanding what Servante was looking for.

    I would''ve responded, but now, Stolidus was prodding me. He rarely took such initiative.

    [Hey, hey, use the appraisal!]

    He said, and I internally rolled my eyes. I don''t need it; I can tell that he''s become an orc already.

    [Yes, you do! Just look!]

    I did it, just to shut him up, but to my surprise:

    [ostan sage apprentice]

    ...Huh.

    [Yeah! See?! Told you!]

    All right, I get it.

    Can''t tell them that though. How would I know after all? I could bluff, but there''s really no reason, since he''s already been learning magic. No reason to interfere.

    [No need to anyway. He''ll know soon enough.] He said nonchalantly.

    What do you mean by that?

    Borsch paused, as if realizing something.

    "Guys, I''m not an ostan."

    He said, as his face twitched, reflecting revelation.

    "What did he say!" Redgar said excitedly as he shook his friends arms.

    Even Damil and Fenil looked invested.

    "He?" Servante asked, eyebrow raised.

    Redgar looked to him excitedly. "We all hear The Great Father when we evolve. He whispers in our ear and guides us on how best to use our new bodies he has given us."

    "Ah." Said Servante, though he seemed unconvinced.

    They didn''t care, as they talked amongst themselves eagerly.

    "You''re a sage!" Damil exclaimed, surprise leaking into his voice.

    "That''s great." Said Redgar warmly as he congratulated Borsch.

    They continued talking for a bit excitedly, sharing what the voice told them, before I think they''ve had enough time to themselves.

    Clap Clap

    Using my vines, I get them to focus. We have a village to head to, and work to do.

    ''I''m glad to see you guys are happy with your new forms. However, we''re on a time clock. So how about we start working on your transformations?''

    Now that we''re here, it''s time to see how they''ll fare transforming.

 Book 2 chapter 8: Final preparations

    The training went by far quicker than I had anticipated. As a human, it had taken me days to properly learn the spell, though I was incapable of using it myself, only sure that I had learned it thanks to the confirmation of a troll who assured me I had learned it.

    But I had been a human. It was a bit foolish to use my time to train as a timeline for them.

    The first of them to learn was Borsch, something I credited to his existence as an ork sage''s apprentice. Clearly he was a step ahead, and though I did not quite know what sage signified, I could only assume that i was relevant to the pursuit in magic.

    He learned the spell in a matter of minutes, emerging as a rather bulky looking elf.

    It was a bit weird honestly, conspicuous even. Less conspicuous than a skarpan walking through the town, but he was still rather brawny as an elf, when elves were known for their more slender physique, something Redgar and Fenil both fit more in line with, looking more like normal elves.

    Damil was the other exception of the group, turning into a rather stubby little elf.

    He grew, of that there was no doubt, but compared to the average elf, he was what would be considered small.

    He''d be considered a tall dwarf but still short for a human and an elf.

    Both he and Borsch would be considered abnormalities, and for the more puritan elves, they''d likely be considered aberrations, since elves who are abnormal are often suspect of being half elves, and for those crude types they''d gossip about monster progenitors.

    But for the average elf they''d be considered abnormal, and no more. Humans would likely care less so, same with other species that roamed the empire.

    These would hold as disguises.

    Being satisfied with their disguises, I set to other things I held in priority.

    Like disguises for the carriage.

    ''Surely the carriage can blend in better than it does currently?" I ask Servante, pointing to the rather obvious lgo, and he scratches his neck awkwardly.

    "It did." he commented, "But thanks to the attack by the "bandits" the cloaking magic was damaged.I''ve fixed it already."

    I nod, though I do remain curious as to why he didn''t activate it earlier.

    Seeing my curiosity, he admitted surprisingly sheepishly. "I just fixed it." seeming embarrassed by this statement and even a bit abyed by this admittance, though I am unsure why. After all it is a difficult task to fix a broken magic circle, especially with how much time he takes out of his day to keep an eye on us.

    I''d say it''s quite the achievement for a B-rank knight.

    And I tell him so. ''You did good. Most B-ranks would need another week to get something like that fixed.'' I was worried that we''d have to with something more primitive like repainting the carriage, something in which I have little advice.

    The elf stiffens for a minute, before responding curtly. "Of course. I am no mere B-rank knight after all." he said, with his chin turned up, with a sense of pride in his voice.

    Okay. Well if it makes him feel more positive and make this journey smoother I''m fine with it.

    <hr>

    As we approached closer and closer to the town, we began seeing other carriages. This is unsurprising, given how popular of a tourist destination skip village is, being the second most popular of the three villages from the original pun.

    Of course, we''ve had the camouflage set up and the skarpans using the Feratol spell up, so we fit in relatively well amongst the other carts, though I suspect we''ve been regarded as elven isolationists given some of the weird looks we''ve been given.

    EIght elves and a turtle. Yeah no that makes sense.

    I do take this time to start planning out what I''m going to sell.

    Yes, what I''m going to sell.

    I''ll have to discuss with the skarpans soon about what they plan to sell, but I must also consider myself, as someone who plans to sell my own things.

    I wanted to make a little money on the side after all, and frankly if I had to sell wares anywhere, Skip village isn''t a bad place to start.

    But what?

    I was going to sell some of the ironwood originally, but I''ve come to realize that it really hurts to pull off branches. And frankly, given how little I''ll gather with the pain involved, it simply isn''t worth it. Not until I grow bigger, regenerate faster, or become more willing to take off branches.

    As I sit there and contemplate, Willow walks very quietly, merely choosing to sit next to me, resting on top of my shell.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    She''s a very quiet child.

    With that serene look on her face.

    I do prefer kids smile though.

    So I grew her more fruit. She likes lychee, so I make her a few more of those, willing ore to form into a razor, carving the lychees.

    ANd soon the little high elf is quietly eating lychees. It''s not the loud excitement of an ordinary child, but quiet joy as she enjoyed the delectable fruit.

    It''s a subtle but tender smile.

    Ah. Fruit. I grow those.

    Couldn''t I sell those?

    From what I could tell, the fruit I''m producing are merely normal fruit, no more no less so they''d likely be worth little. But in a bundle they could be worth a fair buck.

    It''s the exotic fruit though that could probably sell really well.

    Indeed lychees are a rather rare import. Selling those could turn up a profit, though that carried its own isks.

    Even without lychees however, he had plenty of fruit to sell, and taking them off could make him a good deal of money.

    I offered Willow a silent thanks as I quietly patted the child''s head, who was enjoying her fruit.

    Sometimes inspiration comes from the most random of places.

    <hr>

    I had to take the form of an orc again as I began to teach Leon some basics of combat technique.

    Well, I change from turtle to orc, and then to elf within the carriage,, to avoid any wandering eyes.

    You never know when someone will be looking.

    Since He''ll be trained as an assassin, I''m teaching him how to hold the dagger offensively.

    Last time, he randomly dug the blade into the goblins flesh but it lacked finesse, seemingly based on his work as someone who''d skinned a beast.

    SO we spent a day or so, practicing the grips, as well as practicing slicing through the air.

    I also had him run 10 laps around a self designed area, much to Lenore''s worry,

    "Are you sure? That seems a lot for a child of his age." she worriedly inquired, watching as the child ran the laps, looking tired.

    I used to run 15 laps at his age though, and I took off 5 in consideration to the idea that he may lack the same determination.

    ''Do you think it a little too much?'' I find myself asking, seeking guidance from someone who may have better insight into this than I.

    "Yes." she said without hesitation, leading me to ask her how many she suggested.

    She looked thoughtful as she contemplated it for a fair minute.

    "Five laps." she said. It''s rather low for my taste, but he is a child.

    Fine. 5 laps.

    Leon hadn''t complained, but he looks extremely tired when I had called him back, and looked visibly happier once I shrank the number down to 5 laps.

    Lenore was right about it being too much for a child, so I guess she has more experience teaching children than I do. All the soldiers I trained were usually 15 and up, so I am a bit out of my depth here.

    We spent the rest of the training that day teaching him how to circulate magic. Nothing major, but the ability to circulate magic is a base requirement for surviving if you ask me.

    I also used that time to start carving out a dummy out of a tree for him to use, so he can train even outside of the adventurer''s hall.

    <hr>

    I had other things to do as well, including talking with Stolidus, who''s been bothering me with something.

    [You should use appraisal more.]

    The system persisted in my head again, much to my annoyance.

    Why?

    I can appraise things on my own right.

    [I disagree. Remember the situation with the ork sage?] Stolidus responded smugly.

    Useful, sure. But I''d hardly say enough so to use constantly.

    [Just use it. It''ll cost you absolutely nothing!.] It insisted, but I disagreed.

    It''s still a spell. What if someone sensed me casting appraisal on them? This appraisal spell does not seem that special to me at first glance, and if there''s a chance that I''ll be detected by a stronger person, and piss them off given how offensive scrying spells can be viewed as, it''s not worth investing in.

    [It''s not a scrying spell! It''s a insight spell, allowing you insight into the nature of a being. At higher levels it''s practically a must have. You''re going to a town to shop right? Then the appraisal spell will be perfect for you! At higher levels, appraisal can identify the ones that are secretly magical tools and artifacts, meaning you can swoop in and buy them at discount!]

    And that''s appealing to a certain degree, true, but I do have an eye for this stuff. I can identify artifacts with my own inquisitive eye.

    [Not to the level appraisal you can''t!]

    Why do you care so much anyway?

    [W-w-well] Stolidus hesitated, [You know, I''m a system, it''s my job you know?]

    ... You''re being made to do this aren''t you.

    [What? No!] The spirit like being vehemently denied it, but his awkward expression easily gave it away, as well as his weird pestering, when he usually cares little to repeat it.

    A digital avatar that gives away your expression doesn''t help your case Stolidus.

    [... Damnit. 75 warned me this may happen]

    Was it 75 then?

    [No, no. Hes as lax as I am in some aspects.]

    Alright, then who?

    [System 0, or the base of the system. She''s like a administrator, or like our progenitor or something.] He said it with awkwardness, yet there was also a tone of respect in his voice.

    So you basically got nagged by your mother.

    [Yeah, sure, if you want to phrase it like that.] He said with a clear attitude.

    Then why does she want me to learn appraisal that badly? I can hardly imagine that I''m important enough to be personally paid attention to.

    [Don''t flatter yourself. All players are under her jurisdiction. She sees all of our activities. If she sees something she feels the need to correct, then she''ll come over and give us a nudge. ]

    Then you must get plenty of nudges.

    [Nah, it''s not me she''s worried about. I''m a neet. It''s you, mr. I-will-protect-you-with-my-life. ] He said, accusatory pointing his finger at me, much to my confusion.

    You''re exaggerating.

    [... Just use the damn spell. It hardy uses any mana, and allows you to discover secret treasures. And leveling it hardly costs you anything. All you have to do is use it on random stuff.]

    Fine, if it gets you off my back, ad your mom off your back, then I can do that.

    [Rock]

    [Grass]

    See? Using it.

    [Good. Anyway, be careful I guess, since you''ve chosen such a stupid path. Good luck.] He said, and with a pop, he''s gone again.

    He''s not wrong. I could see the practical use of such a spell, even if it constantly requires me to expend mana.

    The next day or so before we arrive there should be rather peaceful anyway, so may as well use the spell in the meantime, since he''s so insistent upon it.

    [Appraisal has reached level 2!]

    Oh look, it''s even gone up a level.

    <hr>

    And with just an extra day of travel, we finally arrived at skip village.

    We were at the first major stop of our journey.

 Book 2 chapter 9: Skip Village

    A simple carriage, closer to a cart stopped in front of the guards, who indicated for them to pay the toll.

    9 elves were in the carriage, and only elves, which gave off the feeling of a puritan group, the type that liked to keep to themselves.

    Usually trouble if they were bothered too much. Best to get it over with.

    An elf exited the carriage, carrying himself in a dignified manner, akin to a noble and yet not repelling, but rather inviting.

    Domineering, but not hostile.

    His very aura made people want to listen, and to share with him.

    His dark blue hair was smoothed and swept back, his piercing green eyes peered out from under the hair, it''s clean form a stark contrast to the dirty mercenary uniform he wore.

    He was also holding a weird lump under his arm, one that looked like a bowl at first glance..

    Walking up to the guards, he greeted them in a friendly manner.

    "Morning. Guard duty going well.?" He asked, and the guard responded in a jolly manner.

    "It''s been good so far. Nothing too exciting, though there were some interesting occurrences." The man chuckled, causing the elf to raise an eyebrow.

    "Oh?" he said, eyebrow raised. "Any that you''d be willing to share over a good drink?"

    The guard chuckled "Your treat?", curious and enticed by this elf''s bold nature. He was friendly, and contrary to his bearing, he was a rather open man.

    The elf smiled. "Sure, my treat.", extending his hand out for a handshake, which the guard reciprocated with great strength, that he also returned.

    Cleary, the guard liked the elfs friendly attitude, as he roared happily. .

    "Very well then, meet me in front of the barracks after 4, hmm? I''ll be free by then."

    "I look forward to hearing a good tale or two. The names Earl."

    The guard raised his eyebrow. "Earl, huh? Rather fancy name."

    "Well, my mother was an eccentric one. Couldn''t make me a noble, so she named me an earl instead." he said, cracking an awkward smile.

    "Hahaha. Well, that''s parents. THey always want the best for you. Names Chip, my mother named me after a delicacy. Parents, amiright? Anyway, 9 of you correct?"

    "Yes, though I must ask do you count familiars?"

    "Nah. Taxing familiars get''s difficult at times when considering regulations, so we don''t. Why? I don''t see one." He said, giving the cart a quick look over.

    The elf laughed. "He''s right here." the elf opened his burlap sack, revealing a shell instead of a bowl, as two heads popped out of the shell.

    It was a purely silver turtle, causing the guard to tut.

    "A variant monster huh? I''d be careful with that if I were you. I''d like to tell you the village is safe but-"

    "-But one can never be safe enough. Rest assured I intend to register my familiar and to hide my familiar." he said, patting the burlap sack, as the "turtle" rubbed the elf''s hand affectionately.

    "Okay, thought I''d warn you. Fare is 36 coppers." THe elf nodded, as he dispensed 36 coppers.

    "Alright, next!"

    Thus Earl and his group passed by smoothly through the gates.

    <hr>

    And that''s done.

    I leap into the carriage, as I maintain my human form, at least until we get far away from the gates so they won''t notice anything.

    My "familiar" on the other hand, disappears as Ore sinks back into the folds of my suit. Thank goodness for him. He manages to play the role of decoy familiar well, though he remains silver throughout, which kind of ruins his disguise a bit. I''ll have to waive it off as my /his special status ability. Maybe shifting to metal?

    Servante gives me a confused look.

    "Did you really need to chat up the guard? We''ll only be here a few days before moving on."

    I chuckle, finding his ignorance amusing.

    Crack!

    My body cracks a little as I shift back into my turtle form, to better attract less attention.

    I will need the elven form again later when I register myself as a familiar.

    ''All journeys last longer than initially intended. You may think that this location will merely be a pit stop, but one should be prepared for all circumstances. It doesn''t hurt to gain favor with the guards anyway, given the influence guards have in society, especially in small villages like this. Ignoring nobles and particularly powerful merchants, guards have the most power, and can make your life difficult should you find yourself on their bad side. Better to be on their good side. Besides, I don''t recommend powering through the villages anyway. We''re still being searched for, even if you''re presumed dead. Nothing is more suspicious than a group clearly on the run.''

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Servante took this in stride, though he had another question.

    "Did you have to take a elven form? With all due respect,this could be quite troublesome if they notice you disappearing."

    ''It could be just as irritating if my elven form appears out of nowhere. My disappearing from locations can be excused, but my appearance out of nowhere in elven form will be harder to explain.''

    Servante seems less acceptant of this claim, though he did accept it eventually.

    THe kids were far more focused on the town, similarly so were the skarpans, and even Lenore was looking at the town appreciatively.

    It was a bustling and lively town, a stark contrast to the quieter and more peaceful snowsberry village.

    For the most part, people looked no different from your average citizens, though that did not stop the less experienced Leon from gawking at people, much to the amusement of some, and the annoyance of others,

    The skarpans hid it well, but they too found their eyes drawn.

    I could see Borsch sneaking glances at stalls with talismans, and Fenil attracted to the stands advertising trinkets and bracelets, whereas Damil seemed indifferent all together.

    I''m starting to think Redgar is the only one interested in being a merchant, with him looking at every stall we passed by.

    Though, Lenore and Servante found themselves distracted, but for different reasons.

    "Isn''t that hot?" muttered Servante, while Lenore commented in agreement.

    "I can''t imagine wearing that!" she exclaimed.

    And I could see why.

    Certain stands, stalls, and shops had people standing at the forefront, wearing northerner styled clothing.

    Of course, most of the people in Skip village weren''t, but the few who were only stood out more.

    "I don''t suppose you know why?" asked Servante, and I responded, not merely for him, but al the curious people on the carriage.

    ''It''s what we call a "mascot". Skip village is most famous as a tourist attraction, so many of the people here have adapted accordingly. The mascot, funny enough, was introduced by a foreigner who came here in the form of his own famous mascot suit to make money. Of course, since it was profitable, many of the shops here copied the technique.''

    "OKay, but that should still be hot right? Is it some sort of monster armor then, or a form of magical equipment?" Butted in Lenore as she eyed another weird mascot of a northerner, and was wearing a dragon like costume head. Probably for the kids, since he seemed to run a toy stall.

    Before I can respond, BOrsch says it in revelation. "Magic stones." He breathes, as if recognizing the presence of the magic, and I compliment him for it.

    ''Very good. Yes, ice magic stones are quite the commodity here in Skip village for a number of reasons, one of them being all these mascots, which use ice magic stones to cool off. They''re produced here in mass, so they''re relatively cheap, being merely a silver coin for a magic stone that will as the day for these magic stones."

    "That is very cheap" Servante said thoughtfully, as he considered the price, and I add on.

    ''Yeah, I was going to suggest we stock up on some while we''re here. It''d be great for us to use throughout the rest of the trip, and we could exchange a few in other towns once we leave. They could probably exchange for 10 silver coins out there, considering the quality.''

    Servante snorted. "So that''s why you wanted to pass by here, profit huh?" he said, clearly amused by the thought, while Lenore looked more interested than anything.

    Downright excited even. "Really!" she said, clearly interested in the idea.

    ''Are you that low on funds?'' I scoff, and Lenore laughs awkwardly.

    Servante explains. "We have more than enough money for trip expenses and to pay you, but not enough money for more lavish things. She''s a heavy drinker, if you''d believe it. Like water even." He said dismissively.

    Lenore looked embarrassed, and  felt shook. I hadn''t even seen her take a sip up to this point.

    She drank?

    Was she one of those crazy drunks!?

    Seeing my stare, Servante grumbles.

    "I wish. If she was, at least something entertaining would happen. SHe drinks a lot, but never gets drunk. Horrid habit she gained from her teacher. "

    ''That bad?''

    "No!"

    "Yes. After a few days into this trip I had to take away her drinking money before she burned through all of out funds. She''s not an addict but horrid with money."

    "Nnnnngghhhhh!" She said, covering her ears embarrassed beyond belief.

    Redgar chuckled. "Just like the chief! Used to drink 10 cups in a sitting."

    "That is nothing compared to what Lenore did. 15 barrels in a night after she challenged a dwarf. And then a lizardman. And then a giant. And then..."

    As Servante went on, Lenore''s face steamed red, though she didn''t stop him. Despite her excitable demeanor, she is very much in control of herself.

    Anyway, we have a lot of stuff to do once we park down somewhere.

    Register as an adventurer, register Leon and the skarpans, and then register the skarpans at the merchants association, and then get a feel for the town''s economy, go meet the guard..."

    It was promising to be a busy day.

    <hr>

    We rented a cheap hotel room, mostly for appearances. In reality, we were living in the carriage. The carriage may have hidden our presence with the illusion, but the spatial magic was very much still in effect, allowing us to to have a very comfortable room for cheap.

    Anyway, I shifted back into my elven form again to head out, first choosing to go over to the bar for a drink with the guard.

    "I''ll be going to gather some information, alright? Be careful while I''m gone, and don''t get into any trouble."

    "I was already going to do that." said Servante.

    Lenore got up. "Wait! If you''re going, cam I go too?! I haven''t had a drink in ages! And safety lies in numbers!"

    "You just want to drink." I retort, and se nods, clearly not embarrassed at all.

    Servante rolled his eyes. "Just take her. Better she drinks with you. Never seen her drunk before, but there''s always a first, and it should be with friends rather than strangers. The kids should be fine with 2 B ranks and 3 C ranks anyway."

    I shrug. It''s not bad to have drinking mates when going out anyway.

    "Sure, I''ll pay, but only 10 drinks." I warn her, and she fist pumps in response.

    "Yess!" she says, getting up to go.

    So she and I get up and we set out.

    The towns rather nice, though rather busy, thanks to it''s nature as a tourism based town.

    The barrack seems rather lively, with many of the guards talking and laughing together.

    That''s a northerner''s barrack alright. Barracks aren''t quiet, but none are ever quite as loud as a northerners barrack, and none drink nearly as much.

    Seeing us approach, one guard walks up.

    "What''s up? " the lizard man asks, and we explain the fact we''re waiting for Chip.

    "Oh, Chip! Yeah, he''s waiting for you. Did you know he''s named after a snack."

    "So we heard." I say, and Lenore laughs. "A snack..." she mutters.

    The lizard man goes back to the barracks, and out comes Chip, in more casual wear.

    And he''s a beastman, seemingly of the canine variety, with a brown pair of beast airs to go with is brown hair.

    HIs canine teeth are also particularly sharp, confirming his identity.

    They don''t detract from his friendly demeanor, and even add to it, as his ears twitch when he talks.

    "Alright, I know a good place around Odin street. It''s called the drunken wyrm, and it''s known for it''s strong snake wine if you''re interested."

    "How would you say the food is?" I ask, since I''m going to avoid drinking too much. Still not sure about the alcohol tolerance of this newfound body after all.

    "Good variety, and taste isn''t half bad for the price."

    "Alright then, let''s go drink!" cheered Lenore.

    Chip looked over curiously. "I saw you in the carriage earlier right? "

    "Yup! Heard you were going for a drink, and I for one, am thirsty!"

    "Wonderful! Then let''s go." Said Chip as he confidently lead the way.

 Book 2 chapter 10: A Drink At the Drunken Wyrms

    Much like the other stores around here, The Drunken Wyrm also has a mascot of it''s own. Unlike other places however, it''s mascot was far more real.

    To my surprise, a large serpent rested outside the bar and as we approached, it''s head lifted, as it inspected us. It was a dark, muddy brown serpent, with a back lined with rows of stone. littered with ores. It''s eyes looked like glowing sapphires, with a pupil like a ray of light piercing the transparent eye. The light focused on me, and I felt a strong sense of scrutiny, as the eye focused on me like a lighthouses light, singling me out.

    I felt a faint sense of fear, and it didn''t take me much to recognize that the beast in front of me was far stronger than I, and the fact that I wasn''t trembling in fear was merely due to a lack of hostility and thus no faceful of killing intent.

    Terrifying.

    But not a wyrm. I''ve seen a wyrm. They''re more terrifying to be sure.

    Lenore didn''t seemed bothered either, and Chip even seemed friendly to the large serpent.

    "Steinnwurm! I brought two new customers for your boss. Mind letting us in? I think he''ll like this one."

    Steinnwurm snorted, as he spoke, with a visceral, gravelly tone.

    "I sincerely doubt it, but by all means, head on in."

    It sounded rather refined.

    As we walked in, I made no comment, but I was rather curious about the serpent.

    It was clearly high B, to low A in my vision. Even if it weren''t, what kind of bar would willingly post such a beast at the front door.

    I consider asking, before Chip choses to say it before I ask.

    "Steinnwurm happens to be the bar owner''s familiar. He''s been here for a while, and everyone''s just gotten used to him. He''s a grumpy old snake, but he has a good heart. C''mon."

    Lenore seems rather nonchalant about it, and even a little excited.

    "You seem rather excited." I prod, and Servante responds quickly.

    "The best bars are the ones with retired adventurers."

    I paused.

    I had heard that before.

    <hr>

    The bar was far less rowdy than I had thought it''d be.

    It was rowdy however.

    Lots of screaming, shouting, boasting and all sorts of antics.

    And yet the actions were restrained, with everything being limited to words, and words alone.

    Clearly someone was holding them back.

    Chip sat right at the bar, and we followed suit.

    "Hey Dudley!" Called Chip.

    "WHAT!?" came the loud response, as the shuffling of footsteps could be heard.

    The shuffling of feet was accompanied by the cursing and muttering of a dwarf, who walked over to face them from behind the bar.

    He was facing us, face to face, with a rough look on his face.

    Grey hair and the strong arms of a dwarf, with a ruffled beard to boot.

    He''s probably standing on a platform behind the bar which uplifts the bartender to human height.

    Seeing us, he complains.

    "Elves. You''re not here to case trouble are you?"

    As if. The presence of the dwarf was immense, much like the serpent outside, likely an A-rank. Even if he was retired, I wouldn''t cause trouble.

    "Nah. I heard you''ve got good drinks and decent snacks. How much for a mug?"

    "You looking for the cheap swill or the good stuff?"

    "Only the good stuff for me. If it ain''t good, it''s not going in."

    "10 silver. If you''ve got a problem-"

    "-None. Only that you haven''t poured one out already. Put these 2 on the tab for me. Ah, but limit her to ten drinks. She has a problem."

    "Bah! I''d like to see her try." Grumbled the dwarf, as he poured out ten drinks for the elf.

    "Finish all of them in the next minute and I''ll give you 10 more, free of charge."

    I wasn''t sure that Lenore should take that deal, so I turned to her to tell her not to take the deal-

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Urp!

    And she''s done. Wonderful. I see now by what Servante said.

    She does inhale drinks.

    "Bartender, 10 more!" She shouted.

    "Hmph!" He said angrily, yet he was clearly amused by the expression on his face, and he proceeded to pour out ten more.

    "Fine. On the house, as promised."

    "Get me a mug too please?" Chip tuned in,, and I also requested my own as well.

    "Yeah yeah, give me a moment you needy bastards." He grumbled before promptly dropping two drinks in front of them.

    Sllluurp.

    Wonderful. Tastes like horse dung.

    Chip raised his finger, as he threw in another request. Can you put out some snacks too while you''re at it?" Chip asked Dudley, and the dwarf obliged the beastman, as a trail mix hit the bar with a fine thunk

    "thanks Dudley!"

    Grunt

    "Hey Dudley! I need another drink over here!" Called a man from the other side of the ar as he raised his mug sloppily.

    "Coming you thirsty bastard!"

    The dwarf walked away as someone else called him over.

    "Nice place." I commented, and Chip nodded in agreement.

    "It''s pretty quiet in here, with a bartender like Dudley and with a bouncer like that outside, people rarely start any trouble here.

    I''d say. An A-rank adventurer and an A-rank serpent lying around, I cannot imagine one to be so stupid as to cause a fight here.

    "Must make for a good place to enjoy your off time at huh. "

    "Yeah, it''s been a bit more peaceful recently, but who knows if it''ll last."

    "Indeed, there is no such thing as peace. Merely silence before the next problem."

    "Mmm." Chip takes a big gulp out of his drink before sighing.

    "Damn I needed that."

    "I thought you said it''s been peaceful recently."

    "I should''ve said relatively. Some new hotshot''s been throwing a fit recently. Names Ridley"

    "Really?" I ask, this time being genuinely interested. It''s always worth scouting potential dangers.

    Lenore''s ears twitch, signifying her interest in the topic as well.

    The beastman nodded. "Yeah, supposedly he came from the capital, being related to some big family."

    "Any names?" In particular, family names.

    "Nah, but he does seem to have the merchant''s guild''s support somewhat, so who knows." The beastman leans in, whispering.

    "Big family or not, being set to a town like this with no space to develop compared to the capital? It''s practically exile for a merchant."

    I chuckle. "Maybe it''s for his own good. You know how fights between siblings can get if a trading companies at risk."

    "Maybe." he said, unconvinced. "Doesn''t seem the type though. He''s loud and arrogant, complains and points fingers. We''ve just gotten use to the loud and annoying voice."

    "Hm." I say, disregarding the annoyance as a threat, but continue the conversation.

    "And who is this, fine gentleman I should keep an eye out for?" To steer clear of.

    "Ridley.Trust me, you can''t miss him. You''ll hear him before you see him."

    Lenore butted in, surprised. "That''s it? The mos annoying thing you''re facing right now is a loud obnoxious moron?" she asks, genuinely surprised.

    The beastman shoots me an inquisitive look, to which I respond. "She''s not really well versed in the local history of this village."

    "Oh." He said, before turning to her. "Well you see-"

    He pauses, as she says her name.

    "-Lenore."

    "-Lenore, this is Skip Village. You know of ur origin, yes?"

    "I was recently informed. Of northern origin I heard."

    "Yup,this village is of northern descent. And like northerners, we don''t tolerate troublemakers."

    He said that casually, and yet there was a dangerous edge to that sentence.

    It''s true. Northeners dislike troublemakers, especially foreign ones, who arrive at what they view as the cold rural areas, and treat them like fools.

    Despite having mingled with the south, the people of Skip village are still a tight knit group, and though crime can get past them, when they''re caught, they''re dealt with swiftly.

    Concerning such a group, it doesn''t hurt to be on their good side.

    "Good to hear. I feel safer already." Lenore commented humorously, and Chip chuckled.

    "We do still get a few crazy ones of course. Why, just before you arrived..."

    Chip continued on, talking about the countless interesting encounters he had had this day.

    And truly, there were some interesting stories.

    A dragon skull being escorted through for the family of Thorsten,

    An illegal exotic slave trader was caught, trying to hide his "products" in wine barrels. It failed once the barrels began vibrating on their own, which most wine doesn''t do. Amongst the "products" were a group of monkeys in a barrel, and were in fact the first barrel to move. You can''t keep monkeys in a barrel.

    A woman dressed as a man passing through the gates. Chip didn''t stop her, but he thought it worth noting. How mysterious. Or suspicious, honestly.

    3 kobolds in a trenchcoat entering the village, who were in fact, forced to pay the entrance fee for three individuals

    "Really? Three kobolds in a suit" Lenore said disbelievingly at something that clearly came out of a comedy, yet Chip said otherwise.

    "I''m serious. You''ll never even believe what they called themselves."

    "What?" I asked.

    "Swift foot, strongarm, and metal head."

    "... I don''t believe you." Lenore said disbelievingly, and Chip cackled.

    "Neither did I, but they insisted on it. They seemed serious, which only compounded the stupidity of it all. Metal head was the one pretending to be feet!"

    A small round of chuckles go around the group.

    "Then I suppose Swift foot was the head?" I guessed, but Chip shook his head.

    "Strongarm. Apparently Strongarm had the biggest head, and metal head''s head was too metal, and he had the longest legs. They nearly got away with it too, before they tripped and fell over."

    "Are they still around?" Lenore asked curiously, and I had to admit, I was quite curious.

    Maybe we could sneak up on them or something.

    Even bring Leon and Willow along, and let the kids have a good laugh.

    Chip shrugged. "Probably. Haven''t heard anything about them leaving, but who knows, maybe they managed to sneak out pretending to be a lizardman again. We did almost miss them."

    It went on like this for a good hour or two as it got darker outside.

    Seeing that it was getting late, we decided to wrap things up.

    I got a few snacks to go, and even a bottle of snake wine that the dwarf bartender offered for a gold coin. Expensive, but worthwhile.

    As we were getting up however, a loud thud could be heard as someone roughly entered the room.

    A pompous blond haired young man entered the bar, shouting. "Bartender! Where is my drink!" he said arrogantly, casually dismissing and pushing through the annoyed crowd as he sat down at the bar, with two guards following him.

    Seeing the man, Chip sighed tiredly. "Wonderful." He said sarcastically, causing me to turn to him in curiosity.

    "You remember that guy I told you about? That annoying trader who was bothering the hell out of the guards?"

    "Ridley?"

    "Yeah, that''s him."

    Wonderful indeed. To think such an annoyance has appeared.

    "Ugh, this bar reeks of barbarians." he said, causing many faces to flush in anger, but ultimately no one did anything, warily eyeing the guards next to him, and then Dudley himself.

    Welp, time to go.

    I signaled to Lenore, indicating that we should go, as we did our best to quietly get up, with Chip doing the same.

    Fate was not on our side today, however, as the squeal of a wooden chair scraping the floor caused Ridley turned his attention to us.

    To Lenore in particular.

    "Well hello there beautiful. How would you like to have a drink with me?" he asked salaciously , as the guards next to him stepped forward shamelessly, as if trying to intimidate us.

    Hmm.

    A group of punks have come up to bother us. How annoying.

    It''s a shame that we''re probably going to get kicked out of this bar today.

 Book 2 Chapter 11: Ridley

    So this is Ridley.

    Pompous, dressed gaudily, clothes that do not work with his hair, and he was clearly one of those third rate sons of a rich family only kept as a spare.

    I already don''t like him.

    Lenore shuts him down immediately. "No thanks, I''m already drinking with someone else." she said politely.

    He shamelessly pushed. "Come on, drinks are on me."

    I cough awkwardly, bringing his attention to me.

    He shoots me a disdainful look. "What, you''re her husband?" he asked as he scrutinized me carefully.

    "No her friend." His gaze lose interest immediately, as he goes back to harassing Lenore.

    "Look, why don''t we talk a few things out, I''m sure you and I could have a fun-"

    Lenore rolled her eyes. "I wasn''t clear the first time. Screw off."

    "And I guess I wasn''t either. You should come with me. I am quite the big shot. I could help protect you and your friends" he declared, as the guards let off a bit of their killing intent, as if to threaten her.

    Rather blatant threat especially in front of an A-rank with mere C rank guards.

    He''s got a stupidly large head, which should be quite the cushion for a blow.

    Sigh

    Alright.

    I shoot Lenore a glance, as I send her a telepathic message.

    ''It''s alright if I bop him, right?''

    ''Sure, if I get a turn after I take out the guards.''

    I walk up to the little brat.

    "Hey!"

    "Yes?" He says, with that smugly confident look.

    Crack!

    With that single blow to the face, the little prick drops to the ground. Not dead, but his pride was shattered for sure.

    The bar erupted in cheers after I dropped the bastard to the ground.

    The guards reacted immediately as they pulled out their weapons to attack, only for Lenore to step forward and pull out her blade, knocking down one guard and locking blades with another.

    Before the guards can react, I tell ore to form a blade, which I promptly threaten the brat with.

    "If you ask me young master, tis you who ought to come to us to protection. Your guards do not seem quite up to the task. "

    He glares at me, yet all I do is merely chuckle.

    "Sharp eyes are of no use if they are sharper than your blade."

    Ridley looks around, clearly looking for some help, but none of them look at him, pretending to see nothing.

    Seems Ridley has made quite the impression with the folks around here if no one is stepping up to help him.

    "Barkeep, aren''t you going to do something about this!?" he practically screams.

    Dudley sighs, before jumping over the bar, and for a second, hope shines in the young man''s eyes, and  grow prepared to be thrown out.

    To my surprise, he indicates for me to move as Dudley grabs the man with one hand, as he clicks his fingers.

    The large serpent from outside slithers in, grabbing the guards with its tail, before dragging them out shortly.

    "We don''t appreciate people who disturb the peace here Ridley, background be damned. "

    Bam!

    The sound of a firm kick and the scream of three men rang out as Ridley blasted off, two guards in tow. Dudley wiped off his hands, and as he walked past his familiar, he commented. "Don''t let those pests back in. I don''t appreciate the rude kind of customers in my establishment.

    As he walked to the bar, he stopped by us. "Next time you make trouble..." he didn''t finish the sentence, but jabbed at the door with his thumb to indicate we would go flying out just like the former customers.

    We nodded in understanding.

    As he walked away, Lenore walked over, sighing. "I never even got the chance to hit him." she said sadly.

    Chip walked over. "Nice job, I''m quite envious." he commented, and indeed, there was a look of envy on his face.

    "Why?" Lenore asked curiously.

    Chip sighed, lamenting his position as a guard.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "Unfortunately, as guards, we can''t be doing stuff like taking sides like that. He might file a complaint, and if it escalates, well..."

    I understood. Things like this could easily blow up, especially in cases where people with big families got involved. It didn''t take Lenore long to quickly understand either, as she shot him a sympathetic look.

    "It''s a shame you took him down so fast. Had he rampaged just a little bit longer, I could''ve taken him in for public affray." He chuckled at the thought.  "It is getting late now, so we should probably be heading back to our homes." he said, clearly choosing to wrap up the day, and I agreed.

    "Indeed, it has been quite the eventful night."

    "I mean, I could go for another drink-"

    "-No. I promised Servante that I''d limit your drinks, and I already indulged you with twenty drinks you know."

    Lenore pouted, but made no other comment on this.

    And with that, they parted for the night.

    Returning back to the hotel, they found the kids and the skarpans asleep, though Borsch seemed to find himself distracted by a book he had found in one of the stalls.

    It wasn''t a magic book, but that hadn''t stopped him from being invested. Perhaps the sage title refers to more than magic.

    Servante in particular, was there, waiting impatiently for us.

    "Done, I assume?" he asked dryly.

    "Yeah, it was amazing! The drinks were great!"

    Servante shrugged. "I''m glad you got it out of your system." His eyes focus on me. "How many drinks?" he asked.

    "20"

    Servante scowled. "Thats twice the amount!" he blurted out, clearly upset.

    "I didn''t buy 20," I assured him, and his expression loosened up a bit. "We won a bet, and she got 10 drinks extra."

    He looked relieved, though he didn''t forget to grumble. "Fine, but don''t let her get too hooked on drinking. She doesn''t get drunk, but she will burn a hole in our wallet if we let her."

    "Alright, alright, no need to nag so much." she complained as she began to head for bed, before being stopped again.

    "What?" she snapped.

    "You didn''t cause any trouble, did you?" he asked. Though Servante didn''t see anything, it was clear he still felt the need to ask.

    "Nothing worth mentioning." she said as this time she forcefully pushed through, clearly just wanting to head to bed.

    Servante helplessly turned to me instead.

    I explained what had happened, and thankfully, he wasn''t unreasonable.

    "It''s not her fault if someone harassed her."

    "Let''s just hope this doesn''t come back to bite us in the ass." I comment, and Servante merely had a dry look on his face.

    "What?" I ask.

    "Well, it''s just that last me and Lenore had a similar conversation, it just so happened to be before we were chased to snowsberry village..."

    <hr>

    "Dammit!" Ridley cursed as he threw a vase at the wall. The guards merely stood still, clearly just used to this kind of annoyance, and no longer willing to put up with the temper tantrum.

    "That damn bastard! Who did he think he was, to treat me like that!" he said, breathing heavily as he seethed with anger.

    He had merely threatened! He hadn''t done anything! If the elvish bastard had just hit one of his guards, he would barely have cared.

    But he hit him! He touched his precious body!

    This was intolerable!

    Unacceptable!

    "You!" he said, as he turned to the guards. "Contact the higher ups. I want those bastards dead!" he said irrationally.

    The guards frowned, and one of them stepped forward to speak. "I understand your frustration. However, you must understand, he higher ups in the area are busy right now, searching for-"

    "I DON''T CARE! THE ONLY REASON YOU''RE GROUP HAS BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN ITS OPERATIONS WITHIN THESE LANDS IS BECAUSE MY FAMILY IS HELPING YOU!"

    The guard''s face flushed with anger, but he did not respond. The face of the young man twisted as he continued to speak, clearly enjoying the influence he had over the guards.  "Now contact them, or that little ''network'' of yours suffers a severe disconnect." he threatened cockily.

    The guard was frustrated, but couldn''t argue with the brat, simply choosing to bow in understanding, before swiftly leaving the room.

    Outside of the room, the guard took off his helmet, revealing his long, tipped ears.

    Activating the communicator, he called his local handler.

    "This better be important." Came the cold voice, the tone making the guard extremely uncomfortable, yet he knew he could only press on now that he had contacted the handler.  It was a cold high pitched voice, a man''s voice, one that made the skin crawl with every word.

    Not responding would be worse than wasting his time. He hated inefficiency.

    "The young sire is acting up. He wants a group of elves killed off."

    A clicking of the tongue could be heard.

    "Then do it yourself. I am busy tracking the traces of the target.Or are you telling me that you are incapable?"

    The emphasis on the last few words made the guard shiver. He knew how hils handler got when things did not go his way.The last set of guards who were unsatisfactory had been sent on a mission to the north, where they died quickly thereafter.

    "I would sir, truly, but the people in question seem to be B-ranks sir, and they seemed to be well favored by an A-rank."

    There was a silence, that seemed to carry on forever, until a few curses could be heard through the communicator.

    "Damned humans and their shortsightedness. Fine, the trail went cold a while back. You''re stationed at Skip village correct?"

    "Yes sir."  He responded as quickly as possible.

    "Fine. We''ll head there shortly. Perhaps we''ll find traces of the high elf there. Yes, this could be a good thing.We''ll be there in 10 days time. I trust you''ll have properly investigated these elves by then?"

    "Yes sir!"

    "Good. Then this call is finished."

    Beep.

    The elf sighed, wiping sweat off his brow. He was just happy that he wasn''t getting stationed somewhere else now.

    <hr>

    Somewhere else 10 days time

    The room was a cold and damp room, the stench of blood and black moss permeating in the air.

    In the center of it all was a squirming body, desperately trying to escape the grasp of another, his screams muffled by the loss of air and the gag around his face.

    "Mmmph!" came the panicked muffle voice, silenced by the sound of steel cutting flesh, as the body went limp.

    The poor girl began dying before the indifferent eyes of her killer, as her eyes slowly went dull.

    The tall, gangly elf sighed, as he cleaned his blade.

    "They seem incapable of fulfilling the task. Perhaps I should restation them somewhere else where they could be more useful, proper sacrifices for the family." he mused, showing a dismissive attitude towards the guard. "I hear a serpent and a crocodile pair have taken up one of our routes, and started attacking ships. Perhaps they could go investigate."

    His subordinate complained. "The house head already asked you to stop killing subordinates like that."

    "I''m not killing them." he said dryly. "I''m merely making sure that they do something properly."

    "Yes of course, but you are wasting our resources this way. May I remind you that it takes centuries to train people to the head''s desired level? You can''t keep killing them at this rate, or no one''s going to come to this region anymore." the subordinate complained, pushing up their glasses. He kicked the body, before haphazardly dripping healing potion onto the female elf.

    "Oh, very well." said the older elf. "I suppose you would''ve wanted me to keep this one alive too?" he asked, pointing at the dying elf. The subordinate with glasses tsked, as he called a healer over.

    "It''s fine, she''ll still sell. I would''ve preferred her in better condition, but she''ll live,no thanks to you. You really have to stop ruining assets like this you crazy old man."

    "Fine, fine." he said, shaking his hand dismissively.

    The younger elf sighed, before asking about his bosses orders. "So we''re heading to Skip village then? "

    The gangly elf nodded. "Yes, we''re off to kill ourselves a bunch of elves then."

    It was time to head out for Skip villagee.

 Book 2 chapter 12: Exploring Town

    The next morning, we went exploring the town in greater depth. Last night was merely a bad night, and not something worth informing the others about, especially given that it wouldn''t mean anything to a group of skarpans and children anyway.

    We didn''t take the carriage, instead choosing to park it at the inn we were staying at. Carriages are more for traveling long distances and big cities, and not really for crowded villages like this, where being on foot was the better choice/

    I was staying inside a basket. Turns out. even if I can take a human form, there''s a sense of disparity in forms, and I now feel more comfortable in turtle form.

    For some reason. I''m sure there''s a reason, but I don''t feel it worth asking my "partner.

    The kids were rather excited, though thankfully, both were rather well behaved. One was withdrawn, and the other was barely holding on. I could tell he was practically about to run off.

    The skarpans weren''t much better.

    Their leader was actually rather reserved, paying attention to the stalls, observing and perhaps calculating. We''ll see I suppose.

    The rest of them were different, for they were practically salivating over the food stalls.

    Sadly, Servante seemed disinterested, as did Lenore.

    I just thought the latter easier to convince than the former.

    '' Would you mind getting them a few skewers?'' I asked, and Lenore shot me an annoyed look.

    Less upset at the prospect of doing, and moreso the fact that I was lazing around while they did all the walking.

    To be fair, this is my retirement in a sense. My soldiers often told me the best way to enjoy retirement was to lay around and let others do the work for you.

    She didn''t stay upset, as she looked at the practically begging eyes of the skarpans and children alike and could only helplessly respond to their silent pleas.

    ''Don''t worry, you can take it out of my payment.''

    ''You''re paying me with my own money, but fine.'' She grumbled, but clearly wasn''t that upset, merely annoyed, as she walked over to a stall and ordered a few skewers, more for Borsch.

    Damil still got the same amount as everyone else, since for some reason in spite of his size, still ate the same amount as the others. Kind of like a dwarf honestly.

    I was also busy, using my appraisal spell to scan random items here and there. No one seemed to notice, so I guess my guide is right about its low-key nature, though I do wonder if those at higher levels would sense its presence.

    [Roast chicken]

    [A delicious roast that was alive just a mere moments ago]

    [A rock]

    [Can you smell what it''s cooking?]

    [Faux jewelry]

    [Do not believe that cunning stall salesman]

    [Real jewelry]

    [Trust his poor sense of judgement]

    [Jacket]

    [Belongs to a rather large lizardman]

    [Appraisal has reached level 3]

    Interesting. When reapplying appraisal, the descriptions changed somewhat.

    [Roast chicken]

    [A delicious roast chicken that was alive mere moments ago. Its name was Jeffrey]

    [Rock]

    [It was cooking Jeffrey a few moments ago]

    [Low level artifact]

    [A low-level artifact that seemingly increases one''s ability to scam someone. ]

    [Jade necklace]

    [A piece of jade jewelry, that may be useful for carving formations on. Has traveled a long way]

    [An illusionary coat tool]

    [Being used by three kobolds to sneak around]

    ... Huh?

    That''s the three kobolds?

    I didn''t notice it at first, and even now I cannot believe it.

    It is rather fascinating.

    I mentally prod Lenore, who looks over, squints, before elbowing Servante, who looks over, and squints for a fair moment before his eyes widen.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ''Yeah, it''s a camouflage tool. I wouldn''t have noticed unless I focused on it. And here I thought you were exaggerating." He said, clearly surprised.

    We didn''t bother them of course. It was more of an amusing note than anything else, though it did make me wonder why they were here.

    But it also wasn''t my business, so I merely turned my attention to other things.

    Maybe like the skarpans, they were here to broaden their horizons and see more of the world. It certainly wasn''t my job to interfere.

    Out of the group, Willow continued to be the most reserved, clearly doing her best to not attract attention, nor to show interest in anything.

    And neither Servante nor Lenore showed any interest in buying something for her, whether it be because those were part of the interference laws or that they simply lacked initiative, the act of ignoring the child was intolerable to me.

    And clearly I wasn''t the only one.

    "I want that one!" Leon declared, pointing at a doll offered at one of the stalls, being sold for 3 silvers.

    It was a deformed little stump doll, with a deadpan face and two blank eyes.

    I had noticed Willow looking at the doll, before quickly trying to appear disinterested, clearly trying not to impose on anyone.

    Leon however, had seemingly seen it however, as he quickly proclaimed that he wanted it.

    "You want that?" Servante asked Leon.

    Yeon nodded furiously. "Yes"

    "Alright. Buy it yourself." Servante deadpanned, clearly unwilling to spend his money to buy the doll.

    Leon''s face took on a pouty look, as he clearly looked unsure about what to do

    Perhaps Servante was already aware of who the doll was really for.

    It''s possible that he just simply didn''t want to buy the doll. We almost didn''t get to take this trip around the town, courtesy of the weird rules that were imposed upon the elves. Only after I convinced him that this was meant to be a field trip aimed at teaching the group about observing the local economy did they concede to this trip.

    I just wanted to take them on a trip, though it''s true that it was meant to expand their horizons.

    And Servante had said that our budget wasn''t exactly loose, perhaps not loose enough to afford buying the children a doll.

    Seeing the impasse, I was about to step in and offer some of my own money, before Leon piped up with a determined look on his face.

    "Okay!" he said as he walked over to the stall, and rummaged through his bag, and clearly with reluctance yet great determination, dropped 3 silver coins down for the doll.

    The man running the stall chuckled at the show before him.

    "Change of plan''s kid. This doll hasn''t been selling well, so I decided to mark it down.  The dolls being sold for a silver." he said softly as he dropped two silvers back in the elf''s hands. Despite his fierce look, the salesman was rather nice, thought the child.

    Having gotten the doll satisfied, he walked over to Willow.

    "I don''t want it anymore. You have it!" He said confidently, promptly dropping the doll in her hands before scampering off to the skarpans, denying Willow any chance of refusing the doll.

    She looked surprised, and clearly wanted to give it back yet he had already fled, taking the startled skarpans away.

    Left with the doll, she quietly observed it, seeming satisfied as she fondly held it, surprised yet happy to have the doll.

    It was a subtle, yet content smile, the kind that made one all warm inside seeing.

    The salesman chuckled, finding himself in the midst of a very heartwarming situation.

    I thought it was nice for sure.

    <hr>

    Once we got back, I made sure to ask the skarpans what they noticed sold the most.

    Well, I asked the whole class, but I expected less from Leon and Lenore, given they were actual kids, but given that my excuse had revolved around a field trip, it made sense to ask the whole class.

    "Snacks!" Shouted Leon while Willow remained quiet.

    "Trinkets" responded the skarpans, having clearly grasped the main market here.

    It''s not that hard to observe, but it is important. Skip village, while resource abundant, wasn''t particularly known for anything. Not a major seafood trade center, nor wood, or even just game in general. It''s not exactly filled with top level chefs, nor any form of top-level craftsmen, like the dwarven kingdom.

    What it does have however, is the legend, the infamous duke of the north clearing out the wilderness here to establish a 3-village joke, and ultimately producing one of the bases of the Hop-Skip-Jump teleportation system.

    And the people here clearly capitalize on it, leaning into the legends and stories surrounding this place in the form of merchandising and trinket attractions, mascots galore. It''s a weird contrast between rough looking people and cheerful mascots, but it plays into the village''s charm, and they know how to use that charm.

    Take for instance, the doll Willow just received.

    The stump doll had a legend surrounding it. The stump was supposedly an eccentric ent, one so eccentric it''d be more accurate to call it a fairy than an ent. The stumpent, as it was called, was a mysterious ent that watched over and protected Skip village, having seemingly been there ever since the village had been settled by the duke of the north. Legends whispered that the duke had defeated it, cleaving everything above the stump, with the defeated ent promising to protect the developing village.

    The legend was merely one example of how people made money from the production of trinkets and merchandise connected to the legends and tourist attractions within this village. It also happens to explain one store that specialized in "spirit charms" to ward off bad luck, which had a giant stump as their mascot.

    Well, a dog dressed as a stump. It was a very cute dog.

    Unfortunately, the skarpans had no such blessing, being that they were not natives, so this was not a viable route for them.

    Well, I had promised to help them make money and be merchants, not be the best merchants.

    Not that this will be easy.

    Ugh, let''s start with stalls then. Given that they have no background or any secret human background to fund their endeavors, we''ll have to settle with selling from stalls. They''re cheap to rent a space and are essentially good proofs of work. If they do well, they might be picked up by a bigger business.

    We''ll have to analyze what they can do first, but worst comes to worse, we can always set up a food stall, since even if they don''t flourish, they do survive, nonetheless.

    Well first, let''s go get registered with the merchant''s guild first.

    Unlike the adventurer''s guild, the merchant''s guild is closely monitored and funded by the empire, and is practically a branch of government, given that they collect the taxes of merchants for the empire. The guild also functions as a temple, as they worship Mercury, god of merchants.

    He''s God of thieves well, but he''s known to favor good sportsmanship in thieves, and thus rewards those who seek to kill less and focus on stealing. Mercury a rather double-edged god, but given he encourages less death on the roads, and a certain standard, he ends up doing more good than bad. He punishes bad sportmanship amongst merchants too.

    The adventurer''s guild was merely founded by strong adventurers in the interest of protecting adventurer''s rights and setting themselves apart from mercenaries, only being acknowledged by the empire because of their sheer power and reach, with the adventurer''s guild having branches in all countries across the world, even having some in the New World, including the spirit federation, who were known for being closed off from other nations. But as a result, they can''t be trusted as much, given that they have roots, and thus loyalties, to everyone.

    Anyway, if the skarpans want to sell anything, they''ll have to register first, and if I want to sell my fruits, it''s best to go through the guild, given that they''ll recognize the value of exotic fruits.

    The real worry is that brat from the other day, if the guards are to be believed, but it also seems that he doesn''t have that much influence given how he''s been fairly disregarded.

    I''ll bring the skarpans to register their accounts, and to hopefully scare the little rats off from bothering us.

    Hopefully, nothing should happen.

    <hr>

    "It''s you!!!!!" Came the fierce shriek, as a rather familiar brat barged into the room, screeching as spittle flew.

    Ugh.

    ... Seriously?

    The fates seem insistent on dragging me into nonsense recently.

 Book 2 chapter 12 : Lychee off me?

    As I got ready to head out to the merchants guild, with the three skarpans, I get stopped by Lenore.

    "Hey Earl!?" She called me over, and I walked over.

    "Yes?"

    "Well the other day, remember when you beat that brat?"

    "Yes, of course, that was quite memorable." I respond indifferently. The incident wasn''t really worth recollecting personally.

    "Well, y''know, I was thinking about how you used you- what do I call it? Your other self?" She asked hesitantly, unsure how to address the other head.

    "Ore, his name is ore." I say decisively. Ore may be a part of me, but I think I can confidently say he''s a different individual.

    "Okay then. Ore. When I saw you using Ore as a weapon, I just kind of wondered what the limit was? You know he seems elastic, so I was kind of wondering. Is he just a weapon, or can he be used for more?" she asked, and I paused, thinking about it.

    To what extent could ore be used. I''ve mostly used ore as weapons, but is that all ore could do?

    Hmm.

    "Thank you Lenore. You''ve given me something worthwhile to think about." I said sincerely, thanking Lenore.

    She chuckled. "No problem. Your strength is our strength you know? It''s not a bad thing if you''re stronger. You know, we should have a spar sometime." she suggested nonchalantly, and I smile.

    "Yes, that does sound nice. Once I''ve tested ore''s limits, I wouldn''t mind seeking your guidance to refine our efforts. " I agree, and I have to admit, I''m slightly fired up by the thought.

    Sure, as a human I''ve faced greater warriors, bt that was with a stronger body. Currently, my body isn''t as strong as it once was, bing merely C-rank in level, but my martial level should be the same as it once was.

    A bout between warriors is never something to look down upon.

    Seeing that I agreed, she waived me off. "Awesome. I won''t hold you anymore, since you''re probably going to be busy helping those skarpans sharpen their merchant skills. Later."

    "Mm. Keep an eye on Leon for me, and if you can, give him a few tips about handling a dagger. Borsch, go get the others." I tell the large skarpan as he puts away his book and joins me. And quickly the other three skarpans rushed over in their elven form as we walked over to the merchants guild.

    <hr>

    The merchants guild.

    How should I describe it?

    In bigger and more populous cities, I''d say it''s stuffy and gives off the airs of a noble place, given that in such places many merchants either have ties to noble families, being 2nd or third cousins, or have noble support, and thus often have their backers there.

    Its more of a personal lounge to the point that another merchants guild building had to be made for the, ah, "less desirables".

    Not that anyone minded. The nobles got to avoid the riff raff, and commoners without influence got to avoid nobles who could easily sentence them to death.

    This place feels... warmer. Yes, like most merchant centers further out in the empire, it feels looser and more comfortable.

    Like a tunic.

    I''ve always preferred these.

    Walking up to the middle of the center, I greeted the receptionist.

    "Morning!" I greet as I walk over, and and begin interacting with the lady at the desk.

    "Hey! Here for a license to sell right?" She said casually.

    Indeed, much better than the capital.

    "Yeah, want a stall for my friends here." I say, indicating at the four skarpans trailing behind.

    She shrugs. "Sure. 5 silvers for the month. Of course, if you want a space though, you''ll have to secure one yourself."

    clink

    The sound of coins can be heard as I drop the silvers into her hand, courtesy of the bandits I looted.

    Seeing that the silver is good, she nods and takes out a certificate, stamped and everything.

    "Anything else?" she asks, and I nod. "Yes, actually I was planning to sell this here basket of fruit." I say as I pull out the basket I had prepared ahead of time, to avoid the sight of me growing it, or pulling it out of the space the system offered.

    She looked at the basket, eyeing the fruit. Amongst the fruit, one in particular stood out. "Lychees huh. Quite rare around these parts. Got any more?" she asked earnestly.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    I nod.

    "How much?" she asks tentatively. "A few baskets or so. I plan to move on in a few days but I thought I''d drop some stock before I go."

    Hearing this, her eyes lit up and she gets up. "Wait just one minute, I''ll see if the guildmaster is available."

    I understood why of course. Aside from the lychees I''m also offering a variety of fruits that are rare and hard to get around here these parts.

    The lychees stand out because they''re usually found in the Qing empire.

    Though not enemies currently, the Qing and Romana empire are far from friends.

    The two have but heads in the past over territory, and to say many have died is an understatement to say the least.

    The Qing empire is also rather treacherous, with spiritual beasts instead of monsters, many of whom will live centuries centuries, if not countless millennia.

    It is said that they practice secret methods of immortality there which gives them the longevity and power to split mountains and knowing the old daoist at his house, it''s probably true.

    The Qing empire lost because though its cultivators were strong, they were no match for the pantheon, and thus were forced back, and the heavenly palace''s power declined due to the rise of cultivators. The only reason neither ever put 100 percent in was due to the Qing''s lands lacking in mana, and the Romana empire lacking in Qi making it pointless for war to continue too long.

    Regardless, it''s not hard to figure out why lychees are so hard to come by knowing this. They''re a rare delicacy, with merchants rarely coming from such lands, and going back. For most it''s a one way trip.

    It''s why I was so confident in selling the fruit.

    Seeing her hurry over merely affirmed the thought.

    "The guildmaster is ready to see you." She said, leading me to the guildmaster''s office

    Which led me to... this.

    <hr>

    "It''s you!!!!!" Came the fierce shriek, as a rather familiar brat barged into the room, screeching as spittle flew.

    Ugh.

    ... Seriously?

    Why''s it him again.

    The pompous brat from the bar is here again, this time pestering the guild master.

    I say fed up, because the the expression on his face says everything. He''s clearly tired of the attitude.

    Ridley either can''t tell, or doesn''t care.

    "KICK HIM OUT! He''S A DANGEROUS MAN! CRAZY!"

    I sigh, looking at the guards in the corner, who avoid my gaze quietly.

    "If this isn''t the best time, I can always come back another time?" I ask uncertainly.

    No point in bothering in threatening the punk. I can just wait till later.

    Even if he is only a distant relative according to rumors, he may be related to a big family, and if that is the case, there''s no point in causing trouble by being snarky.

    "No, no, it''s fine." He glared at Ridley. "Either quiet down, or get out!" He shouted, and Ridley shrank back, quietly slinking back into the corner, but not leaving.

    I snort inwardly, and walk over, sitting down.

    The guild master is a stout man, but not an unpleasant one.

    A bushy little mustache, and a small top hat to cover his mildly balding head.

    And a pair of rosy cheeks to boot.

    He stood out in this town of warriors.

    "Sir Toppin Hat" he introduced himself politely, putting his hand out for a handshake.

    "Earl" I respond, putting my hand out in turn, responding to the handshake.

    The man nodded in appreciation. "Firm grasp, not too damp, not too dry." He commented appreciatively, as his appreciation seemed to grow.

    "So, I heard that you have something to show me." He said, sitting down casually.

    I responded by pulling out the basket, unveiling the fruit presented.

    He looked indifferent at first, even as he eye the more exotic fruit, but when it landed on the lychees, his eyes finally widened in appreciation

    I guess bananas are easier to access given their ability to be imported from Australia.

    "Lychees!" He marveled, holding the fruit. "I haven''t had one in a decade! They look ripe too." He said, viewing the fruit, and even the brat in the background look excited.

    His sharp eyes looked at me as he responded immediately. "25 gold!" He stated immediately.

    "Deal." I respond immediately.

    Why wouldn''t I? It''s a sweet profit for me that costs me not even a copper.

    I''m not actually sure of their qi count, but honestly, qi or not, it''s a good deal for him.

    Lychees are an extremely rare fruit, and are a symbol of prestige. Being able to show some off, let alone eat it in public, can raise one''s reputation.

    And even if bananas are available from Australia, they''re still expensive to import, especially in large stocks.

    And these are just two types of fruit mentioned, amongst countless others. Even with teleportation, fruits tend to remain in local areas, with the exception of the capital, where the most powerful and influential live.

    For a mere 20 gold, he gets reputation, and for a few mana, I get a win-win.

    "It was a pleasure doing business with you." I say with a smile, and he responds politely in turn.

    "Of course. I just hope that if you have any future business to do around this town, that you come to me, hmm?" He said as his mustache twitched happily.

    "Of course! I may have a few more baskets of these in stock." I hint blatantly, yet I''m sure he doesn''t care.

    We both know it''s intentionally blatant.

    We also both know that means there is to be more business between us.

    We both share mysterious smiles and looks as we depart from one another, looking forward to our next venture.

    And just in case, a strong backer never hurts. The old coot would''ve called it a thigh to hug, the pervert.

    <hr>

    As Earl left the room, Ridley piped up, as if he''d finally thought of something intelligent.

    "Why don''t we have them killed and we can take all their fruits?" He asked the merchant excitedly.

    I said as if.

    The merchant truly gave the brat a scathing glare, one that warned him not to put his nose in the wrong place.

    "Let me warn you one last time boy! I only tolerate your actions so much! How do you think your family would react if he heard how callously you throw away life, hmm? Your house may not be above killing competitors, but skinning gooses before they can lay eggs is something only a fool does!"

    The jolly old fellow from before had become an intimidating beast of a man. Even the jolliest and stoutest men around here still had northern blood after all.

    They hated treachery, and were fierce warriors.

    To the cowardly fool before him, he was like a beast before prey, and the fool cannot help but cower before him.

    "A goose?" he stammered. "For all you know that may be the only basket he has!" he protests, only to see ridicule in the merchants face.

    "Anyone who can bring me a basket of exotic fruit like that is extraordinary enough for my attention. No wonder your family sends you out here if that''s all you''re worth." he spat, causing Ridley''s face to burn in humiliation.

    He stormed out of the room, muttering "Just you wait..." with the guards alongside him sighing.

    They could only hope when their boss arrives that the brat doesn''t act so abhorrent.

    But if he did, maybe they wouldn''t be burdened with this anymore...

    The elven operatives were filled with many conflicting thoughts that day.

 Book 2 chapter 13: Taking Root

    I sigh.

    "I guess skins can work. " I say hesitantly as I observe the pelts

    They''re well preserved to be sure. However, pelts aren''t exactly rare in the town.

    Indeed, now that we had with ease gotten our permissions, obviously the nec step was to determine what we would be selling.

    There was a rather huge issue of course and that was: what do skarpans have to sell exactly?

    A truly difficult issue to ponder. They weren''t resourceless per say, but they weren''t exactly holding unique resources.

    Pelts? Common

    herbs? Plenty sell those.

    Potions? People are more likely to buy those from a trusted pharmacist than random street sellers. Same for herbal pastes.

    They didn''t really have anything hugely worth selling, but everyone''s gotta start somewhere right?

    I am fulfilling my promise I suppose, given that without me, they''d probably never have gotten this far.

    Still, this would likely be a lackluster session to say the least.

    At the very least, it should serve as some helpful insight for them. Everyone''s gotta start from somewhere.

    <hr>

    "Was it that bad?" Lenore asked as she picked up a sword.

    I sigh. "It wasn''t bad, and they certainly managed to sell things, but it also felt far from satisfactory."

    It wasn''t like I had promised to make them rich, but still, to only make a few coppers on the first day was rather sad.

    Was it cause I was used to being rich? The skarpans seemed pretty happy. I suppose for them, the act of selling was more exciting than the actual money made.

    I suppose if it makes them happy, then that''s all that really matters.

    After a day of such sales, and seeing them content to continue like that, I felt it was fine to let them work on their own from then. They weren''t children after all. Well, kind of. Skarpan culture is weird.

    As for me and Lenore, we went out and took the kids with us.

    The two of us had taken Leo and Willow to the training grounds at the adventurer''s guild.

    We were there more so to let Leon train than Willow, but took Willow with us since Willow could use more time going out.

    Well, that was my reason. For the elves, its because she''d be safer on adventurer grounds than in a random hotel. All guilds have a minimum B, if not usually A-rank guild masters, which acts as a deterrent against troublemakers. In our case, it''d be a good defense against any elven saboteurs.

    We haven''t seen any, but you never know when any will show up.

    Currently Leon''s resting. We had him train for the last hour or two in endurance and in dagger techniques. I might teach him how to make smoke bombs amongst other things, given the role we''re trying to mold him into, but he also has that weird mental ability, so I''m not sure.

    But we can''t help him train that mental ability either, so we should probably teach him stealth skills, hmm...

    "Hey!" Lenore shouts, causing me to snap out of it.

    "Yes, what is it?" I ask, as she cheerfully waves her sword. "Wanna do that spar now?" she said playfully as she pulls out her sword. Not a wooden one, but her real one.

    I don''t care, mind you. "Sure, I''ve been sitting on something for a while anyway." Calling ore, I mold him to my preferred shape, as he chirps happily in my mind.

    In my hand know is a metal hammer, simple in its appearance, but well suited to my needs. There is also a tall bump on the top of the hammer, meant to represent a spike, but blunted to avoid any serious danger.

    "A hammer? I didn''t take you for the type." she said, eyebrows raised.

    I shrug. "I''m better with a spear mind you, but I prefer hammers."

    Because of our families famous spear, I as heir had been trained in the spear my whole life, which was stupid, given that no one had ever found that spear and I''d never even used it until the day I died.

    I personally preferred hammers, even if conventionally speaking, swords and spears were better weapons.

    "Very well then." She said, before stabbing her blade forward.

    Clang!

    I block it using the hammer, sidestepping before driving the hammer forwards, using the tip to attack.

    Even when using a hammer I treat it like a spear.

    SHe quickly knocks away the hammer with great effort before taking a step back.

    I advance quickly as I swung my hammer downwards, and Lenore quickly responds, using her blade to deflect my blow, and using the momentum to slide past my defenses, and thrust forwards.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Bang!

    Her eyes widen as she sees the blade hit my arm, and bang off effortlessly.

    Of course if it were hardening magic, perhaps she''d disregard it, but the fluid form of ore forming an arm guard is what has surprised her, though she quickly regains focus.

    "Experimenting, huh?" She asks playfully, and I respond in turn with a grin.

    "You were right. There was a lot to explore in this direction."

    The hammer was raised again this time, but it was different.

    It had become two smaller hammers before I began my assault again. This time I charged in close, planning to get inside her range, and bypass the blade, as our positions reversed.

    She was a smart fighter, capable of moving with the blows, and weaving along in our dance of swords and hammers.

    She was good, but lacked oomph. Lacked a special characteristic to her fighting style.

    A flaw in her sword style, perhaps what held her back at B-rank.

    Something to tell her perhaps, but for now, for now it was time to indulge.

    <hr>

    They both chuckled after the spar, resting on a bench to cool down.

    It had been a good spar, one that had even attracted some attention from the other adventurers at the training ground, watching with curious eyes.

    In battle, I had proven capable of multiple forms of combat, using not only hammers and spears, but blades, maces and halberds to Lenore''s surprise and admiration.

    "That trick was amazing." She admitted. "The ability to surpass the elven limit is definitely something worth praising." she said, before shooting me a funny look. "Well, maybe a wrong choice of words." she admitted as the both of us chuckle.

    I''ll admit, it was fun to use ore''s ability to morph in this way but it still faces some problems, primarily in the realm of using it for my primary form, the turtle.

    Would I use it as a turtle and in what form? It''s arguably not going to have great variety. A hammer requires mobility, as do other weapons, they need the whole body, something a turtle can''t really do. I''ve been using a bat, sure, but even that had limited effectiveness, and using it to cover my shell wouldn''t change much from what I''ve already done.

    Maybe weapons for my arms? Hmm. Something I''''v got to develop, but on the brightside, I can use it human form. It''s clear I underestimated how useful ore can be.

    I wonder if the metal is replenishable.

    Actually, if I can use Ore in human form, what stops me from manifesting other parts of my body? Druids are known for shapeshifting after all, so partial transformation shouldn''t stand out too much.

    To quietly test this, I channeled my will into a finger nail, and to my delight it indeed changed, taking the form of a turtle''s claw.

    I did so quietly of course, but Lenore still noticed.

    "Whoa, creepy." She muttered, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

    "Creepy? I''ve seen druids do it before?" I inquire, and she shrugs. "Still creepy."

    I roll my eyes, whatever. Turning to Leon, whose eyes are sparkling, I ask him. "How was it?"

    "It was so cool!" He exclaimed with clenched fists, and I chuckled. Of course, using so many weapons in one fight would inspire any child with passion. Weapons are cool.

    "Very good then. Are you ready to start again then?"

    "Yes!"

    Poor Leon ended up gasping on the floor an hour later, as Lenore looked on in sympathy.

    <hr>

    Ridley guided the elf through the underground warehouse.

    The pair of them, alongside a small group of C class elves had finally arrived as per the request of the annoying human child.

    Ridley was continuing the blather on, as the old elf listened in silence, unwilling to interact, but humoring him nonetheless.

    "And everything is here?" Came the chilling voice, silencing even the talkative and rude Ridley.

    "Yes. The mayor doesn''t dare to investigate as long as I''m here!" he said, as even his fear could not suppress his own arrogance.

    Underneath the mansion he had purchased was a large, dark room, undetectable to the observing spell of others, and no one could infiltrate the house because of his status as part of a bigger family.

    Even if they did suspect the true nature of his mansion, they could do nothing about it.

    The warehouse was filled with things, from valuable materials to people, many of whom were elves, and a weird group of kobolds as well, among a miscellaneous of living beings.

    Even a monster ant queen could be found.

    Valuable commodities, as far as the eye could see.

    Looking at the chained up elves, the older elf snorted disdainfully.

    "Traitors." As he threw the latest acquisition in with the rest.

    Ridley did not understand the elf, but he continued to speak anyway.

    "Even traitors have their uses though. And now, they''ll help serve our cause right?"

    The thin elf looked at him mysteriously and nodded.

    The assistant next to him scoffed quietly, but Ridley did not dare to respond to it, or perhaps he did not hear it.

    Perhaps he had more important things to ask for.

    "So about those elves-"

    "Not yet" The thin elf interrupted. "We must not be too obvious, lest we get caught. You may be granted immunity to investigation by your status, but if they find something your status, and your value will be rescinded. And if you''re no longer valuable to us..." The thin elf left it open ended, but even the fool can understand the implication, and swallowed quietly.

    "You''re dismissed." He said with finality, and Ridley could only bow his head before the man''s presence.

    The guards had claimed their leader was an A-rank, and the thin elf felt like an A-rank.

    He felt dangerous.

    He left quietly cursing his inability to stand before this man, even though he''d seen the A-ranks under his families command.

    The thin elf and his watched as the man left.

    "I hate his type" the aid commented, and the thin elf snorted.

    "Nigel, you will learn as you get older that everyone has their use. Even the most vain, stupid, and snobbish of pigs can produce fat in the end. This pig lends us protection from the law and allows us to do our thing. Speaking of which, let''s go inspect that"

    The aide nodded. "Yes, commander Vertigo." He led the way through the "basement", which had an unnatural and ethereal feeling to it, which compounded as they headed deeper into the "basement" and the packages and "merchandise" faded, replaced with traps and locks.

    Soon they arrived at the core of the false basement, which glowed ominously and it felt alive.

    Perhaps some adventurers would liken the room to a dungeon, but weaker. Less like the heart of something alive, and more like the tip of something.

    The room glowed as the runes etched across the room lit up and faded in equal measure.

    A giant root was the focus of the room, protected by a formation of sorts.

    The root was huge, twice the size of the elves in the room, twisting and curling in the room.

    The real focus of their efforts in skip town was this, one of the most important parts of their organization.

    A root of their great tree.

    The operations going on at this moment were merely a cover, to hide their real plans.

    Arguably, it could be said to some, what they were doing here was far more sinister than a mere slave tracking ring.

    The root was digging into the massive teleportation formation in the center of the town, siphoning off its energies, something strictly forbidden by the empire .

    Were it to find out, this could be considered a great offense to the empire and its Gods.

    The elven kingdom could not afford such an offense.

    But the empire would turn a blind eye to a save tracking ring.

    "How is it doing currently?" The commander asked, and Nigel responded after analyzing the root.

    "Good sir, very good. If we can maintain this growth for another year or two, the root will have gained a good foothold here, and blend in seamlessly. Not even the gods will be able to find it."

    The older elf smiled sinisterly. "Good, and then we can properly pull out of this damned mess." He chuckled. "I''m in a good mood today. Now, let''s go see these traitors that are bothering our benefactors."

 Book 2 chapter 14: Someone lurking in the shadows

    "Someone''s been watching us." Redgar told me.

    I frowned after hearing that. " Have you seen them?" I asked, in order to see if he''s picked up anything.

    Redgar shook his head hopelessly. "No, I haven''t actually seen a single thing, but I can feel it. That someone is observing me. Their intent." He said, explaining his unfounded suspicion.

    I put my hand up, waving it off. "No need, I understand. Usually one''s instincts are the best solution. More importantly..."

    Who''s watching us?

    I quickly consider the possibility of it being one of their elders before the thought quickly dissipates. No, If their elder is of high enough rank, they should have no problem observing quietly beyond their observation.

    For all I praised their abilities as C-level monsters, they were still only C-level. Generally speaking, a B-rank monster or higher who specializes in stealth, like many of the skarpan race, should have no problem evading attention of mere C-ranks.

    So this indicates other people.

    Either we''ve pissed someone off inadvertently, or the elves tracking the high elf Willow are finally here.

    But that feels weird as well. If that were the case, why would they send such low level spies? Even C-ranks could find them, the B-rank Servante and Lenore could easily find them?

    Was this a chance encounter from a fringe spy?

    Whatever the case is, I think we should report this to Servante and Lenore.

    Dammit, I just sold my second basket. I was hoping to sell a few more for such a good price.

    <hr>

    Hearing my suspicions, Servante''s face becomes solemn, as does Lenore''s.

    "That was quicker than we''d expected." Servante said grimly. "I thought the radio silence would''ve confused them for a little longer."

    Lenore shrugged. "Maybe they had soul candles, or perhaps death switches to indicate the deaths of their agents. Or maybe even someone from the royal family exposed our soul candles. Regardless, it doesn''t matter. We have to prepare to move."

    I agree.

    The skarpans wish of salesman can continue elsewhere, but if we stay here, it''ll just become more dangerous as our foes converge upon us.

    Perhaps this was merely chance, but whatever the case is, we need to pack it up before things begin to escalate.

    Thump thump thump thump thump

    The sound of approaching footsteps fills me with ominous premonition, one that unfortunately plays out, as two of the skarpans we know, Damil and Borsch, the ones who were meant to go out today with Redgard come back gasping, injuries clearly present.

    Damil has clearly take the brunt of it, as he rests on Borsch''s side.

    "It''s Redgar! They''ve kidnapped him!" Shouted Damil hoarsely as he leaned on Borsch.

    Crapbaskets.

    <hr>

    "Where am I? Groaned Redgar as he got up, his head spinning.

    He immediately begins to take notice of his location, behind bars.

    This is bad. Has he been captured? Hed heard how goblins were often captured, skarpans specifically, to serve as forms of entertainment, but he''d never thought he''d be captured for being elf!

    Which was an obvious thought in hindsight. Elves were probably even more popular than his kind.

    "You''ve been captured too yeah? How many elves does that make?"  A weird, raspy voice appears,but not alien. Redgar knows this form of voice.

    "0y! That''d be the 15th we''ve seen so far!" Another higher pitched, yet clearly raspy as well sounds off, before being followed by another, more dramatic scaly voice, filled with boom.

    "Elf on elf! What''s this world coming too!"

    "Shut up you three! The new guy''s coming back to his senses. " A fourth, harsher, and seemingly more senior voice comes out, forcing the other three to quiet down.

    Even with his groggy mind, he can identify those kind of voices.

    Turning his head right, he can see them.

    Kobolds.

    4 of them, with the last to have spoken being the biggest amongst them.

    Most kobolds were rather small, being at the size of the skarpans initial form, but this kobold was large, and brawny as well. It easily towered over the elven form.

    He looked at Redgar patiently, yet there was also a sense of disdain from the large kobold.

    "Elves." It snorted ruefully. "Quick to turn on each other as always."

    Redgar shrugged with a lack of interest. He wasn''t elven anyway.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    He wasn''t alone either. There was a group of elves in this very same cage. The elves were in poor condition, and looked like they were a breath away from death. To be beaten that badly, by their own kind? Perhaps the kobold was right.

    "Where are we?" He asked the large kobold. Though it disdained elves it did not seem adverse to communication.

    Redgar did not find it reasonable to change back to his skarpan form, as doing so might invite more danger only for a chance of not being the creature''s target of disregard.

    "Underground. Looking at the architecture, and the state of the area around us, I''d say its a mansion basement. Well protected too." He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Expected, given the operation around us but I can''t help but think there''s more. Too many formations and magic circles for a mere illegal merchandise area."

    Redgar looked at him thoughtfully. "You seem to know a lot about architecture." before wincing, as the pain all over his body caused him to react painfully.

    The kobold shrugged. "I dabble in it. More of a blacksmith myself."

    "Okay. Next question: why are you talking to me? I can tell you''re not a fan of elves."

    The kobold nodded in acknowledgement. "I don''t like elves, yes. I think they''re a bunch of sanctimonious, hypocritical, and annoying bastards." He turned to look at him gravely. "But that doesn''t mean I''ll abandon them to a life of slavery."

    "Hmm?"

    "We''re planning a breakout. These cages are etched with formations to ensure that we can''t break out, and it blocks our magic. In your case, it''s coded specifically for elven magic. Normally, it''d work for your average kobold, but for me?"

    The kobold grinned as he took his claw and scratched it slowly across the cage.

    It was a light scratch, but all it took was a light scratch for Redgar to understand the implication.

    Seeing this, Redgar felt a glimmer of hope.

    "My friends are likely going to come for me." Redgar decided to mention after some quick contemplation.

    For now, they were on the same side.

    The kobold raised an eyebrow. "How many?" He asked, and Redgar thought about it for a moment.

    "5 adults, but 2 children he carefully revealed."

    The kobold frowned and thought about it for a few minutes. "5 days." He said finally in that gruff voice. "Your friends have 5 days to show up or we''re breaking out."

    <hr>

    "4 days." I said after finally deducing how long it''d take me to find and raid whoever captured Redgar.

    We were sure it was capture.

    After listening to the story told by the two Skarpans, this was what I''d confirmed.

    It was clear that their priority was not to kill, but to capture.

    Despite launching a heavy assault at an opportunistic timing, there was no attempt to kill throughout the attack

    A group of C ranks, working in tandem to whittle down the three of them, even when they realized the group of them were C-ranks, they did not flinch and adapted accordingly.

    It was premeditated, with a clear intent to capture.

    "Do you think it''s them?" I asked, and Servante looked unsure.

    "It''s hard to say for sure. It''s not merely one group who''s targeting her, but a multitude, any of which could be engaged in slave trade."

    We''d come to the assumption of slave trading, as there were few reasons to kidnap, and not kill besides selling them. It could be a hostage situation, but that was ruled out due to foolishness. Would they really try to use one elf''s life to bargain for that of a high elf? I would not think our enemies so foolish.

    "But elven slave trade?" I asked back, and to this, both Lenore and Servante had complicated looks.

    "Elves.. have a distinction when it comes to those who live inside the island and those who''ve abandoned it. It''s not uncommon for them to engage in slave trade with continental elves?" Servante confessed. "I don''t condone it, but I''d be a fool to not know."

    "Do elves have such distinctions?" I asked, genuinely surprised. There was too little communication with the elves of the elven kingdom to comprehensively know this, so this was a surprise to me.

    "It''s complicated."

    I left it at that, focusing on the situation at hand.

    "If they''re still scouting this place out, then I can probably track them in turn. It''s clear this won''t stop with one capture, unless they''re truly just slavers."

    I frown. That would be the real problem. If they were truly just people seeking slaves for the black market, then they might just be satisfied and leave. They''d be far harder to track then.

    Theoretically, I could reach out to Anubis and ask him to look, but that''s not only a risky plan, but one without guarantee. The god of thieves and merchants tends to be willing to block the prying eyes of the Gods, and if they truly are illegal slave traders, than the chance they worship him is high.

    It might be bad wishes, but I really hope we''re being targeted.

    Damil looks angry as he curses loudly. "I don''t care who they are! I''m going to find them and kill them!" He curses loudly, and Fenil looks rather upset as well, though she watches our reaction.

    Borsch speaks up. "Are they perhaps... targeting you?" He asks unsurely as he looks at us.

    "Probably. Unless you''ve made enemies at that stall." Servante notes.

    The skarpans frown at that, but ultimately have nothing to say.

    This was merely speculation, and frankly, they know they can''t fight whoever has captured Redgar, so they can only rely on us.

    Well that or their elder who''s probably followed us quietly and is watching this all unfold, but that''s more speculative, and not helpful to the current situation.

    Essentially, we are now on the same boat. And it''s also possible that they''re just targeting elves in general and we just got targeted due to being a huge group of "Elves" though Servante clearly thinks otherwise.

    Whoever it is they''re our enemy now, and while we''re in the light, they have the benefit of the shadows.

    We must either lure them from the shadows, or enter the shadows ourselves, and find our enemies.

    <hr>

    Borsch is sent to continue the sales at the stall, while Fenil wanders around, "investigating". Realistically, there''s no possible way we can play it off as if nothing happened. They''ll know we''ll be investigating.

    Of course, she''s not alone. She''s with "Damil" and "Earl". It''s a false copy, created by Borsch''s own  magicks. His inheritance included a clone spell apparently, wich is coming in handy now.

    Damil is with me as we quietly follow behind Fenil, waiting to see if we can catch  sight of our enemies. I''ve changed into turtle form, hiding within a basket, while Damil has put on a disguise to replicate a dwarfs look, relying on his short stature and elven ears to appear dwarfish, enough to be ignored, especially since he''s wearing heavy gear, befitting of a dwarf.

    The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it.

    An eastern proverb, that while it can be used philosophically, also describes our current situation.

    We''re the oriole, and as we''ve sent out the cicada to attract the mantis, the hope is that like the proverb, the mantis will be distracted enough for us to to successfully determine their numbers and group.

    If we can capture them to interrogate about their base of operations, that would be to our benefit. If we can cull their

    Obviously Servante and Lenore are staying back to watch the kids. If they''re really from those elven clans, than this is all a distraction to lure us out, and we must be prepared to retreat into the shell and prepare for a prolonged battle.

    We are in a town after all, and I have no doubt that the last incident has already attracted the attention of officials.

    Even if there is corruption, if the group is attacked in broad daylight even a corrupt local government cannot so easily handwave the situation.

    I know those bastards of Jorvus Mars. They may allow and tolerate corruption, but only within manageability. Too much and punishment comes swift. This would also benefit us, though it would cause its own fair share of problems.

    That''s a huge what if that I can only hope does not come to fruition. When they get involved, things get messy. And then clean. Disgustingly clean.

    The trap has been set.

    It is time to see whether the mantis pounces or not.

 Book 2 chapter 15: The Hunter

    The attack came quickly.

    We had expected them to move when there were less guards patrolling, and the environment more suitable for abductions, with dusk being the best theoretical timing.

    So they were prepared.

    7 C-ranks had attacked the stall, with the clear intent to capture the skarpans.

    The 5 C-ranks were working in tandem, with cooperation clearly beyond that of the average slaver. He could believe that they were part of an elven infiltration group.

    They hid their ears, clearly a sign that they didn''t want their operations exposed. An unsettling thought, and made me wonder how well these elven lords had hidden their traces.

    I didn''t shift into human form, as doing so would easily expose myself as one of the "elves" there.

    Instead...

    I had Damil toss me.

    I went flying straight into one of the elves, leading to a crack when I impacted one of the elves arms.

    Damil quickly forsook his disguise, taking out stakes and throwing daggers, rushing to deal with one of the elves, as I sat on one of them, suppressing them entirely.

    Oh, and I used a few stake strikes, piercing through one of the hands of the elf in question.

    It was the others I had to worry about dispersing.

    They reacted quickly.

    While Damil managed to deal with one, as did Femil and Borsch challenged 2 of them, I was still left to fend off the three of them.

    They were clearly cautious of me. I may have been small for a tree monster but tiny was not something anyone took lightly, for even the smallest of monsters could be a terrifying thing.

    They circled me, each brandishing their weapons.

    The mage amongst them moved to the back, while the two rogues surged forward, seeking to distract me in fight.

    I let them attack me with their blades for a bit as I contemplated my situation.

    Clang!

    Clang!

    Clang!

    One of the benefits of a shell. Even at the same level, for the most part my defense can soak the damage with ease.

    Obviously the mage wanted to bombard me from a safe distance. I can''t potato mine them unfortunately, as that would cause real damage in the town. Even now I''m sure guards are coming and will likely apprehend the guards, so there is no need to go too extreme, and spite ourselves in such a way.

    Still, can''t ignore the mage.

    Lenore suggested using Ore in a greater variety of ways.

    Well in that case, where else would I get such an opportune moment to try this on such eager targets?

    I cast... CANNONBALL!

    A giant ball of metal separates itself from Ore, emerging in front of Ore''s head, as if the head was spitting an iron ball as I lob it at the mage.

    I feel a faint sense of dissatisfaction from it because of such sensation, but this dissatisfaction easily disappears as my magic replenishes its being.

    The mage sees it, and was unable to move out of the way in time. Instead, one of the rogues pushed the mage out of the way, taking the brunt of the force.

    Shame.

    [You learned: cannonball!]

    Well that''s nice at least.

    I got used to it quickly, and soon Ore was spitting cannonballs with ease, though I shrunk their size and strength, to avoid causing excess damage. A cannonball does cause quite the bit of damage after all.

    BOOM!

    ... That wasn''t me.

    As if on command, all the elves began to retreat, as many that could possibly move, though they were forced to leave the one I pinned behind.

    I didn''t have the time to think about this however.

    The explosion... It came from our carriage.

    Oh no.

    This wasn''t the main force.

    Damn it! We''ve been lured out We may be the oriole, but we''ve been hit by the hunter further behind!

    We were never the real target! Willow was the real target!

    The others may be in danger now!

    With this revelation, we quickly headed back, with heavy hearts and quick feet.

    <hr>

    We rushed back as quickly as possible, only to find the aftermath of a rough battle.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Guards were clearly investigating the scene of the crime, as we were stopped for a minute, looking clearly suspcious.

    We had managed to get one of them after all, and dragging them in towe did not look good.

    He was bolted to my shell using my metal aspects. Lenore was right there''s something worth focusing on there.

    When Servante came over to explain accompanied by a rather familiar guard, their caution against us lessened, amplified by our cooperation and handing over one of the instigators.

    Chip smiled, albeit wearily as he saw us approach.

    "Earl! To think we''d run into each other like this! I''d say it''s good to see you again..." he turned to look at the scene of the assault and sighed. "... But not under these circumstances unfortunately. I was talking to your friend here, and getting his testimony. Seeing the "friend" you''ve brought along, it looks like you have some talking to do. And I have a guest to talk to?" he smiled, revealing a wolfish grin as he headed to the elf we managed to capture.

    "By all means, have him. I don''t have time to interrogate him.

    I turned to Servante.

    "We''ve been played." Servante says as he gritted his teeth and I could only agree hopelessly.

    It clearly wasn''t just a small group of C-ranks.

    "What happened? Where are the children!?" I asked urgently and he grimaced.

    "The children are fine. I don''t know what kind of magic ability that boy has, but they couldn''t find the 2 of them no matter what they did. We underestimated them. I had assumed it was just some small group of spies we''d happened upon on, a small group of upstarts." He paused, as he winced. "They captured Lenore." He said, and I felt confused for a moment.

    "There was an A-rank." I grew alert upon hearing that. "Do you mean by training or by feat?"

    He shook his head. "By feat probably.

    "How''s the tracker working?" I asked, and he shook his head. "It''s not. But, I think I know where they''ve gone." He notes and I turn to him quizzically.

    "Remember that annoying brat you encountered last time at the bar?" Servante snapped and I felt an ominous premonition to that statement.

    "Yeah?" I said warily.

    "They mentioned his name. In fact, I don''t even think they were after the high elf at all. They were after you for that night." He said, sounding particularly angry.

    Damn it.

    Does that mean if we hadn''t gone out to the bar that night we would''ve never encountered this problem?

    We established some good repertoire with the locals, something I''ve been working on for the last few days, but given that the result is that Lenore has been captured, it''s hard to determine whether it was worth the effort.

    At this moment, Leon and Willow appeared, the two looking quite pitiful. Leon was standing in front of the girl, clearly still wary of the people around them, before rushing up with relief.

    "You''re alright! Thank the great mistress!" He said with great relief, and I chuckled lightly, doing my best to reassure the kid.

    "Of course! You know how sturdy I am!" I confidently declare, and I smile at Willow as well, handing the 2 of them fruits.

    Servante sighed, as the anger disappeared as quickly as it appeared.  "It''s not your fault. They were going to find us sooner or later.And it was more Lenore than you. There was no way she was going to tolerate that. At least this way, we have the initiative now. "

    I frown. "They''ll know we''re coming."

    Servante shook his head. "They''ll know I''m coming, and even you in elven form, alongside those skarpans."

    He paused, as he looked at me meaningfully.

    "But you in your real form? They''ll never see it coming. You have better chances of infiltration than I do."

    Hmm.

    Will that work?

    I''m not huge as a turtle, but small isn''t right either.

    "We''ll need a commotion."

    Servante nodded. "I can do a commotion. They''ll know we''re coming anyway, so we may as well give them what they want."

    "And do you have a trump card for taking down A-ranks?" I asked assertively, and Servante stiffens before responding. "Yes, though it''d be best to avoid using it unless absolute necessary. You?" He asked directly, and I answer resolutely as well.

    "Yes, though like yours, best not to use unless absolutely necessary." I do have the spear of our family. As an S rank spear, it can easily change the battle in my favour, but was not to be used lightly.

    However, this trump card may soon need to see the light.

    We both agreed upon this. That''s the thing about trump cards. The more people that knew them, the less trump they are.

    Not only that, but trump cards are often valuable. As they say, a poor man alone is not guilty of anything, but a poor man holding jade is guilty of holding something beyond their means.

    Perhaps both Servante and I are in similar situation. It would not be good for us to begin fighting over our valuable items.

    The fact that we both agreed to use our trump cards showed how dangerous this situation could be. Last time, the A-rank had been on our side, but this time? This time it was us that had to face the great opposition.

    He frowned and paused. "I just don''t know if alone we can accomplish this."

    Ah. Well given where this all started...

    "I think I can find someone who can help us."

    <hr>

    "Yeah, sure."

    "Really?"

    "Truthfully, we''ve been eyeing him for a while." The guard Chip admitted.

    After the talk, I approached the beastman, with the hopes I could get a little info on the man.

    He had finished his "interrogation" of the elf, and confirmed that indeed, Ridley was involved, though he would not divulge any info about the A-rank. That made sense, since few were willing to go against an A-rank, even in the face of less savory issues.

    "You know the rules around here. We may be friendly to outsiders, but trust is a whole other matter. There was no good reason for Ridley to be here, it was clear he was here for something. And now we know what." He glanced at me. "We owe you for that."

    Do we?

    We''re assuming slave trading, but that''s not a conclusive statement. Unless he has more info.

    Seeing my look, the guard chuckled. "Yeah, I''ll admit, there was a recent uptick in slaves coming from our general direction. There were quite a few suspicious of the overall situation, but with no leads, it was hard to find the source and to move the higher ups into acting. Rats like these, it is often hard to find their tails, especially the older, more experienced one. I told you, we owe you for that one."

    Well in that case...

    "I don''t suppose you got a location?"

    The beastman responded quickly and cooperatively, easily divulging the information.

    "His mansion. It''s quite the public place. Why? You''re not planning on breaking in are you?" He asked as his eyes narrowed meaningfully.

    I choose not to respond and smile meaningfully back

    The beastman chose to speak. "No worries, we''re not planning to stop you. Around these here parts, we''ve got our own rules.We tolerated that asshat as long as he followed the rules.

    But he didn''t. And that changes everything." He paused. "Obviously, we can''t barge in there officially. But if you manage to get in there and bring enough proof of his dirty actions, we don''t mind turning a blind eye."

    Shrug

    "Well yeah, but if we manage to find him good for something heinous, that family will cut him off like a dead nail. Quickly, and without hesitation." He cackled. "They may even thank us for getting rid of a bastard."

    "So you won''t intervene."

    "Nah. If you''re planning to infiltrate, we have the layout of the house stored in the town hall. Mayor may be a slouch, but if it threatens his town, he''ll be willing to hand it over. "

    I look at Chip thoughtfully.

    "You seem to have more connections than I thought."

    He dismissed it with a wave. "Nah, I''m just speaking for my higher ups." Ah, so he often works as a representative of the garrison around here then. Essentially, if this all goes wrong, then he''ll also be the fall guy. Guessing by the way he''s acted, he''s likely done this routine before, and in fact, likely also knows the risks, given his current dry smile that responded to my current look.

    For a canine, he sure is flexible, more like a rat beastman honestly.

    "So, we have a deal?" He asked patiently.

    I agreed easily. "Deal."

    We shook on it and with that the deal was sealed, and we set to planning the operation.

    They would likely come again, and we needed to catch them off guard, so we had to work quickly and decisively.

    Tomorrow, we storm Ridley''s mansion.

 Book 2 chapter 16: Druid

    In the mansion, in a rather quiet room, two elves were speaking to one another.

    "Hmmph! Bold of them to plan an attack so shamelessly." The older one spoke as he went over the report.

    Vertigo had already expected as much would happen once one of his scouts was captured.

    Although a disappointing result it was one that they had planned for.

    After all, this would bring the other royal guard to them, and with both in hand, there was no chance the high elf would ever reach the island, and they could collect them for their own means.

    The aide Nigel shrugged. "We have been selling slaves and traitors through this route for a while. They''ve probably been on our trail for a while. It was merely a matter of them finally attacking after being provoked for so long." He paused before thoughtfully looking over.

    "What do you want to do?" He asked and Vertigo sat there and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    "The reports say that one of them seems to be a druid, capable of taking a monster form." The aide brought up.

    Hearing this, the captain looked surprised. Most druids avoid monster forms, preferring to stick to animals unless particularly skilled in this ability. After all, although using the form of a monster is better in all ways, it came with the dangerous chance of falling into a monsters instincts, moreso than an average beast, an obvious flaw that had seen the reduced usage of monster forms amongst druids.

    It wasn''t hard to imagine by what means they were planning to infiltrate the mansion.

    He had a wicked smile as he commanded his aid. "Prepare some anti-druid measures. If he is so eager to take monster form, let him keep it." The man smiled cooly, as if imagining what would happen next.

    A treacherous elf, turned into a mere beast, to be skinned and hung or sold as they wished.

    The aide nodded in agreement. "Very well. And the root?" he asked as he observed the commander''s face.

    Tapping his fingers against the table thoughtfully, he finally responded. "I believe it''s time to move it. It has gathered as much as it can from the teleportation circle here before arousing anger from the local spirits. We can drop the dead weight. It''s time to find it a new home, so that the true mistress may continue to grow."

    "For the Pando." The aide said reverently, and the commander repeated it. "For the Pando."

    <hr>

    "Ridley Worschesire! For the crime of illegal slave tracking, you are hereby under arrest! Come out with your hands up, and come quietly!"

    Came the demand. A huge part of the soldiers garrison had come out to reinforce this operation, as they were suspected of being aided by an A-rank.

    Even with 2 A-ranks, there was no guarantee. It may be easy to overpower one A-rank with 2, but hard to keep them.

    The soldiers were here to assure that none of the other elves got in the way of the operation.

    The door creaked open, as a group of elves stepped forward, many dressed in clothes befitting of assassins or rogues.

    Leading them was the aide, dressed formally, whom walked with slow and deliberate steps.

    The A-class warrior, a humanoid dragonewt stepped forward.

    "Halt! You are suspected of assisting in illegal slave operations. Do not resist and resign yourself to investigation!" He shouted.

    Nigel sighed as he fixed his eyes on Servante. "You allowed outsiders to interfere in our ways?" He asked deliberately ignoring the A-rank.

    Servante ignored him, watching him warily.

    The dragonewt started again. "Sir! You are-"

    "Save me the showboating." The elf interrupted.  "We both know that I have no intention of giving up quietly. " He said, as the drum of mana began to rise. "Let us stop tiptoeing around, and get to the core of this matter. We have matters to attend to." He said indifferently.

    And with that, the fight began.

    <hr>

    Plans changed. Once the scout finally "gave up" the info, what we heard really changed the nature of the assignment.

    It wasn''t that my infiltration had been waived, no that was still part of the plan.

    The distraction however, had turned into a full frontal assault. An arrest actually.

    Frankly, the initial plan had been made with the idea that we would get nothing out of the scout, but now that we had, the situation became far more urgent.

    It wasn''t merely a few elves, but over a 100 elves had been gathered, alongside a number of other races who''d been captured, with the abnormal number of elves being the most concerning, at least to me.

    Do the elves hate another that much? Why?

    Unfortunately, the only ones who do know are unlikely to spill. Who would reveal the shame of their race, much less one of the races that prioritize face above all else?

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Regardless, this case had become bigger, and thus a frontal assault had been planned.

    I''m infiltrating because chances are, they''re not going to give up peacefully, not unless they have a way to conceal their wrongdoing from an A-level mage. Oh yeah, this is serious. Skip town don''t tolerate annoying outsiders.

    The priority is to save the people there, and monsters who can understand us before defeating them.

    They''ve been exposed after all, so defeat or not, they''re not likely to stick around, not unless they want to be hunted down by the temples.

    The operation begins formally of course, with the rest of the group, Servante and the "Elves" included.

    I''m not there, having obviously chosen to slip away and try sneaking into the mansion.

    It looks rather plain and inconspicuous.

    I look and cannot detect any spells around, so I tentatively enter the grounds.

    As I entered the mansion grounds, a faint humming could be heard as a magic circle activated.

    THHOOOOOOOOMM

    Reacting immediately, I prepared to dodge whatever incoming attack was launched and swoop into the mansion, abandoning all vigilance, but... nothing.

    Stolidus actually spoke up at this moment.

    [Someone placed an anti-druid trap for you here. Seems to wrap around the whole mansion too. Pretty nasty thing too, though it focuses on druids alone. And you are not a druid.

    Lol. Big fail, much disappointment.] Stolidus said some unremarkable nonsense near the end, but what really mattered to him was the statement.

    They thought I was a druid?

    Wow, what luck! Had this magic circle been aimed to kill monsters...

    Shiver

    That could''ve gone badly quickly.

    That''s probably not the only tap so I use my vines to climb onto the roof carefully, before finding a chimney.

    Perfect.

    Attaching a potato mine to a vine, I carefully lower it into the chimney as a decoy.

    Seeing no response, I decide to follow it in.

    It''s an easy climb in.

    Crawling out of the chimney, I find myself in the room facing a familiar face.

    Ridley, having just woken up, screeched at the sight of me.

    Thwak!

    That was satisfying. Thanks ore.

    Anyway, we started our journey into the mansion from there.No, I didn''t take that inconvenience with me. Even if he could make a good bodyshield. He might either be really valuable to them, or utterly useless as a hostage.

    Tch.

    A shame the system doesn''t store bodies in its inventory. It would make everything so much easier.

    There was no security to be seen. Given the commotion going on outside, chances are that most of the personnel is outside assisting in resisting the townsfolk.

    An A-rank mage and an A-rank swordsman, I do not envy their position. Even if they can''t catch that A-rank, they can hit him hard enough that he''ll have to lick his wounds for a little while.

    The mansion at first glance was understandably barren of any telltale signs.

    Now, the next important step was to find the hidden doorway.

    The most obvious choice was to check the bookshelves. Everyone chooses the bookshelves, especially the rich brats.

    And indeed, it was hidden more thoughtfully than he had expected. The books each had a symbol hidden on them, significant to the formation of magic circles.

    They were hidden well, but not extensively so. I find magic based mechanisms are often easier to find than the practical ones. But I don''t expect much from rich fools.

    Rearranging the books on the shelf, using the books with symbols as the blank space between circles, I was able to create a magic circle that was created with the function of "open". The lettering on the books lit up in response.

    Ah, a regent meant to conduct magic was used to write the titles on the books.

    The bookshelf parted, and between the halves, a tunnel was seen leading downwards.

    And so I went, to explore I went.

    <hr>

    The stairs did not go that deep, leading into an open room. Clearly, they had confidence that no one would come in due to his immunity as the son of a powerful family.

    The worcestershire family by the way. Apparently they specialize in spices and sauce.

    Seeing the runes written across the halls, it was clear the room had been intentionally modified spatially, making the room bigger than it really is.

    The basement itself was filled with people and monsters.

    Citizens of all groups, from dwarves to lizardmen, as well as a staggering amount of beastmen for such a small place.

    The elves had it worse by far,  They were the ones with the smallest cage, despite being the third highest in number, each in rather rough condition. Their cage was positioned near the kobolds amongst a miscellaneous of other packages.

    Taking elven form I walk over, searching for Redgar, before finally finding him, talking with a group of kobolds?

    I rush over, calling him.

    "Redgar! You ready to get out?"

    Seeing me, he looks relieved, before turning to face the group of kobolds.

    "See! I told you they''d come to break us out!" He said confidently.

    Hmm?

    One of those kobolds looks awfully familiar...

    Hey! He''s one of the three who was sneaking in with a jacket!

    Guess they got caught too huh.

    The three of them were clearly surprised, but more importantly, were standing near a far taller kobold, with rather brawny arms and a ram horned helmet.  Clearly he was the leader of the group.

    Looking over, he grunted.

    "Thought there''d be more of you." He commented dryly and I could only shrug helplessly.

    "The rest are busy storming the mansion. It''s an official effort."

    This caused him to raise an eyebrow. "Oh?"

    "And there''s an A-rank amongst their ranks being distracted outside."

    Only then did he nod in understanding.

    "Alright then. Guess our chances of success have increased." He said briskly.

    I continued talking. "Anyway -- "

    [Oh?]

    Came Stolidus'''' curious voice, and I tensed in response.

    I wasn''t the only one, as in a weird twist, the large kobold looked around as well.

    Wait...

    [Yeah, that one there! That big ol lizard!]

    [Oi brat! What are you doing here!?] Came another voice, more gruff and baritone voice.

    The two of them looked at one another with blatant surprise, as if a whole new world had opened up.

    "You''re a player!"

    "You''re a player!"

    <hr>

    The assault on the mansion was stalling as expected.

    Against a group of B and C ranks, the local soldiers from the garrison were having a hard time holding their own.

    The A-rank mage was supporting from the back, while the A-rank warrior was charging the A-rank elf from the front.

    Despite the slow progress, it was still considered a success, for every moment was extra time for the elven "Druid" to get all the slaves out.

    Why, it was even going better than expected, and yet Servante looked rather Solemn.

    "What''s wrong?" Borsch asked the mage. Both were working from the back, so Borsch could see the expression on the elve''s face.

    When asked, Servante hesitated. "I didn''t get a good look at the assailant last time, but I do remember the way they fought."

    "And?" Borsch asked worriedly.

    "He was an assassin, not a mage." Servante said gravely, as the nearby A-rank mage heard this, his face showed a look of realization and shared a similar look of worry.

    Then that means there was a rogue assassin that they had yet to see.

    Assassins were the hardest to deal with when unaware.

    Equally worrying was the possibility that the mage here wasn''t merely a mage, but also an assassin.

    In that case he was far stronger than he was letting up.

    With no way to communicate this fact to Earl, they could only hope the "druid" was capable of holding his own.

 Book 2 Chapter 17:Yeoui!

    We are unsure what to do for a moment, but then.

    [Congratulations!]

    [You have fulfilled the prerequisite for the function: chat room]

    [Use this to be transported to a virtual reality where you can discuss secrets.]

    [This ability surpasses time, ensuring all conversations will happen in an instant]

    [Warning: although this can be used for political secrets, it cannot be used for long distance delivery of political secrets and such similar things. The system does not involve itself in political matters. Any such attempts will result in restriction of the chat rooms, and future interactive abilities]

    [Have fun!]

    Reality seems to bend and before the two can react, they find themselves in a blank white room werein there is nothing else.

    "Cool." The kobold says casually seemingly disinterested in the function.

    Although it seems quite useful, there is after all, the more pressing matter from across one another after all.

    "So who were you?" He asked, and I looked at him curiously. And a little suspiciously.

    He explained further. "From what Sindri and Brok said, only certain, special people were chosen to test this new system?"

    I nodded. "I was under that impression as well. " I agreed once I understood where he was coming from.

    If only special people were chosen to test this new fangled system, then obviously meeting a fellow player was like meeting a fellow genius.

    And knowing who you were working with is important as well.

    "Earl, marquis of Rudalius, or Gamoceras, depending on which name you want to use for the territory."

    As I state it, the kobold''s eyes widen, as a surprising amount of respect lit his eyes as he grabbed my arm.

    "Earl!? As in, the man who led an expedition to hunt down a drake?" He shouted.

    Oh yeah, that.

    "I did technically do that, but there was an S-class adventurer there you know." I stressed, only for the kobold to snort in disbelief.

    "Yeah, I heard he was distracted by the appearance of another one!" He said with a look of awe on his face.

    "I just want to remind you that I only managed to do so thanks to the people of the territory." I tell him in order to douse the awe.

    I''ve always found the credit misplaced for that. I didn''t hunt it alone after all, but with a small army in tow.

    The kobold snorted and rolled his eyes. "Sure. Anyway, I always wanted to make something for you" He said,.

    "You were a dwarf?"

    "Mm. Name was Philly."

    "Philly?" I ask, as something clicks.

    A famous dwarf named philly whose patron gods are Sindri and Brok, and even has a skaven friend named cheese steak...

    "You''re Philly of the Biif family?" I asked astonishedly.

    Now it''s his turn to be flattered, as he looks happy.

    "You know of me?" He says, clearly proud.

    "How could I not? Philly and cheese steak, an infamous duo. Did he die too?"

    "Nah, he came to find me after I died. Told my patrons that I needed cheese steak to continue helping me gather materials and they agreed to guide him to me.

    "I mean, by the gods, you were one of the most famous up and coming craftsman. You just made Duke Bergstrom''s son an amazing A-level great sword! I hear that it was made with a firebird''s tail feather and that it cut through the hordes of the north like butter!" I exclaim.

    "Well, given quality material, any weapon smith could make something decent." He said humbly.

    He does seem a little embarrassed, so why stop?

    "And I hear that you made just the most wonderful little little contraption for the prince the other day?" I added on.

    "Alright, alright I get it." He stopped me after I marveled over four of his creations.

    "I am genuinely amazed by all your works though. What happened. "

    He shrugged. "I pissed off the Filthy Hand."

    The filthy hand! "You mean tat necromancy organization?"

    "Yeah, that one. Turns out cheese steak broke in and stole one of their most prized possessions one time and handed it to me to use in the process of making the young duke''s blade. Obviously they couldn''t go after the duke''s son, much less the one in the north, so I became their target. " He gave a toothy grin.

    "I costed them big time though. Didn''t go down without taking down the leader of their operation, and more importantly, the pinky of the filthy hand."

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "I gasp. "And you were complimenting my efforts earlier?! I heard that bastard was S-level!"

    He shrugged. "Well, my forge has the core of a magma elemental of the S tier in it. They were counting on a quick strike attempt, and didn''t think me decisive enough to blow up my forge and all my creations.

    HA! Showed them."

    ""Anyway, enough about me, let''s arm you!" he announced and pulled something out, much to my confusion.

    "This is...?" I asked confused, as I stared at the tiny hammer.

    Perhaps an amulet of some sorts. But why make it if he thought I was dead?

    The dwarf now kobold seemed to know what he was thinking and explained it."I made this before you died. At the moment I had hoped to surprise you with a gift. I knew that my skills were well appreciated across the empire, so I was sure you''d receive it well at least." He said, clearly confident in his skills. Dwarves were often like that, confident in their work. It was one of their positives.

    "You got to bring it with you?" I asked, mostly confused but slightly suspicious.

    "Courtesy of my patron gods, Sindri and Brok. I can''t use these weapons myself, but I can find worthy users, or even their previously intended masters should the opportunity arrive. I had assumed that I would have to find it a new master, but luckily it seems that luck is on my side, hmm?"

    "Then I shall accept it gratefully. I don''t suppose you could explain how to use it?" I said to the delight of the kobold, though it was restrained, typical of a dwarf.

    The kobold sighed helplessly.

    "I did my best, but unfortunately Ryu Jin Bang is beyond my own skill. When I attempted to use the fragment to create a new weapon, the quality went down a few grades, and unfortunately is currently an A rank weapon. It doesn''t help that what I used was barely a sliver."

    He sounded so disappointed, leaving me speechless.

    He''s right, but to hear it said so casually...

    Were other dwarves to hear this, they may faint from pure rage.

    The dwarf turned kobold continued on.

    "Still, I managed to retain my primary desire for the weapon, and the essence of the divine weapon." He handed me the weapon with a warning.

    "Be careful, it still retains the characteristics of Ryu Jin Bang, so it''s-"

    Thud!

    "-Heavy" He finished as the thing forced me to the ground.

    Mostly by surprise. With some effort, and using the vines to steady myself and grip the weapon I managed to hold it.

    The kobold showed an embarrased expression.

    "Originally, I wanted to make it so you could put it in your ear, but seeing how heavy it is..."

    "I''d probably get my skull crushed this way." I said frankly and the dwarf sheepishly nodded, before his mouth opened in realization.

    "Wait, we''re both monsters now. Since that''s the case, then when you evolve again, maybe you''ll be strong enough to do that!"

    "Maybe." I say, somewhat unsure and mostly unconvinced.

    We''ll have to see how far these evolution go first.

    "How do I make this grow?" I asked, given that the hammer was still this tiny size,

    "You''ll have to communicate with the weapon spirit. It''s a fragment of a divine weapon, so it already seems to have developed a bit of its own personality. "

    "Alright"

    Probing into the weapon, I find the spirit rather immediately, or rather, it finds me!

    ''You are my new master?"'' It asks. It has a rather carefree personalty.

    ''Yes.

    ''Very well. Let us go and smack everyone!''

    ''Smack? Bonk!'' Appears ore.

    Uh oh.

    ''I see we are kindred spirits, young weapon spirit! Indeed, let us go and bonk together!''

    ''Bonk!'' Ore says excitedly as it begins acting up, taking the form of an iron glove, wrapping around the hand that holds the hammer.

    The kobold looks taken aback, as if he had not expected this, so I explain the situation.

    Hearing this, he looks rather excited.

    "And you say you did this by fusing it into your evolution?" He asked excitedly and when I affirm this he grins wickedly.

    "Well now I know how to guide my next evolution. You are as every bit great as they said you are." He added out of nowhere.

    "Ahem. Growing?" I say, choosing to ignore the excessive compliment.

    "Well, it should be easier since the weapon spirit likes at least one of you.

    The word I imagined is ''yeuoi!'' It''s important to imagine the specific size when you do this, or else its going to grow a little too large. If I made it properly, the largest it''ll grow is about 30 meters tall."

    "That''s huge!" I exclaim but he looks disappointed.

    "THe original is said to be able to pierce the heavens. My shoddy work only managed to reach 30 meters." He said, looking disappointed.

    "Well, it''s more than enough for me, whom is not a demigod level being. Yeoui!" I command, and indeed, the hammer grows.

    It becomes a one handed hammer, and when I command it once more-

    "Yeuoi!" It grows into a two handed sledgehammer.

    "Perfect, thank you!" I thank the craftsman.

    "Oh, that''s not all." He says, looking surprised that I thought that was all.

    "I addeda shielding function too. Someone sent me a fragment of some mysterious turtle shell fragment, which I incorporated into the center of the staff. See? Use appraisal on it."

    [AA mysterious shell fragment that seems to belong to an ancient bygone era.

    Hint: Its aura is a sacred one.

    Perhaps a higher level of appraisal could reveal more.]

    "Mysterious right? It seems to come fro an older era, and given the hint, I assume it''s from one of them famous ass eras. It''s likely thefragment of an innately sacred being.

    It''s good stuff."

    "And you used it on a hammer." I deadpan.

    Dwarves. Using the most precious of resources for the most simple of things I think the old man at the mansion would''ve cried if he saw this.

    Gotta love them.

    "It''s only a fragment. If I didn''t use it then, when would I?

    Anyway, I pulled in an eastern specialist and we managed to weave runic and formations together to create a strong barrier, that strengthens over time, on the condition that one does not leave the formation.

    I''m told it channels taizu or something. Whatever, I managed to weave it with runic and create a nidhoggr effect, and whenever you injure someone, they taste nidhoggr''s poison, and the more blows you strike, the more his attack effects your enemy.

    And for your real enemies, and not casual ones, I instilled his root eating ability, so that every blow eats at their foundation, ensuring even if they escape, that their foundation is ruined, and that as long as you outgrow them, they will be a danger no longer!"

    "... Have you ever considered the reason why your stuff goes down a level from expectation is because you instill such outrageous abilities.

    "Phili huffed proudly. "TO be a craftsman is to challenge your abilities. How can I grow if I am content to stagnate. It may not be as great as I wanted it to be, but I can always improve it.!" He said stubbornly.

    Eh, I just wanted to provide my own insight. It''s clear that he''s chosen his own path.

    "As grateful as I am for this, we should probably now discuss breaking out."

    The kobold Philly chuckled. "I wouldn''t worry too much about it. I already planned for the elves. After all, amongst them pointy eared bastards, the one that caught me was an A-rank rogue. I''d be stupid not to plan for him."

    He chuckled. "We won''t have to worry about them. I''ve been observing them for the last few days. I''m not sure what, but there seems to be something quite valuable to them deeper in the basements.

    Originally, I planned to send an automated golem holding a sufficient explosion there to distract them, but you say that they are under assault by the officials correct?"

    I nod and he narrowed his eyes. "In that case, I''d argue they are sufficiently distracted. Though, I''d say this is a perfect opportunity then, wouldn''t you think?"

    "Oh? I''m listening." I say, with a hint in my mind. If he suggested what I thought he would suggest, it would be to our benefit. After all, these elves are our enemies.

    "I mean, if its so damn valuable, I''m sure it''d be a valuable material." He leaned in, with a sharp smile on his face.

    "And if you really want to dig into your enemies bottom line, what better way then to eat the meal someone else has already set up, aye?"

    The kobold look suited the former dwarf, I decided

    He may be of dragonic descent, but that sharp grin was more like that of a shark who sensed blood in the water.

 Book 2 chapter 18: Breaking Into the Inner Sanctum

    Once they got out of the "Chat room", I set to checking the status of al the elves.

    Lenore was safe thank god. Though I had been distracted by the surprise player, I was still concerned about her, having seen her unconscious within the cage.

    She had magical bindings on her, something I was inept to solve.

    Thankfully, someone else here could.

    Philly grunted, as he casually broke the bindings. "Runic. Has a bit of elven flair, but all that means is unnecessary complication. rather simple solution. Friend of yours?" He asked, and I nodded.

    "She was sent by the royal elven family for a special mission." He raised an eyebrow in surprise at this.

    Perhaps I had let down my guard too much, but given we were both players chosen by the gods, I felt safe enough to say this much.

    Though, I did not mention the high elf escort mission. That was not my matter to share.

    "Oh, the high elf escort mission?"

    I was caught off guard by the surprise comment, though I did not change my expression.

    "I already know about it. Damn knife ears think they''re subtle, but for those who''ve known them long enough, we know their sneaking ways." He said, dismissive of the elves.

    No point in commenting on that.

    As she came to, she reacted quickly, sweeping her leg out to attack someone, only to have her leg casually intercepted by Philly.

    Philly threw her leg back. "Elves. No gratitude." he complained.

    Lenore looked around warily, only to see all the broken cages, then me, and finally calm down.

    "My apologies." she said calmly and Philly merely grunted, paying her no mind. She clearly paid him none either.

    "So? Do you think she''d be interested?" He asked quietly, avoiding the ears of all else there.

    Probably not, given her circumstances, though I''ll mention it to her anyway.

    And as guessed, when bringing it up to her, she refused promptly.

    "Sorry Earl, you should know that I have my priorities. There''s a A-rank assassin out there, and Willow needs protecting. As much as I''d like to help, we have our priorities. Besides, someone should probably escort all these prisoners." She added, looking around and seeing the huge number of slaves.

    I nodded in understanding, as obviously the high elf would take priority for the mission.

    She seems tempted, but I understand the stance.

    Were I handed a citizen of the empire with a high level of potential, I too would prioritize protecting him.

    She seems to realize something as she fishes something out of her pocket, a small magical tool.

    Appraisal.

    [ Recording device. A magical recording device capable of recording up to 5 hours of footage.]

    "It''s a recording device." She explains. "You turn the nob, and the device begins to record. If you see anything down there that you think needs to be recorded, feel free to turn it on."

    I nod in understanding, before Philly pulls on my sleeve. "Hurry up, we can''t give them enough time to pack up and flee!" The kobold urges, and I follow him, alongside the three kobolds who followed as well as the skaven, who I now knew was cheese steak.

    Well, it''s time to conduct a raid I suppose.

    <hr>

    "Sir! The slaves are escaping." An elf rushed into the room, alerting the rogue to the situation outside.

    However, he paid no attention to that. "Whatever. The slaves were always merely a means to an end and now that we''re losing this position, they mean nothing else. As long as the forces outside are more distracted with freeing the slaves, the better. We have bigger priorities after all." e said, looking at the root they were slowly dislocating.

    The root would not so easily uproot itself, and needed slow convincing, as it were, to leave such an area which was filled with mana. It had to be moved before the forces above found it and discovered their true intentions.

    After all, what they were doing was considered heresy by the royal court. SHould this reach their ears by any means, their lord could not protect them fro the hammer that would come down upon them.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The traitors would get to live, unfortunately.

    "But sir," The soldier added with hesitation.

    "What?" He asked, confused why the soldier continued to pester him.

    "Six of them are heading inwards." Hearing this, his eyebrows rose in slight surprise, before giving a slight grin.

    "What races?"

    "One skaven, four kobolds, and one elf sir. One of the kobolds is the special one we captured, and the elf seems to be the one who we thought to be a druid." He said that last one in hesitation, and the rogue''s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

    "Didn''t we set up a magic circle to deal with him? It was an S-class formation, something a druid of his level shouldn''t be able to handle, and something not even an S-class should be able to shrug off easily."

    Something was fishy here....

    "I''ll take a squad to go investigate. You continue to dislodge the root."

    "But sir-"

    "No buts! This is the heaviest priority. There is something weird about this druid, something we don''t know, and I do not trust a group of C-ranks to successfully find out what that is.

    I am wasted here. It is better I move to meet them so that the process remains uninterrupted."

    The commander moved briskly, ignoring any would be complaints the others would''ve had. He only ever really listened to his aide after all, and he was sure there was something off with the druid.

    <hr>

    As we rushed further into the basement, more elves came out to stop us, but we managed to squash them rather easily.

    It was interesting watching the kobolds fight, as the three kobolds from the jacket acted in tandem, working to support Philly.

    Philly himself was the clear leader, barking orders and leading the charge, hammer in hand, alongside a black set of armor that complimented his coal-like scales.

    Cheese steak... did his own thing.

    "Eheeheheheheehhehehheehehehe"

    "Make explosions, yes yes! Collect good materials, and Cheese get more boom boom, yes yes!"

    "Stake win manys cheeses, yes, yes!"

    Turns out it was stake, not steak.

    And that the less that was perhaps said of the explosive freak, the better.

    I was using the new hammer, testing out its capabilities.

    The first elf it hit resulted in a gruesome scene, quickly signaling to me that using this hammer required a great deal of restraint.

    Thankfully the hammer wasn''t malicious, though, to say it  was innocent would be wrong. It was mostly screaming of

    ''Charge! And let us dominate all those who stand before us! Young spirit, join me in chanting!''

    ''Unyielding!'' ''Unyielding!''

    ''Domineering!'' ''Domineering!''

    ''Overbearing!'' ''Overbearing!''

    It was worrying for sure. I have dealt with weapon spirits, and generally understand that unless your personality happens to match the spirits, the best you can really do is be accomodating. It''s one of the reasons why people prefer new weapons at times, as new weapons without weapon spirits, or with newborn ones, are easier to mold to your liking, though the nature of the materials that a weapon is made of can also influence its personality, as seen here, given that the weapon contains a fraction of the personality of the original weapon.

    Does ore count as a weapon spirit? Regardless, I''ll have to make sure he doesn''t wander down the wrong system.

    The traps were getting more intense, as we had to dodge rains of arrows and disarm magic circles set to explode.

    Luckily we had a former dwarf on our side, as the traps pointed to the idea that there was in fact, something quite valuable down here.

    There were more elves than we had expected as well, confirming this suspicion.

    Clang!

    Sensing the sense of danger, I quickly create my shell, and lift it over my head, just in the nick of time, clashing with a blade that seemingly came out of nowhere.

    "Fascinating. You have better intuition than someone of your level should have." Came the voice out of nowhere, causing the others to go on guard as well.

    Except for the skaven. He was doing his own thing.

    The perpetrator made himself present, as an elf emerged from the shadows.

    A weathered old elf made his appearance, the blade gleaming wickedly in the night.

    [Cockatrice''s kiss: an A-class blade imbued with the blood of the cockatrice. Has the ability to petrify those who come into contact with it.]

    And indeed, when looking at my shell on my arm, it was in bad shape, already starting to petrify.

    OPening the shop, I find petrification potions for 500 points.

    A quick purchase, and a gulp, and I''m back to normal, yet wary of the rogue.

    "So you''re the uppity fools who decided to delve deeper rather than fleeing when given the chance."  He cocked his head, and laughed in mock laughter. "What a bunch of fools. But I expect no less of those who travel with a traitor." He said with venom those last few words.

    Seriously, we are missing some serious elven history here.

    "I''m feeling generous here kobold. Turn over the elf, and I''ll allow you guys to leave." He said calmly, only for the kobold to snort.

    "I don''t deal with you damn tree lovers. I don''t know what you''re protecting down there, and I don''t care. You kidnapped me, you daft bastard, and I''m going to hit you where it hurts, and make it into a nice handle or something." he said, before spitting on the floor, before grinning.

    "You caught me by surprise before assassin, but an assassin without surprise is just another dead man." He sai, before flipping the elf off, much to his chargraine.

    "Well, what did I expect from a damned worm. I was just trying to save myself some effort, but if you insist on making this more fun, I won''t stop you." He said mockingly, disappearing into the darkness, as a large group of elves appeared, surrounding the group.

    He''s not gone, and clearly hiding, but it''ll be hard to find him unless he wants us to.

    And even if I can buy another potion, he probably won''t give us a chance to use it.

    I look to Philly.

    [ Earl ]: Any anti petrification measures?

    I ask the former dwarf in the new chat function, and he nods.

    [ Philly ]: Yeah, but I don''t have any for you. Yuu have anything for yourself?  He asks, and I nod.

    "I might." Calling ore, metal begins to condense around my arms and body, only to find that ore cannot maintain such a state, seeming to be beyond his abilities currently.

    Alright then, a shield should work then, right? And to my satisfaction, ore can form a shield. Good, let''s hope that since Ore isn''t organic then the cockatrice''s petrification effect does not affect it.

    The kobolds gather in a circle formation with the skaven in the center, as Philly and I agree to separate.

    It''s clear to both of us and that working together could hinder us, rather than helping, and that it is better that we separate from one another.

    Not only that, but the elven assassin seems to have an obsession with traitors, which can work to our advantage. An obsessed elf is a distracted one, which could allow them to sneak in and steal what it is that they''re hiding.

    The skaven in the center, cheese steak, actually has duplication and teleportation skills, courtesy of its material gathering ventures.

    The longer he''s distracted, the more time the skaven clone has to rob them blind.

    Let the facade begin.

 Book 2 chapter 19: Usurper

    It was a dangerous battle, one that required all my attention.

    Clang!

    Strikes would come out of nowhere, and I had to rely on my own sense of danger screaming in my ear to react in the nick of time.

    It did affect the shield in fact, as I had to constantly shed parts of ores shield to respond.

    It didn''t affect the metal as much, but a sliver was still a sliver, an important factor in a battle.

    The metal replenished itself, but it did so from my mana.

    I don''t know if I could keep this up long tern, and it only takes one mistake for me to get hit with a serious side effect of petrification.

    "I wonder what you really are." came a taunting voice, and I quickly swung the hammer in that direction, only to miss.

    The voice continued, as the sound seemingly weaved in all directions.

    "You''re not a druid, that''s for sure. If you were one of that level, you''d have crushed me already.

    A shapeshifter of some sorts? Someone who''s studied the art of form changing. But you used skills seemingly unique to the beast form, so it can''t be a low level of shape shifting."

    Narrowing my eyes, I focus the mana into small potato mines.

    "Perhaps a race specialized in shapeshifting? I could see it. Then that means you''re not an elf at all. To go so far for someone that is not one of your own. How commendable." came the voice again, as one of the mines reacted, the two in seperate locations far from one another.

    Voice throwing.

    Immediately, I react, throwing the hammer, bound to one of my vines, as it hits the elven rogue, before being yanked back quickly.

    He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "That hammer. It just ate away at my magic circles." The elf appeared briefly, as his eyes narrowed in greed before disappearing.

    "I''ll enjoy having that melted down into something more useful. Something so useful is wasted on you."

    Despite this comment, he returned to the previous conversation as if he had not made such a threat mere moments ago.

    "What did they offer you? Money? Glory? Perhaps that weapon you''re holding is courtesy of the royal elven family? It is foolish to accept deals from a failing dynasty." The voice taunted, and I responded back curtly.

    "It is equally foolish to accept advice from cowards who cling to shadows."

    Sensing the opposing sides irritation, I added on. "I don''t refer to being a rogue, assassin. I refer to you being a coward. Do you think you''re special, rebel? " I chuckle. "That it is fine to do this, to eliminate a child because of your background?"

    "Corruption is often like that. They think they''re entitled to this right to power over others, these things that the government cannot help but turn their eyes away from, but let me spell it out to you. This is not your right, it is your rot, the way you fester and infect a government, and slowly destroy it from the inside.

    You are an infection, something to be weeded out and doused in weed killer. If they''re a dying dynasty, all that makes you is a scavenger. A vulture. I don''t listen to vultures." I taunt.

    Sensing the reaction, I immediately swing to intercept.

    I can see his hatred as he glares at me.

    "What? Hit a nerve?" I mocked.

    He didn''t respond, instead launching a few quick strikes in a flurry.

    I parry them with ease.

    His skills aren''t that bad, but he''s a rogue. His skill isn''t in head on confrontation.

    He merely smiled cruelly, attempting to return his face to before. "You don''t know who you''re dealing with."

    "They all say that." I shoot back, as he glares back and walks back into the shadow.

    Seeing him trying to sneak back into the shadow, the kobold Philly takens action, throwing a flash bang, forcing the assassin out of the shadow

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    The large kobold sneered. "By all means. Now that you''ve come out, feel free to stay here!" He shouted, ordering the formation to rush him.

    The group moved fluidly, entangling him in  their formation.

    The flash bang was still there, lighting the surrounding area, and stopping the assassin from slinking back into the shadows.

    The rogue''s face was gloomy as he responded coldly. " You believe that I''m hiding from you? My skill with the blade may be lacking, but it''s enough for the likes of you, worm!" He mocked, before throwing a set of poison daggers at the group around him with precision, even managing to avoid the few elves left on the battlefield.

    I blocked with my shell, but the kobolds were not so lucky, forced to take it head-on.It showed an immediate effect on the other kobolds, as they fell over, clearly poisoned, while Philly merely grunted, the blade clearly making a shallow scratch at best.

    "A wyrm? I''ll wear that badge with pride, tree lover!" He complained while taking out an antidote, only for it to be shot out of his hand.

    The elf chuckled, but there was a cold look in his eyes. "Did you think you could act so freely before me? In the end, an A-rank is still an A-rank." He said this as he attacked Philly quickly, overwhelming him.

    Philly may have been strong, but he had been a blacksmith, first and foremost, and his body was still weaker than the elf.

    I compensated for my lacking stats with appropriate skill, but Philly could do no such thing, especially since he is currently without active teammates, save for cheese steak, who had been hit with the poisoned dagger, but was still moving anyway.

    I rushed in, while yelling at Cheese steak. "Cover us!"

    The rat cursed and screeched, but went to kill the enemmy elves regardless.

    Sliding in, I thrust the hammer forward, intercepting the dagger and then throwing it out of his hand, disarming him, causing the rogue to curse.

    He lunged for the dagger, only to find a potato mine in front of his head.

    BOOM!

    A full frontal impact occurred, with a potato mine charged with a fifth of my mana. It forced us back.

    When we saw the result, it was clear the bomb had did some serious damage, by the way his face looked, as he glared at us in hated, with his one good eye, the other having been taken by the blast.

    " This has grown tiresome quickly. You made me do this. Remember that." He said, before taking out a different weapon. A whip.

    It was a whip clearly made out of a vine of sorts, yet staring at the weapon gave one a bad feeling. It had an incredible sense of foreboding which caused me to use appraisal on it.

    [The leeching finger: A whip that saps the life of the foe before them. Made from a vine of the usurper who seeks the throne of life. Saps the life of the one who touches it to strengthen the user. ]

    Clearly I wasn''t the only one who saw the description, as I saw the look on Philly''s face.

    There was a rather worrying implication behind the description that implied that this was far more than the average example of corruption, but one of heresy.

    Thank Anubis I have the recorder on.

    We watched in shock as he used the whip, not on us, but rather the dying elves around him and with a grim understanding. The elves withered rapidly vs our very eyes, and the presence of the elf before us became more powerful.

    My thoughts run rapidly, thinking about how to deal with it. There''s info there that is confusing to say the least, but...

    Usurper.

    Throne of life.

    I don''t know what those are, but I can guess.

    Hey stupid. Those are god related right?

    [Yes]

    So it could be countered by other Gods as well then?

    [Also yes]

    Good. In that case we do have something.

    Placing my hands together, I begin praying fervently, much to the confusion of the elf and the kobolds, until an aura spread around me.

    An aura of death.

    Smelling it, the elf wrinkled his nose, as did the kobold, but the way they reacted was vastly different. The elf had a grim look, while the kobold Philly had a look of realization, before he began praying too, and soon the smell of sulfur and steel surrounded him.

    Yes, they were both the favoured of Gods, so being able to call upon the power of the Gods wasn''t unusual. It wasn''t even that huge of a blessing, given that I never studied the more complex spells and rituals.

    But for a weapon like this? It was a great counter.

    I change shape, turning back into a turtle.

    Though confused at first, Philly understands my intent soon enough, when the whip came down.

    Thwack!

    It landed, and the elf frowned.

    Though life sapped, it was far from the amount it should''ve been.

    The main ability of the root is clearly the ability to suck life.

    It likely wasn''t fully negated by the blessing, but it was still mitigated.

    And now that I''m a turtle, my shell''s able to endure the whips base damage, ignoring the whip''s life sapping ability which was diminished by the blessing.

    The kobold acts quickly taking shelter behind me, and taking out a crossbow in response to my chat suggestion, swiftly loading and shooting arrows at him.

    The elf dodges cleanly, only to turn in surprise as the arrows turn around and pierce him.

    "Heat seeking. Parry that you filthy casual." He grunted.

    The elf quickly attempted to weave around me and attack the kobold, only for Philly to quickly weave around me, and whenever he tried to use the whip, it bounced off of me, doing little damage.

    I wasn''t merely standing there either, using wooden stakes erupting from the ground to force him back.

    When I can''t move, environment control is important.

    Unfortunately, the bad side of transforming into a turtle is that I can''t use weapons, leaving me to use my innate abilities.

    it''s quite the drawback when I have two powerful weapons, neither useable in this moment.

    Despite his seeming increase in strength, we were able to push the elf more and more thanks to our current advantage.

    "Friend-dwarf-thing! "ve plundered-stolen their precious root-thing! Blown-blown the vile knife-eared things circle!"

    We all turn to look in response to the shouting voice, as a rather loud skaven rapidly approached us.

    And in hand was a large root.

    Seeing it causes a rapid change in expression in the elf, as horror and fervent fury flashed through his face as he practically oozed hatred, wasted on the skaven, who gleefully ran over.

    "YOOOOUUUU!" He roared.

    [Root of the usurper]

    [A root of the would-be-god that contains an immense amount of mana, and is highly valued by its worshippers

    They would do anything to get it back]

    Watching the elf voluntarily wrap the whip around his arm, he could not help but have an ominous feeling that this fight had become far more serious than he had expected.

    The only thing more dangerous than an A-rank, is an A-rank fanatic willing to risk it all for his faith.

 Book 2 chapter 20: Reinforcements

    The elf aged rapidly, yet his aura grew just as quickly, as he quickly breached into what could easily be called the S-rank.

    A mere swing from the whip left a deep mark in the ground.

    There was clearly no longer any intent to hide in those now insane eyes.

    Cracking his whip, he screeched. "Die heretics!"

    Bang!

    The whip came at us, and I immediately reacted, unwilling to take risks, summoning the spear.

    The spear withstood the blow without issue, but the feedback of the blow still effected me, the shock traveling from the vines, down to me.

    Ugh.

    The elf cackled.

    "You''re just full of treasures turtle! I''ll enjoy scraping your shell out for the rest!"

    The whip came down once more.

    I quickly shifted to elven form, and dodging, before moving to engage the fanatic in combat.

    [Earl]: If you have any life-saving tricks, now''s the time to use them!

    [Philly]: I know! I''ll take a while though! The kobold responded, as he tended to his teammates.

    As we fought, I quickly began to fall behind in the fight.

    My skill was A-rank, but this body was not my old body. Not only was it merely a C-rank body, but it was an untrained one, lacking the instinctive reactions of the old body

    I wasn''t the only one who noticed this, as the elf laughed triumphantly.

    "You''re good faker. But your body can''t keep up! It''s a shame really. Perhaps under different conditions and with a little more time. Alas, there are no ifs." He said gloatingly, confident of his victory.

    At this point, my body was being worn down by his strength.

    It was no longer a life sapping whip, but instead it had turned its wielder into a monster, at the cost of the user''s lifespan.

    No point in considering his lifespan, when I have to consider preserving my own first.

    Philly had joined in, only to be quickly pushed back. He was a blacksmith first and foremost, and someone who relied on the efforts of his comrades to bolster his power. When the enemy was still an A-rank, he could use his team and his variety of items as well as relying upon me to keep up, but now we were being pushed back with ease.

    Seeing no other choice, I activated the ability of the gifted hammer, erecting its forcefield, blanketing me and the kobold''s party in its defensive rays.

    This did not stop the elf from going ham on the shield.

    The shield was holding on at first glance, yet wielding the hammer, I could feel that the forcefield was taking far more damage than it actually appeared to be.

    The elf laughed. "Retreated into your shell have you!? You really are like a turtle! I guess you''re a turtle monster after all! I guess I''ll find out once I kill you, since shapeshifting tends to deactivate upon death!"

    Ignoring him, I turn to the kobold. "How much longer?" I asked him urgently, and he looked unsure.

    "He should be here any moment now." The kobold said gruffly, yet could not hide the anxiety in his eyes.

    " He?" I asked, realizing I misunderstood the nature of his lifesaving card.

    The kobold explained. "Brok and Sindri gifted me an alarm that would signal any strong dwarven heroes nearby to help under their banner." He said, revealing a simple button, yet radiated the aura of a God.

    "I heard from my subordinates-" he said, looking at the three kobolds "-that one in particular was here. He should be here so-"

    Boom!

    The sound of a wall collapsing caused everyone to look for the source of the explosion, as the elf''s expression turned grim.

    These should be the reinforcements the lizard was mentioning.

    Nigel did not know how it had come into contact with dwarven gods, but matter, it did not.

    He was still an S-rank now after all.

    The elf could barely react before the hammer came flying at him in the air, as he barely dodged to the side.

    "Shame. Was hoping to wrap this up quickly. I have other things to tend to." Came a gruff voice full of complaint, a familiar one no less.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    A large serpent came into view, one he had seen once at the beginning of this whole ordeal, but this time covered in plated armor, and a sattle mounted upon it, the beast clearly equipped for war.

    On its back was a familiar dwarf, who recognized me as well.

    Dudley the bartender, and his familiar Steinnwurm.

    "Why am I not surprised to see you here elf?" He complained, though he did not seem all too upset.

    Nodding in my direction, he looked at the kobold in surprise.

    "Looks a little weird, but still dwarf under all those scales." Dudley commented, before commanding us both. "Get moving, I''ll hold the knife eared bastard off." He commented, before pulling out another hammer. Without hesitation, we began moving quickly, as the kobold lugged two of his friends, ad cheese steak holding the smallest one as we ran.

    The elf was furious, watching us flee, attempted to use his whip, only to find the intercepting tail of a serpent.

    Dudley snorted, clearly eyeing the whip.

    "Ignoring me, are we? That whip there looks mighty valuable. I''m sure we can make something better out of it." He taunted, sparking the rogue''s anger, completely drawing his focus from the fleeing group.

    "You dare covet the blessings of the great one!" He said with crazed eyes.

    "Dare! Boy, I do more than dare." He taunted with a wild grin, before rushing into battle.

    <hr>

    We quickly began running as the dwarf had told us to.

    The screams of rage and denial could be heard as we ran forth, as the elf fanatic fought in anger.

    Despite the dwarf not being strong enough alone, his teamwork with the serpent allowed him to keep up with the elf in the moment.

    I''m not sure if the drain of the whip is a continuous drain, or if he had already been drained in one large drain, but either way that battle is unlikely to last the long term.

    He''s probably got mere moments to live.

    That sounds to our benefit, but on the contrary, that makes him a ticking time bomb. It''s hard to hold an A-rank, and when you can?

    You never know what an insane A-rank will do with nothing to lose.

    <hr>

    Dudley could feel the elf fading rapidly. For even in this moment his skin withered, and the flesh died, for the whip exacted a strong cost on its user. As expected of a strange weapon.

    Yet there was no fear in his eyes, merely the look of a rabid beast, something that did not care for its own life or death, which caused him to regard the elf warily.

    He had seen plenty of their kind before. As an adventurer of his rank, one does not get to where he is by merely hunting beasts.

    The elf paused, and did something unusual

    "Guess this is my limit." Muttered Vertigo, seemingly retaining his rationality for a moment.

    He pulled out a communication crystal and activated it. The dwarf stopped, merely eyeing the elf, ready for any sudden moves.

    "Commander?" Came the voice of his aide Nigel.

    "Destroy the building.They''ve seized the root."

    "Understood commander. " The aide did not hesitate, as he simply hung up the call.

    Lowering the crystal, there was a feeling of acceptance about the elf, as the alarms went off in the dwarf''s head as the serpent quickly coiled around its comrade, and without hesitation, Nigel crushed the crystal, causing a massive explosion that reverberated throughout the basement.

    <hr>

    We were nearing the entrance of the basement, when we heard the loud explosion in the basement, but rushed forward, knowing that whatever is going on down there, we could not interfere and could only get out of the way.

    So close was the entrance of the mansion, but then a sense of danger overcame us.

    The sense of death.

    Before we could react, a loud explosion came from above, they couldn''t even react.

    I could only recoil in fear at what I sensed.

    Boom!

    3 S-ranks.

    <hr>

    Outside the fight was in the middle of a stalemate, the elves and the residents of Skip village unable to gain any ground against one another.

    At least, on the surface.

    It was clear to the A-ranks there that the S-rank wasn''t giving it his all, merely choosing to delay them.

    There was clearly something they greatly valued in the basement, but even knowing that meant nothing if they could not bypass the S-rank.

    The S-rank had a clear look of indifference on his face.

    If the elven rogue were to be here at this moment, he would recognize his aide, much to his surprise.

    He had ignored the escaping slaves, because it didn''t really matter what happened to them since they were now planning to abandon this route.

    In fact, everything was going as planned for the most part.

    And then he took out a communication crystal, yet the calm expression remained.

    This changed quickly as a different expression appeared on his face, a twitch of annoyance.

    "Understood" He said simply.

    The S-rank aide reacted quickly, and without hesitation as he quickly shot a bot of lightning, clearly aiming to destroy the building, acting so fast that no one had any time to react.

    The loud Boom! signified the collapsing of the mansion amidst the explosion of, much to the worry of the elven guards Lenore and Servante.

    They didn''t understand why the elf had made no move to prevent her escape, but made such efforts to stop Earl from escaping. But they knew he was in danger.

    Yet as the dust cleared, the mansion remained standing, and instead, two new beings appeared in front of the mansion, their presence causing everyone in the field taking in a deep breath.

    The first thing they saw was a wall of green scales, as a giant beast the size of a house emerged from the aftermath. A horrid beast, a blend of dile and hippo, a beast familiar to most, the thing of legends, one that inspired fear wherever they appeared.

    The heart eater.

    Ammit.

    It was the spitting image of the beast, save for the lack of divinity.

    He was accompanied by another familiar figure.

    A jackal like creature, adorned in gold-plated armor, holding a scale in one hand, and the other a flail.

    Not Anubis, but it may as well have been.

    An Anubian, an S-class creature who represented Anubis'' divine will. Creatures like them were regarded as holy things, holy beasts to be exact. Beings like them were highly revered, not only within the church, but the whole of the empire. No one dared stand against them, lest the wrath of the Gods be upon them.

    The elf looked down in surprise, while the others looked on in surprise and hope. Had help come from above?

    "I did not expect Anubis to be paying such close attention to us elves." The aide said politely. "Or is someone down there so important in his eyes that he''d send one of his own to protect them?"

    "Do you dare ask after the great sin that you have just committed?"

    "I can hardly be judged for a crime I am not aware of." He joked, yet his face hardly twitched as he made his poor jeer.

    The jackal headed monster coldly stared at the elf as the child of Ammit yawned, showing off rows of teeth, and the endless abyss that was its gaping maw..

    "Careful elf. Do you think we stand on equal ground?" It responded bluntly, clearly looking down on the elf.

    The aide smiled coldly. "All are equal before true power." He said simply, causing the Anubian to narrow his eyes.

    "Then let me show you the power of the Romana empire." It stated calmly, raising the scale in its hands and the aura of death overflowed the air, announcing the arrival of judgement time.

 Book 2 chapter 21: The End of The Battle

    Anubis had long stopped using his scale for judgements.

    It was said that the kind lord, realizing that the scale was too harsh on the innocent people. had refrained from using the scale, instead relying on the judgement of 3 dead great kings to help him decide on the placement of souls.

    But this did not stop him and his kin from using it in combat.

    Dong!

    The reverberating sound of the scale could be heard as two things apparated onto the scales: a heart and a feather.

    The two objects fell unto the scale, as the scale immediately weighed the heart the heaviest.

    As the heart went down, the aide felt a tremor within his mind, an innate fear of something.

    If he had a system, it would''ve appeared as a status ailment and would be labeled:

    [The gaze of ammit(S): You have been found wanting, and wanted by the maw of the underworld. Your every move for the rest of the battle will be watched by her, and your every action impaired by her eyes. Stats suffer a 10 percent decrease and the followers of Anubis will receive a 20 percent boost in strength so they may deliver justice swiftly]

    The aide felt it, the gaze of a greater being, of a God, as his body trembled inadvertently. He resisted as best as he could, but there was no way he could do so, for what was a mortal before the authority of judgement?

    Regardless, the elf snorted, as he immediately conjured a fireshower, as the fire rains down in a shower of red.

    The anubian did not flinch, indifferent to the attack, as he waived his hand..

    His companion, the child of Ammit grew in size, overshadowing the battlefield, taking the shower of flame in stride.

    The Anubian was gone, as if it had disappeared into the shadows.

    Sensing danger, the aide moved quickly, but still took a lash to the back.

    The Annubian now had a crook and flail in his hands, as the scale hung behind them quietly, as if mocking the aide.

    The aide knew the situation was quite bad, as he quickly dodged, just barely dodging the flail this time, his mind running rapidly.

    The elf couldn''t figure out how the gods had gotten involved in this, or more importantly, how a god''s favored child got involved.

    This was bad.

    Whoosh!

    A giant ankh came flying down, forcing the aide to use his own divine artifact, a leaf from their lord, to shield the blow.

    He responded quickly, but so too did the child of Ammit, which charged forward incredibly fast, contrary to its appearance.

    It attempted to swallow the elf whole, but the elf reacted swiftly, not daring to stay near those jaws, not merely because of their immense size, but also the feeling of danger as the aide could feel the tugging of his soul the closer he got to it. It felt as if he could hear the whispers of desperate souls, the way one smells the stench of previous hunts off the maw of a predator.

    How horrifying.

    He avoided it more than he did the anubian, for one was clearly more dangerous than the other.

    It was well known that the gods were willing to ignore certain things, which helped the people grow,or things simply too difficult to root out.

    They were one of these things. The Gods usually wouldn''t bother to personally intervene so, but when their favored children get involved...

    Things got messy. There would be no half measures, merely war and destruction, whatever it took to destroy those who dared harm their favorites.

    Even know, for merely threatening one of their favorites, they were willing to send out two S-ranks, of which one could absorb souls the other capable of using the authority of justice to severely weaken him.

    He had to get back and investigate how the gods were involved in this, to best figure out how to respond to this situation. Clearly, one of the ones inside the house was involved with the Gods.

    This could be highly disruptive to their plan to get rid of the high elf girl. They may even have to shelf the plan altogether.

    He may revere his lord, but he was not foolish. His lord was not ready to face the full power of the old and dominant pantheon of the Romana empire, not when they hadn''t even seized the throne yet.

    All of this predicated upon the idea of him being able to leave this current situation.

    But to retreat now, or to investigate and glean the identity of the godly favorite....

    Roar!

    Skree! The roar of Ammit''s child echoed, as a corresponding roar emerged alongside it.

    A large serpent emerged, with a familiar Dudley emerging alongside him, puffing and coughing.

    "Dangnabbed Knifear! Didn''t even have the decency to die an easy death!" he cursed, looking over to the Anubian.

    "Hey you! Did your God send you here  to do an errand too!?"

    The Anubian frowned as he stopped mid-combat, completely dismissive of the elf before him.

    The aide could do nothing but watch, as more S-ranks entered the field, running up to a 4 v 1.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    "It is not an errand, but a great honor to protect this child who  is so dearly favored by my lord.

    But yes, I have been ordered to protect him at the lord''s discretion."

    The dwarf grunted. "Me too. I was told to protect that kobold over there. The other elf blew himself up, and took most of the good stuff with him.

    I don''t suppose you''d be interested in divvying up this elf''s resources."

    "If you wish to aid me in killing this pest, I have no quarrels about this." The anubian said indifferently, but not refusing.

    The elve''s eyes narrowed, as he made his decision to wisely retreat.

    Luckily for him, the dust had cleared thanks to an inadvertent swipe of the serpents tail, revealing a group of kobolds, a rat, and a turtle.

    That was enough. He could investigate this much when he returned.

    The aide turned to flee, but not before sending a message to the group protected by the demigods.

    The anubian and the dwarf made move to chase, but the elf reacted smartly, throwing out a small seed, which quickly burst forth into a giant plant monstrosity, forcing the S-ranks to stop and deal with the plants, as the elf got further and further away.

    It wasn''t a danger to them, but it was a danger to the innocent civilians and the people they had been sent to protect.

    Not dangerous to them, but hard to ill for sure, especially since its attribute of life clashed with the attributes of death and the earth.

    By the time they finished dealing with the plantish monster, the group could only watch the elven aide escape swiftly, announcing the end of the battle.

    <hr>

    ''We will meet again'' Those were the last words that S-rank elf sent, clearly indicating an ominous threat.

    I wasn''t the only one, as the kobold Philly rolled his eyes, waggling his finger in his ear as if pulling out wax.

    "Damned knifear. His words are clogging my ears." The rest of the kobolds and the skaven nodded dumbly.

    But that wasn''t really important at this moment.

    No, what really matters is what in the name of all things holy is going on here!

    I know the serpent and the dwarf, but why is there an anubian and a child of Ammit here!?

    "You had a guardian too? Why didn''t you call him out earlier?" The dwarf-turned kobold asked and I could only shrug helplessly, unable to respond to that complaint.

    "He wasn''t meant to know, not unless he had to know." The anubian responded as he walked over.

    The mini amitt had shrunk to the size of a dugg, waddling behind its owner, easily hiding the terrifying aura it had given off earlier.

    Hearing this, Dudley laughed. "I swear, you patheonic gods! Some of the most mysterious folk I''ve ever seen. I''ll take our blunt lords over your mysterious ways nonsense."

    The Anubian rolled his eyes, clearly disdaining him. "Your gods, as it were, are more akin to ancestors than gods. All of your gos are merely famous dwarven craftsmen who gained recognition by the people. You''re more like those barbaric mongolian gods than our lord Anubis. And it was for his good, to ensure the turtle didn''t get too reckless. I''ve already helped him once in secret."

    I frowned, trying to recall any instances in which an external force came to help, but at the moment, I couldn''t recall any.

    As if seeing my confusion, the Anubian went ahead and cleared it up. "It was during the traps you set up for the elves. One of them had a bomb that could''ve blown you all sky high had I not interfered."

    I immediately thanked him. "Thank you your grace. I apologize for not realizing it sooner."

    He waved it off. "''Tis my duty to do so, no need to thank me for it. It is my honor to do this for Anubis'' favorite." the anubian said with a calm voice.

    "Alright. Then do you mind explaining your appearance to the people here then?" I asked hopefully, and the anubian nodded.

    "Of course." He agreed, walking over to speak with the guards over there.

    There was some pointing, some gasping, and some curious eyes looking over before he came back over.

    "I told them that we came as representatives of the pantheon to deal with foreign gods. It should be enough." He said casually, though I did have to express my concern. "But isn''t this more of a Jorvus matter by that logic? Won''t this cause trouble once he finds out?"I asked worriedly, and the jackal headed being merely chuckles.

    "I''m sure they know already, and are cleaning things up. One of their other missions is to clean up after all sorts of godly beings, from monstrous gods to demigods and cultivators alike. Don''t worry about it."  He said, revealing a wolfish grin.

    Alright, looks like it won''t be that big of a problem for us.

    He indicated with his thumb, reminding me. "Your friends are waiting over there for you. " He said pointing towards a group of familiar people though he said something gravely.

    "I hope you understand the gravity of this situation. Being involved with the elves has already nearly gotten killed you twice." It warned, but I could only smile.

    "Perhaps, but I have already taken this path. I am not the kind of man to abandon his friends to avoid trouble."

    The anubian could only sigh helplessly as he sank into the shadows as he complained. "That''s one reason he likes you." Was his last comment, and the cub of Ammit cannonballed in, disappearing shortly thereafter.

    Seeing the elves rushing over, the kobold leader Philly snorted. "I''ll take my leave now. You might enjoy hanging out with them, but I for one have better things to do. We can talk about that later when you''re alone" The kobold emphasized, and I nodded in agreement.

    Indeed, the root was something we would need to discuss.

    Whether it be to whom the root would go to, or what the implications were of the description, it was something that would be needed to talk about.

    Seeing me nod, he jerked his head at the other kobolds and the rat, who followed obediently and left with Dudley.

    As for me?

    The familiar group arrived as Leon and Willow ran over, looking worried.

    Though Willow didn''t say anything, Leon clearly expressed his worry.

    "Are you okay?Are you hurt? What happened?" The boy asked urgently, as he spit out concerns, though more worried than scared.

    Made sense, I looked tired and inured, but I was clearly recovering.

    I was back in elven form, so no one thought anything about me. Though, I think no one would have looked at me in this moment anyway, after he showed up.

    Lenore and Servante walked over, one more wry, the other severe.

    "So, you''ve been keeping something from us?" Lenore said clearly surprised, but not too worried.

    Servante on the other hand...

    "You didn''t think to mention this earlier?" he said harshly, and though Lenore frowned at his tone, made no comment.

    "I believe that faith is a private matter." I responded, and Servante snorted. "There''s faith, and then there''s being tied closely enough to a God that he''d send a guardian for you." He pointed out, to which I could only shrug helplessly.

    "Lord Anubis didn''t tell me about the matter of-"

    "-YOU TALK TO HIM!?"  Servante screamed in astonishment as his glare perced through me.

    Oops.

    Servante was practically boiling and I couldn''t blame him.

    I was the favorite of a GOD. Regardless of my current race, this was a fact. I, a favored of a God, was protecting an important political figure of another country. One could argue that I represented the attitude of Anubis towards this high elf, and have essentially implied the stance of the temple as a whole in this matter. It''s not true mind you, as Lord Anubis is merely humoring me, but that doesn''t matter to outside forces.

    This would essentially become an international matter if people found out.

    I assured the elf. "Don''t worry about it. The Anubian assured me that this matter would be pinned on lord Jorvus before it would be connected to us.

    Though he looked slightly better, it didn''t stop him from spitting me out.

    I shared an exasperated look with Lenore behind him, ruffling the hair of the two children, who reacted timidly to Servante''s complaints as we left the scene of the battle.

    <hr>

    near the fallen mansion...

    Somewhere unseen by all, a small ant queen emerged from the dust of the mansion, having been forgotten by all who were in the underground dungeon.

    Its attanae twitched, before turning and following the trail of life energy.

    Traces of energy that told it a suitable environment was nearby.

    It quietly began walking in the direction of a very familiar group of elves.

 Book 2 chapter 22: Pando

    I continued to receive the scolding quietly, as Servante spat me out.

    "Why did you even agree to do this! Do you know what kind of trouble you''ve brought into all of this? It wasn''t bad enough that we''re being chased by the other clans of the kingdom, but now we''ll likely have to deal with enemies of Anubis too!"

    I added in."But the Anubian assured me that these matters will be covered by the attendants of lord Jorvus-"

    "-And you trust them? You''re a turtle! Not a citizen of the empire! How can you trust that they''ll do what another has promised! You''re not one of them!"

    I shut my mouth, unable to explain that I was in fact, a former citizen, but now a turtle, and chances were, Jorvus likely knew as much and would at the very least, give Anubis some face in this regard.

    Can''t explain that, for that seems to be empire matters.

    He must''ve found me stubborn, because he sighed exasperatedly.

    "Ugh. "

    Lenore interrupted at this moment. "Look, I''m sure he has his reasons for trusting the empire, right Earl?"

    I nodded. "The empire can be trusted in this regard.One of the temple of Jorvus'' greatest roles is managing relations between gods, so the followers of Jorvus will do what the Anubian has decided upon, because the last thing he wants is enmity from Anubis."

    Anubis may be a fair being, but no one really wants to risk that.

    "I hope so." Servante said unconvinced.

    I had to move on from this though, since I had more important things to discuss.

    "Here" I said as I handed over the recording crystal, much to the inquisitive look of Servante, and Lenore''s look of understanding.

    "So there was something down there important after all" she said, as she raised her eyebrow.

    I nod as I hand over the recording crystal.

    Taking it, she activates it, looking off into the distance, watching the recording in her mind.

    After a while, Lenore takes a deep breath, her face in disbelief as she sees what I had wanted her to see.

    She had a grave look on her face as she passed the crystal over to Servante.

    Though confused, he obediently takes the crystal in hand, watching the recording, before the elf''s face shows a look of astonishment.

    "Heretics!" he shouted angrily, as hatred filled his face.

    "You know them?" I asked, and he nodded seriously, with a trace of discomfort on his face.

    "How could I not? They''re part of the reason so many elves left"

    "The elven immigration? They''re the cause of it?" I asked curiously, as the revelation of the elven immigration was something that had long invoked the curiosity of people across the empire.

    He looked at me for a moment, as if considering something, before finally speaking.

    "What I tell you, cannot spread to the outside world, do you understand me?" he asked, with a serious look on his face Deadly serious.

    Then why tell me?" I asked, and he sighed.

    "Because in spite of the fact you''ve hidden this connection to Anubis, you''ve placed your life at risk for us multiple times. Besides, if you don''t hear it from me, who knows who you''ll hear it from."

    He sighed before continuing.

    "Over a millenia ago, a great divide happened amongst the elves of the elven kingdom after a great disaster overtook the elves.

    Thousands of elves died in that first wave, before two different disasters following suit, with the disasters causing a wave of elves to flee the kingdom. That would be the first wave recorded in history.

    Had that been it, it would''ve merely been a mark on our history.

    However, this led to a divide.

    A divide of faith"

    A divide of faith!

    Hearing that, I knew things were getting serious. The most bloody wars in history, whether it be the absorption of the egyptian gods or the nordic, and the war between the Qing empire and the Romana was one of the bloodiest battles in existence, with the cultivators of the spiritual transformation stage and the gods engaging in a war that shook the heavens. Even to this day, the battlefield still reeks of blood and death, with countless undead emerging from those lands.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    If this were of faith, then it was more surprising such a war hadn''t exploded yet.

    Servante continued, recognizing that the turtle saw the severity of the situation.

    "People started questioning the Goddess.

    Their Goddess, who was supposed to be the one to protect and watch over them, had done nothing  as the disasters washed over them.

    Some believed she had abandoned them,and that their Goddess no longer watched over them.

    That they should find a new God.""

    "And this God, they found, is connected to the roots I found."

    Hearing this, Servante''s face darkened.

    "Yes, the usurper. That is what we call him nowadays. His faith spread rapidly, on the premise that if the Goddess would not watch over us, then we should seek a God who would.

    They called him...

    Pando"

    "Pando?" I ask. "From where did this God come from? I know of no such Pando."

    "From the Americas. It is said that it was not a God originally, but a powerful spirit who was found by elven explorers by chance.

    And when there was a need for a new God, the desperate elves seeking a God found one in the spirit Pando" .

    "And this Pando- he seeks the throne of the god of elves?" I asked uncertainly.

    Unfortunately, the elf Servante found himself unable to respond to this.

    "It''s assumed so, yes. We haven''t been the most receptive to a new religion. Especially when this religion seeks to overthrow the current one."

    "Well, based off the fact that you said heretic, I''m going to assume they''ve failed so far."

    Lenore but in, as she also looked quite upset "They were suppressed swiftly and mercilessly, so in theory yes but-"

    "-But it''s hard to tell. They might''ve disappeared on the surface, but they''e made appearances over the years."  He added, looking at Lenore''s angry face.

    It was easy to tell that Lenore had her own personal grudges. I decided not to ask for now.

    "So this is new for them?"

    "Of course this is new!" Servante shouted angrily, no furious Absolutely livid. "How dare they! It''s one thing to stir up internal conflicts, but to deliberately target a high elf! This is not a case of personal interest, but racial interest! The high elves are one of the most important assets to the kingdom. To target them is to target the kingdom''s very power! Are they mad?!"

    I slapped him with a vine sternly, causing him to look at me in confusion, as I point him to face the two children listening in on the conversation.

    He had a confused look on his face, at a loss for words.

    Though the child in question did not seem to have much of an expression on her face, she clenched Leon''s hand tightly, who in turn glared at the mean adult spouting such cold words.

    He may have been a child, but it did not make him ignorant. On the contrary, it made him more sensitive to the feelings of others.

    He glared angrily at Servante before leading Willow away, taking her away from the cruel, indifferent words of the other elf.

    Lenore couldn''t help but shoot him an angry look before following the kids.

    Servante looked at me helplessly, but I could be of no help.

    "Kids can be sensitive to the feelings of others you know. It means they''re hurt more deeply by the things they feel true.

    You may not have meant it that way, but that was the way she heard it, and though she didn''t say anything, I''m sure she felt it."

    Servante sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "I''m not good with kids."

    "I''m convinced."

    He sighed at my response, looking to me for guidance.

    "You''ll have to apologize by yourself, and with sincerity too. I unfortunately have other things to attend to."

    "The root?" He asked seriously, before continuing. "That thing has to be destroyed. If it is part of that God then it cannot be allowed to live."

    I could only shake my head helplessly. "That''s not up to me, and frankly it''s not up to you either unfortunately. It belongs to the kobold, and him alone. I might be able to argue to keep it for myself, but if so, I''d be just as unwilling to destroy it just because you''re wary of it."

    He was insistent, continuing. "You have to destroy it, it''s too dangerous to simply remain in the hands of a kobold!"

    "That kobold, as it were, is a cursed dwarf. He may be a lizard now, but his proficiency in forging has yet to disappear. Do you really think he''ll listen to your requests?" I emphasized, and he scowled, recognizing the point I had made.

    By revealing the fact that he was once a dwarf, admittedly with a lie mixed in, he recognized the fact that of all the things a dwarf would do, destroying valuable crafting materials at the request of an elf, a knifear, was not one of them.

    He''d laugh in their face first frankly.

    Still, Servante was hopeful. "Perhaps you could ask Anubis for help and-"

    I interrupted firmly. "And help an outsider cause trouble with a comrade?"

    "What do you mean comrade? He was cursed" Servante asked confused, and I could only snort.

    "And for whom did you think the S-rank dwarf showed up to protect? Me? You?"

    Servate''s eyes widened as he realized.  "You mean he was sen by the dwarven gods?"

    "Yes. I heard it was Brok and Sindri no less. So stop having unrealistic ideas."  I say, shutting him down firmly.

    Amongst the dwarven gods, these two were some of the most respected for the things they''ve made, among which was the hammer of the Thorston family, a hammer that controlled storms, and was said to be so heavy that it caused a dragon to fall with just one blow.

    They were also said to be involved in the creation of one of Jorvus'' weapons, the spear of Helios, a spear containing the remnants of a forgotten god of the sun.

    They were not someone a foreign goddess could easily challenge, not without disregarding the leader of the Gods.

    Servante clearly knew that as well, as acceptance and hopelessness appeared on his face.

    "If it makes you feel any better, he''s a dwarf at heart, and will tear that thing to shreds making a new weapon. Whatever it once was, what it''ll be after this will no longer be connected to the Usurper." I said sympathetically, patting him on the back.

    He nodded with reservation, but unfortunately, that''s the best he''ll get in this situation.

    As for me? I have to get moving. This is all in theory after all. Who knows who will end up with the root in question.

    <hr>

    I returned to the bar ran by the S-rank dwarf Dudley.

    The serpent was still resting outside, though this time as I approached it woke up to look at me, nodding in recognition before returning to slumber.

    Walking into the bar, there was a familiar sight.

    A very familiar trench coat, with some poorly disguised kobolds. It might work if you didn''t know, but once you discover the illusion, it falls apart quickly.

    A skaven, muttering and ranting quietly was also there, as it played with the drink in its hand.

    As for Philly?

    ...

    I couldn''t help but feel a little speechless looking at him.

    The kobold''s actions had led me to believe him smarter than the average kobold, yet here he was, wearing a trench coat, top hat, and shades as he downed a beer.

    He thought he was on the downlow, but he was very much high and out.

    Everyone was looking at him, and even Dudley was shooting him a humorous look.

    When the dwarf saw me, he could only show me a helpless look, a sentiment that I shared.

    It seems that he had more in common with the average kobold than he realized.

 Book 2 chapter 23: To whom should the root go?

    "I hope you don''t think that''s a disguise?" I comment as I sit on the stool next to him.

    In elven form of course. I wasn''t as stupid as the other player in the room.

    The kobold glared at me as Philly denied it fervently. "You think I''m hiding?"

    "You weren''t dressed like this earlier."

    "That''s cause they stripped me earlier! This is how I normally dress." he said, flaring his nostrils, as a hint of smoke emerged.

    That only made me look at him even weirder. Perhaps all eccentrics were like that.

    "Why would I hide anyway. Didn''t do nothing wrong. No rule against kobolds in this town." He said confidently, and indeed, despite the three kobolds having been exposed earlier at the gate, nothing serious had happened as a result. They merely became a funny story at the bar.

    "Hmm." Well he wasn''t wrong. Technically, nothing would stop me from walking around as a turtle, or paying the entrance fee to the town as a turtle, save the possibility of being caught and dragged away, like how these silly kobolds were.

    After all, although some monsters can live as citizens in the Romana empire, there''s the word of the law, and then the reality of it.

    Philly waved at Dudley. "Hey, mind raising the privacy barrier?"

    Dudley didn''t look over,calmly demanding. "One silver."

    Philly complied, tossing over a silver, and Dudley pressed a button, causing the magic circle beneath us to light up, creating a sound silencing barrer.

    Yeah, he had one apparently. Guessing it''s only available to those willing to pay for it.

    The big kobold turned to me and asked.

    "So are you also about to evolve?" Philly asked, and I shook my head.

    "No, I''m pretty sure I''m not-"

    [Oh yeah, by the way, you''ve reached your max level.]

    What? Why didn''t you say it earlier?!

    [Well earlier you were under the threat of death by an S-rank cultist elf. ANd prior to that, running from a suicide bombing by another elf.

    Forgive me if I thought you''d want to wait a moment and catch a breath before finding out.]

    Seeing my change of expression, he chuckled. "Thought as much. Found out a while back that some guides don''t tell you unless you ask."

    "Really?" I asked in disbelief. WHat use was a gide if it didn''t guide, especially such important subjects at hand.

    Philly shrugged. "According to mine, they''re often busy behind the scenes. Something about the system working behind the scenes to prepare new features. In fact, we just got one earlier, no?"

    "The chat?"

    "Yeah, turns out that''s a secret feature, one that only unlocks once you encounter a player. And prior to that, they have to prepare it for us." He said casually, yet it left me in disbelief.

    Really? My guide, working hard?

    [Hey, don''t look too surprised. 0 said we had to, so I had to do it. Otherwise I''d be running flappy bird right now.] The system grumbled and I couldn''t help but ask.

    Is there more?

    [None I can inform you about currently. I will tell you that right now all guides system wide are pretty damn busy. All I can tell you is that it''s a big thing]

    With that, he disappeared without an explanation, and I could sense a barrier, as if he''d shut himself somehow.

    Wait, then how was I going to evolve?

    Philly coughed awkwardly, catching my attention, as he waived around something quite important, something that even Dudley had to look at for a good minute before looking away

    The root of the usurper.

    "So let''s get to it. Who should get it?" he said gruffly, and I responded without a hint of hesitation.

    "You can keep it." No question.

    "Seriously?" He said, looking surprised. "Thought you''d fight me for it. I was going to offer you some stuff and drive a hard bargain" he said, sounding a little upset even. Dwarves do love arguing. They make good traders.

    "I already have too much on my plate. The last thing I''d want on my hands is a hot potato like that. No, you holding onto that will benefit me more than me holding onto it."

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    "Well they''re not going to know which of us has it, or if it even exploded.

    "It''s a root belonging to a would-be-god. I''m sure they have ways of knowing where it is and that it''s not destroyed. And you did give me a B-rank weapon weapon with great potential." More convenient than the S-rank spear at least.

    "... alright, fair. In that case, don''t mind me keeping this then." He grunted as he put his root away.

    He began to say something, but this time seemed much more cautious as he asked him. "So, uh about the spear..."

    Hearing that, I had to respond immediately. "Sorry, I''m not selling it."

    He waved his hand frantically, clearly trying to avoid being misunderstood, seeing the suspicion on my face.

    "That''s not it. I was going to ask where you got it?"

    "It''s a relic of the family. I recently recovered it from a friend of my grandfather''s. Why do you ask?" I asked still cautious. After all, a S rank weapon is often at the core of disputes.

    "This thing... I don''t quite know what it''s origin is, but what I can tell you is that it resonates with the weapon I gave you."

    "Pardon?" I asked, now clearly curious.

    You mean that the fragment of ryu jin bang is resonating with the spear?

    "It''s resonating with the other thing, The shell fragment. Though I doubt they''re from the same species, they must be from similar species, and most definitely from a similar age." The former dwarf speculated as he scratched his head.

    "Mind taking both of them out?" he asked, and I reluctantly took both out. Looking at the two, he sighed.

    "I wish I was a better blacksmith. I''d offer to merge the two of them, but currently that''s beyond my skills." he muttered eyeing the two of them regretfully, before turning to me.

    "Well? Feel it now?" he asked and I did as he suggested, holding the two weapons carefully..

    Voom

    voom

    voom

    There was... a sense of familiarity between the two things, and  the hammer expressed as such, ringing clearly in the mind.

    ''I sense the presence of an old friend!

    But I have no friends!

    No friends but Ore of course!?" It shouted confusedly, but not upset, more curious about the sensation.

    When I mentioned this to Philly, he hemmed and hawed thoughtfully.

    "Like an old friend you say? The relationship between these two may be more complicated than I thought. Perhaps instead of the same species, they were acquaintances which causes the resonance between the two weapons."

    He shook his clenched claw in frustration as he complained. "Damn this vague system! Why can''t it give me a straight answer!?"

    "I mean, as long as you raise the appraisal to a higher level, more info may be revealed to you yet?" I suggested, but that only made him more upset.

    "And what are these conditions by which appraisal goes up, huh? It''s too damn vague!"

    Not something I think a dwarf should say, *cough* gleipnir *cough* but knowing dwarves, he''d never agree.

    Can''t disagree with him. It is pretty arbitrary. At first glance, the answer is pretty clear, just keep appraising things and the level goes up, but how many? How many is needed to the next level?

    Is there other conditions required? The system makes no note of other conditions, or any conditions at all for that matter, but it is clear there are conditions set that we have not been made aware of.

    Doesn''t look like Stolidus is volunteering any answers.

    Personally, I''m not that curious, but you have to admit that it''s a real flaw of this system.

    Perhaps it''s subjective?

    The kobold seems to have made up his mind about something as he shouted.

    "Alright, you know what? How about this. Once I''ve reached the right level, I''ll contact you about forging the two together. That should make up for the trade today, right? I''ll send you a message over chat and meet you for that moment"

    I mean, yeah, that''s probably the best deal I can get out of this. That root was never going to be much use to me unless I tried to absorb it, which carried its own risks.

    I only fused with ore under the understanding that it was a rather innocent being, and harmless even as I absorbed it.

    But a root from a would be god is a very different story.

    I''m not willing to gamble on the systems security, or more importantly, its willingness to protect me.

    Ignoring the fact that he''d make a good diversion he''s also the one who could make the best use of the thing. As a dwarf he''ll be able to mold the thing according to his will into a weapon appropriately.

    Any threat of the root corrupting him will be minimized for sure.

    The promise is a very valuable thing in this scenario, unless he dies.

    And even then, skilled dwarves tend to enter the dwarves pantheon, and become gods in their own right, learning from the best and making the best weapons in exist.

    I don''t really lose here, unless he''s the dishonest type, which is unlikely given he has a god vouching for him. A good one too.

    This is a winning deal.

    "Deal." I agree as I shake his hand, and he chuckles.

    "Great, well if you don''t mind, I''ll be on my way. I need to get moving and get that head start on the damn knifears. Guys!" He shouted as he left, followed by three kobolds and a skaven, all dressed in mini trench coats and hats as they left rather conspicuously.

    Wait...

    He left me the bill!

    Dudley looked at me sympathetically, but ultimately still held his hand out, expecting his due payment.

    I feel less secure about that promise now...

    <hr>

    As I walked back to the hotel where we were residing before planning to leave, something caught my attention.

    I dodged quickly, grabbing the object that had attempted to leap at me.

    An ant?

    Yes, it was an ant, an ant queen to be exact.

    I was holding it between the tips of my fingers, observing as it squirmed, struggling to escape my grasp.

    Hmm?

    Where''d this come from?

    [It came from the basement where you broke the slaves out of.]

    Oh now you want to talk.

    [Sorry, can''t talk about certain things. They''re classified.] He said it deftly

    Fine. So why would you speak up in this case?

    Because this can affect your evolution from here on out.]

    Oh, so like ore.

    [Yeah, kind of]

    Well ore was one thing, but why is this one so eager?

    [It''s an ant queen looking for a place to set up its nest. Why do you think it came looking for you?] He said in a sarcastic matter and hearing that nearly made me squash it.

    It wants to turn me into a nest?

    Why wouldn''t I squish it now?

    [I mean, ore basically turned you into a nest right? You don''t seem that bothered by it now.]

    That''s because he''s become part of me.

    Ohhh.

    [When you evolve again, this lil ant will become part of your next stage of evolution. If you choose to keep it of course]

    Mmm.

    So it could be good.

    [could be. Though, it''s worth noting that though it won''t affect your upcoming stage of evolution, it will affect the stage thereafter. Since that next stage will be the one that "absorbs" the ant queen into your evolution, with her accumulating energy during your next stage.]

    So it won''t be important in the short term, but in the long term, this can affect how quickly I get to my next evolution. Considering how dangerous the next period of time will be protecting the high elf, a quick evolution would be quite useful.

    But I shouldn''t sacrifice quality for efficiency...

    What to do...

 Book 2 chapter 24: Second evolution

    In the end, I choose to accept it.

    It was valuable, this much was clear, especially since the elves had captured it to sell. I''m not quite sure why it followed me all the way out here, but the thing here is special, and it feels an affinity with me.

    One that is not one sided.

    Sneaking off to a corner elsewhere and making sure that there is no one watching, I take on my turtle form, before dropping it on my shell.

    It wastes no time, clambering onto the tree on my back, and then burrowing in quickly, down to the connection between the shell and the tree, before shutting down suddenly and entering a coma-like state.

    Seeing that it made no attempt to move, I turned back into the elven form before pausing.

    ...

    Wait a minute. When I''m in human form, where does the ant go?

    I tap down the back of my neck, pausing at the back of my spine, as if instinctively knowing.

    [...]

    No...

    [Well, what did you expect? Your shell isn''t an external thing, but your spine in your elven form. Where else could it be?]

    But in the middle of my spine?!

    [Your choice man. I can assure you it''s a special thing for sure, otherwise I wouldn''t have been told to reveal this to you]

    That special?

    [Very. You don''t have clearance yet, no have you hit upon the right opportunity to find out the truth, but I tell you this; it''s a rather big surprise blessing for sure.]

    Were you not aware it wasn''t here?

    He shrugged. [The system is omnipotent, but I am not. It usually won''t tell me about any opportunities. I was surprised myself.]

    Your system is very choosy with its limits.

    [Yeah, yeah it is.]

    Still, seems rather dangerous...

    [Don''t you have ore, who has control over the metal portions of your body? If you''re in danger, he can easily dispatch the danger himself.]

    That''s true, his authority, while lower than mine, is still more than enough to control the metal aspects of my body. If I''m targeted, he can still intervene.

    I gave up discussing the system with my guide any more, choosing to head home, with this assurance in mind.

    After all, I had evolutions waiting for me.

    <hr>

    Arriving back at the carriage, I informed them of my intention to evolve by tomorrow.

    Hearing this, Lenore and Servante nodded and sat around the carriage. Though there was no need to get too protective given that they were in the city currently, it didn''t hurt to stand guard for a little while.

    The skarpans were still there, with their leader Redgar recovering from the prior event, so they were still around.

    And now, it was time to check my evolution options.

    [Fourtreess Turtle]

    [centarmi tortoise]

    [iron kappa]

    [ambersteel forest turtle]

    Four isn''t that bad but...

    Hmm, there is a weird array of options here.

    Let''s start with the weird one that isn''t quite a turtle.

    [Irongrass kappa]

    [A creature known for their pranks, theft, and consumption of children and women. Have a bad reputation in the east.

    Kappas are bipedal turtle like spirits that have a strong control over water, and are great at bipedal combat, particularly judo.

    Irongrass kappas are an unusual species, abandoning many of the negative aspects of the kappa, with a tradeoff of the lessening of its strengths.

    Heavier-set creatures, irongrass kappas are more tortoise like in appearance than normal kappas, with the dome now containing a pool of diluted amirita, a liquid metal with healing properties, greatly favoured by the hindu pantheon, with the most pure forms said to bring immortality. Unlike normal kappas, this liquid metal can be controlled at will though if completely emptied from the forehead, will cause the user to go weak.

    Though still bipedal, it is heavily armoured, making it less accustomed to judoing, and more heavy weapon combat, losing dexterity to be more durable

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    It''s power as a plant life being has diminished, in comparison to the metal, but still has the ability to control plant life, with an inheritance that teaches it how to best weave itself produced irongrass in gear]

    Hmm, there is some real benefit there, but those benefits certainly come with losses.

    A diminished control over plant life is the most blatant practical drawback, but the real worrying thing is that reputation.

    I don''t know if I''ll ever encounter an eastern person, but if I do, meeting them in such a form with such a reputation could be a pretty bad thing, and that''s assuming legends of the kappa never reach our lands, not a gamble I''d want to take. Reputation seems innocuous, but anyone who has common sense can understand the danger of reputation.

    Not only that, but this evolution clearly represents a diminishment of my grass powers, and a shift to metal type powers. If I do this it might mean from now on my grass powers take a backseat.

    This amrita sounds quite useful. But it also represents a pure shift to a metallic form which in turn diminishes my origin as a plant type being.

    Hmm...

    Let''s put this aside for now and focus on the first option.

    [Fourtrees turtle]

    [The one becomes many, 4 into 1, 1 into 4

    The fourtrees turtle holds 4 trees on its back, each representing a season. The four trees are both separate, yet woven together into one cycle.

    In each lays the power of each season, for the users use, from abundance to desolation, from growth to decay.

    The four trees have formed a steelwood fortress which acts as a subspace, with people who enter shrinking to fit within the turtle. Things can be stored at ease and crops that are grown in here will grow faster and in abundance, with the breath of life boosting the user''s growth.

    Death within this territory will also bring benefits]

    Weird. That''s the biggest thing about this one. It''s clearly an evolution that has little with my current status leading me to wonder what outside factors have brought this option in.

    Could it be... the ant queen? Fourtreess at first glance has no connection, but the fourtreess is clearly a play on the word fortress.What else could it really be?

    But if that is the case, then it has to be quite the special thing. Though I doubt it''s the sole reason.

    Looking at my new hammer given by the kobold smith, there was a fragment that came from a greater being.

    It may have come from that.

    Or perhaps it was one with some other reasoning that I was unaware of.

    There are benefits. There is a mysterious power in this form, one associated with the seasons. Even if I don''t know what it is, once I''ve understood the abilities, even if it''s only decay, the benefits are not small.

    The crop growth is equally interesting, offering a way to speed up my own leveling, and the subspace sounds quite special as well.

    Though I do have an inventory, it is one that cannot contain people, only the dead. But a subspace that people can fit in would make me a walking base without needing an increase in space.

    In contrast to the irongrass kappa, this one clearly leans on the natural aspect, pushing the metallic type back instead, though the fact that it is a fortress is clearly Ore-derived.

    Interesting.

    [centarmi tortoise]

    [A tree that grows weapons grows on your back.

    The culmination of metal and life, the ironsteel tree evolves into a tree of intent, one that grows weapons according to the intent placed into the tree, with different intents creating different weapons, not limited to your intent alone.

    Every weapon born of the tree is within the users control, able to be manipulated from a distance.

    The weapons can reattach to the tree to continue to grow, but only 100 weapons can be grown at a time.

    The 100 ironwood weapons can be gathered together to create the armi forest killing formation, where the weapons temporarily blossoming into trees of intent which can whip the foes, as well as generate more ironsteel weapons under your control.

    ...Wow.

    If the Fourtreess was vague, then this explanation was clear as day. Instead of a walking fortress, I''d become a walking armorey instead, or even an army in some capacity.

    The killing formation is definitely a temptation. Formations can be used to kill an entire level above your own. My next evolution will push me to at least B, if not A. To be able to kill to the A level and above is a huge temptation.

    It''s also a more balanced option compared to the prior ones, balancing my metal and plant type aspects, rather than the more extreme aspects of the previous two.

    And the fact that my intent is not the only one that can be used to make weapons is curious. Does that mean I can use the intent of my friends to create weapons? My enemies even?

    I''d say there''s no downsides, but I''d say the downside lays in how it specializes purely in weapons. Which isn''t bad, but pursues the path of my past life, which may not necessarily be the best choice. After all, I''m a turtle now, not a human, even f I carry my memories over.

    Alright, and number 4...

    [Ambersteel forest turtle]

    [The ironwood takes on a qualitative change, becoming a steelpine tree. The steelpine leaks a unique form of amber that covers the turtle, and once it solidifies becomes ambersteel, a metal-like substance harder than the steelpine itself.

    The amber can also be used to encase the dead you have killed and refine them into amber soldiers, who retain 90 percent of their strength in life, and can be stored with ease inside the shell of the ambersteel turtle.

    Bodies you have not killed can be resurrected, but their power is far more limited at 50 percent, and less depending on their current condition.

    100 ambersteel soldiers of your choice can also be refined into an amber mountain seal, capable of magnifying or shrinking within a certain range, depending on the power of the soldiers.

    That is terrifying. Like the prior one, it is clearly a mix of metal and plant, but it''s abilities take a far different path, instead leaning into a new branch, unseen before.

    The ability to turn the dead into practically an undead army, as long as I''m capable of killing it? I''m not even sure if a necromancer could do that! After all, even necromancy has its own strains on the user, limiting the number of high level undead they can control. Though it seems this evolution comes with the limit that those whom I haven''t killed will be limited by their current status and below 50 percent. It''s still an amazing ability though.

    It seems pretty much focused on the amber soldiers, and ambersteel as a whole, with the steelpine being more of a side benefit, but it can''t be ignored.

    Steelpines are as suggested by this description, basically a higher level of ironwood, which are exceptionally rare. It''s theorized by scholars to be born similar t how iron becomes steel, yet it has been almost impossible to replicate, with even elves unable to do so, purey relying on their ability to communicate with the elements to locate and relocate them.

    I''ve never heard of ambersteel, but perhaps this is a side effect of steelpine being so rare that so little is known.

    Doing this would give me access to a brand new weapon in the form of a mountain seal as well.

    Mountain seals happen to be the favourite weapons of high level turtles, so that''s one thing going for this form.

    Hmm, all of them feel pretty special, with none of them particularly losing to the other easily. Even the ironkappa, though that reputation thing is unsettling. Hoping that if I do choose that one then I look too different to be compared to other kappas.

    [Makes you feel better, heard there is a group of beast tamers who have domesticated kappas into a more tame race. Though they''re rather clandestined]

    Wonderful, either a freek, or a domesticated beast.

    Anyway, they all seem to have potential, so I guess the question I ought to ask myself is...

    ..Which one to choose?

 Book 2 chapter 25: The Potential Of Seasons

    The pain was less this time, fading into a more uncomfortable sensation than the painful shock it was last time. Less like being attacked by a thousand porcupines and more being stabbed by a few dozen swordsmen.

    It''s a subtle, yet noticeable difference.

    [That''s because your soul was originally out of phase with the body]

    Stolidus popped up, explaining the surprise drop in pain.

    Realy? Why was my body out of phase with the soul then?

    [Cause you''re a monster now, but your soul is still that of a human. You can''t teach an old dog new tricks after all, not easily. There''s a reason why humans do not choose monsters as new bodies, and why most souls stealing bodies prefer one closer to their ow.]

    Oh. But this dissonance is disappearing though, so why''s that?

    Stolidus snorted.

    [Part of the system package. After all, if you''re suffering the dissonance, you don''t think the others are as well? Be bad customer service if we didn''t!]

    Hmm. Guess so.

    "Hey Earl! you doing fine up there?" Lenore asked worriedly, her voice softer than usual, much to my confusion.

    ''Of course I am, what are you on about-" I mentally project until I look down and see... Lenore.

    Huh, I''ve grown taller.

    Up to the top of my head, I could be estimated to be the size of a tall horse now, taller than the average human, now towering over the elf.

    Looks like I am indeed growing larger.

    [Well of course you are. You''re a turtle type monster. It''s practically in your genes to be big. The fact you''re this small is a system miracle!Yours truly of course]

    I don''t recall wanting to be small...

    [I mean, if you want to be the size of a small mountain in your next evolution, by all means, just say so. I guarantee the next one will be huge]

    I mean, I could just buy a skill using those skill points I''ve ignored for the most part, but I get your point.

    After regaining my bearings, I assure Servante and Lenore, before sending them out of the area.

    All right, lets see those changes, hmm?

    As the evolutionary name suggested, there were in fact, four trees arranged on my back in a diamond like formation.

    Then again, they were barely fitting on there in this formation. I am a turtle, and thus my shell has that oval shape. Perhaps this was the best they could fit on.

    The four metallic trees look like they are practically bursting with life, their roots leaking off the shell and onto the rest of my body. I could feel that these roots were controllable, like the vines in my previous form.

    Speaking of those, there were more of them now, there were now 8 of them divided amongst the four trees, capable of extending in any direction needed.

    The four trees were practically melded together, forming a colorful rooftop, with the winter tree being the only one excluded, instead being comprised solely of leafless branches, spreading out and creating almost battlement like structures, the adornments of a castle.

    The winter tree was the one in the lead, surrounded by the spring and fall trees, with the summer being the back of the castle.

    The spring had a warm green color to the leaves, the summer a scorching yellow, and the Fall a soft brown with undertones of orange, and the winter tree being leafless.

    The winter tree had a hole in the front, covered by a simple door, clearly representing the entrance into the fourtrees subspace.

    The subspace was interesting to look at, as I had a Gods eye view of the place, unable to view it with my own two eyes(four?) but I could sense it by focusing on the area.

    The Queen ant had relocated to this area in fact, currently burrowing her own hideout within the subspace.

    Ugh, don''t want to think about that too much.

    The rest of the field was rather plain in contrast to the giant ant queen standing out amongst the rest.

    It wasn''t barren, being plentiful with lush grass, but that was really about it.

    Compared to the more illustrious and proud trees that stood on his back, it was less impressive, but I knew there was more to it.

    Unlike the inventory players were gifted with, the subspace could hold living things, grow them even!

    I was already thinking about whether I could fit a playground within the subspace, which was an easy yes, but it was more a matter of how.

    And looking at my own body, which I had neglected to observe...

    ...

    ...

    Are those horns?

    I had borrowed Ore''s eyes, only to discover that I had a pair of nubs on the back of my head. He had a pair of those nubs as well, but I hadn''t seen them thanks to to Ore''s monotone colors.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    My nubs were more bone like in their color, standing out from the rest of my skin.

    Is it dragon blood? Is that why I''m growing horns?

    That sounds quite exciting!

    [No. I just checked. It isn''t dragon, and it isn''t dinosaur.]

    Oh. What''s a dinosaur?

    [Don''t worry about it. Just some really powerful lizards amongst some who had horns. I was just checking to see out of curiosity. Would''ve been fun if it was a dino bloodline.]

    Curious that you won''t expand about dinosaurs, but whatever, I''ll ask you about it next time.

    Then why am I growing horns?

    [Atavism]

    Atavism? I thought you said it wasn''t dragon?

    [Bloodline awakening is one way to call it too, but I know that the concept of bloodlines is scarcely discussed in your society, so atavism is a concept I''m sure you understand somewhat better]

    Of course, it''s what dragons and more powerful monsters call it when weaker monsters evolve into the more powerful forms resembling the former, supposedly tracing back to their ancestors.

    Then if it''s atavism, does that mean I''ve connected to a more powerful turtle monster?

    [It seems so, which is weird since your initial bloodline was pretty blank slate when it came to ancestors. Whatever, let''s call it an opportunity]

    Thinking back, I can think of at least two opportunities, whether it''d be the hammer from the dwarf-turned-kobold, as well as grandfather''s spear, both seemed connected to turtles, possibly the reason, to say nothing of other possible bloodlines I may have picked up on the way.

    It''s weird that this tracing back my ancestors to a bigger turtle has resulted in horns, but whatever.

    Oh hey, my tails grown longer too. Not long enough to be a lizard''s tail in proportion, but it''s certainly no longer the stub it was.

    Interesting. It''s not quite a whip currently, but I guess I can trip someone now with a surprise grab right?

    And just to be sure, this atavism is good right?

    [Generally, yeah. At the very least, your current evolution doesn''t seem to be a negative. A strong bloodline is never a negative. ]

    Well that''s a relief then. It''s nice to receive unexpected benefits like these even if I don''t know the reason behind it.

    So what skills did I get from the evolution?

    [Subspace]

    [A subspace exists within the four seasons castle, in which all things that grow inside grow better, influenced by your vitality. Things that die in your subspace in turn contribute to your experience and the growth of other things in the castle.]

    [Growth and Decay]

    [A spell that allows you to consume magic to speed up the healing of the target.]

    [A spell that increases the damage a person has taken, accelerating the decay of the targeted injury.]

    [A moment in time]

    [A time based spell that allows pauses the sorrounding area for a moment, in which the user can move at their own discretion]

    [metal moss overgrowth]

    Metallic moss that can grow madly once it sows itself into an enemy, covering them in metalmoss, transforming them into a metallic fertilizer, good for growing metallic type plant crops in.

    Whistles

    Well, these skills are quite unique.

    I already understood subspace, but the fact that it can also boost the growth of things that inhabit it, makes sense at a first glance, but hadn''t quite occurred to me. It is quite the welcome benefit. I''m curious if it can be applied to people as well, because if so, then I can help Leon grow that much faster.

    As for growth and decay it is quite the vague skill. It seems useful, but it''s hard to tell to what extent the spell actually activates. It activates recovery, or increases decay. But what does that mean?

    Does the recovery merely increase the recovery speed of an injury, thus limiting the extent to an injury can heal, or does it increase the speed of an injury healing until it completely heals?

    The same applies for decay. To what extent does the decay increase? Within the natural extent it would''ve decayed under normal circumstances, or does it keep decaying till the worst possible outcomes?

    There''s the more logical former options yes, but those remain unconfirmed until tested.

    Regardless, it''s a skill with huge potential.

    A moment in time...

    Looking at the four seasons aspect of this form, the change in seasons, it''s waxing and waning of life, the passage of time, it isn''t hard to suspect that this current from has an aspect of time to it.

    If that''s the case, then perhaps future forms could be time related.

    Is it possible that the bloodline I''ve awakened is time related? That''d be exciting. Nearly all the myths about turtles I know of often discuss the turtle''s longevity, it''s ability to contain the world, and even it''s ability to deduce fate, but to control time?

    That''s new to me. Of course that''s just conjecture, and the bloodline could be related to the grass or metallic natures I''ve inherited, but I have my doubts.

    And a moment in time is still a handy skill. A moment is quite vague, but even a moment when you can move and others can''t can drastically change the outcome of a battle. At the very least it''s quite a bit more obvious how it''s useful compared to the prior skill.

    Metal moss overgrowth seems quite useful, and mildly horrifying. It sounded akin to a parasite in some aspects, but given that the purpose of moss is decomposition, it makes sense.

    Just that the decomposition process starts a little earlier.

    And the result was a rich fertilizer according to the skill description, which seemed to match well with the planting process that the subspace encouraged.

    Eager to test the absorption of the skill, I bought a few seeds off the store and began planting those seeds.

    I found I could command the ant to act on my inside, since currently there was nothing else that could act on my behalf on the inside.

    Made me aware that unless I bought a spell or a skill to protect the subspace from within, I should be wary of opening it easily since I have no definitive way to protect myself from the inside.

    Who knows how badly that could play out if I let the wrong person in.

    For now, I had made quite the harvest with my current evolution. A theoretically strong bloodline, a small spell that could control time, and some interesting abilities that could require testing.

    For now, evolution was finished and left me free to take a quick breather.

    It''s been a very exciting past few days frankly.

    Once I sell another basket or two of fruit to that merchant guild, I should contact Anubis to show my appreciation for how much he helped me this time.

    I''m sure he''s quite busy right now though, so it should be fine to put it off for a moment.

    <hr>

    Why hasn''t he called yet? Complained Anubis as he scratched Ammit behind the ear.

    Ammit rolled er eyes, clearly used to her master''s silly behaviour, merely rolling its eyes and basking in its contentment.

    Anubis pouted. I''m worried. After being targeted like that, surely he''s a little shaken. He said, fretting helplessly.

    In the middle of all of this, a poor mortal sat in front of the God, yet dared not say a word, for fear of angering the God of judgement. Ammit could only give the man a look of sympathy, though being stared at by the beast merely caused the man''s soul to shiver in fear.

    Anubis was ignorant of this, too busy being concerned about Earl.

    Ammit yawned. You already heard from the Anubian you sent out that he''s fine. Stop worry about it.

    But this involves foreign gods Ammit! Jorvus even came over and reminded me to keep a closer eye on Earl''s affairs! What if she gets involved?

    you know the goddess of Elves rarely ever takes action. It''s why the elves are in such a mess right now.

    Even so-

    ''Lord Anubis?'' Came a familiar voice and Anubis paused readjusting his suit before responding.

    Yes my child? He said, doing his best to appear majestic, causing Ammit to exhale in exasperation.

    She wished mistress Anput had more free time to deal with this troublesome master of hers.

    Such a silly child. Not even mother Echidna fretted this much about children exploring outside.

 Stocking Stuffer: Reborn as the son of the 6 eared macaque

    "And you are- NOT THE FATHER!"

    [Hear an interesting bit of gossip-> 5 points of experiences and 6 points]

    "THey say that the new hire at te butcher shop is the butcher''s son..."

    "But the butcher''s wife is an elf and the young man is a dwarf."

    "Exactly!"

    "Oohhh..."

    [Hear a spicy rumor-> gain 10 points of experience and 10 points]

    "I finally have it! The secret patty formula is!-"

    [Discover the secret formula-> gain 20 points of experience and 20 points]

    [Big-eared Macaque lvl 1->2]

    "Three kobolds in a coat! Three of them!"

    [Discover a minor conspiracy-> gain 5 points of experience and 5 points.]

    Bill''s life had taken quite the turn.

    <hr>

    For a human, Bill had quite the set of ears, earning him the name Big-Eared Bill, a nickname that would follow him even into the Pheme-Nyx intelligence organization.

    He had a desire to hear the most interesting bits of news, appropriate to the large ears he had.

    He had become one of the most prominent agents within the organization, specialized specifically in listening, grasping the most delicious bits of intelligence.

    He was one of the best, but even the best could be caught unawares.

    On a classified mission to investigate a dangerous slave cartel, he had been tripped by a banana and exposed, causing him to be quickly apprehended.

    An embarrassing mark on his spying career, which would be ending shortly with his death.

    They had tried to pry his secrets from his head, only to be met with his laughter and indifference.

    Betray the Goddess of rumors!?

    Never!

    "THen I hope you do not blame me for this." the torturer said solemnly, only for Big-Eared Bill to laugh.

    "Forgive you? For what?

    If I wish to play by the rules, then I should expect to die by them!"

    And with that Big-Eared Bill disappeared from this world.

    <hr>

    Hey, wake up. Wake up.

    Waaaaake uuuuuup.

    Bill heard a booming voice, causing him to flutter his eyes, and rub them, forcing himself awake, only to pause.

    Why would he need to open his eyes?

    He should be dead! Being greeted by the indifferent chiron as they rode a boat through the river styx! But he clearly wasn''t.

    Opening his eyes, he found himself surrounded by a world of two things: wood and the void.

    The floor he stood on was bark as far as he could see, and in one direction, as far as he could see was wood.

    All other directions, up and down from side to side were nothing but void.

    He was not alone, as there was a large macaque standing next to him, likely the source of the noise.

    And the macaque had 6 ears...

    Like the divine consort of Pheme, the six eared macaque...

    Reacting almost instantly, the young man(?) got on his knees, apologizing profusely.

    "My deepest apologies milord! I did not realize you were here, the great 6 eared macaque, consort to the great Goddess Pheme!"

    The macaque seemed quite pleased with his apology especially the last part as he smiled broadly.

    That''s better, but no need to call me milord. He said it, though his expression slightly soured at that last statement, though Bill paid no mind to that, continuing to show respect.

    Bill couldn''t help but feel a little excited at the thought that perhaps the one who had saved him could be no other than the Goddess he worshipped.

    "Milord, I don''t suppose you could tell this servant as to how he survived?" he asked cautiously.

    Survive? That''s a strong word. The macaque said, with a rather mysterious smile, bringing Bill confusion.

    Have you... checked yourself yet? He asked mysteriously, causing the spy to observe himself carefully, only to realize...

    ... He wasn''t human.

    His hands were not those of human, covered in fur and pink paws, not fingers.

    He touched his face, finding the pronounced snout instead of a sharp nose and an eerie sensation from his behind, the feeling of a prehensile limb.

    Bringing the sensation in front of himself with trembling eyes, he confirmed the existence of a new tail poppng out of his back, and more importantly, confirming that he had become a macaque!

    Seeing his shocked expression, the 6-eared macaque chortled in amusement.

    You are no longer human, but rather, have become a would be divine beast.

    To be more precise, you are the child of the Goddess Pheme and I. He said, sounding rather proud.

    You should call me father instead.

    "Father."

    Better. The macaque nodded approvingly.

    Anyway, you happened to be one of Pheme''s favorites, and she thought it''d be such a waste were you to die this way. Lucky for you, there happened to be a bit of a program for people like you. Unfortunate favorites of the Gods.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    He grumbled a bit. Of course, it took someone else dying before she finally agreed to having kids but whatever.

    The last part itched Bill''s curiosity, but he choose not to say anything, for there were some melons too dangerous to eat.

    The macaque snorted, as if he knew the young monkey''s thoughts.

    And he probably did, since the 6 eared macaque can hear all things in the world, both spoken and thought of.

    The macaque continued. Unfortunately, you couldn''t just start off as a 6 eared macaque, since your human soul isn''t adapted to a monster body. So you''ll have to start as the low rank monster, the big eared macaque which would be considered a D-rank monster, and as you grow stronger, the other two pairs should grow in, with each pair representing a jump in 2 ranks, from D to B, and B to S. capiche?

    "Understood.

    Actually, I wanted to ask. Since Pheme is my mother," he said, feeling weird about the statement, but continued anyway, "then can I ask where she is at this moment?"

    To this, the macaque showed a rather disgusted expression. Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to be here to see you and your first steps as her son, Jorvus called us back to do some work on his part. In fact, this isn''t even my main body, but one of my incarnations sent out to watch over and guide you while we''re busy.

    "Oh." Bill said, feeling a bit disappointed, before choosing to focus on the more important matter.

    "So how do I get stronger then?" he asked, and the bigger macaque merely smiled amusedly.

    How else would a snooping macaque grow?

    Listen, and listen well.

    <hr>

    And since then, Bill had done as he had said and listened.

    He quickly discovered the existence of the system, a rather fascinating object, but one useless to his own growth. After all, according to it, anything he learned from asking the system questions, did not count towards his own growth.

    The root of the macaque''s growth after all, was what it heard, and the rarity of the knowledge, so freely given knowledge was as good as public knowledge.

    Interesting, but useless.

    That didn''t stop him from asking it tons of questions. He just loved hearing those little tidbits of info.

    Bill had long since recognized that the macaque''s dislike was not at him as a person, but as a mortal who had finally gotten his wife to give birth to a son, after years of her husband asking.

    Essentially, it was pettiness.

    Otherwise, he was still caring, stepping in when the worst situations occur, whether it be pulling him back into the realm of Yggdrasill, or killing the offending person in question, he acted decisively.

    The macaque was a dominating beast when it acted, pulling out a giant metal rod and crushing anything that opposed it.

    He had watched the 6-eared macaque crush a dragon with one blow, which filled Bill with excitement, knowing that as he grew, he''d be more like his newfound father.

    ALthough his new father was a bit of a grouch, information could be pried from the older macaques hands.

    Like in this instance...

    "I have uncles?" Seeing that the little macaque was unlikely to stop pestering him about it, the older macaque sighed and put down his peach pie.

    Yes, you have... 3 uncles. He inhaled deeply through his nostrils before speaking.

    We are the 4 chaos monkeys. As long as one of us lives, the other has a chance to come back.

    The long armed gibbon, whose arms are one, capable of sliding and reaching to the very stars, and capable of pulling the stars down, or even the chariot of Apallas Ra

    Wu Zhiqi, the river demon, who was imprisoned under a mountain by heaven for being too strong, and at the 5th level was able of contending against Qinglong, a 6th level being on strength alone.

    And... the stone monkey. He said the last part with great reluctance, but that didn''t stop Bill from picking up on it.

    "Stone monkey... you mean Sun Wukong!? The sage equal to heaven!?"

    Yes, him! Snapped Liuer, seeming particularly upset to mention him.

    "Did he do something t you?"

    He killed me!

    "That''s terrible! Why would he do that to his family?"

    Well... The six-eared macaque paused seemingly embarrassed to say more.

    He had to practically force out the next few words.

    Well... you know... I''d been stuck at the pinnacle of the 5th level for ages...

    and you know, merit helps achieve breakthroughs and-

    well my brother was doing that whole thing with the scriptures, so I thought it couldn''t hurt to impersonate him a little...

    and I...

    tried to take his position in the journey...

    he didn''t take it very well

    Hearing this, Bill was completely unsurprised that the stone monkey had killed the six eared one.

    It was said that the Journey to the West had immense significance to the growth of the Heavenly Sage, who broke through to the 6th level shortly thereafter.

    Such an opportunity, his father had tried to snatch it.

    He could only say that the macaque was truly bold!

    Still...

    "He''s not still coming after you right?" Bill asked curiously, wondering if this was the reason why the 6 eared macaque now resided in the Romana empire, hiding from his stronger sibling.

    No. He''s out there pursuing worthy opponents to fight. The macaque denied, his voice now tinged with bitterness.

    After all, the meaning behind such words was clear.

    Unprompted, the monkey began to speak, practically blurting out the words.

    It''s infuriating! We 3 were the only known chaos monkeys once upon a time. We were born far earlier than our brother, preceding him by millions of years, as well as all of humanity!

    Yet now, millions of years later, we are still stuck at the pinnacle of the fifth level, while he is off to bigger and brighter things.

    The air went stagnant for a moment, as Bill was left unsure what to say.

    The six-eared macaque sighed, seeming to just push the topic as a whole out of his mind.

    You wish to know where these uncles are. The macaque said, less of a question and more of a statement, as if he knew the young macaque''s temperament as if it were his own.

    Perhaps it was his nature, so similar that he predicted what the child was thinking.

    And indeed, the boy''s eyes were widening in curiosity.

    He sighed. Very well.

    Wuzhiqi currently resides in the Nile river, now that Sobek occupies a greater part of the world''s waters. He leads a group of water monkeys, though he does run off to Vahalla here and there, fighting with the brave warriors there.

    Gibbs has long become the beast who follows Appalas Ra, helping to pull the sun chariot as well as the moon. You should of heard of him. He''s called the golden arm gibbon.

    If you want, I can take you to visit them one of these days once you''ve gotten your second pair.

    The macaque was mildly confused. "Why are they all in the Romana empire? Surely you didn''t all migrate for the fun of it." Bill asked and Liuer snorted, having gotten over the previous subject.

    The Qing empire drove us out. The dynasty has become one of cultivators, who''ve been hunting divine beings left and right to supplement their growth.

    We''re just some of the divine beings who''ve fled since then.

    In fact, Nuwa should be a very familiar name to you, right?

    Bill nodded. "Mother of the three gorgons and mother to most snake people and monsters as a whole." he said, reciting what he knew of her.

    Well, she also used to have a different title. In the east, she had been humanities protector, famously known as a saint of humanity, famously involved in the developement of their dynasty.

    However, the emperor took it a step too far, attacking and killing many demon snake tribes, even against her warning, and attacking her reincarnated brother Fuxi. After that she left the Qing dynasty and came to the Romana empire since they''re offering good deals to anyone over the third level currently as long as they''re neutral+

    "Really? I never heard that!" Bill said, astonished that he had never heard this piece of info.

    It''s kept pretty under wraps. The Qing empire knows, but can''t do anything about it. They''ve lost too many great demons this way. Pangu himself in fact, has left the dynasty after they refused to acknowledge his sons, the three pure ones, and alienated him from the common people.

    "Wait, then how many have fled the empire since?" Bill asked, and the macaque rolled his eyes.

    Who knows. So many have crossed over, and I hardly care enough to count them all.

    "That''s amazing!"

    Liuer chuckled. Indeed.

    "I thought I knew a lot, but so many fun secrets still exist out there." The young monkey marveled, the older could not help but chuckling as he rubbed his head, thinking of himself when he was but a small macaque in a terrifying world.

    Scared, yet curious.

    Indeed. little one, continue to listen so that you can become like me, and hear all things in the world.

    There''s just so much excitement to listen to.

    He said, choosing to encourage the little one before him, as the old are supposed to.

    <hr>

    One day, after listening to the scheme of a necromancer planning to raise an entire city''s cemetery (and stopping it),

    BIl felt it.

    A ticking of the ears, an instinctive feeling.

    [After overhearing the scheme of a necromancer planning to cause mayhem in a city, you''ve gaained 500 experience, and 40 points!]

    [Big eared macaque 49->50]

    [Big eared macaque -> Four-eared Macaque]

    A blossoming of power, and confirmation.

    A confirmation of who he''d become.

    He too, had become a great listener.

    Now, his father would take him to see the other two.

 Book 2 chapter 26: Timely Talks

    After finishing up a few more deals with the merchants in the guild, I went to offer sacrifices to the lord.

    This time, scrolling through the shop, I discovered a unique fruit from the Americas.

    Cranberries, they are called. THey were a bit sour, but not altogether unpleasant.

    As the sacrifice was offered, the presence descended once more as Anubis spoke, the world changing as I was pulled back into that ver same office of Anubis.

    Yes my child?

    "I wish to offer these cranberries milord. They are a bit tart, but they do have a tinge of sweetness. "

    Thank you my child. They are... delicious. I thought I could hear a hint of puckering in his voice, and a faint laughter in the background.

    Probably just my imagination.

    "I wanted to thank you for sending someone to protect this lowly servant. To send someone as great as one of your chosen to protect me, I am truly grateful."

    It''s nothing. The lord of judgement said as he waved his hand. Most of the anubians spend their days either fulfilling paperwork or enforcing judgements, since more gods have shown up.

    They should do more around here anyway.

    You know, now that you know about him, I may as well introduce him to you.

    "There''s no need milord. I don''t want to inconvenience him anymore..."

    Nonsense. You should get to know each other better as he''ll be guarding you for the foreseeable future. Dismissing my concerns, lord Anubis gestured upwards with his hand, causing the guarding Anubian to emerge from my shadow.

    The anubian bowed, showing no expression, only for his face to twitch as Anubis continued.

    His name is Flowerpaw. When he was still a kobold, he had been a companion to a young lady, who called him flowerpaw for the toe beans he had on his hand. He would go on to evolve and serve as the families guardian beast for generations until they managed to rear a second one.

    For his devotion and fairness when it came to familial disputes, I chose to ascend him into an Anubian.

    He''s a dog licker for sure though, turns to putty in front of his wife. The last part made the ANubian blush with embarrassment.

    "M-milord perhaps we can stop dwelling on this." Flowerpaw begged only for Anubis to interrupt him.

    Not now Flowerpaw, I''m speaking for you.

    Anyway, where was I?

    "We were talking about my new form milord." I interrupted, hoping to save the Anubian some face.

    Were we? The lord asked suspiciously, but accepted the explanation.

    By the way. You look wonderful now. Look! You have horns! Maybe some dragon blood? The lrd suggested, though I could only shake my head.

    "According to the system it isn''t dragon, but some sort of ancient turtle bloodline." I corrected him and Anubis raised an eyebrow.

    Really? Must be one of those ancient ones before my time. Most modern powerful bloodlines for turtles lay in the dragons, xuanwu, and island turtles. He noted, before continuing.

    So, what abilities have you unlocked my child? The voice boomed.

    Excited to talk, I explained all my abilities, including the ability to freeze time for a moment.

    Hearing that, lord Anubis looked extremely curious as he commanded me to use the ability.

    Is that the law of time? Anubis asked with clear surprise after the moment had passed.

    ""I think so milord. My current evolution has to do with the seasons, and I seem to have gained the ability to freeze time as a result. "

    Interesting. Now that I look at it, those trees on your back also contain tiny fragments of the law of time. I don''t know what bloodline you''ve picked up, but it''s a special one for sure.

    I agreed, knowing that time was a rare attribute for most lifeforms to pick up, with space being substantially less difficult to master.

    The ability to freeze time was a great blessing.

    So I was right. There is something time related inside me.

    The lord snapped his fingers in realization as he yelped. You know, old man Kronos does owe me a favor. I''ll go over and ask the old man and see if he has anything useful for you.

    "Are you sure lord Anubis? I hear that old man Kronos is a touchy God?" I asked uncertainly, only for Anubis to snort.

    Of course. Like any recently spayed dog, he''s quite the grouch. And given that he exists across time, he can still feel that moment in time when he was neutered.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Regardless, he owes me a great favor for returning his little "bell" in the present. He hardly does anything for the pantheon anyway. The least he can do is spit out an ancient sundial or two.

    "Just be careful milord."

    Don''t worry about me, I''m more worried about you punk! Look at you you''ve nearly been killed by an S rank twice in the last few days! What kind of death seeking magnet are you! The jackal-headed God complained, and I could only sheepishly smile.

    "I mean, I''ve always felt a close connection with you lord..." I say appeasingly only to be shut down by a glare.

    It''s not funny child. I gave you a second chance so that you could avoid all this trouble in your second life. I look away for 5 seconds and now you''re challenging an underground cult who plans to usurp the Goddess of elves?! I''m not even sure I can protect you now.

    "Is this cult beyond your power?" I ask worried, for if the cult is even beyond his power, than it has grown to a formiddable level beyond my expectations.

    It is not them I fear child. It is the goddess they provoke.

    "Yggdrasill?" I ask, reciting the name of the Goddess of elves, to which he showed a wary look.

    Yes. Yggdrasill may be Goddess of elves now, but she is far older than her title. She merely accepted it because of the elves who were in need of protection.

    Before she was the Goddess of elves, Yggdrasill was the world tree upon which 9 realms rested. And before that, she was one of the strongest in the prehistoric era. And before that...

    There are only rumors.

    That she is one of the first beings to ever be born on this world.

    That when man was young, she was old, and when beasts ruled, she was old.

    When the dragons triumphed over their great enemy in the war of scales and erased them from history, she was there.

    Even the likes of Gaia seem young in comparison.

    What I do know, is that Yggdrasill is strong. Perhaps stronger than the entire pantheon.

    She rarely interacts with the rest of the world, but when she is angered, her wrath is swift and decisive, violent and merciless.

    I do not fear whatever false God these heretics bear with them. But I do fear that they''ll take it a step too far and offend her, and that you''ll be caught in the crossfire.

    Hearing this, I was left speechless. I understood why he was worried now. He wasn''t scared of the cult.

    It was the Goddess they dared to offend.

    I didn''t understand the scale of it, but I knew he wouldn''t be making such a fuss if the tree wasn''t that overwhelming.

    Even so...

    "You''ve already heard my response. I do not fear death. I fear my own weakness and inability to support those around me."

    I know. Still thought I''d try anyway. Are you still planning to go back to your estate?

    "Yes. I need to make sure it''s in good hands and see for myself. Otherwise I would''ve just gone to the Pheme Nyx guild. Not only that, but I think it''s worth going back to investigate the origin of the spear."

    It was obvious from the dwarf-turned-kobold that the spear had a unique origin tied to the hammer in some form.

    Even if I had deemed it no longer a priority to check on my territory anymore, there was certainly reason to go investigate nonetheless.

    Indeed. It''s a special spear. The lord noted, quietly observing it with scrutinizing gaze. At the very least, its origin is older than I.

    "Wow! To think it somehow ended up in the hands of our family though." I mused to myself, observing the weapon more carefully.

    After all, if even a God of the higher echelon cannot see through its origin, at the very least it was very special. could believe that the spear was somehow involved in my time related abilities

    There was even a small part of me wondering how such a great thing could even end up in our hands.

    Well, seeing as I cannot convince you, the best I can do is watch over you and your choices. Remember, Flowerpaw is here if you ever need his help. Call his name out, and he will respond. The god spoke, pointing towards his lookalike by my side.

    "Understood sir."

    Mm. And with that, Anubis was gone once more.

    The anubian had disappeared as well, not a trace in sight. I chose to remember him as such, rather than Flowerpaw, for his sake.

    Anyway, I think it''s time to return to the group.

    After all, it was about time we started preparing to leave.

    <hr>

    We began packing over the next few days, preparing to head to our next location, the Gamoceras marquisate.

    The next time I saw Philly, he had changed a bit from the kobold last time.

    Besides growing bigger and spouting an extra pair of horns, there was a remarkably similar trait on him as well:

    "so you found a metal slime too." I noted, observing the changed appendage.

    Unlike me, where a new head had sprouted, Philly''s arm had changed becoming partially encased in a metal layer, which shimmered and rippled, and gave me a similar feeling to my own extra appendage.

    Ore had actually come out, appearing as a disembodied metal head, moving to meet a familiar face as a similar phenomenon appeared from the arm.

    Two curious metal spirits, babbling away at one another as the hosts talked.

    "So you managed to find a metal slime?" I asked and he shook his head.

    "Checked the system shop. They were selling metal slimes for a few hundred points. pretty cheap for the major benefit it gives me." he commented, as he manipulated the metallic substance with ease. "I think it''ll allow me to make a qualitative jump in my crafting ability. Just you wait, I''ll upgrade those weapons in no time!" he said confidently, revealing a toothy grin as I chuckled.

    "I believe you." Even as a kobold, he showed that dwarven stubbornness and determination. Which was good for me. If he could really upgrade my weapons later, I would gladly take it.

    "So you''re leaving soon huh?" the kobold asked, as I nodded.

    "Well I have a lot to deal with you know? Crazy elf cults, discover the origin to a magic old spear, and hope I don''t get squashed like a bug." I said, and Philly snorted.

    "Sounds like a of of work for no good reason. I ain''t coming anywhere near a populated area for a long while" the kobold emphasized, seeming exasperated.

    Made sense. From what I understand, he''d been kidnapped once he''d gotten too close to society, and dragged into this fiasco. It made sense he wanted nothing to do with people for a while.

    "Sounds like we won''t meet each other for a while." I comment, and Philly chuckles.

    "No problem. We''re both monsters now. Our lifespans are probably going to be a lot longer than the last. Yours especially. I could probably see you a century from now and you''ll look exactly the same." he said.

    Maybe. Depends on whether that prehistoric God tree thing pans out and flattens me.

    So I went to see them off as they ran frantically out the gates. I say ran, since Cheese steak stole a box of cheese wheels shamelessly, causing them to run for their lives as the guards chased them.

    "Cheese steak saw seen cheese thing! Man thing try to stop halt Cheese steak from take steal the wheel thing! But cheese steak won win!"

    "Damn it cheese steak!"

    "Wait for us boss!"

    "It''s hard to run with two more on my back boss!"

    "Someone tossed me a tomato boss!"

    "Get back here and pay for it!"

    "I''m going to have so much to talk about at the bar tonight!"

    They could probably just pay for that box of cheese wheels though, right?

    I worry Philly has become more influenced by those kobolds than he thinks...

    As I watched them run for their lives, I feel a tug on my sleeve.

    Looking down, to my surprise, it is not Leon who approaches me as usual, but Willow.

    Willow had begun to approach me less when I took on elven form. Perhaps it made me more human/elf in her eyes, and given how distant she seems from adults, maybe she felt less comfortable with me.

    This was a surprise.

    "Yes Willow?" I ask patiently, only to be surprised by her sudden statement.

    "I want to get stronger." she says quietly,hesitantly, yet there was determination in her eyes.

    Hm?

 stocking stuffer 2:: From Nascent Soul To Godly Worker: The Defection Of A cultivator To The West

    "That''s it, I quit."

    A battle of godly proportions, having gone on for days came to a standstill at these words.

    Two members of the same sect.

    The once proud and kind Lin Wu, his reputation stained beyond measure and now seen as the vile traitor of the cultivation world, despite his best efforts.

    His cunning junior brother, had presented himself as an innocent, righteous young man.

    Yet he had his suspicions, investigating his origin and discovering the truth.

    That Gu An was the descendant of a clan his family had exterminated, clearly entering the sect for revenge.

    Yet Gu An was smart, and had carefully planted evidence, even hiring an assassin in his name, to make it seem that Lin Wu was targeting him.

    And now he was spurned by the entire cultivation world, even after entering the nascent soul.

    He wasn''t sure why. Perhaps something had finally snapped, maybe he was just tired of the play his junior had set up

    Gu An asked confusedly. "What do you mean you quit?" he asked confusedly, staring down his senior brother, curious as to what finally caused him to crack.

    Lin Wu rolled his eyes. "I''m tired. Of all of this.

    All your damn schemes. How you''ve turned everyone around me against me."

    Gu An showed him a cold smile. "But of course senior brother. After you discovered my schemes, how could I let you stand in my way?"

    "Well, you win. I''m tired of all these ungrateful bastards! So I''m quitting.

    I''m out."

    "Out? Senior brother, surely you know how the cultivation world sees you now? Everyone hates you here. They all think you''re a jealous fool who''s tried to kill a disciple with great potential." he mocked his senior brother, only for his senior brother to snort.

    "You''re right, they''re all blind to my good will. Lucky for me, I just recently received a job offer."

    "Really? Who would be willing to take you in senior?" His junior brother asked curiously, leisurely walking through the air.

    No one could see them thanks to the formation he''d set up, blinding the outside world to the truth of it all, allowing him to reveal his true appearance..

    "The Romana empire sent me an invitation Once I reached the nascent soul I was offered the chance to become a minor god there. Gain incense, immortality, and a spiritual weapon specially made for me, courtesy of the cyclops and the dwarven gods. I was hesitant at first, but now?

    Now it seems like the best idea I''ve heard in a while." Lin wu said, exhaustion evident in his voice.

    He looked past the formation staring at his junior sister, who was staring at the formation with such concern.

    Once, those eyes would''ve been for him.

    Now, they were for this cunning bastard before him.

    The pain had grown a bit too much for him.

    He just wanted it to stop.

    "And what makes you think I''ll let you go so easily?" Gu An asked.

    "Because your revenge goes a lot easier once I''m gone and you know it. Keeping me here merely inhibits it.

    Here, look, I''ll fake a life threatening injury and I''ll fly away in desperation alright? You''ll never see me again. " Lin Wu said, clenching his hand around an artery and squeezing it till it popped, causing his face to scrunch up, and blood to flow from his mouth.

    Gu An didn''t chase him, merely watching as his senior left the formation, faking his severe state.

    As Lin Wu left, he heard the cheering of his juniors, and left faster.

    In spite of it all, he hoped that someone would figure out his junior brother''s plan, see the truth.

    But they were hopelessly ensnared in his plans.

    Regardless, it had nothing to dow with him anymore.

    Lin Wu managed to get through the border without any real danger.

    He was a nascent soul level cultivator. Few were willing to pick fights with him unless they had a serious grudge against him.

    Of course, with his junior brother''s meddling, he had many such enemies, but none who would have expected him to flee in such a cowardly way.

    He wasn''t fleeing though. Just quitting.

    Sure, he''d crush an organ to make it look serious, but truthfully speaking it was hardly more than a flesh wound, and something he could easily put up with in the worst of situations.

    Once he passed the border, he was greeted by a divine being.

    The divine being across from him was clearly at the fourth level just like him, and yet there was something far more awe inspiring about him. Powerful. Where he had the aura of a noble person, a trangquil part of nature, the man before him felt like the shining sun, the divine light pouring upon him.

    You are Lin Wu correct? The divine being asked, and Lin Wu noddd, coughing a little blood out.

    Are you alright? Who dares attack one of our gods?! He shouted wrathfully,only for Lin Wu to shake his head.

    "I d-did it. In order for my arch enemy to let me go, I had to retreat and suffer the loss"

    Hearing that, a sad look appeared on the God''s face.

    I''ve heard of your tragedy Lin Wu. Had the oracle of Delphi not shone a light upon your tragedy, perhaps we would''ve never known.

    Come, once you''re one of us, the pain will go away. He said, offering his hand.

    Lin Wu took it gladly, as he could feel the warm intention behind the beings hand, the genuine kindness, something he had not felt from his equals in so long.

    My name is Phaethon, son of Helios, the old titan of the sun. I am the god of poplar trees. And this. He said, patting the gibbon pulling the chariot, added. Is one of your fellow chinese men.

    Do you know who he is? The god teased.

    "D-d-do you mean!?" Lin Wu asked in shock and awe, observing the particularly long armed gibbon, who was staring at him in amusement.

    Indeed, it is I, the interconnected arm gibbon, whose arms can stretch out and grab the stars.

    I assume you know me for the other thing though.

    "Yes sir! ONe of the four chaos monkeys, said to belong to none of the 10 categories of all things!" he said, desperately trying not to say the most popular reason, only for the gibbon to smirk knowingly.

    His arm stretched out, as the interconnected arms slid, and one arm shortened and the other grew and he tapped the man''s nose.

    There''s no need for flattering. Yes, I am one of sun wukong''s brothers. Unlike Liuer and Wuzhiqi, I am not particularly offended by my obscurity. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The senior ape said gracefully, showing not a trace of annoyance, merely doting for the younger generation.

    Seeing the gibbon was not offended, he quietly exhaled in relief. The long armed gibbon was a divine being older than most, and at the pinnacle of the 5th level.

    He hadn''t noticed it earlier when it was hiding its presence but now that he faced it, he could feel the power of a 5th level being.

    Which was confusing to him.

    Seeing his curious expression, the long armed gibbon laughed.

    You are wondering why I, a pinnacle 5th level being, have taken the initiative to abandon the Qing dynasty?

    Lin Wu nodded carefully, worried he would just be vaporized on the spot, yet the monkey smiled and explained.

    The current Qing dynasty is a dynasty of cultivators. And cultivators of the higher level need higher resources. Needless to say, we, the divine beasts, have become nothing more than resources in the eyes of the cultivators.

    Once upon a time, when Heaven ruled over man, they could enforce certain rules, and punish those who committed such heresy.

    However, as the people''s awe of the cultivators rose, they replaced the awe of the Gods, and incense stopped flowing.

    The gods in Heaven are no longer as strong as they once were, and are now oppressed by the imperial army. Anyone who leaves is executed and used to boost the foundation of its warriors.

    The divine beasts and beings have since fled the great Qing, with the only ones remaining being the ones who couldn''t escape, or the ones they dare not provoke, such as the dragon clan or the Xuanwu clan, or Baihu.

    Even then, they are no longer completely safe.

    I was unwilling to remain in such a dynasty which no longer respected us, nor Liuer or Wuzhiqi, so we left.

    Hearing this, Lin Wu was horrified. It was true, divine beings had slowly disappeared from the dynasty, but he had not realized it had gone this far.

    A dynasty wide massacre!

    Despite being a cultivator, Lin Wu still had a high respect for the divine. True, cultivators and beasts clashed in several instances, but this was different. He didn''t know that Heaven itself had been oppressed! That meant the natural order of the world had been flipped!

    Hearing this, the young cultivator felt relief that he had fled now. Cultivators could live for millenia. He may not see the changes immediately, but he was sure he would notice eventually. But like a frog in a boiling pot, it would be too little too late.

    Enough about this. I hear that you''re a young nascent soul. Only 180 years old, and already a fourth level being! I had to come after hearing that! Luckily, Appallas Ra didn''t need me to move the chariot today. The monkey said cheerfully, inspecting the young man a way seniors inspect promising new juniors.

    Come, let''s go get you registered. He said happily, dragging the young man to the chariot before pulling it to the underworld.

    Lin Wu could never have imagined that he would get to ride a chariot pulled by a fifth level being.

    It was a terrifying experience, as he worried all the way to the underworld.

    <hr>

    As they floated above the river styx, as the senior called it, Lin Wu couldn''t help but stare in awe as he watched the souls drift around aimlessly.

    Lin Wu had seen the undead of course, which one hadn''t dispelled a few? But watching an underworld work was fascinating.

    Everywhere he looked, there was a buzz of authority in the air, a doist rhythm beyond his understanding.

    The quiet feeling of an authority beyond his understanding was there, the authority of the dead.

    Impressive isn''t it? There isn''t as much qi in the west as there is in the east, but the laws are more dense, thanks to the divine being greatly respected still.

    The long armed gibbon, who called himself Gibbs, explained.

    Phaethon looked at the two quizzically and the gibbon explained to Lin Wu.

    THe boy was born divine, so he''s naturally in tune to the laws. However, he''s also never been trained, merely died a demigod, then lifted to Godhood, relying on the trees that popped up after his death.

    As a result, he has no comprehension of the laws he uses. THe gibbon explained, and Phaethon nodded in understanding.

    Oh, those. Yeah, whenever cultivators talk about that, or gods like Orpheus explain it I never quite understand. Anway, still pretty cool right? He said, pointing at Cerberus who quietly watched them pass.

    Lin Wu had to admit it was pretty cool, the three headed dog of Hades. Even he had heard of it, being a terrifying guardian that stopped any soul from leaving.

    You know, I hear he''s having another litter soon. If you want, you could sign up and see if you get lucky. Phaethon chatted, happily sharing the latest rumors.

    "You can just adopt divine beasts?" Lin Wu asked curiously, and Phaethon shrugged.

    You''ll be a god soon, and that means immortality. Unless you find a goddess who fits the same niche as you, or a god, finding a partner in this life may be very rare. So a divine beast would make a good companion. And who knows? We have a lot of couples match up at pet gatherings.

    I met my wife, a dryad at such a place. He said, winking playfully.

    "You have a divine beast companion?"

    One of my kids, yes. The gibbon commented, seeming rather indifferent to this.

    Eventually they arrived at the center of the underworld, which was a busy place, as beings of the fourth level rushed back and fourth frantically, much to Lin Wu''s dismay.

    He had never seen so many 4th level beings concentrated in one area, not even at those grant meeting between sects!

    Another god walked up to them, but this one looked more mundane he had expected.

    Lin Wu correct? My names Bill, god of paperwork. Hearing this, Lin WU couldn''t help but feel surprised.

    The empire truly had a God for everything!

    Did you know, Bill''s from another world! Phaethon added on, and Lin Wu couldn''t help but stare at this "Bill" more.

    Bill seemed indifferent to his gaze as he waved it off. Don''t overthink it. I came from a rather boring world. No magic no gods, nothing. Just a lot of middle class people doing a lot of middle class work.

    Yeah, but it was your amazing organizational paperwork that the workload down here became so much easier! I mean, I actually get an hour of free time now! The young god exclaimed, with Bill barely recognizing the response turning to Lin Yu.

    Lin Wu was astonished by the statement? there were other worlds?

    Were they higher realms? Lower ones? Like those summoned heroes?

    Seeing the curious look in his eyes, he said quickly: You can ask later when I''m free.

    Here, just read this and sign off. He said handing the clipboard to Lin Wu.

    Lin Wu carefully read over the agreement, which was rather simple.

    He was no longer a resident of the Qing empire, but of the Romana Empire.

    As a god, he must be prepared to fulfill his corresponding duties and respond to at least one prayer a month.

    He must be prepared to fight the enemies of the empire in the worst case scenario

    And that by signing this agreement, he became immortal, and was aware of that.

    Rather simple form, which Lin Wu readily agreed, having had all his bridges burned in his home land.

    As he signed it, he felt a thread snap inside of him, as if something had disappeared inside of him, a connection to his own home.

    This feeling was replaced with a bond to the Romana empire.

    It was more of an instinctive feeling than anything else, but he felt it, knew it.

    Not only that, but he felt it. His mortality was burning away, being replaced by an inexplicable thing.

    A warm, radiant power.

    Was this... godhood?

    Congratulations, you are now a minor God. Bill said calmly as he then summoned a large board, with a large list of words.

    Pick an authority. It''ll determine where you start working.

    Hearing that, Lin Wu looked down the list, before finally picking out one.

    He picked poppies in the end. A minor plant, but also one of medicine and healing.

    He''d been a cultivator who''d specialize in plants, so doing a type of plant made sense to him. Unfortunately, the likes of ginseng and bamboo seemed to have already been taken. Too popular probably, Lin Wu knew he wasn''t the first, so others probably rushed forth and grabbed the more popular ones before he could.

    Poppies, huh? Alright, that puts you in the medicinal department, where you''ll be working for the god Asclepius, the god of medicine. And you also will part time under Persephone whenever she needs someone to help her with Spring stuff.

    Isn''t that a little messy? Lin wu asked, and Bill smiled, but there was a hollowness behind those eyes.

    A desolate emptiness. Phaethon laughed at that. It used to be worse than that back then. Gods used to just run around, doing their thing and becoming local deities wherever. And then they''d piss someone off, and then Ausir Hades would have to come back up and start doling out judgements again. Real mess when god of the underworld has to keep leaving his post.

    And then Bill came along and made things cleaner. Now we know who to blame when things go wrong, and less instances of Gods wandering around aimlessly.

    Another God ran up to Bill, frantically shouting. Bill! Jorvus and Hathera are fighting again! The sky is tearing itself apart again! Quickly! We need you to do that magical thing again!

    Mediate!

    Yes, that ! As Bill was dragged away onto a rainbow he called back to the group. Go see Ted and he''ll give you the proper authority. I gotta go *sigh* fix a marriage.

    We should call him God of marriage counseling with how much of that he does. Phaethon said humorously, while Gibbs could only shoot the poor God a look of sympathy.

    Who''s Ted? Lin Wu asked.

    God of human resources. Great guy, but no one wants to talk to him on business time. No likes human resources after all, much less deity resources.

    <hr>

    And here is your authority as god of poppies. Ted said calmly, shoving a glowing ball into Lin Wu''s chest as he felt his connection to poppies grow.

    I thought I was already a god? He asked confusedly, and Ted shrugged.

    It''s all semantics. You sign the agreement, you become a god, but one without a specific role, given immortality by the faith in the pantheon as a whole. But now as a God you''ll be given incense and immortality specifically tied to poppies.

    Anyway, next! Said the impatient god, shooing the group out the door as another group of Gods walked into the room as they left.

    Despite being so impatiently shooed away, he was excited. Lin Wu did not feel rejected in this environment, hated as he was now in the east, but treated like a peer as he had once been.

    He walked up to Phaethon and Gibbs waiting outside the room, looking forward to meeting his new colleagues.

    Sure, it seemed he would be treated like a middle class worker, but he had to admit, being treated like a normal person was quaint, fun even.

    Perhaps he would come to like being a God here.

    <hr>

    1 year later

    What are you doing here! He shouted, pointing angrily at the figure in front of him.

    He had just finished his shift of answering prayers, only to be told a new god had come over to this department, something he was deeply grateful for.

    Being a God was difficult.

    But what he had not expected, was seeing the man who ruined his life standing here.

    Why was the new god GU AN!

 Stocking Stuffer 3: The Snakeshop Merchant

    Eobard had always been crazy about snakes.

    Being the young master of a branch of the Statum family, they were rather well, though not amazingly so.

    When he was young, he had encountered a rare snake monster.

    The footbiter.

    It didn''t really bite feet. Much like Toe biters, they were a misunderstood species named so because of their flattened head, as if a person''s boot had crushed them.

    They were known for another thing, and that was their high levels of venom.

    That didn''t stop young Eobard from being fascinated by the weird little critter, with it''s charming black scales ladened with white studs as if the night sky had been miniaturized and wrapped around a serpent.

    It was a beautiful little thing, and for a child, it was enough.

    Since then, he had been fascinated by snakes, leading him to eventually open his very own snake shop, aimed at selling things for snakes, from snake food to habitats to snakes themselves.

    That footbiter would follow him to the shop, being raised on a diet of pure magic stones, causing it to eventually evolve twicefold, becoming the midnight glider.

    She rested over the entrance of the store, serving as a fun surprise for new customers, but a familiar sight for repeat customers.

    Though it was mostly indifferent to him, the glider never bit him when he came to feed it, even allowing him to pet her. Thankfully, since the poison of a midnight glider was enough to poison a drake.

    His family never blinked at his shop. Though he was from a branch family, with his parents having died young, the fact that they willingly funded his shop was his blessing.

    He didn''t receive many customers, but he did receive enough, with a sprinkle of eccentric customers for sure.

    Beast tamers that lived locally quite liked his shop that sold monster eggs, even though he mostly specialized in snakes and things snake ate.

    Access to friendly beasts was always one of the greatest difficulties for beast tamers.

    As a result, local monster tamers often had snake and mice type tamiliars, making him plenty of money.

    There were many memorable and weird customers.

    A pair of siblings, both whom were serpent from the waist down wearing traditional Qing clothing. They almost seemed lamia though lamia never seemed apt for them.

    An obvious dragon pretending to be a human, betrayed by his poor acting skills and even worse energy concealing skills.

    A priest of the god Fenrir who was "looking for his brother". He always spoke in riddles.

    An early bird looking for the wyrm.

    A snakeman who used to break into his trashcan to eat the snakefood before Eobad finally just hired the snakemen and allowed him to eat snakefood for free.

    A snakewoman seeking to liberate one of her kind. Eobard merely sold her the snakes without question.

    He could say without a doubt that selling snakes had been the best choice he had ever made.

    Unfortunately, he died.

    Perhaps it would''ve been a cosmic irony if he had died by snake, but no.

    He was killed in an assassination by an enemy of the family.

    It made a lot more sense frankly.

    Death came swiftly in the night as he had begun to close up shop.

    The assassin had used some form of shadow magic to bypass the shop''s door.

    He hadn''t even fed the snakes one last meal!

    Yet before he died, he got to watch as the midnight glider whom surprised all his first time customers got to "surprise" his first time assassin with a lethal dose of poison to the back of the unsuspecting assassin. Charlie slithered up to him shortly thereafter, resting next to him.

    Bypassing the door had ensured his ignorance to the very end of how he died.

    Perhaps she''d eat him once he was gone, for what other reason would a snake curl up next to a dying man?

    Then he would get to feed his snake.

    Eobard never had any regrets. He''d gotten to take care of his snakes, take care of other people''s snakes, and even gotten to share his love of snakes with others.

    And he''d gotten to watch as his longest kept snake repay this debt.

    It was a life well lived.

    Oh dear...

    <hr>

    His life did not end so simply however

    Crack.

    Eobard found himself coming to, trapped in a hard casing, and without any arms no less.

    He couldn''t feel his arms, yet he was far more concerned with breaking out, an instinctive urge.

    Throwing his head against the border, Eobard eventually managed to break through the hard surface, before being abruptly blinded by the bright light.

    The instinct faded quickly, leaving Eobard confused in the aftermath.

    And armless.

    As he looked around confusedly, a familiar voice echoed.

    Hello little one

    Yes, Eobard knew this voice.

    It belonged to the weird snake woman who often dressed in eastern clothing, often bringing along her brother to peruse and buy the snacks the snakes liked.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    He never judged of course. The snacks had specifically been tailor made for the serpent taste, so he never thought much of it when a snakeperson bought it.

    He merely smiled when the pair claimed it was for the children.

    Now this voice reverberated around him, louder than it had ever been before. It was booming.

    Eobard soon realized that he had emerged from a shell, onto a new soft land.

    Soft like skin...

    As Eobard slowly began to understand the situation, a chuckling could be heard overhead.

    How are you doing little Eobard? Feeling a little disoriented? The pleasant voice echoed again, causing Eobard to look up and see the large face of lady Nuwa, causing him to realize.

    He was on someone''s finger.

    ''Ah. I''m small right now.

    And scaled...

    am I snake?'' He thought, yet there wasn''t much of a ripple in his mind as he looked around.

    I was hoping for more of a reaction. Came another voice as the other customer he had become accustomed to appeared, two giant faces looming overhead.

    "Oh it''s you two." Eobard noted looking around curiously. "Did I die and go to Hades? Why are you guys here?"

    You''re not dead. Fuxi responded, causing Eobard to nod in understanding.

    "Oh. So I''ve reincarnated."

    ...I was hoping for more of a reaction." The snakeman complained, causing the earthshaking voice of Nuwa to boom as she giggled.

    Come now. We''ve met him often enough brother. You know how Eobard is.

    Yes Eobard, you''ve been reincarnated. How is your new body feeling? Fuxi prodded.

    "Alien. But I''ll get used to it.

    Why are you guys here"

    He asked bluntly, causing Nuwa to tease.

    Haven''t you figured it out yet child. Nuwa, Fuxi, snake people...

    "You mean Nuwa, mother of the gorgons?" Eobard asked, causing Fuxi to look a little astonished.

    What about me?!

    "Umm, Fuxi, brother to Nuwa?"

    Ugh. I used to be one of the great emperors of humanity! Now I''m "Nuwa''s brother." A gigantic(normal) sized tail came out, slapping the younger brother over the head as he slinked away, grumbling about the disrespect etc. etc.

    Aloof as usual child. Nuwa said warmly, chuckling as she looked at the tiny snake in front of her.

    The silly aloof shopkeeper she had once known seemed to perfectly embody a snake as he seemed even more aloof and indifferent now.

    I suppose you have some questions. She asked expectantly, and indeed, Eobard did.

    "Is my shop fine!? Who took over my shop!?" he asked, showing strong emotion for the first time since having been reborn.

    Your shop''s fine.

    That silly snakeman''s taken over as per your will, and gotten your secret snakefood formula. Nuwa responded patiently, having already expected his questions.

    Eobard sighed in relief. Despite his bad tendency to eat a quarter of what he made, Nom Nom was a good snake caretaker, devoted to his job.

    "And Charlie?" he asked, concerned about the nightglider who avenged him.

    She''s fine right now. In fact she''s here when you''re ready to see her again. Nuwa said, showing a weird expression as she spoke.

    I know you won''t ask so I''ll tell you. We are currently in the holy ground of the serpent people. From gorgons to lamia to snakemen, all snake types are welcomed here. Courtesy of the deal I made with Jorvus.

    You''ve been reborn as a snake, per my request.

    "Why me?" Eobard asked, and Nuwa smiled.

    Because you were an eccentric.

    It''s not hard to find a child with great potential in an empire this large, but to find one so devoted to snakes that he bought a shop just for snakes?

    To evolve a monster twice to the B-level just because it was a snake?

    To hire no one else but the snakeman because he enjoyed your snakefood so?

    So when you died and I thought of the new program proposed to revive our favored dead, who else could I pick but you?

    "I''m flattered.

    And a snake now. So do I just nap now or..."  Eobard asked, and Nuwa''s smile deepened.

    That''s the best part. You''re a normal snake now, but I''m allowing you to choose any snake monster yo want to become, and I''ll make you so.

    It''s within my domain after all, mother of snakes.

    "Any snake!?" Eobard asked, extremely excited at this moment.

    Any. She affirmed, pulling out a thick book, one he was quite familiar with.

    It was his book from the store.

    An encyclopedia of all the monster snakes, serpents, wyrms, and even eastern dragons ever recorded.

    It was bigger than he remembered.

    I turned it into a divine treasure for you, courtesy of my cauldron of creation. It now records all snake monsters to ever exist, as well as their info. My birthday gift to you if you will.

    It''s also you size now, and can change size accordingly.

    The area around Eobard shook as Nuwa''s hand lowered. placing the newborn snake down in a miniature house.

    I''ll leave you here for now. Medusa is probably complaining right now that I''m taking too long. When you''ve made you choice, just ring your bell and I''ll e along to help you change your form.

    And she disappeared, straight into thin air, upon which Eobard eagerly dived into the book, curious to see all that was recorded.

    Quetzocoatlisk

    city serpent

    slithering stalactites

    berrysnake

    serpent of the guarden.

    <hr>

    He chose serpent of the guarden.

    THough Nuwa was initially surprised, she burst into a grin at his response.

    "I wanted to open another shop.

    I''ll need a garden for that. This guarden snake grows fruit, perfect for me to make my old feed."

    She chuckled as she shook her head.

    Even now, you are stuck on that shop. Eobard made no comment, for indeed, he had focused on what was best for the shop.

    Berrysnake had been tempting had it not been for the fact that the guarden snake could raise livestock.

    I am now sure I did not choose wrong.

    Very well! she said, clapping her hands.

    From now on, you will be a guarden snake!"

    Boom!

    A heavy cauldron dropped from the air causing the ground to shake.

    Hop in!

    Eobard lept in without hesitation, as Nuwa set forth to do what she did best.

    Creation.

    <hr>

    It took a week for him to emerge from the cauldron.

    He was no longer so small, now being 20 feet long, and Nuwa no longer seeming like a giant to him.

    The change in perspective merely emphasized how small he had been weeks prior.

    His scales had taken on a corn snake  pattern with a small bell hanging under his neck.

    There was a small pair of horns emerging from the back of his head as well, though they easily blended in with the rest of his scales.

    He had a rather innocuous appearance, but that was because his abilities were closely tied to the garden he chose, and not with himself.

    The bell under his head was no normal bell, with it''s ringing capable of bringing great growth to plants in the area.

    In fact, he saw in his book that one path this form could take was a dragon, where the bell would become a dragon ball.

    He would remain a snake of course and was unlikely to take the path, but it was something interesting to learn nonetheless.

    Turning to face the person who''d given him these abilities, he bowed politely to lady Nuwa.

    "Thank you miss Nuwa." the young man said politely, albeit stiffly.  He wasn''t quite a people person.

    She waved her hand in dismissal. It''s nothing. Now, you said you wanted to open a shop didn''t you?

    Eobard noded, and she smiled. Well, knowing what you wanted, I bought you a piece of land here in the holy land of serpents, so that you could open your shop freely.

    They teleported in an instance, appearing in front of a simple shop.

    This shop wasn''t as impressive as his old shop, but it was enough for Eobard. It fit in better too. The land of snakes was indeed just that.

    He watched as countless serpents passed by them, and even gogons and lamias appearing in the crowd.

    For Eobard, it was the dream.

    A land of just snakes!

    It was amazing!

    Eobard was starting to feel excited.

    Walking in, the layout was practically the same as his old house, contrary to the outward appearance.

    In fact, he turned around, looking up, expecting to see a familiar shape.

    And indeed,

    A large, black, slithering silhouette came down, staring at him curiously.

    The midnight glider greeted him, with a surprising raspy voice.

    "Is it... you?" There was a glimmer of hope.

    Eobard nodded. "It''s good to see you again Charlie. Thanks for getting the assassin before I... passed."

    To this, though she didn''t say anything, she stiffly nodded, before cooly slithering up to her perch above the roof, curling up quietly.

    Hmmm. Nuwa hummed, causing Eobard to worriedly ask. "It''s not rude to hang other snakes above the roof is it?"

    No, it''s fine. Just thinking about, things. She said, her eyes flickering between the two snakes before continuing to talk.

    Anyway, I copied most of your resources from the old shop and the currency around here is the same as the rest of the empire.

    So, are you ready?

    Eobard nodded thankfully, before slithering over into the back of the shop.

    He was back, and he had so much to do.

    Sadly, he couldn''t sell snakes any more most likely, but that was fine.

    A whole new world had revealed itself to him, and he had so much to do.

    Life like a snake was looking up.

 Stocking stuffer 4: Dear Santa....

    Dear santa,

    I am going to catch you this year!

    By the time you''re reading this letter, you''ve already started eating the cookies and milk.

    I didn''t lace them this year. I tried it last year, to no success. The only person who suffered that day was my poor neighbor Chris Kringle, my wife''s best friend.

    I don''t like him, but she says he''s full of christmas cheer.

    I mean sure, he''s a jolly old man but he dresses too flashily for my taste. Far too much red to wear in a day.

    His wife isn''t much better. The two of them. Too much red between the two of them. A bunch of slobs!

    Still, they are a rather sweet old couple. Run an orphanage between the two of them, ton of kids. Shame they seem to dress just as garishly, all green, all year. Don''t get it.

    You''re probably wondering why I''m writing all of this. It''s simple.

    The poison wasn''t in the food.

    It was in the chimney!

    Yes, how could the man who swallows millions of cookies in a day be poisoned by indigestion so easily?

    I had to come up with more creative means.

    The whole of the chimney has been laced with a sleeping toxin, designed to knock out 10 full grown elephants.

    It was hard to lather the chimney in the stuff without anyone noticing, but you never know who''s watching. Sees us when we''re sleeping? More like surveillances us all the time! I see through you, you cunning bastard!

    There''s no escaping santa! I''ve done everything! I''ve barricaded the windows, blocked all the doors! The vents have been laced as well, ensuring no escape! The toilets clogged by weeks of chipotle!

    Let''s see you do it now you fatass houdini!

    I''m coming for you!

    No more tin foil accusations!

    Sincerely,

    Jeff Daverson

    I''ll be seeing you!

    Police would arrive at the scene of the incident where the house of Jeff Daverson seemed to have been torn down by a bear, or an equally large, bulborous beast

    Jeff Daverson himself would attest that "santa claus" had broken out in a drunken stupor, tearing down his house. It is believed that Jeff inadvertently inhaled the narcotics placed in the chimney as he applied it, causing the hallucinations. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    The "claus" in question is believed to be a bear.

    Perhaps driven away by his insanity, many of his neighbors such as kindly old Kris Kringle and his orphanage of children moved away.

    Kindly old Chris Kringle was a friendly, if mildly indisposed old man, who seemed to have suffered some form of narcotic.

    <hr>

    Dear Santa,

    last year I asked you for a brother.

    Can you take him back?

    I like my new brother but daddy doesn''t seem to like him very much.

    I don''t know why. Sure, brother looks a little different from us, but that''s fine. I still like him.

    But daddy doesn''t and keeps calling him "the devil''s son".

    I think he''s exaggerating.

    My brother doesn''t have demon horns!

    He has reindeer horns! Silly daddy.

    He''s very funny looking. He also has a glowing red nose!

    Mr. Farnsworth our friendly priest comes over more often too, though he seems rather mean nowadays.

    He keeps tying up my new baby brother and splashing him with water.

    I don''t get it.

    But it seems to make everyone very upset.

    I like my baby brother, but he seems to make everyone upset.

    So santa, could you take him back?

    From,

    Barbara

    Later that year, the mysterious red nosed child disappeared along with his sister Barbara Lewis. The story of Rudolph the red nosed reindeer would later spread...

    <hr>

    Dear Santa Claus,

    This is a formal notice calling you to attend the court hearing this upcoming 25th, on the case of Claus V Brooks on the charge of second degree murder.  The accuser, Randy Brooks and his grandfather Brooks sr., bore witness to the tragedy last christmas, where the accused was driving recklessly

    The defendant was seen by two eyewitnesses last christmas, diving his vehicles through the street before crashing into the prosecution''s grandmother/wife.

    As stated by the young Randy Brooks,

    "Grandma got ran over by a reindeer".  The witnesses were overly distraught by the incident, with the grandmother having suffered a hoof to the head, causing severe brain trauma, leading to death shortly thereafter.

    Mr. Claus is expected to arrive at the court at 8:00 am to defend himself.

    From,

    The department of justice

    P.S. if mr. Claus does not show up to the expected date, a public defendant will be assigned to the case and to defend on his behalf.

    <hr>

    Dear Santa,

    I don''t think you should come this year.

    Last year, mommy saw you kissing daddy, and she was real mad

    She said a lot of bad words that daddy said I couldn''t say.

    Mommy says she''s gotten over it, but she feels mad.

    When I asked mommy if santa would come over this year, she said that if he did, she would make you a eunuch!

    What''s a eunuch Santa? Daddy seems very scared when I say those words, while mommy seems very happy.

    She''s been sharpening all the knives in the kitchen recently.

    It''s been so noisy. I wish mommy would keep it down, but she seems very happy whenever she does it.

    Mommy laughs funny. She''s been acting funny since last year.

    She used to tell me that you can''t catch santa claus, but this year she put a trap in the chimney.

    Daddy seems very scared now, he no longer invites uncle Richard anymore.

    Uncle Richard used to come over for sleepovers, but recently he''s too busy to come over.

    I miss him. He never shows up anymore.

    I think he''s a little scared of mommy.

    Even daddy stays at work later.

    So dear Mr. Claus,

    please don''t come back.

    I don''t want to see mommy killing santa claus.

    Sincerely,

    Donna Conner

    Santa claus was later sighted fleeing the Connor house with great urgency, with many believing it had to do with the liquid leaking from the sleigh.

 stocking stuffer 5:: Reincarnated as the son of the 6-eared macaque, meeting the uncles!

    Bill felt curious about his newfound stature.

    He had not merely grown another pair of ears after all.

    He had grown taller as his limbs had stretched, becoming more human-like in length.

    This was expected. His father had told him that the large macaque form he had seen was merely an incarnation, and nothing like his true form, which had human like proportions.

    As he grew closer to his father''s appearance, he would grow to appear more human obviously.

    The change wasn''t merely physical either, as he found a newfound sense of power emerging, as he felt his power spike, far stronger than before.

    It was ridiculous that he could get stronger merely by hearing the rumors of others. It made him curious about his father, who had been absorbing rumors for ages, and profiting from the same energy as he had, yet still unable to break into the 6th rank.

    How hard was it to break into the 6th rank?

    It wasn''t merely that sense of strength that amazed him, but this increased ability to detect the world around him.

    It was amazing.

    His ears were already capable, but now? With a mere twitch of his four ears, he could hear across the whole city.

    Nothing was hidden from him.

    Even the magic formations were nothing before him, as those sound isolation magic circles were easily pierced by his will.

    Wonderful!

    Remembering what his father had promised him, Bill eagerly jumped back into the world Tree space.

    It was time to go meet his uncles.

    <hr>

    Seeing Bill reach the four-eared state, the 6 eared looked quite happy as, though he grudgingly agreed to take him to meet his uncles.

    In order to do so, they took a flying nimbus.

    It reminded him of a certain legend...

    Yet when he turned t ask he merely received a warning glance which stopped him from asking.

    From asking that question. He still had plenty of other things to ask.

    "What was the prehistoric age like?" Bill asked, and Liuer paused, as if recollecting.

    It was a violent time. You humans have no idea how good you have it now.

    For the weak, it was hell, being trampled upon by the strong.

    And for the strong, it was paradise.

    Many of the top powers of today were born from the prehistoric age.

    Even then, the 5 were gathered. The qilin, qinglong,  baihu, xuanwu, zhuque...

    there were others in that group of course. A great insect tyrant, a turtle that could control time. But only the 5 of them survived to the modern day.

    The macaque reminisced, lost in old memories, flying over the empire.

    "Wow! What about you guys?"

    Hmmph! Us three? We were born strong! The prehistoric period was our playground! Nothing stood in our way! I mean, there were a few obstacles... The monkey backtracked quietly as he continued, telling tales of great violence

    They were simple stories, for they were tales of violence. There was little else to talk about in Liuer''s eyes.

    It painted a picture of the prehistoric world, one painted in blood.

    Bill found himself a bit bored by the tales of blood, so he shifted gears, choosing to ask about other things.

    "You said before the prehistoric age, there was another. A war of scales. What was that like."

    The macaque paused, as he recollected once more, but hesitated.

    This... I know little about.

    "BUt aren''t you the 6-eared macaque? Surely you should''ve picked up some things!?"

    The macaque laughed awkwardly as it explained. Bill, to ear something requires someone to speak. Whether it be out loud, or silently in their own mind, a speaker is necessary.

    The war of scales was before the prehistoric age. The number of people still alive from that time are few.

    And those few, I cannot hear through. My abilities are great, but for those of that level, it is easy to block my hearing.

    Still... I have heared things. The bigger monkey drew out, causing the younger one to impatiently stomp, and Liuer laughed before continuing.

    The prehistoric age to you was violent, but it was nothing compared to the age of scales.

    The prehistoric age was an age of survival. There was great injustice, great brutality, and plenty of death, yes. But that was life.

    The war of scales... was bloodshed. A war between two great fronts, a war that spanned countless eons, a war said to be even longer than the prehistoric age.

    We know the dragons were one side in this war. In these times, there were no color dragons, no metal dragons, no eastern dragons, wyverns, nothing. Simply dragons. Creatures with a similar body to today''s easter dragons, but they were scaleless. One survivor told me that the dragons of then resembled today''s axolotl''s to some extent.

    Dragons then, purely used mana. There were no qi type dragons.

    Their enemies were many, creatures of boundless physical strength. The first qi users.

    They had scales, beautiful, hard scales.  It is called the war of scales by those who know, for it is said, that dragons began using scales as proof of their victory, a form of trophy over the losers.

    Less spoken about is the fact that todays giant dragons, or the western ones, take many of their features from their enemies, from the wings to the general body shape, and that the eastern dragons took on their physiques, and improved them, becoming the qi dragons seen today.

    Much of what we respect in dragons today is what they''ve taken from the losers.

    "If their enemies were so great, then how did the dragons win? It sounds like most of a dragon''s greatest features come from these great foes." Bill questioned, and the macaque gave a wide grin.

    They cheated of course! The only way to defeat a foe equal to your level.

    They-

    The macaque created a pregnant pause, as the grin turned malicious.

    Oops. Trips over. We''re here now!

    "Wait, but the age of scales!"

    Oh well, better luck next time. You wouldn''t want to make uncle Wuzhiqi waiting would you?

    The older macaque teased, dissipating the nimbus and leaving poor Bill with no room to discuss.

    The two of them had arrived by a river surrounded by sand, indicating that they had stopped in a dessert.

    There was a variety of wildlife sorrounding the large river, with slithered through the vast swaths of yellow.

    Monkeys were clearly the dominant group, with a pack of them leisurely sitting by the lake, merely watching with curiosity as they approached, showing no fear, and even a hint of playfulness. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    yin-yang monkeys, The females absorb yin, the men absorb yang.

    They''re a species established using brother''s blood as the foundation.

    "Doesn''t that mean uncle Wuzhiqi should be somewhere nearby?

    As Bill commented that, the water bubbled and a huge head emerged from the water, a stark white head, followed by broad, black shoulders.

    The ape like creature was huge, easily over 100 feet tall, looking like a mix between an ape and a baboon.

    Bill had seen the black shoulders, but quickly realized that it was not merely the shoulders, but all the fur under the head was black.

    The rattling of chains could be heard, causing Bill to curiously look at the source

    A large chain dangled from the neck of the large ape, broken off at the third link.

    A booming voice reverberated through the room, as Wuzhiqi warmly welcomed them.

    Brother! You''ve finally brought me a nephew! Did you finally convince sister Pheme?

    Something like that. Liuer said, smiling somewhat bitterly.

    Wuzhiqi chuckled, as he observed little Bill.

    4 ears already. Soon enough you''ll have 6 ears! Wuzhiqi praised, and Bill smiled as he bowed and showed respect.

    "Greetings uncle Wuzhiqi! Thank you for your good wishes. I''ll try!"

    I know you will! If you''re a son of Liuer, you no doubt have the same gossipy nature! He chuckled.

    Liuer looked around. Is brother gibbs not here yet?

    Shouldn''t you know that already? Wuzhiqi asked, and Liuer snorted, showing a look of annoyance.

    Lord Jorvus has been putting my ears to work nonstop. They''re a little overworked currently. I''m still being worked to death currently monitoring players. Why else would I only send one of my incarnations here?

    Fair. I''m glad I don''t have any useful abilities like you. Wuzhiqi commented, showing a teasing smile, causing his brother to grumble.

    Whatever...

    They didn''t have to wait long for the third brother, as he made his appearance thunderingly.

    A large monkey hand appeared out of nowhere, attached to a long arm which reached into the air indefinitely, where Bill could not see its end.

    Ziiiiiip!

    A weird sound occurred as Bill witnessed an equally ridiculous sight.

    A gibbon was sliding down the arm. No, the gibbon was sliding down his own arm.

    Despite knowing the legend, seeing it was another thing entirely, as he watched the arm pass through the gibbons body as he slid down.

    He looked like a plain gibbon in many ways, having no particularly special aspect to him, yet there was a sense of auspiciousness to the beast.

    Once it landed on the ground, the arm flew back from the endless reach, as his arms shortened back to normal gibbon size.

    They were still long, long as a gibbon''s arms are meant to be, but nothing like the indescribably distance they were earlier.

    According to his father, uncle gibbon cold grasp entire mountains this way, even pulling down golden crows from the sky in the prehistoric age with this technique. Unrelatedly, he was good at discerning truths and destroying illusions,

    Bill soon noticed the sound of breathing as another small gibbon head popped out of the fur of his uncle.

    "Nephew greets uncle gibbon and cousin!" he said politely and the old gibbon chuckled stretching his arm out and patting the young macaque''s head.

    Good, good! You are more polite than your father was when he was young. The gibbon recollected, causing the macaque to look away embarrasedly, and Wuzhiqi to cackle, only for the gibbon to scold him too.

    Little Liuer may have stuck his ears where they do not belong but I recall a certain younger brother who used to pick fights everywhere. Were it for the generosity of the last scaled king and kind Nuwa, you would''ve been squashed a hundred times over already.

    And what about you? Little liuer has finally brought me a nephew, but you have yet to give me a nephew or a niece! The gibbon scolded, causing Wuzhiqi to complain.

    I consider this whole tribe my children...

    Do you dare claim so! Nuwa helped you make this race. If you claim to be the father of this race... The gibbon trailed off, yet his eyes gleamed with eagerness, curious to see how Wuzhiqi would speak.

    He was dissapointed.

    I dare not! I dare not!

    The gibbon rolled his eyes before prying the young gibbon off his back.

    Whatever. Meet your newest nephew. Little Dwingli. He said presenting the young gibbon, who had a small fire alit on top of his head.

    This one has an aspect of fire on him. Wuzhiqi noted, as he sniffed, and the gibbon shrugged.

    Yup. I was thinking of giving him to one of Hestia''s attendants given his nature. He casually commented.

    Bil wasn''t too surprised. The gibbon was classified as a divine beast; though he was in a sense giving his children away as pets, it was more accurate to say that he was giving them positions, ensuring the security of their future.

    It was weird, but not altogether unheard of down in the mortal world.

    Bill wasn''t even offended at the thought of something similar happening to himself. To become the servant of the divine was hardly a bad position to receive.

    But to whom would he go to? Hmmmm....

    As Bill pondered this question, Wuzhiqi asked Liuer this time.

    I doubt you called us back together just to meet up brother. As much as I enjoy these little meetups, I am quite curious as to your plans this time. He said directly, and the gibbon looked over as well as he groomed his child.

    Liuer chuckled. Bill has gained his second set of ears, meaning he''s opened up one of the main talents of my family: skill mimicry.

    What better talents to steal than the talents of our very own family?

    Hearing this, Wuzhiqi nodded proudly. Of course! There are few families out there as great as ours! We''ve outlasted nearly every clan of the prehistoric age! The golden crows, the white sabers, the leviyatins(real whale species),  even the megalodon clans are nothing before ours. Shame we can''t get the youngest in on this. He grumbled that last part, mildly displeased with the youngest in question.

    The gibbon nodded with understanding. Indeed. Though he cannot completely copy our skills until he completes his ability to mimic, he can still learn our great techniques. Wuzhiqi''s ability to extend his life as well as his understanding of yin and yang, and my ability to witness the truth of the world and ability to "grab stars" should be quite useful starter techniques for the boy.

    He said it with ease, yet were any normal person to hear this, they would stamp their feet with frustration.

    Starter skills!? The ability to extend one''s life by centuries was something all cultivators dream of. ANd as his level grew, that ability could enter thousands to millions of years.

    Of course, to the immortal monkeys, this meant nothing, but for Bill who was merely a demigod and thus restrained by lifespan, this was a huge blessing, giving him an extended period to reach the rank of god.

    And this was merely a side effect of yin and yang!

    The ability to witness the truth had meany counterparts in this world, yes, but few as well developed as one honed over millions of years. Perhaps only the full form of the skill appraisal could compete, something the system had intentionally locked away.

    To grab stars was equally terrifying. Though he couldn''t actually grab the stars, this skill allows him to grab things far larger than him, and shrink it to fit his palm.

    If it sounded like the skill the buddha once used on Sun Wukong, of course it did! Who else could the bald donkey learn it from?!

    Humans after all, did not exist in the prehistoric age.Their foundation was shallow, and though they learned many things on their own innovation, to say they copied many skills would be an understatement. It is said that Pangu''s very own axe technique was based off the skills of the immortal tyrant, a loser of the scale war.

    The yin-yang ape chuckled, as he eyed the young gibbon meaningfully. We even have a little playmate for the young macaque to practice with once he''s absorbed our skills.

    The young gibbon shivered, hugging his father closely to avoid the cold.

    THe gibbon shot Wuzhiqi a look, but did not verbally disagree, quietly acquiescing.

    It was not a bad thing to refine a child''s temperament after all.

    Once Bill snapped out of his thoughts,he found the three chaos monkeys staring at him meaningfully.

    Why were they looking at him like that?

    <hr>

    Once he heard their ideas, he too was extremely excited.

    It was true, that gossip to him was the first love. Knowledge, especially nowledge not meant to be shared was his greatest joy.

    That did not mean he disliked strength. Who dislikes strength?

    It was strength that gave the right to eavesdrop, otherwise he''d merely be caught and beaten again.

    He hadn''t succumbed to torture, but that hardly meant that he wanted to repeat that incident.

    Wuzhiqi went first.

    Wuzhiqi began practicing in the air, throwing punches, changing stances.

    His aura was at times overwhelming, dominating, strong, yet other times it became elegant, beautiful, lingering in the heart of the viewer.

    Bill felt it, as his ears quivered, taking it all in

    The 6 eared macaque is able to hear more than just sound. It was able to hear all things, from thoughts to rhythm, to the very laws themselves.

    He could hear it.

    Yin and yang.

    The gibbon chuckled lightly as he watched, the young gibbon also looking on curiously.

    You know something funny? Because of his in depth control of yin and yang, Wuzhiqi is able to change between a man and woman.

    "Really!?" he asked both astonished and curious. The gibbon nodded, with a teasing look aimed at the other brother.

    Poor wuzhiqi kept moving, yet a look of embarrassment was seen on his face.

    Liuer continued this thought with a gloating look. Indeed, indeed! Back when he first discovered the power of faith, Wuzhiqi wanted to explore it as the path to the 6th level. So he often turned into a beautiful human woman, to lure more followers in.

    It failed of course, only leaving him with the embarrassing memories to cherish.

    He said it with a gloating look, changing into a stunning eastern woman and speaking.

    I''m wuzhiqi, goddess of this river. Pray an lick my feet!

    I didn''t sound like that! Wuzhiqi roared furiously, stopping midway through and lunging at Liuer, the two locked in combat.

    The yin yang apes had begun chanting and whooping as they witnessed the glorious fight.

    The gibbon sighed, clearly used to the struggle between siblings as he turned to Bill.

    Well, now is as good as any time to show you some of my techniques.

    The gibbon raised his hand and it grew

    no, it''d be accurate to say everything else shrank.

    All the yin yang apes, the river beside them, and even the fighting brothers were now small before the hand of the interconnected arm gibbon.

    The only reason Bill even knew he had been shrunken was the large furry face looking down on all of them, as well as the five mountains in the distance.

    Any who had read journey to the wes would understand what had happened.

    A flux of knowledge entered his brain as the technique was absorbed seamlessly.

    The voice of the gibbon echoed all around.

    Others have claimed that I can grab the sun and the stars by reaching out.

    For when man was young, they watched as I caught a golden crow with one palm, when the clan was still plentiful.

    Once you''ve reached the right level, you can suppress all things with one palm.

    Watch.

    With that one word, the sky itself was covered in darkness as a large ceiling came rushing down, crushing the two fighting brothers.

    Dammit gibbon! I was beating him!

    If my real body was here I''d slap you silly! Roared Liuer, yet all he could do was suffer a slapping.

    So Bill got to watch his father and uncle suffer a beating at the hands of their senior brother.

    It was a fun family gathering overall.

    He never found out about his uncle''s nasty idea of sparring with the young gibbon, as only the brothers played that day.

    The long armed gibbon got the last laugh that day.

 Book 2 chapter 28: High elf education begins

    I wasn''t surprised that she wanted to do so. This had been a long time coming in a sense.

    Despite being a high elf, Willow had been forced to sit back and do nothing while dangerous situations such as the raid on the mansion, or the kidnapping of Lenore played out.

    How could she not feel helpless?

    I had never agreed with the way the elves treated her,yet had acquiesced as it was clearly an important cultural thing to them. And that I would be capable of defending her.

    But this was different. Gods were involved now. False or real, the situation had clearly changed.

    Political situations were always reasonable to a certain extent. As silly as that sounded, politics were inner conflicts. While inner conflicts could get serious, ultimately, things would never get too serious, lest it escalate and cause too great a deterioration of the situation.

    No nation ever wanted that, lest it result in the collapse of the kingdom. Not even the nobles of the Romana empire dared, est it repeat some of the empire''s greatest tragedies, which had often resulted in new nations and new enemies like he nation of Frandce.

    But this was different. When faith got involved, things tend to hit the fan.

    No longer were the interests purely political, but of belief, and belief was dangerous, and it could lead to death. Lot of it.

    The very travesty which had caused a lot of people to flee the empire and form the Australian Federation had been sparked by the conflict of religious ideals.

    Religion, which can be used as the glue of the kingdom, can just as easily be the thing that tears it apart.

    Poor Willow has been dragged into a dispute of ideals and beliefs, something that rarely simmers down, but rather builds up and explodes.

    I had no doubt it would get worse from here.

    So I had no qualm with the idea of teaching her, or encouraging her to learn.

    But how to learn? I was hardly certified to teach her. Sure I managed to create a skill or two like stake strike but most of my skills came out of my shop, if they weren''t innate skills connected to my current body.

    It wasn''t like Leon, where I could teach him with my previous experiences as a human. As a human, I had no experience teaching the type of things that would best suit a high elf.

    I don''t even know where to start!

    There is the qually great problem of how to hide it from them.

    THere was no way I would tell the two of them that I was planning to clearly go against their request, and their orders from above.

    That would cause a divide between our two groups, more than was already coming just by mere agreement to help educate her, which may even lead to a permanant disbandment of the team.

    Then again, we''re likely to part ways once they got on the boat to the elven kingdom, so that''s already inevitable. So what if they found out?  Nothing would happen.

    I do have a way to hide it from them, thanks to my handy dandy space within the four seasons where I could conceal her training. That''s the easy part thankfully.

    As for teachings...

    Hmmm....

    Stolidus, do you have anything for that?

    [Actually, yeah. It costs about 10000 points in the system shop as well as 5 skill points, but it''s a comprehensive guide to the education of high elf children.]

    .. Why does the shop have that?

    [Personal experience from player 0.]

    Ok, but what the 5 skill points?

    [well, it offers some basic skills for high elves, though if you want the advanced skills, you would need to purchase the skills indicated in the shop.]

    This is expensive, but I barely use my skill points, so it hardly affects me. And I probably won''t need the follow up skills, since I''m just giving her a start up.

    Alright, purchase it stolidus.

    [And done. Man it''s a good thing you are a point hoarder. Don''t even use them for the most part.]

    [Anyway. Brace for impact, in 5, 4, 3, 1 go!]

    Before I could react, a wave of information flew through my head, so quick and intense I could barely react.

    The pain was immense, but so quick I couldn''t even react, merely leaving me in a dazed state in front of a very confused child as she watched me process her request.

    After processing it, I reacted to Willow''s patient but determined look. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    I still asked her to confirm.

    "Are you sure? It won''t be easy?" I cautioned her and she nodded with determination.

    And she spoke to my surprise.

    "I don''t like being weak.

    I want to be strong." She spoke softly, yet there was strong will behind it.

    " I don''t want to be useless anymore."

    "Very well then. But if we do this, it has to be our little secret. No one else can know. Do you understand?" I ask and she nods.

    "I understand.

    They don''t want me to learn.

    But I don''t want to be weak anymore."

    It''s clear that despite her quiet nature, WIllow has long been aware of the situation around her.

    Children are perceptive. How could she not notice that the elves around her had been resistant to teaching her these things?

    Even if they never said it, the hints were there. While Leon learned to fight, Willow played. She watched.

    Having another child to compare against likely emphasized the gap in treatment between the two kids.

    I nodded. "Alright, I''ll try my best. You understand as well as I do the consequences of doing this, so if they ask what we''re doing, you say..."

    "We were learning the alphabet." she said calmly, without a hint of hesitation.

    "And we tell Leon..."

    To this, Willow showed more hesitation, before ultimately repeating. "We were learning the alphabet."

    "Extra lessons." I confirm, deciding to use the idea that Willow was having a little problem understanding the written language to take some more time to teach her.

    And of course, this required their permission.

    <hr>

    It was easier to get their permission than expected.

    Initially expecting them to make a fuss over the need for extra lessons, as well as having them in the subspace, neither of them seemed to make much of a stir in response to my suggest.

    And that was because of my newfound backing.

    "I mean, the favored of Anubis. Everyone knows that the Gods of the underworld are some of the most impartial and fair gods. Anubis himself is considered a prime example of this.

    If he''s vouching for you, and you''re insisting that she needs more education, then that''s fine.

    Besides, I know you''re doing it for her own good." Lenore said, with a look of trust and understanding. Even Servante raised no issue, clearly agreeing.

    It made me feel a little embarrassed as I ended up inadvertently relying on my lord''s reputation to deceive them and explain my choice to privately teach her some extra things.

    Having said that, I easily justified it to myself with the understanding that this was a form of justice and fairness, for what I did in secret was to protect others.

    Of course, before doing that, I have to make sure to restrain the growing ant queen.

    Looking into the four seasons space, I slowly create a connection to the mind of the ant queen.

    The ant queen shows no resistance, easily connecting to its mind.

    The mind was more primitive than ore by a long shot. While ore was capable of thinking a few words here and there, even forming whole sentences, the ant queen was more primitive, feeling more like waves of emotion in its mind.

    Or perhaps it simply thought differently than we did as an insect?

    I wasn''t quite sure, but regardless, what mattered was if it understood, and obeyed my intent.

    My first attempt was conveying words directly into its mind, and to my surprise, it seemed to understand as I mentally commanded it to go pcik up a stick and it complied.

    I also requested it to not bite a plant I had planted in the space, and it obeyed, swerving away from the thing.

    It''s solid so far, though the real test will be how it reacts to her.

    And in the end it turned out I had overthought it somewhat.

    The ant queen was terrified.

    For some reason unknown to me, the second she stepped into the field, the ant quickly scampered away returning to its tunnel, not even daring to rear its head.

    It left the poor elven child looking at the retreating creature in confusion.

    Why did it run so quickly?

    [Because unlike you, the ant queen has an acute awareness of the terrifying bloodline inside of the elf child who just entered your space.

    As an ant, though its sight is poor, its ability to perceive things though pheromones, sounds and its terrifying instinct that drawback decreases dramatically.

    ANd because of that it can clearly perceive how dangerous she is, unlike you who is dumbly ignorant of how dangerous she will be once properly trained. Well, more accurately, it can detect the terrifying bloodline which hasn''t been fully awakened yet.

    And thus it has a terrifying restraining effect on her, causing her to flee its presence. ]

    Ah. This wasn''t that surprising under that context then.

    The high elf was clearly a dangerous being, which the elven kingdom had clearly gone to great lengths to control, so much so that it was the stuff of legends.

    The fact that the royal family kept such strict control of the distribution of high elves said enough.

    It was more surprising that I couldn''t sense this terrifying aura described by the system.

    Were my senses dull? Was my past life as a human interfering with my senses as a monster? Or was the intuition of the ant queen that good?

    [Yes]

    Shush.

    Anyway, according to the instructions here, one of the first spells I should start working on with her is [grow]

    It''s a basic spell that druids and plant mages can use to grow plants and accelerate growths.

    It''s an extremely basic spell that a lot of people know, being public knowledge.

    But that makes sense. After all, you have to start from the basics when it comes to teachings.

    According to the guide there''s a specific reason for this.

    High elves are more often than not in tune with nature with few high elves being connected to other elements, though if the high elf is born in one of the branch off elf families, like the drows or the sea elves, then they are more likely to take on other attributes, in which case other spells have to be used.

    Because of their attunement to nature, it''s common for high elves who have begun to practice to cause crazy growths to plants.

    In fact, when he had first been carrying her away from the elves trying to kill her way back in the forest where they had first met, he had seen the crazy growths and mutations amongst plants sprouting when she had seemed anxious.

    It''s a common thing for them, who have such a bond to nature, but no way to properly control it.

    Unlike monsters, the races don''t get an inheritance after all, having to rely on the teachings of others and the physical storage of knowledge.

    Grow was a basic spell that happened to complement the high elves bond to nature.

    It allowed her to use her natural attribute to its fullest, and let her focus on honing the outburst of the plant element.

    This was also a good thing for me to be honest. I want to grow plants here after all. If Willow could properly develop the grow spell, then I could have her stimulate certain crops and grow even faster. As a high elf, there''s no doubt that her capability was high, and according to the package, high elves are great at inducing mutations, for better or for worse. Like right now, were he to borrow her hand and to induce mutations in crops it would be unpredictable and uncontrollable, with the mutation likely to end up going horribly wrong, and benign at best.

    The danger of a young high elf could be seen here.

    If she became erratic and used her magic naturally, it would run wild and mutate everything near her and cause it to go nuts.

    Thankfully, this domain is my space so I should have reasonable control over this space, as from what I could tell, I already controlled all the plants here.

    Well, let''s see how bad educating a high elf could go.