《Miscellaneous Stories》 Chapter 1: First Day in a New World I¡¯m back at my house with my friends for a small after party. My friends and I aren¡¯t ready to hit the hay as of yet, because the party we were at beforehand was unfortunately broken up by the cops. Underage drinking and all that. But nonetheless, I¡¯m still smiling. Yes, today was a good day. ¡°Hey, Jullian, what¡¯s with that smile? Hahaha, don¡¯t tell me; you¡¯ve finally gotten into Cindy¡¯s pants. Am¡¯a right?¡± ¡°Shut up, man! She¡¯s not that kind of girl.¡± I reply angrily, but I still can¡¯t get rid of my smile. ¡°But yeah, you could say our relationship has¡­ progressed.¡± I say nonchalantly, cucumber cool. ¡°Hahaha, the dog! Details, please!¡± ¡°As you know, I¡¯m a gentleman, and as a gentleman, one does not kiss and tell, but I¡¯ll say this¡­ I can die happily now, I¡¯m sure.¡± My friends offer their offensive congratulations along with an uproar of loud laughter, which unfortunately woke my parents. Sadly, my friends are forced to go home, cutting my night short. But I don¡¯t mind too much. As I lay in bed as the night ends, I¡¯m still smiling, and those words kept repeating in my head, ¡®I can die happily now¡­¡¯ As such, a flag was raised that I wish was not have raised. I¡¯m falling, falling fast, but as oppose to the usual dream where falling wakes you up from that dream, instead, I actually landed. But where? ¡°Ughhoooh, fuck.¡± I groan and complain. I feel a dull pain. What¡¯s this feeling? I looked towards where I feel the pain and see that my left arm is gone. ¡°Aaaaah! Fuck! Da fuck, man! Shit!¡± I panick, until I realize that the arm is slowly growing back. I calm down slightly, overlooking the fact that it¡¯s totally impossible for arms to grow back, and also the fact that it¡¯s illogical that I wasn¡¯t sleeping in my bed right now. Yeah, for some reason I¡¯m not thinking straight. I feel extremely light, as if I¡¯d float away any second, so I¡¯m trying to not think in order to feel grounded. I look around to see that there are numerous bodies lying around me. Shit, I think to myself, da fuck happened? ¡°Ha ha, shit, looks like you¡¯re not dead.¡± Says someone who I assumed was dead. I guess its vice versa. ¡°Hey, sorry for killing you a while ago, but you caught me at a bad time. As you can see, I¡¯m dying. But I guess you can forgive me, after all, you just used my expelled mana to finish regenerating your arm.¡± I look down and I see that he¡¯s right, my arm¡¯s back. I feel slightly alright, so I force myself up and look down at the other guy. It¡¯s an extremely handsome pink-haired man with two horns poking out of his hair. Is this a demon, I wonder? Even if he was, he looks relatively harmless. After all, he had a sword sticking out of his chest. ¡°Hey, kid. Want to do me a favor?¡± I look at the demon cautiously and raise an eyebrow. Is this the infamous deal with the devil? ¡°What do you want?¡± I ask fearlessly. For some reason, that¡¯s just how I feel right now. ¡°Could you deal the final blow? I can¡¯t stand the thought of that asshole hero getting the XP for killing me. Hahaha, but if you deal the final blow¡­ hahaha, just the thought of the look on his face!¡± The demon laughs heartily. ¡°What? I¡¯m not killing anyone, even someone who¡¯s half dead.¡± I reject firmly. ¡°Oy, oy, kid, you know that demon lords need a final blow, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s not like a demon lord is going to bleed out, you know? Unless you kill me right now, I¡¯m going definitely going to get better and massacre the human race you know? It¡¯s a matter of survival for all living things, man! Are you really going to pass up this chance for world peace?¡± ¡°World peace, you say?¡± I reply with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Are you really a bad guy?¡± I ask in suspicion. ¡°Seriously, kid? I eat babies for breakfast kid, seriously, babies. Do I look like a guy who doesn¡¯t?¡± The demon responded as if he can¡¯t believe my doubt. ¡°You do look pretty evil.¡± I admit to myself. ¡°But I get the feeling that you¡¯re just a funny old man, for some reason.¡± When I say that, the demon raises his hand and shoots a black fireball in front of me, and my sense of danger increases to the max. Fortunately all that happens is some dirt gets splattered on my face. The ground continues to burn though, so I stepped away. I look back up to the demon, and his eyes have turned serious. ¡°Seriously, kid,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Kill me or die.¡± I stare down the demon, but he doesn¡¯t back down. Fuck, is today the day I commit murder? All I can say, god, is that he asked for it. ¡°Fine,¡± I say, giving in. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°You have to promise me kid, I mean it.¡± The demon says with determination. I look at the demon¡¯s no nonsense eyes again and I thought, damn, he really wants this. ¡°I promise.¡± I say solemnly. ¡°Even murderers get to choose their last meal, right?¡± I say, trying to justify the situation. ¡°Should I just cut your head off with that sword?¡± I ask frankly. The demon bursts out into laughter. ¡°Hahaha, kid, if it was possible for you to lift this sword I would have forced you to take it out and save me, but alas, you are but a weak child.¡± The demon explains. ¡°Can you see my HP?¡± He asks. ¡°HP? Where?¡± I asked in confusion. ¡°What?¡± The demon exclaims. ¡°Are you an idiot? Don¡¯t you even know how to turn your interface on? Just say ¡®Interface: On.¡¯ Simple right?¡± ¡°Ugh, OK.¡± I respond dully. ¡°Interface: On.¡± When I say that a sort of game screen appears in my vision. It has a mini map, a hot bar, a log box and several other game features. ¡°Whaa?¡± I exclaim in surprise. And just like the demon says, a health bar appears above the demon. His health was dangerously low, and it continues to deplete. It seems that he would be dead in a couple minutes. ¡°Good, you see it. Now then, I¡¯m going to cancel my passive physical resistance skill, and when you see that my health has dropped down to 1, you punch me as hard as you can, okay?¡± The demon said weakly. It seems like he was coming to terms with the end. ¡°Okay.¡± I respond submissively, not wanting to disturb the demon¡¯s thoughts. I simply wait in silence until his health drops enough. A couple minutes later, his health began to count down from ten, so I approached the demon. Then, eventually, his health dropped to 3, 2¡­ The demon let out a final sigh, and my fist came down hard on the demon¡¯s hard abdomen muscles, dropping the demon¡¯s health by one, ultimately killing the demon lord. Fortunately, there was no climactic explosion at this time, or flash of bright light, like you¡¯d expect from the defeat of a demon lord, but I did begin to hear several ding sounds. I looked and several messages popped up in the log box. You have defeated Demon Lord Oeflahr. You have gained 20880 XP. First XP bonus, +XP *100. First kill bonus, +XP *100. First killing blow bonus, +XP *100. First boss kill bonus, +XP *10. First ultimate boss kill bonus, +XP * 10. Level difference bonus, Total XP * 20. Demon lord defeated, hero bonus, Total XP *10. Total experience gain, 201074400 XP. Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 198! That¡¯s not all. As I look solemnly at the dead demon lord, a transparent version of the demon lord suddenly rises from the dead body and starts chasing after me! ¡°Aaah!¡± I yell, running away. Unfortunately, I trip. I turn around and watch as the demon lord¡¯s apparition merged with my body. Ah, fuck! I thought to myself. The demon lord¡¯s going to possess me! I feel a sharp pain all over my body, but I don¡¯t lose my mind as I think I would. Instead some more things pop up in the log box. Ability: Inherit Will activated. Inheriting Demon Lord Oeflahr¡¯s will¡­ Inheritance Compatibility¡­100% Skill merging¡­ 100% Ability merging¡­ 100% Inventory merging¡­ 100% Memory merging¡­ 100%Experience merging¡­ 100% Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 229! Shit, what happened? I wonder. For some reason I could feel that my mind was filled with a bunch of unknown memories. Were they the demon lord¡¯s memories? When I check again, there was also another set of memories apart from mine and the demon lord¡¯s. They were the memories of some boy who went to watch the fight between demon lord and the hero, and died when he went to get a closer look. I assume I had transmigrated into this dead boy¡¯s body. When I check, the first things in the log were me acquiring several abilities, including ¡®Inherit Will,¡¯ ¡®Superior Health Regeneration,¡¯ and ¡®Mana Steal.¡¯ Both ¡®Superior Health Regeneration¡¯ and ¡®Mana Steal¡¯ were abilities that I needed to survive as I was merely Level 1 at that time with a cut off arm, and ¡®Inherit Will¡¯ is sort of necessary to familiarize myself with this world. I wonder if it was fate or pure dumb luck, but I guess they were sort of my starter abilities. Maybe starter abilities were based on necessity. Fuck, I think, what is happening right now? I crouch down and cover my face with my hands, soaking in this whole event. I pinch myself to feel the pain, and confirm that this wasn¡¯t a dream. So¡­ I think, was I in a different world now? ¡°Aaaaah!!¡± I yell out, expressing my anguish. But there was no use fighting reality. As I¡¯ve learned from all my hippy friends, ¡®go with the flow.¡¯ So first I try to figure out where I am. There was a large, creepy looking castle in the distance, but I assume it was the demon lord¡¯s lair. I didn¡¯t want to get caught in there and assumed to be the demon lord¡¯s follower or anything. I check the demon lord¡¯s memories for human cities. It¡¯s good to have a goal after all. The demon knew of several human cities, but how do I get there, I wonder. I think about it and since there was a game interface, I assumed there would be game magic. I open the skills and abilities tab, and look through what I inherited from the demon lord. After skimming through the high leveled skills and abilities I found what I was looking for, the skill ¡®Space Magic.¡¯ I think about returning to the boy who¡¯s body I stole¡¯s family, but I realize that would be too awkward. Though, I do choose to go somewhere within the same kingdom. I wanted to repay the boy after all, for leaving me his body. I¡¯ll find his family when the time is right. I wonder, should I take the sword? But when I look around I see that the supposed hero is still alive, just knocked unconscious. I think, shit, better leave before I get sucked into something I shouldn¡¯t be involved in. That sword could very well get me into some unnecessary trouble. I figure out how to cast the ¡®Teleport¡¯ spell from the demon lord¡¯s memories, and began to chant some words, adjusting the words to direct me towards exactly where I want to go, outside the capital city of Igedron, of the kingdom Vazia. The dead boy, Allan¡¯s, family was relatively close; a few towns away. I finished the chant and a blue light envelops my body. When the light fades I was about a kilometer away from the gates of Igedron. I took a moment to let it in before I burst out into a loud laughter. ¡°Hahahah!¡± I think, magic! Bloody brilliant! Whether it¡¯s good or bad, at least it¡¯s entertaining! I look around after laughing maniacally. Whew, I think, wiping the nonexistent sweat off my brow. Thank god no one¡¯s around. I began to walk towards the distant gates before I stop. I think, wait a minute, aren¡¯t I like level 200 something right now? Won¡¯t that attract some attention? Other people probably have an interface too, right? I search through demon lord Oeflahr¡¯s memories and see that he did indeed have a skill for this situation. Oeflahr would often infiltrate human cities to drink and bed random women. So far, no one had seen through his Level 100 ¡®Camouflage¡¯ ability. The ability could change both appearance and displayed stats, and according to the demon lord, it was much better than simple illusion magic. As long as no high-leveled people with abnormal sensing skills come by, I should be fine. I check my inventory and look for some of the demon lord¡¯s clothes. I find some neat, comfortable robes and put them on before changing my displayed stats to a Level 30 Mage. According to my inherited memories, this level was about right for strong within the range of relatively common. With my preparations ready, I head to the gates of the city. When I arrive there, the guard asks for identification, to which I smile wryly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I replied. ¡°Unfortunately I don¡¯t have identification.¡± ¡°No ID, huh? One of those wandering mages, I assume. Well, if you want to sign up as a citizen of Igedron, Vazia, you have to pay 1 silver.¡± ¡°Right,¡± I reply. ¡°I¡¯d like to sign up then, please.¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± The guard says, leading me to a building just inside the walls of the city. ¡°She¡¯ll get you set up.¡± The guard says, gesturing to a lady behind the desk he lead me to. After exchanging some words with the lady and seeing that his duty was done, the guard left. If there was any funny business, there were soldiers within the building anyway. I stood before the lady and see in the log that she used the ability ¡®View General Information¡¯ on me before beginning to write something down on a scroll. She then uses the ability ¡®Capture Image¡¯ and my picture magically appears on the scroll. I pay the lady the silver from the demon lord¡¯s stash in exchange for the temporary ID scroll. The lady instructs me to always keep it in my inventory, and to pick up the actual ID tomorrow. I leave the building and began looking for an inn. I desperately wanted to sleep. After finding one, I pay for it and go directly to sleep, still not able to quite believe my situation. Chapter 1: Corporeal Dream System ¡°Agh, aagh.¡± A miserable sound drifted off from the bushes beneath a great cliff. A man with a young face on the cusp of adulthood was lying flat on a bush, seemingly forced into it, with several broken branches piercing into his abdomen, legs and face. The man slowly grew more aware as the ever present pain from his injuries began to make itself known to his dim consciousness, like a sober moment before death, with no other purpose than to let you know that your time in this world is almost up. Theos opened his eyes despite the pain to understand the situation. To his understanding he had just exhaled his last breath on his death bed, only to wake up with an arm and a leg both broken, along with multiple branches stabbing into his body. Seeing himself in this situation, he instantly understood; he had transmigrated. He has seen a few of these cases along with several reincarnations, but he never expected it to happen to him. As he thought about it, he realized the reason behind this phenomenon. It must that damn obsession of mine, the man thought with a sigh, before suddenly becoming angry. Than what the fuck is the point of transmigrated to this soon-to-be-dead body! As the man lamented in pointless rage he began to feel an ethereal force drifting along his body and in the surrounding area. Is this? The man thought in shock as he felt something that he''s been trying to feel for the last thousand years; something that he spent his whole life trying to understand yet was unable to come in contact with, like a fish that watches through the waters of a pond as a bird flies freely above it, dreaming for something it will never be able to accomplish. Such was the tragedy of Theos¡¯s previous life. This is definitely what my broken senses failed to grasp in my previous life; Primal Energy! Theos thought in excitement. I still have a working arm and leg. All I need to do is design the System Imprint. But which system should I choose? Theos has learned of and studied thousands of System Imprints in his previous life, along with their various benefits and weaknesses. He knew that there was no such thing as a perfect System Imprint, as there was only the one most suited to the cultivator. Strictly speaking, this is where one should perform an Attribute Analysis, but Theos had neither the time nor the tools, for such an assessment. The only thing Theos could do now is cringe his teeth, pick out the most attractive one, and hope for the best. As for how far he''ll be able to walk in his cultivation, that''s for the grace of the heavens to decide. Ignoring the pain from his wounded body, Theos pushed up with his right arm and balanced himself as forced his left knee forward, setting himself in a semi-upright position. Then he forcefully pushed his broken right leg forward also, before he was able to sit upright. Theos took a deep breath before relying on only his left leg to push himself upwards as he balanced his body. When he stood he saw the cliff wall and looked up, only now understanding how this body was so badly injured. This idiot was trying to climb a mountain! This guy is obviously a mortal. What''s the point of doing such dangerous things if not for cultivation resources? This idiot was just looking to be killed by trying to climb such a large cliff as a mortal. Theos thought in disdain before hopping to the flat cliff wall. Theos closed his eyes to calm himself amidst the excitement and pain that he felt, before trying to pick out the most attractive System Imprint to him. If it''s just based on attractiveness in terms of spirit and style, it has to be that; Corporeal Dream. Concerning style, one could focus in many areas as Corporeal Dream, was in essence, about fulfilling one''s desires. Depending on what one desires, one could become the strongest person in the world, or the most intelligent, or the richest. In terms of fighting prowess, it stresses the importance of deceiving and outwitting your opponent, but doesn¡¯t force this style upon the host. As such, within the system, there are system skills offered for intelligence gathering, sensory amplification, and ultimately skills involving illusions. As a mortal who has lived for a thousand years, Theos was undoubtedly a crafty old fox, and he would have not survived that long otherwise, considering how weak he was, even with all the longevity elixirs his master gave him, which stretched his mortal lifespan to the absolute limit. Concerning spirit, the only reason Theos transmigrated in the first place was for his obsessive dream, which completely fits the Corporeal Dream System. With his impeccable memory, Theos stuck two fingers in the gash on his head and began to draw on the cliff wall with his blood, as he mumbled words in an ancient language, gathering the Primal Energy in the surroundings and infusing them into the blood on the cliff. Although Theos was anxious to finish the ceremony as he was losing blood at a fast rate, he still continued to calmly draw at a steady pace. 5 minutes later, other than immense pain, Theos began to feel drowsy from lack of blood, but he forced himself forward through sheer willpower. 10 minutes later, the diagrams on the wall were now much larger and much more complex, but Theos felt that he was about to collapse at any moment. After the diagram was finished, Theos could only hope that the diagram was drawn correctly and use the last of his strength to lift his blood drenched hand onto to the center of the diagram, pressing a bloody hand imprint onto the wall before finally activating the Primal Energy in the diagram. The wind began to howl as the surrounding Primal Energy began to gather into the diagram, manipulating the drawings into changing form, as it began to transform and shift into a smaller and more solid shape, before finally gathering at Theos¡¯s hand. The blood was redrawn back into Theos¡¯s body through his hand, albeit in a different and magically transformed form. Then, a voice resounded in Theos¡¯s mind, causing him to grin, as if this was the happiest moment in his two lives. Corporeal Dream System initializing... Constructing system¡­This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Binding to host¡­ Integrating host¡¯s memories with artificial intelligence¡­ Restoring host for character assessment¡­ At that moment the Primal Energy was once again stirred up and was being automatically absorbed by the system to heal Theos¡¯s body at a visible rate. But this was at the expense of stretching this already injured body to its limits to absorb the Primal Energy, causing his body to inflate slightly and induce a much more immense pain than Theos¡¯s original injuries. This was the power of a System; it could do things which even the host is unable to accomplish himself. But ultimately, these seemingly miraculous powers are quite limited, as a System¡¯s main purpose is the evolution of the host, not for the host to become a slave of the system. Also, to truly create an all-powerful System would be almost impossible, considering bodies at the beginning of cultivation would not be strong enough to contain that power. The only way would be to have the System grow with the host. Functions such as this body restoration would only be used in emergencies, and would all come at a cost. Also, this ability would not be able to be used frequently as that could damage permanently damage the body. ¡°Aaaaurgh!¡± After clenching his teeth and suppressing the pain Theos felt, he still couldn¡¯t help but let out a final roar after his body finished restoring and resumed its original shape. Analyzing attributes and skills¡­ Setting dream¡­ System construction and assessment complete. Welcome, host, to the Corporeal Dream System. ¡°Haagh.¡± After a sigh of relief that everything worked out fine, Theos spoke some words to the System. ¡°Show me my stats.¡± After the command some information was transmitted to his mind. Name: Theos Kargh Physical attributes: 13 Mental attributes: 50 Primal energy: 0/31 Skills: Theoretical Magic (98), Theoretical Primal Battle Skills (96), Theoretical Elixir Crafting (98), Theoretical Diagram Design (98), Theoretical Acupuncture (50), Theoretical Artifact Crafting (98), Theoretical Scroll Crafting (98), Theoretical Poison and Medicine Crafting (60), Practical Diagram Design (5), Medical Diagnostics (85), Surgery (90), Mortal Fighting Techniques (100), Fight Tactics (97), Calligraphy (90), Musical Skill (85), Painting (90), Cooking (90). Current dream: To ascend the limitations of life, become immortal, and stand at the peak of existence. The mental attributes with a rating of 50 didn''t surprise Theos, as he had been tempering his mental attributes for too long, learning all the tricks he could to be able to fully control his mind, to the peak of a mortal¡¯s limits. He was also satisfied with the physical attributes rating. At least this body wasn¡¯t unhealthy, and a little bit stronger than your average human. As for the skill ratings, other than the Practical Diagram Design which he just earned, everything else was the accumulation of his previous long life. The theoretical acupuncture rating should have been much higher, but these skill ratings are based on one''s perception of the limit, and this dropped the rating for this skill, as Theos was immediately able to notice that the meridian system for this body was much more different than his original body, albeit still believing in his ability to figure out this new system. The medical diagnostics skill was also a little lower as he had no knowledge of this world''s diseases or ailments, but Theos still believed in his skill to diagnose an illness thus the rating was still rather high. Theos then glanced at the current dream setting with melancholy tinged with with a new hope. This dream was a result of him becoming a servant of his master. All those years watching him stand at the peak of the world as an immortal gave birth to this obsession in Theos. All he hoped for at the time was to also begin his journey to the peak, but alas, he was born with crippled senses and could not interact with Primal Energy. Fortunately that did not hinder his desire for knowledge, which is now able to pave the way for his current life, and with his master¡¯s generosity and resources, along with his connections, Theos was able to study freely for his long life. Now it¡¯s time to get some more information of this world, Theos thought as he sat down to meditate. Using his superior mental attributes and the mental tricks learned in his previous life, Theos began to delve deeply into the memories stored within his brain, scanning through the previous body owner¡¯s life. The previous body owner¡¯s name was Theodore Kahn. His father is the founder of an internet-based retailer which has slowly grown to be the largest of such companies in the world, undoubtedly earning him a lot of money. As a rich second generation, Theodore naturally had a stubborn and prideful side to him. He did not like hearing people saying how lucky he was to be the son of his father, thus spurning the desire to make something out of himself. When Theodore was 14, the internet was becoming widely more popular, along with the growth of his father¡¯s company. It was at that time Theodore had walked into his father¡¯s office and demanded a loan, because he was going to start his own company. Theodore¡¯s father at first thought this was just another of his child¡¯s whims, but grew serious after seeing the seriousness of his child¡¯s face. As such, Theodore¡¯s father agreed to his child¡¯s request, especially since he was not stingy with family and can afford to lose this amount of money. But he secretly made the decision to make sure that his son was not taken advantage of. When he asked his son what his company would do, his son told him that there were two things he had been spending his time on. The first being, a social networking site, and the second being a system for a digital currency which he could be used on the site. After his son spent enough time creating apps for his site, such as games, including those involving gambling, his digital currency would slowly grow more popular. Also, if he was able to get internet-based retailers to accept his currency, it wouldn¡¯t be too long before much of the country to be using this currency. When Theodore¡¯s father heard this his mouth twitched. You kid, are always trying to be so independent, yet in the end aren¡¯t you still relying on me, your old man? His father thought, resigning himself to eventually using this currency for his company. But this only gave Theodore¡¯s more reason to see that his son succeeds, and thus, helped his son set up his company. After three years, Theodore had graduated early from his high school, and saw no point in going to college, as his company was already huge. As such, he resolved himself to go out and experience the world, travelling from place to place to try out different activities and cuisines. And this is how he ended up cliff climbing in the remote place, eventually falling to his death. Theos was surprised as he scanned through these memories. According to these memories, the world is completely comprised of mortals! Who knew if there were any cultivators in this world, as Theodore had no knowledge of such things. But Primal Energy obviously exists in this world. There¡¯s no way people wouldn¡¯t notice it! Unless these people couldn¡¯t sense it, like myself in my previous life¡­ Then why can I suddenly sense it now? Theos thought, pondering the reason. Could it be that? Theos thought, thinking of the history of Primal Energy users in his previous life. In Theos¡¯s previous life, it was said sensory perception of mortals towards Primal Energy first began to take place when beasts began to evolve into monsters. The monsters wreaked havoc in the world, threatening the lives of many mortals which activated their senses in a moment of life and death. Which subsequently, began the age of cultivators. Since then, in Theos¡¯s previous world, cultivation grew much more advanced with the passing of time, bringing about the Cultivation Systems that slowly became the standard. Theos, himself, has tried out this method of activating his senses, but alas, he has never succeeded. Chapter 2 Theos didn''t dwell on the issue too long, as it was irrelevant if there were any other cultivators in this world. All Theos needed to focus on was achieving his dream. Theos took off his backpack which he only now realized he had after flitting through this body''s memories, and looked for the GPS, which was luckily still working, albeit a little banged up. Theodore had originally wanted to land on his backpack to soften his fall, hoping for a slim chance of survival, but alas, he failed and ended up landing on his face, forcing his consciousness to drift away. Good thing it still works, Theos thought, ignoring the grieving soul of the already dead Theodore. After figuring out where he was Theos sat back down and began to gather Primal Energy, storing it in his body. After two hours of silent meditation Theos opened his eyes to the grumbling of his stomach. As he was about to looking for the dry rations in his backpack, Theos suddenly realized that this a great opportunity to hunt and try out his new found ability to use magic. With that he took out a survival knife from his backpack and attached to his belt. After quietly climbing a tree, Theos patiently waited in silence. After about half an hour, Theos watched as a pigeon flew down and landed on a tree in front of him, behind the trunk and out of Theos¡¯s lime of sight. Theos infused his knife with some Primal Energy and threw it at an angle away from the bird, before using a remote manipulation technique to force the knife to change directions. The knife moved in a curve and accurately pierced through the unsuspecting pigeon before flying back around the tree along with the pigeon and back in into Theos¡¯s hand. ¡°Haa has.¡± Theos breathed heavily, with beads of sweat on his forehead. Damn! Theos thought. That was more strenuous than I thought, and it practically cost me half of my Primal Energy. Theos sighed. I still have a long way to go. Theos climbed down from the tree and began to gather some wood to cook the pigeon. After gathering a pile of wood, Theos hovered his hand above the pile, causing the tinder beneath the wood pile to ignite. Theos was originally dreading having to taste some bland pigeon meat, but luckily the dead mountain climber brought some salt and pepper. So after cleaning the bird and adding some salt and pepper, Theos pierced it with a sharpened stick, placing it over the fire. After cooking and eating the bird, Theos picked up his backpack and began his journey back to civilization. There was a road about 30 kilometers from the base of the mountain where he could hitch a ride. If he ran he could make it there in a couple hours and if everything went well he would be able to make it back to the nearest town in time for dinner. With that Theos began running at a moderate pace, simultaneously drawing in Primal Energy as he used it to supplement his body. He had made it to the road rather earlier than expected as he picked up his speed out of boredom. Only after an hour of trying to hitch a ride with his thumb out, did a nice looking luxury car stop at the side of the road. After getting in the car and seeing the driver who stopped for him, a weird look appeared on his face. ¡°What''s with that look on your face? Shouldn¡¯t you look more grateful after I stopped for you?¡± The beautiful black-haired girl asked with a look of discontent. ¡°What''s wrong with me? What¡¯s wrong with you, is what I want to ask! Do you realize that you¡¯re a beautiful girl in a luxury car? Stopping for hitchhikers is just asking for trouble.¡± Theos retorted, unable to hold in his perplexity. For some reason the girl suddenly got shy and her cheeks blushed slightly. As for why she stopped the car, the girl saw that Theos was actually very handsome, hence she did not think too deeply about it, merely thinking to sow some seeds of karma if this person turned out to be a possible future husband candidate. The girl''s name was Song Jinjing, and she was from a rich family in the country of Jiuzhou. Being from such a family, she was in danger of being married of for the benefit of the family so she has always been actively looking for husband candidates who were not only rich or influential, but were amiable and virtuous. Thus, the reason she stopped for Theos, because it won¡¯t hurt if her future husband is also handsome, right?This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. When Theos saw the shy look on her face, he suddenly came to an understanding. So this girl is actually an idiot. Sigh, what a pity. When Song Jinjing saw Theos sigh and the look he gave her, she suddenly felt a flare of anger. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look down on me! I¡¯m from Jiuzhou! Don¡¯t you know that everyone from Jiuzhou knows martial arts? If I wanted I could slice of an enemy''s head from a thousand miles away with my flying sword, hmph!¡± A look of shock appeared on Theos¡¯s face. ¡°Can you really?¡± He asked with shock. When Song Jinjing saw the look of belief on Theos¡¯s face she suddenly burst out into a loud laughter. ¡°Hahahah! Oh my, how gullible! That sense of wonder and shock, priceless!¡± She said with more pure joy than mockery, because to her she has rarely seen things and it was like a poor man finding an already cut and polished emerald on the road, simply a delight. As Theos recalled the Jiuzhou martial arts films in his memory, his face became red out of embarrassment as he realized she was joking. But it won¡¯t hurt to try and find out the source of these martial arts myths. Theos thought, becoming determined to visit Jiuzhou. Song Jinjing''s laughter slowly dwindled down before saying, ¡°It really wasn¡¯t a mistake to pick you up. If I didn¡¯t I would have missed that priceless face. And anyways there¡¯s no way an idiot like you would be able to take advantage of me anyways.¡± She continued in a mocking manner. ¡°Alright, alright. Can we go now, I have stuff to do.¡± Theos said in a dismissive manner, trying to scrape back the lost respect. ¡°Okay, boss! Where to?¡± Song Jinjing said in a playful manner, not realizing how open she was being with a stranger. Perhaps she was subconsciously affected by Theos calling her beautiful. ¡°And what''s your name? I''m Song Jinjing. I came out to travel the world a bit before heading off to college which is why I¡¯m here at the Allied States.¡± So she''s actually one of those talkative idiots, Theos thought before answering. ¡°I¡¯m heading for anywhere with an airport. And you can call me Theo.¡± Theos said, deciding on his name based on his and this body''s previous owner''s name. ¡°Hmm, well, Theo. Fresh Lake City is about 3 to 4 hours from here, how ¡®bout I drop you off there. I¡¯m heading there to ski in the nearby mountains.¡± Song Jinjing said in a talkative manner. ¡°Hmm, so how long do you plan to travel?¡± Theos said, simply for the sake of conversation. ¡°Not too long.¡± She replied. ¡°This is my last stop. I plan to head back to Jiuzhou a couple days from now.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m actually also planning to head to Jiuzhou after some paperwork ready.¡± Theos responded without much thought. ¡°Ah! You haven¡¯t become obsessed with me and plan to follow me back to Jiuzhou to stalk me right?¡± Song Jinjing asked with fake shock. ¡°Nope.¡± Theos flatly rejected the suggestion. ¡°I just plan to learn more about Jiuzhou martial arts. And where''s a better place to learn than it¡¯s place of origin?¡± Song Jinjing giggled once again in amusement. ¡°Say aren¡¯t you a little too gullible? You can''t really believe in things like flying swords and inner qi, right?¡± ¡°Hey, they might not have flying swords but there''s certainly people there who practice fighting techniques, right? There''s nothing wrong with satisfying my curiosity.¡± Theos responded. ¡°Well, if you say so. Well if your going to Jiuzhou, come to the capital if you have time, and I''ll show you around. I¡¯ll be going to school there.¡± The girl said in a friendly manner. ¡°Hmm, if I have time.¡± Theos replied, neither agreeing nor denying. Eventually the car drifted into silence as it sped down the highway, with occasional chitchat resounding every now and then. After a little more than three hours, the car drove into the city. ¡°You can drop me off anywhere; I''ll just grab a taxi.¡± Theos said, not wanting to trouble the girl. ¡°It''s okay, I''ll drop you off at a hotel. Or better yet, how ¡®bout we have dinner. You won¡¯t let me eat alone will you?¡± Song Jinjing said with a loud. In truth, although she enjoyed it, she has been feeling a little lonely journeying from one place to the next by herself for a month. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m in dire need of a big meal anyway.¡± Theos answered, not minding the company of a beautiful girl. ¡°Great, but you¡¯re paying, since I definitely won¡¯t eat as much as you. You owe me that much after I drove you all the way here.¡± She said, playing on Theos''s guilt. ¡°Okay, okay. But bring us somewhere nice. That pigeon was not up to standard¡­¡± Theos said, mumbling the last part, not wanting to seem too uncivilized. ¡°¡¯Kay, I''ll find a place.¡± She said, stopping on the side of the road before taking out her phone to find a restaurant. ¡°Ah! There¡¯s a restaurant with a 2 star Michelin rating not too far from here! We have to go!¡± She said excitedly, before stopping to gauge Theos''s reaction. ¡°Sounds good, but hurry up; I¡¯m hungry.¡± Theos said with no particular change in expression. Whether in this life or his previous life, Theos has always had a rich background and was used to eating the best, no matter the cost. Seeing that Theos did not cringe at the thought of spending that much money, she happily voiced out, ¡°Remember, you¡¯re paying.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m paying. Now drive.¡± Theos said in a hurried manner. Song Jinjing simply smiled in response and started driving. Handsome; check. Rich; check. As a stranger, he¡¯s amiable. And if you count his being worried about a beautiful girl picking up strangers as virtuous, then that¡¯s a check too. Song Jinjing thought with evil intentions. Husband candidate, I¡¯m reluctant to let you get a away. Although Song Jinjing said the restaurant wasn¡¯t far, it still took 50 minutes to get there, further exacerbating the situation inside Theos''s stomach. Chapter 3 After experiencing some major events today, Theos was thoroughly exhausted, and fell asleep as soon as his body touched the bed of the hotel room. It wasn¡¯t until noon that he woke up to sound of a phone ringing. Theos reached into his pocket and fished out his phone, pressing the answer button. ¡°Hello?¡± He said, still sounding a little groggy. ¡°Where are you!? We need to leave for the airport in an hour! Get out of bed; I know you¡¯re sleeping! Hurry, you still need to eat something!¡± Song Jinjing¡¯s voice sounded loudly from the phone, already sounding like a nagging little wife. ¡°Okay, okay, relax. I¡¯m getting up now. Order me something to eat downstairs and I''ll be there soon.¡± He said, trying to calm the upset little girl. ¡°Hurry, or I¡¯ll leave without you! Hmph!¡± She said before abruptly hanging up the phone. By this time, Song Jinjing already gave back the car she rented and found a printer to print out their boarding passes, thus she was a little angry at the lazy Theos. Theos could only respond in his mind with, who says I wanted to travel with you anyways? As he showered, Theos commanded, ¡°Show me my stats.¡± Hearing his command, the System showed Theos his stats. To Theos''s surprise, at the end of the information transmitted were the words¡­ Secondary dream: Find true love. Dream mission: Accompany Song Jinjing back to Jiuzhou (Reward: 1 Skill Credit) Theos¡¯s mouth twitched as he saw this. Fucking dammit! This body''s previous memories must be conflicting with the dream settings! Theos thought in anger, before taking a deep breath to calm down. Although Theos did owe Theodore for offering up his body to give Theos another chance at life, but if was not like he could give Theodore true love, because this dream no longer applied to Theodore. This dream now applied to Theos. To Theos, finding true love was the least of his concerns, as his goal of achieving immortality was in complete conflict with that. Who wanted to find true love only to have that dream ripped away the moment one outlived the other? That would undoubtedly create a heart demon the further one cultivated, depending on the authenticity of that love. There was the small chance of cultivating together and two lovers both achieving immortality, but Theos could not even consider that a chance. In his long life, Theos has not heard of one such case, as even achieving immortality alone was already practically an impossibility in itself. I¡¯m doomed, Theos thought, depression hitting him hard. I¡¯ll most likely cultivate a heart demon if I don¡¯t achieve this dream, and I¡¯ll definitely cultivate a heart demon if I do achieve this dream. Theos sighed. Fuck it. What will be, will be. ¡°System, notify me of any changes in the System.¡± Theos commanded, as he didn¡¯t want to miss any more mission updates. After Theos finished getting ready, he went downstairs for lunch. When Theos saw Song Jinjing and her puffed up cheeks, and ticked off face, he began to figure out his feelings for her, in consideration for his new ¡°dream.¡± Why would I, a thousand years old man, be interested in this little girl. Theos thought sternly, before his face softened. I guess she is kind of cute. After changing his perspective of his priorities, Theos''s opinion of Song Jinjing also began to change. And she is very beautiful. She¡¯s been easy enough to get along with so far... Maybe, she wouldn¡¯t make for a bad wife¡­Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Other than satisfying his physical needs, Theos has never let himself fall even remotely close to anything such as love. The only thing Theos considered family was his master, and that was more absolute loyalty than familial love. As such, the life Theos has lived until now mainly comprised of knowing where his loyalties lie and his obsession, which in many people''s eyes was already a tragedy. In this way, finding true love was a completely new concept to him, and he didn¡¯t know just quite how to act. As Theos approached Song Jinjing, he actually began to get nervous, like a young boy with a first crush, not knowing how to act. ¡°There you are! Your food ready; hurry and eat.¡± Song Jinjing said, not realizing the change in Theos. ¡°Hahaha, yes! I love lunch! Thanks, you¡¯re really thoughtful.¡± Theos said as he sat down, spewing bullshit in his nervousness. Fuck, he thought. I need to calm down. I¡¯m acting like a thousand year old child. Song Jinjing raised an eyebrow in suspicion. ¡°What''s with you? It''s just food; eat it already.¡± ¡°What does it have to do with you? I¡¯ll eat it when I¡¯m ready.¡± Theos blurted out of his mouth, going from overly friendly to cold and aloof due to inexperience. ¡°I mean, yes, thanks for the meal.¡± Theos quickly covered up, deciding to shut himself up with food. Fuck this, I¡¯m just going to act natural. Whether that leads to true love is for the heavens to decide. Song Jinjing gave Theos a strange look. This guy is acting weird today. Could he have escaped from a mental hospital? Is it safe to travel with this guy? Forget it, if he keeps acting weird, then I¡¯ll just ignore him and get a new flight home. ¡°Why are you acting so weird?¡± She asked bluntly. After swallowing a bite of food, Theos decided to be honest. Theos didn¡¯t have much ability when it comes to love, so in a way anything he did could either be wrong or could be right, but he would not know, so he might as well let it all fall into place as it pleases. ¡°Why else would I be acting weird? At first, we were strangers meeting by chance, and now we¡¯re traveling together. I¡¯m inexperienced in this sort of thing, so the possible love implications are making me nervous.¡± Theos said, with perhaps too much honesty. After hearing that, Song Jinjing could only process those words slowly before laughing out loud. Why was I getting so wary of this guy? He¡¯s obviously just an idiot who doesn¡¯t know how to talk to girls. After a good laugh, she said with a teasing tone, ¡°Hmm, so do you have feelings for me?¡± ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t flatter yourself. I merely meant the possibility of me liking you is making me nervous, because I¡¯ve never been in that situation before.¡± Theos answered with a chuckle. Song Jinjing ignored the mockery and replied with curiosity, ¡°So you¡¯ve never had a school crush, or admired a celebrity?¡± ¡°Nope. Up till now, I¡¯ve been focused in other matters in my life.¡± Theos said before continuing to eat. ¡°Hmm,¡± Song Jinjing expressed in thought. ¡°So what have you been focused on up till now?¡± She asked, trying to understand Theos. ¡°Not much,¡± Theos responded in a perfunctory manner. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Song Jinjing said, not knowing what else to say. So open yet distant. Hmph, trying to act all mysterious with me. Is this the move he uses on all the girls and he¡¯s just trying to act innocent? She wondered, not knowing if Theos was really a relationship idiot or if he was just acting as the pig to eat the tiger. Hmph, you won¡¯t eat me! After eating the two got everything ready and left for the airport. When they were done checking in and going through security, Theos went to find some foreign language books to kill some time. When he found what he was looking for, he picked out several languages and went to the waiting area to read, first starting with Jiuzhou''s language. Theos didn¡¯t cultivate his mind for a thousand years for nothing. Theos was easily able to understand the book, flipping through it quickly after memorizing each page. Eventually Theos boarded the plane with Song Jinjing. After about 3 hours of peaceful reading the two had arrived at Carouver, Theodore''s hometown. At this time Theos didn''t know what to do as he was planning to go back to his mansion, but didn¡¯t know what to do about Song Jinjing, so he asked, ¡°So, what do you plan on doing next?¡± ¡°Of course, we need to check in to a hotel.¡± She replied. ¡°But I live here, so I¡¯m going home.¡± Theos said bluntly. ¡°Oh,¡± she said with slight surprise, before smiling and saying innocently, as if it was a matter of course, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Hehe, of course I won¡¯t know the degree of your wealth till I know what your house looks like, Song Jinjing thought while smiling secretly. ¡°Okay, if you say so.¡± Theos said, slightly satisfied. Of course, I still need to go back to Jiuzhou with you to get my Skill Credit, Theos thought with a secret smile. Undoubtedly, these two would be speechless if they found out they were both plotting to benefit from the other. Theos found a taxi and had it drive the two to his mansion, which a little out of the city, on a hilly area next to the strait. Lucky Bastard Lucky Bastard Chapter 1: I¡¯ll Work Hard, But Only In Games Sol was 18. Young and foolish. Finding himself. Making mistakes, learning. As of now, there was nothing he wanted more than to try out the new virtual reality game that has recently become available to the public. Lostalia. He had asked his father to buy him it for him. But it was a very expensive game, and he no doubt refused. ¡°Get a job.¡± He said to Sol. Unfortunately, Sol wasn¡¯t the sort. He was lazy and didn¡¯t understand the meaning of hard work. Instead, he got a loan from some shady business in an alley. When asked what for, he replied, ¡°School.¡± Fortunately they didn¡¯t ask for proof of enrollment. He bought the game and installed it in his house while his parents weren¡¯t home. If they saw it they¡¯d ask about how he bought it. ¡°Finally.¡± Sol said as night finally came. He put on the ultra-high tech, Robocop-looking visor, which was connected to the game system and through which, stimulated the brain, allowing him to enter the game. He turned it on, and his vision went black, then he found himself in a white room. There was a screen before him, floating in the air, displaying Lostalia¡¯s Ouroboros symbol. ¡°Welcome.¡± A female voice said. ¡°You currently do not have a Lostalia character. Would you like to make one?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sol replied. ¡°What is your character¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Silver.¡± Sol thought it sounded cool. ¡°You said Silver. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What race would you like to play as?¡± ¡°Human." Sol replied. He didn¡¯t know much about the other races, but he thought human was a safe bet. Actually, Sol¡¯s knowledge of the game was actually quite limited. The second he heard ¡®virtual reality,¡¯ he immediately wanted it, and never bothered to learn anything about it. He was the impulsive sort, even more so than your average child. But human was usually the well-balanced class, in his experience. ¡°You said human. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Would you like to change your appearance?¡± ¡°Yes, make my hair silver.¡± Sol replied, and an image of himself was displayed before him, but with silver hair. ¡°Do you wish to confirm your changes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where would you like to begin your adventure? There are four available human kingdoms to choose from.¡± ¡°Anywhere is fine.¡± ¡°A human city will be chosen at random. Is that OK?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re starting city will be the capital city of the Sohen Kingdom, Allere. Would you like to begin with the book Beginner¡¯s Guide in your inventory?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± It was something Sol would definitely need. ¡°You will now be transported to Allere.¡± Sol suddenly found himself in plaza bustling with people. It really was a fantasy world. There were mages, warriors, knights, bards, and archers. At least Sol assumed that¡¯s what they were. Again, he didn¡¯t know much about this place. It was loud. People were yelling, selling stuff, and trying to form parties for hunting. Sol had seen this in other games, but what used to be spamming text, has turned into actual yelling. Sol was dressed in a green tunic and beige pants, and in his hands was a book, displaying the words ¡®Beginner¡¯s Guide¡¯ in handwritten letters. Sol opened the book. Inside was a basic guide on how to play the game. There was also something on choosing classes. Classes were given out by NPCs. Sol guessed that should be the first matter he should take care of. Sol wanted to be a mage. Casting spells impossible in real life was extremely appealing. As Sol was about to leave in search for a mage he saw a blue bird fly towards him. It circled him a couple times before stopping to hover in front him, flapping its wings extremely fast. It was like a larger, blue hummingbird. Sol instinctively held out his hand for the bird to rest on. ¡°Hello¡± Sol said to the bird resting on his hand. ¡°Hello, are you new here? Do you have a class? Want me to give you a class?¡± The bird asked in a quick-paced, high pitched voice. Sol raised an eyebrow. Sol did want a class, and though he wanted to find a mage NPC, he thought this might be a rare occurrence in the game. How often do birds offer classes in this game? It was surely a rare event. So Sol answered, not wanting this chance to pass by. If it was a bad class he¡¯d just create a new character. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like you to give me a class.¡± ¡°Good choice, newbie! Good choice!¡± The bird replied. Sol suddenly heard an alarm bell sound and a text screen popped up in front of him. It said: You¡¯re class has changed! You have become a Lucky Bastard! The Blue Bird of Fate Event is a rare occurrence which has a 1 in 1 million chance occurring when a new account is made. Lucky Bastards are truly the blessed children of heaven. They easily become much richer than their regular classes, and Production Skills are easily utilized to further increase your money making abilities, making crafting produce twice the results with half the effort. The Lucky Bastard¡¯s talent in battle also causes others to turn green with envy. If he picks up a sword, he becomes a sword master, and if he picks up a wand, he becomes a spell master. Such is the blessings of the Lucky Bastard! -All skills are now available for learning -All stats increased by 100 and Luck stat has increased by 500 -Health increased by 1000 -Mana increased by 1000 -Stamina increased by 1000 -Skill proficiency gain is increased by 100% -Crafting has a 50% chance of producing three times more skill proficiency -Class restrictions for items do not apply ¡°Wow.¡± Sol said. ¡°That¡¯s a little much.¡± Isn¡¯t this cheating? Sol thought. Some skills were limited to what kind of class you were, according to the Beginner¡¯s Guide. For him to be able learn all skills was a little much. His stats, health, mana, and even stamina have all increased. Sol didn¡¯t quite know if the increases were large though, but he assumed so. He would also gain skill proficiency faster than the other users. It didn¡¯t seem fair. Sol thought about making a new account, but dismissed the idea. Maybe later. I kind of like the idea no class restrictions. ¡°Bye, bye.¡± The bird said, beginning to flap its wings. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later!¡± With that, it flew off into the distance. Sol stood there for a moment, thinking. I can learn all skills, eh? So I guess I can learn mage skills too! According to Beginner¡¯s Guide skills could be learned in a number of ways, but the easiest way for a mage was to use a Skill Tome. For that he¡¯d need money. For now Sol thought the best thing to do was find a source of income. He didn¡¯t want to hunt monsters yet, seeing as he was lacking sufficient weapons and skills. So he went off to find a Blacksmith. He might be able to learn some blacksmithing skills. To make the world¡¯s greatest weapon! One of Sol¡¯s many aspirations. Sol walked till he saw a large building with a large plaque. It said ¡®Blacksmith Guild.¡¯ Sol walked inside where the scene opened up to a large open area with several work stations set up with forges and anvils, and in the back there was a door with a sign that said ¡°smelting room.¡± Sol approached a dwarf who seemed to be working on a sword. ¡°Excuse me?¡± The person looked up to see who it was, then continued to work. ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked as he hammered a piece of metal against an anvil. It was glowing yellow. Wow that must be hot, Sol thought. Blacksmithing seems dangerous. ¡°I want to learn the Smithing skill.¡± Sol continued, pushing through his reluctance. It might be interesting, Sol thought. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about teaching you, but there is something you could do for me.¡± The dwarf said. ¡°What is it?¡± Sol asked. ¡°I¡¯m running low on iron. Could you buy some iron ore and smelt them for me?¡± Quest: Buy and Smelt Iron The dwarf smith, Jerber, has asked you to buy and smelt some iron. Iron ore can be bought at any general store for 1 silver. Jerber needs steel smelted from 30 iron ore. Quest Difficulty: F Quest Reward: Blacksmithing Skill Do you accept this quest? ¡°Sure.¡± Sol replied as the dwarf smith handed him 30 silver. Sol walked outside to look for a general store and quickly came back with 30 iron ore. ¡°Thanks.¡± Jerber said, then continued on to teach Sol the Smelting skill. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve learned how to smelt go into the back room to make the iron, then come back. Sol went into the back room and found people smelting metal at several small smelting furnaces. Closer to the back of the room, there was a huge smelting furnace, which seemed to be for producing large quantities of smelted metal. Huh, Sol thought, I wonder if this is similar to how blacksmiths do this in real life? Sol walked up to an unused smelting furnace and a system prompt was heard. ¡°Do you wish to automate smelting process?¡± A voice asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Sol replied. He barely understood the smelting process when it was explained to him. Sol then felt his body moving on its own. He took out some iron ore and put it into a large container with a small height. He then went on to pick up a hammer and started to pound the ore into smaller parts. He continued to do this until all the iron ore was reduced into smaller rocks. Then he picked up a shovel and started pouring the iron ore into the smelting furnace, after which he would occasionally go to another container and shovel some coal into the smelting furnace. He continued until the container was filled with all the iron ore. After that his automated body pressed a red button on the smelting furnace with a magical rune on it. Than his body stopped moving, and continued to wait for about five minutes. Then suddenly, his body grabbed an ingot cast and put it below one of the furnace taps and switched the tap on. A molten metal began to pour out of it and into the cast. There was enough to fill up 5 ingot casts. Sol¡¯s body put the cast aside then opened up another tap, causing more molten material to pour into square shaped bucket. After the molten material stopped coming out, his body just continued to wait again. Is it done? Sol asked himself. Sol tried to move his body and a system prompt was once again heard. ¡°Do you wish to stop automation?¡± A voice said.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. There¡¯s more? Sol asked himself before answering, ¡°No.¡± Sol waited for five more minutes before his body went to the ingot cast and flipped it upside down, allowing the already hardened ingots to land on the table. He then put the ingots into his inventory. ¡°5 Steel Ingots have been added to your inventory.¡± A voice said. Nice, Sol thought. The dwarf also reminded him that smelting iron has a chance to produce pig iron instead of steel, which would result in Sol having to redo the quest. But luckily he got it on the first try. Sol¡¯s body then moved to the square bucket and flipped it upside down onto the table, allowing a rock like substance to land onto the table, which Sol¡¯s body put into his inventory. ¡°1 Slag has been added to your inventory.¡± Slag? What¡¯s that? Zol wondered. Zol checked his inventory and looked at the slag¡¯s item information. Huh? It¡¯s just the waste material from the iron ore. Does it have any uses? Zol wondered before forgetting about it. He kept the slag in his inventory just in case there was a use for it later. Sol brought the ingots over to Jerber, completing the quest. He got 150 exp. and was able to learn the blacksmithing skill. ¡°Hey, kid. Do you want a job for the day? It¡¯ll be a good way to raise you¡¯re blacksmithing skill, and I¡¯ll even pay you 1 silver an hour.¡± Jerber asked with a gruff, indifferent attitude. Completely deluded by the fact that this was a game, Sol accepted the job. It was his very first job. Sol worked diligently for the rest of the day, getting his Blacksmithing level to Novice Level 3 and his Smelting level to Novice Level 5. For most of the day he was smelting iron. He also learned some tricks of the trade. He learned to check the balance of the weapons he made, and learned to use a chisel to do more detailed work. Sol was satisfied with the day¡¯s work. Jerber went home soon after it got dark outside, but Sol wasn¡¯t ready to retire. Fortunately the NPC shops in the game were open 24 hours a day. Sol went outside to find the book store. ¡°Hello.¡± The shopkeeper greeted once Sol walked into the store. ¡°Hello.¡± Sol replied as he approached the counter. ¡°I¡¯m looking for some Spell Tomes.¡± ¡°Well, you came to the right place. We have a multitude of Spell Tomes here.¡± The lady said, and continued to bring out several tomes. Sol checked the tome¡¯s information screens, and was quite interested in many of them. But unfortunately Sol couldn¡¯t afford any of them. He was only able to earn 7 silver today, and the 100 copper you got for starting a new account didn¡¯t help. The cheapest tome was 20 silver. ¡°Do you have any Skill Tomes that I can buy for under 8 silver?¡± ¡°Sure, but they¡¯re all production Skill Tomes.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Sol said, dejected. Sol left the store, and instead went to the General Store. ¡°How much would you pay for an iron dagger?¡± Sol asked the shopkeeper. ¡°Hmm¡­ For a low-quality dagger, about 1 silver, 20 copper.¡± It¡¯s worth a try, Sol thought. ¡°I¡¯ll buy 8 iron ore, please.¡± Sol went back to the Blacksmith Guild, and started making iron daggers. He didn¡¯t have any leather for the hilt, so instead he intricately carved the hilt, pommel and crossguard. He even chiselled grooves into the blade, all while making sure to not ruin the balance. It was more of a piece of art than a dagger, but it cut all the same. It was even lighter than the ones he had made previously. Drringgg! A text box popped up. You have made Elaborate Iron Dagger! An iron dagger made by a novice blacksmith. Though made by a novice, it is very detailed, light, and perfectly balanced. The detailed work was made at the cost of lowering the durability, but it is sure to be worth it. A product of hard work and an imaginative mind. Base Damage: 22 Durability: 14/14 Requirements: N/A Equipped Abilities: +5 Dexterity Nice. Sol was satisfied, and making the dagger gave him much more skill proficiency than the daggers he made before. And except for the durability, this dagger had a better attack. It even gave +5 Dexterity! But why does it say base damage instead of just damage? Sol was curious, so he checked the Beginner¡¯s Guide. According to the guide it was because there a multitude of factors that affect the actual damage, such as where you¡¯re striking or whether you¡¯re stabbing or slashing or you¡¯re stats, so it¡¯s less misleading to just call it base damage. He continued to make 5 more daggers with similar characteristics. With the ore he bought he could only make 6 daggers. He hoped the work he put into each dagger would make up the money he lost to buy the iron ores. He went back to General Store, and the shopkeeper paid him 2 silver for each dagger! He repeated the process 2 more times, buying the maximum amount of ore he could, before he realized it was already 1:30 AM according to the clock tower. I guess that¡¯s good enough for today, Sol thought. He quickly got his Blacksmith skill to Novice Level 5. Thanks to his cheater class, he was able to accomplish that in half the time it would usually take. Sol bought 28 iron ore from the general store and logged out. ¡°What the hell?¡± It was still bright outside his room. Sol checked his phone. It was only a little past 4 PM, and he started playing at about 1 PM! Did he really only spend 3 hours in there? That would mean time goes 4 times faster in the game compared to real life. ¡°Wow.¡± Sol said to himself. So that¡¯s why I¡¯m not even tired. Sol grabbed himself something to eat, then went back into the game. Thanks to his Novice Level 5 Blacksmithing skill, ingots could magically be made into much larger weapons. Sol could now make a full longsword with one ingot. ¡°Hey, shopkeep. How much would you pay for a sword?¡± Sol asked the shopkeeper of the General Store. ¡°Hmm¡­ If they¡¯re anything like your daggers, I¡¯d pay about 3 silver. I might even pay 4 silver, depending on the quality.¡± Nice, Sol thought. He went back to the forge and started making swords. Sol made 22 Elaborate Iron Longswords with 35 base damage. They gave +10 to dexterity and +5 to strength. His Blacksmithing skill was able to reach Novice Level 6. By the time he was done the sun was already peaking out of the horizon. It was a weird feeling for Sol. He felt like he¡¯s been awake for too long, yet he wasn¡¯t even tired. Sol went back to the general store and the shopkeeper paid 6 silver for each sword. Sol made 1 gold and 32 silver! With this I can buy a decent Skill Tome. At the bookstore Sol bought 3 spell tomes, which left him with 12 silver. The first spell Sol learned was the Summon Earth Elemental spell. He thought that since he would be casting spells, he would need a tank to aggro the monster. Sol assumed an earth elemental would have a decent defense. His second spell was the fire spell Burn. It set the enemy on fire and did 10 fire damage per second for 20 seconds. His third spell was called Spark. It was a lightning spell that made you aim with your finger. It instantly did 50 lightning damage and has a chance to stun the target for 3 seconds. All his spells required a chant, which became shorter as you increased skill mastery. At Expert levels you only have to say the spell name, and at Master you would just have to think it. Sol went to the edge of town, near a field full of seemingly harmless creatures, and started chanting the Summon Earth Elemental spell. ¡°Oh, from the Earth you came, whom I will tame, to be a fervent servant whose dullness is as great as his sturdiness! Follow me and together we¡¯ll grow, to an immense strength we¡¯ll soon come to know. Summon Earth Elemental!¡± Out of the ground, a hulking creature made of rough earthy stones came out of the ground. He was a little shorter than Sol. It was partially covered in green moss and what looked like tree roots were growing out of his back and wrapping around his arms and legs. The empty spaces where his eyes and mouth should be glowed green. Nice. ¡°Ugh, hello. What¡¯s my name master?¡± Said the Earth Elemental in a dull sounding deep voice. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Let¡¯s call you Brock.¡± Sol liked it. It had the word rock in it. It seemed fitting. ¡°Hmm¡­ Brock thinks it¡¯s a good name.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± Sol replied. ¡°Brock information window!¡± Lesser Earth Elemental: Brock Brock has a slow mind, but is very loyal and obedient. He is very sturdy, and has a high armor rating. His attacks are powerful, but slow. Level: 5 Alignment: Good Neutral Health: 1, 100 Mana: 750 Stamina: 900 Armor: 80 Base Damage: 41 Strength: 55 Dexterity: 6 Constitution: 100 Intelligence: 7 Wisdom: 20 Charisma: 20 Earth Resistance: 75% Water Resistance: 10% Fire Resistance: 25% Health Regeneration Rate: 10 HP per second Mana Regeneration Rate: 5 MP per second Skills: Quake: Stomps hard against the ground causing enemies to fall and stumble. The earth trembles for 5 seconds. - Consumes 100 mana - Proficiency: Novice Level 1 (0%) Roar: A loud roar which invites the aggression of enemies, and causes weaker enemies to flee. - Consumes 100 mana - Proficiency: Novice Level 1 (0%) Grab: Takes hold of the enemy and attempts to keep the enemy from moving. Squeezes the enemy and does 25 damage per second. - Consumes 60 mana per second. - Proficiency: Novice Level 1 (0%) Intimacy with Brock: 40% Requires 200 mana to maintain summon. Nice. ¡°Okay, Brock. If an enemy comes after me I want you to attack it. And make sure the enemy doesn¡¯t come near me.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Sol looked around and spotted a fox in the distance. Okay, let¡¯s see what we can do, Sol thought, then continuing to chant the Burn Spell. ¡°Oh, nature¡¯s fierce desire! Take hold of my enemy¡¯s body and show him his folly! To where I gaze, light a blaze. Burn!¡± The fox was set on fire, and started running towards Sol, un-panicked, just angry. Brock took notice of it and started walking towards it. Sol didn¡¯t wait, he continued to chant the Spark spell as Brock started to attack the fox, and struck the fox¡¯s head with a flash of lightning. Before Sol could finish chanting a second time, Brock had already killed the fox. You have gained 75 exp. Experience: 245/2000 Brock has gained 60 exp. Brock¡¯s Experience: 75/15,000 You have picked up fox pelt. You have picked up 50 copper Huh, that was a little too easy. It¡¯s going to take a while to level up. Maybe it¡¯s usually done with quests in the earlier stages¡­ Well, let¡¯s see how far we can go. Sol walked further into the field where he could see wolves in groups of 3 or 4. From a distance, Sol started chanting the Burn spell to lure a wolf away from the others. The wolf caught fire and started running towards Sol, joining battle with Brock. ¡°To the place I appoint, I¡¯ll call upon nature. ASolt, foul creature! The enemy I mock, feel this shock. Spark!¡± Lighting jumped out of Sol¡¯s finger and struck the wolf, catching its attention. Before it could run towards Sol, Sol yelled. ¡°Brock, grab it!¡± ¡°Uwaah!¡± Brock grabbed hold of the wolf and started squeezing it as the wolf started biting Brock¡¯s rock-like arms, trying to escape. Sol continued to chant several more times, alternating with the Burn spell twice each time the 20 second interval passed, as Brock continued to hold the wolf and get bitten. Eventually the wolf died. Da-dingg! You have gained 150 exp. Experience: 395/2000 Brock has gained 100 exp. Brock¡¯s Experience: 175/15,000 You have obtained wolf pelt. You have obtained wolf meat. You have obtained 1 silver 5 copper. Nice. As long as we don¡¯t have to face 3 at once, I think we can handle it. Sol continued to hunt, making sure to draw only 1 wolf at a time. Occasionally he would accidentally draw 2 wolves, but is able manage thanks to Brock¡¯s tank skills. Sol was a little terrified the whole time, as the wolves felt so rabid. Their angry barking and growling was a little too real of Sol at the moment. After a couple hours Sol was able to get all his Spark skill to Novice Level 3 and Burn to Novice Level 2, increasing the spells¡¯ strengths by a minor amount. He was also able to level up, increasing his strength and intelligence a fair amount. Fortunately for the thoughtless Sol, this game levels you up automatically, based on your experiences during the previous level. For Sol it was just blacksmithing and hunting with magic. Usually, Sol would lure a wolf with his Burn spell as it drifted far enough from the main group, but after repeating the routine countless times eventually Sol got careless, drawing 3 wolves at once! Shit, Sol thought. Sol instantly started sprinting, but he knew the wolves would catch up in no time at all. As Sol passed by Brock, he yelled. ¡°Brock! Use Roar!¡± Brock responded immediately. ¡°Roooaaahhhrr!!!¡± Sol looked back as the wolves surrounded Brock. Brock wasn¡¯t very agile, so he took most of the wolves¡¯ attacks. Sol thought about abandoning Brock, but immediately dismissed it. He didn¡¯t want Brock to lose a level, which was the penalty for death in Lostalia. Plus, Sol was having fun. Hey, it¡¯s just a game, right? Let¡¯s how far we can go! Sol was quite far away, but still within range of his spells. Okay, step one. Sol chanted three burn spells for each wolf. After hunting for so long, Sol easily memorised each spell and was able to chant at a higher speed than when he started. 7 seconds later, each wolf had caught on fire. Fortunately, Sol¡¯s common-grade spells didn¡¯t have cooldown times at Novice level. Time for step two. Sol intended to spam Spark until Burn¡¯s effects have ended. Luckily, Sol¡¯s first Spark spell, targeted at the wolf Brock was facing, managed to stun the wolf for a short time. Brock did bonus damage on his next sad, but unfortunately he only managed 1 hit as the wolf was stunned, while Sol struck the wolf with Spark twice more. After getting severely damaged, the targeted wolf decided Sol was the bigger threat and started bolting towards Sol. Sol chanted Spark once more, killing the wolf. The other wolves immediately changed to Sol, after he killed their companion, and started running after him. ¡°Brock, Roar!¡± Sol yelled. ¡°Rhooaaar!!¡± Sol felt a tinge of regret as the wolves ran back to Brock. Brock looked pretty damaged himself and Sol was afraid he was too low on health. ¡°Brock, use Quake and keep doing it after every 5 seconds!¡± Brock stomped on the ground, causing the Earth to rumble and the wolves that were now within range to stumble on the ground. Sol continued to spam Spark. Brock was able to hit the second wolf once within each Quake duration, which Sol thought was way too slow. After using Quake 3 times, the second wolf died. ¡°Keep going, Brock!¡± Sol yelled as he renewed the Burn spell on the last wolf. Brock and Sol continued to attack in the same fashion for two more Quakes, which finally killed the last wolf, which was greatly attributed to the accumulated Burn spell¡¯s damage. Dah-dinggg!! You have gained 540 exp. Experience: 2135/2000 You have leveled up! -Strength has increased by 30 -Dexterity has increased by 2 -Intelligence has increased by 20 -Willpower has increased by 8 -Charisma has increased by 1 -Health and Mana have increased by a bonus of +200 Burn has increased to Novice Level 3: - Spell duration increased to 25 seconds Brock has gained 360 exp. Brock¡¯s Experience: 975/15,000 You have obtained 2 wolf pelts. You have obtained 2 wolf meats. You have obtained 15 silver, 36 copper. Nice, we did it, Sol thought. Sol checked Brock¡¯s status, and he was very low on mana and a little less than half of his health. Sol had just about 275 mana left. That¡¯s probably our max, eh? I wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight them off any longer without Brock¡¯s mana. Also, his own mana was pretty low. Sol still wanted to hunt, but he was getting kind of bored of the endless chanting. Right! I¡¯ll get my Blacksmith skill to Journeyman level and I¡¯ll be able to make myself a decent sword to fight with! Sol thought. With that burning desire to slay monsters with a mighty sword, Sol worked on his Blacksmith skill for the next 16 in-game hours, only taking breaks to eat meals at the nearby restaurants. He ended up making 56 swords in that time, sadly only getting his Blacksmith skill level to Novice Level 8. Though, he was also able to earn 4 gold in the meantime. After a very long couple in-game days of gaming, he had gotten tired, logged out and went to sleep. In reality, only 8-9 hours had passed. Chapter 2: True Hard Work Never Ends When Sol got up at about 7 AM, as the sun rose high enough to let some light in to Sol¡¯s windows. He got out of his bed eagerly, ate breakfast, went back to his room, locked the door, and logged back into Lostalia to get back to work. 24 more swords, and 7 hours later his Blacksmith skill went up to Novice Level 9. And 23 hours and 79 swords after that, Sol finally got what he wanted. Da-dinngg!! Your Blacksmith skill has increased to Journeyman Level 1! You will now be able to produce higher quality products and you are now capable of using Grade 2 blacksmithing materials. Nice. Sol went to the General Store. ¡°Hey shop-keep, do you have any Grade 2 blacksmithing materials?¡± ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see. I don¡¯t think so¡­ Ah, actually¡­ Just wait a moment, I¡¯ll be back.¡± The shopkeeper left through the door in the back of the room and came back moments later, setting a bag of ore on the table. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Sol checked the information window. Maraging Steel Ore An inseparable mixture of different metals. Its toughness and hardness is on a different level from ordinary steel. Its great ability to absorb energy allows for the production of superior armor and shields. - Grade 2 Blacksmithing Material Price: 3 Gold ¡°Nice. How much to buy the whole bag?¡± Sol wanted to make armor too. ¡°That¡¯ll be 30 gold.¡± Sol sighed. ¡°Just a little longer,¡± Sol said, holding onto his resolve, before turning to the shopkeeper. ¡°Hey, do you think I¡¯d make more profit if I sold you steel swords?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯d probably make 2-3 silver more if you sold it here. But you know, they¡¯d probably pay more at the Weapon Store. And I¡¯d check out the Armor Store too. You¡¯d probably get more Blacksmithing experience doing it that way.¡± ¡°Really? Thanks, shop-keep. And how much steel ore can I buy for 12 gold?¡± Sol bought 120 steel ore and left the store. Sol checked the selling price at the other stores and found out that he¡¯d make more profit selling armor, though he was wary of the time it would take. He eventually dismissed his worries. Why not? It¡¯s just a game. Sol went to work right away. 20 hours later he ended up using all the steel ore to make 24 full armor sets. The next day Sol logged right back in to Lostalia and sold his armor. Unfortunately it wasn¡¯t enough. He only made 18 gold. So he repeated the process. It was midnight in the game but there was crowds of people out. To Sol it was a weird sight. Only in a game, eh? In 27 hours Sol managed to make 36 armor sets. Chapter 1: The Recluse, the Trickster, and the Baby The Charm of an Insomniac Chapter 1: The Recluse, the Trickster, and the Baby The Prince of Shoren was, to say it lightly, was an unambitious person. To say it harshly, he was simply the worst sort of trash. He was a privileged person who has made no effort to be worthy of his position in life. He spent most of the day sleeping, as it was the thing he most loved in life, because he was blessed with the most wonderful dreams. When he was young, his father, the king, provided him with the best education. At first he was enthusiastic about learning new knowledge, and did everything to the best of his ability. He learned much of the world in that way, but troubles began after he started learning how to cultivate. You see, the young prince was born with a major flaw in this particularly cruel world; he had a great sense for ethics, and his demon-like conscience was quite irrational, considering the state of the world. In this world, monsters hunted men, and men hunted other men, while true freedom was for the strong. One day the prince asked his teacher a childish question out of curiosity. ¡°Teacher, why am I learning to cultivate?¡± He asked, not knowing that this question would change his life. ¡°What do you mean? Of course, to become strong!¡± ¡°Hmm? Why do I have to become strong?¡± The kid asked, not realizing the importance of strength in this world. ¡°What? Of course, to defeat your enemies!¡± ¡°What? I have no enemies! And I don¡¯t intend to make any!¡± The prince said in bewilderment. The teacher laughed at the child¡¯s statement, and said to him, ¡°Young prince, someone of your position is bound to make enemies sooner or later. And most influential people are forced to kill their enemies in one way or another. If you have any brothers or sisters in the future, you might be forced to fight with them for the throne. How are you going to do that if you don¡¯t become strong?¡± ¡°K-kill? Fight my brothers and sisters?¡± The Prince said in thought as fear became apparent on his face. ¡°No way! I¡¯ll never do that!¡± The Prince yelled before running away to his room in the castle. After that, the prince¡¯s fear of the world grew as he learned its true face. Then his days consisted of sleeping and meditating, as he was a reclusive monk. Although he was still technically cultivating by meditating and gathering the surrounding mana in his Conception Palace, but he never used that mana by converting it into useable energy through a cultivation technique. For him, it was simply a method of calming his mind and passing the time as he was awake. It wasn¡¯t long before he become known as the Lazy Prince. The people had forgotten his existence and the king¡¯s optimism turned into disappointment. Before this, the king even planned to stop having children, giving him a clear path to the throne, because he saw how much potential the prince had. Unfortunately, that all came crashing down when the king realized the boy¡¯s idealistic thoughts. Foolish child. There¡¯s no place for ideals in this world. The king thought with a sigh. A year later, an unusual troublemaker was passing by. A Deity realm cultivator, by the name of Rosh. Often, when Rosh was bored, he would come to little kingdoms like this and played tricks on the residents. He would give a womanizers erectile dysfunction disorders, and give those who were unwilling to have children the ability to asexually reproduce, just to watch their reactions. For the innocent prince, Izia Arroloz, Rosh thought he was lazy. Like sleeping, eh? Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯ll never get anywhere by sleeping all day? Rosh thought with a mischievous grin. Then, obviously he gave Izia insomnia. Rosh watched as Izia finished meditating and prepared to go to sleep, giggling as he did so. Izia lied motionless ly for half an hour before becoming agitated and began squirming around on the bed for an hour. Then without expression, Izia simply decided to meditate again. ¡°Hmm?¡± Rosh exclaimed in confusion as Izia didn¡¯t get angry. Well, it¡¯ll get to you eventually, Rosh thought with confidence. A day passed before Izia tried to go to asleep again, but just like before he was a little bewildered before beginning to meditate again. Another day passed and Izia was beginning to realize that he might never be able to sleep again. But fortunately, that lack of sleep didn¡¯t make him go crazy as he was able to keep his calm through meditation. As Rosh watched this, he became confused. I thought he was just a lazy child¡­ Hmm, guess I¡¯ll just check his memories. Rosh thought to himself. After Rosh checked Izia¡¯s memories, he understood the situation. So he doesn¡¯t sleep all day because he¡¯s lazy but because he¡¯s afraid of the world¡­ What a weird child¡­ Rosh thought to himself. But I still have to get something out of this. Jeez, I spent so much attention on him already¡­ There were a several ways a trickster could go, considering Izia¡¯s situation. He could incite someone to attack him, forcing Izia to kill someone, or give him a conflicting personality that only wants to kill, leaving him emotionally broken inside. But I can¡¯t do that, Rosh thought. As Rosh wasn¡¯t a particularly cruel man, he didn¡¯t want to act that way. He played tricks for a light hearted laugh, not to make people suffer. Although a light hearted laugh for a Deity realm cultivator could be detrimental to a mortal, it wasn¡¯t done out of cruelty.Stolen novel; please report. Well since he wants to be weak his whole life, I¡¯ll force him to become strong. Although It¡¯s more of a blessing than a prank, I¡¯ve decided. From now on, you¡¯ll be my first disciple! Rosh thought firmly. Although Izia had his eyes closed and was deeply meditating, if he were to open his eyes he would realize that his body was surrounded by a blinding silver light, which grew until it bathed the whole room in a magical light. Everything went unnoticed by the meditating Izia. After the surrounded light faded, the door opened, revealing the king, Alten Arroloz. ¡°Izia, wake up!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Izia exclaimed at being woken up. ¡°Father? What is it? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong, just get up and follow me.¡± The king said with a stern face. ¡°Yes.¡± Izia assented obediently, following behind his father. Eventually, they came to the king¡¯s bedroom, from which the cries of a child were heard. ¡°Hmm? Is there a baby inside?¡± Izia asked. ¡°Go inside and see.¡± The king said, crossing his arms as he waited for Izia to enter. Izia opened the door and saw his mother on the bed, holding a crying baby in her arms. Izia¡¯s eyes grew wide as he exclaimed, ¡°Is that¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s your baby sister.¡± The king said as he entered the room. ¡°Go on, hold her.¡± ¡°Sister¡­¡± Izia said, weakly walking forwards. The queen, Elona, saw her son approach and held out the baby in her arms. ¡°Little Ellize, meet your big brother.¡± She said softly. Izia reached out, holding Ellize in his arms, and bringing her close. After crying for a long while, she made some baby sounds, and grew quiet as she looked up at her big brother. Alten laughed at this scene with heartfelt joy. ¡°Izia, it seems only you can tame this little one. She¡¯s already been crying ever since being born. Haha!¡± ¡°Ellize¡­¡± Izia said in deep contemplation. It seems I won¡¯t be able to pass my days in meditation anymore¡­ Izia thought knowing what this meant for him. His idea of the world was that it was a cruel place, and because of that, he chose to have nothing to do with it. But now it seemed he couldn¡¯t do that anymore. The moment Izia saw her, he knew that his heart was not his anymore, it belonged to this child. Izia looked down at this innocent life and gently smiled. Ellize, I won¡¯t let this world taint you. I will protect you with my life. Even if¡­ Even if it comes to having to do what I hate most. ¡î¡î¡î After that Izia was determined to become a cultivator. Most people would have to wait until they were much older than Izia to begin using a cultivation technique, but since being born Izia was highly sensitive to mana, so he was able to absorb it at a much higher rate than his peers. This should exactly be the time for Izia to begin using a cultivation technique, but no matter how Izia tried to use his mana, he could do nothing with it. The only thing he could do was gather it in his Conception Palace. After a time of frustration at his disability, he resolved himself to completely focus on fighting techniques and learning any bit of knowledge that would be of use to his little sister when she grew up. In this way, he began planning for the day his sister inherited the throne. Learning of his son¡¯s plans, the king smiled gently. If this is how It¡¯s going to be, I won¡¯t make it hard on you. Although my son can¡¯t cultivate, he still has great talent. With someone like him behind Ellize, I can rest assured. The king thought as he prepared to tell his wife that they won¡¯t be able to have anymore children. The king himself was one who struggled with his siblings for the throne. Although he knew that it was for the purpose of producing the most capable monarch, he himself was against such barbaric ideas. Like Izia, the king opted to support his older brother for king. It was only when his brother was assassinated that he swore revenge and took the throne by force after his father had died. Alten didn¡¯t want such a future for his children. ¡î¡î¡î 10 years had passed since then, and Izia was now 17 years old. He had grown up in his own peculiar way, devoting his time for the sake of his sister¡¯s future. ¡°Big brother, you don¡¯t have to keep me company. I know you¡¯re busy¡­¡± Ellize said with mixed feelings as she walked through the garden with Izia. ¡°Nonsense. How would I go on if I don¡¯t spend some time with you every now and then.¡± Izia said with a smile. Ellize innocently smiled back at Izia and said, ¡°Thanks big brother! Then what game should we play today?¡± She asked, playfully grabbing Izia¡¯s hand and swinging it. As I thought, I can count on big brother! She thought in relief. Izia laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s just relax for now. Tell me, how have your studies been going?¡± ¡°Ah? Fine, I guess.¡± Ellize said with slight disappointment. She didn¡¯t want to talk about boring stuff like that, she wanted to do something fun. In truth, Ellize was much like her big brother. She excelled with all that she was taught, but it wasn¡¯t as much a case of talent as it was with Izia. It was more so, a determination to be just like her big brother. Although it produced a good effect, she is more reliant on her big brother than she thinks. ¡°And how had your swordplay been? And your cultivation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m obviously improving everyday. As for cultivation, It¡¯s slightly troublesome¡­¡± She says quietly, as if she didn¡¯t want to speak about this subject. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong with your cultivation? If I think about it, you should be planting your mana seed by now¡­¡± Izia said in thought. In fact, he assumed it would be done by now, and had prepared a gift for Ellize. ¡°Well, about that. It seems I¡¯m not able to use my mana¡­¡± She said with slight shyness. ¡°What?¡± Izia exclaimed. ¡°You mean you¡¯re like me? Is it genetic? Ah, how unfortunate!¡± Izia said, blurting out his agitated thoughts in a panic. ¡°But it¡¯s okay though. I don¡¯t need to cultivate; I¡¯ll be just as capable as big brother!¡± Ellize said with enthusiasm. If this were the truth, it would, indeed, be unfortunate. However, Ellize wouldn¡¯t have any trouble planting her mana seed. It was just that she didn¡¯t want to cultivate. If big brother isn¡¯t a cultivator, then I won¡¯t be either! She thought with determination. ¡°Ah, how troublesome. But at least make sure to keep gathering mana. Meditating is good for the mind, and you never know we might find a solution some day.¡± Izia said comforting ly. In truth, he was a little disappointed. This might disturb my plans a little¡­ Izia said with worry. However he wasn¡¯t phased with just this. He was determined to have Ellize take the throne in the future, and he didn¡¯t care who would try to stop him. I¡¯ll deal with whoever blocks her way¡­ ¡°Well,¡± Izia said, wanting to brighten the mood, as he put mana into his Dimensional Pocket Ring. Although he couldn¡¯t use his mana to cultivate, he could still use it for magic items. Also he had an immense amount of mana for someone his age, and because he couldn¡¯t sleep, a lot of his time was still spent in meditation. So he could still match many people of his age in a fight, by simply relying on technique and magic weapons, as it was possible to embed Battle Skills into these weapons. Izia took out a portrait from his ring and presented it to Ellize. ¡°I was going to give this to you as a congratulatory gift, but for now, take it as a former of encouragement. Don¡¯t stop trying just for something small like this.¡± Izia encouraged. Ellize took the picture and looked at it. It was an oil painting of Ellize bending down to look at the flowers in the garden. When Izia saw this scene in real life, he thought this would be a good painting, and began to memorize the scene so he could paint it for Ellize. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s pretty. Thanks, big brother! But for my next gift, you have to teach me to paint, okay?¡± Ellize said with a smile. ¡°Ah, what a pretty painting!¡± A voice called out from behind. Izia¡¯s gaze grew cold for a moment at the voice, before turning around to greet his uncle with a smile. Prologue He had done it. With having achieved all of his dreams, having lived a fulfilling life, and having reached the peak of strength, Amond Carenne was satisfied. But everything eventually fades with time; from sadness to happiness, from regret to accomplishment. Everything is insignificant within the vast and unending flows of time. Although, his body and soul has achieved a state in which he could ignore the flows of time, growing to this state was not an easy task, and could not be accomplished easily. And it was because of this that everyone Amond Carenne had ever loved was taken away from him. At the moment the last of his loved ones was taken away, was the moment Amond Carenne was fated to only ever be looked upon with fear and admiration as if he was a great mountain before a child. There would be no care or love in anyone¡¯s eyes when they looked at him, and no one would make light hearted jokes at his expense, for fear of angering him. To the rest of the world, he was as high up and further from them than anything could be.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. After that day, he ignored everything else, journeyed the universe, and spent all his time and effort on research. Fueled by regret, he researched anything that he felt would have helped him in holding onto what he cared about and anything he felt could help him regain what he was lost. Millions of years later, his regrets faded, and there was nothing left but weariness from having lived a long life. In the end, Amond Carenne did what he had planned to do for a long time, and drank the experimental Reincarnation potion he invented. Although it was unsure if it would allow him to reincarnate with his memories and personality or even if he would even reincarnate at all, but there was no doubt that this potion would have a 100% chance of killing him. Amond Carenne didn¡¯t mind either way. He had lived long enough and he didn¡¯t mind if he died, and if reincarnated, maybe he would get another chance to live a fulfilling life. He was satisfied with either, so he drank the potion, ending the story of the most powerful man of the universe. Chapter 1: Understanding the Situation Michael Garren was a peculiar child. As a baby, when he slept, he would unconsciously shed tears and cry out, and no matter how his parents tried to comfort him, the sobbing would not stop. They couldn¡¯t get an answer from the doctors they visited, other than, he was a perfectly healthy baby, so out of helplessness, they could only choose to ignore the crying, no matter how much stress it caused. As Michael grew older, the crying turned into night terrors and he would unconsciously yell out in a strange language that no one could understand. At this point, Michael¡¯s parents could only sound proof Michael¡¯s bed room. Although it was strange, Michael did not seem to be affected by it, as he lived out his life normally. After he was 10 years old, the night terrors stopped, but Michael¡¯s dreams became much more vivid, and he would subconsciously remember things that were not part of his life. Michael did not want to bother his parents about this, as he knew it would only make them worried, so he kept it to himself. But these memories began to accumulate and no matter how he tried to ignore them, these memories slowly integrated into his personality. Then, when Michael was 18 and had just finished high school, Michael went into a deep coma. A year later, Amond Carenne had opened his eyes once more¡­ A dreadful pressure filled the room as Michael blankly stared within the hospital room, as if an ancient beast had just awoken and it was unknown what havoc it would cause. Had anyone been there to witness it, they would have suffocated from the ever increasing pressure. The lights within the room and the monitoring systems attached to Michael flickered on and off, affected by an unknown force. Then, when it seemed the pressure would peak and destroy everything within the room, all became still as Michael¡¯s mind regained clarity. It took a moment for Michael to realize what had happened, but as an immense amount of memories became clear, he suddenly burst out laughing. Michael¡¯s sister, Karina, was walking to Michael¡¯s room for her daily visit with a downcast face. She has been suffering from panic attacks lately, as worry for her brother filled her to the point where it affected her health. It¡¯s already been a year¡­ He¡¯s young and healthy, so there should be no reason for this coma. It¡¯s impossible that he¡¯ll stay that way forever. I just need to keep coming, and we¡¯ll wake up eventually. Karina thought, trying to convince herself of her words. But uncertainty and worry was still reflected on her face, triggered by the familiar hospital walls, as she walked towards Michael¡¯s door. ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± At the familiar sound of laughter, excitement and hope subconsciously filled Karina as she rushed into the door, to see her brother smiling to himself. ¡°Brother!¡± Karina exclaimed in excitement as she rushed up to hug Michael. ¡°Hmm, hey there little girl. Wow, you¡¯ve grown much bigger since I¡¯ve last seen you.¡± Michael said as he rubbed his little sister¡¯s head. Tears filled Karina¡¯s face, but unlike previously, these were tears of happiness. ¡°Brother¡­ brother. I¡¯ve missed you.¡± She said with as she sobbed. ¡°Hey, hey. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here now. I¡¯m here now.¡± Michael said, patting Karina¡¯s head, as determination filled his eyes. Yes, I¡¯m here now¡­ Michael thought as his mind began to plan for the future. ¡­ ¡­. ¡­ Bam! The door was pushed forward in a rush, as Michael¡¯s excited parents came through the door. ¡°Son!¡± ¡°My boy!¡± His parents exclamations sounded out, as they surrounded Michael, and embraced him tight. ¡°Hehe, easy. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Michael said with a smile, as his eyes wandered with his thoughts. I have family again¡­ This is already more than I could have hoped for. Michael thought as tears filled his eyes. All the years of loneliness and regret have found a place to vent with these tears. Although it could not make up for his losses at that time, what he currently had was already much more valuable than anything he ever expected for himself. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, baby boy. You¡¯re back now, and we¡¯re a family again.¡± Michael¡¯s mom said as tears also filled her face. ¡°Right. Man up, kid. You can¡¯t let your little sister see your tears.¡± Michael¡¯s dad said, as he looked to the side to hide a sparkle that was barely visible in the corner of his eye. Michael suddenly laughed. When Karina came in, he couldn¡¯t muster up these tears as the older brother, but still acted as a child in front of his parents. The thought gave him joy, as life refilled his tired mind. To Amond Carenne, Michael¡¯s memories as a mortal and his experience and personality as a child who grew up in this world was refreshing to him. A part of him wouldn¡¯t mind giving up Amond Carenne completely just to live a normal life as Michael, but unfortunately, as someone who has stood atop the universe, his desire and greed was outside the scope of this world.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡­ ¡­.. ¡­ As Michael once again lied in his own room he began to organize his thoughts. Although has severely weakened due to the reincarnation process it was still much more powerful than regular people and it was enough to do some basic investigations. First Michael checked out his body. In his past life, Michael has been to multiple worlds and several different universes, and although his experience was considered insignificant on the scale of the multiverse, he had a certain amount of understanding of different lifeforms and environments, including possible cultivation systems involving variations of what he has seen. And from what he''s seen, different the cultivation systems, or at least most of them, towards the peak of the system, tend to revolve around altering and creating universal laws or manipulating the laws, which could sometimes reach a very large scale. But in the beginning, because of differences in lifeforms and their environments these systems are much more unique. Michael scanned his body with his soul and realized that he had no energy circulation system whatsoever. Huh, so basically I have the body and soul to work with. Michael thought with slight disappointment. Michael then focused his soul and began to sense the surroundings. Although normally, his soul would be too weak to sense the laws of the universe, but with Michael''s experience, he was still able to tell that laws of the universe were pretty much standard. I don¡¯t sense anything weird from the laws, which either means that there is probably no peak being on this world. Michael continued to investigate and discovered a peculiar energy in the air. Element particles! Michael exclaimed. Michael then checked his mind once again, and as expected, he discovered a sea of consciousness. Michael felt slightly relieved that he discovered the situation familiar, as Michael did not presume to be all knowing in the vast extent of existence. With the current situation, Michael could skip the research phase that involved any strange cultivation presets. There are probably mages on this world. And if my experiences aren¡¯t too different from the situation here, there are probably knights here too¡­ From Michael''s experience, a standard part of a mage¡¯s personality is that they have inquisitive minds and if mage¡¯s have already been part of this world''s history for a sufficient amount of time, then they most likely have investigated the human body and unlocked the secrets of gene advancement is some way, shape or form. Michael smiled at this discovery. To be honest, it would be perfectly normal if Michael found himself born in a world with no existing cultivation system, and he was perfectly fine with thriving in such an environment. But now he realized that there was most likely mages on this world, considering the both the elemental particles and the level of modern technology. Michael smiled as this meant that his time on this world would be a little more colorful than he expected. But this also meant that there were more possible threats out there for his family and friends, and as such, Michael would have to prepare. ¡­ ¡­. ¡­ Michael began to come up with a cultivation plan. Unfortunately gene advancement would take some preparation as he had neither the resources nor the capability at the moment. And unfortunately he couldn¡¯t cultivate world energy, as he had no energy circulation system. Although he could solve this problem with some surgery, but likewise, he didn¡¯t have the resources. But elemental particles existed in this world, so the mage path was open to him. But this wasn¡¯t the only opportunity the sea of consciousness and elemental particles offered him. He could also concentrate on cultivating his soul. Although focusing on the mage path would sometimes inadvertently affected the soul, it was more focused on the power of the mind. The soul was completely different and much more mysterious. Also, from Michael¡¯s understanding, it was very rare for a civilization to even have the most basic understanding of the soul as it involved a much deeper knowledge of existence. The basic requirements of cultivating the soul was easily found in living things, but it is one of the hardest paths to advance in, and as such, cultivators of the soul, on any level, are some of the most fearsome opponents. What Michael had to do now was test his talent in relation to his affinity to different element particles. Although this wasn¡¯t significant to Michael¡¯s development it would still be helpful if he had a strong affinity with an element. Michael began to initiate a simple meditation technique with the purpose of probing one''s talent. It was a very easy process for someone with Michael''s experience, but sadly the results weren''t great. In comparison to average people, he had slightly more talent, but to other mages, Michael''s affinity to the six elements of earth, water, fire, air, light and dark, was low. Although he probably had the same overall affinity as a mage who specialized in one element, Michael would still prefer to have an element that he could specialize in, as it would be the most efficient method of cultivation. But to be honest, this isn¡¯t bad. If I took the controller mage path, the progress would still be smooth with my experience, albeit not as efficient as specializing¡­ Michael had an advantage that average mages didn¡¯t have, which was that he understood the elements from a higher perspective, so his progress would definitely not be slow. Also, there were ways to increase this affinity. In fact, Michael expected his affinity for these elements to increase simply because he had regained his memories. After having an understanding of the situation, Michael had a basic plan in mind. For now he would have to take his time and gather element particles into his sea of consciousness. But before that, he would have to earn some money, as resources were important to all cultivators. What Michael would really like to do, is create something like an anti-aging cream with miraculous effects and sell it for a high price, but he wouldn¡¯t be taken seriously as he had neither the connections nor the reputation. He also didn¡¯t want to disturb the natural order, as he didn¡¯t understand the relationship between mages and regular people, and doing something like that might break some unwritten rules. It seems like my only option is to do something shady, Michael thought with slight amusement. Chapter 2: Something Shady ¡°Here you go. The maximum personal loan amount of $15,000. I hope you know what your doing kid. You don''t want to get killed just because you wanted some games and a new z-box.¡± The man across the table from Michael, said with grim implications, as he handed over a bag of cash. ¡°Don''t worry about it.¡± Michael said with a playful smile. ¡°Oh, would you know where the nearest casino is?¡± Michael watched as the loan shark gave him an intimidating glare and laughed. ¡°Easy friend, I¡¯m just joking. Anyways, expect the money back soon. Unfortunately I don''t have time to wait 9 months, but don''t worry, you''ll get your penalty fees.¡± Michael said as he grabbed the money. ¡°Hey, if you really don¡¯t value your life, we can just skip the loan and you can sign a slavery contract right now.¡± The loan shark said with an ominous smile. ¡°Slavery contract, eh? Is there such a thing?¡± Michael asked in curiosity but received no response. ¡°Well, whatever. I''ll be leaving.¡± Funny enough, Michael''s next destination was actually the nearest casino. He had other options when it came to using this money, but this would be the quickest, and Michael wanted to pay off the loan sooner rather than later. ¡­. ¡­¡­ ¡­. ¡°A higher stakes game, eh?¡± The floor manager of the casino responded. ¡°That would have to depend on your timing. Let me check first.¡± He said as he went on to make some calls. This wasn¡¯t an unusual question for him, as these sorts of get-togethers were ways for people with money to get to know other people with money. Or a place for gambling addicts, which was also acceptable. Michael looked around as he waited. Michael had already noticed when he entered the casino, but there were basic spell sensors somewhere within the building. They would do nothing to stop mages from casting spells, but they would at least let people know that a mage was in the building. Michael considered purposely setting the sensors off, simply to get more insight on the state of the hidden world of magic, but decided against it. It was an unnecessary risk, and there were probably other ways of getting information. Michael asked to join a higher stakes game of poker to win more money, but also to see if he could get any clues from the people in the game. As they were people with money to throw away, it wasn''t too much to think that the world of magic would interact with these people. All cultivators need resources. ¡°Tonight? What are the details? ¡®Kay, hold on a second. Hey kid!¡± The manager yelled, getting Michael¡¯s attention. ¡°There¡¯s a small game tonight. $5000 minimum buy-in, stakes are $100 and $200 for small and big blind. You in?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Michael responded, with a thumbs up. The manager nodded and continued to speak into the phone. ¡°The kid¡¯s in. Yeah. Okay. See ya.¡± After hanging up, he turned back to Michael. ¡°The game¡¯s on the second floor of the casino in 2 hours. Just be here 2 hours later and I¡¯ll lead you up there.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Michael said. ¡°I¡¯m just going to wander around the casino for 2 hours then.¡± Michael went to find some games to kill some time. The first thing he did was go to the roulette table because he wanted to practice his divination skills. Although he had just started his cultivation, Michael was still capable of divining the immediate future for a brief moment. And there were many methods of divination that didn¡¯t necessarily have to involve element particles, so it shouldn¡¯t set off the sensors. Although Michael could manipulate the roulette table, there was no fun in that. Michael approached a roulette table and checked out the sign. It was $150 dollar max inside bet and $2500 for outside bet, so Michael bought $2500 worth of chips. Michael first tested the waters with red or black. He took $2500 of his chips and focused his mind on his intent. He then hovered his chips over to red side, then to the black side, as the power of his soul rippled. Michael went back and forth several times before leaving his chips on black when the feeling was right. The ball started to roll and eventually stopped on 17, black,winning Michael $2500. Feeling good about his win, Michael continued, starting with one of the three columns. Michael did his chip hovering motions once more before stopping at the first column.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The ball rolled and was about to stop at 4 in the first column, but unfortunately stopped on number 5, which was in the second column. And just like that, Michael lost $2500. ¡°Damn.¡± Michael said. I''m a little rusty. Michael restarted his ritual before putting his chips on the third dozen, 25 through 36. The ball stopped on 30 and Michael won $5000! Nice, Michael thought with a grin. After getting the hang of it, Michael started making all kinds of bets. He would sometimes win and sometimes lose, sometimes betting on a single number or a combination of other bets, but oddly enough he was only gaining money. After an hour, Michael had won the amount of his loan, $15000. Michael than moved on to blackjack. Michael would do a simple divination every time, simply asking, win or lose? And after getting his answer, Michael would adjust his bet. Man, this is tiring. I should just learn to count cards. That would be easier. Michael only played for half an hour as he knew that casinos are extra touchy when it comes to blackjack. If they think you¡¯re counting cards, that''s an easy ban right there. Whatever. $5000 more isn¡¯t bad. Michael spent the rest of the time drinking and munching on nachos until the floor manager found him, and lead him to the poker game. ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­. Michael was the first one there, so he continued to drink next to the bar, shamelessly flirting with the pretty bartender. ¡°Bartender, bartender, your body oh so slender. Rest assured, young lady, I¡¯m a pretty girl defender. So don''t be shy and surrender. How was that? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re charmed now.¡± Michael said with an ironic confidence. ¡°Instead of pretty girl defender, it¡¯s probably more accurate to say level 3 sex offender.¡± The bartender said ruthlessly. ¡°Ooh, destroyed. Hahaha, I¡¯m tipping the bartender extra tonight.¡± A young man said with a laugh after entering the room. Michael also laughed. ¡°Hahaha, I like you, bartender. What''s your name?¡± Although the bartender didn¡¯t have a good impression of Michael, he was still a guest of the casino, so she replied, ¡°Lisa.¡± Her attractiveness wasn''t the only reason Michael approached her. Michael could feel a type of power rippling outwards from her body. She was a mage apprentice. She was probably placed inconspicuously as the bartender to look out for mages. Michael was slightly curious, but nothing more. ¡°Smooth, smooth. That''s the way it should be done. Never back down.¡± The young man applauded. ¡°Name''s Nicholas.¡± He said as he held out a hand to Michael. Michael told Nicholas his name and shook his hand. It didn''t take long for the rest of the players to arrive. One was a middle-aged business man named Ralph who gambled as an excuse to get drunk and relieve stress. Who knew if it was effective. Another was an old, retired lady who gambled as a way to enjoy her retirement. And the last was an aspiring professional poker player, named John. Including Michael and Nicholas, a second-generation rich person, there were five of them. Michael didn¡¯t plan to use any mystical tricks during this game. He was simply using his exceptional perception to catch his opponents micro expressions. As the game went on, Michael could easily read everyone except the old lady. Damn. If there was ever an award for the best poker face, this lady would win. Michael assumed that she was probably the richest person here, and didn¡¯t care whether she won or lost. Michael had already lost a couple hands to her as he couldn¡¯t even read her through the bets she was making. Not only that, but this lady was also a powerful mage. Although she wasn¡¯t cheating with any spells, Michael''s dulled senses could just barely pick up on her power. ¡°Motherfucker, I''m out. I''m never playing against this kid again.¡± The middle-aged man exclaimed and went to drown his sorrows by the bar. ¡°Fuck, I''m out too.¡± Nicholas said, but stayed to watch the rest of the game. Only Michael, John and the old lady were left. ¡°I¡¯m out too.¡± Michael said, giving up. He had already won a large amount and didn¡¯t want to risk it against the old lady. ¡°You guys might think I¡¯m a shark but the real predator is this old lady. None of us here can match her.¡± ¡°Oho, interesting. What''s makes you say that young man?¡± The lady asked. Michael smiled. ¡°Instinct.¡± He said. ¡°Instinct, eh?¡± The lady said, mulling over Michael''s answer. The old lady''s name was Sheona, a sort of wandering mage, and she had only come here to observe a disciple candidate, but it seems she had found another interesting person. Every once in a while, Sheona would spread tidbits of knowledge in the mortal world, and then after many years she would pick a few disciples out of these people. This was the practice of many people in her organization, and was a method of increasing one''s influence. During the game she had already tested the senses of the girl and was now planning to have a private chat with her. But now she was considering whether she should test out the young man as well. But Michael didn''t give her a chance. He picked up his chips and announced that he was leaving. ¡°Hey, wait up, man. The night isn''t over yet. Let''s go get something to eat. Ha, and we should invite the bartender too.¡± Nicholas said with a sly grin. Nicholas didn''t want to give up the chance to befriend another rich young person, especially since Nicholas thought he wasn¡¯t a douche, which is usually the case in Nicholas''s experience. ¡°Ha, I think she''ll be busy. But I¡¯ll go if you¡¯re paying. I need to calm my stomach from all that alcohol.¡± Michael replied. He was about to leave, before he wrote something on a piece of paper and gave it to the bartender. He held up his hand to ear, and said with a cocky attitude, ¡°Call me. You won¡¯t regret it.¡± Then, he left with Nicholas, who couldn¡¯t stop laughing. The old lady couldn¡¯t help but give Nicholas a curious look as he left the room. ¡­ ¡­. ¡­ After paying back the loan and the penalty fees, Michael had about $20,000 left. After that, Michael''s schedule consisted of gathering element particles and gambling at casinos. Unfortunately, there weren''t too many casinos in the city, so after a while he could only participate in the private poker games, or it would become suspicious. But he eventually had to stop that also, or people would start getting angry. In the end, he had about $150,000. Chapter 3: The Will to Live ¡°Hello,¡± Michael answered the call, after pausing his meditation. ¡°It¡¯s Lisa.¡± A lovely, yet bland voice sounded out. ¡°Ah, the slender Lisa. How are you? The old lady isn¡¯t mistreating you is she?¡± Michael responded with probably more knowledge than he should have. ¡°You knew she came for me?¡± Lisa asked in confusion. ¡°Well she certainly didn¡¯t come for the money.¡± Michael replied, ignoring her curiosity. ¡°She wants to meet you and test you.¡± She continued after seeing that she wouldn¡¯t get anything out of him. ¡°I have no interest in her tests, but I do want to meet her.¡± Michael responded bluntly. There was a pause before Lisa asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not completely clear on matters concerning her world, and desire answers concerning certain matters. Tell her it is a matter of resources.¡± Michael explained. ¡°Dinner at the Holden, tomorrow at 7. Ask for Sheona.¡± Lisa said before hanging up without waiting for an answer. Michael smiled at her straightforwardness before continuing his meditation. Michael had given his number to her for this purpose, so he was satisfied with the results. Michael had almost met the requirements for what he wanted to do. After meditating for several weeks, Michael had gathered almost enough element particles to advance to the stage of rank 1 mage, which would be impossible for anyone other than him. But that¡¯s not exactly what Michael wanted to do. In his past life, he had started out as a cultivator of a martial spirit. Although, in this life he wasn¡¯t born with a martial spirit and the cultivation system of this world was completely different, Michael still had some lingering attachment to that style of cultivation. So Michael combined his knowledge of the mage path with his knowledge of martial spirits, and created a modified cultivation system that would suit him best, considering his talent to be a mage wasn¡¯t very high. This system would have both the versatility of the mage path and the inherent power of a martial spirit. After several hours of meditation, Michael¡¯s preparations were complete. All the element particles that he had gathered in his sea of consciousness were stirred up and began to move. Soon a vortex of element particles was created, which began to compress through the sheer power of Michael¡¯s soul. Eventually everything was compressed into the shape of a small egg and the storm of element particles seemed to come to a stop. But the changes didn¡¯t stop within the mass of element particles. If one could see through that mass, they would see that the element particles within were shifting and being shaped into a particular order. It took an hour for Michael to form this egg, even with his knowledge. After all that work, the inside of the egg was formed to Michael¡¯s satisfaction and rune was engraved onto the shell of the egg¡¯ Michael took a deep breath and prepared for the last step. Michael reached the peak of his focus and began to split his soul. The pain of Michael¡¯s soul ripping apart caused him to grit his teeth, but he withstood it. It wasn¡¯t the first time he felt a pain like this. Part of Michael¡¯s soul was removed and implanted into the egg, which activated the life within the egg, and also, talent rune engraved onto the egg. Usually, advancing to a rank 1 mage, would require a medium that would use either the person¡¯s life force or other rare resources to stimulate the advancement into a rank 1 mage. In Michael¡¯s case, he was using the power of his soul to stimulate this advancement, but this power had also simultaneously ignited the life that was within the egg. Michael¡¯s part in this was already done, and now it was up to the life within the egg. Michael soul was now on the level of an average person, if not worse, and if this failed, the part of his soul he had used as a sacrifice would have been wasted, and the talent rune would crumble without the life within the egg, not even leaving Michael the power of a rank 1 mage. Usually, with experiments like this, Michael would succeed most of the time if he was confident in his calculations, but this was not a question of whether he was confident in his calculations. This was a question of whether he really understood himself as well as he really thought he did, and whether he still had the desire to live. As the life within the egg was created using a part of Michael''s soul, it was a part of him, so if, within the depths of his soul, he was truly tired of life, the life within the egg would simply die. Although this situation would have been impossible if it was anyone other than Michael, if this was another person, this experiment would already be considered a success, as any other budding mage would definitely be excited at the thought of the future and how far they could go. But Michael was a being who had lived countless years, and the majority of those years were lived alongside regret and weariness.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. So even though Michael believed in his will to live, it was not enough to be sure, considering how much he had experienced. Michael continued to focus on his sea of consciousness, and watched as the egg continued to compress as if something was swallowing the egg from within. Everything became swallowed until all could be seen was a point of light, which suddenly expanded into a multi-colored flame. Tweet cheep hoooot caww!! Michael smiled at the sounds of a bird that didn¡¯t know what kind of bird it was. Michael''s martial spirit was in the form of a semi-corporeal small bird, engraved with a rune on its chest, and covered in multi-colored flames. It was an Elemental Phoenix! The bird''s eyes had the same deep and aged look within its eyes as Michael but was much livelier, as if it was excited for its new life. Michael laughed. He was elated at his success. He now had some measure of defense against the cultivators of this world. With Michael''s soul now split into two parts, the Elemental Phoenix could focus on gathering element particles, while Michael could focus on advancing the power of his soul. ¡­ ¡­. ¡­ As Michael ate breakfast with his family he began releasing a small amount of element particles from his body and watched the reaction of the particles in the presence of his family. Hmm, my dad is like me with low affinity to the element particles. My mom has decent talent with water, but she would need extra help to advance to a rank 1 mage at her age. Karina has a pretty high talent with fire. After that, Michael began to sense the state of their bodies with his soul. Both dad and Karina can accept a life seed. I should try to prepare that for them when I can. ¡°I have something to say.¡± Michael said after he finished eating. The rest of the family stopped eating and looked at Michael. ¡°What is it, son?¡± Michael''s dad, Paul, asked. ¡°First, a demonstration.¡± Michael said as if he was preparing a PowerPoint presentation in school. Michael released his martial spirit into the room, and watched as gasps left his family members. ¡°Ahh, what is that!?¡± Paul exclaimed. ¡°It''s a bird!¡± Michael''s mom, Melinda exclaimed. ¡°Pretty!¡± Karina cried out with wonder in her eyes. The Elemental Phoenix flew around for a bit before landing on Michael''s shoulder. ¡°This is my martial spirit, Elix.¡± Michael announced. Chiiirp hoooot! It took a moment for everyone to settle down in their chairs. ¡°What are you trying to tell us, son?¡± Paul asked. ¡°This isn''t a magic trick, is it?¡± Melinda asked as she stared wide eyed at Elix. ¡°This isn''t a trick, this is real magic.¡± Michael answered without hiding anything. ¡°Hidden in the modern world exists a world of magic where many things such as Elix are possible. This is a world where there are mages who control the power of nature and knights who have broken the limits on their genes exist.¡± Michael wished there was a better way of doing this, but he had to tell his family some time, as the more they knew the better it would be for his plans, and this was better than waiting for them to accidently find out, or wait until something made them realize the truth. After the serious speech came an awkward silence as Michael''s family members were forced to decide whether Michael was crazy or if they should change their perspective of reality. ¡°Magic, right?¡± Karina suddenly asked, unable to hide her interest as the possibility of magic fascinated her. After all, she was still 16, and not much older than a kid. ¡°Can you do other magic things, like make the table float?¡± Michael simply nodded, and watched as he caused the table to float. Gasps were heard once again. ¡°Amazing!¡± Karina exclaimed as she watched the table float up and land back on the ground. ¡°Can you do other things? Or can you teach me magic?¡± She said with eagerness clearly displayed on her face. ¡°Wait a second, Karina. Your brother has always been a little troublemaker and I can''t stop myself from thinking this is all a prank prepared by you and your brother. In conclusion, I also get to have a request.¡± Paul said, thinking over what he should ask. ¡°Alright, but keep it within a certain limit. I¡¯m not a god.¡± Michael said with a smile, playing along with the game. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve decided.¡± Paul said with a serious expression. ¡°Change the table into gold.¡± ¡°Paul! Just because he can do magic, it doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s now your personal ATM machine!¡± Melinda yelled, seeing right through her husband¡¯s thoughts. ¡°(Cough cough) Can you do it?¡± Paul asked with a straight face after coughing to hide his embarrassment, ignoring Melinda. ¡°I can do it, but I can''t do it without some preparation. You should probably ask something else.¡± Michael said with a grin, satisfied with the light atmosphere. ¡°I shall wait for you to prove yourself.¡± Paul continued in an ironic, humorless tone. ¡°Ignore him, Michael. We believe you. Now why are you telling us this?¡± Melinda asked. Michael became serious once again. ¡°As you now know, there are beings out there which aren¡¯t governed by the laws of the modern world, and this place is much more dangerous than people think, especially now that I, myself, am a cultivator of magic. For this reason, and also the reason of not wanting to watch any of you grow to old age, I wish for all of you to cultivate with me.¡± Michael said, stating his selfish desire. ¡°Yes yes! I want to be a magician also!¡± Karina shouted, impatient to start. ¡°Wait a second. Can anyone become a magician?¡± Melinda asked. If anyone could become a mage, than wouldn¡¯t everyone be a mage? ¡°Mother''s right. Not everyone has the talent to be a mage. I have tested the talent of everyone here and both mother and Karina have the talent to be a mage while both Karina and father have the talent to be knights.¡± Michael answered. ¡°A knight, eh?¡± Paul said with a grin, as his mind wandered towards thoughts of a hero surrounded by beauties. Melinda smacked Paul on the head. ¡°What are you thinking about!? We''re having a serious talk here!¡± Paul rubbed his head as he grumbled, ¡°My son''s a magician and my wife is a mind reader¡­¡± Chapter 4: Give Him a Kiss? ¡°So if all of you agree, I shall prescribe a training plan for each of you.¡± Michael said, ignoring his father''s grumblings. ¡°I agree, I agree!¡± Karina continued to cry out. ¡°I would like to Michael, but your father and I have work, and your sister has school. Would we still have time to learn about magic and swords?¡± ¡°Well, you guys can keep working if you want to and it will take me time to prepare if dad wants to become a knight anyway. I don¡¯t want to force this decision on you as cultivating requires both patience and hard work, but if you guys don¡¯t want to work, I can provide enough money for the whole family. If you guys wanted, you could just enjoy a life of luxury without working or cultivating.¡± Michael explained. He had prepared for any of the possible outcomes, it would be much easier in the future if his family had some measure of self-defense. A silence once again ensued. ¡°What do you think, honey?¡± Melinda asked. ¡°Don¡¯t try to stop me honey, I want to be a hero- I mean a knight. And I want to quit my job. I think I¡¯m more suited to saving damsels- I mean fighting monsters.¡± Paul said, mixing his real thoughts into his words. ¡°A son¡¯s duty is to take care of his parents when they¡¯re older anyway. Who cares if it¡¯s happening sooner rather than later? It¡¯s better this way.¡± Paul said with a righteous attitude before grumbling, ¡°Now I don¡¯t have to do that dumb job.¡± Paul was the sort of man who did what he had to for his family, no matter how much he hated it, but if he didn¡¯t have to do those things, he wouldn¡¯t be ashamed and would gladly drop everything for a better life. Melinda hit Paul once again. ¡°Are you even taking this seriously?¡± Melinda said in exasperation. ¡°What about you, baby girl? Do you want to stop school?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to quit school. All my friends are there. But I still want to learn magic!¡± Karina decided. ¡°Okay, son. We¡¯ll do as you say. It will take some time to get everything in order, but we¡¯ll be in your care, son.¡± Melinda said with a smile. Although Melinda would have liked for her son to go to college, she was still quite satisfied with this son of hers. ¡­ ¡­.. ¡­. ¡°We meet again, young man.¡± Sheona said with a friendly smile. Michael returned the greeting. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure as always, Miss Sheona. I¡¯m just glad I¡¯m not risking any money in this meeting.¡± He said as he sat down. ¡°It¡¯s also nice to see the lovely Lisa once again.¡± Lisa simply ignored him. ¡°You might not be risking money this evening, but there¡¯s always something being gambled.¡± Sheona said mysteriously. ¡°Yes,¡± Michael agreed. ¡°Especially if you¡¯re dealing with a high-level mage.¡± He continued frankly. ¡°Mage? What a peculiar terminology. I don¡¯t know how much you know about us, but we refer to ourselves as wizards.¡± Sheona replied, unable to notice that Michael has already reached the level of rank 1 wizard. Although Sheona was of a much higher rank than him, Michael still had some tricks that would work on her. ¡°Indeed, I don¡¯t know much, which is why I asked for this meeting.¡± Michael stated. ¡°Have you heard of the idea of equivalent exchange? It is a common practice for all wizards. What you offer me for this information?¡± Sheona asked, not expecting much, but nevertheless, amused. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to give me anything. If you pass a little test of mine, this information would be freely available to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary. And although it¡¯s true that there is not much I can offer you, there is much I can offer your apprentice. I am a scholar of sorts. I admit that I don¡¯t know much of the wizard world, but I do know much that would interest a budding wizard apprentice, like the lovely Lisa.¡± Michael responded. Sheona was slightly annoyed at those words. ¡°What can you offer that I can¡¯t teach her?¡± Logically, Sheona doubted Michael was even a scholar, as he didn¡¯t even know the term wizard moments before, but she couldn¡¯t see any falseness in Michael¡¯s words. ¡°Much. But we should ask Miss Bartender. Are there any spells, appropriate talent runes, or research questions you would like to ask of me?¡± Michael asked, putting the focus of the conversation onto Lisa, instead of the hard to deal with Sheona. Lisa stayed silent, but she couldn¡¯t hide the urge to ask a question as she silently looked for her master¡¯s approval. She had a question that even her master couldn¡¯t answer, unless her master put more effort into it than she would like, and even though she did not put much hope in Michael, she still wanted to try asking. Sheona sighed before nodding. ¡°Go ahead, girl. Ask your question.¡± ¡°I¡¯m an amateur potion maker, and have the necessary talent to be a Plant Master, but unfortunately the related spells and talent rules are hard to find as the people in the profession are rare. Do you know anything that could help me?¡± Lisa asked with a small amount of hope. ¡°Oho, you¡¯re quite talented aren¡¯t you? The affinity required for a plant master is rare. To be honest, Plant Masters aren''t that great but it¡¯s different if you¡¯re also a Potion Master. Considering your current level, you¡¯re probably looking for an appropriate talent rune, correct?¡± Michael said with slight surprise. He didn¡¯t expect for her to be so talented. A plant-type talent rune wouldn¡¯t necessarily be better than other runes that she had an appropriate talent for, but becoming a Plant Master was a complicated path, requiring an affinity for earth, water, and light, and a plant-type talent rune would increase her overall control and sensitivity towards plant-type spells. Lisa nodded with the hope in her eyes becoming brighter.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that I¡¯ve coincidentally done research into this topic. I do happen to have something which could be suitable depending on your preference, but the price for it would be much higher than the information I need.¡± Michael continued. To be honest, Michael probably knew of many talent runes that would suit her, but he didn¡¯t want to show too much, lest Sheona¡¯s greed overcame her pride as a high-level wizard. She wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to rob someone she thought was a mortal, but she wouldn¡¯t hesitate if Michael really had something of value. ¡°What do you want?¡± Sheona asked. She had planned to find this information for her disciple anyways, and if Michael could really offer this, it would save her time. Sheona might not look like it, but she was a devoted master when she accepted a student and was willing to pay the price for her disciple. ¡°I require access to a means of doing some trading with other wizards. In addition to that I require the materials for a life seed, and not a common life seed, so the requirements could be different than you think.¡± Michael answered. ¡°Oho, so you¡¯re an aspiring knight. Are you sure you don¡¯t want something extra? The trade isn¡¯t quite equal.¡± Sheona asked. She didn¡¯t want to rip off a mortal. ¡°Trust me, the trade is fair.¡± Michael replied, and continued to tell Sheona the ingredients for the life seed he had in mind. Michael had some trouble describing the ingredients, but he was relieved to find out that they did exist on this world. It was entirely possible that the ingredients didn¡¯t exist on this world, but Michael described the ingredients with their functions, so some of these were similar but entirely different than what Michael knew. But Michael wasn¡¯t worried about this, as all it meant was that he had to spend more time analyzing the ingredients, and the worst case scenario being that he would have to spend effort into buying more materials. ¡°I see. Indeed, that is a fair trade.¡± Sheona replied, with slight interest towards this peculiar life seed. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have any great interest in gene advancement. ¡°I can easily provide you a trade network without any inconvenient requirements, but the materials for the life seed will take me a week to prepare, so have the information ready by then.¡± ¡°It was a pleasure doing business with you.¡± Michael said. The purposefully delayed waiter was finally called over so that the trio could order some food. As they ate, Michael inquired about the details of the wizard world and also Lisa''s preferences for a talent rune. Michael wasn''t required to give her the most suitable talent rune, but Michael was charmed by Lisa''s dedication to magic, and maybe a desire to conquer was inspired by her firm denial of any of Michael''s advances, so Michael wanted to help her out. Michael learned through Sheona, that most wizards don¡¯t actually live on this world, but a separate dimensional space in close relation to this world and the gateways to the other world were closely guarded so that regular people wouldn¡¯t be able to get in. Michael was then told of the history of the mortal world and the powerful wizard that had understood that the cultivation world and the world of mortals weren''t compatible. He had a peculiar mindset in that he wasn''t arrogant enough to think that his life was worth more than a mortal¡¯s. Instead he regarded them with great importance in the bigger picture, so he and his colleagues divided a small part of the world to exist in a separate dimensional space, for mortals to live on. After that, he united the mortal world under one governing system and watched over the world long enough that the system became secure. After that, the mortal world became a world of relative peace. Michael was slightly impressed. He agreed with this great wizard. Mortals can be a great power under the right circumstances. Michael has even seen cultivation systems that relied on the faith of mortals, which could allow one to become immensely powerful and even objects could gain life through the faith of mortals. But Michael didn¡¯t fully believe this guy''s reason for separating the mortal world. ¡°Did any new religions pop out at that time?¡± Michael asked. ¡°Religions? I¡¯m not sure. Surely you would know better than me, Mr. Scholar.¡± Sheona teased. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Michael was confused. Was this guy such a good guy? Michael wondered, with his experience limiting his faith in the good will of others. ¡°What was his real reason for separating the mortal world?¡± ¡°Oho, aren''t you jaded. Well, actually, I happen to know something of this as people have recently began to talk about it.¡± Sheona said, her tone becoming serious. ¡°That wizard was actually a great practitioner of divination. One day, he divined that an all-powerful and ancient monster would soon arrive on this world. And although he didn''t perceive more than that, he took it as a great warning. So he gathered the greatest wizards at that time just to separate the mortal world, in order to leave a seed for future wizards to thrive in case the worst happened. It is said he gathered much of the knowledge at that time and stored it somewhere in the mortal world for future wizards.¡± ¡°Is this wizard still alive?¡± Michael asked with serious eyes. Damn, he thought. I need to set up a defense against divination as soon as possible. ¡°No. It is said he died 5000 years ago.¡± Sheona replied. ¡°I see.¡± Michael said as he readjusted his future plans. ¡­ ¡­.. ¡­ Michael spent the next week meditating and playing online poker. Although he couldn''t read faces online, he could still practice divination, which was much easier for him now that he advanced to a rank 1 wizard. Needless to say, Michael has been winning a decent amount of money, especially from the few poker tournaments he has participated in. During this week, Michael''s sister and mom both started meditating and his father has been learning some basic martial arts. Although Paul was free from his job, he was now forced to work out every day which was much more tiring. Although some might say it was too late for Michael¡¯s parents to start this now, he had his own ways of solving these problems. It didn¡¯t take long after the week passed before he got Lisa''s call. Michael met her in the same private room, at the same restaurant. ¡°Ah, the lovely Lisa and I, here, in the same place and time, with only each other to accompany. Who can tell what the rest of this magical evening will involve?¡± Michael spoke, trying to offer a sense of romance to this meeting, but unfortunately failing. ¡°The rest of the evening will involve a simple trade, and nothing more.¡± Lisa declared in impressive voice. ¡°Oh, Lisa. The world has so much more to offer if you open your heart to it.¡± Michael said as if he was mourning over the situation. ¡°I will also have much more to offer if you brought what we discussed.¡± Lisa responded, getting to the heart of the matter. ¡°Oh, I have much more than that if you¡¯re also willing to give a bit more. Perhaps a kiss has much more value to me than the things you¡¯ve brought.¡± Michael continued to tease, but received no reaction. ¡°Ah, fine Lisa, be that way.¡± Michael took out a handwritten book from his backpack and put it on the table. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯m overpaying if I don¡¯t at least get a kiss.¡± ¡°What you''ve requested.¡± Lisa also handed over a bag of items before impatiently grabbing the book. As Lisa skimmed through the book, her eyes widened in shock. It didn¡¯t just include a very suitable talent rune for her, but also described various methods to advance to rank 1 wizard with this talent rune, including detailed descriptions of the process and problems that could occur. Lisa didn¡¯t know how to respond. ¡°Y-yu-you didn¡¯t have to go this far.¡± Lisa responded with a trembling voice after a long period of silence. Should I really give him a kiss? Lisa considered before her whole face turned beet red at the thought of something she had never previously considered. Michael grabbed her hand from the table and said in an earnest voice, ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t have to be so charming.¡± Lisa reacted as she had been struck like lightning and stood up abruptly, freeing her hand from Michael. ¡°I have to go!¡± She exclaimed before hurrying out of the door with only the book in hand. After she left, Michael couldn¡¯t stop himself from having a long hearty laugh. Chapter 5: Respectable School When Michael got back home, he looked through the items he received and other than finding the materials for a life seed, he also found a USB drive. Michael put the USB drive into his computer and an interface for an account creation popped up. The program didn¡¯t ask for any invasive information, and simply required a username and password, in addition to a few optional information. Michael finished creating the account and logged in. A welcome screen for the Wandering Mage Network popped up. Michael scanned the menu options and began his research. Other than offering items to trade for, this network also offered Michael much information, either on the forum or even if it was just from scanning the items being offered for trade. Michael found a few interesting things on the network. There were even slaves offered for sale. Most of these people were criminals or adults who have signed slave contracts in exchange for something, such as to pay off a debt, money for their families, and there were even some tragic stories where someone signed the contract simply to save a loved one. For slave traders, Michael thought they were slightly respectable, at least on the surface. At least they didn¡¯t sell children. But Michael assumed there were darker places for such trades. Not all of these items required something magic-related as payment. Some of the items simply required a certain amount of money, albeit at exaggerated prices. After seeing enough, Michael started buying several items with the small amount of money that he had. Although this amount of money was a sizeable amount of money in the mortal world, on the Wandering Mage Network, most of the money Michael had was required just for the most basic investment into a potion crafting career. If Michael was any other person, this amount wouldn¡¯t even be considered an investment, but simply throwing one¡¯s money away. The average beginner potion maker would have to invest multiple times more just to grasp the most basic skills. After that was done Michael looked through the ingredients for the life seed and began his investigations. ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­. Michael looked around as he waited in the lobby of this so-called magic post office. Many wizards didn¡¯t like to leave addresses for their packages go be delivered, so these places were naturally set up. When asked for the delivery address, it was okay to simply leave the city name. Michael was surprised that his items were delivered only a day after he ordered them, but they weren¡¯t anything rare, so it wasn¡¯t unexpected that the city had a warehouse containing some of the more common items. In fact, it was possible for many rare items were quickly delivered as long as they were available because of teleportation magic, but that usually came at a cost. There were many wizard apprentices here and a few rank 1 wizards. They all gave Michael peculiar looks, because in their eyes, he was simply a mortal, who would usually have no business in this place. Some chose to ignore him, while others had malicious intent in their eyes. Michael sneered inwardly at these people. Instead fearing the possible threat, Michael saw an opportunity. ¡°127, 127¡± The clerk announced. Michael got from his seat and handed the clerk the USB he used to order his items. The clerk scanned the device before looking for Michael¡¯s package. It was a fairly large box, but Michael had no trouble carrying it. Michael walked home instead of taking a cab, because he was waiting for possible targets. After walking for a while, Michael discovered the presence of a wizard in hiding. It was an immoral person that had grabbed the bait. Killing a mortal was one of the worst crimes in the wizard world, unless that person was a slave, and in the rare cases where that crime was discovered, the perpetrator would be heavily punished, and often enough, sentenced to death. But for wizards, the act was fairly easy to get away with, as long as they were careful and stayed away from mortals with status, so this wasn¡¯t as uncommon as one would think in the mortal world. Even though the overall situation wasn¡¯t bad, the crime still happens every once in a while. This wizard had probably targeted Michael, for the items he just received. The rank 1 wizard probably thought Michael was a regular person who stumbled onto the Wandering Mage Network. The wizard wasn¡¯t expecting anything big from killing Michael, but he was heartless enough to try his luck. Michael walked into an alley with a sketchy attitude, away from any cameras, and found a quiet place before impatiently opening the package he received. After opening the package, he broke out into a mad laughter. ¡°Hahahah, yes!! I will no longer have to live as a weak mortal and I can start my life as a powerful wizard!! I¡¯ll have as many women as I want, and live my life in luxury! Hahaha!¡± Michael cackled in an insane manner. ¡°What a pathetic mortal.¡± A voice sounded out, but no one other than Michael could be seen in the alley. ¡°What!? Who¡¯s there!? Show yourself!!¡± Michael said in a panicked manner as his legs trembled. ¡°Are you a wizard? Please, great wizard, have mercy, and I¡¯ll surely repay you when I manage to join your ranks.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Michael seemed to have sensed something and abruptly turned around, but it was too late. A hand reached out with an unbelievable speed and grasped Michael''s neck. ¡°A pathetic mortal like you will never become a wizard.¡± The wizard said before beginning to activate a spell that would incinerate this mortal. But no matter how hard he tried the spell wouldn''t activate, and before he could do so, it was his hand instead, that lit up in a multicolored flame, which spread as if the wizard was covered in gas. ¡°Aaaahhhhh!¡± A horrifying shriek was heard before an eerie silence settled in. ¡°Huh, he didn¡¯t last as long as I thought he would.¡± Michael was hoping to make this average mugging scene more interesting by acting out a little drama, but Michael was disappointed that they didn¡¯t even get to have an epic fight scene. Michael''s talent rune was called Control Field. It was a talent that let him inject and manipulate his element particles into any place within a certain distance from his body. Although this allowed him to form spells outside his body within a certain distance, it didn¡¯t seem like a particularly useful spell. But it was different for Michael who had immense battle experience and understanding of the magic system. Most wizards would choose a defense-type talent rune when they advanced into a rank 1 wizard, in order to have some degree of automatic protection from any malicious intent, and Michael was the same, as with his talent rune he could dismantle most spells before they could even reach him, which is why the other wizard couldn¡¯t activate his spell. And the talent rune provided enough flexibility that he could easily form a physical defense spell to protect against physical attacks, at a speed that might be a little slower than the best automatic defense-type talent runes. But it was hard for this spell to be as effective for anyone but Michael. If Michael was being honest, this was the arrogance of a being that has lived for countless years, as using his talent rune effectively required foresight, skill, and insane reaction speed. Unlike the talent runes of most wizards, Michael''s did not provide automatic protection, so if Michael had his guard down, anyone with a gun could easily kill him if they were quick enough. Michael sifted through the ashes and found something interesting. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get one of these so soon.¡± Michael said with a grin. It was a space-compression pouch! Now I don¡¯t have to carry such a big box¡­ ¡­ ¡­. ¡­ After getting home, Michael looked through his newly received pouch. There were a few materials for what Michael assumed would be an enchanted weapon, several spell books on dark magic, various other random materials, and some worthless research notes on the soul. There was also a wallet with the wizard''s identification, bank cards, and a large amount of cash. Michael burned everything but the cash and a USB drive, while only taking note of the wizard''s last name, in case he had to face a family of dark wizards in the future. It was too risky to use the USB he found on his own computer, so he put it aside. He still had other stuff to do, so he could only ignore it for now. Michael''s research into the required materials for his dad''s life seed was almost done, but he would need replacements for a few ingredients, and to get that needed much more currency than he currently had. The quality of the life seed implanted into a knight was usually the determining factor for how far that knight could go, and as such, in order to produce high-quality knights, a certain level of wealth was required. Unfortunately, Michael was not as wealthy as he would like, and although the life seed he was planning on giving to his dad was of the most basic quality, Michael intended on modifying the life seed so that he could upgrade it in the future. This would eventually require more wealth than a regular high-quality life seed, especially if intended on keeping the life seed upgradeable, but Michael was doing this for his dad, and not for a disposable knight, so it was okay to spend as much as necessary. After this, a boring routine of meditating, making potions, and selling potions took place, with the quality of potions slowly increasing in value. Michael also took the time to make a weapon out of what he found in the wizard mugger¡¯s pouch. It probably turned out much better than that wizard intended. Unfortunately he wasn¡¯t alive to use it. It was a short sword made out of some sort of mineral from an asteroid. Michael had analyzed the mineral and discovered its affinity to the dark element, so Michael enchanted it with a curse that would take away more of a person''s senses the more that person was cut. Michael wasn¡¯t too impressed with this sword but he could probably sell this for a significant amount if he were to sell it. ¡­ ¡­. ¡­ ¡°It''s finally done.¡± It was made using many parts, including a Great Slime¡¯s core, the blood from various creatures such as a chimera, a lesser dragon-kin, and the heart blood of a shape shifter, in addition to herbs such as a Cyan Climbing Vine, Spirit Rejuvenation Mushroom, and a Fairy Peach. Many of these ingredients weren''t exactly what Michael wanted, so he was forced to modify those ingredients with alchemy. Michael held up a transparent tube in his hand as he watched with admiration at his work. The potion within the tube was shifting from liquid to mist, in a cycle of multicolored light. Although it was in the form of a potion, this was the so-called life seed. ¡­ ¡­. ¡­ ¡°Remember, after you drink it, immediately start the exercise I taught you with all your strength. Unfortunately, you''ll have to do this for several hours, but don''t worry because you¡¯ll have plenty of energy. I¡¯ll watch you through the process to make sure everything goes well.¡± Michael explained before handing his dad the life seed. Paul looked at the mysterious potion with suspicion. ¡°Are you sure you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± He asked with hesitation. ¡°What? You want to see my certificate from OnlineSchoolofWizardry.com?¡± Michael asked with sarcasm. ¡°Oh, are they a respectable school?¡± Paul asked. He would be much more assured if his son had proof of his qualifications. Michael smiled wryly. ¡°Yes, dad. They¡¯re a respectable school. Now drink it.¡± ¡°Okay, if you say so.¡± Paul drank the potion and began the awkward looking exercise while exerting all of his strength. At first, it was quite tiring, but then, Paul felt a burst of energy, which wasn¡¯t decreasing no matter how hard he punched or kicked. ¡°Aaaaah!¡± Paul couldn¡¯t help but give a war cry but it didn¡¯t help with the vast amount of energy he felt. As Paul struggled with the rekindling of his youth, Michael called a delivery place and made a $300 order. Even after the order was delivered, Paul was still going like a madman, visibly losing weight as the hours progressed. Night time eventually came and Paul collapsed onto the ground, feeling more exhausted than he''s ever felt. Michael picked him up and delivered him to the couch in the living room. There were piles of already cold food stacked up onto the small coffee table in preparation for when Paul woke up, so there wasn¡¯t much else to prepare against, but Michael continued to watch over his dad, prepared for the worst. Chapter 6: Promises of Princesses ¡°(Munch munch) Oh, so cold, but so good. (Munch munch) How am I eating so much? Is this all really fitting inside my stomach. Oh my god!¡± Paul exclaimed as he expressed his ravenous appetite, showing an unbefitting image to his son. But Michael didn¡¯t care and he was just glad that everything was working out as expected. Michael chuckled. ¡°Don''t hesitate to eat it all. You''ll probably need it.¡± ¡°Such an unsightly image. Look away, Karina. You don¡¯t want to remember your father this way after he dies from overeating.¡± Melinda mocked. Karina giggled. ¡°Indeed, it is a rare sight.¡± ¡°How has your progress been lately?¡± Michael asked, as he hasn¡¯t inquired this in a while. ¡°If you¡¯re having any trouble, let me know.¡± Michael felt he covered the major points when teaching the meditation technique to them, and even gave both of them a separate book on insights into the technique and how to overcome certain problems. It was a considerable amount of work, when included onto the fact that he provided each of them a separate high-level meditation technique which was personally modified by him to suit their specific personalities. It would be hard for the average wizard apprentice to hope for. Michael thought it was very effective, considering that both his mom and sister were on the verge of stepping onto the level of rank 3 wizard apprentice in such a short time. It would normally take others years to achieve this result, when they''ve only been practicing for a month. To be fair, this was also the result of an abundant amount of Element Sensitivity potions, and the assistance of Element Gathering arrays, all tailored towards their specific element affinity. ¡°I still can¡¯t engrave my first spell model onto my sea of consciousness. Every time I think I¡¯ve done it, I find small mistakes every time I check it, and I have to let the whole thing dissipate. It¡¯s so frustrating!¡± Karina expressed. ¡°Well that¡¯s to be expected. It takes practice, and you¡¯re already progressing much faster than others could. Just take your time, and remember not to become impatient and forget to check the spell model before engraving it. The results could be disastrous if you become impulsive.¡± Michael advised. ¡°Hoho, it seems your mother is much more talented than you are, Karina. I¡¯ve already engraved my first spell model and became a rank 3 apprentice!¡± Melinda announced with pride. ¡°What! Mom, how could you overshadow your own daughter?¡± Karina said, trying to garner some pity. Michael chuckled. ¡°Congratulations. What spell did you choose?¡± He asked. ¡°The rank 0 spell, Boil!¡± Melinda announced with pride. ¡°I chose it so that I could have tea whenever I want! Hmm, such a convenient spell.¡± Karina was flabbergasted. ¡°Why would you choose a spell for such a simple thing? I can do the same thing by just applying fire element particles onto water!¡± ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± Michael explained. ¡°Boil is a water-type spell that manipulates the energy level of water. You could even cause a person¡¯s heart to rupture if you touched someone with the spell active or cook a person using the water inside their body. You couldn¡¯t achieve the same amount of damage by just applying fire element particles to a person or at least with the equivalent amount of fire element particles.¡± ¡°Oh my! What a dangerous spell! I guess I¡¯ll have to be more careful from now on.¡± Melinda exclaimed in shock. ¡°Waaah! Mom, I¡¯m so jealous. When can I become that powerful?¡± Karina cried with envy. ¡°Ugh. That¡¯s it. I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± Paul said, hugging his belly as he collapsed onto the couch. ¡°So, dad. Have you thought about the question I asked you a while back? Now that you¡¯ve received the life seed, it¡¯s the best time to capitalize and choose your development direction.¡± Michael asked. Soon after telling his family the truth of the world, he had asked his father to think about what his preferred fighting style would be, as there were ways to maximize effectiveness if he knew how he wanted to fight. ¡°Umm, I¡¯ve been thinking about this. But I have a question first.¡± Paul announced, trying to not look ignorant. ¡°Are there such things as knights who use guns?¡± ¡°You want to become a Gun Master?¡± Michael inquired. Michael assumed that it was quite a rare profession among knights, at least from what Michael understood, because Gun Masters don¡¯t take advantage of the strength inherent in knights. But, if it was approached in a correct manner, it was still possible for it to become very powerful. ¡°Mmm,¡± Paul said with a nod. ¡°You might not know this, but if I hadn''t met your mother so soon in my life, I would have joined the World Police Force. My dream was to become an elite of a Special Task Force.¡± Michael was surprised at his father''s aspirations. Paul might not know, but from the information Michael had gathered from the Wandering Mage Network, the Special Task Force were trained to do a multitude of things, including defending the mortal world from criminal wizards. Although wizards from rank 2 and higher were usually outside what they could handle, a group of mortals capable of taking down rank 1 wizards was still impressive. Michael chuckled. ¡°All I can say is you¡¯re lucky that I¡¯m your son. The Gun Master path requires a peculiar training style and also, specific equipment. But even though it will take time to prepare everything, it¡¯s still doable.¡± Michael said with a smile.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­ Michael''s life continued in a dull manner. A normal wizard''s life would usually consist of learning new skills, researching new knowledge, or struggling for resources, but Michael already had the necessary skills and knowledge, plus the fact that the Wandering Mage Network already provided pretty much all he needed for his current level. Many of the things Michael needed from the Wandering Mage Network required either a large amount mortal currency or Element Stones, which Michael had a sufficient supply of from his profits as a Potion Master. As such, the struggle for resources was a very simple matter for Michael. The perks of being reborn was that half the work in the journey of a cultivator was already done. But, considering that Michael was born in a fairly peaceful situation where he can remain low key, the situation he was in made for a fairly boring story. But Michael didn¡¯t care about that. His first priority was the safety of his family, and if remaining low key in a peaceful life was required for that, he didn¡¯t care. Michael continued his work making potions to make money, which was much more profitable for Michael because of his very high success rate. He was also preparing defenses against certain eventualities, and also upgrading the strength of his family. In addition to personally teaching his family members, Michael had been building a library of knowledge they might need or be interested in. Michael had taught his dad a knight-specific meditation technique that would direct his new life force into strengthening his senses and reflexes to their limits. As Michael prepared his dad''s future weapons, Michael also had Paul train in a soft-tactic sword skill. Unfortunately, a short-distance fight, Gun Master''s were at a disadvantage against regular knights, but the sword skill Michael taught would provide the best defense at close-range and give Paul enough breathing room to use his gun effectively. Although the sword skill had high requirements on control and perception, it was the perfect match with the direction Paul was training in. Paul''s training along with the guns that Michael would provide, would be enough to overpower anyone on Paul''s level. It was a very cheat-worthy combination. As for Michael¡¯s mom, she was progressing smoothly, but she would have a very small chance of advancing to a rank 1 wizard if Michael didn¡¯t prepare any extra help. Karina had advanced to a rank 3 apprentice a couple weeks after Melinda, and was becoming more familiar with engraving spell models. With Michael¡¯s guidance, he was sure Karina could smoothly advance to a rank 1 wizard. For the sake of remaining low key, Michael was also preparing various tools, such as a set of power disguising pendants, numerous divination decoys, and even false identities, in case they were necessary. In addition to that, Michael was making the necessary self-defence items, in preparation for any conflict his family members might have, including weapons, armor, enchanted tools and several life-protection charms and potions that Michael hoped wouldn¡¯t be necessary. These were all effective within a certain level, but Michael wasn¡¯t planning on being targeted by any high-level wizards any time soon, so these were sufficient for a period of time. ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­ ¡°What have you found?¡± Kristoff Grueber asked from behind his desk. ¡°We went to the coordinates and searched the surroundings but we found nothing suspicious.¡± Kristoff''s subordinate answered. Kristoff was an agent for the World Police Force, and also a rank 2 wizard. He was stationed on the mortal world by his organization for a 5 year term, to deal with any threats above the capabilities of the Special Task Force. Several weeks ago, Kristoff discovered that his son was missing, and that there was no sign of him. So he visited someone in his organization with some skill in divination, and was informed that his son had been killed. The children of wizards were often considered precious in their parents eyes, as there were many issues when it came to the conception of a wizard''s child. Kristoff was naturally enraged, and had willingly paid a hefty price for any information the Divination Master could provide about the person that killed his son. But no matter how hard the person tried, all he could get were coordinates that led to some uninhabited mountains. Kristoff gritted his teeth. That bastard! He sent me on a wild goose chase! The fucker! I¡¯ll make him pay! Michael had actually made a paper bird puppet and let it fly in a random direction with a divination decoy. If Michael could comment, he would say it was a satisfactory result. ¡°Have you checked the satellite images?¡± Kristoff asked. ¡°All we found in the past month were hikers and animals. We checked the identities of the hikers and they were all mortals. Their records didn¡¯t show anything noteworthy or worthy of suspicion.¡± Kristoff''s subordinate replied. Kristoff''s face twitched at the lack of results. ¡°And the post office?¡± He asked again. The post office was the last place his son was seen. ¡°There were only 3 wizards there that were capable of fighting with your son.¡± The man answered. ¡°Hand me the dossiers of everyone in the post office during the time my son was present.¡± Kristoff ordered. If Kristoff couldn¡¯t rely on divination, he would just investigate the old fashioned way. I¡¯ll find you, you bastard. And I¡¯ll make you pay. ¡­ ¡­. ¡­ ¡°Alright let''s go.¡± Michael said before opening the door. ¡°Woah, dude. Hold up. I¡¯m not going with you. I¡¯ll pick you up in like 2-3 hours.¡± Nathan responded. ¡°Dude, why do you think I called you if not to hang out?¡± Michael asked. ¡°Mmm, maybe because you¡¯re paying me to drive you around? Dipshit!¡± Nathan replied with sarcasm. Nathan was a good buddy of Michael''s during high school. He was one of the few friends Michael had that was in the city. Many of his other friends, had went to college either outside or within the city, but unfortunately Nathan didn¡¯t have the grades for such a fate. So Nathan was preparing to join the World Police Force at the suggestion of his parents. Michael was currently in the process of getting a driver''s license outside the official means, because he didn¡¯t want to waste time on the classes required for all new drivers. But in the mean time, he needed a driver, and thought of Nathan, as he didn¡¯t live too far from Michael. Nathan was going to reject, as he didn¡¯t have the time or interest to fuck around as Michael''s driver, but was forced to change his mind when Michael told him about the sizeable payment he would receive. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a princess. Come on, if you play your cards right, you might get to spend time with a real princess.¡± Michael said with a chuckle before getting out of the car. Nathan really wanted to say no, but promises of princesses was really hard to walk away from. Nathan could only grumble under his breath and leave the car. ¡°Fuckin'' drags me to a rich person party. What an asshole. I¡¯m not even dressed for it. God, I hope no shit starts today.¡± It was understandable why Nathan was worried. Anyone at this party probably had a way to fuck up Nathan''s life in at least one way. Nathan handed the keys to the valet and followed Michael into the building. Chapter 7: Wants His Face Back ¡°Michael! Thank god you¡¯re here.¡± Nicholas welcomed after seeing Michael in the lobby. ¡°Nicholas.¡± Michael greeted with a smile. ¡°So whose party is this anyways? And why were you so desperate to get me to come?¡± Although Michael really needed a break recently, he still wouldn¡¯t have come to a random party if Nicholas wasn¡¯t so insistent. ¡°And this is a buddy of mine, Nathan.¡± He said, gesturing to Nathan, who was hoping to be ignored. ¡°A pleasure.¡± Nathan said, holding out his hand to Nicholas. ¡°Hello! Nicholas. Glad to meet you.¡± Nicholas said, returning the greetings. ¡°Anyways, I was forced to come here by my father, and needed some people to help me blend into the crowd.¡± Michael chuckled. ¡°What are you afraid of? They¡¯re just a bunch of rich kids.¡± Nicholas gave a bitter smile. ¡°For a normal rich kid it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. But my family and I are considered parvenus to these people. Most of them don¡¯t care, but the few that do can be annoying. It¡¯s troublesome to handle if I don¡¯t at least have this amount of moral support.¡± Nicholas explained. ¡°You don¡¯t want us to fight them for you, do you?¡± Nathan asked. He¡¯d step out now if that¡¯s the case, as he couldn¡¯t afford the trouble. Although Nathan didn¡¯t have much book smarts, he knew enough to understand how much he could lose if things went down that way. ¡°What? No! I just want you guys to keep me company. Although most people here don¡¯t care how my family got their money, there are also not many that would choose to interact with me because of the few assholes that do care. If something does happen, don¡¯t say anything. You guys are purely here for the aesthetics.¡± Nicholas warned. He didn¡¯t want to be responsible if anything troublesome happened to Michael and Nathan. ¡°Got it. Now what are we celebrating today?¡± Michael asked, not too concerned with the politics between these kids. ¡°Oh. The princess of the Walt family is celebrating her 18th birthday.¡± Nicholas responded. ¡°That¡¯s a low blow, Nicholas. Inviting us to a birthday party, and forgetting to tell us to bring gifts. This is why people think you¡¯re a parvenu.¡± Michael said with sarcastic disappointment. Nicholas punched Michael in the shoulder. ¡°Asshole! You¡¯re the parvenu! That actually reminds me, both you and my father got their wealth in the same way. So you could say we¡¯re parvenu brothers! Hahaha!¡± Nicholas said with a laugh. ¡°Now come on, let¡¯s get some drinks and I¡¯ll tell you about it.¡± Nicholas¡¯s father earned money through gambling when he first started out, but he didn¡¯t stay in that business for long. He then used the money he earned to buy and flip houses, which was a business that eventually led him to become a real estate developer. The more he earned, the more he invested, as he was a gambler at heart, but like every good gambler, he didn¡¯t just rely on luck. His ability to read people and judge the situation were key in making him a successful man. So Nicholas viewed his father as a hero, and instead of studying at a prestigious school, Nicholas chose to study under his father, as he believed that he could learn much more that way. He even tried to mimic his father, by learning to gamble and read people, which is how he met Michael. ¡°Unfortunately, Nicholas, I fear that you¡¯re probably not as good at gambling as your father. You should probably go into a more technical profession.¡± Michael teased after hearing the story. ¡°Fuck you. I¡¯m improving at a rapid rate, asshole. Other than you, I believe I can rob anyone in this room.¡± Nicholas bragged with pride. ¡°Ah, really? Then let''s play a game. I''ll put up the stakes, but Nathan will play for me.¡± Michael suggested. He was getting a little bored at this party as most people were ignoring their group of three. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t regret it.¡± Nicholas said before finding a waiter and asking for a deck of cards, which didn¡¯t take long to receive. ¡°Unfortunately we have no chips or cash. So we have to record the bets and transfer the money in the end. But we should set a buy-in max limit, or this could get out of hand.¡± Nicholas suggested. ¡°Let''s keep it at $5000. We don''t want to hurt any feelings tonight.¡± Michael responded, before his eyes became wary. A figure had silently approached their table. Michael could smell the scent of an experienced hunter, and also¡­ a girl¡¯s light perfume. ¡°Are you guys playing poker? Can I join?¡± A young lady with a pretty face, and wearing a beautiful dress, asked. There was a slight interest in her eyes, and it seemed that she too was becoming bored by this party. Nicholas turned to look, and said with slight disbelief, ¡°Miss Walt?¡± ¡°Oho, the birthday girl? Well, this is a little interesting. Ignore my earlier words, I¡¯m also playing. $5000 max buy-in my dear, Miss Walt. We''re keeping the night friendly, with the hopes that it will get friendlier.¡± Michael said in the way he would talk to all pretty girls. Michael was slightly interested in the first knight he''s met other than his dad.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Oh my, what a gentleman. I¡¯m fine with that, but let''s make it winner take all, or it will get boring.¡± Miss Walt said as she sat down. By this time, their table had gotten the attention of the people in the surroundings, as Miss Walt was someone people focused on even if it wasn''t her birthday. ¡°I also wish to join this game.¡± A handsome young man said as he approached the table and sat down directly. Michael kind of wanted to reject as this guy was a wizard apprentice, and looked like a cheater, but Michael didn¡¯t want to cause a scene. Michael looked at the guy more closely and remembered he saw this guy at the post office before. Hmm, small world. He thought. ¡°Alright then. Four players. $5000 each. $25/$50 blinds. Winner takes all. Nathan, would you be so kind as to deal and record everyone''s bets and money?¡± Michael asked. ¡°What? Why do I have to do it?¡± Nathan asked. He really didn¡¯t want to be the focus of all this attention. ¡°Don''t be such a poor sport. If I win, I¡¯ll give you half.¡± Michael coaxed. ¡°Alright, you promised.¡± Nathan said before grabbing the cards and beginning to deal. Michael was first and he put in the small blind. Then the princess put in the big blind, the apprentice started of strong and raised 1000, and Nicholas folded. The apprentice looked confident, but Michael could see he wasn¡¯t completely confident. So just for this small insight, he just called. Princess folded, and the apprentice checked. The flop and Michael hit a queen, so he raised 500, just to see the reaction of the apprentice. Michael suspected that the apprentice had a pocket pair of something, and Michael wanted to see his confidence in his pair. Confidence wasn¡¯t as apparent on the apprentice¡¯s face, but it was still there. The apprentice called. The next card was a jack, and the apprentice''s face lit up for the briefest of moments, but this was undoubtedly caught by Michael. Michael was in trouble, because he could tell this guy probably has a three of kind, or he wouldn¡¯t be so excited inside, but this was also the fourth card in a flush for Michael, so he checked. The apprentice wanted to look low key, so he checked, which Michael thanked god for. The next card was not another jack, but a nine of spades, which was the suit Michael was looking for. Michael smiled slightly and checked. The apprentice took a moment to think. Michael had looked slightly confident, and the only thing that could beat the apprentice was a flush. But Michael could also have been happy for hitting the nine, as there were now two nines on the table, but that couldn¡¯t beat the apprentice''s hand, and he refused to believe this guy hit a four of a kind. The apprentice hesitated before determination set into his eyes. Element particles began to ripple, but before the apprentice could accomplish what he intended, he was interrupted. ¡°Ronald. Leave if you¡¯re going to play this way.¡± The princess said in a stern voice. The element particles settled down, as shame sunk into Ronald at getting caught. He would never have guessed that Miss Walt would have some sort of spell detector on her. The only reason Ronald joined this game was to socialize with and impress Miss Walt, but he got caught cheating and shamed himself. Ronald wanted to recover his wounded pride, and he still had a good chance of winning so he went all in, which he wouldn¡¯t have done if he wasn¡¯t so embarrassed. Michael was surprised at his boldness, but still called. The result was obvious and Michael won. Ronald turned red with regret. He considered blaming the dealer cheating, but it wouldn¡¯t have escaped Miss Walt''s eyes and he would only embarrass himself further. ¡°I demand to raise the max buy in! What kind of coward limits himself to $5000? Unless you guys are too poor.¡± Ronald said, spewing out a bunch of desperate and provocative words. Nathan had the urge to punch this guy in the face but forced the feeling down. Fucking asshole. At least I¡¯m not a rich prick. Nathan thought to himself. ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Michael asked. ¡°One million as the buy in.¡± Ronald said with a sly grin. Except for Miss Walt, Ronald doubted these kids could afford it. He didn¡¯t really want to gamble with this amount, he just wanted to show off his superiority to these kids and force them to give up. Michael shook his head. Poor Ronald, he thought. All he wants is his face back. So sad¡­ ¡°I¡¯m out if that''s the case.¡± Nicholas said without any embarrassment. Nicholas couldn¡¯t afford to risk that much money, and he¡¯d rather stay away from this guy who was shamed into becoming crazy. Michael looked to the princess and she said, ¡°I¡¯ll play if you¡¯re playing.¡± She saw the playful smile on Michael''s face and blushed slightly at her words before explaining. ¡°Otherwise it would be boring with just two people.¡± ¡°Oh, Lady Walt is a risk taker, I see. I wonder what other risks you¡¯re willing to make.¡± Michael said, ignoring the current mood of the place. Ronald became annoyed at this guy''s borderline sex offender attitude and hurried him. ¡°Are you playing or not?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll play, and everyone here is a witness. Whoever refuses to transfer the money to the winner, will be remembered and looked down on by everyone here.¡± Michael announced to the already gathered crowd. Although these words wouldn¡¯t work on a shameless person, he could tell this wasn¡¯t the case for Ronald. But before the cards could be dealt, the sound of multiple hurried footsteps sounded out. A group of officers approached their table and out their hands on Ronald. ¡°What are you guys doing? Do you know who I am? Get your hands off me!¡± Ronald yelled, freeing himself from their hands. ¡°We apologize Mister Ronald, but you¡¯ll have to come with us. You aren''t under arrest, we just need you to cooperate in an ongoing investigation. It won''t take long.¡± An officer said, trying to keep this as peaceful as possible. Ronald was annoyed, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Even though he was a wizard apprentice with a higher status than mortals, it still wouldn¡¯t be good to push the World Police Force too far. ¡°Fine. But don¡¯t touch me, I can walk by myself.¡± Before they left, an officer noticed Michael at the table. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ll have to come with us also.¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± Michael said in surprise, but he also didn¡¯t want to argue against the World Police Force. ¡°Fine. Nathan, call my parents, and tell them what happened. ¡± He said, before winking at Miss Walt and leaving with the officers. ¡°Interesting.¡± Miss Walt said to herself. She was curious about what the two people were taken in for. These two people shouldn¡¯t be related in anyway, but apparently they were. Chapter 8: Possessive vs. Philanderer ¡°Name.¡± The officer asked. ¡°Michael Garren.¡± Michael answered. ¡°Age.¡± ¡°19.¡± ¡°Gender.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a male that identifies as a hermaphrodite.¡± The officer ignored the last part. ¡°Male, then. Occupation.¡± ¡°Well, I guess you can say I¡¯m a professional gambler.¡± Michael replied. ¡°And where were you on the 4th day of the 4th month?¡± The officer asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Two months ago? Probably gambling online?¡± Michael said, showing nothing to suggest suspicion, but inside, Michael realized that this was probably about the mugger he killed that day. Michael made a mental note to change his appearance the next time he had to do business where he might be targeted for something. The officer took out a photo of the post office. ¡°Do you recognize this place.¡± He asked. ¡°Yes, I get my mail there sometimes.¡± Michael said trying to sound nonchalant. ¡°You know this is not a place for regular mail, right?¡± The officer asked, watching the changes on Michael''s face. Slight surprise was shown on Michael''s face. ¡°Oh, you guys know about that?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s our job to know. How do you know about this place? It¡¯s not common that a regular person would know about this.¡± The officer continued to inquire. ¡°I heard about it through my girlfriend.¡± Michael replied. ¡°What¡¯s your girlfriend''s name?¡± ¡°Lisa.¡± Michael lied shamelessly. ¡°Last name?¡± Michael laughed awkwardly. ¡°Haha, we¡¯re not on a last name basis quite yet.¡± The officer stared blankly at Michael¡¯s face, wondering if he was serious. ¡°Which network did you access to receive mail at this place?¡± Michael scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Is there something like a magic lawyer I can get? I¡¯m not sure how much I¡¯m allowed to say about this subject.¡± He said with slight worry. ¡°Rest assured, we¡¯re already aware of all the organizations that make use of this post office, and there¡¯s no way you or anyone else can get in trouble simply by telling us the name of the network you used.¡± The officer coaxed. Although what he said was true, some of the organizations mentioned were worthy of more suspicion than others when considering the crime involved. ¡°Ah, alright, if you say so. It was the Wandering Mage Network.¡± Michael said with a look of reluctance. ¡°And who gave you the access card for this network?¡± ¡°My girlfriend''s master, Sheona.¡± He said. Surprise was briefly displayed on the officer''s face. ¡°And what did you buy on this network?¡± The officer asked. ¡°That''s kind of an invasive question. I don¡¯t know what you guys are suspecting me of buy I¡¯m innocent, okay? All I bought were a few books and the materials to make a few low level potions.¡± Michael replied, showing discomfort. ¡°Why did you buy these things?¡± The officer asked. ¡°I thought it would be profitable if I learned to make potions, okay? There''s nothing wrong with that!¡± Michael answered. The officer had a blank face, but felt disdain inside, as there was no way a mortal could make the potions they were talking about. ¡°Okay, let''s take a break. Do you want anything to eat or drink? You might be here for a while.¡± The officer asked. ¡°I¡¯m actually really craving some lobster right now. And a bottle of whiskey please. You might not know, but this is a very stressful situation to be in.¡± Michael said. The officer stared once again. How come your words don¡¯t match your attitude, he thought to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll try to get that for you right away.¡± The officer left to verify the information he just received. As Michael received his lobster and drank his whiskey, the officer was hard at work. Although they couldn¡¯t find much information from the Wandering Mage Network because confidentiality was their policy, they could find out a lot about everything else. They investigated Michael''s his history, his family members, the people related to him, and had even searched his house house. Unfortunately they didn¡¯t find much, as Nathan had told Michael''s parents early enough and Michael''s parents knew what they had to do. If they hadn''t randomly seen Michael at the party, the search would have been more efficient but luck played a role in keeping Michael''s life low key. Michael made a mental note to be more prepared against these modern world investigations in the future. In fact there were many aspects of this modern world that Michael needed to think about. He realized that he shouldn¡¯t treat this world as a normal wizard world. The only thing noteworthy they discovered was Michael¡¯s relation to Sheona, but that didn¡¯t have any relevance to the case. And even if it did have something to do with it, Sheona wasn''t an existence they could touch. They could only let Michael go as there was no point investigating him. Michael''s main focus when he went home several days later was to thoroughly understand the level of this world''s technology and make a plan to defend against it.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡­ ¡­. ¡­ This event had set off warning bells within Michael, and he decided that he needed to upgrade the amount of information he understood. The different organizations at play, the big families, the ability of the World Police Force, and basically anything that would help him navigate this world. Luckily, this task was made easier by the upgrade of Michael¡¯s access card to the Wandering Mage Network, as with his new access card, much more information or items were made accessible. Michael had provided the Wandering Mage Network with a lot of business with his potions, so they upgraded his priveleges. Michael spent several months gathering information, and adjusting his strategy in this world. When there was information he couldn¡¯t access, he bought it, and when he discovered any new threats to the peace in his life, he defended against it, either by buying technology, learning new skills, or using magic. Several things happened during this time. Michael''s mom advanced to a rank 1 wizard with Michael''s help. They used a blood magic ritual to advance Melinda and it was quite gruesome, as they used a live troll as a source of vitality. The scene was quite unpleasant but Melinda pushed through it and successfully advanced. Karina had also successfully advanced, as she progressed at quite a fast rate once school was over. Michael also heard that Lisa had successfully advanced sometime before Melinda. Paul finally got his guns. Michael received his driver''s license and bought a new car. Nathan was finally enrolled in the police academy. As for Nicholas, he was still learning his father¡¯s trade. Michael also thought about finding the person who ordered the investigation, but decided against it. There was little to no suspicion with Michael and also, Michael understood how conflict could escalate. Michael killing one person would lead to having to kill another person if he wasn¡¯t careful with the first killing, then he would have to kill someone else. It worked out pretty well with murder number 1, so Michael decided to take a step back and actively stop the cycle of death. Also, Michael wasn¡¯t invincible, and it didn¡¯t hurt to be careful. ¡­ ¡­¡­. ¡­.. ¡°Have you reached out to the Wandering Mage Network?¡± Layla Walt asked after the waiter had delivered her food. Eating in public restaurants was Layla¡¯s habit. She enjoyed the liveliness in the background noise and she found it soothing to be in the same place as regular people, who lived happily, separated from the hidden world of knights and wizards. If she was born a couple generations later, she might be just like them. Unfortunately that wasn¡¯t the case, and if she couldn¡¯t find a solution to her problem, it would become a problem just to produce the next generation. ¡°They don¡¯t want to get involved. They aren¡¯t as united as other organizations, so it would be difficult to ignore the three families behind the decree. And the few powerful enough to ignore the decree, don¡¯t want to waste their time on us. In their eyes, although we have a solid foundation in the mortal world, we are still a small and declining family with no value.¡± The Walt family steward answered. ¡°What about the people in conflict with the three families? Surely they¡¯ve reached out.¡± Layla continued to ask with furrowed brows. ¡°A few people have reached out, but the prices for their services are outside the range we can afford, especially if we intend to produce a new generation of knights.¡± The steward replied before hesitating to continue. ¡°What is it? Spit it out.¡± Layla ordered. ¡°As you know the Fraet family are not on friendly terms with the those three families, and the price they offered to help was within an acceptable range. But¡­¡± The steward struggled to explain as he knew the personality of the young miss. ¡°What?¡± Layla asked, although she already suspected the answer. ¡°But they''re insisting on a marriage alliance.¡± The steward finally said. Layla sighed. ¡°With Ronald, right? That bastard can never conceal his greed when he''s around me. And I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same with many other women¡­¡± Layla mumbled, before contemplating the situation. ¡°Leave me.¡± She ordered with a heavy mood, watching as the steward left. She had already made the decision she knew she would regret, and all she wanted now was to have a peaceful meal. But before she could begin to enjoy her meal, a ruckus was heard from across the room. A grouo of girls were being harassed by a couple of cocky and alcohol-influenced boys. Hmm, I recognize that girl. Layla thought as she looked at Karina who was standing up to the two boys. It¡¯s that guy''s younger sister! Layla had Michael''s identity investigated after her birthday party as she felt he wasn¡¯t as simple as he seemed, so naturally she found out about his family members. Should I help her out? Layla asked herself. Karina and her friends had gone out for dinner to enjoy the last week of August before having to worry about school, but they became the targets of these two boys. Karina was currently very annoyed, and was about to lose her temper. Michael had told her to watch out for changes in her personality and to keep it in control as wizards who specialized in the fire element were known to have a very short fuse, but she herself has not yet noticed the new limitation on her patience. This was why she ignored Michael when he told her of a short mantra that could keep her calm in times like this. ¡°Come on, baby. Just come home with me, and I promise you won¡¯t regret it.¡± One of the young men, said, moving his hand onto Karina¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve already said, don¡¯t touch me!¡± Karina yelled as she pushed her palm towards the man''s chest. A muffled boom was heard and the young man was propelled three meters back, landing heavily onto the ground. The other young man was shocked as he heard his friend moaning in pain and looked at Karina with slight fear. ¡°You want some of this too, bro?¡± Karina said with an intimidating glare, awkwardly trying to imitate the delinquents in her school with her ironically sweet and feminine voice. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to throw down, then leave!¡± The guy reacted quickly and picked up his friend to leave. ¡°Wow, Karina, you¡¯re so gangster.¡± One of her friends said with a giggle. Layla was shocked. She would have suspected that Karina was just a strangely strong girl, if it wasn¡¯t that her spell detector sensed the slight ripples of a small spell. She''s a wizard! Layla thought. Other than that small reaction from her spell detector, there was nothing to indicate that Karina was a wizard. All Layla could see with her senses was a normal girl, but the timing of her push and the reaction from the spell detector couldn¡¯t be denied. Karina at least had a small understanding of magic. This wasn¡¯t a bit of information that Layla could ignore, especially in her predicament, and she needed to fully investigate the situation. It was possible that Karina¡¯s brother was also a wizard. Layla compared the two men who got taken away by the police on her birthday. One was possessive and had a sexually aggressive attitude, while the other seemed like a shameless philanderer. They didn¡¯t seem too different, but one of them didn¡¯t view her as an item, and although she didn¡¯t like it, she would prefer to get help from the latter. ¡°Manager.¡± Layla called out in a rather loud voice, gathering attention from the crowd. The manager hurriedly came over as he was already present because of the commotion. ¡°Yes, Miss Walt.¡± He said in a humble manner. ¡°Make sure to ban those two boys, and put everything on those girls'' bill on my tab. Also bring my meal over to their table.¡± She instructed before going over to greet the group of young ladies. Seeing that the lady who spoke up for them was walking in their direction, Karina got up and greeted her. ¡°Thank you very much for helping out. I feared that we would also be kicked out of the restaurant.¡± She said in a friendly manner. ¡°It''s nothing. In fact I didn¡¯t do that without reason.¡± Layla replied. ¡°Oh?¡± Karina said with slight suspicion. Although she just used a small spell, it shouldn¡¯t have been detected by anyone here. It was simply a small amount of fire element particles that were compressed in an instant to produce an explosion effect, and it was even possible for this spell to go unnoticed by rank 1 wizards. ¡°Yes, actually I¡¯m an acquaintance of your brother. We had met at my birthday party.¡± Layla explained, trying to sound amiable. This could be the solution to escaping an unwanted marriage, so she had to make a good impression. ¡°May I sit with you? I wish to ask you about your brother. He had left so abruptly that day that I didn¡¯t get a chance to speak to him for very long.¡± ¡°Please, feel free to join us. There¡¯s more than enough room.¡± One of Karina¡¯s friends replied before she could answer. This lady seemed quite influential from how she spoke to the manager so the group of girls wanted to get acquainted with her. Chapter 9 Karina and her friends were enjoying a fun evening with a few drinks to lighten the mood. Karina and most of her friends had already turned 17, which was the legal drinking age on this world, so they were more than willing when Layla offered to buy a few bottles of expensive sparkling wine. Many of the girls fell in love with the drink, especially Karina, as it helped to calm her excited mood. And although Karina was still suspicious of Layla¡¯s intentions, Karina had to admit that she liked her personality. Layla gave off a responsible young adult vibe, who still knew to enjoy herself. But eventually it got late and everyone went their separate ways. The other girls were all heading in the same direction so they took a taxi together. Karina had moved to a much larger house on the outskirts of the city, two months ago, so she no longer lived within the same area as her friends. ¡°Which way are you heading? I can give you a ride if you want.¡± Layla offered. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to. My house is pretty far away from here. I¡¯ll just get a taxi.¡± Karina politely refused. Michael had already bought Karina a car, but somehow didn¡¯t feel relieved to get her an illegal license and told her that she would have to take the required classes, which Karina thought was unfair.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°No, please. It would be my pleasure. Also, I still need to get your brother¡¯s number from you.¡± Layla replied with a smile, before calling her driver. A car pulled up and Layla opened the door for Karina. ¡°Please.¡± Layla said with a gesture, in an inviting manner. It would be hard for Karina to refuse when Layla was being so forward, so she just ¡°thank you,¡± and got into the car. On the way to Karina¡¯s house, she received Michael¡¯s call as it was quite late. Karina was quite annoyed at how protective Michael was, as he wasn¡¯t her dad, but her brother. Unfortunately she could do nothing to stop him, as Michael was like a paranoid monkey, and was always warning her about random things and giving her life-saving enchanted equipment. What an annoying brother! Karina thought to herself. ¡°Yes, brother.¡± Karina said in a slightly annoyed manner. ¡°Where are you?¡± Michael asked. ¡°I¡¯m on my way home. Your friend, Layla, is driving me home.¡± Karina replied. ¡°Who¡¯s Layla?¡± Michael asked with slight worry. ¡°You don¡¯t remember her? She said you went to her birthday party.¡± Karina said as she watched Layla warily. ¡°Oh, you mean Miss Walt. She¡¯s driving you home?¡± Michael asked after remembering who she was. ¡°Yeah.¡± Karina replied, with slight relief at Michael¡¯s confirmation of Layla¡¯s story. ¡°Well, invite her into the house when you get here. I want to talk her.¡± Michael said, as if he wished to welcome old friends. ¡°Okay. Byee.¡± Karina said before abruptly hanging up. Stupid brother. Using me to lure girls to the house¡­ She thought to herself. Chapter 1: Heavenly Bestowal Shio Alazar was an unfortunate child, the sort without parents. As such, when his adopted father found him, he could not help but feel sympathy for this child. The baby boy was alone in the woods where his adopted father just so happened to stop and decide to rest. He was frail and weak, but his luck had a change at that moment. Thus, Shio was raised by the leader of a Goodwill Church. This church wasn¡¯t as most churches were, which praised a god or pantheon of gods. It was simply a church to express good will towards others. Members of this church were not unlike a large family which shared meals with each other and supported one another during hardships. It was such a popular idea that it was used by many like-minded commoners, though the idea usually only took root in more peaceful areas such as the small town of Newleaf, Shio¡¯s new hometown. Although Shio was an orphan he never really saw this as a disadvantage as the church members provided all the familial affection he needed. And as this child was the lively and outgoing sort, there was no shortage of friends among the children of the church members and the other town children. If not for Shio¡¯s overbearing imagination and curiosity, perhaps he would be content to remain in this town, living out the rest of his life in peace. But in Shio¡¯s heart was a deep yearning for adventure. This is a result of his adopted father introducing him to the town library which Shio often frequented. As Shio continued to read he discovered stories of martial artists shattering boulders with just their fists, magic that change water into solid gold, and rare and mysterious treasures in the form of fruits that could give one the ability to fly. He was simply amazed, and when he inquired his father of these matters his father simply said, ¡°Shio, in this world, all these things are possible.¡± These calm and sure words birthed a great shock and a new and unwavering determination to see the world and all of its wonders. Wait for me, world. I, Shio Alazar, will surely come, he thought to himself with excitement in his eyes. In the following days afterwards, Shio spent all his time researching these wonders thoroughly. Martial arts, magic, alchemy, and many wondrous subjects were sought out by Shio, but unfortunately he could only find general information on them. As this was only a small remote town there was basically no need for martial arts or magic. Aside from the local healer who had knowledge of some healing herbs and the town guards who only knew basic martial arts, Shio could find no one to learn these wonders from. As such, that day when Shio came to realize these things he walked back home disappointed and dejected. When Shio¡¯s adopted father, Rio Alazar, noticed his son¡¯s state as he walked in the door his brows furrowed and he said, ¡°Shio, sit. Tell your father what¡¯s on your mind.¡± As Shio sat at the dining table he started to express his worries. ¡°Dad, how come no one in this town cares for the wonders of the world?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Rio responded. So this is about his recent interests? ¡°Shio,¡± His dad started slowly, with a grin on his face. ¡°Do you want to learn magic?¡± Shio¡¯s mouth opened slightly and his eyebrow raised. ¡°Dad, you know magic?¡± Shio asked, doubt on his face. Rio simply chuckled at his son¡¯s doubting face. ¡°Of course. You wouldn¡¯t think that this old man would start his own Goodwill Church without some insurance do you? I¡¯ll tell you something Shio, in this world, the only thing people will truly respond to is strength! In fact there are many hidden experts in this town. How do you think this town has remained peaceful all these years with all the mercenaries and bandits in the mountains and forests?¡± When asked this question, Shio was simply dumbstruck and his eyes opened wide with shock. ¡°So Dad, how strong are you?¡± Shio asked excitedly, his curiosity overwhelming him. ¡°Hmm? Oh, pretty strong, I guess. But I¡¯m nothing compared to a true expert. Where I grew up, I was simply average. A 44 Star Earth Elementalist wasn¡¯t much.¡± Rio replied in a self-deprecating manner. ¡°Wow! You¡¯re a 44 Star Earth Elementalist? That¡¯s amazing! You have to teach me magic!¡± Shio responded in an uncontrolled manner, not quite sure of the meaning behind those terms. ¡°Hmn.¡± Rio nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine, as long as you have talent for Earth Magic. But if you don¡¯t I won¡¯t be able to teach you. But that¡¯s fine too. I can get someone else in town to teach you something else.¡± A wide grin instantly grew on Shio¡¯s face. He was so excited he could barely contain it. ¡°OK!¡± Shio responded. ¡°Alright, but eat your dinner first. We¡¯ll get up early to test you tomorrow.¡± Rio replied, pouring some cold water on Shio¡¯s enthusiasm. But this didn¡¯t dampen Shio¡¯s spirit as he ate his dinner then went off to bed. As long as he had the opportunity Shio didn¡¯t care if he had to wait even longer. Late in the night. Shio hasn¡¯t slept a wink since he first went to bed. As he thought of how he would be a powerful mage in the future his hands would start to shake. His unbearable excitement made it impossible for him to sleep. I¡¯ll just run around the house a few times and when I get tired all go back to bed, Shio thought to himself. After running around the house a few times, Shio couldn¡¯t help himself and started to pretend to shoot rock missiles out of his palms. ¡°Ptchh!¡± Shio exclaimed, imitating the sound of a rock missile shooting out of his palm as he raised his hand to the tree ahead of him. ¡°Shhhhhh¡­ Boom!¡± Shio exclaimed as he imagined the rock missile whistling through the air and exploding on the tree ahead.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°This kid¡­¡± Shio¡¯s father said, shaking his head as he looked out of a window at Shio playing. ¡°You could be the strongest person in the world right now but you¡¯ll still be a child in my eyes.¡± Rio chuckled before going back to bed. Shio continued to play into the night, till he started feeling rain drops. Shio looked into the sky. It was almost morning, so the sun should have started to rise by now, but all Shio could see were dark clouds covering the sky. Were those always there? Shio thought before he heard a thunderous boom and he saw electrical currents traveling in the clouds. Then, rain seemed to suddenly pour down all at once like a flood from the sky. Crap! Shio thought before running towards his house. But half-way there Shio suddenly heard an earth shattering explosion from the sky. BOOOOOM!!! The last thing Shio remembered was looking up to see a blinding light before a god-like lightning bolt shot out of the sky and engulfed Shio¡¯s entire body. In an unknown realm¡­ ¡°Mnnn¡­.¡± Shio involuntarily let out as he gradually became conscious. He struggled to open his eyes and saw that he was lying on a large bed in a room that Shio thought should belong to a king. Where is this grand place? What happened? Shio thought for a moment and he suddenly remembered that he was in the middle of a thunderstorm and saw a blinding light. Did I get struck by lightning? Then how did I get here? Shio removed the blanket off his body and crawled to edge of the way-too large bed before walking to a door in order to look for the owner of this grand room, but after opening the door all he saw was a grand library. The room was huge and it all filled with countless books. Shio started looking through the book titles. It seemed to be history books but Shio has never heard of the places referenced here before. Shio looked down the incredible length of the aisle. Are these all on history? Shio wondered. I wonder if there¡¯s any books here on magic? Shio suddenly felt the space around him warp and looked around to see what happened. At first he thought his mind was playing tricks on him, but when he noticed the titles of the books around him changed, he became shocked. It seems as if he has been teleported, and the books around him were all on magic. As Shio read through some titles, awe appeared on his face. Demon Shapeshifting, Alchemy: From Copper to Gold, Seeing Beyond the Surface: Aura Reading, A Comprehensive Guide to the World of Magic: Beginner¡¯s Edition. The last title peaked Shio¡¯s interest and he pulled it out. It read: Theoretically it is possible to practice all types of magic, but as it is impossible to master these arts within one lifespan one would usually follow down the path of two or three branches of magic. This is not only practical but choosing which few paths to take is extremely beneficial if you know how to make the choice, as ones affinity in death magic may be extremely poor in comparison to his affinity for the healing arts. This book is a guide to making this difficult choice. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Shio wondered as he continued to sit and read. So that¡¯s how it works, Shio thought after a long session of reading. Different magical arts are attracted to different personalities. As Shio continued to read he discovered that these personality descriptions were quite detailed and there were varying levels of affinity for each type of magic. Shio continued to read and read, until, without knowing exactly how, he had read the whole book. What? It¡¯s over? It felt like not even a minute has passed. As Shio tried to recall the contents of the book, to his amazement, he realized that he had memorized everything. What!? Am I actually way smarter than dad always tells me? Shio thought. No, that can¡¯t be it. It must be this place. As Shio thought of this he realized that as he was reading, it was if he had entered a Zen-like state where it felt like the contents of the whole book was transported into his mind as if it was a river of knowledge, directly leading to the ocean that was his mind. This place is weird, Shio thought, as started to grow worried. When will I go home? As Shio thought this he once again felt the space around him warp. He suddenly felt the familiar feeling of grass on his hands, and when he looked up Shio realized he was behind his house where he saw that blinding light. Shio looked at the sky and saw that it was dawn. Hmm, this should be when I saw that light. But where are the storm clouds? As he gazed at the clear sky that was slowly getting brighter with the rising sun, Shio felt slightly troubled. What a weird day. Was it all a dream? Shio wondered, but as he recalled the book he read he felt that all the information was still there, as clear as day. Then, as Shio thought that he must have spent a whole day reading that book yet it seemed it was still the same time here, he grew troubled again. And I don¡¯t even feel tired! Shio decided to go find his father and see if he says anything about him being missing. If he doesn¡¯t say anything it will mean that the place Shio was recently in was a place where time didn¡¯t work like it did in this world. Also he didn¡¯t eat or drink anything, yet Shio felt fine. Weird, so very weird, Shio thought before walking into his house. When Shio walked into the house he saw his father was already up, making breakfast. ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re up. Come, eat.¡± Shio¡¯s father said casually. He didn¡¯t notice anything? Shio was quite perturbed by his father¡¯s response. ¡°I¡¯ll eat later, dad. I don¡¯t feel too well. I think I¡¯ll go back to sleep for a little longer.¡± Shio replied in an aloof manner as he was feeling quite confused. Rio was quite startled by this. What happened? Wasn¡¯t this kid too excited to sleep at the thought of learning magic just a couple hours ago? ¡°Okay,¡± Rio replied in a stunned manner. ¡°Get some rest.¡± Maybe he¡¯s tired himself out from all that playing. When Shio¡¯s father thought this he chuckled lightly. Shio went back to his room and lied on his bed. I¡¯m sure I just had a really intense dream. I¡¯ll go back to sleep and tomorrow I¡¯ll forget all about this strange occurrence. As Shio slept his consciousness retreated to the depths of his mind as if attracted by something. Shio¡¯s consciousness passed by many fleeting thoughts. The library, his friends, and deeper in his mind were his earliest memories of his father. Shio remembered all these things, but he could sense that beneath these memories was something else, as if his very being goes much deeper than what he knows. And even further in this place he saw a familiar figure. It was a jade-white face and white hair. As this goddess-like face came into Shio¡¯s view, his heart immediately felt a deep longing. ¡°We have to part here, little one.¡± She said, tears flowing from her face. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt your mother¡¯s heart, little one; she truly can¡¯t bear to part with you. But you¡¯re surely destined to find me again; your eyes tell me so.¡± She closes her eyes in a struggle before leaning in to give a soft kiss. ¡°Bye-bye, little one.¡± She leaves and the memory fades. Shio stands there in silence. Mother¡­ I will surely find you. The thought came and passed, before Shio continued onward, seeing a light in the distance. The closer he got, the more he realized it was bright white light in the shape of a door. Shio felt a familiar feeling as he got closer. It¡¯s that place. Shio questioned whether he should go in, but at this moment his rationality wasn¡¯t in a proper state. He was practically half-conscious, and all he could feel right now was the overwhelming desire to read. So without thinking longer, Shio went toward the white light. ¡°Ughhh¡­¡± Shio¡¯s eyes once again struggled open. As he looked around at familiar king-like room, Shio suddenly felt helpless. ¡°Not again.¡± Chapter 2: A Place of Agelessness Shio vaguely recalled how he got here. Although Shio had been in that place within his mind before he had always assumed it was simply his imagination, a way that helped to process his thoughts. He never imagined it could be a real place within his mind. Shio instinctively entered into a meditative and entered that place within his mind, walking into its depths. As before, he found that white light shaped door. This brought me here, it should bring me back. Shio thought before walking into the light. Suddenly, Shio found himself back in his room. That easy, huh? Shio began to contemplate this recent event, but couldn¡¯t say anything for sure. Although Shio has heard of teleportation before, that sort of thing usually required some sort of energy to support it, but Shio didn¡¯t cultivate in anything. How could he have that sort of energy in his body? Is it an illusion? Shio wondered. As he grew curious, he decided to test it. Shio went to the drawers where his clothes were and pulled out a hunting knife. He then went into his mind and re-entered the white light, once again finding himself in that strange room. Shio looked in his hand and saw that the knife was still there. He furrowed his brows as he got off the bed and stood up. Then Shio suddenly slashed across his left hand with the knife, cringing and silently enduring the pain. To Shio¡¯s surprise the wound only bled for a couple seconds before his blood started clotting, until, eventually the skin started to knit back together, leaving behind a thin white scar. Although Shio was slightly surprised, he was even more annoyed. Now I have to do it again! Shio thought in anger. Although Shio¡¯s curiosity was strong enough to cause him to cut his own hand, that didn¡¯t mean he liked doing it. Shio once again cut his hand, but before it healed, he had already threw the knife on the ground and left through the white light. Back in Shio¡¯s room he saw that his hand was still bleeding. So it is a real place, Shio thought, amazed. With a thought, Shio went back and as soon as he entered he saw his hand heal once again. He got out of the bed and looked at the ground and saw the knife he left here was still there. There wasn¡¯t any more doubt in Shio¡¯s mind, this place was real. He could even use it as a place to store objects. This next step is going to be tough, Shio thought, as he planned to test out a feeling. Although Shio didn¡¯t want to do it as he would miss his family and friends, his curious little mind couldn¡¯t help himself. He planned to spend a couple years in this place to see if he would age. His foolish thought was, Since time stops when I go to this place, doesn¡¯t that mean I won¡¯t age if I stayed there? This was a simple thought, yet he was determined to spend five years of his life to satisfy his curiosity. Shio still hesitated though. Maybe I should do a time test first, Shio thought trying to delay the matter. Although when he was first here and left, time seemed to be the same, but those clouds were there, making it difficult to tell. Shio went back to his house, grabbed a pencil and paper and went to the kitchen to see his father. He was still cooking breakfast. Rice, eggs, and sausages, Shio observed. ¡°Hey, dad, what level of mage are you again?¡± Shio asked, and as his father turned around to speak, Shio had already left that place In that a strange place, Shio simply planned to kill some time, so he thought he should do some past-due exploring. But first Shio took out the pencil and paper and wrote down the things his dad were cooking, and the question he asked before he left. Shio walked out the door and once again found himself in the library. This time he ignored the books and walked along the wall as he didn¡¯t want to get lost within the massive library. Sometime later, after walking for quite a while, Shio looked down an aisle and saw there was a spiral staircase there leading to the next floor. He ignored it for the time being, as he had confidence that he could find it again. After finding the corner Shio kept walking. He has yet to find any doors leading anywhere else, and it went on in this way till eventually he circled back to the king¡¯s room. Not only did he not find any other door, there weren¡¯t even any windows. Shio became frustrated earlier, about halfway through and tried to break through a wall but ended up breaking his fist, which, fortunately, healed soon after. What¡¯s wrong with this place? Shio thought before once again looking for the staircase, which he then followed up, only to find more books. Frustrated, Shio could only keep moving up the staircase where there was still more books. Even after reaching the tenth floor, Shio only saw books, so he gave up helplessly as it looked like there was still a long way up. Might as well read with all these books. There¡¯s all this knowledge here, but where to start? Shio thought. Suddenly space warped and Shio found himself in an aisle of books, his eyes becoming drawn to the particular book above him: A Guide to Cultivation. Shio pulled it out, sat on the ground and began to read, entering that Zen-like state. Hours passed until Shio finished the book, growing more knowledgeable in the process. Time to go back, Shio thought, willing his mind out of the library. ¡°A 44 Star Earth Elementalist. Why?¡± Rio asked suspiciously. ¡°Oh, no reason.¡± Shio replied, glancing at what his dad was cooking. With Shio¡¯s theory satisfied, a touch of melancholy appeared on his face. ¡°Bye, dad.¡± He said quietly with some unwillingness. Without saying more, Shio turned back in the direction of his room. Before leaving again, Shio grabbed a clock and some paper to mark the days. Shio sighed, then left once again. At the moment he was 10 years-old, and after coming back, Shio would be older than his actual age. And if everything worked as he suspected, he would still look 10. A white light enveloped Shio¡¯s vision and he once again found himself in that room. What can I do now? Shio asked himself before smiling wryly. Read¡­ Everyday Shio would read, without sleeping or eating for days, never once feeling unsatiated. He learned as much as he could from the library, about the world, about magic, and about general cultivation of the body. Every once in a while he would get bored of the routine and would sleep in the king¡¯s room to calm his busy mind. After a while, Shio started to occasionally practice martial arts that he learned in that room, and once, after waking up, he found that there was another door in that room. After walking inside he realized that it was a wide closed-in area with many martial arts equipment, such as various weapons to practice with, punching bags, and wooden manikins that seemed indestructible. There were also various weights for body training, and all sorts of other equipment. Shio grew very excited after discovering this room, as he could now freely practice different martial arts.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. After a period of time, Shio had read various books on cultivating Body Essence which made him question the place he was in and what kind of energy could be cultivated here. When he tried to sense the energy in this place, he discovered it was an extremely pure form of energy. It made Shio suspect that those different types of energy, in their most basic and pure form would be like the energy in this place. Unfortunately, when Shio tried to absorb this energy into his body, he discovered that he couldn¡¯t affect the energy at all, as if it refused to be used by him. Shio could only sigh helplessly. Fortunately, cultivating mindforce, which is also a pure and basic type of mental energy that mages would use, was possible here, as you could practice it anywhere, as long as there is something to exert your will on. Mindforce cultivation was like Body Essence cultivation, where one strengthened the mind and the other strengthened the body. But unlike mindforce cultivation, where all magical arts practitioners only cultivate one type of energy, Body Essence Arts, depending on which Art you choose to practice, can be one of many types of energy. Shio would spend several hours a day cultivating mindforce. At first Shio could do nothing with his will and for weeks he sat there, doing nothing, until the day he was able to turn the page of book. This development, naturally made him very excited. Eventually, Shio cultivated his mindforce to its current maximum capacity, completing the first step, Desire, which anyone can basically accomplish with enough time. To reach the next step he had to convince his very being that he needed it. As such, that step was called Need. This usually required several life and death encounters, until there was no choice but to continue growing. After this, Shio started practicing several magical arts to see which he had an affinity with. There were many ways to test for affinity to a magical art, where personality matching was simply one of them, but since Shio had the time he would just test out the ones he had an interest in. It wouldn¡¯t really affect him much. Every once in a while Shio would look into the mirror in the king¡¯s room only to see that he didn¡¯t seem to be growing. In this way 5 lonely years of learning, slowly passed. Fortunately, Shio¡¯s loneliness did not affect his eagerness to learn as he spent all his time either reading or strengthening himself. By the time five years passed, all Shio could feel was excitement, because there were things he could do at home that he could not do here, which meant that there was more opportunity to grow. Although this place had knowledge, the real world had resources. Time to go back, Shio thought in an eager manner. Shio slowly entered a meditative state and found himself within his mind. This place was different from the way it was before. There was a sparse energy here, giving Shio a sense of security, for this energy was his to command. Eventually Shio found that door of light and entered. Back in his room, Shio had a smile on his face, and heaved a sigh of relief before going to the kitchen. His father had just finished cooking. ¡°Need something else?¡± Rio asked as he saw his son, a little worried. His son was acting strange today. ¡°Or are you hungry?¡± Shio smiled. Seems as if nothing is out of place. Like it never happened. ¡°Just hungry.¡± Shio replied as he grabbed a plate and some utensils, then sat down as his father put some food on his plate. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shio responded. He was quite excited, he hadn¡¯t eaten in five whole years! ¡°Hmmmm¡­ So good!¡± Rio chuckled. ¡°What? I give you this at least once a week. Is your stomach empty from all that playing you did last night?¡± A touch of red found itself on Shio¡¯s face as he remembered what he did that night. ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t tell anyone about that.¡± Rio laughed out loud. ¡°What, kid, are you embarrassed? That¡¯s what kids do you know.¡± Shio just smiled, ignoring it. Although Shio still looked 10, he still felt older than he looked, and all that time spent in seclusion has tempered his mind to be more patient allowing him to endure. It also evened out his emotions, so it wasn¡¯t as wild as your usual 10 year old child. ¡°Dad, do you know of any places where I can find some herbs around here?¡± Shio suddenly asked. ¡°Kid, your interests change every day. Yesterday you wanted to learn magic and now you want to learn about herbs. With that kind of attitude you won¡¯t get anywhere.¡± His father reproved in a disappointed manner. ¡°Dad, trust me. I¡¯ll surely make you proud.¡± Shio said with a grin. Rio observed his child¡¯s smiling face for a while, before finally answering. ¡°Go find your Aunty Grenda. She should know of those places.¡± Rio replied. This kid seems to be up to something. ¡°Thanks.¡± Shio said, before continuing to eat. After eating, Shio left to go find his Aunty Grenda who told him of a meadow in the woods and a valley along the mountains. She only picked out herbs with healing properties so according to her there should be many herbs there. Before he left, his aunty warned him not to wander too far into the forest as there were wild beasts that lived there. Along the way, Shio saw a familiar figure on the path he was walking on. ¡°Ronin!¡± Shio called out and watched as the figure continued to jog in his direction. Ronin was of similar age to Shio, and as his parents were part of the Goodwill church, they would often play together. ¡°Hey, Shio.¡± The figure said as he got closer, before finally stopping in front of Shio. ¡°It¡¯s good that you still exercise. A healthy body means a healthy mind.¡± Shio said light-heartedly. ¡°Haha, of course. My dream is to grow strong enough to provide my family with whatever they want. I can¡¯t slack off now!¡± Ronin said with a smile as he panted slightly. Ronin was a very determined boy, and concerning the welfare of his family, he¡¯ll do anything to make them happy. You could almost compare his pure determination in everything he does with Shio¡¯s pure curiosity. ¡°Since your jogging, come jog with me to a valley nearby. I¡¯ve got some stuff to do there.¡± Shio suggested. ¡°I¡¯m running anyways, might as well run with you.¡± Ronin shrugged his shoulders as he complied, after which they started running towards the mountains in the distance. Shio didn¡¯t start any conversation as they ran, as Ronin looked like he was having a difficult time. He probably ran for quite a while before meeting him. This kid usually ran 10 km every day and Shio met him near the end of his route. There¡¯s also about 8 km to the valley. Will this kid last? Knowing his personality, he¡¯d probably take it as an insult if I suggest a break. Shio thought as he continued to run silently. About 4 km in, Shio could see the struggle on Ronin¡¯s face, but he kept his mouth shut, as Shio saw he didn¡¯t slow his pace at all. Shio even tried to slow down a little to make it a little easier, but Ronin mocked him for it, then went even faster. Shio simply chuckled, admiring Ronin¡¯s determination before continuing on. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Shio said as he looked around, recognizing various herbs, before looking back to see Ronin holding himself by his knees, panting heavily. Shio simply watched silently, waiting for him to recover. Unfortunately he had no water with him to offer. After a while Ronin stood up, a smile on his face as he continued to pant. ¡°Thanks, Shio. I haven¡¯t pushed myself this hard in a while. It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± Shio chuckled. ¡°No problem. We¡¯re friends after all.¡± He replied, making light of the situation. Ronin laughed out loud. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ll make sure to push you just as hard next time.¡± Ronin retorted with a smile. ¡°Anytime.¡± Shio replied before focusing on his purpose here. ¡°I¡¯m going to look around.¡± Shio said as he walked forward. After a while, Shio saw several pale-silvery flowers nearby, and he quickly ran over excitedly. These flowers were considered worthless to most people as they were fairly common and most people did not know a use for them, but to Shio they were very important to his future cultivation. Shio bent down and picked the flower, leaving the stem and leaves, and threw it into a cotton bag he got out of his backpack. Shio handed a bag over to Ronin as well, as he looked decently recovered at the moment. ¡°Help me pick these and I¡¯ll be sure to return the favor.¡± Shio said to Ronin, whose brows furrowed. ¡°Moonlight Flowers? Those things are pretty but useless. If you¡¯re trying to court a girl you should at least pick it from the stem.¡± Ronin replied as he grabbed the bag while he offered some kind advice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, just pick it the way I just did and it will be fine.¡± Shio instructed. ¡°Okay, I hope you know what you¡¯re doing.¡± Ronin responded before starting to pick the nearby Moonlight Flowers. Shio also quickly went about this task. 25 minutes later they picked about 170 flowers in the surrounding area, which Shio stuffed into his backpack. ¡°What now?¡± Ronin asked after picking his share of the flowers. ¡°Now I¡¯m going to hunt an Iron-ranked beast, want to come?¡± Shio replied casually, as Ronin¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°What!? Are you crazy? Do you want to die?¡± Ronin responded, worry in his eyes. Chapter 3: An Acceptable End Indeed, an Iron-ranked beast is a little out of Shio¡¯s league, but even though Shio had no battle experience, he wanted the challenge and he was confident in his ability to flee as long as he chooses the right target. ¡°What? I have no experience in fighting and I want to give it a try. Plus I know some magic.¡± Shio replied, lifting his hand to show a small ball of flame. The flame gave off a very soothing feeling and didn¡¯t look dangerous at all for some reason. Though the worry in Ronin¡¯s eyes eased a little, he still continued to try and dissuade Shio. ¡°How much magic could you know? And that little flame looks harmless to me.¡± Shio shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± He replied before walking away, back in the direction of the nearby forest. Ronin watched Shio walked away before yelling, ¡°You¡¯re hopeless!¡± in an exasperated manner, forced to follow out of worry for Shio. They walked for quite a while before Shio decided on a section of the forest to enter, which at most would have a 1 or 2 star iron-rank beast. Thanks to contribution of that mysterious place connected to his mind, Shio has been able to read quite a bit about where he lived, with relative accuracy. As they got deeper into the forest and further away from the path they started noticing some bronze-ranked beasts, most of which scurried away. But after a little while, they found one braver than the others. Shio looked at the beast ahead of him that was about two thirds his height with a golden shell and a long, pointy face, as it also intently looked back, arrogance in its eyes. ¡°Golden-back Armadillo, 5 star bronze-rank. The stronger ones can even reach iron rank. They have a strong defense but their attacking capabilities are pretty weak. Its five star rank is based purely on its defense.¡± Shio said with a grin. ¡°This should be a good start.¡± Ronin didn¡¯t say anything and just continued to look worried. He knew he couldn¡¯t stop Shio when he was like this. If he¡¯s set on something, it¡¯s usually impossible to stop him. As Shio had complete confidence, he didn¡¯t even warn Ronin to stand back, and continued to run straight at the beast ahead, as the beast sneered and prepared to take the hit. As Shio got closer, his fist raised to the side, the armadillo planned to defend the blow with its shell, but then it saw a gentle flame appear on Shio¡¯s fist. The golden-back armadillo completely forgot the situation he was in and continued to stare at the soothing flame which comforted it. A second later, it snapped out of this hypnosis as it felt a sense of urgency in the back of its mind, but it was already too late as the fist arrived on the tip of its nose with the sound of a hard impact. The armadillo squealed out in pain then hurriedly scurried back into the depths of the forest. Ronin couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud at the sight. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Shio also chuckled. ¡°Those guys are usually arrogant because of their shells but if you hit them on the nose they instantly become cowards.¡± ¡°How come it just let you hit it?¡± Ronin asked curiously. ¡°Oh, the flame on my hand earlier doesn¡¯t really have any damaging capabilities but its hypnotizing abilities are pretty good. I doubt it would work on an iron rank beast though.¡± Shio replied. ¡°Oh,¡± Ronin replied in slight awe. ¡°Hey, Shio, how about you teach me some magic sometime? Consider it repaying me for helping you out with your flowers.¡± Ronin said in an eager manner. ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll do that later though. First I need to find an iron-rank beast.¡± Shio responded casually before continuing to walk forward. Along the way they met several copper-ranked beasts which Shio battled, testing out the various martial arts and magic that he learned in those 5 years. Unfortunately, martial arts¡¯ effect without practicing a Body Essence Art was basically nothing. But luckily, some martial arts have some use with just basic body strength, and Shio has long ago been experimenting ways to fuse this with his magic. Only now can Shio finally put those skills to use. To Shio¡¯s delight, the affect was quite good, which supplemented his confidence in fighting against an iron rank beast along with his growing fighting experience. But just this much isn¡¯t going to get him far, as these battles were relatively relaxing for Shio. He would need to push himself further. Since when did this guy become so powerful? This guy really knows how to hide his skills. Ronin thought to himself as he continued forward. I wonder if he knows any magic suitable for me. After a while the two started to see some iron-ranked beasts, but after identifying them Shio decided to avoid them. Some of these beasts traveled in groups, or were experts at escaping, which was too troublesome for Shio. After some more searching Shio finally found what he was looking for. In the distance a beast was lying on the ground and you could tell that if it stood up it would be as tall as a fully grown man. Its fur had an earthy colour and it seemed hard as rock. The most terrifying thing was its huge white tusks, which looked to be half a meter long. ¡°Rockthrower Boar. 2 star iron rank. This is going to be tough.¡± Shio said with a grimace. Up till now, Shio has been having a quite a bit of fun with his first experiences in battle, but now it looked like that was about to end. He could definitely flee during the fight, but he only had about 25% confidence in beating it. Shio sighed, slowly walking forward. ¡°Ronin stay here. No matter what don¡¯t enter that clearing.¡± Shio said as he approached the boar. Ronin could see that Shio wasn¡¯t confident, and his brows furrowed, but he didn¡¯t say anything. As Shio walked into the clearing the boar opened its eyes to look at Shio, before closing its eyes again, ignoring him.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Shio smiled when he saw this. Don¡¯t blame me for underestimating your opponent! Shio thought before bolting forward as he drew his hunting knife. The boar noticed this and seemed to grunt in contempt as it stood up. Before Shio was even halfway there, the boar stood up on its hind legs before dropping back down, carrying an immense force in its front legs as it stomped hard against ground. The earth suddenly started to shake, causing Shio to stumble and forcing him to leap backwards, out of the range of that small earthquake. Before Shio could relax a little, pieces of the surrounding ground, about half a meter in size, started floating out of the ground and continuing to compress into round shaped balls half their original size. Shio simply sighed as he prepared to face the oncoming barrage, a light breeze emanating from Shio¡¯s body under the stimulation of his mindforce. Suddenly, those balls of compressed earth whizzed forward in Shio¡¯s direction. Shio easily dodged the first wave as three earth balls swished past him, his speed becoming twice as fast. The boar seemed to be surprised as the fur above its eye raised slightly. But it still grunted in disdain as four more balls of earth raised out of the ground and compressed, before once again heading to Shio as he ran ahead towards the boar. Although the difficulty of dodging was raised even higher, it was still at a manageable pace for Shio, but as Shio closed in on the boar after passing the fourth earth ball, he saw that the boar was calm and didn¡¯t do anything to hinder him, making Shio raise his senses to the max. Shio slightly turned his head just as an earth ball from behind was about to reach him, Shio urgently pushed his body, just barely dodging it. But before he could relax he saw four more compressed earth balls hurriedly coming his way. With some difficulty he dodged the first two, and jumped to dodge the third, but the fourth was coming his way, and Shio could only helplessly brace for impact in midair, raising his left arm to cover his body. Shio twisted his body in the air, facing his left shoulder towards the earth ball, then Shio¡¯s left arm began to glow slightly, before becoming covered in a yellow rock like substance. Then, suddenly¡­ BANG! Shio felt an immense impact as he was blown back to the side of the clearing, pain filling his left arm. Shio didn¡¯t manage to land on his feet, rolling away a distance, his body dragging against the ground. ¡°Aagh.¡± Shio couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. This was the most pain he¡¯s ever felt in his life. Though his rock armor absorbed some of the impact before shattering, Shio still felt a lot of it. Shio willed himself into his mind, in attempt to enter the portal so that he could heal, but his consciousness was blown backwards. Shio tried again, but it resulted in the same thing. Crap! Shio thought before looking up to see the boar had lowered its head, pointing its tusks towards Shio as it prepared to charge. ¡°Ughhh.¡± Shio exclaimed as he pushed himself onto his feet, his left arm limp at his side. I need to finish this quick, I¡¯m running low on energy, Shio thought, a serious look in his eyes as he resolved to go all out. But before either Shio or the boar could take action, the boar felt a sharp pain as a rock was thrown at its eye. ¡°Huh?¡± Shio said in confusion as he looked to the edge of the clearing where he saw Ronin holding on to several rocks. ¡°Hey, stupid boar! You smell and your face is ugly!¡± Ronin yelled out loud, taunting the boar. ¡°Rooaaarr!!!¡± The boar suddenly charged in Ronin¡¯s direction. Being hurt by kids injured its pride, causing immense anger. Dammit! Shio pushed his speed to the max. ¡°Ronin, run to your left!¡± Shio urgently yelled. Hearing Shio¡¯s instructions, Ronin immediately complied, running to his left, leading the boar closer to Shio. But the boar¡¯s speed had exceeded Shio¡¯s expectations as the boar had already practically closed in on Ronin while Shio was only a meter away. Shio immediately pushed some mindforce into his knife, as his knife became flooded with green electric currents. As this occurred, Shio had already jumped and thrown the knife towards the boar. The hunting knife pierced into the boar¡¯s eye, and electric currents rushed out like a needle, further into the boar¡¯s brain. The electric currents traveled at immense speed through the nerves, and into the brain, thoroughly frying the nerves and destroying parts of the brain. The boar collapsed just as it reached Ronin. Shio immediately grabbed the knife as it drew the air around it into an extremely sharp wind energy which covered the edge of the knife and extended the blade. Shio knew the boar was already, basically dead, but he still grimaced as he put all his strength into his right arm, twisted his body, and thrusted the sharp wind blade into the thick neck of the boar, killing for the first time in his life. The Rockthrower Boar gave out a weak cry as the life drained from its eyes and its blood spilled on the ground until it was dead. Shio knew he should get straight to work in collecting the blood draining from the boar¡¯s neck, but he simply stood there, letting out a sigh. Simply because I needed some blood, did a life end this day. Ronin saw the pained look in Shio¡¯s eyes and simply remained silent by his side. A moment later Ronin saw Shio put his hands together near his chest, as if in prayer, and mumbled some words in a language he couldn¡¯t recognize. The language felt natural and free-flowing. Then Shio knelt down and held his hand out, as it glowed with a white light. He touched the boar¡¯s head, causing the boar¡¯s eyes to magically close. A beam of light suddenly came down from the heavens, shining onto the boar. If one looked closely, one would see a yellowy wisp fly out of the boar¡¯s head, integrating into the light as it flew to the heavens. Feeling that supreme and gentle energy, Shio couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved as he let out a heavy sigh, waiting for the light to disappear. It was silent for a while, before Shio went about his work, collecting all the boar¡¯s blood into two 4 litre barrels, even the blood that spilt into the ground, which he collected with magic. As Shio went about skinning the boar, collecting its meat and bones into cotton bags, the stunned Ronin finally woke from his dazed state. ¡°Shio, what did you just do?¡± Ronin asked, not knowing what to think. Shio stopped for a moment, realizing what he just did. What did I do? There was no need, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. Shio then turned to Ronin to explain. ¡°When a beast dies its soul becomes weak and it will be left with some resentment, preventing it from passing on to the next life. But I sacrificed some of my life force as an offering to the boar in order to give its soul some peace and also the energy to move on. If a beast dies in this way, without resentment, it¡¯s more likely to move on to a better place. Judging from the aura of that light, the place the boar¡¯s soul went to must be heavenly.¡± Ronin¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°What!? Why did you do that!? It was just an animal!¡± Shio chuckled. ¡°Relax, it was just a day¡¯s worth of my life. As for why, I don¡¯t know. I did it without thinking.¡± Ronin just stared, not knowing what to think. This guy¡¯s crazy. ¡°What did you say before?¡± Ronin couldn¡¯t help but ask in curiosity. ¡°That was the language of the native Ancestor Elves of the northern plains. It translates to ¡®Rest in peace, Brother Boar. May your death have meaning.¡¯¡± Shio replied. Ronin was silent for a moment before closing his eyes and repeating the prayer. ¡°Rest in peace, Brother Boar. May your death have meaning.¡± Shio simply smiled. Ronin didn¡¯t say anymore as he helped Shio collect the boar¡¯s remains, a hint of respect in his eyes. After they finished, they left silently, carrying two big bags each. In this silent manner, they walked all the way back to the town. Eventually they reached the front yard of Shio¡¯s house. As it was already past lunchtime they split off here. Before Ronin left, Shio reminded him to come by after he ate to learn some magic and also to not tell anyone what happened. Ronin simply nodded; he could keep a secret. Shio watched as Ronin¡¯s figure left before bringing the boar¡¯s remains and flowers into his mind-portal. Shio then went to eat lunch with his dad. Chapter 4: Yearning Gaze at the Heavens After a while, Shio was once again in the king¡¯s room. As if this place knew what he intended, another room was prepared for him. As he walked in he saw that it was simply a wide stone room with everything he had gathered today. Shio just smiled bitterly. Guess it¡¯s too much to ask for Alchemy equipment. Though he thought this, Shio didn¡¯t mind too much. He expected this since he had already found out that the weapons from the training room couldn¡¯t be brought outside this place, as well as the books from the library. Luckily, Shio had another method of performing alchemy; Mandala Inscriptions. Shio first sat down and entered a meditative state as he planned out the mandala inscription. One hour passed, then two, then a day, then three days, until, finally, on the seventh day, Shio opened his eyes. As Shio didn¡¯t want any mistakes, he took into account every possibility until he finally had the perfect mandala inscription for his needs. Shio then went to an empty space as a jug of the boar¡¯s blood floated towards him. A small amount of blood lifted out of the jug, spreading out into thin line before its ends connected together forming into a perfect circle as it drifted to the floor and imprinting itself. Another thin line of blood drifted out of the jug, placing itself on the floor as a wavy line. Then a solid crescent shape and a small circle that looked to be its counterpart placed itself on the two shapes already on the floor. Finally blood was used to fill in one of the shapes. The symbol glowed with a red light as this first part was completed. It looked similar to a yin yang symbol, but closer to two snakes snuggling against each other as the solid and empty spaces drew further into the other¡¯s side of the circle. A drop of sweat flowed down from Shio¡¯s forehead, showing the amount of concentration he put into this. It¡¯ll only get harder from here. Shio thought with a bitter smile. Shio continued as the mandala inscription grew larger and larger, until Shio finally finished 5 hours later. Though Shio made some mistakes, they were easily corrected. The mandala inscription was about 5 meters in diameter and currently, all of it glowed with that dim red light. It looked like the sun, but upon closer inspection one would see that it was so much more as it was filled with inscriptions from different languages and symbols from several walks of life, as well as some universal symbols. All of this was used in perfect balance with each other, which could be easily seen just from the symmetry. Sweat covered Shio¡¯s face and drenched his shirt as he finally finished. He sat down silently for a couple hours, recovering his energy. Eventually he let out a sigh as he continued to work. Slices of meat began to float out of the nearby cotton bags as well as a several dozen flowers from Shio¡¯s backpack. The meat hovered over the mandala inscription and the flowers above that. Shio then spread his hands out, familiarizing himself with the mandala inscription¡¯s energy pulse. He did this for every section of the mandala inscription, until he was finally satisfied. Suddenly, Shio spread out his hands above his head, his hands seeming to have something weighing them down. Then the sun rays on the mandala inscription grew much brighter than the rest of it, as the meat suddenly exploded into a multi-coloured mist. Shio¡¯s hands didn¡¯t stop as he spread his hands out to the side while another section of the mandala inscription grew brighter and the mist divided into separate colours, grouped together into bunches that formed into a circle. Shio, then pulled his hands down, while particles of the moonlight flowers were forcefully ripped from the rest of it and drifted into the middle of the mist circle, until it divided into a black and silvery mist. Then the red, yellow, and blue groups of mist flew above the silvery mist, fusing together in varying ways until it looked like multicolor piece of silk-like liquid. While this occurred, the silvery mist was forcibly compressed into a silver marble-like object. Finally, the multi-coloured liquid covered the silvery marble, forming a seemingly solid multi-coloured pill about the size of quail¡¯s egg, which Shio moved to a glass bottle where it immediately turned into a two separate layers of liquid once it escaped the mandala inscription. A flame suddenly appeared underneath the jar, above the mandala inscription, slowly causing the liquid inside the jar to evaporate and gather in the air. This went on for several hours until all the liquid was turned into vapor which gathered in a group in the air, leaving behind a crusty black, grains in the jar. Shio gathered the vapor into a new jar and waited for it to cool down, slowly turning back into a new, white liquid. This should take about three months to absorb. Shio thought before looking at the remaining two groups of black mist. He waved his hands and the two groups of mist compressed together with the grains of dark solids in the first jar, until all the darkness compressed into a tiny black seed which Shio put into a glass bottle. After recovering his energy, Shio repeated the process, then again, until he used up all the flowers, most of the meat, and was left with three potions. He also now had 3 darkness-element seeds. At the end of it, the mandala inscription had faded to the point that it almost completely disappeared. Earlier, Shio added a section to the mandala inscription to absorb the surrounding energy, but he didn¡¯t know if that unyielding, pure energy in that place would allow itself to be absorbed. As for the organs, Shio liquefied them into separate liquids, which he also stored. One of the tusks was transformed into a meter long staff with a round top and several indentations on its side. Shio even had one of the indentations fuse with Rockthrower Boar¡¯s Earthcore. After which, Shio used some of liquefied boar¡¯s brain to make several inscriptions around the section of the staff with the earth-element core to support the efficiency of using Shio¡¯s earth-element magic. The other tusk was transformed into two two-foot dagger-like objects. It was unlike a dagger in the way that it was round, thick and had no edge, but the tip of this object was extremely sharp, like the tip of a spear. Shio used the liquefied heart to imprint a strength-supplementing mandala inscription on the tusk-like objects. The tip of this object would be very effective for piercing armor or armor-like surfaces, but the base¡¯s round shape and thickness would be just as useful for defense. Shio also removed the fur and flesh from the boar¡¯s skin and used magic turn it into tough, yet soft leather. Some of this leather was used as a grip for his tusk weapons, while the rest was made into an outfit for Shio, which he decorated with mandala inscriptions. The rough fur and flesh, interestingly enough, was transformed into a thin, weaved fabric which was similar to the fineness and smoothness of silk and even outshined it in terms of the strength of the material. Shio used this as a hooded cloak, which was like-wise decorated in blood inscriptions. Shio was quite satisfied with his work. The meat and organs that weren¡¯t used were stored into glass containers which were sealed with magic. Although Shio assumed that this place would preserve the meat and organs, Shio wanted to be sure. Now that most of his work was done, Shio was finally able to satisfy his excitement as he drank the white liquid potion. The liquid sat in his stomach, dissolving extremely slowly into a mist. Shio directed this mist into a nearby area in the center of his abdomen, between his organs. This place was like a universe on its own, similar to the place in Shio¡¯s mind where his mindforce was stored and the light portal was. This place was connected to the whole body through various energy channels, and was called an Energyrealm while the place where his mindforce was stored was called a Mindscape. Shio sat cross-legged in a meditative fashion for one and a half months, directing that white mist into his energyrealm and focusing to keep it there. Once the white liquid dissolved and was absorbed into his energyrealm, Shio began to circulate this mist through his energy channels according to the Everchanging Mirror Art. As it traveled through Shio¡¯s energy channels, the white mist began grew accustomed to its new home, growing less restless, allowing Shio¡¯s control over it to increase.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Shio continued to dissolve and circulate the rest of the potions for the next 7 months, after which he circulated the energy according to a different method provided by the Everchanging Mirror Art, which served to strengthen and enhance the structure of his body¡¯s cells, improving his body¡¯s overall function. When he was done, Shio¡¯s body was covered in a perspired blood-like sweat, which Shio¡¯s new energy had expelled from his body. After washing himself with water magic, his tanned skin and short white hair looked much healthier. You could tell at a glance that with his exotic looks and fine features, Shio would definitely attract his share of the ladies¡¯ attention when he got older. Shio¡¯s body also grew a little leaner as his muscles became more compact and his skin also looked tougher. At a simple glance, he simply looked skinny, but that was also part of his strength, as you would underestimate him. He was just a kid after all. Shio checked the power of his body and was satisfied. Although Shio was only at the stage of the Everchanging Mirror Art where his body was refined and strengthened, he still felt the power was comparable to his magic; though one had more uses than the other. As he was done here, Shio planned to leave. But before that he slept for a while in the king¡¯s bed. Although this place supplied you with constant energy, it doesn¡¯t help to relieve mental stress. After a good rest, Shio went back to his house to wait for Ronin in the afternoon he had left behind, leaving the things he created in the king¡¯s room. Not too long afterwards, Shio sensed Ronin¡¯s presence and went to the door to greet. As he opened the door, Shio saw Ronin hurriedly step back in fright. ¡°Woah, how¡¯d you know I was here?¡± Ronin asked in suspicion. Shio chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to do the same once you start practicing magic.¡± Shio replied. Ronin laughed. ¡°Then hurry up and teach me already!¡± He responded eagerly. ¡°Alright. Come, let¡¯s go somewhere more private.¡± Shio¡¯s said, leading the way. They ended up on a small hill close to the edge of the town where he and Ronin sat down. Shio then pulled out a rectangular piece of transparent glass covered in inscriptions except for a circular area in the middle. The piece of glass started to float in between Shio and Ronin, as that clear circular area aligned with Ronin¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to hypnotize you for a moment. Is that alright?¡± Shio asked. Ronin thought about it for a moment, then nodded his head. He knew Shio¡¯s nature. ¡°Alright. I trust you.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m starting.¡± Shio said as he raised his palm to the glass and that gentle flame appeared. Ronin watched the flame through the glass, subconsciously relaxing. ¡°Look deep into the flame. Let the flame wash over you. Feel its warmth and gentle touch.¡± Shio began, watching Ronin¡¯s shoulders slump and his face become void of emotion as Ronin got lost in the illusionary embrace of the flame within his mind. ¡°Listen to my words closely lest the flame disappears, leaving you alone and without warmth. Listen, lest you forget its gentle touch. Tell me your name.¡± Shio continued. ¡°Ronin Amoneh.¡± Ronin replied obediently. ¡°Good. Tell me where you live.¡± ¡°The town of Newleaf on the edges of the Rising Tide province of the country of Reyah.¡± Ronin said blankly. ¡°Good. Now go deep into your mind.¡± Shio instructed as he waited a moment. ¡°Tell me what you see.¡± ¡°Images of my life in a wide, open space.¡± ¡°Good. Now go deeper; seek out and recognize your soul.¡± Shio then waited several minutes before continuing. ¡°Nod if you see it.¡± Ronin nodded. ¡°Good.¡± Shio then let the flame disappear as he touched the glass, watching as the inscriptions started to glow. A moment later a red serpentine figure came into view on the glass. It had a long whiskers, large teeth, red scale-armor, ivory horns, a majestic tail, and a fierce gaze. Flamegod Dragon! Shio thought as his eyes widened in shock. Ronin awoke from his daze soon after the flame disappeared. He took a moment to recall what happened before focusing on the image that seemed to be flying on the glass. ¡°Hey, Shio what¡¯s that?¡± Ronin asked curiously. Shio moved the piece of glass to the side before answering. ¡°It¡¯s an image of your soul. Surprisingly, it¡¯s actually a Flamegod Dragon, a world-dominating Godbeast.¡± Shio replied, awe still on his face. Ronin stared at it for a while before his face broke out into a wide grin. ¡°Awesome! Hey, Shio, can I keep this?¡± Shio chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± Ronin immediately grabbed the mirror, staring at it for a while before putting it on his lap. ¡°Are you going to teach me magic now?¡± Ronin asked, a little impatient. Shio responded with a smile. ¡°Wait for the others to arrive first.¡± Ronin raised an eyebrow in confusion. Suddenly, he suddenly noticed two figures. They were slightly taller than Shio and Ronin as they were slightly older. The girl with the brown ponytail and pretty face was 12 while the slightly thin, taller boy following was 13. There was a slight annoyance on the girl¡¯s face which saw some relief as she discovered Shio and Ronin sitting on the hill. ¡°Hey,¡± the girl called out as she approached in a familiar manner. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± She asked sitting next to them. Her name was Elaine. When the tall, thin boy saw that Elaine sat rather close to Ronin and Shio, leaving no room in between for him to sit there, a look of disappointment appeared on his face. If he were to force his way in or sit behind her, it would be rather awkward, thus he was forces to sit opposite Elaine. The boy¡¯s name was Theo. ¡°Shio was just going to start teaching me some magic.¡± Ronin replied. Theo shook his head as he heard this. ¡°Shio, just because you read some general books on magic, that doesn¡¯t make you an expert. Even a dandelion must mature before spreading its seeds.¡± Theo reproved, saying that Shio wasn¡¯t knowledgeable enough to teach magic. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that? It looks like it¡¯s moving.¡± Elaine asked, interrupting the conversation, as she pointed at the piece of glass on Ronin¡¯s lap. ¡°Oh,¡± Ronin replied, lifting up the glass for them to see. ¡°It¡¯s an image of my soul. It¡¯s a Flamegod Dragon. Heheh.¡± Ronin said, rather proud of the fact. ¡°Wow!¡± Elaine exclaimed as she looked at the majestic dragon that seemed to be soaring in the sky. ¡°Where can I get one?¡± She asked, an enchanted look in her eyes. Ronin chuckled. ¡°It was Shio who made it; ask him.¡± Both Elaine and Theo looked at Shio with wide eyes. Neither of them expected Shio to be able to capture images of people¡¯s soul. Theo knew that one would have to have some expertise in magic to accomplish such a thing. Did I speak too soon? Theo wondered, a slight blush of embarrassment appearing on his face. ¡°Shio.¡± Elaine called out in a charming voice. ¡°Won¡¯t you make one for your Elder Sis?¡± Shio slightly blushed. How can I say no when she looks at me like that? Shio thought before nodding. Since he chose this hill in expectation of this situation, he had already prepared beforehand. When Theo saw Shio nod, he hurriedly said, ¡°Make one for me too! Your Big Bro will surely repay you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have to hypnotize you, just so you know. You¡¯ll be in quite a vulnerable state for a while.¡± Shio said honestly. Elaine nodded her approval; she trusted Shio and not just because of her innocence as a little girl. Theo also trusted Shio, and plus, Ronin would be watching. Knowing that guys attitude, he wouldn¡¯t let anything funny happen, thus Theo also nodded. Shio nodded with a smile before beginning the ritual. I never thought they¡¯d be so trusting¡­ Two pieces of glass similar to Ronin¡¯s floated out of Shio¡¯s backpack to float in front of Theo and Elaine. In between the two pieces of glass, Shio held up his palm as a gentle flame appeared. Several minutes passed by before the two awoke from their daze, focusing on the images in front of them. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Elaine exclaimed as she saw the beautiful, sparkling, light-golden gazelle that seemed to be galloping across the skies. As for Theo, he didn¡¯t know what to think as he saw the image of his soul. It was a dark golden elk that was laying lazily on the ground. If one watched for a moment longer, one would see as the elk would occasionally open its slumbering eyes and look at the sky, giving off a sense of yearning. Theo was hoping his soul image would be something cool like Ronin¡¯s dragon. Shio was once again shocked to realize they were both Godbeasts. Though the shock soon disappeared before he secretly smiled as he looked at these two images. The others didn¡¯t know this, but there was a legend that went along with these two Godbeasts. Shio sighed, feeling a sympathetic melancholy as he recalled the legend. From the moment he was born, the Emperor Godelk¡¯s rule and domination would spread to wherever he set his gaze, but one day he saw a young, beautiful golden gazelle, and was immediately enchanted, but the young gazelle would not even look at him. So the Emperor Godelk seized every opportunity to be with the young gazelle, constantly pestering her. The gazelle was annoyed to no end, but eventually, without knowing it, instead of mocking the Godelk¡¯s silly and clumsy manner when he spoke to her, she started smiling. As she saw his domineering attitude when facing other beasts of the land and how subservient those beasts were, she compared it with how he would speak to her and she would let out an amused laugh. Before long, the gazelle had come to accept the young elk in her heart without realizing it, and eventually they were always together. But as the young gazelle matured, she grew even more beautiful, till she was recognized by the heavens and was given dominion over the sky for the heavens knew the proud sky beasts would heed her every enchanting word. Thus, she became the Skygovernor Gazellegod, and was forced to separate from the Godelk to rule the sky, as she could not go against the heavens. The Emperor Godelk, was overcome with great sadness at the loss of his love, and gave up his rule over the land to live in seclusion on a tall mountain, where he would slumber and wait for the rest of his life. He would often awake from his slumber to gaze at the heavens, hoping to see his love again. Chapter 5: A Period of Growth As Elaine saw the distant look in Shio¡¯s eyes, she grew worried and asked, ¡°Shio, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Shio suddenly realized where he was before replying with a slight laugh. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Do you want to know what your souls are called?¡± Seeing that Shio was fine, she hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yeah, tell us! I want to know if this elk is worth anything.¡± Theo responded. Shio chuckled. ¡°Elaine¡¯s is a Skygovernor Gazellegod, and Theo¡¯s is an Emperor Godelk. They¡¯re both very powerful souls at the Godbeast level, which is the same as Ronin¡¯s Flamegod Dragon. You can keep the glass if you want.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Elaine said in awe as she held up the glass and looked at her soul. Theo finally let out a wide, satisfied grin before giving a triumphant laugh. ¡°Hahaha! I knew my soul would be awesome. Hey, Ronin, I bet if my soul and your soul got into a fight, mine would definitely win!¡± Theo said arrogantly before laughing again. ¡°Shio what¡¯s your soul like? I bet it¡¯s also quite powerful.¡± Elaine asked in curiosity. ¡°My soul?¡± She responded. Shio had long ago went into the depths of his mind to seek out his soul, so naturally he knew. ¡°It¡¯s a Whitemoon Phoenix. No one knows much about it except that sometimes it will appear in the night sky, taking the place of the moon. Unfortunately that leaves me with no way to judge my soul and make use of it, but I have some suspicions.¡± ¡°How mysterious.¡± Elaine responded. Though no one knew much about Shio¡¯s soul, Elaine assumed that it should be very powerful. After all, Shio was only ten and he already knew magic; that must surely show how powerful his soul is. Ronin at the side, couldn¡¯t take it anymore as he yelled out. ¡°Shio! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to teach me some magic?¡± Shio let out an amused smile at Ronin¡¯s helpless expression before answering. ¡°Unfortunately, before that, we have to get some stuff from town. But my dad doesn¡¯t give me allowance so I have no money.¡± Shio replied, helplessly shrugging his shoulders. Seeing this, Elaine decided to take advantage. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it, but you have to teach me magic too.¡± Elaine said with a sly grin. As her parents were quite well-off, she received an allowance, which she simply saved till the day she needed it. ¡°Hey, Shio, you¡¯ll teach me too, right? I should have enough money to pay for myself.¡± Theo said. He also received an allowance, but he has been spending most of it on gifts for Elaine, not leaving him with much. He just hoped that this stuff wouldn¡¯t cost too much. ¡°Sure. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Shio said, heading out and leading them to the general store. They bought several candles for Ronin, a hand mirror for Elaine, and some nails and some planks of wood for Theo. Though Theo had enough for the nails and a plank of wood, he had to beg Elaine to buy the rest of the wood, which she grudgingly did after several minutes of being pestered. Eventually they returned to the hill where Shio taught them about cultivating mindforce, before beginning to guide them individually in different methods of cultivating their mindforce. The methods he¡¯ll teach would undoubtedly be much better than tirelessly spending weeks of time trying to lift a page of a book. Shio was helpless in this matter as he has no resources to work with during that time. As Shio was only one person, he could only impart these methods one at a time, beginning with Ronin. ¡°Flamegod Dragons are considered the enforcers of the Dragongod Clan, and they would give up their lives to protect their clan.¡± Shio explained as he lit the candle that Ronin was seated next to. ¡°Now, look at the flame.¡± He continued, waiting for Ronin¡¯s gaze to focus before moving on. ¡°Now imagine that your family had nothing to eat and how you¡¯d feel about it.¡± Ronin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he thought about it. A heat seemed to come from his gaze as he stared at the flame. Then, suddenly the flame on the candle grew many times its original size until a second later, when all that was left of the candle was a puddle of wax. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Shio said as his eyebrow raises slightly. It seems his willpower is greater than I thought. ¡°I guess the candles are no longer necessary. Could we borrow a piece of wood, Theo?¡± ¡°Fine, but you¡¯ll have to pay me back.¡± Theo replied, handing over a plank of wood. ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t mind him, Shio. Just take it; you don¡¯t need to pay back this penniless scoundrel.¡± Elaine said giving Theo a criticizing look. Shio took the plank of wood and drove it into the ground about two meters away from Ronin. ¡°Now look at the wood and remember that feeling.¡± Shio instructed. Ronin¡¯s gaze focused once again, and flame suddenly appeared, encompassing the tip of the plank of wood. ¡°Keep looking at the flame, but this time imagine the expression on your little brother¡¯s face as you give him a gift.¡± Shio continued. Ronin¡¯s body suddenly relaxed as the flame on the wood was extinguished. ¡°Good, now just keep repeating. Familiarize yourself with those feelings.¡± Next, was Theo¡¯s turn. Some distance away from Ronin, Shio placed a plank of wood on the ground and slightly pushed several nails into the wood. ¡°The Emperor Godelk is the ruler over all he sees and his will is indomitable. Focus on a nail. Then think about how you¡¯d feel if someone was bullying Elaine.¡± Shio instructed with a blank face. ¡°Shio!¡± Elaine exclaimed, her cheeks blushing slightly as she said this. But before Shio could reply he saw that Theo had already began focusing, and suddenly, Shio sensed a heavy pressure in the direction of the wood. All the nails were forced into the wood at once by that heavy pressure.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Seeing this scene, Elaine was shocked. She secretly gave Theo an appraising look. Are his feelings really this strong? She wondered. Shio once again raised his eyebrows. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve been underestimating you guys too much.¡± Shio said, shaking his head slightly. ¡°We need something stronger.¡± ¡°How ¡®bout those rocks at the bottom of the hill?¡± Theo asked. ¡°Hmmm. Maybe, but if its toughness is too far out of your range, the cultivation will go much slower.¡± Shio said, rubbing his chin in thought. ¡°Heh, don¡¯t underestimate me, Shio.¡± Theo replied before running to the bottom of the hill. Minutes later several rocks of different sizes were placed on the hill. Shio picked up the smallest rock and put it in Theo¡¯s palm. ¡°Try it with this.¡± Theo immediately focused, and the small rock was suddenly crushed. Theo let out a satisfied grin as he saw this. ¡°Good,¡± Shio responded. ¡°Start with the smallest rocks first. If you find that it¡¯s too difficult, just go find a smaller rock. And remember to memorize that feeling.¡± Theo nodded, before continuing to train. Shio then went off to the side with Elaine. He took some boar¡¯s blood out and began to imprint a mandala inscription on the edge of the mirror. When he finished, he instructed Elaine to sit down before placing the mirror in her hands. ¡°The Skygovernor Gazellegod is among the most noble of creatures. Its beauty, grace, and wisdom are topnotch; its words, enchanting and unchallenged. To achieve the most with your mindforce, we must reinforce your ideals and beliefs, to the point where you will never question yourself.¡± Shio explained. ¡°When you look in the mirror it will begin to reflect the doubts you have in your heart. At this point you can use your will to change what the mirror reflects until you are satisfied.¡± Elaine looked in the mirror and two figures appeared. One was Theo and the other was her. They seemed to be talking, and as Elaine focused more she began to hear what they were saying. ¡°I love you, Elaine, and I¡¯m willing to devote my whole life to you if you wish it.¡± Theo said with the utmost seriousness. Elaine suddenly felt her face get hot when she heard those words. Would he really say those things? Elaine wondered as her heart beat sped up. The Elaine in the mirror turned away, giving Theo the cold shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re wasting your time. I would never love someone like you!¡± When Elaine heard this, she suddenly felt a pang in her heart. Theo wasn¡¯t a bad guy, but Elaine treated him that way. It¡¯s just that she wasn¡¯t ready to enter a relationship with anyone. Would I hurt him in that way? Shio saw that Elaine had already forgot he was there, so he went to an empty space and decided to take nap. A nice day like this shouldn¡¯t be wasted! Shio thought, breathing in the fresh air and feeling the warmth of the sun. Shio was satisfied with his work today, and thus, he could relax. The group continued in this manner until a couple hours later when the sky darkened and it became time for dinner. They agreed to meet again tomorrow morning. After eating dinner, he told his father he was going to bed before stealthily sneaking out of the house using magic. Shio went to the forest on the outskirts of town, where he challenged a 4 star iron-ranked beast to test his abilities. After a fierce struggle, he managed to defeat it, and sent its soul to a better place. Then he collected its remains. And since he was there, he decided to go to the nearby meadow to pick the herbs that the healers in town wouldn¡¯t require, practically clearing out most of the small meadow. He then went deeper into the forest and started building a watchtower-like building with a simple platform, and without a roof. Shio also drew a two and a half meter mandala inscription in order to gather all the moonlight energy within half a kilometer. He spent all night there, absorbing the energy from the moonlight, until he sensed the sun right around the horizon, at which point he snuck back into his house, and immediately entered his mind portal to prepare some pills for his friends. Afterwards he took a nap in the king¡¯s bed before returning to his room. When Shio heard his dad walk into the kitchen, he also got up and walked there. As Shio walked in the kitchen, he saw his dad sitting at the table, a stern look on his face. ¡°Where were you last night?¡± His dad asked seriously. Seeing his dad like this, Shio¡¯s heart became conflicted. He didn¡¯t want to lie, but he absolutely couldn¡¯t tell him about the knowledge he learned beyond his mind portal. Shio was no fool; if it somehow spread, he would likely be tortured with magic and dissected. ¡°I was cultivating under the moonlight.¡± Shio replied semi-truthfully. Rio¡¯s eyebrow raised. He already knows how to cultivate? ¡°I checked on you last night but you weren¡¯t there. How did you leave without my detection?¡± Rio asked. He was an experienced mage, so even though he wouldn¡¯t be on guard against his son, he would still be able to sense him leaving the house. ¡°I sealed my surroundings from letting sound escape with magic, and I also retracted my aura.¡± Shio responded. Rio was once again surprised. ¡°How did you come to learn these things?¡± Rio asked, immediately causing Shio to feel some dread. Shio¡¯s face twitched slightly as he struggled to keep his face straight. ¡°I learn- I learned it at the¡­ library.¡± Shio finally said, hoping that small tinge of truth would make it believable. Rio¡¯s mouth curved slightly into a small grin. This kid is so bad at lying. But he would not lie to me without reason. Let¡¯s trust him for now¡­ Rio nodded, not saying anymore. Shio heaved a heavy sigh of relief. They then ate in an awkward silence, before Shio hurriedly left to meet his friends. Shio continued to guide his friends in training their mindforce, increasing the difficulty of their practice every time their mindforce reached a sufficient level. At one point, Ronin felt that the difficulty was too light for his tastes, as he was used to pushing his limits. At the time, the only practice method Shio could think of at the time was a harsh method of repeatedly breaking down his mindforce forcefully, before continuing to cultivate it. Though this method was extremely painful for the mind and even caused Shio some strain, as he was in charge of carefully breaking down Ronin¡¯s mindforce, Ronin still urged Shio to do it. This caused Shio to cringe every time he saw Ronin crumble to the ground in pain, but he had to admit that it was quite effective. Ronin even was even the first among the group other than Shio who had completed the first step, Desire, in cultivating mindforce. As everyone¡¯s mindforce reached a sufficient level, Shio began to teach the group some actual magic. Although Shio couldn¡¯t directly guide them in most of the magic he taught, as he wasn¡¯t suited to those types of magic, he still taught the group incantations which help to guide their mindforce in accomplishing its task. As the group was quite talented, they learned quickly and were able to absorb a lot of magical knowledge. Shio was quite embarrassed by this fact, as he had to struggle through much failure to learn his magic. After a couple of months into this training period, Shio took the time to copy several Body Essence Arts from the library within his mind and gave the group several which were suited to them to choose from. Theo chose the Heavenpiercing Mountain Art, and Ronin chose the Eternal Flame Art. As for Elaine, she chose the Golden Comet Art. Along with this they also started practicing some martial arts and they all chose their weapons. Elaine chose both the rapier and the bow while Ronin took a liking to swordplay. Theo chose a two and foot war hammer, which he decided to dual-wield. During this time they fought many beasts, moving up in rank as they got stronger and sometimes challenging much stronger beasts as a group. Two years later¡­ Chapter 6: I Couldn鈥檛 Resist ¡°It¡¯s about time, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ronin said, sitting on the hill, his eyes to the horizon. ¡°Hmm?¡± Shio replied lazily as he lied down. ¡°Time for what?¡± Ronin sighed. ¡°Shio, you know what. This place grows smaller with every passing day.¡± Shio chuckled slightly. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s about that time. But we have to see what Theo and Elaine intend to do first. If it isn¡¯t as we hope, we¡¯ll just have leave without them.¡± ¡°Okay. I too, don¡¯t intend to wait any longer.¡± Ronin said decisively, a fire in his eyes. He was very eager to enter the world of cultivators. He felt that with Shio leading them, they could conquer the world. I wonder how far I¡¯ll come, Ronin wondered. Shio suddenly looked towards the town where Elaine¡¯s distant figure was getting closer. Ronin sighed again. ¡°That girl¡­¡± Ronin said, watching Elaine¡¯s approaching figure. ¡°As this town gets smaller, she gets more beautiful.¡± Shio let out a bitter smile. It was indeed true, Elaine was getting more beautiful every day. Perhaps she¡¯ll soon be recognized by the heavens, Shio thought with a heavy sigh as he worried for Theo. ¡°Hey, hey.¡± Elaine called out in a familiar manner as she gracefully neared the two on the hill. ¡°What should we do today, guys? I¡¯ve been wanting to test out a new enchantment on my bow so I was hoping we could go to the forest today.¡± Elaine conversed in a light hearted manner. ¡°Elaine, have you talked to your father?¡± Shio suddenly asked, ignoring her question. Elaine¡¯s face then turned somewhat serious, as she nodded her head. ¡°He agreed. But he tested me first. The Body Essence Art he practices is truly ruthless. He¡¯s like Theo when he¡¯s mad, except worse. Luckily, I passed, with minimal results.¡± Shio couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Good.¡± Ronin smiled also. Let¡¯s hope Theo comes back with good news, he thought. Several minutes later Theo was quickly running towards them, a huge backpack on his back. As Elaine saw his tall, muscular physique, her cheeks blushed slightly. ¡°Hey, guys. Elaine.¡± Theo said, nodding to Elaine. Elaine simply turned her head away, which caused a frown to appear on Theo¡¯s face. ¡°Have you told your parents?¡± Ronin asked. Theo chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell them. Although they¡¯d probably allow it, my mother would cry at the sight of me leaving. So I just left a note. But that means we have to leave today.¡± ¡°Ah! Theo, why are you always so frustrating. I haven¡¯t even started packing yet!¡± Elaine exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just stop by your house and gather all your things. We¡¯ll store it in my Space Pendant. It won¡¯t take long if we don¡¯t have to sort through it.¡± Shio replied calmly. When he told his father he was leaving soon, his father gave him a mid-grade Space Pendant as a going away gift. It was Rio¡¯s most valuable possession. To Shio, it gave him an excuse whenever he stored items. No one would think anything strange if he had a space pendant, though it would also attract some jealousy if the right people were to notice. It took about two hours to prepare, before finally, they were on the road out of town. They were all wearing outfits made of beasts¡¯ remains. Ronin was wearing the skin of a Skinsearing Python, Theo¡¯s outfit was made from a Stonearmored Bear, and Elaine¡¯s stylish outfit was made out of the silk from a Poisonspear Spider. Shio naturally wore the leather of the beast he first killed as it carried some sentimental value to him. These outfits were made by Shio, so they too, were decorated in mandala inscriptions. They also bought basic weapons to use, but since the others didn¡¯t have storage equipment, Shio used his knowledge of mandala inscriptions and Transfiguration to allow their basic weapons to simply transform as unassuming string bracelets when they were not in use. As they walked onwards silently, breathing in the idea that they would be leaving the comfort and protection of their town, Theo suddenly let out a wide grin. ¡°Hey, guys. We should give our group a name, so that one day, when we¡¯re world famous, the people will know what to call us.¡± Theo said as he thought of the future ahead of him with high expectations. ¡°Yeah!¡± Elaine responded, nodding her head in approval. ¡°But what should we call ourselves?¡± ¡°I have a name.¡± Ronin responded as the others looked to him. ¡°The Band of the Silver Star.¡± Elaine once again nodded her head. ¡°I like it.¡± Shio simply blushed slightly in embarrassment. Theo¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Wait. Wouldn¡¯t that mean Shio is our leader? Who decided that?¡± Theo said in disapproval. They all knew the name was in reference to Shio and the sort of energy he cultivated. ¡°How about we call ourselves the Band of the Golden Hammer?¡± Theo continued in a hopeful voice, changing the name a little to refer to himself in an obvious manner. ¡°Nope. We¡¯re using Ronin¡¯s name. And if wasn¡¯t for Shio, could you even call yourself Golden Hammer? Wouldn¡¯t you just be called Tall and Skinny?¡± Elaine said decisively before mocking Theo. Ronin burst out laughing, while Shio tried to hide a smile. Theo could only frown helplessly under Elaine¡¯s triumphant grin. Following Theo¡¯s utter defeat, they continued walking away from the mountains to the East. Within this heavily forested area were many villages and towns like Newleaf, and the territories of some powerful beasts. Past this was a wide plain leading to rolling hills and the Eastern Coast of the country of Reyah. On a very large hill near the coast was the capital of the Rising Tide province, Lookout City. This was Shio and his friends¡¯ destination. As Lookout City overlooked the ocean to the East and had the purpose of being the first line of defense if the country was ever invaded by forces from the Chaos Continent, it was named thus. Along the road away from Newleaf, night slowly began to creep in. ¡°We¡¯ll stop here for now.¡± Shio suddenly said. ¡°We¡¯re making camp? We should still have an hour or two of light.¡± Ronin said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°No. It¡¯s just that there are highwaymen up ahead. The scout should be making the report now. They¡¯re probably near the crossroads ahead of us, robbing the other roads as well. Should we go around?¡± Shio asked. ¡°We should kill them if we can.¡± Ronin said decisively. Ronin hated bandits with a passion. To Ronin, getting rid of them would be a favor to the world. ¡°Go around, around.¡± Theo said, waving his hands in a dismissive manner. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be bothered with bandits.¡± ¡°How many and how strong?¡± Elaine asked. ¡°Most of them should be weaker than us, but the leader could be as strong me. Also, there should be quite a lot of them. Maybe 30-40. But this is just my guess based on just where they¡¯ve set up their operation. We¡¯re quite far from the main roads, so these bandits must only be on the level of robbing weaker townspeople who were forced to take these roads. Do you want me to scout it out?¡± Shio replied, deferring to Elaine¡¯s leadership.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°No need. I trust your judgement. We¡¯ll go around. Although we could wipe them all out if we did it carefully, we could also lose one of our own. There¡¯s no need to take the risk.¡± Elaine decided. Ronin looked to Shio, hoping he could decide against it. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, Ronin. Elaine¡¯s right. I don¡¯t want to risk anyone either.¡± Shio responded. ¡°But isn¡¯t it the path of the cultivator to challenge one¡¯s self? Do we not want to get stronger?¡± Ronin retorted. Shio sighed. ¡°He has a point.¡± He said as he looked to Elaine. Elaine¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Ah,¡± Shio suddenly cried out. ¡°It¡¯s too late, they¡¯re here. Eight are coming this way. Prepare yourselves.¡± ¡°They underestimate us.¡± Ronin said with a grin. This is what he wanted all along. Theo laughed. ¡°We are kids after all.¡± Soon after a group of 8 men dressed in leather approached. ¡°Ho ho ho, look what we have here. Hello little brothers and little sister.¡± One of the men said. ¡°We¡¯re travelers from a far away land who have encountered some bad luck. Could we trouble you with all your money?¡± The man said with an evil grin. Theo couldn¡¯t help but smile. These guys are quite funny. ¡°We feel for you elder brother. We too have encountered some bad luck.¡± Ronin replied, looking quite sincere. ¡°Since you have no money, could we trouble you with the clothes on your back so we may have something to sell to fill our bellies?¡± This time Theo couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. ¡°Hahaha!¡± The other man¡¯s face suddenly turned ugly. ¡°What a tongue this child has. Since he¡¯s suggested so, kill them and strip their clothes. Leave the girl. Though she¡¯s young, there¡¯s no way I could resist this little angel.¡± He said licking his lips as he eyed Elaine¡¯s body. Theo¡¯s eyes suddenly turned serious, and the bandits suddenly felt a strong pressure appear out of nowhere, causing them to pause. ¡°Leave that one to me.¡± He said. Elaine¡¯s cheeks blushed slightly. This guy¡¯s feeling are too overbearing. Two tusk-like weapons suddenly appeared in Shio¡¯s hands. ¡°Careful,¡± He said. ¡°That one should be the bandit leader. He must have personally came for Elaine.¡± Theo¡¯s face twitched, and the two bracelets on his hands suddenly transformed into two war hammers. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He said, his war hammers glowing with a golden light. ¡°Calm down,¡± the bandit leader said as he saw the worried looks of his subordinates. ¡°They might be cultivators but they¡¯re still just kids.¡± The bandits suddenly calmed down as they heard this. How long could they have cultivated? They thought. How could inexperienced kids compare to them? A cold look suddenly appeared in their eyes as they prepared to attack, but Theo couldn¡¯t wait and immediately charged. The bandits saw this and responded by charging out as well, brandishing their weapons. ¡°ATTACK!¡± They yelled. Elaine drew an arrow onto her bow, the tip glowing with a bright white light. She pulled back and released. The arrow flew by the charging Theo and just as it was about to reach the bandits the light on the arrow suddenly expanded outwards enveloping and blinding the charging bandits. When the light disappeared soon after a bandit had already collapsed, an arrow in his head, and Theo, who knew to close his eyes against the blinding light, had already ran past the bandits, heading towards the bandit leader standing at the back. At this time Elaine took out her rapier as Shio and Ronin also brandished their weapons and charged out. The bandit leader grew a little worried at these kids¡¯ tactics as he eyed the charging Theo, but he put his worries aside. If this kid thinks he can take me on by himself he¡¯s dreaming. The bandit leader thought with a smirk as he raised his battle-axe and charged. ¡°Aarghh!¡± Theo yelled as he approached and engaged the bandit leader. Theo¡¯s left hand swiped, his war hammer clashing against the bandit leader¡¯s battle-axe, Theo¡¯s overwhelming strength sending it swinging to the side. Immediately afterwards, Theo¡¯s right war hammer swung out towards the bandit leader¡¯s left shoulder. Shit! The bandit leader thought as he jumped backwards, narrowly evading the war hammer. This kid¡¯s pretty strong! He thought, his eyes turning serious. ¡°Oh?¡± Theo exclaimed. ¡°Has the bandit leader lost his nerve? Can he not face off against a kid head on?¡± Theo taunted with a smirk. He knew the fight would go much smoother if it was a head on confrontation. Theo feared this guy might have some long-range magic. The bandit leader suddenly smiled. ¡°Head on, you say? Don¡¯t regret those words kid.¡± He said as he took in a deep breath. Theo¡¯s brows furrowed as he watched for any changes on the bandit leader. Damn, Theo thought as he looked at the bandit leader¡¯s face which suddenly became much more reflective, as if it was metallic. It¡¯s actually a defensive skill. ¡°Hmph!¡± Theo exclaimed. You¡¯re going to have to do better than that. The bandit leader continued to smirk as he charged once again. Suddenly, the bandit leader¡¯s arms and legs enlarged a size mid-charge. Although the change was subtle, it did not escape Theo¡¯s attention as his eyes widened. He¡¯s countering my twin hammers with speed. Let¡¯s see how this plays out. He thought as he grimaced and went to welcome the charge. Theo still had confidence in winning, but he knew he was going to suffer for it. Theo wasn¡¯t too worried though, unless this bandit leader had more tricks up his sleeve, the fight was pretty casual for Theo. ¡°Aaghh!!¡± Theo let out a battle cry as he deflected the bandit leader¡¯s battle-axe with his war hammer as another war hammer strike followed, sweeping in from the right. The bandit leader used the momentum from the deflection to let his battle-axe swing him around as he bent downwards to dodge the sweeping hammer. Theo watched the battle-axe coming back around and planned to strike out at the bandit leader¡¯s undefended spinning back, but as he was about to act he was suddenly hit in the stomach by the haft of the battle-axe. ¡°Urghh!¡± Theo grunted, resisting the blow as he swung his left hammer, hitting the bandit leader¡¯s left thigh. KLAANGG! The glowing hammer sounded out as it struck the bandit leader. Theo¡¯s eyes widened in shock at how strong this defensive skill was, becoming momentarily distracted. By the time he noticed the bandit leader¡¯s body twist and the incoming battle-axe, it was already somewhat late to dodge. Theo leapt backwards and twisted his body slightly, using his right shoulder to accept the strike that was meant for his neck. The axe dug halfway into the Stonearmored Bear¡¯s skin before stopping. Theo used the momentum of the axe swing to put some distance in between the two. As he landed he took a deep breath, preparing for round two. The bandit leader laughed. ¡°Kid, can¡¯t you see that you can¡¯t beat me? Though you are pretty good, you¡¯re far too inexperienced. How ¡®bout we stop fighting? If you join me, I promise I won¡¯t kill you.¡± The bandit leader suggested, taking an interest in Theo¡¯s talent. Though, he was confident in winning, getting through Theo¡¯s armor would be a bit tough and Theo surely knew how to protect his head. ¡°Hmph! Screw off! Don¡¯t get cocky, just because you¡¯ve cultivated longer than me.¡± Theo replied arrogantly. The bandit leader sighed. ¡°Suit yourself, kid.¡± He said, rushing out to clash once again. They clashed several times which Theo always seemed to lose out on, but Theo gritted his teeth and continued. His armor already had several gashes on it from being struck. A couple minutes into the fight, Theo began to smile, and his blows landed much more often. As this happened, the bandit leader became increasingly worried. Did this kid get faster? He thought as he wondered what was happening. But then he suddenly realized. It¡¯s not him; shit, I¡¯ve gotten slower. He leapt back a distance and tested his body out. The bandit leader felt that his body has gotten many times heavier and he started to sweat as he realized his situation. The rate he slowed down was quite slow, so he didn¡¯t notice for quite some time. It¡¯s that golden glow on his hammers! This kid fucking practices magic! Normal people wouldn¡¯t be able to practice both magic and body art cultivation, most people seemed to have no talent for magic. But for Shio and his friends, these problems were solved by analyzing their souls, and Shio¡¯s ever-increasing knowledge. The bandit leader was wary of that golden glow at first, but as battle went on it didn¡¯t seem to do anything, so he ignored it. Only now did he realize that Theo has been targeting his limbs from the beginning, intending to weigh him down. ¡°Fuck.¡± The bandit leader couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. ¡°Something wrong, bandit leader?¡± Theo asked with a wicked grin as he slowly approached. Now that the situation has escalated to this point, the bandit leader had no thoughts of winning and immediately threw the heavy axe aside and turned to run. But as he turned he saw that kid with the white hair standing in his way. The bandit leader then looked around and realized he was surrounded by those kids. Finally in the distance he saw several bodies lying on the ground, and he started sweating even more profusely. Who the fuck are these kids? He thought. The bandit leader immediately put on a subservient smile and attempted to persuade these kids to let him go. ¡°Little brother,¡± he said towards Theo. ¡°This was all a misunderstanding. I truly am an unlucky traveler that was forced to steal to survive. But you have to know that it was out of my hands and I had no choice. But I promise to turn my life around! If little brother spares me, I¡¯ll be sure to repay little brother over many times in the future!¡± The bandit leader said in a pleading manner. ¡°Hmmm,¡± Theo said, pretending to think it over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Though you¡¯re shameless, there¡¯s no way I can resist killing a little devil like you.¡± Theo mocked with an evil grin as he rushed out. A wild look suddenly appeared in the bandit leader¡¯s eyes. Kid, I¡¯ll make sure to take you down with me! He thought resolutely as he reached for his battle-axe. But just as he bent down he was suddenly hit in the back of the head with an arrow. It didn¡¯t pierce his steel-like skin but the strong impact caused him to fall to the ground face first. The bandit leader quickly tried to lift his heavy body up, but just as he raised his head, it was already too late. Theo¡¯s hammer was already on its way to the bandit leader¡¯s head. The golden glow grew stronger and Theo looked to be struggling to control the hammer as it thrusted down, its weight seemingly becoming many times heavier. ¡°Mountain Hammer Crash!¡± Theo yelled as his hammer crashed down on the bandit leader¡¯s head, leaving the bandit leader no time to say anything before his life abruptly ended. Chapter 7: The Band Grows Theo felt a moment of triumph as he defeated his enemy, but as he looked to the bandit leader¡¯s indented and bleeding head he suddenly felt sick. Theo suddenly bent over to the side and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the ground. After a moment of trying to puke with nothing to puke out, Theo stood back up, his face a sickly pale colour. At this point, the others gathered around Theo. Elaine¡¯s face was also pale from puking after her first time killing another human being. Ronin almost puked himself but forced himself not to; his view of bandits keeping him from having any remorse. Shio was unexpectedly the most composed of them all, with only a grimace on his face. It was not I that sought you out, he thought to himself. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Shio said, seeing that Theo had finished. ¡°Are we going to find the rest?¡± Ronin asked, bordering between eagerness and reluctance. ¡°No. Fighting with our state of mind is asking for death; we¡¯re going around.¡± Shio replied decisively. The rest didn¡¯t say anything else and followed Shio into the forest. An hour later they set up camp within the forest. They didn¡¯t prepare any food as none of them had the appetite, and simply went to sleep. Shio naturally kept watch since he could sleep in that mysterious place without losing time, and the others didn¡¯t question this as Shio knew all sorts of magic. As far as they knew, Shio slept with his eyes open. Shio attributed it to a secret cultivation technique, through which Shio¡¯s friends immediately saw the bullshit, but they didn¡¯t really mind. If Shio wanted to keep watch all night, it was only to their benefit. Shio didn¡¯t mind either, as he was used to solitude, without having anyone to talk to, because of his time in that place beyond his mind. Shio had started calling that place beyond the portal the Mysterious Estate, for obvious reasons, and over recent years, he has spent at least 15 years secluded in that place. Shio eventually found out that his mandala inscriptions could use the energy in the Mysterious Estate and thanks to that he was even able to set up a greenhouse of sorts in that place, where he used mandala inscriptions to produce sunlight and rain. It was quite useful for the group¡¯s cultivation and the plants grew quite fast in that place. Shio wad confused at first about the fact that he wouldn¡¯t age in that place but plants could grow, but then he just assumed it was related to his state of mind and his needs. When he first entered that place, he foolishly thought that he wouldn¡¯t age, and he didn¡¯t. After some time he started needing certain things; a martial arts training room, a mandala inscription room, a greenhouse, and the place always responded to his needs as if the place was connected to himself on a much deeper level. But Shio now knew that because, in the Mysterious Estate, his body still functioned, that meant that his cells were still continuously dying and aging. This led to the conclusion that because he assumed that certain truth, the Mysterious Estate provided some sort of life force or other magic to keep him young. But the place would sometimes reject Shio¡¯s needs. Whenever he was in a fight, he couldn¡¯t escape to that place to heal. It was unfortunate that he didn¡¯t have a life-saving method such as that, but Shio has come to accept it. Also, it wouldn¡¯t directly allow Shio to absorb the energy there. It¡¯s as if that place didn¡¯t want to spoil Shio too much. That place really was like a doting parent that wanted to raise its child right. But still, even considering those limitations, Shio was still spoiled. Just based on the fact that he was able to learn about mandala inscriptions in the Mysterious Estate¡¯s library, it could be seen that Shio was spoiled since mandala inscriptions was basically a cheat code in this world, depending on how much knowledge you had on it; and Shio knew a lot. Morning time¡­ Morning light eventually peeked through the trees, hours after Shio re-entered the world. A night for Shio was usually several days of learning, as there were many books in the Mysterious Estate and his curiosity was boundless. Shio didn¡¯t rouse the camp, though. They need their sleep, he thought to himself. Two hours later Elaine woke up, followed by Ronin, then Theo. Each allowed the others time to wake on their own. By the time Theo woke up it was noon. Everyone seemed much better than yesterday but there was still definitely some residual effects. In that way they continued onwards. After walking for a couple hour Elaine started to giggle for some unknown reason. The others looked to each other, confused, and eventually Elaine¡¯s giggling grew louder and longer. Theo¡¯s brows furrowed in worry. ¡°Elaine, what is it?¡± He asked. ¡°Haha, ah¡­ Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± She replied mysteriously. ¡°Come on, Elaine. Is something wrong? Tell me.¡± Theo responded, worried. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ who yells out the name of their attack?¡± Elaine replied with a grin. Theo suddenly realized what she was talking about and immediately blushed. Ronin also realized, and immediately burst out laughing. ¡°What are you guys talking about? Everyone does it. I read about it in a book once.¡± Theo replied, his face red. ¡°Just because a comic book character did it, doesn¡¯t mean everyone does it.¡± Elaine replied, seeing through Theo¡¯s words. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Theo. It¡¯s still cool when you do it.¡± Theo didn¡¯t say anymore and continued to walk with a red face.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°And why¡¯d you take so long with that fight anyways? In the end Elaine was even forced to help out.¡± Ronin asked. ¡°I mainly wanted to test out my skill in using my war hammers. But my battle experience is just too small. I lost several exchanges.¡± Theo replied, his composure slightly better. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ronin responded in understanding. When the group fight, they were usually supported by their magic, sometimes making fighting much too easy. As such, it would be useful to experience a fight without their magic if it forced them to grow more clever and skillful. But for Theo, in comparison to the bandit leader, was much too poorly skilled. As they walked they continued to talk, with the mood becoming better the further they went. On the way they were also able to process their recent encounter and grow in their resolve to get stronger. Elaine thought about getting strong enough to live in peace one day. Theo thought of becoming strong enough to protect Elaine. Ronin thought of becoming strong enough to be able to wipe out any threat. As for Shio, he didn¡¯t have any of those thoughts. All he thought about was living long enough to see the world. As for whether this made him weak, only the heavens knew. It was peaceful for a time but after several days they once again encountered another small group of highwaymen, which they naturally wiped out. They knew there were more camped within the woods and at Ronin¡¯s urging they slowly but surely wiped out the rest. As Shio participated in the slaughter he couldn¡¯t help but think, Will murdering evildoers really gain karmic merit? Or is the act of participating in ending a life just as evil as allowing bandits to rob others when I have the power to stop it? After this slaughter the group was better able to distance themselves from the reality of killing, though their faces were still a little pale. Eventually, as they neared the end of the forest they encountered yet another group of bandits. But as Shio looked around at the bandits that surrounded them, Shio could only shake his head. They¡¯re just kids. I¡¯m not going to kill a bunch of kids. The others¡¯ faces were also a little worried. Although they were a little used to killing by now, killing a bunch of kids seriously wasn¡¯t something they wanted to do. Even Ronin was hesitant. ¡°Give us all your belongings and you won¡¯t get hurt!¡± Cried a slightly taller kid with a kitchen knife in his hands. Most of the other kids had wooden spears. Shio looked up, his face solemn. ¡°Are you the oldest here?¡± He asked simply. ¡°Yeah, what of it? I¡¯m even older than you, so just listen to your elder and hand over your money!¡± The kid, seemingly around 17 years of age cried out once again. Although there was resolve in his eyes, you could also see a hint of regret. Shio sighed. ¡°OK, elder brother. I have an offer for you. Do you want to listen or am I going to have to murder a child today?¡± Shio said as he gave a cold look at the child bandit leader. As the 17 or so year-old looked at him, he felt a chill run down his spine. Shio¡¯s eyes told him he really could kill him anytime he wanted. But he¡¯s so much younger than me! He thought. He suppressed the feeling and replied, ¡°Speak!¡± Shio looked to Elaine next to her. She had an inkling as to what Shio was going to do, and she nodded. Though she didn¡¯t like it, she could only sigh in regret when she thought of how these kids were forced to banditry. ¡°Elder brother, you have three options.¡± Shio started replying. ¡°You can either attack and we¡¯ll be forced to kill you. You can walk away. Or you can join us. It¡¯s up to you.¡± The child bandit leader was silent for a moment as he looked at his little brothers before replying. ¡°Why would we want to join you?¡± ¡°First of all you guys aren¡¯t qualified to be bandits.¡± Shio replied with a slight smile. ¡°You guys don¡¯t even cultivate any body essence arts. If you join me I¡¯ll provide you all with suitable body essence arts and allow you to practice magic.¡± Some of kids¡¯ eyes instantly brightened at the thought of this. ¡°Secondly,¡± Shio continued. ¡°You won¡¯t have to live in the forest anymore. And third, you won¡¯t need to rob anymore. You can even leave at the end of all of this, as you¡¯ll have an easier time surviving if you become stronger.¡± Shio finished, looking at the child bandit leader¡¯s suspicious gaze. There was eagerness in the eyes of the child bandit leader, but he was still wary. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not trying to trick us?¡± He responded. Theo immediately laughed at this. ¡°Kid, you don¡¯t. But I¡¯ll give you some advice. If you were to ever trust another human being, Shio¡¯s not a bad choice.¡± Theo said with a smile. The child bandit leader looked to his little brothers. ¡°What do you guys think?¡± He asked. Theo shook his head. To even think about it, considering your life¡­ To not realize a gift when it¡¯s given. ¡°Let¡¯s do it, Jackson. I don¡¯t like robbing people, it makes me feel dirty. And we usually return empty handed anyway.¡± One kid said. ¡°Yeah,¡± said another kid. ¡°And they¡¯ll teach us magic too! I¡¯ve always wanted to learn magic.¡± Other kids also couldn¡¯t resist Shio¡¯s offer and immediately voiced their agreement. Jackson¡¯s eyes softened. He also couldn¡¯t bear to lead these kids¡¯ lives in this way. Up until now he never had a choice, but now that it was here he also wanted to take hold of it. ¡°Okay,¡± he said, giving Shio a serious look. ¡°We¡¯ll go with you.¡± Shio smiled. ¡°Right, let¡¯s go.¡± And with that the Band of the Silver Star grew. The group went off deeper into the forest where the kid bandits set up camp. The girls there and the smaller children gave worried looks as they looked at the strangers, but after hearing the situation joyous smiles appeared on their faces. Most of them really hated this lifestyle. Before leaving, Shio saw that most of these kids looked malnourished and thus prepared a big meal for the group first, which the others were very grateful for. Shio learned that these kids were from an orphanage in Lookout City. They¡¯re lives were peaceful until someone murdered their caretakers for their magic tomes and the landlord kicked them out of their homes for not being able to pay rent. Some of the kids had jobs but it wasn¡¯t enough, thus they were forced into this unfortunate lifestyle. They came to the forest to find a town with a Goodwill Church, but all of the towns they found didn¡¯t have one. Some families offered to provide for several of them, but they didn¡¯t want to be separated, so they resorted to hunting and banditry. Shio suggested they rest for the night, but Jackson urged them to go. He was sick of looking at this forest. And so they left. It wasn¡¯t long before they were out of the forest and were traveling amongst the tall grass of the wide plain. As they walked they ended up on the main road. They started to see large farms and small towns along the way. Unfortunately they didn¡¯t have the money to stay in an inn and thus camped nearby. When Jackson saw this, he gave Shio a doubtful look to which Shio simply smiled. With Jackson and his little brothers and sisters, there were now 19 people to provide for in the Band of the Silver Star which Jackson was often worried about. He first thought Shio¡¯s group was rich which was why they could afford to accept so many people, but now he saw Shio actually had no money. When he asked Shio about it he simply said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I naturally have a way to make money.¡± Though Jackson was doubtful he still continued to follow. Along the way, Shio started to teach magic to the other kids. At first Jackson refused because his foster father had tested him long ago to see if he was suitable for magic but it turns out he wasn¡¯t. But after Shio directed him after looking at his soul he realized that he could. It wasn¡¯t just him, all the other kids of suitable age were able to cultivate too, which simply shocked Jackson. Shio even gave them several Body Essence Arts like they were common storybooks. It must be known that each Body Essence Art was like a precious treasure that most people would definitely not share so easily. After that Jackson looked at Shio differently. Though he still wasn¡¯t sure if following Shio was a good idea, he had to admit that he had much to offer. Eventually the group started to encounter rolling hills, then, eventually they saw Lookout City. Chapter 8: Not My Place ¡°Lookout City.¡± Shio said silently as he looked at the city gates from afar, watching as a multitude of people entered the city like a sparse stream. ¡°Hmm, good.¡± Theo said in approving manner. ¡°This is a good place to introduce myself to the world.¡± He said calmly, as if his future fame was just a matter of course. ¡°Pshh,¡± Elaine couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. ¡°Introduce yourself to the mirror and have a good look. At the moment, in the cultivation world, we¡¯re simply just like ants. If you¡¯re so arrogant while we¡¯re here, we might not have enough time to grow, like a seed sprouting only to be crushed under someone¡¯s foot.¡± ¡°True,¡± Ronin responded. ¡°Arrogance could kill us here, but being too timid will just the same destroy us in spirit.¡± ¡°Right, right!¡± Theo said in a dignified manner. ¡°It¡¯s not arrogance, it¡¯s confidence! If we don¡¯t even have that, we might as well have never left Newleaf.¡± ¡°Alright, enough talk. I want to have a look at this Lookout City.¡± Shio said as he led the way forward. As they walked through the city gates, the atmosphere suddenly became much livelier as hawkers sold their wares on the side of the street, and as people conversed around the entrance square¡¯s central fountain. The square had restaurants and inns surrounding it to welcome people immediately as they came into the city. Beyond the city gate, Shio and everyone¡¯s gaze immediately drew to the statue before the fountain, of a man with his short hair swept back. He had a calm expression, a stubbled chin, wide shouldered armor, and his two hands held a sword before him like a staff pointed at the ground. There was a sense of security to be found on the statue, as if the sky was to fall this man would be there to hold it up. As Jackson saw everyone stop to look at the statue, he began to explain. ¡°That¡¯s Lance the Defender, one of the legendary Reyah¡¯s companions. It was he who built this city after Reyah founded the country. When Reyah set up the country as a place where people could cultivate in peace, it was Lance who held up this ideal, building this city to defend the peace in case the Chaos Continent ever invaded.¡± Shio smiled at this and added, ¡°Some also said that he also missed the excitement of the Chaos Continent and built the city, hoping for the Chaos Continent to invade, so that he could once again experience the glory of battle.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jackson exclaimed. ¡°Who would say that? That¡¯s nothing but nonsense. Lance was definitely the country¡¯s defender of peace!¡± Jackson argued. Shio simply smiled and said nothing. It seems like Jackson very much looks up to this Lance. Maybe he¡¯ll also aspire to be a defender of peace. ¡°Who was Reyah?¡± Elaine asked. She had nothing of these stories. ¡°What? You don¡¯t know who Reyah was?¡± Jackson said, dumbfounded, as he thought that everyone in the country would know who Reyah was. ¡°She was the founder of the country! A visionary of her time; because she was displeased with the craziness in the Chaos Continent, she founded this country for sake of cultivating in peace! If it wasn¡¯t for her, we would all be just like the animals in the Chaos Continent.¡± Jackson said in disdain for the Chaos Continent. ¡°This place isn¡¯t necessarily better than the Chaos Continent.¡± Shio replied. ¡°It¡¯s all about perspective. Although, here in the country of Reyah, people live longer and the stronger cultivators are much more numerous, with more time to reach the peak, but the people of the Chaos Continent are refined through blood and fire. Some say one Chaos Continent cultivator could easily match any 10 cultivators of the same rank from the country of Reyah.¡± ¡°Pshh!¡± Jackson exclaimed. ¡°So what? Even if they are stronger, people in the Chaos Continent are simply worse than dirt. They¡¯d commit fratricide just to go on living for another day. Those people have no honor!¡± ¡°Ho ho!¡± Theo teased. ¡°The young bandit begins to speak of honor!¡± He said, causing Jackson to blush in shame. ¡°Those people are way worse than I am.¡± Jackson couldn¡¯t help but grumble. ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to judge. Many people in that continent don¡¯t have any choice in the matter. It¡¯s either kill or be killed.¡± Shio said with a different view. ¡°Enough talk, let¡¯s go.¡± Ronin said. He didn¡¯t care too much about these big views on right and wrong. As long as he could protect what he wanted to protect, he wouldn¡¯t care if the world burned down. ¡°Right.¡± Shio responded. ¡°Come, young Jackson, lead us to find some alchemy supplies.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Jackson responded. ¡°And don¡¯t call me young. I¡¯m older than you.¡± He said, still quite displeased at Theo¡¯s earlier teasing. Jackson lead them to a pretty well-known alchemy store in the middle of town, which pretty much had anything that someone of Shio¡¯s level would need. Shio, Ronin, Elaine, and Theo all went in, while the little bandits waited outside. Shio lightly greeted the lady behind the counter, near the entrance before heading further into the store to find what he needed. Eventually Shio found the seed section of the store, where he continued to pick up several seed packets that he required. ¡°Hmm,¡± Elaine said, raising an eyebrow as she looked at the prices below the seed packets. ¡°Does this place not take gold? What are Will Stones? Do we have any of those?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°That¡¯s the common currency of cultivators,¡± Shio replied as he picked out seeds from the shelves. ¡°Luckily we came across a small amount during our bandit hunts.¡± ¡°Those pale blue stones?¡± Theo asked. ¡°I thought those were just pretty rocks, but they¡¯re actually money? Damn! We should have sought out even more bandits!¡± Theo exclaimed in regret. ¡°Right,¡± Shio responded. ¡°You can buy common things with gold, but for things that cultivators would need, only Will Stones will suffice.¡± ¡°So how much do we have exactly?¡± Ronin asked curiously. ¡°Can we go out and buy some actual cultivator weapons, instead of the random assortment of things we have now?¡± ¡°Yeah, Shio!¡± Theo said quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t buy too much stuff! Leave some for us to use!¡± ¡°Ha,¡± Shio laughed awkwardly. ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have much. About 40, and I¡¯ll need all of it. But don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll compensate you. Just wait a few days.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so anxious, Theo. Would Shio let you suffer a loss?¡± Elaine asked rhetorically. Theo smiled awkwardly and no longer spoke. Indeed, Shio would not let him suffer a loss. After they bought the things they needed, they went off to buy some common steel weapons and find an inn to spend the last of their meager amount of money on rooms and food for them and the little bandits. ¡°Bah, what¡¯s a bunch of kids doing here? So annoying. I hate children.¡± Said a skinny man with chin-length red hair as he walked into the dining area with a couple of dangerous looking people. ¡°Him!¡± Jackson said, glowering at the red-haired man. The man saw Jackson staring at him at violently responded, ¡°What? Stinking kid, got a problem?¡± Seeing that the man noticed him, Jackson put down his head and didn¡¯t dare look up again. ¡°That¡¯s right! This kid isn¡¯t so dumb after all.¡± The red-haired man said before turning to find a table, away from the children. ¡°Jackson,¡± Shio said, noticing the angry look in Jackson¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you know that man?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jackson said, recalling where he saw him as a burning rage grew within him. ¡°He¡¯s part of the gang that killed the caretakers of my orphanage.¡± ¡°What? How do you know it was them? Did you see them?¡± Ronin asked. ¡°No, they came in at the middle of the night, while we were all sleeping.¡± Jackson replied. ¡°But, one day I was looking for a job at a restaurant, and I saw that man with a bunch of other people. At the time a large bald man was bragging about a job he did at an orphanage, and¡­¡± Jackson said, trying to continue. But as he thought about the things they said, his anger caused him to be unable to speak. He wished he tear apart those people and vent his rage, but alas, he was powerless. Jackson took a moment to calm down before continuing. ¡°Their gang is notorious in the city; murdering and stealing rampantly. The ruling Hale family should have gotten rid of them long ago, but for some reason, they just ignore the Night Stalker Gang.¡± ¡°In other words, this gang has some sort of backing.¡± Theo said, reading the situation clearly. ¡°No one knows,¡± Jackson said with a sigh. ¡°But if they do have someone supporting them behind the scenes, it has to be either the Seir Clan, the Patient Waters Sect, or maybe even the Hale Clan themselves. Only organizations of that level could allow the Night Stalker Gang to be so rampant.¡± ¡°Regardless of whether they are guilty or not of this crime, such a gang should be wiped clean from the earth!¡± Ronin said in indignation. ¡°Hold on a minute,¡± Elaine butted in to settle the mood. ¡°Is picking a fight really the first thing we want to do now that we¡¯re in the city? Has cultivating for two years really supplemented you with such arrogance?¡± Elaine said in disdain. As she saw it, they were just young cultivators and new to the city; it was better to err on the side of caution rather than foolishly looking for fights to pick. Now was the time for building a solid foundation, and if a day comes when they were fully informed and confident, it wouldn¡¯t be too late to act at that time. Since when did we become almighty powerhouses, able to look in down at the world? Killing a few bandits has gotten to Ronin¡¯s head. Elaine thought, slightly worried. ¡°Easy, everyone,¡± Shio interrupted Ronin as he was about to speak out. ¡°Now is not the time for action, but information. We¡¯ll be in the city for some time, and it¡¯s unlikely that this gang is going anywhere. In future, we¡¯ll still have time to act.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Elaine said in support. ¡°What do you intend?¡± Theo asked. ¡°This red-haired one¡¯s cultivation isn¡¯t too strong. Rest easy tonight; by tomorrow we¡¯ll have the information we need.¡± Shio said calmly. ¡­.. ¡­¡­ ¡­. Late into the night, after the red-haired man arrived at home after a good night of drinking, and lazily slumped into bed; too lazy and drunk to cultivate. After several hours, he was in a deep sleep, and at this time a white haired boy appeared from the shadows of the room. The house wasn¡¯t too hard to sneak in for Shio, as the only other person in the home was the red-haired man¡¯s frail mother. A gentle flame appeared above Shio¡¯s hand and floated above red-haired man¡¯s sleeping face. The bright light startled him awake, but in his half-asleep state his eyes immediately became focused on the gentle flames aura; its soft warmth against his face. Shio began to guide the red-haired man¡¯s mind into comfort, dissolving any wariness from his mind. Then he began to question the man. His name, the people in his gang, and finally the night that Jackson spoke of. ¡°His name was Rorg. He told us about how he saw a man heal a sick beggar on the streets with magic. After following the man back to his home, he intruded into the man¡¯s bedroom in the middle of the night and killed the man and his wife in their sleep. After searching the room he found several magic tomes and left the house.¡± The red-haired man narrated. ¡°He didn¡¯t find any children?¡± Shio asked, curious whether it was mercy or purely coincidental that Jackson and his little bandits survived. ¡°No. After finding what he wanted he immediately left before he caused any more of a disturbance. He did not mention any children.¡± The hypnotized man said. ¡°Tell me about Rorg.¡± Shio said. ¡°He¡¯s a ruthless man. His purpose in joining the gang was mainly to get rich and to satisfy his bloodlust. He rarely steals without killing and frequently brags about these acts to others in the gang.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Shio said in thought. ¡°Do you ever steal for the gang?¡± Shio began, trying to get a sense of the red-haired man, and questioning whether he should end the man¡¯s life. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Have you ever killed an innocent person?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The red-haired man said, causing Shio to furrow his brows. ¡°Will you kill innocents in the future?¡± Shio asked, his intentions taking a dark turn. ¡°Yes, if I have to.¡± The man replied in a steady, dull voice. Shio raised his hunting knife to the man¡¯s neck, his muscles tensing as he intended to commit murder once again. But after a moment, his hand relaxed once more and drew to his side. ¡°Is there anyone in this world you have love for?¡± Shio asked once again, his mind in doubt. Perhaps I¡¯ve been asking the wrong questions, Shio thought. ¡°My mother.¡± ¡°How much do you love her?¡± ¡°I would do anything for her, because she¡¯d do anything for me.¡± The man said. Though his voice was dull and without emotion, his words still conveyed his meaning in this state. ¡°Do you have any regrets in this life?¡± Shio asked with solemn voice. ¡°I regret not being able to live the life my mother wanted for me.¡± Shio sighed, asking no more. It¡¯s not my place to judge this man, Shio thought, causing the flame to disappear and the hypnotized man to once again fall asleep. His murderous intent faded and he once more disappeared into the darkness¡­ Chapter 1: At Least It鈥檚 More Interesting On the surface Jo Remy seemed like a reserved introvert, but it would be more fitting to call him a hopeless idealist. After high school, Jo enrolled into college and moved into a place payed for by his parents. Little did his parents know that only after a few weeks of school, Jo voluntarily withdrew from all his classes. He didn¡¯t agree with how fast everything was moving as if the world would end if students didn¡¯t get a degree. As he rushed to do his assignments he wondered, is this stress necessary to learn? Won¡¯t a calm mind better facilitate learning? He also didn¡¯t agree with argumentative essays. As he wrote down his opinion he wondered, is this not just repeating my research in different words? So what if it proves my understanding; does that not only require a mind? Even more so, he didn¡¯t agree with class presentations. As he nervously spoke in front of the class he wondered, what¡¯s the point in presenting knowledge I just learned? Won¡¯t the confidence to speak publicly naturally come with confidence in one¡¯s knowledge? As such, Jo dropped his classes unable to shake the feeling that there was something wrong with the system. Though he didn¡¯t give up on learning. His dream was to become a game designer and thus, as he was still technically enrolled in the school, used the resources available to students and took several books from the school library, planning out his own curriculum along the way. He learned when he had the energy and played games to relax his mind, not hindered in any way by time restrictions. Unfortunately this leisurely and, according to Jo, the most ideal learning method didn¡¯t last more than a couple months as Jo¡¯s parents discovered what their son was doing. They angrily lectured their son on the phone and stopped paying for his expenses. In Jo¡¯s confusion as his parents didn¡¯t instruct him to come home or force him to go back to classes, Jo assumed they had abandoned him. Also unfortunate; at this point, Jo had spent an unnatural amount of time away from the daily interactions with other people that most people go through. As such, he was quite detached from reality and accepted this interaction as any great philosopher would; with an immense amount of thought. So much so that it was as if he was digging a massive hole within his mind, in which to bury himself in. As anyone who knows what it is to overthink something knows, this severely inhibited his life. In his depression, Jo¡¯s desire to learn receded and he simply continued to play games all day, hoping to forget his situation and escape reality. Eventually he ran out of money to pay for food, but in Jo¡¯s stubbornness he refused to resign to society and get a job, and continued to play games. As he played, tormented by hunger and his refusal to sleep, perhaps his mind broke as he eventually forgot all else. Under the stress of his current situation his mind refused to work for fear of feeling pain and to Jo, all there was, was the game; there was no hunger or sleep deprivation or abandoning parents. He played, and played, and played. To a psychiatrist, Jo was undoubtedly ill, but maybe, just maybe, his soul simply didn¡¯t belong on Earth. Maybe the society he belonged to adhered to different norms that allowed him to thrive. Unfortunately that place wasn¡¯t here. And so, eventually, Jo died as he played that game. It was a sad and pitiful death, but maybe it was a suitable death, and maybe, a death filled with hope, as unbeknownst to Jo, he would be reborn. ¡°Hmm? Why isn¡¯t he crying?¡± A man dressed in furs asked as he looked at the newborn baby in his hands and its sleeping eyes. ¡°Hey, wake up! What a lazy child.¡± The man called out, slightly shaking the baby. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The baby involuntarily called out as it opened its eyes. Da fuck? Jo thought. What¡¯s going on? He wondered as he looked at the fur dressed man. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± A woman called out from a bed. ¡°Give him to me. Let me see my son.¡± Son? Have I been reborn? Jo wondered, his eyes widening in shock. ¡°Hmm¡­ His stats seem alright and he doesn¡¯t have any disabilities. He should be fine.¡± The woman said, relieved. ¡°From now on, little one, your name will be Zellin. Zellin Arathea.¡± She said with a smile. Stats? Zellin? Da fuck am I? As a baby, Jo could do nothing as he lied in his mother¡¯s arms, and was forced to resign to the life of a baby. Time passed by. As a baby, Jo, or Zellin, was practically helpless. The boredom was hell in itself and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from shitting himself. It was horrible. Although most babies cried because they needed something, Jo cried because of the all-encompassing boredom that was his life and the futility of his true needs as a gamer. The comfort he received from mindlessly playing games was nowhere to be found. Fuck, Zellin thought. If only there was a game for me to play. Eventually, he got use to the name Zellin. He actually thought it was kind of cool. His name kind of sounded like a mage class name he would play in an RPG. The first time he got a chance, Zellin snuck away from his mom and explored the house. He ended up finding a little study with many books and ended up picking one out. Hmm? Basic Gameplay? God, I hope this place has D&D. Zellin thought as he read the book. Luckily, it seemed to be in English. As he read the book he couldn¡¯t help but think the game seemed pretty cool. But as he read some of the instructions on the book, his playful mind couldn¡¯t help but try some out. So he tapped the book twice and suddenly an item information screen popped up. Name: Basic Gameplay Type: Book An introduction to the basic gameplay of the world. Da fuck!? This shit¡¯s actually real!? Zellin thought, his eyes widening as he panted slightly. ¡°There you are.¡± Zellin¡¯s mom, Recca, called out as she came into the room. ¡°Come back to the living room. I still have some sewing to do.¡± She said as she picked up Zellin. Back in the living room Zellin suddenly made a decision. He¡¯s going to talk. He¡¯s known it was possible for some time now, but he hasn¡¯t acted on it, as he was afraid of the awkwardness there would be in such a young child speaking fluent English to his parents. And he definitely didn¡¯t want to act the baby, because that would just be annoying. ¡°Momma.¡± Zellin said, testing the waters. Recca suddenly gasped and tears started to flow from her eyes as she picked up Zellin. ¡°You called me Momma. Oh my, my baby¡¯s a genius! He can speak just after 3 months from being born! Your intelligence stat must be quite high. Maybe in the future you can become a grand mage!¡± Recca called out excitedly. ¡°Momma can you tell me about the world?¡± Zellin asked with the straight face of a 3 month year-old baby. ¡°AHHH!¡± Recca called out in fear, accidentally dropping Zellin on her lap. ¡°Oh my god! Zellin, you can actually speak? Are you demon disguised as my baby?¡± She asked with shock and fear. ¡°No, momma. It¡¯s just that¡­ I¡¯m actually a genius.¡± The baby said with a slightly shy look on his face. Hopefully she buys it, Zellin thought optimistically. Is this¡­? Recca thought as she picked Zellin up again, lifting him in the air. ¡°Really? My baby¡¯s such a genius. Then what¡¯s one plus one?¡± She asked, playfully taunting her child. If it is, then¡­ She thought.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Of course it¡¯s two.¡± Zellin replied. ¡°Oh my,¡± Recca couldn¡¯t help but exclaim as her eyes widened. It must be. ¡°Mom, can you tell me more about the world?¡± Zellin asked again. Recca looked at her extremely precocious child, and let out a wide grin. ¡°Of course, honey. Ask me whatever you¡¯d like.¡± She said with a hint of amusement. So, in this way, Zellin learned about the world, finding out he really was in some sort of live RPG. Hey, at least this world is more interesting, he thought. From then on, after finding out about their son¡¯s maturity, Zellin¡¯s mom allowed him to read in the study and would sometimes bring her to the library to read. And in this way 8 years passed, as Zellin learned various things about the world. Today was a special day. Today, on Zellin¡¯s 7th birthday, he would get his first experience points. As Zellin watched his father, Zol, approach him in their backyard with a caged rabbit, he didn¡¯t know whether to be excited or horrified. Zellin had never killed an animal before. Though he wanted the experience points, he was really reluctant to kill. His father took out the little bunny rabbit and tied it to a rope which he attached to a wooden peg that he pierced into the ground. The harmless bunny rabbit looked around, not knowing what to think, making Zellin¡¯s brows furrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t there any other way to get experience points?¡± Zellin asked, hoping for a way out of the situation. ¡°Stop being a baby. Aren¡¯t you a genius? Here, take this.¡± Zol said, handing a dagger to his son. ¡°You know what to do.¡± As Zellin was already able to speak to his parents at 3 months old, they had long treated him as an intelligent human being. Zellin took the weighty dagger hesitantly, silent for a while before a look of determination appeared on his face. I can¡¯t back down from this. For my dream of being a super mage I must push forward! He thought resolutely. Zellin approached the cute bunny rabbit and quickly ended its life. As the bunny died, remorse filled Zellin¡¯s face, then confusion. After the bunny collapsed its body shattered into white light which disappeared into the air and a silvery energy entered Zellin¡¯s body. Left behind by the bunny rabbit was a copper and a piece of rabbit leg; already skinned. Zellin raised his hand and a book appeared with the words Character Info on it. He opened it up and under where it said Level 0, there was a space that said he had one experience point. Zellin grinned slightly. It¡¯s a start, he thought. Zol suddenly laughed out loud. ¡°Quick and decisive. That¡¯s my boy!¡± Zol said, rubbing Zellin¡¯s head with pride. ¡°Soon, I¡¯ll have to take you out hunting.¡± From that day forward Zellin¡¯s father continued to bring many low-leveled animals for Zellin to kill, and eventually, Zellin gained 300 experience points and became level 1. His Dexterity and Agility stats even rose slightly, without putting stat points into it. Instead, Zellin put his 5 stat points into Intelligence and Wisdom. After Zellin became Level 1, his parents¡¯ decided to buy him a basic skill book. Since Zellin was kind of lazy, he wanted to choose the Summoner class when he reached level 5. In this way, he wouldn¡¯t have to do anything when battling and just send an endless wave of monsters out. That would be best, Zellin thought, nodding his head in approval. As such, Zellin asked for the basic Summoner skill, Contract. It would allow a Summoner to set up a contract with a beast. Though, it was a weak Summoner skill and would usually be used with either baby beasts or beasts one had a high compatibility with. After getting the skill, Zellin suddenly regretted the decision because there he had nothing to contract with. But one day, Zol brought home a Level 1 Wolf Cub and set it in front of Zellin. As he was afraid the wolf would immediately ravage his son, he watched and waited, wondering how his son would conquer this beast. Zellin looked at the wolf cub and a big grin grew on his face. He fearlessly went up to the wolf cub and let it smell his hand before scratching it behind the ear. The wolf cub then started to rub his head against Zellin¡¯s hand. It wasn¡¯t long before they were happily playing, rolling on the ground as sounds of laughter resounded out. Fortunately, this wolf was quite tame for a wild beast. Zellin didn¡¯t contract the cub right away, though. Every day, he would play with the cub, and every day he would be the one to feed it. After building enough of the cub¡¯s trust he finally contracted it, while the cub didn¡¯t resist at all. It wasn¡¯t long before this pair went out to hunt level 1 beasts under Zol¡¯s supervision. In this way Zellin was even able to find a spider egg that he managed to contract, resulting in him receiving a Level 0 Enfeebler Spider Hatchling, which Zellin went on to feed some live rabbits and chickens to increase its experience. As a Summoner, it naturally takes much longer to level up, as Zellin and his monsters share experience. So it wasn¡¯t until a year later that Zellin and his wolf cub, Bear, reached level 2. As for Leggy, he also rose to Level 2, thanks to the experience allocator option available to all ¡®characters¡¯ in this world who are able to open a menu. It was also at this time that Zol approached Zellin and told him, ¡°Little Genius, it¡¯s time for you to go to school.¡± ¡°Ah? School? Why do I need to go to school?¡± Zellin asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s to learn basic battle and survival skills. Skill books are expensive to make so many basic skills are simply taught. Don¡¯t whine, come along.¡± Zol said in a no nonsense manner before walking out of the house. Zellin frowned and reluctantly left with his father along with Leggy and Bear. Zellin lived in the small town of Florn. In Florn, there was only one school, the Immortal Huntsman Academy. It was mainly a school for hunters, like Zellin¡¯s dad, but they taught other skills too. This was where they were going. Zol simply dropped Zellin off at the gate, giving him a badge with a bow and arrow on it before patting his shoulders and saying, ¡°Good luck.¡± With that he began to walk away. ¡°Wait!¡± Zellin called out anxiously, catching up to his dad. Zellin wasn¡¯t too fond of school, or anything of the sort. If it was possible, he¡¯d prefer all his choices to be made with some true independence, without the limits of needs or thoughts of survival. In other words, he really wished he got into heaven after his previous life. ¡°What do I say? What do I do?¡± Zellin asked his dad ironically after he caught up. ¡°What are you, a kid? Just talk to the guard.¡± Zol said frankly. He wasn¡¯t used to teaching his child to doing anything and had just assumed he knew what to do. I guess he¡¯s still new to this world¡­ Zol thought to himself as he began to empathize with Zellin. Zol rubbed Zellin¡¯s head and leaned in. ¡°Hey,¡± he began. ¡°Don¡¯t think Nervously, Zellin approached one of the guards at the gate and simply stood there for a while. The guard looked down at him and his beasts and raised an eyebrow. Zellin didn¡¯t know what to say at first, but eventually he spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m here to attend the school.¡± He said nervously. ¡°Are you a new student?¡± The guard asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Zellin replied. ¡°Follow me,¡± the guard instructed, leading him through the gate and into the school courtyard. The guard lead him into a building and to a door inside before saying, ¡°Go in and wait.¡± Zellin went in and saw that it seemed to be a lecture hall. It could probably fit about a hundred students but at the moment there was only about 40-50 people inside; most of the kids looked to be his age. Zellin sat on an empty seat in front, in the corner, and allowed Leggy and Bear to lay down in front of him. Off to the side was a little boy who couldn¡¯t help but be curious about Zellin¡¯s pets and went to sit next beside Zellin. Bear eyed him wearily as he approached. ¡°Hey, are you a Summoner?¡± The boy asked. Zellin looked at the boy. Seems friendly enough, Zellin thought. Since he has never really interacted with the people of this world other than his parents, he was curious whether they were any different from Earthlings. ¡°No, not yet. I¡¯m only Level 2, but I have the Contract skill.¡± ¡°Wow! You¡¯re already Level 2 with 2 pets! You must be pretty hard working. My parents are farmers, so after learning the Preserve skill they allowed me to butcher some our livestock. But still, I¡¯ve only recently turned Level 2.¡± The boy said. The Preserve skill was a skill to keep animals from dissipating after they died so you can harvest their fur and meat, turning them into items that can be stored. ¡°I¡¯m Zellin.¡± Zellin said, lifting his hand towards the boy. ¡°I¡¯m Reyal,¡± the boy replied, shaking Zellin¡¯s hand. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll be classmates from now on.¡± ¡°What class do you want to be when you turn Level 5?¡± Zellin asked, curious. ¡°Me? I want to be a powerful mage! Then people will respect me.¡± Reyal replied. Zellin nodded his head in approval. ¡°Good choice!¡± He replied. ¡°I, too, want to be a powerful mage.¡± Reyal laughed. ¡°Good, good. In the future we should adventure together and conquer the land with our powerful magic! Hahaha!¡± Zellin laughed too and agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll be the Emperor Mage Brothers and we¡¯ll rule all that we set our eyes on!¡± Zellin replied with a laugh. ¡°Who¡¯s going to rule?¡± Came a voice from behind them. ¡°You twerps? Mages are the most cowardly of classes. Only a warrior can truly rule the land!¡± Zellin and Reyal turned their heads. ¡°Who are you?¡± They asked. ¡°I¡¯m Liu and in the future I¡¯m going to be a powerful warrior!¡± The scrawny kid replied. Zellin and Reyal looked to each other before bursting out laughing. ¡°Hahaha! A scrawny kid like you? Fat chance! Your Strength stat is probably zero!¡± Reyal mocked. Liu¡¯s face instantly turned red as he fumed with rage. Indeed, his Strength stat was quite low for someone aspiring to be a warrior, thus he was quite embarrassed. ¡°What do you know!? Your Intelligence stat must be -100! You wouldn¡¯t recognize a powerful warrior even after being beat half to death!¡± Liu retorted. Reyal¡¯s face instantly reddened. Indeed, his Intelligence stat was quite low for someone aspiring to be a mage, thus he was quite embarrassed. As Zellin, this clever kid, saw all this, he instantly burst out into laughter. ¡°You two are quite alike.¡± He said. ¡°Quiet, everyone, quiet.¡± Called out a middle-aged man as he walked into the classroom. ¡°Everyone, welcome to the Introductory Survival Class of the Immortal Huntsman Academy.¡± Chapter 2: So Deadly, Yet So Cute ¡°You can all call me Principal Lin. Here, you will all learn the basic skills you will need to survive in the world.¡± The man said as he waved his hands. Suddenly, a menu screen popped up in front of everyone¡¯s eyes. ¡°In front of you are the courses you will be attending and their times and locations. The name of the classes naturally correspond with the names of the skills or sets of skills you will be learning. As for the Battle Experience course; that is naturally for you to get experience points and level up. The beasts you will be fighting will naturally be set to your level.¡± Said the man, giving some basic information on the class. Why is he saying ¡®naturally¡¯ so many times? If it¡¯s natural would you need to explain it? Thought Zellin before looking at the courses. The courses were Cooking, Archery, Close Combat, Basic Medicine, and Battle Experience. The courses were spread out over six days with different classes on different days, which Zellin assumed would rotate as they went along. There was only one class a day which suited Zellin¡¯s nature quite well. The last day was even a rest day. But of course Zellin wouldn¡¯t spend all this time doing nothing. It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t like to be restricted, and liked to do things when he felt like it. No one likes to feel as if they weren¡¯t in control of their lives. ¡°You¡¯ve naturally been given time to get to know each other so that you can make friends. As for its purpose; it¡¯s naturally so that you can choose your dorm mates. In this world, it¡¯s best to find teammates who you can get along with and whose skills compliment your own. In this way, it will be easier for you to survive.¡± Principal Lin ¡®naturally¡¯ explained. ¡°You may choose up to 3 dorm mates, all together making 4 of you. If you¡¯re a girl, be wary to choose any of your boy classmates. Boys are the natural predator of women. Remember girls, all boys are naturally pigs. You¡¯re better off choosing 3 girls to be your dorm mates.¡± Principal Lin said with a straight face as if what he said was all fact. ¡°If you wish to be alone, you can naturally request to do so. If you wish to live as a group of 3 or 2, that¡¯s also naturally allowed.¡± Zellin looked to Reyal and nodded, then watched as Reyal nodded back. Like this, they already tacitly understood that they would be roommates. Liu nervously watched this from above before speaking out, ¡°Hey, guys, don¡¯t leave me out. I know we started off badly but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll soon be brothers. Let me in the dorm too.¡± Liu didn¡¯t know anyone when he came so he sat alone, and he didn¡¯t know that the long time they waited was for choosing roommates. As he heard Principal Lin talk about survival he suddenly got nervous, regretting that he insulted the only people he talked to. ¡°Sure, you can be our roommate, but you¡¯ll have to call me Boss from now on.¡± Reyal replied with a mischievous grin. Liu¡¯s face suddenly looked conflicted. One part of him wanted to beat this guy up for even suggesting it, the other part really wanted to be part of the dorm. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. Of course we can be dorm brothers. In the future our team name the Three Mage Rulers will resound throughout the world.¡± Zellin responded. Liu¡¯s face suddenly turned sour. ¡°Who wants to be a mage!? I¡¯d rather be a chicken.¡± Liu replied, his natural disposition coming out. At this point, a shy looking girl walked towards them. ¡°Hey, do you guys want to be roommates?¡± Reyal, this way too precocious kid, suddenly beamed, a perverted grin on his face. This will be the first step for my future harem, he thought as he nodded his head. ¡°Of course, of course. How could we turn away a helpless girl like you. You don¡¯t know this but I¡¯m actually a prince from a far away land. As such, it¡¯s my duty to save a beautiful princesses like you.¡± Zellin gave Reyal a strange look. Isn¡¯t this kid already way too perverted for his age? He thought, while also wondering if it was a good idea to associate himself with this kid. The little girl suddenly let out a happy, innocent smile. ¡°Really? Thanks! But you guys have to remember that I¡¯m already Level 3, and I¡¯m training to be an assassin. So if you look at me funny again I¡¯ll cut you in your sleep.¡± She said with a smile. Reyal suddenly started sweating and his back became drenched; a fear of women growing in his heart. Isn¡¯t this girl¡¯s innocent smile totally different from her nature? I¡¯ll definitely never look at this girl like that again! Reyal thought in fear. As Liu saw this he suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°I like this girl. She¡¯s really funny. Hey, what¡¯s your name?¡± He asked. ¡°Coral.¡± The girl replied with that literally deadly smile. Liu and Zellin also introduced to themselves, after which they looked at Reyal who was still sweating. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m, ugh¡­ Reyal.¡± He forced out. ¡°Nice to meet you all.¡± She replied with a slight bow. ¡°Okay, okay, children. Form a line to get your room keys. Classes will start tomorrow morning.¡± Principal Lin called out. ¡°If you get lost finding your dorm ask someone. I¡¯m naturally not your mother.¡± The group of children then formed a line and went to get their keys. As Zellin¡¯s group approached, Principal Lin raised his eyebrow in suspicion. ¡°Little girl, did these boys offer you candy to be in their group? Do you know how gross boys are? It¡¯s naturally best to stay as far away from them as possible.¡± Principal Lin warned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Principal Lin. They already understand never to look at me funny, under threat of death.¡± The girl replied with her natural innocent smile. Principal Lin nodded in approval. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl. Since you boys have a girl in your group, you¡¯ll naturally be given a larger living space. Each of you will have your own room and a shared living room and kitchen; with two bathrooms. Here¡¯s are your keys.¡± Said Principal Lin, four keys magically appearing in his hand. Wow, Zellin thought as he received his key. Who knew girls could bring such luck? It took a while to find their room as they had to ask for directions several times. The academy was actually a pretty big place. Their room was actually pretty nice; nicely decorated and spacious. Zellin sat on the couch and let out an approving, ¡°Hmm¡­,¡± pleased with the comfort of the couch. The others also sat down, each one on the other couches that formed a square around a wide, short, and circular glass table. ¡°So what are your guys¡¯ levels and skills?¡± Coral asked curiously. ¡°I, myself, am Level 3. My skills would be Silent Steps, Dagger Proficiency, and Dual Wield Proficiency. I¡¯ve been leveling since I was 4 years old. I¡¯m currently six.¡± Coral said in that dainty voice.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I¡¯m Level 2.¡± Zellin began. ¡°My skills are Contract, Sprint, and I also have Dagger Proficiency. I got the Sprint skill from constantly running away from chasing monsters.¡± Zellin continued, quite proud of himself. ¡°I¡¯m also six this year. Also I have two pets. Leggy the Poisonous Spider Hatchling and Bear the Wolf Cub.¡± ¡°Why¡¯d you name your wolf cub Bear?¡± Coral asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Of course, because he¡¯s as ferocious as a Bear!¡± Zellin called out matter-of-factly causing Coral to roll her eyes. Aren¡¯t wolves also ferocious? Why not simply call him Wolf? Coral thought. Next was Reyal. ¡°I¡¯m Level 2. My skills are Preserve, and Cooking. And I¡¯m currently 7 years old.¡± Reyal introduced, slightly shy about his achievements. Everyone then looked to Liu whose face started to turn red before turning his head to the side and snorting. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re guys¡¯ achievements aren¡¯t much. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m Level 0 with no skills whatsoever. It isn¡¯t like my only achievements were an increase in my Endurance stat from forcing myself to play with my toy sword even when I was tired. Hmph! Hmph! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not as impressive as you guys!¡± Liu called out, very shamefully. The others simply responded with silence. Zellin even shook his head, thinking, such a sad story¡­ After the awkward silence, Coral suddenly had an idea. ¡°Hey, Zellin. Since you¡¯re the only one with fighting capabilities, do you want to have a spar?¡± She asked with a smile. When Zellin saw that smile he instantly became fearful. ¡°Spar with you? No way! A spar to you is probably a death match to others! You¡¯ll probably end up killing all my pets before I can get you to stop! Don¡¯t put on that sad face; I know there¡¯s hidden killing intent behind those sad eyes.¡± Zellin immediately vehemently rejected, fearful for the lives of his pets and himself. ¡°Hmph!¡± Coral exclaimed with cute pouting face. ¡°Party pooper!¡± She called out in a spoiled little girl voice. Wow, Zellin thought. This kid¡¯s cute with everything she does. But she¡¯s definitely evil. She probably plays tag by stabbing other kids in the back, calling out, ¡®You¡¯re it!¡¯ ¡°Then should we go to the forest and hunt some beasts?¡± Coral suggested, eagerness in her eyes. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Zellin responded, in thought. ¡°Sure! We can even get some experience for this useless guys. Even if Liu doesn¡¯t kill anything, we can still form a party and he¡¯ll also get some experience.¡± Coral suddenly frowned at the thought. ¡°Do we have to? How about we just let whoever killed it get the experience?¡± Coral suggested. ¡±Be a good girl and don¡¯t be greedy! Come on let¡¯s go; if you behave I¡¯ll give you candy later.¡± Zellin said firmly causing Coral to frown. What are you my dad? Coral thought as she got off the couch and followed. Zellin actually has the experience of the sum of 21 years, so of course he¡¯ll treat this frightening little girl like any adult treating a spoiled child. He reproved her and gave her a goal with possible rewards; the building blocks of any well-disciplined child. Unfortunately this would be received by Coral in a totally different manner than if it was said by an elder, as Zellin was Coral¡¯s age. It took about an hour for the group to reach the forest outskirts where they began to hunt. ¡°So how should we do this?¡± Reyal asked. Zellin had thought about this on the way here, so a plan had already begun to form. He talked it over with the others, who nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay! Sounds good.¡± Coral responded. ¡°Right, take positions. I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± Said Zellin before quietly moving into the forest. Zellin quickly found some fresh tracks which led him to the distant Level 3 Tusked Boar. Zellin circled around it from a distance before slowly sneaking up to it, trying to make the least noise possible. When he neared the edge of the clearing he bolted, activating Sprint which increased his max speed by 30%, and struck out at the boar. The fat boar was then stabbed in the butt causing it to squeal loudly. It turned around, intent on killing Zellin. But Zellin immediately used his Sprint skill to run as fast as he could, back into the forest. Zellin ran for several minutes, sometimes slowing down so that the boar wouldn¡¯t lose hope. Gaining ground caused it to excitedly run even faster, not aware that it was being lured. Suddenly, a sticky glob of white shot out to intercept the boar, spreading out into a wide web and trapping the boar inside. The boar struggled for a while before breaking out of the webs, but at this point Bear was already upon it, attempting to bite at its neck. Coral also appeared at this time sending a fierce flurry of stabs at the Tusked Boar¡¯s back with her dual daggers, instantly becoming drenched in the Boar¡¯s blood. It wasn¡¯t long before the Boar¡¯s squeals grew quiet and it died before them. ¡°Reyal, quickly!¡± Zellin called out. Reyal immediately appeared and used his Preserve skill before continuing to butcher the boar and gather its remains to sell later. It was much more profitable that way. Liu also walked out at this point, nodding his approval. ¡°Good job, guys. You did really good work. Good thing it wasn¡¯t too tough for you guys, or else I¡¯d have to come out and embarrass you guys. You wouldn¡¯t want to look weak in front of a girl, right?¡± Liu asked rhetorically. Reyal snorted. ¡°Scrawny, compared to Coral, this blood-drenched girl, you¡¯re lower on the food chain than this boar.¡± Reyal scolded, as he looked at Coral¡¯s grim appearance and shivered slightly. ¡°Yeah, Coral. Since when did you get so fierce. I¡¯m pretty sure I saw you smiling as you were slicing apart the boar. I dread to think of how your childhood was like.¡± Zellin said, shaking his head. ¡°Of course not! Killing is very serious business; of course I wouldn¡¯t smile!¡± She said as she puffed out her slightly red cheeks. Zellin continued to shake his head. So deadly, yet so cute¡­ Zellin thought to himself. They continued to hunt for quite a while before stopping to eat lunch, allowing Reyal to cook the Tusked Boar meat for them. They had killed quite a few recently. Zellin looked off to the side as he bit into the boar meat and saw Liu pouting. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked as he chewed. ¡°Ah,¡± Liu began, not quite sure how to say it. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m kind of bored letting you guys do all the work. Of course, I don¡¯t want to embarrass you guys with my might though.¡± Zellin simply smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t be too embarrassed; just don¡¯t do anything too skillful. How ¡®bout you take the lead for a while with Leggy to assist?¡± Zellin asked. Reyal shook his head at the side. He didn¡¯t support feeding Liu¡¯s ego. ¡°Really?¡± Liu blurted out excitedly before coughing slightly. ¡°I mean, really? Hunting monsters of this level is kind of tedious.¡± He continued in a calmer and slightly disdaining attitude. ¡°Come on.¡± Zellin urged. ¡°Actually we¡¯re all kind of tired, so if you could help out, that¡¯d be a big help.¡± Liu simply sighed. ¡°Alright, if you say so.¡± ¡°Do you want to borrow my dagger?¡± Zellin asked. But Liu shook his head as he tapped the air twice, opening his Inventory screen and took out a longsword from thin air. The Inventory menu actually works as if you were carrying items without actually carrying them. With more things in your inventory, the heavier your steps will be, but it¡¯s still convenient as you don¡¯t actually have to carry anything. It¡¯s most useful if you had to transport something like a table; you can carry it but it¡¯s actually kind of awkward to walk around with it. With an Inventory, all you¡¯d have to suffer was a slightly heavier weight. Zellin was pretty amazed when he realized this simple function of this world. To most others, the longsword was a longsword, but to Liu it was a large two-handed sword. Liu struggled to lift it with an excited look on his face. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go now!¡± He called out. Zellin let out a grin at Liu¡¯s excitement as he stood up and wiped his hands on his pants. He gave a signal to Leggy before heading out with Liu, leaving the others behind to finish eating. Eventually they found a Level 1 Fox and Zellin had Leggy confront it with a sticky white web. Leggy then moved forward as the fox struggled to break free of the web. Before breaking through, Leggy had already bit his fangs into its neck, releasing a paralytic poison. This poison wasn¡¯t very strong, but it was enough to slow it down, causing the fox to feel as if its limbs were 5 times as heavy. ¡°AHHH!!!¡± Liu let out a battle cry as he charged from behind a tree. Chapter 3: At Least Five Years Liu quickly approached the fox who still had Leggy latched on to its neck, and was trying to get it off. ¡°Number 1 Warrior Strike!¡± Liu called out as he struck out with the trembling sword which cut about an inch into the fox. Liu struck out again and again, instead, deciding to use stabbing motions. The fox¡¯s wounds helped to release the poison, but unfortunately the fox bled to death, turning into white light and disappeared into the air, leaving behind a few coppers and a fox pelt. ¡°Hah hah,¡± Liu panted before laughing manically. ¡°HAHAHA! I¡¯m undefeatable!¡± Liu shouted. ¡°Okay, calm down there Scrawny. You¡¯ll attract all the other monsters around.¡± Zellin said as he approached. ¡°I¡¯ll be contributing this fox pelt to the group funds.¡± He said, picking up the pelt. ¡°Are we going to find more?¡± Liu asked eagerly, ignoring Zellin taking away his hard earned fox pelt. Of course, without Leggy, Liu would most likely be fox food by now. ¡°Easy there, tiger. Rest up first, then we¡¯ll go.¡± Zellin replied. Zellin allowed Liu to rest as he instructed Leggy through their mental link to find Level 1 monsters for Liu and help him to kill them. As Liu disbanded from the party he would be the one to take the majority of the XP as he was the one actually damaging the monster. Zellin then went back to find the others and continue to hunt. They went back to town around dinner time, as stronger monsters tend to come out and wander in the night. They sold most of what they obtained to meat stores and leather workers. Some of the items such as the poison glands from a Level 3 Yellow-Striped Cobra were given to more specialized merchants. You¡¯d assume the fight involved in retrieving it was quite a fierce battle, but Clover, that clever girl, used boar meat to lure the cobra into a trap, whereupon she mercilessly slaughtered it. The group got a lethal poison in exchange for the poison gland, which Clover selfishly kept to herself, looking at it as if it was the sweetest candy in the world. This time was quite profitable for them as they divided several silver amongst themselves. Liu even managed to get the Two-Handed Sword Proficiency skill as well a strength boost. Though he didn¡¯t level up, Liu was quite pleased. ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± Liu asked Reyal as the group sat at the table, eating. ¡°A girl has to fight for you and all you do is clean up the remains. Don¡¯t you have any pride?¡± Liu said arrogantly, as he has finally obtained some battle experience. He even had a few scars, of which he was quite proud. ¡°Shut up, Scrawny! Which one of us isn¡¯t even Level 1?¡± Reyal retorted. ¡°Just watch till I save enough to buy a powerful mage spell, then I¡¯ll blast your ugly face away!¡± ¡°My face is actually a divine gift. If any magic is aimed towards it, the gods would guide it away from fear of harming my beautiful face.¡± Liu replied with a straight face. The night went on in that manner, without anyone realizing a long life-lasting bond begin to form between them. The next morning the group ate breakfast and lounged around before going to class. Like this their school life began. Because, after learning a skill, your mind was allowed access to different knowledge automatically, this introductory class didn¡¯t last long; just a year. Zellin was moderately skilled in the cooking course and managed to get the Cooking skill, allowing his mind access to some basic recipes. As for the archery course, Zellin devoted a lot of energy into learning this skill, as he knew it would be the most useful in his career as a Summoner. For the Close Combat course, Zellin took up the study of the spear, just in case it was needed. He also managed to get the Medicine skill after countless long hours of study. This allowed recipes for basic medicine and a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology to enter his mind, which Zellin was happy for. Luckily no one made him do a presentation about it, lest he lose all motivation. Through the Battle Experience course and his group¡¯s occasional excursions to the forest Zellin managed to get to Level 3 during this time. Reyal eventually managed to buy a skill book for the spell Fireburst, which was a fireball that exploded as it hit; it was able to send enemies flying. As you can¡¯t be taught magic, skill books are the only way to learn them. Reyal also managed to get the Archery skill, though he wasn¡¯t as proficient as he¡¯d like. As for the Close Combat course, he took a great liking to the longsword and was able to easily master the five basic stances he was taught, upgrading his skill proficiency to Level 2. Reyal¡¯s level rose up to Level 3. Liu didn¡¯t like to cook as he was extremely bad at it, taking 3 times as long as the others to learn the skill. He was also a complete idiot when it came to archery, taking even longer to learn the skill than the Cooking skill. For the Close Combat course, he spent a lot of effort to increase his mastery in using two-handed swords, even sacrificing much of his spare time to practice. Through his hard work his Strength stat grew quickly, allowing him to easily wield a two-handed sword, and his proficiency also rose to Level 3. He even bought the skill Guard Break, which has a prerequisite for one to have first reached Level 3 with the Two-Handed Proficiency skill. The skill allows the weight of Liu¡¯s sword to increase by 8 times as he strikes down. If this skill is used against a Level 3 Tusked Boar who couldn¡¯t guard, the sword would be at least enough to cut 3/4ths into its thick neck. Liu was also Level 3, becoming much more powerful than when he first entered the school at the expense of endless hours of hunting. Coral, this little monster, was already Level 4 with over 100 000 experience points. She had a Level 4 proficiency level with daggers and a Level 3 proficiency with dual wielding. Even her Silent Steps skill was Level 4, causing Reyal much fear as he went to sleep.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. She was very devoted to the cooking course as she really liked to eat and she was able to quickly learn the Archery skill, but she was never in the mood to practice it afterwards. As for the medicine skill, like Liu, she completely neglected to learn it as studying it required long hours of boring memorization. She completely expected that she would never need to use this skill as Zellin would be around. During this time Coral¡¯s view of Zellin turned into that of her older big brother as Zellin would always treat her as if he was older. At first she was pretty annoyed with this behaviour but over time she grew to like the idea of having a big brother. Thus, she totally ignored the Medicine skill, relying completely on Zellin. One year later¡­ Coral walked out of the principal¡¯s office with a piece of paper in her hands, approaching her roommates who were waiting for her. ¡°What does your recommendation say?¡± Zellin asked, curious. ¡°Of course it says I¡¯m suited to be an assassin.¡± Coral said with pride. ¡°Hah, more like only suited to become an assassin. You won¡¯t bother to learn anything else.¡± Zellin said, shaking his head. ¡°Hmph!¡± Coral responded in anger, her face flushing in embarrassment. That was exactly what her recommendation said. ¡°Of course it says I¡¯m also suitable to become a master chef! All my food is super tasty it said.¡± She shamelessly lied with pride on her face. ¡°Okay, okay. I don¡¯t doubt you.¡± Zellin said comforting this spoiled little girl as he patted her head. ¡°Will you guys go home first?¡± He asked. This bunch of kids already rented a house to live in for a while as the sum of their savings weren¡¯t little for kids their age. They could continue to learn some other basic skills at the academy, but they were excited to level up to Level 5 and get their class. ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t seen my parents for a while. It¡¯ll be good to see them again.¡± Reyal responded. ¡°I also have to report my progress to my father.¡± Coral said. ¡°It¡¯s not like I miss my mom or anything. But I guess I¡¯ll see how she¡¯s doing.¡± Liu replied. ¡°Right. Then I¡¯ll meet you guys back at the house. Take your time.¡± Zellin said as the others nodded. The kids said goodbye and went to see their parents. ¡°Herro! I¡¯m home!¡± Zellin called out as he entered his house. He walked to the living room to see his mom sitting on the couch sewing some clothes together. ¡°Oh, hello, Zellin. Is school finished?¡± She asked. Zellin nodded and she continued, ¡°Let me see your recommendation letter.¡± She said, setting down her work. Zellin took the letter from his jacket pocket and handed it to his mom. As she looked it over, she began to nod her head in approval. ¡°Very good,¡± she said. ¡°Quite impressive. It seems like you have many classes to choose from in the future. Or do you still want to be a Summoner?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes, that would be best. I can¡¯t be bothered to fight on my own; it¡¯s too troublesome.¡± Zellin replied. Though he said this, when fighting for your life, of course he¡¯d fight as hard as he could. Recca smiled at her lazy son and rubbed his mischievous head. ¡°Are you a genius or are you just lazy?¡± At this time Zol walked in from the kitchen towards the sound of conversation. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this? School¡¯s over already? Come here little genius, and show me your recommendation letter.¡± As Zellin¡¯s father read the letter he also began to nod his head. ¡°Hmm¡­ Good, good. It seems you have some talent in archery. Right, it¡¯s probably best to give up that lousy Summoner class and become a hunter like me. What do you say, little one?¡± He said as he patted Zellin¡¯s shoulder and looked seriously into his eyes. ¡°Dad, stop looking at me like that; it¡¯s creepy.¡± Zellin responded, giving his dad a funny look. ¡°Of course I¡¯m not going to change my mind. Once you begin to walk the path of the Summoner, you can¡¯t ever get off.¡± Zellin said in an awe-inspiring manner. ¡°Otherwise you won¡¯t be able to enjoy a leisurely life without fighting.¡± He finished, nodding his head in approval of this ultimate truth. ¡°Tch!¡± Zol exclaimed. ¡°Are you a genius or are you just a lazy son?¡± He asked. Zellin widened his eyes in surprise. Why is everyone saying that today? He wondered. ¡°Anyways, since your path is already set. I have a surprise for you.¡± Zol continued as he opened his inventory, a gift-wrapped box appearing in his hands. ¡°Open it.¡± Zol said as he handed the box to Zellin. ¡°It¡¯s for finishing school.¡± Zellin felt a warm feeling in his heart as he took the box, and tears started trickling out of his eyes. Is this what it feels like to finish school and obtain the approval of your parents? He wondered, regretting the way he died in his past life. I should have worked harder¡­ ¡°Thank you.¡± He said simply. Zellin lifted the lid and saw a blue-spotted egg sitting on top of a dark blue silk-like material. ¡°This egg is¡­?¡± Zellin wondered. ¡°I found this egg on a mountain path, just lying there. I don¡¯t know what type of creature is inside, but I hoped it would bring you luck.¡± Zol replied. ¡°As for what¡¯s underneath, that¡¯s a gift from your mother.¡± Zellin looked over at his mother to see her smiling warmly. ¡°Go on,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s for being such a little genius.¡± She said as she rubbed Zellin¡¯s head. Zellin took it out and saw that it was a silk mage robe. Zellin tapped it twice, bringing up the item information screen. It was a Level 8 Enchanted Spider Silk Robe which gave a 5-point boost to my Intelligence and Wisdom stat. Its 12 points Defence was pretty good too; almost the same as leather armor of the same level. As the laws of this world only allowed you to equip items that are five levels above you or lower, this was currently the highest level item he could wear. Zellin suddenly imagined himself graduating in his past life and tears streamed down Zellin¡¯s tears as he exclaimed through his sobbing, ¡°Thank you mom! Thank you dad! I promise I¡¯ll work hard from now on!¡± Recca immediately pulled Zellin to his embrace, soothing him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, son. We know you¡¯ll work hard. It¡¯s okay.¡± She comforted. Zol was about to embrace him also, but he saw this kid¡¯s face was full of snot so he stayed away and simply patted his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, son. Although the Summoner class is kind of wimpy, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to survive for at least 5 years in real world.¡± Zol said, his face showing his sincerity and caring. After Zellin calmed down his parents gathered around him to watch him contract the egg. Zellin¡¯s held the egg in one hand and his other hand hovered over it as he activated his Contract skill. A blue glow covered his hand and a strange mark appeared on the egg which hurriedly absorbed the light coming from Zellin¡¯s hand. After absorbing enough of his mana, cracks appeared on the surface of the blue-spotted egg. A tiny head popped out as the egg fell apart, a forked tongue flickering out of its mouth. It was a bright blue snake with the end of its tail being a fin-like, flat, round shape. Its whole body was only about one and a half feet long. Zellin tapped the air in front of the snake as it looked up curiously at Zellin. The information screen displayed that it was a Level 0 Everaspiring Eelsnake Hatchling. Zellin lightly patted its head and the light blue snake closed its eyes as electricity buzzed around its body, giving Zellin a tingling feeling at the tips of his fingers. It must be saying hello. Zellin thought. Zellin stayed with his parents for a couple days telling them about the friends he¡¯s made and his progress. He also allowed his new pet, Sparky, to electrocute some bunnies before swallowing them whole. After swallowing a whole bunny, it would like a football for half the day, without being able to move. Zellin would simply shake his head, thinking that this guy took gluttony to the next level. But it grew very quickly, and was soon Level 1; growing to three feet long. This made swallowing bunnies much easier. Before Zellin left, he told his parents where he would be staying and his future plans. Eventually he left before his mother¡¯s teary eyes. Recca was quite proud of this little genius of hers. Chapter 4: The Gods are Merciful Zellin walked into the house to see the lights were off. Guess no one¡¯s home, he thought. As he moved to turn on the lights¡­ ¡°BOO!!!¡± Someone shouted from behind Zellin. ¡°AHHH!¡± Zellin cried as he fell to the floor. ¡°Hey, big bro. Why so startled?¡± The person said as the lights turned on to reveal Coral¡¯s smiling figure. Zellin hurriedly stood up to straighten his new robe. ¡°Ahem¡­ I wasn¡¯t scared. I was obviously just playing along with your joke.¡± He quickly explained, making his voice a little deeper as he tried to sound manlier. Coral simply giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, big bro. I know you¡¯d never be scared by anything. Come, the others are in the backyard.¡± In the backyard Reyal was currently sending fireballs toward Liu who roared every time a fireball would explode on his bare chest. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Zellin asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°This idiot asked me to help him raise his Fire Resistance by sending fireballs at his chest. And of course I wouldn¡¯t give up the chance to bully Liu.¡± Reyal replied with grin. ¡°Really?¡± Zellin asked in surprise. ¡°Does it work?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Reyal replied, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°At least it hasn¡¯t worked yet.¡± He said as he sent another fireball at Liu who roared in pain as he was blown several meters back. ¡°Okay.¡± Zellin responded, totally ignoring this act against humanity. ¡°Do you guys want something to eat? I¡¯m going to make something.¡± Some time later after their meal¡­ ¡°Hey do you guys want to go hunt a Level 5 Goblin Boss?¡± Coral asked at the table. ¡°You know where to find one?¡± Reyal asked as he washed the dishes. As they were still kids, Reyal had to use a small stool to reach the sink. ¡°Yeah, my dad gave me a map of a goblin camp in the forest.¡± Coral replied. ¡°Let me see.¡± Zellin said, reaching out to grab the map. ¡°Hmm¡­ I think we should wait till we¡¯re all at least Level 4. Otherwise I might disappoint my dad and not survive for 5 years.¡± Zellin continued cautiously before suggesting something else. ¡°How about we go to the Quest Hall instead and get some low level quests?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Coral nodded with a smile. As long as she wasn¡¯t bored she¡¯d be happy. The Quest Hall was what it sounded like; a place to get quests. After fulfilling a quest, you can go there and receive a reward. They offered a badge to all the new quest seekers which they could level up after gaining enough QP or quest points. Leveling up your quest badge allowed you to earn some XP and also allowed you access to quests with better rewards. Leveling up with a quest badge was often quicker than simply killing monsters. The group all went to sign up for a quest badge except for Coral. Apparently she already had one. No wonder her level is higher than ours, Zellin thought to himself. The group accepted a herb gathering quest for a plant called Spice Flower. It was an ingredient used in many popular dishes such as the Flower Curry recipe. It was also useful for making smoke bombs as it emitted a thick, black smoke when burned, which would be extremely irritating to the eyes. They received a map of some general areas where they grew. At first the quest seemed quite simple as gathering the herbs was quite easy. They even leisurely hunted monsters as they looked for the herbs. But as they went deeper into the forest Zellin gradually grew worried. What¡¯s this familiarity I¡¯m feeling? He wondered. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s another one.¡± Zellin exclaimed as he rushed ahead to pick the yellow flower which emitted a spicy aroma. He pulled it out with a smile, but that smile quickly turned into a depressing frown. When he lifted his head he saw that ahead of him was a four-foot Level 4 goblin giving him a curious look. Zellin gradually got up, and patted his clothes into order. ¡°Good to make your acquaintance.¡± He said, nodding at the goblin as if it was a gentleman passing by. ¡°I¡¯ll be going now.¡± With that he turned around and prepared to run. The goblin grew annoyed at this and simply struck out with its wooden spear, stabbing Zellin in the back. Zellin was immediately pushed forward a couple meters ahead as he felt an intense pain in his back. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that his mom made him that robe, he¡¯d most likely be pierced through and bleed to death. Zellin winced in pain as he turned around and took out his own bronze spear. ¡°Everyone! Hurry! Goblins ahead! Prepare for battle!¡± Zellin cried out to his companions as he wasn¡¯t confident in fighting it on his own. Unfortunately this also drew the attention of some other nearby goblins. Zellin didn¡¯t know, but he unknowingly walked towards the goblin camp he cautiously avoided before, in his search for Spice Flowers. ¡°Urkgh!¡± The goblin exclaimed as Coral suddenly slit its throat from behind. On Earth, this would surely have ended its life, but as the rules on this world were different this only counted as a critical hit which inflicted the Bleed effect. You could have multiple holes in several important organs, but if your HP was high enough there was still a chance at life.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Before the goblin could react Coral sent a flurry of stabs toward its back, which quickly depleted the goblin¡¯s health as a result of the *2 multiplier. Zellin rushed forward and swiftly made a stabbing motion, piercing the goblin¡¯s head with his spear; ending the goblin¡¯s life. At this point, Reyal, Liu, Leggy, and Bear, who were all looking for Spice Flowers, approached as Zellin pulled out his spear. ¡°Why¡¯d you call all of us over? It¡¯s just one goblin.¡± Liu asked, unimpressed. ¡°Idiot. It¡¯s never just one goblin. Quick, into the trees.¡± Zellin ordered, hurriedly climbing up a tree to hide under its foliage. They heard a horn sound out in the distance as Coral quickly followed suit, followed by Reyal, Leggy, and Bear who leapt back and forth on different trees to climb higher. Liu was a little slow, but hurriedly followed. ¡°Human!¡± Came a scratchy voice off to the side. A pair of goblins were quickly approaching. ¡°Crap!¡± Liu exclaimed halfway up a tree. He was going to climb higher but a thick branch was suddenly thrown at him, causing him to fall to the ground. Liu angrily looked up at his despicable friends to see Zellin mouth the words, ¡°RUN!¡± He also made a circular motion with his fingers, which Liu furrowed his brows at. What¡¯s he trying to say? Liu wondered. Seeing that his friends wouldn¡¯t let him climb the tree in fear of attracting the other goblins, he quickly sped off into the forest. The two goblins hurriedly gave chase, after which much more goblins came, following the angry yells of the goblins ahead. Zellin and the others waited a while to see if more goblins would come before hopping down from the trees. ¡°Quick, follow me.¡± Zellin instructed before running into the forest. Zellin lead them to a clearing off to the north-east of where they immediately went about setting a trap, with the help of the very convenient Leggy. Earlier, Zellin had told Liu to run in a circle, but he didn¡¯t know if Liu¡¯s little mind could comprehend it. At this point I can only hope, Zellin thought with a sigh. They waited for a while, before a grin immediately appeared on Zellin¡¯s face as he saw Liu running in the distance, being chased by a mob of 10-15 goblins. That little bastard¡­ Thank god. Zellin exclaimed in his heart. Liu continued running for his life but stopped for some reason. The goblin¡¯s behind him immediately let out excited shrieks as the quickly approached, preparing to end this little human¡¯s life. But as they approached, a black smoke quickly flooded the area, causing them to cough and their eyes to burn. Liu who had been trapped in a thinner version of Leggy¡¯s webs was suddenly pulled up into the trees. The black smoke only lasted for a small while before it dissipated, allowing the choking goblins to breath in some fresh air. When they looked up they saw Liu a distance away waving at them. ¡°Stinky goblins, you¡¯ll never catch me! Hahaha!¡± Liu taunted, pulling down his pants and presenting a beautiful white moon to the goblins. Liu then laughed at the angry shrieks of the goblins as he hurriedly ran away again. The goblins chased after him in a fury but immediately afterwards a large net-like web was pulled up from under their feet and trapped them all within and leaving them hanging a meter above the ground. Leggy spent quite some time on this web, making it much stronger than usual. Leggy also made sure to leave out the stickiness, allowing the goblins to freely walk on top of it. Zellin immediately fell down from a tree and began stabbing at the goblins with his spear. Reyal also joined the stab fest with his longsword. Bear and Coral would team up against the goblins that were able to struggle free and Liu came back and ignored his exhaustion as he slashed furiously at the trapped goblins. Leggy crowd controlled some of the goblins who made it out of the web with more webs. Sparky even joined in the fun and electrocuted a goblin before trying to swallow it whole. Sparky¡¯s three-foot long body stretched quite far before swallowing a pitiful goblin whole. The goblin struggled to get out but Sparky sent a continuous stream of electricity to numb its body as it was slowly digested. 10 minutes later the slaughter was over and the goblins bodies have all dissipated into the air, leaving behind some money and a few items. Strangely enough, they left behind a lot of Spice Flowers, which the group was happy for as Reyal burnt all the Spice Flowers they gathered to create that black smoke. A horn was also left behind, which Zellin assumed was what the goblins used to signal each other. Liu let out raucous laughter. ¡°HAHAHA! Stupid goblins! That what¡¯s you get for chasing me for so long!¡± Liu exclaimed, letting out some pent up anger. He really thought he could die as he couldn¡¯t outrun the goblins. But after figuring out what Zellin was trying to say, he let himself hope and ran all the harder. ¡°Easy, Liu. You could have really died this time. Good thing god showed you the way and lead you back to us.¡± Zellin responded, ignoring Liu¡¯s intelligence. ¡°What are you talking about? I figured it out by myself!¡± Liu cried out, annoyed. ¡°The gods are merciful indeed.¡± Reyal said, nodding his head in agreement. ¡°You guys are jerks.¡± Liu responded helplessly, regretting his decision to befriend these people. Coral suddenly let out a mischievous grin. ¡°Do you guys want to find the boss? It won¡¯t have as many goblin minions as before, and since it isn¡¯t here it¡¯s probably sleeping or something.¡± Coral urged. ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s go. Maybe it¡¯ll drop something cool.¡± Liu said in approval. Zellin simply shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Sure, why not?¡± The group first waited a half an hour for Sparky to digest the goblin; also to recover their energy. Sparky managed to level to Level 2 after quickly digesting the goblin, his body growing to four and a half feet long. Zellin was amazed at this guy¡¯s progress. He wasn¡¯t even a week old. Then the group made their way back to where they saw the first goblin and sent Coral out to scout the area. Soon after, she came back to report. ¡°They¡¯re in a clearing, about 2 kilometers to the south-west. I saw 5 minions out and about, and also one shaman. There could be more in the tents, and I didn¡¯t see the boss so it could be sleeping.¡± Coral reported. ¡°It¡¯s basically a camping site. They have no defenses we should worry about.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Zellin responded. ¡°Come, heroes. Glory awaits us.¡± With that they went off to hunt more goblins. It was a peaceful afternoon in the goblin camp. The sun shone through trees and goblin minions were lazily lounging about. If there were children goblins, they¡¯d surely be frolicking through the forest. The goblin shaman, the spiritual leader of the goblins, was giving offerings to the spirits and mumbling prayers to the dead. He suddenly stopped when he heard a horn sounding out in the distance. The goblin shaman hurriedly gave out some orders to the nearby goblin minions and they woke their sleeping brethren to go see what the trouble was. As the ten or so goblins left, the goblin shaman simply went back to mumbling prayers. As the goblin chief was currently ¡®busy¡¯ with other matters, the shaman was in charge of the overseeing the others. The shaman didn¡¯t take the horn sound too seriously. Those idiots are probably just having trouble taking down a boar. Those lazy goblins minions will blow that horn for anything. The goblin shaman thought to himself in goblin speak. Also, he sent all their available minions just in case it was serious, so the goblin shaman wasn¡¯t too worried. Meanwhile, as the shaman prayed to the dead, the other goblins had split up in the forest to search for the goblins who sounded the horn, not knowing that they have become prey to Zellin and his friends. Chapter 5: The Monster Mash One after another, goblins were picked off once they drifted far enough from the others. If they had stayed as a group, Leggy was also prepared to crowd control them if needed, like in their previous slaughter fest. Bear and Coral, Liu and Sparky, and Zellin, Reyal and Leggy formed teams to pick off stragglers. Coral¡¯s approach was to first slit the goblin¡¯s throat to prevent it from screaming, then afterwards, Bear and Coral would team up to slaughter it, before hiding its corpse. Team 2¡¯s approach was to slither up through the bushes and have Sparky paralyze the target with continuous electric shocks before Liu hacked it to death. Zellin¡¯s team was a little sketchy as they had no quick way to silence their targets, and they didn¡¯t have Coral¡¯s Silent Steps skill to sneak up to their opponents. First, Leggy would spit a butt web and Zellin would use Sprint to quickly stab the targets neck. It was fine for their first kill, but during their second attempt the goblin managed to cry out before it was stabbed in the throat, alerting the five or so remaining goblins. Zellin¡¯s team immediately climbed some trees to hide. After a while, seeing that only five or so goblins had approached, Zellin let out a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t mind this outcome too much as having already killed five or so was a better outcome than expected. They were kids after all. It wasn¡¯t too hard to kill the rest as the Coral and the others had also regrouped to this area. When Zellin saw Liu and Coral nearing, he blew the goblin horn again, giving his party a five point boost in Strength for 30 seconds, and also signalling the beginning of their all-out assault. Coral and Bear still teamed up, with Zellin provided support with his poison-tipped arrows; courtesy of Leggy. Liu and Sparky also teamed up, while Reyal try his best to support using Fireburst on any goblins who tried to help their comrades, sending them flying. Leggy also did the same, except with webs. It wasn¡¯t long before the goblins were no more, but before they could breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate their victory, they saw the Level 5 Goblin Shaman approach, fury on his face. The goblin shaman sensed something was wrong when he heard the horn sound again, but he didn¡¯t expect that the goblin minions would all be slaughtered. The goblin shaman acted quickly and unnoticed by anyone but him, were the bodies of the dead goblins which didn¡¯t dissipate into the air. Liu immediately snorted. ¡°Isn¡¯t this guy a little too stupid. He actually approached us by himself.¡± He said in disdain. But before his arrogance could go any further, the goblin shaman lifted his hands and his staff head glowed with a red light. 6 wisps of glowing white light suddenly appeared and entered the bodies of the dead goblins. Zellin furrowed his brows before his eyes widened in fear. Shit, it¡¯s the Spirit Puppet skill! Zellin thought as he hurriedly shot a poison arrow which pierced the shaman¡¯s shoulder, slowing its actions. ¡°Quick! Coral kill the shaman! Reyal, Liu, hold off the puppet goblins!¡± Zellin yelled, simultaneously ordering his pets through their mental link. Coral hurriedly ran towards the shaman as Zellin moved forward step by step, shooting arrow after arrow at the unmoving shaman. It was determined to finish his spell and was willing sacrifice HP to do so. Sparky quickly approached to deliver an electric shock to the goblin shaman, but before paralyzing it, 3 goblin minions had already risen from the ground and were beginning to approach the group. Coral arrived soon after, sending a flurry of stabs at the paralyzed shaman, quickly ending its life. The remaining three corpses that didn¡¯t get up again, then shattered into white light which dissipated into the air. But Zellin still felt some dread. The spirits possessing the goblins required weapons that had special qualities to harm them, such as weapons made of silver. ¡°No choice!¡± Zellin yelled. ¡°Go all out to dismember them!¡± Though he said that with a live or die resolution, he simply stood back as the others went forward to fight. Zellin simply shrugged his shoulders thinking, Unfortunately all I have is a spear and bow. Unless I stabbed multiple times in a perfect row along the arm, there¡¯s no chance of dismemberment. Zellin rationalized shamelessly. The puppet goblins were extremely fierce as they fought; their strength being much higher than the original goblins. They also fought with no fear of the damage to their body, resulting in an advantage in situations where both sides would usually lose out. Unfortunately, if this group avoided this kind of fighting, with their current skill levels, the fight would get drawn out to the point where they would all die of exhaustion. Even more unfortunate was the fact they had already been fighting for quite a while, and were now struggling to push their limits. Another point was that dismembering someone wasn¡¯t as easy in this world as it would be on Earth; bodies are much tougher here. Zellin assumed it was because who ever created the laws of this world, wanted to, as much as possible, adhere to the RPGs of Earth. In most games, dismembering your enemies was essentially impossible. When Zellin thought of this god-like creator, and how it had to be a being who was familiar with Earth that created this place, his mind was simply blown. Even the fact that there was a god-like creator out there blew Zellin¡¯s mind as he thought about the limits of this world; all the possibilities. ¡°Zellin, you jerk! Come and help!¡± Liu called out in anger. Zellin sighed as he raised his spear. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll try¡­¡± He mumbled. Zellin wasn¡¯t like the others, who were getting beat up in the process of fighting back. He kept a certain distance from the goblin zombies. He¡¯d wait for an opening then step in to send a flurry of stabs, trying as hard as he could to keep his stabs aligned in a line. He experimented with the technique as he fought, slowly perfecting it.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. After getting to the point where he could make quick, accurate, shallow stabs in a line, Zellin heard a ¡°DING!¡± sound and saw a notification appear in the lower part of his vision. It read, ¡°You have gained the skill, Stab Dismemberment!¡± Nice, Zellin thought with a pleased smile. He immediately used the skill on the arm of a goblin the he was trying to dismember. Zellin suddenly moved in an almost automatic way, swiftly stabbing out in a line, much deeper than he had done originally. The puppet goblin was practically dismembered. Nice! Zellin thought, smiling even wider. Although there was some strings of flesh that still attached to the arm, it was basically not the goblin¡¯s arm anymore. Bear hurriedly ripped the arm off, ripping apart the remaining flesh and tendons which were attached to the shoulder. With this new skill, the dismemberment of the remaining puppet goblins went smoothly, leaving behind a couple writhing pieces of goblin. Liu had dismembered an arm and a leg, while Reyal and Coral dismembered a limb each. As for Zellin, he dismembered the remaining six limbs, before they joined together to behead the goblins. Liu immediately collapsed to the ground after the work was done. ¡°I¡¯m done. No more. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± He said in a weak voice as he closed his eyes to rest. The others also collapsed into seating positions, breathing heavily. ¡°Should we¡­ find¡­ the boss?¡± Coral asked in pants. Though she was tired, it didn¡¯t dull her eagerness to fight a strong opponent. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± Reyal responded through his heavy breathing. ¡°My HP is dangerously low, and I basically have no mana or stamina left.¡± Zellin looked down at his beaten companions and said, ¡°What, you guys are tired already?¡± Liu forced his head up to give an angry glare at Zellin. ¡°Shut up, Zellin! You¡¯re laziness almost killed us!¡± Zellin snorted. ¡°What are you talking about? I saved your asses.¡± He replied arrogantly. Liu gave a frustrated grunt, before hitting his head against the ground. If this jerk wasn¡¯t right, I¡¯d beat him within an inch of his life. Liu thought to himself. Zellin went over to where the shaman died as something caught his eye. He picked it up and tapped to bring up the information screen. It was a Level 5 Goblin Shaman Staff. It gave a 15% boost to the Magic Attack stat, but lowered the Intelligence attribute by 3 points. Zellin raised an eyebrow at this before deciding to give it to Reyal. Zellin didn¡¯t have any attack spells so it would be useless in his hands. Zellin gave the others some medicine that he had made, and the group rested for about an hour. After which, they went off to find the boss. ¡°Hmm? Looks like we cleared out everyone but the boss.¡± Liu observed. ¡°What was that guy doing all this time? He actually let his whole tribe die without him knowing.¡± He said as he shook his head at the boss¡¯s lack of responsibility. ¡°Let¡¯s check the tents.¡± Reyal suggested. As they wanted to be prepared, they all checked each tent as a group. After checking several tents, they still hadn¡¯t found anyone. ¡°Check the big one; he¡¯s probably there.¡± Reyal said. The others nodded and went towards the larger tent. From outside Zellin could hear grunting sounds which caused him to raise an eyebrow. He popped his head inside and saw the wide back of the goblin chief grunting and thrusting atop a make-shift bed. Zellin¡¯s face paled and his eyes widened. My god, Zellin thought. They¡¯re doing the monster mash¡­ Zellin pulled his head back out. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said slowly, his voice a little weak. ¡°We should probably avoid this tent.¡± He said as he tried to stumble away from the site of this horrid event. ¡°Why?¡± Liu asked curiously. Zellin simply put his hand on Liu¡¯s shoulder and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to see.¡± Liu said as he strode inside. Zellin simply shook his head. Today, someone¡¯s innocence will die in the most horrible fashion¡­ Zellin thought solemnly. As Liu entered the tent, several emotions flashed across his face. The first was confusion, then came shock, then came the ultimate disgust as his innocence was destroyed. He didn¡¯t even make it out of the tent; he immediately emptied his stomach out right there in the tent. Unknown to the group, was that this time was actually the beginning of the goblin breeding season. Because only the highest ranking goblins would be allowed to breed, the goblin chief was quite busy at this time. The goblin chief didn¡¯t even notice Liu puking behind him, and continued grunting and thrusting. As the scene continued, Liu weakly left the tent and fell on Zellin¡¯s shoulder. Zellin patted his back, offering comforting words as Liu began to softly cry on his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. After today, it will just be a bad dream. Time heals all things¡­¡± Zellin comforted. At this point, Reyal made the connection with Zellin¡¯s and Liu¡¯s reactions with the grunting sounds and his face paled. He gagged as he tried to hold down his stomach. Coral raised an eyebrow. ¡°You guys are acting weird. I¡¯m going inside.¡± She said as she took a step. ¡°NO!¡± Reyal and Zellin instantly yelled. Reyal moved over to grab Coral¡¯s shoulders and hold her in place. ¡°Coral, you can¡¯t.¡± Reyal urged. ¡°If you go in there, the part of you that¡¯s still a little girl will break down at that moment. Then, you¡¯ll truly be a heartless killer who needs to murder to ease the pain in her heart.¡± Reyal warned with an intense stare that said that this was a critical life or death choice that would decide her fate. ¡°Fine! Geez! Why are you guys so weird?¡± Coral responded, annoyed. The group simply decided to loot the place and leave as quickly as possible, deciding to let the goblin chief¡¯s lust save him from disaster. As Zellin went into one of the tents, he heard a horrified scream. As he looked up, he saw the ugliest goblin he¡¯d ever seen run past him and out of the tent. This was actually a female goblin. Female goblins are naturally uglier than male goblins, as ugliness for normal people, is actually beauty to goblins. Zellin simply ignored the ugly goblin and went over to where she was standing. Shit, it¡¯s actually a baby goblin. He thought as he looked down at the sleeping, green mini-goblin in the crib. Zellin¡¯s eyes immediately furrowed. He knew that it was a goblin, but when he thought about how its whole tribe died and its mother just abandoned it, he quickly related it to his past experience with his parents, causing his expression to soften. At this point, Reyal entered the tent. He raised an eyebrow at Zellin¡¯s expression and approached to see what he was looking at. When he saw the mini-goblin he instantly understood. ¡°Zellin, this¡­¡± He began cautiously, seeing that he was entering into a delicate situation. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for this. I¡¯ve never even heard of someone contracting a goblin, and it¡¯s still a baby. Are you, a seven year-old, going to raise a baby?¡± He asked in disapproval. Zellin sighed at this. ¡°Reyal¡­ I can¡¯t abandon it.¡± He said slowly as he looked at the sleeping mini-goblin with empathetic eyes. Would I have succeeded in obtaining my dreams back then if my parents hadn¡¯t abandoned me? He thought solemnly. How far does caring go? ¡°Let the goblin chief raise it! What¡¯s the point in you raising it?¡± He asked, not able to believe that Zellin was actually going this far. Zellin snorted in response. ¡°What¡¯s the point in letting the goblin chief raise it? It would simply grow up and become experience points to other humans.¡± Zellin retorted, with clenched fists, thinking, at least with me, it has a chance. ¡°No, this has to be done.¡± He continued resolutely. Chapter 6: It鈥檚 Actually Not Much Reyal sighed and simply stood at the side, not intending to obstruct Zellin. But he shook his head in disapproval. Why even bother with a goblin? He asked himself. Zellin lifted his hand above the mini-goblin¡¯s body, and his hand began to glow with a blue light. A contract imprint appeared on the mini-goblin¡¯s chest which absorbed Zellin¡¯s mana ravenously, until Zellin struggled to stand, continuing until all his mana was depleted. After absorbing Zellin¡¯s mana, the little goblin had visibly grown a couple inches. Zellin¡¯s intention in contracting this goblin was simply to let it grow faster as he really couldn¡¯t be bothered to raise a goblin all the way to adulthood when he, himself, was only seven years old. As this little goblin would eventually grow to be semi-human, it seemed kind of wrong to contract it. But that was only a preconception he gained as a result of his earlier life and growing up in a society that looked down on slavery. Who¡¯s to say if contracting animals was any worse than contracting humans? But of course, if the distinction was made where Zellin realized he was treating his pets unfairly and that they didn¡¯t enjoy being in his care, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to give them their freedom. This decision to let the mini-goblin eventually escape the contract was a little instinctual, but his preconception of intelligent life forms or what is essentially human and what he assumed to be their natural reaction to being ¡®contracted,¡¯ was reason enough to stop him from keeping this little goblin as his pet. And of course, what¡¯s the point in overthinking it and imagining a world of happy slaves or where everyone is essentially ¡®free?¡¯ That¡¯s just wasting your life, Zellin thought. It¡¯s better to let instincts handle this one. The goblin looked up to see Zellin watching it and smiled innocently. It made some baby sounds and lifted its hands towards Zellin. Zellin laughed as he picked up the baby goblin. ¡°You know, for a goblin, you¡¯re pretty cute. I hope don¡¯t get too ugly on me in the future, or I just might abandon you.¡± He joked with a smile. ¡°Yes, a-ban-don.¡± He continued in that voice you use to speak to babies. Reyal continued to shake his head, but with shame instead of disapproval. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m friends with this guy¡­ Reyal thought to himself. After looting everything but the goblin chief¡¯s house, they made their way back to town. As Liu saw the baby, he gave it a funny look, but decided not to say anything. As for Coral, since the baby was still cute, she picked it up and insisted on carrying the little guy while she played with him. After turning in their Spice Flower quest, they returned home. For some reason, Zellin was incredibly sleepy, so he asked Coral to take care of the baby while he took a nap. Little did he know, it wouldn¡¯t be until the afternoon of the next day when he would awake again. After waking up the next day, Zellin simply shrugged it off, and ignored the abnormal nap he took. I¡¯ve slept for longer, he thought proudly. Several days afterwards, he was finally forced to buy some energy pills to stay awake for longer than 8 hours. Every day, his friends would go out to do quests and to hunt, but Zellin was always in a half-tired state, so he would stay behind. He would simply send his pets to go out and hunt, to gather experience for him, while he took care of the mini-goblin, which he named Greenz. He also studied medicine while he was at home, as he couldn¡¯t do anything else too active. He tried to see a doctor, but she couldn¡¯t do anything to help. Then he sought out a healer, who told him that something was sucking out all his energy, even his mana, continuously. Zellin asked if it had something to do with having contracted 4 pets, as he had his suspicions, and the healer nodded her head. She explained that the mental connection between Zellin and his pets is absorbing all Zellin¡¯s energy to remain intact, and having 4 pets was pretty much Zellin¡¯s limit. Her only suggestion to resolve the situation, was to quickly get his class. ¡°The Summoner¡¯s College should have a way to resolve the problem.¡± She said. Because Summoners were usually weak when it came to defending themselves, and the class was expensive to level, unlike classes where a lot of the skills can be taught, not many people bothered to learn anything about Summoners. Nonetheless, Zellin assumed the truth to be as such, and resolutely made the decision to not contract any more beasts. About three seasons later¡­ Zellin¡¯s friends have all reached Level 5 after constant hunting and quests, and Zellin¡¯s pets were all on the verge of getting Zellin to Level 5 as well. The only thing Zellin had done to contribute to the group recently was make them medicine for their forest excursions. Greenz has grown to be about Zellin¡¯s size recently, so Zellin had removed the contract. Greenz had long, pointy ears, a slightly longer face than Zellin¡¯s, and his nose was a little larger, but other than that, and his green skin, Greenz looked pretty normal. Perhaps it was a result of raising him around humans, but he seemed much more similar to a human than the other goblins Zellin has seen, with those huge pointy noses. After removing the contract, Zellin had much more energy, but he still stayed home usually, to teach Greenz, he claimed. Greenz was also more intelligent than your usual goblins. After learning to speak English, Zellin forced him to study, with a skill book bribe. Thus, his intelligence rose pretty quickly. Eventually, Greenz realized he liked to study as he was pretty good at it, and whenever he was free, he would have a book in his hand. One day, as Zellin was eating his meal and a white light suddenly enveloped him. He saw a notification appear before him saying, ¡°Congratulations, you have risen to Level 5!¡± Zellin simply nodded his head as if this was due for quite a while. Nice, he thought.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Congratulations, master.¡± Greenz said at the end of the table in an oddly clear voice for a goblin. ¡°Greenz, what did I say about calling me master? Call me Zellin; you¡¯re a free goblin now, and you don¡¯t have to treat me with that level of respect.¡± Zellin responded, like a father scolding his son. This feeling of respect was extremely awkward for someone like him, whose base personality was basically that of a loser in life. ¡°You¡¯ll always be master to me. Or would you rather I started calling you papa again?¡± Greenz said with a mischievous grin. Zellin simply shook his head. That might be the weirdest experience I¡¯ve ever had, he thought to himself. Zellin didn¡¯t know if it was because Greenz was a goblin or if it was just the general feeling of being called someone¡¯s dad, but it was truly a weird experience. ¡°You know, I really hate you.¡± Reyal replied off to the side. He had stayed home today, to teach Greenz some cooking, and unfortunately had to witness this scene of Zellin be rewarded despite his lazy nature. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen someone level up while eating and simply nod his head in approval. Don¡¯t you have any shame?¡± He asked, with a mixed feeling of disappointment and jealousy. ¡°You don¡¯t know this, but I¡¯ve actually earned a lot of good karma in my past life.¡± Zellin lied shamelessly. ¡°It¡¯s just the heavens giving me what I deserve.¡± ¡°At least we can make our trip to the city now.¡± Reyal said, comforting his agitated mood. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for quite a while.¡± ¡°Have you decided on a class?¡± Zellin asked casually. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m thinking about the Enchanter class, but mainly because of the group. We¡¯re not very good with head on confrontations. As you get more pets, I think it will become really useful.¡± Reyal replied. ¡°But I fear being too weak to defend myself¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Good luck with that.¡± Zellin responded without thinking, as he ate. Reyal frowned at this. He was actually hoping for some advice, but he happened across this extremely insensitive guy. ¡°You know, Liu¡¯s right. You¡¯re a jerk.¡± Zellin simply snorted. ¡°What am I, your girlfriend? Fine, I¡¯ll give you some advice. Choose the Enchanter class. You won¡¯t have to worry about being too weak, because we¡¯ll always have your back. If worse comes to worst, at least you¡¯ll die with your friends.¡± Zellin said in a slightly disdaining attitude. Reyal suddenly laughed at this. ¡°You know, you put up a lazy exterior, but you¡¯re actually quite caring.¡± He said with a smile. The next day, the group went to their respective families¡¯ homes and told their parents that they would be making a trip to the city, which was, oddly named, Ultimate Super Fighter City. It was the capital city of the Super Kingdom. Apparently the king was an extremely eccentric individual¡­ In Ultimate Super Fighter City¡­ ¡°And so our quest has lead us here, to this city of heroes.¡± Zellin said as he looked at the city around him. All the buildings were at least 3 stories high, the walls surrounding the city was at least 20 meters high, and apparently its size was over 1000 square kilometers. ¡°I wonder what adventures we¡¯ll have, and the tales we¡¯ll tell of bravery and romance once we¡¯ve conquered the land? Come, brothers, our destiny awaits us!¡± Zellin said in a theatrical manner, waving his hand forward. ¡°Why are you being so melodramatic?¡± Coral said as she gave Zellin a funny look. ¡°It¡¯s just the city. It¡¯s not that impressive.¡± ¡°Look at all the high-level items some of these people have.¡± Reyal said in awe. ¡°When will we get that strong?¡± ¡°Hurry up, you guys. Let¡¯s go get my class already. I can¡¯t wait anymore.¡± Liu called out from ahead of the others. After 45 minutes of walking, they made it to the Warrior¡¯s College, and Liu went inside while the others waited outside. Non-warriors weren¡¯t allowed inside. Liu came out 20 minutes later with a conflicted look on his face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zellin asked with a confused look. ¡°Heh, I got my class, but¡­¡± Liu began to explain. ¡°What?¡± They all asked. ¡°Ah, I couldn¡¯t buy any of the class skills¡­¡± Liu said with a pitiful face. ¡°Do you need money?¡± Coral asked straightforwardly. ¡°Ah, no, you guys don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll find a way to get it eventually.¡± Liu politely refused. ¡°Don¡¯t be modest, I have a lot of money.¡± Coral replied casually. ¡°How much do you need?¡± Zellin raised an eyebrow. Was she this rich? Zellin wondered to himself. ¡°Ah! Really? Thanks Coral. It¡¯s actually not much; only about 300 gold.¡± Liu replied as casually as possible. Zellin and Reyal¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°300 gold!?¡± They exclaimed. Coral opened her inventory and took out a bag of gold. ¡°Here you go,¡± she responded, handing over the bag of gold. Liu bowed repeatedly. ¡°Thank you, thank you. I promise I¡¯ll pay you back soon!¡± He called out, gratefully, before going back in to the Warrior¡¯s College. ¡°Do you guys want money too?¡± Coral asked nonchalantly. ¡°Ugh, no, Coral. I can¡¯t possibly. I¡¯ll just work for the skills I can¡¯t buy. My parents gave me 250 gold, so I should be okay for now.¡± Zellin responded as he waved his hands. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Coral, but could I bother you for a loan? My parents only gave me a 100 gold, and from the looks of it that¡¯s pretty much the cost of the class upgrade. Liu also went in with a 100 gold.¡± Reyal said shyly. He wasn¡¯t like Liu, who could probably be taught enough skills to keep his class relevant to the group; the Enchanter class could only be properly cultivated with skill books. ¡°Sure,¡± Coral replied, also handing over 300 gold. Next stop was the Summoner¡¯s College. ¡°Huh? Is this really it?¡± Zellin said in confusion as he looked at the map and then up at the dilapidated, wooden building. It was only one floor high; it was basically a badly taken care of, regular, wooden house. ¡°Wait here,¡± Zellin instructed the others as he went in to take a look. ¡°Hello?¡± Zellin called out as he reached an empty counter. ¡°HELLO!¡± He yelled after hearing no response. ¡°Ah? A customer?¡± A voice called out. The sounds of footsteps quickly approached from behind the door beyond the counter. The door opened to reveal the figure of a black-robed middle-aged man. ¡°Ah!? Principal Lin!?¡± Zellin exclaimed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Do I know you?¡± Principal Lin asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Do you have a twin brother?¡± Zellin asked in doubt. ¡°Or are you just trying to trick me?¡± ¡°I have multiple clones, but don¡¯t mention those guys to me. They¡¯re all very irritating to look at.¡± Principal Lin replied casually as he waved his hand. ¡°Ugh, oh kay.¡± Zellin responded weirdly. He really didn¡¯t know what to think about what this guy just said. ¡°I¡¯m here to upgrade to the Summoner class.¡± He said, intending to just get on to business. ¡°Right, right. A new summoner. That¡¯s pretty rare. That¡¯ll be 100 gold please.¡± Principal Lin said with an uplifted hand. ¡°Right¡­¡± Zellin responded dejectedly as he handed a bag of gold over. 100 gold was quite a lot of money, especially for a jobless kid like him. Afterwards, Principal Lin played with some menu options and a screen popped up in front of Zellin, asking him if he wanted to become a summoner. Zellin pressed on the ¡®yes¡¯ option and a notification appeared saying, ¡°Congratulations! You have become a Summoner!¡± Several pop-ups also appeared saying that Zellin¡¯s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Mana have all increased, causing Zellin to smile as he thought, nice. ¡°Do you want to see what skills are now available to you?¡± Principal Lin asked. Chapter 7: What Am I, A Baby? ¡°Though, be warned. If you ever decide to change classes or copy these skills into a skill book, all Summoner skills that you learned here will be erased from your character.¡± Principal Lin explained seriously. Zellin nodded and an information screen popped up, listing various skills available to Summoners of his level. There were several skills for conjuring different enchanted weapons, and some skills for summoning enchantment spirits. The first skill on the list was Contract, as it was a basic Summoner¡¯s skill. Damn, Zellin thought with a grimace. These skills are pretty expensive. I¡¯ll only be able to get 2, at most. ¡°I¡¯ll just take the Summon Earth Elemental skill.¡± Zellin finally said after some thought. ¡°You won¡¯t take the Contract skill?¡± Principal Lin asked in confusion. Zellin responded by telling him he already had it. ¡°Oh?¡± Principal Lin said, surprised. ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t contract too many beasts as that will have a severe impact your ability to stay awake.¡± He lectured. Zellin could only smile awkwardly in response. ¡°Since you already have the skill, you¡¯ll probably be interested in our Habitat Cards. They¡¯re cards that connect to a separate dimension, with specialized habitats already installed into them. They¡¯re for storing your pets so that your mind won¡¯t become exhausted from the mental connection.¡± Principal Lin explained, thoroughly answering Zellin¡¯s question about his recent condition. ¡°Really?¡± Zellin said in surprise. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°A set of cards, including the related Summon skill, costs about 70 gold.¡± Principal Lin replied. ¡°Ugh.¡± Zellin exclaimed. Why do I feel like suddenly giving up my dream of being a super mage? He wondered to himself, before nodding to Principal Lin. ¡°Including the Summon Earth Elemental skill, all together will be 150 gold.¡± Principal Lin said with a smile. Zellin slowly handed over what was left of the money his parents gave him, and received two skill books and a set of 10 cards in return. The cards all had pictures of different scenery on them. Some of them were forests, and some were pictures of a lakes. Zellin assumed they were habitats made specifically for beasts of the Super Kingdom. Zellin immediately used both skill books as they turned into white light and entered Zellin¡¯s head. Then, Zellin left, waving goodbye as he walked out the door. As he was leaving, a 3 meter long, pure white bird suddenly swooped down from the sky and a girl with long white hair, about Zellin¡¯s age, jumped off the bird. She gave Zellin a cold look and raised an eyebrow at his nearby pets before walking into the Summoner¡¯s College. Zellin admired the bird for a moment before walking over to his friends, ignoring the girl. ¡°How was it?¡± Reyal asked. ¡°The place robbed me, but I got what I needed.¡± Zellin replied frankly. ¡°Come heroes, our quest has yet to be completed.¡± Zellin said, continuing onward to the next destination. The rest of the trip went as planned as Coral¡¯s apparently super rich and Reyal got his loan. Greenz was only Level 3, so he couldn¡¯t get a class as of yet. After the group got their classes, they had planned on buying a small house on the outskirts of the city, but Coral said she already had a place for them to stay. She lead the group to a more centralized area of the city, where the buildings were bigger and the people were more important. Zellin¡¯s curiosity of this little girl¡¯s background grew even stronger as she lead them towards a huge mansion which had a large courtyard, gate guards, and several servants. But he didn¡¯t ask. He simply shrugged his shoulders and assumed that Coral would talk about it if she wanted to, otherwise it wasn¡¯t high on his agenda of need-to-knows. After settling in, everyone went to do their own thing. As murder was literally forbidden in the city by the laws of this world, unless you were challenged in the Arena, it was pretty much safe, in a sense, to travel alone. Liu went to join the Mercenary Association, Coral went to join the Assassin Association, and Reyal went to buy some basic weapons to inscribe enchantments onto, for both money and skill experience. As for Zellin, after allowing his pets to enter his Habitat Cards, he went on a walk, full of new life and vigor. Zellin happened upon the Medical Association and decided to join. He didn¡¯t even blink twice when speed writing the entrance test for more than 2 hours, as he was so hyped up on this new-found energy that he was ready to take on the world if need be. If he were in his usual state, he¡¯d walk out simply at the mention of a test. The test wasn¡¯t really for the sake of entering the association, but to test his capabilities in the different specialties of medicine. For most people, as long you had the Medicine skill, you would be allowed into the association; albeit, if you had the basic Level 1 in the skill, the jobs they offered you wouldn¡¯t be as glamorous. After the test, Zellin was given the very generally-termed, Doctor profession, and was offered the job of extracting certain medical ingredients for a reasonable sum. But Zellin refused and simply asked if he could buy some herbs and other medical supplies, instead. As the association had access to many medical ingredients and paraphernalia, it wasn¡¯t too hard to get what Zellin needed. Zellin was only mildly interested in the healing arts; his main interest in the Medicine skill was the art of poison crafting. Meanwhile, in another part of the city¡­ Liu was walking through the city in awe of the people that he saw. Shit, it¡¯s an elf. She¡¯s really pretty. Damn, a dwarf! It¡¯s as tall as me but can carry that huge war hammer! Liu thought in admiration of all he saw.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Liu had already joined the Mercenary Association, but the only jobs they had for people of his level, were things like finding lost cats and babysitting babies. As the pay went from several coppers to a couple silvers, he refused, thinking those jobs were beneath him. After nonchalantly spending 300 gold on his class skills, his attitude towards several silver was that it wasn¡¯t much. As he walked down the street, a taller and just as skinny youth ran up to Liu. ¡°Hey, Little Brother, wait up.¡± He called out as he approached. ¡°Little Brother, what¡¯s your level?¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m Level 5.¡± Liu responded without thinking much. ¡°Pretty good, pretty good. Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re actually qualified to join the only beginner¡¯s guild in the city?¡± He asked as if it was basic knowledge. ¡°What¡¯s a guild?¡± Liu asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t know? It¡¯s like a support structure you can use to help you get money and level. If you¡¯re dedicated to the guild, they¡¯ll even provide you with high level items as rewards!¡± The youth said enticingly. ¡°Really?¡± Liu said, his eyes revealing eagerness. As he now knew how expensive it was to level, he wouldn¡¯t turn away someone¡¯s help to make money. Plus, all his items were too low-leveled, even for his current level; thus, he really craved the high-leveled items that were mentioned. ¡°Can I join?¡± Liu asked hurriedly as if the opportunity would soon disappear. Liu was led by the youth, named Bo, to a nearby, large 3-story building. Bo left Liu in a tavern-like area, instructing him to wait as he went to get the guild leader. Liu sat down at an empty table and waited patiently. Soon, an old man with a missing arm came over and asked Liu what he¡¯d have. Liu simply told him to bring their most popular drink, as Liu didn¡¯t know how to read the menu. He was planning to buy a Basic Education skill book as soon as he could. The man brought back a neat whiskey, which immediately caused Liu to furrow his brows. ¡°What am I, a baby? At least fill it up to the top!¡± Liu exclaimed with annoyance. This immediately drew the eyes of the surrounding guild members. The man raised an eyebrow before going back to fill Liu¡¯s cup, and then stood off to the side to watch the show. As a kid, Liu had never drank before. So after taking a big gulp of whiskey, he immediately began to cough furiously, bending over and attempting to puke out the burning liquid in his stomach. Did that old bastard tried to poison me!? He thought. The surrounding guild members immediately burst out into a raucous laughter. ¡°Hahaha! Well, kid, tell us, are you a baby?¡± Someone mocked loudly. ¡°Ha! What¡¯s wrong, kid? Never had a drink before?¡± Someone else called out. Liu¡¯s face turned bright red as he fumed with rage. He knew it was impossible to beat everyone up so he immediately turned to leave. ¡°Hey, wait up little man. Aren¡¯t you going to join the guild?¡± A youth in his teens, dressed in iron armor, called out as he approached with two of his friends, feigning friendliness. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need this guild; I already have a support structure.¡± Liu replied in a haughty manner as he turned around. The teens surrounding Liu let out a grin as they heard this. He could secretly be some noble¡¯s child, they though excitedly. ¡°Come on, kid. Don¡¯t be like that. I see you¡¯re already Level 5; have you upgraded to a class yet?¡± The armored youth who first approached Liu asked. They frowned when Liu nodded, before asking, ¡°Then who¡¯s your support network?¡± ¡°I have three friends who I¡¯m really close with.¡± Liu responded instinctively. ¡°What!? Are you serious kid?¡± The pudgy one, awkwardly dressed in black, assassin¡¯s clothes exclaimed. ¡°So this kid is really as poor as he looks. Too bad we caught up with him after he got his class.¡± The equally pudgy archer said in disappointment. Liu instantly got angry as he heard this. ¡°So what if I¡¯m poor? That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t be a great warrior! Say it again and I¡¯ll beat you within an inch of your life!¡± Liu foolishly threatened. ¡°Kid, are you an idiot? You don¡¯t even have any armor, and you say you want to be a great warrior? On the immortal path, money is the most important!¡± The armored youth rebuked. Liu¡¯s face expressed confusion as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the immortal path?¡± ¡°Wow, kid, you really are an idiot. You don¡¯t even know this? The immortal path is the path to Level 100! After you reach Level 100, you become all powerful and become immortal!¡± The pudgy archer explained. ¡°Forget this kid. Let¡¯s just beat him up for getting our hopes up.¡± The armored youth suggested. These kids were really hoping to rob Liu¡¯s class upgrade money. After reaching a high enough level, you become able to see the levels of those of a much lower level than you; the higher your level in comparison to the other person, the more information you can see. As these teenagers were Level 10, they were able to see Liu¡¯s level. Before Liu could get his sword out, he already found himself being beaten from all sides until he was on the floor, only able to cover his face. At this point the guild leader walked into the room and sighed. Looks like I have some beating to do, he thought to himself. He walked over to the unknowing bullies who were hunched over and beating Liu on the ground, and started swiftly stomping as he started casually humming a song. It was as if he was a drummer, stomping to the beat of the hum. ¡°Hmmm, hmm-mm mm hmm-mm-mm,¡± the guild leader hummed, imagining that the cries of his victims were the cries of fans, praising him for his talent. ¡°Man, I feel like a woman.¡± He sang, signaling the end of the song. ¡°Come on, all of you get up.¡± He ordered. Liu weakly got up, feeling pain all over his body, after realizing that he wasn¡¯t being hit anymore. He looked up at the pale, gaunt, white-haired man, then at Bo at the side, coming to the conclusion that the gaunt man was the guild leader and also the person that saved him. Liu bowed slightly, simply saying, ¡°Thank you,¡± before turning and leaving. Although he slightly respected this guild leader, he wasn¡¯t resigned to feeling beneath anyone. The gaunt man sighed. ¡°Bo, go after him. Ask him to join the leveling tomorrow.¡± He instructed, seeing as he couldn¡¯t stop this kid from leaving. ¡°You three.¡± He continued, focusing his attention on the badly beaten teenagers. ¡°Yes, guild leader!¡± They hurriedly responded, standing straight and attentive. The guild leader rubbed his nose slightly before casually saying, ¡°5 gold penalty,¡± with an upraised hand. The teenagers slowly held out a small bag of gold with looks of deep regret. After taking their money, the guild leader simply left in a merry manner, humming a tune as he walked. Seeing that the guild leader had left, those teens immediately let their anger show. ¡°That little bastard. I¡¯ll make sure he regrets getting us in trouble.¡± One of them said, followed by another, who said, ¡°Yeah. If that kid actually had money, we wouldn¡¯t have beat him up, and instead nicely coerce him into befriending us before robbing him.¡± They rationalized with an extremely twisted sense of right and wrong. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, guys,¡± the armored youth said calmly. ¡°Soon, we¡¯ll make him pay us twice what we lost today.¡± He said ominously. Outside the guild¡­ ¡°Hey, Liu, wait up!¡± Bo called out, running towards the distant Liu. Liu turned around as Bo approached. ¡°What do you want?¡± Liu said with a frown. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to discuss anything right now; his annoyance has pretty much reached the limit today. ¡°Easy, Liu. You know, not everyone in the guild are like those jerks. They¡¯re only arrogant because they¡¯re at the highest level of the first floor, but nobody likes those guys. As long as you stick with me, those guys won¡¯t dare to touch you.¡± Bo said confidently. ¡°I¡¯m not joining the guild anymore. A guild like that doesn¡¯t deserve me.¡± Liu calmly replied. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t say that.¡± Bo said, trying to ease the situation. ¡°How ¡®bout this. Some of us from the first floor of the guild is going to clear a dungeon tomorrow. So, tomorrow, if you¡¯ve calmed down, you can come by and see for yourself if the guild is worth joining. If not¡­ Well, that¡¯s up to you too.¡± Chapter 8: What Are You Going To Give Me? ¡°Woah, what happened there, buddy? Why do I feel like a girl did this to you?¡± Zellin asked with a raised eyebrow as he saw Liu¡¯s puffy face. Liu¡¯s hands were bruised, and Zellin assumed there was more underneath his clothes. At least he¡¯s not dead, Zellin thought gratefully. ¡°Shut up, Zellin. I¡¯m not in the mood to screw around with you today.¡± Liu said as he walked past Zellin and headed towards his room. ¡°Woah, buddy. Easy there.¡± Zellin said as he grabbed Liu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m your brother. Tell me what happened.¡± Liu let out a heavy sigh, and turned around to tell Zellin what happened. Zellin also let out a sigh, thinking, this brother of mine is too simple minded. Zellin could at least have lied his way out of the situation. ¡°Liu, those guys probably just wanted to rob your class upgrade money, because they saw you were Level 5. Let¡¯s go to the guild dungeon clearing tomorrow; I have a plan to get back at those a-holes.¡± He said comfortingly, patting Liu¡¯s shoulders. After being annoyed for so long, Liu finally let out a grin. ¡°Thanks, brother. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± The next day, Liu and Zellin went back to the guild and traveled several hours with the first floor group of the guild to a cave, about 50 km from the outskirts of the city. The guild, Noob Village, was divided into three floors, of which levels 1-10 are allowed to stay on the first floor, levels 10-20 for the second, and 20-30 for the last floor. Noob Village has multiple bases in Ultimate Super Fighter City and the first floor of the base Liu went to, the Noob Originals, had about 200 members; 50 of which, were joining the dungeon clearing. As Bo was the first floor¡¯s Noob Leader, he was currently in charge of this group excursion. The whole way to the dungeon, Liu noticed the three bullies (Guo, Wally, and Roj) keeping a close eye on him, making sure to stay at least within 10 meters from him. Liu simply smirked at this. Yeah, keep following. Liu thought to himself. You¡¯ll get what you deserve soon enough. Bo made sure to keep Zellin and Liu close to his friends, just in case Guo¡¯s gang were intending on making trouble. He also noticed Guo¡¯s gang¡¯s behavior. "Alright, everyone we¡¯re almost there.¡± Bo called out, halting the group. He sent some scouts out before advising the group. ¡°Remember everyone, although spider poison glands are worth a decent amount, hold back your Preserve skill; at least for this first fight. First, focus on eliminating all of the enemies.¡± After the scouts came back, Bo lead the group forward, silently and cautiously spreading out. As they had the numbers for a blitz attack, they wouldn¡¯t pass up this simple tactic. This would also prevent most of them from being blanketed in webs before the fight even began. Unfortunately, the plan didn¡¯t go as planned, as the group in the west encountered a stray spider on their way to the clearing and were somewhat slow in killing it, resulting in its shrieks alerting the other spiders. But this groups of kids were quite disciplined for their age and have been working in concert for quite a long while. As the other groups heard the shriek, they immediately guessed the situation. The group who attracted the spider aggro pulled back, while the group in the east quickly moved forward, and the center team rushed forward from the south, slightly deviating to the left as they approached the clearing. Liu had no idea what was going on, and simply followed Bo. He had heard the spider shrieks and assumed trouble, but he didn¡¯t know what they were doing about it. Zellin saw that these guys weren¡¯t phased at all by the disturbance in their plans, and assumed all was under control. This world¡¯s kids are too abnormal, Zellin thought to himself. If he didn¡¯t have his past lives¡¯ memories, he¡¯d probably still be at home with his parents, being coddled. Or would the circumstances of this world make me more resilient as well? Zellin wondered. As Bo saw the clearing ahead, counting about 20 spiders, he gave a hand signal and a third of the group split off, swiftly heading north-west. Their group, naturally had more people, exactly for this type of situation. Bo charged, letting out a battle cry as he headed into the clearing, signaling the beginning of the charge. Bo didn¡¯t mind too much if the spiders who went out to deal with the intruders heard this, as it could only force them into a pincer attack even faster if they chased back to the clearing. As Bo brandished his two short-swords, a flame enveloped them, making him look quite heroic as charged out at the spiders. Liu couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes at this and think, Damn, duel-wielding flaming swords? I should have picked that class¡­ Liu also charged towards the spiders, but was almost instantly covered in web as he went into the clearing. Liu struggled to break free, but was unable to. These spiders weren¡¯t like Leggy, as most of them were Level 8, causing their webs to be much stronger, especially for the unfortunate Liu. Zellin simply stood aside and watched, observing tactics and the different battle skills. He was so absorbed in watching that he didn¡¯t even bother to help Liu free himself from the spider web. Is that the Duskblade class? But it looks like its specialized in fire¡­ Hmmm¡­ Zellin thought as he watched Bo. You wouldn¡¯t expect such heroic characteristics from Bo after first meeting him. Though he was handsome in a way, the fact that he was skinny lead people to believe that he was weak. But at the moment, he looked quite valiant as he slashed apart spider after spider, occasionally sending fireballs shooting out of the tips of his swords. The battle was quickly ending as these spiders couldn¡¯t compare to Noob Villages numbers, nor the synergetic capabilities of humans. Liu would most likely have treasured the scene of this battle, but unfortunately all he could see was the ground in front of him.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Hargh!¡± Bo exclaimed, stabbing through the head of the last spider. He quickly raised his hand and was just about to give the signal to move out, when he saw a group of people head toward them from the west. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Bo asked casually, as the other Noob Village members moved to collect the spider remains. ¡°Meh,¡± A roughly 18-year-old youth expressed, rather unimpressed. ¡°They tried to hurry back, but they quickly became trapped. Wasn¡¯t too exciting. You?¡± ¡°Easy enough.¡± Bo said nonchalantly. At this point, someone freed Liu from the webs and he stood up with an embarrassed face. I hope no one saw that¡­ He thought to himself before turning his head and seeing Zellin looking at him with a smirk. ¡°Jerk¡­¡± Liu couldn¡¯t help mutter. ¡°A-hole, why didn¡¯t you help me?¡± Liu asked, rather irritated. ¡°What, were you hurt? I was keeping you safe by not helping you.¡± Zellin replied, feigning a responsible attitude. Liu just shook his head, choosing to ignore this. He was almost used to this behaviour by now. Bo discussed the situation of the spiders being on the defensive for some reason, with the other team leaders, before heading into the cave. This type of spider was usually much more aggressive and would have sent out at least half their number to meet the intruders, but instead most of them stayed behind to defend the entrance. After coming to the conclusion that it was possible that there were more spiders than usual inside the cave, they went inside, as prepared as they could be. Zellin also followed, admiring Bo¡¯s leadership qualities and instincts. "Stay close, guys. This dungeon is likely out of your level range." Bo said to Liu and Zellin. Liu simply nodded, hoping to not embarrass himself any further. Inside, they found that that there were indeed more spiders than expected. Although this slowed them down somewhat, they still progressed steadily. There were two paths inside the cave, which each led to a seperate boss spider. The two paths eventually lead to each other at the entrance of a large room and an even stronger boss. As they trudged onwards, the Guo gang couldn''t be bothered with Liu, with all the fighting going on, and put him aside in their mind for the moment. Liu also fought, albeit as safely as possible. These spiders were leveled higher than Liu, and although the difference couldn''t be said to be much, their skill levels were also of a higher level, making them quite dangerous to Liu. Zellin would occasionally send arrows flying out, trying to imitate the other archers. They timed their shots to moments before the spiders shot their webs and as they lunged in for a bite, obstructing all that they do. Some were also extremely precise in their skill; Zellin saw one of the archers continuously pierce a spider eye after each shot, until a fourth eye was pierced and the spider died. Back on Earth, Liu never played any sports, so he never truly understood the importance teamwork, but now that he was in a world where fighting was everything, he was willing to learn anything in order to survive. Also, fighting was kind of fun. The first time Zellin had that thought, he instantly related himself to the serial killers of Earth, but eventually shrugged it off. Fuck it, he thought. When in Rome¡­ Liu didn''t participate in the boss fights, as he feared the unexpected. From what Liu understood, anything could happen in a boss fight, thus he didn''t want to tempt fate. But Zellin couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity as he had never seen a boss fight before. He intently watched from the side, repeatedly questioning his own instincts and comparing them to Bo¡¯s leadership. After clearing out the two bosses on both paths, they went to the large room''s entrantce, and Bo called out all the Level 10s, instructing the lower leveled characters to stay put, as there was a good possibility of dying for them. A boss status Level 10 fight, for these kids, wasn¡¯t something they could casually walk into. When Bo saw that the Guo gang didn''t intend on fighting the boss, his brows furrowed, and he seriously warned Liu to be careful and to stay with the group, before leaving with the other Level 10s. If he could bring Liu with him, he would, but it was much too dangerous for a level 5. Seeing that Bo and his friends have left, the Guo gang made their move. ¡°Hey, little man.¡± Guo, the armored teenager, said as he approached with his gang with fake smiles. ¡°We just wanted to say sorry for beating you the other day. When you threatened us, we seriously thought you wanted to hurt us, so we defended ourselves. You understand, right?¡± Wow, Zellin thought. These guys are seriously shameless. ¡°Ugh, you guys should have some talking to do, so I won¡¯t bother you.¡± Zellin said, giving one last look at Liu and nodded his head, before moving away. After Zellin left, Liu turned to the Guo¡¯s gang and replied. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine, guys. Let¡¯s just forget it.¡± Liu said as he rubbed the back of his head, as if the whole matter was kind of embarrassing to him. ¡°No, no, we couldn¡¯t do that. Let us give you something to express how sorry we are first. Then we can forget it.¡± Guo said in a courteous manner. Liu tried to politely refuse, but eventually had to accept as Guo and his friends wouldn¡¯t let the matter go. ¡°But let¡¯s go somewhere private first.¡± Guo suggested casually. ¡°If other people saw what we were giving you, they might get jealous, and perhaps their greed would overcome them. We wouldn¡¯t want you to get hurt, right?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Liu replied, following their lead, and getting further and further away from the group. Eventually they went into a side room that Noob Village had already cleared. The gang turned to face Liu, their smiles even wider, and much more honest, as they looked at Liu as if he was a fly that flew into their web. ¡°What are you going to give me?¡± Liu asked innocently. Guo snickered at Liu¡¯s dense mentality. He almost had the urge to put him out of his misery, to save him from suffering in the real world. ¡°We¡¯re not actually going to give you anything.¡± Guo said with an amused smile. Liu raised an eyebrow, seemingly confused. ¡°You¡¯re going to give us something.¡± Guo said, his smile turning sinister. ¡°Give you what? You need something? I actually don¡¯t have much, but if I can help, I¡¯d gladly do it in exchange for a favour.¡± Liu responded nonchalantly. ¡°Idiot!¡± Wally, the pudgy assassin, exclaimed. ¡°We¡¯re robbing you! Give us everything you have or we¡¯ll beat you to death and simply take it!¡± Liu reacted quickly, attempting to take his sword out, but Wally was quicker, sent a swift punch to Liu¡¯s face, knocking him down from the force. Wally then continued to beat Liu fiercely as Liu covered his face and went into fetal position. ¡°Don¡¯t make me beat you to death!¡± Wally warned menacingly. ¡°All I have of value is some medicine pills!¡± Liu yelled loudly, attempting to stop the beating. Wally momentarily stopped beating and looked up at Guo. ¡°Get up.¡± Guo ordered with his arms crossed, his face grim. Wally got off Liu and Liu struggled to get up, wincing at the pain in his stomach. ¡°Hand it over.¡± Guo said with an upraised hand, Liu opened up his inventory and took out a large pill bottle full of thumb-sized, pink pills, then threw them at Guo. Guo looked them over and opened the information screen. The pills were named ¡®HP Pills Version 2,¡¯ and it was simply described with, ¡®Heals 60 HP.¡¯ As they looked like HP pills, and were described as such, Guo took them to be as such. ¡°Those should be worth a couple gold.¡± Roj, the pudgy archer, said with a smile. ¡°Good, good. Get more pills like these and we¡¯ll consider your debt even.¡± Guo said to Liu, as he handed some pills to Wally and Roj. They all swallowed several pill as they were somewhat injured from the previous fighting. ¡°And you better not report this to anyone, lest you get bea-¡± Guo suddenly stopped talking and his body become still, his mouth still open, as if he was still going to continue talking. ¡°You-¡± Was all Wally could get out before his stiff body collapsed to the ground, followed by Guo and Roj. Chapter 9: Earning My Balls Those pills were actually pills made of Leggy¡¯s paralytic poison and a few other ingredients that further intensified its effect, making it useful, even when used against someone on the tenth level. Although the paralysis wouldn¡¯t usually take effect this quickly, after each one of Guo¡¯s gang took several pills at once, the paralysis would naturally take effect much faster. As Zellin created the pills himself, he was able to both name it and set a description of it as he¡¯d like. People of Guo¡¯s level wouldn¡¯t be able to see through it unless he had the Appraise skill, which gave an automatic description of an item. For a faked item like these pills, the skill would be able to see through it, revealing its true function. These pills were conveniently named ¡®Version 2¡¯ just in case Liu mistook them for the actual HP Pills Zellin gave him. Liu snorted in disdain at Guo and his gang¡¯s unmoving bodies. ¡°Serves you right.¡± Liu said. He turned over their bodies before beginning to beat their faces with all his strength. ¡°Who¡¯s, a, ba-by?¡± Liu called out, throwing a punch after every syllable, letting out all his frustration from the previous day. ¡°Who¡¯s, the, id-iot, now?¡± He thoroughly beat each one, completely letting out his frustration and draining his stamina. As this happened, Zellin went to check out the boss fight. He sneakily went into the entrance and hid behind a large rock, watching the Level 10¡¯s approach deeper into the cave with their conjured light balls revealing the interior of the room. A large web was revealed as they went forward and eventually, a huge, 4 meter-long lump of a spider. It seemed to be sleeping. Damn, Zellin exclaimed within his mind. Spider Queen... Bo gave a signal, and the group began to prepare all their long-range skills, which they released with a wave of Bo¡¯s hand. Lightning bolts, ice spears, and flaming arrows all flew forward at the huge lump of sleeping spider. As the spider was bombarded with spells and arrows, it let out an ear-piercing shriek, expressing its extreme displeasure at these intruders. As the shriek sounded, the spider queen jumped to the ground with a heavy thud, and little spider hatchlings began to crawl out the cracks in the cave walls, flooding out; hundreds of them. Though they were all either level 0, the only ten or so people in there couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with them and the Level 10 Spider Queen at the same time. Actually, the only reason this group of spiders had been so defensive, was because of these recently hatched spider hatchlings. This is bad, Zellin thought to himself, quickly rushing back toward the entrance. ¡°Quick, everyone! Bo and his group got swarmed by hundreds of spider hatchlings! They won¡¯t be able to beat the boss unless we help!¡± Zellin announced loudly as he reached the entrance. The Noob Village players immediately looked to each other, seeing the determination in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°FOR NOOB VILLAGE!!!¡± Someone cried out. ¡°Forward, Noob Originals!¡± Someone else yelled, leading the group into the large cave room. Zellin could only sigh in admiration. I¡¯ve never seen such proud noobs before. He thought to himself. With the appearance of the spider hatchling swarm, Bo¡¯s group were quite disordered. Bo could only yell at them to avoid the spider queen at all costs. Thus they spread out, running around as they stepped on spider hatchlings, trying to take out as many as they could. Unfortunately, no one had any good AoE skills to use; the most useful were the higher level fireballs, which could affect about a meter radius with its flames, but the size of its AoE effect wasn¡¯t much considering how many spiders there were. During this time, one of the level 10 players was already picked out by the spider queen and became covered in its thick web. He was left to struggle on the ground, suffering endless spider bites, and slowly losing his ability to move. At this point, the reinforcements arrived, somewhat relieving the current situation. For 10 minutes, they ran around with their senses heightened to the max, slashing and stomping on spider hatchlings as they avoided the spider queen. 4 of the unlucky, lower leveled characters were devoured in front of everyone, and even more were helplessly tied up in webs or paralyzed with poison. But after those grueling ten minutes, only about 50 spiders were left, who hurriedly retreated back in the cracks of the walls, seeing only death if they continued. ¡°All under Level 7 retreat!¡± Bo called out urgently. The true battle was beginning and Bo knew the lower leveled players wouldn¡¯t be up to this fight. Bo didn¡¯t mind too much that the level 9¡¯s and 8¡¯s were joining the fight, but he was somewhat worried about the level 7¡¯s. Unfortunately he needed them, considering how much level 10¡¯s they had lost to poison. Without those level 10¡¯s, the group¡¯s overall capability was shot, thus requiring the other players from levels 9-7 to fill the gap. There were currently 12 Noob Villagers that were incapacitated with either webs or poison. After they were dragged out from the spider queen¡¯s range of attack, the true fight had begun. There were about 25 Noob Villagers prepared to fight to the death; most of them with injuries. Zellin¡¯s natural mentality in this situation would be to say, ¡®Fuck it, I don¡¯t want to die. Who needs to kill this spider queen anyway?¡¯ But on this world the people on this world, people held the words, ¡®what doesn¡¯t kill you makes you stronger,¡¯ to heart, and if you hadn¡¯t guessed it yet, the greatest desire in this world was to become truly strong. Thus, people sought out situations like this, in the hopes of nothing more than to get stronger.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The spider queen had jumped up on its web, intent on fighting from above. It immediately targeted the archers and spit a glob of white out its bum which spread to a 20 meter web. About 4 archers and two warriors were either too slow or were too far in the center of where the web was aimed and were caught in the thick web. The web weighed down on them, and they struggled to escape. Many of them escaped quite easily, but unfortunately the web was coated in poison, and as the archers and warriors struggled to escape, it had seeped into their wounds, quickly infecting their body with a paralytic. Thus, the group, in a flash, had been incapacitated and could only hope on their fellow guild members to save them. ¡°I¡¯m tired of fucking around with this bitch.¡± Said the flame elementalist. He lifted his hand and a fireball with a foot long diameter shot out of his right hand and flew at the spider queen. As the fireball couldn¡¯t be considered fast, the spider queen easily dodged it, but the fireball hit the web instead, and traveled along its entirety, quickly burning it into nothing. The spider queen had no choice but to land in front of the group with a thud and let out a loud, threatening hiss. It wasn¡¯t looking good for the lumpy spider queen. There was a small hesitation from the group, coming from the fact that they knew they were now facing up against a cornered animal. But with the sound of rattling armor as a warrior took a step forward, the other warriors instinctively charged out. Bo also charged out, along with a shapeshifter who turned into a werewolf. The archers, enchanters, and the flame elementalist also began to assist from a distance. The spider queen was in a frenzy, receiving damage from all ends, and frantically lashing out with its spear like legs. As all of this went on, Zellin watched from the behind the rock as he had been since the beginning. Not too far from Zellin was a white-haired girl, simply watching the battle with bored eyes. Is that the same girl from the Summoner¡¯s College? Zellin wondered. No, she seems a bit older. The spider queen¡¯s HP was quickly depleting, and unfortunately, taking down a couple Noob Villagers along with her didn¡¯t seem possible. Though it was able to deal a lot of damage, after becoming too injured, the warriors would simply stood back and popped a pill to heal their wounds. In a helpless situation, with its HP nearing its end, it chose to flee, and jumped with its powerful legs toward the exit. Shit, it¡¯s coming this way! Zellin thought in fear. All he could do though, was stay behind the rock and hope it wasn¡¯t seen. Shit! Zellin suddenly thought. That little girl¡¯s in trouble! Zellin watched as the spider queen jumped, calculating it¡¯s landing to be a small distance away from the girl. As a man, Zellin naturally wanted to save her, but as a natural coward, he wanted to hide behind the rock. After a moment of hesitation, determination arose onto Zellin¡¯s face. Screw cowardice. I¡¯m earning my balls today! Zellin thought boldly as he charged out from behind the rock, spear in hand. Unfortunately, in the time for Zellin to think this out, the spider queen had already landed, and was currently charging at the little white-haired girl. The girl simply snorted as she waved a card in her hand. A white light shot out of the card, transforming into a 4 meter tall polar bear that swiped its powerful claws at the spider queen as it appeared. The claw swipe savagely ripped into the spider queen¡¯s eyes and dragged along until all its eyes were beyond repair. The spider queen shrieked and attempted to skewer the bear with its legs, in the hopes of dying with this bear. The bear grabbed one leg and allowed the other leg to stab shallowly into its shoulder. This only increased the bear¡¯s savagery as the blood-stained, white-furred polar bear pulled with all its might and ripped out the spider¡¯s leg. The bear didn¡¯t stop there and pulled out the other leg that was stabbed into its shoulder, before relentlessly beating down on the spider queen¡¯s head for several minutes, until the spider queen stopped moving altogether. The bear licked its ooze-stained paws before disappearing into the summoner girl¡¯s habitat card. In this time, the other Noob Villagers and Zellin had all gathered round and watched this savage beating. Zellin was slightly embarrassed, holding onto his manhood by reminding himself that at least, he had charged out from behind the rock. I¡¯ll earn my balls tomorrow¡­ he thought in defeat. After a moment of silence, Bo snapped out of his trance, and gave the order to butcher the corpse. After the dirty business was done, Zellin and the others met up with the rest of the Noob Villagers and also Liu, then headed back home. During the trip home, Bo asked Liu if he knew where Guo¡¯s gang was, and Liu simply told him after making up and giving Liu a gift, Liu separated from them and he hadn¡¯t seen them since. In reality, Liu left Guo and his friends paralyzed on the ground of the cave. He didn¡¯t mind too much about the repercussions of thoroughly beating them, as Ultimate Super Fighter City was pretty big, and it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to stay hidden unless Guo¡¯s gang paid for the information. Liu had decided to not join the guild, as he really couldn¡¯t stand Guo and his friends, and had only come today for revenge. Back at the Noob Originals headquarters¡­ ¡°So, have fun?¡± Bo asked Liu and Zellin as they sat at a round table having drinks. With Zellin¡¯s help, Liu was able to order some apple juice. ¡°Yeah, it was kind of eye-opening. I¡¯ve never seen fights with groups that big before. Everyone was pretty disciplined, and very organized.¡± Zellin commented. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re still learning.¡± Bo replied modestly. ¡°Anyways, that¡¯s what you guys can expect from joining the guild. Dungeon clearing can only really be done in a big guild like ours, unless you were multiple levels higher than the general level of the cave. So what d¡¯you guys say? Ready to join the guild?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Zellin replied, as if in thought. ¡°We¡¯d really be better persuaded if we had an incentive of some sort.¡± Zellin said shamelessly, knowing full well that they weren¡¯t going to join the guild. Bo let out a light laugh. ¡°Okay then. I can offer Liu a Level 8 claymore, and for you, I have something a bit more special.¡± Bo said mysteriously as he opened his inventory and pulled out a brown sack. Something seemed to be squirming inside. Bo let it out onto the ground, revealing that it was Level 3 Poison Prince Hatchling. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Zellin responded in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I already have a spider, and I also only have one cave Habitat Card.¡± Zellin said, his thumb and index finger on his chin. ¡°How about you give me the spider queen¡¯s energy core instead?¡± Zellin said with a mischievous grin. Bo could only smile wryly at Zellin¡¯s greediness. This kid really knows how to take incentives to the limit. He thought to himself. Energy cores only appeared in monsters Level 10 or above, and for Level 10 monsters, the only real chance to get one is in a boss-class creature. Bo hesitated, but eventually forced himself to say, ¡°Fine! But only after you join the guild.¡± He said firmly. Zellin sighed in disappointment, and just as he was about to tell the truth about their intentions, Bo exclaimed, ¡°Shit,¡± as he saw a notification appear before him. Chapter 10: Is He Really That Bad? ¡°Guo just died¡­¡± Bo said, not sure what to make of it. ¡°Shit. And Wally. Now Roj. Damn.¡± Bo exclaimed. Zellin¡¯s face paled as he looked at Liu¡¯s shocked face. Is this what a xianxia MC is like? He wondered. Killing for the slightest annoyance? Is he really shocked or is he simply so ruthless and cold that faking shock for his victim¡¯s deaths doesn¡¯t faze him at all? Zellin was now looking at Liu like he was a completely different person, not aware whether this was an elaborate plot by Liu or a simple accident. Also, Zellin wasn¡¯t quite sure how effective his paralysis pills were, nor was he aware of how many Guo and his friends took at once. Zellin assumed that the effects of the pill would be to a paralyze a Level 10 for anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour, but in reality, the potency and the amount that was taken by Guo¡¯s gang would make the time paralyzed be anywhere from 6-8 hours. Plus, the facts that about 50 poison spider hatchlings weren¡¯t killed in the dungeon clearing, and the fact that the poison spider hatchlings ended up in the room that Guo and his friends were paralyzed in could only amount to their incredibly bad luck. ¡°Ha-how did they die?¡± Liu asked with a slight stutter and an immense feeling of guilt. Liu didn¡¯t intend on killing Guo and his friends for simply beating him and trying to rob him as he wasn¡¯t that hateful, but the fact that they could of died as a result of him made him feel extremely guilty. This could basically be the first time he caused the death of another person, and as Liu was only a child, it would be an extreme blow. ¡°The notification says that they were devoured by spider hatchlings.¡± Bo replied with confusion in his eyes. ¡°I wonder how that happened?¡± He said as he gave Liu a suspicious look. He had noticed the guilt in Liu¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know! How would I know!? Why are you asking me?¡± Liu responded speedily, making it obvious to anyone with eyes that he had something to do with Guo and his friends¡¯ deaths. ¡°Relax, Liu. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m accusing you.¡± Bo responded consolingly. ¡°Since the guild record says that they died from poison spider hatchlings, there¡¯s naturally nothing we can do but accept it. People die every day, and it¡¯s not our job to look into every death that happens. Right, Zellin?¡± Zellin immediately got Bo¡¯s meaning and was very grateful for it. Though his friend might be a ruthless killer, he was still Zellin¡¯s friend. He couldn¡¯t abandon him. ¡°Right.¡± He replied. ¡°Looking into every single death would be pointless.¡± Zellin said as he patted Liu on the shoulder, signaling him to calm down. ¡°Right¡­¡± Liu agreed slowly. ¡°Anyways, Bo, how ¡®bout we get onto joining the guild already?¡± Zellin continued. He was very grateful to Bo, and assumed he would have a better time repaying his kindness if they were in the guild. Liu¡¯s eyes widened. I don¡¯t want to join the guild! What if they find out I accidentally killed some of their members!? Liu thought to himself, not aware that the situation was pretty much resolved with Bo¡¯s silence. ¡°We can do it now, if you¡¯d like, since the guild leader is here. Would both of you be joining?¡± Bo asked, aware of the current predicament going on within Liu¡¯s mind. Liu looked to Zellin and watched him nod resolutely, before he calmed himself and also nodded his head. Liu¡¯s been with Zellin long enough to trust that he thought this through. He had much more foresight that Liu was currently capable of. Bo put the spider prince back in his inventory, and led Liu and Zellin up to the fourth floor. Knock, knock. ¡°Guild leader, I have some people here who want to join the guild.¡± Bo called out, interrupting the sounds of metal clashing against metal on the other side of the door. ¡°Come in.¡± A voice called out. Bo opened the door and walked in with Liu and Zellin. The guild leader was standing in a wide room with another fully armored person, and seemed to be sweating. They must have been sparring¡­ Zellin observed. Raising skill levels in this way was quite effective, and didn¡¯t require you to risk your life. ¡°You¡¯ve met Liu, and this is Zellin.¡± Bo introduced. ¡°They wish to join the guild.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The guild leader expressed, seemingly not that interested. He raised his hand and played with some menu options, causing an invitation to appear before Liu and Zellin. Liu and Zellin both accepted the invitation and received a notification saying that they have joined the guild. ¡°You¡¯re a summoner?¡± The gaunt and pale guild leader suddenly asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Zellin replied with a nod. ¡°Are you interested in monster breeding? Our guild has some connections to the World Moderators, and it¡¯s possible to make some money by selling them monsters. Spider monsters are the easiest to make money off of, since a single spider egg sac can carry hundreds of spiders.¡± The guild leader said nonchalantly. Zellin¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Indeed, indeed. I do have a pet spider.¡± Zellin replied with repeated nods. ¡°Bring it out.¡± The guild leader responded. Zellin took out a habitat card and used his Summon skill to let Leggy out. Leggy¡¯s body was currently about a meter long. ¡°Hmm¡­ Good, it¡¯s a girl spider. Now all you need is a male.¡± Zellin smiled mischievously. ¡°Actually, guild leader. I believe Bo happened upon a spider prince of the same species.¡± Zellin informed the guild leader.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Bo again, let out a wry smile. This kid¡¯s definitely going to end up taking both the spider prince and the spider queen¡¯s energy core¡­ Bo thought to himself. ¡°Let it out.¡± The guild leader ordered. Bo opened his inventory and let out the spider prince. It was much smaller than Leggy; about a quarter of Leggy¡¯s size. The spider prince immediately noticed Leggy and drew near to her, before beginning to dance around in a circle around Leggy. Zellin raised an eyebrow, but the guild leader gave them a signal to stay quiet. The dancing seemed to continue on endlessly, and Liu and Zellin couldn¡¯t help but let out sighs of boredom. About an hour later, the dancing stopped, and the spider prince climbed up Leggy¡¯s legs from underneath. It rested underneath Leggy¡¯s abdomen, upside down, and began touching Leggy¡¯s abdomen. This went on for quite some time until the spider prince collapsed onto the ground. Leggy backed up and looked at the spider prince for a moment before suddenly lunging towards the spider prince and biting her fangs into the spider prince¡¯s head. It wasn¡¯t long before the spider prince¡¯s whole head became devoured. Zellin¡¯s eyes widened in shock and confusion. The guild leader simply shook his head. ¡°What an arrogant spider prince. The mating dance ritual only lasted about an hour. If it was truly sincere it would have lasted at least several more hours.¡± The guild leader said in disdain. ¡°When the spider eggs hatch, let me know. I should be able to get you several hundred gold. Of course the guild will take a small percentage.¡± ¡°Guild leader.¡± Liu suddenly called out. ¡°What are World Moderators?¡± He asked, after holding in this question for a whole hour. The guild leader looked at Liu for a moment, questioning whether he should even bother answering before sighing and responding. ¡°They are responsible for the cultivation of all the people in the world. They manage the guilds and colleges, and they provide monsters for us to kill; and sometimes, the higher level World Moderators can even cause natural disasters to control the human population. They basically make sure that the Grand Game runs smoothly. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say about the World Moderators.¡± The guild leader explained. ¡°Now get out. You¡¯ve wasted enough of my time by causing spiders to copulate in front of me.¡± After that Bo, Liu, Zellin, and Leggy hurriedly left. Outside the door, Zellin turned to Bo and smiled, extending his hand. ¡°The energy core, please.¡± He said smugly. ¡°What, you still want the energy core after killing my spider prince?¡± Bo replied. ¡°If you want, you can give me 50% of what you earn from selling the spider hatchlings, and I¡¯ll give you the energy core.¡± Bo negotiated with crossed arms. ¡°What? 10 percent.¡± Zellin responded, also crossing his arms, unwilling to lose out on the exchange. ¡°40.¡± ¡°15.¡± ¡°30.¡± ¡°20.¡± ¡°25. Any lower, and it¡¯s not worth it.¡± Bo responded with frustration. This little kid is really ruthless. If there wasn¡¯t a possibility of these two leaving the guild, I wouldn¡¯t even bother. Bo thought. ¡°Fine. Hand it over.¡± Zellin replied, once again raising his hand. Bo let out a sigh, before opening his inventory, and retrieving a small, pink, gem-like object and handing it over. Zellin immediately fed it to Leggy, who, after eating it, lied on the ground and began to glow with a white light. Several minutes later, the glow faded and some pink was added to the colors on Leggy¡¯s abdomen. Zellin checked Leggy¡¯s information screen and saw that she turned into a Level 5 Poison Spider Elite. ¡°Thanks, Bo.¡± Zellin called out with a triumphant smile. In another part of the city¡­ ¡°Hmm¡­ Your friend is quite stingy. I like him. Keep close to that one.¡± A hulking, bearded man, dressed in silk said with an amused smile. He was seated comfortably in a recliner chair, with an image of Zellin hovering above his hand. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this kid set up the murders of those three child thieves as well. That scrawny kid couldn¡¯t possibly have done it by himself. He¡¯s pretty ruthless and calculating for such a young kid. You can learn quite a lot from him, little one.¡± A look of doubt appeared on Coral¡¯s face. ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t really think he¡¯s like that. His character is much more like a lazy person who doesn¡¯t take anything seriously. Though, deep down he¡¯s very sensitive. Unfortunately, this makes him try less, lest the pain from failure is too much.¡± Coral responded with an unusual amount of insight. If Zellin knew how much Coral saw through him, he¡¯d likely never be able to look her in the face again. ¡°No, Coral. You¡¯re much too na?ve. This kid is clearly a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing; an expert killer. Luckily for you, he¡¯s the sort who¡¯s loyal to his friends, and he¡¯s a descendant of the Kui Demons of the east.¡± The hulking man reproached Coral, before nodding his head and saying, ¡°I¡¯ve decided. You are to be betrothed to this child.¡± Coral¡¯s eyes instantly widened in shock. ¡°Father! Don¡¯t speak without thinking! Zellin¡¯s like an older brother to me! How could I have feelings for him?¡± Coral urgently spoke out. Though she didn¡¯t necessarily reject the idea, she was very hesitant. One part of her wouldn¡¯t mind being with someone who she liked as much as Zellin, but she truly had no romantic feelings for Zellin at all. Also, she was much too young to really have those feelings for anyone. ¡°Of course we must test his character first.¡± The man said, ignoring Coral. Coral could only shake her head at her father¡¯s eccentricity. He most likely decided this on a whim. Later that night¡­ Zellin and Liu walked into the large living room of their huge mansion. The instant they entered, soft sobbing sounds could be heard. Zellin looked to see Coral on the couch with her head in between her knees, crying softly. ¡°Yeah, Zellin, you should handle this. You¡¯re her only-slightly older Big Bro. Go on.¡± Liu said, patting Zellin on shoulder before leaving the room. Zellin let out a sigh. He had never seen Coral like this before, so it must be something serious. Though he would never say it, seeing Coral like this stirred up a painful feeling in Zellin¡¯s heart. Zellin approached Coral and placed his hand on her head. ¡°Come on, little one, tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± Zellin said as if he was doing this begrudgingly. Zellin took away his hand as Coral lifted her head, revealing her tear-stained eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Zellin. It¡¯s just that my father wants to ruin my life.¡± Coral replied in a badly feigned casualness, revealing her annoyance with her father. ¡°Go on.¡± Zellin said, crossing his arms and preparing himself for the possibility of a long whine session. ¡°My father wants to marry me off to some spoiled noble¡¯s son, without even considering what I want.¡± Coral continued with a pout. ¡°Is he really that bad?¡± Zellin asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°He is! He¡¯s the worst! He¡¯s lazy and inconsiderate, and his only ambition is to become a super mage without even trying!¡± Coral spoke out in an exasperated manner. ¡°What an a-hole!¡± Zellin exclaimed. ¡°Why would your father marry you off to such a bastard?¡± He asked in an oblivious manner. ¡°I, don¡¯t, know.¡± Coral said slowly, helpless. ¡°Apparently, he¡¯s a descendant of a great immortal clan in the far east.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no excuse to be a douche.¡± Zellin replied without thinking. ¡°What¡¯s a douche?¡± Coral asked, confused. ¡°Ugh, nothing really. It¡¯s a cleaning utensil of sorts...¡± Zellin explained awkwardly. Coral raised an eyebrow in confusion, before letting it go and lowering her head slightly; looking up at Zellin with her wide, sparkling eyes, to say, ¡°But there is a way you could help¡­¡± Chapter 11: 1000 Throwing Needles ¡°Ugh¡­ Coral, I don¡¯t know. Isn¡¯t that a little excessive? Do we need to go that far?¡± Zellin asked cautiously. Coral had just proposed that Zellin fight for her hand in marriage. She said that if his father found out that she was already in love with someone, he might change his mind. ¡°I mean, Coral, you¡¯re only seven years old this year. This relationship is getting too intense too fast.¡± Zellin said with his hands raised, as if to push Coral away. Coral¡¯s face scrunched up into her angry face. ¡°Dummy! This is only a stall! If my father agrees to this marriage, we¡¯ll have until I turn 14 to run away before we¡¯re forced to commit. And this way I won¡¯t have to leave behind a shirked husband.¡± Coral explained, seemingly annoyed. Zellin¡¯s face paled and he began sweating. ¡°Yu-you want to run away with me?¡± He asked with a stutter. ¡°Idiot!¡± Coral exclaimed, seriously annoyed. ¡°Run away to escape, not to be together! Although¡­ we will be together.¡± Coral explained, slightly blushing at the end of it. ¡°Hah, hah.¡± Zellin suddenly let out, breathing loudly, unable to catch his breath. Shit! Since when did my life turn into a forbidden love romance? Zellin couldn¡¯t help but think to himself in the midst of a mini panic attack. Coral whipped her hand out, slapping Zellin on the face. ¡°Hey! Get a hold of yourself! We¡¯re doing this!¡± Coral said decisively. ¡°Now go to sleep. We¡¯ll be going to see my father in the morning.¡± Coral said firmly, patting Zellin¡¯s shoulder as if to comfort him after ending his life. With that, she left, leaving Zellin in the room, struggling to catch his breath. Zellin took in a deep breath and held it in for a moment to slow his breathing, before exhaling. Zellin wasn¡¯t quite sure how to feel about the situation. Though he wanted Coral to be happy, he definitely didn¡¯t want to get married. No! This is for Coral! It¡¯s time to man up! Zellin thought as he slapped himself in the face. Next morning¡­ When Reyal saw Coral dragging the hesitant Zellin out of the door, he asked what was happening. When he heard the situation he immediately burst out laughing and insisted that he and Liu come along. Eventually, Coral had brought the others to the walled off part of the city, in the center, where the royal palace was located. Zellin¡¯s face immediately paled. ¡°Ugh, Coral. Are you by any chance, a princess?¡± Zellin asked, seriously hoping for a ¡®no.¡¯ ¡°Yeah, what of it?¡± Coral replied without expression. Fuck! Zellin exclaimed in his head. She wants me to ask the king for his approval in marrying the princess!? Reyal let out an amused laugh. ¡°Woah, Zellin. I never knew you could be so courageous as to ask the king for her daughter¡¯s hand in marriage. So bold, so bold. It¡¯s really admirable.¡± Reyal said, with a bit of schadenfreude. Though he would be slightly jealous if Zellin really was able to marry a princess. ¡°So does this mean you could be the future king?¡± Liu asked frankly. ¡°Easy, guys. No one¡¯s really going to get married.¡± Zellin said nervously. Reyal and Liu looked to each other to see the amusement in the other¡¯s eyes, before both bursting out into laughter. ¡°Hahaha, ha ha ha! Zellin, you don¡¯t seriously think you can escape the king do you?¡± Reyal asked, shattering all of Zellin¡¯s remaining hope. Zellin secretly hoped that the king would reject his proposal. ¡°Yeah, Zellin. Aren¡¯t you overestimating your abilities a bit much?¡± Liu asked, shaking his head. ¡°Don¡¯t mind them, Zellin. Let¡¯s go.¡± Coral interrupted, grabbing Zellin¡¯s arm and pulling him forward. Eventually Coral led the others into the castle, all the way into a very large, domed room, where a large man was seated in the center, meditating. Occasional ripples of energy would undulate outwards, forming circles of energy around the man which disappeared into the air. ¡°Father.¡± Coral called out in a loud voice from afar. If kids at Coral¡¯s level were to touch those energy ripples, they¡¯d surely die pointlessly. ¡°Hmm, little one?¡± The man dressed in silk, said, becoming aware of the kids in his presence. He stood up slowly in one second, and in the next he was standing over Zellin, releasing a terrifying aura that made it so Zellin couldn¡¯t breathe; couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Why are you holding my daughter¡¯s hand?¡± The king suddenly said, causing Zellin¡¯s suffocating body to break out into a cold sweat out of fear. ¡°Dad, stop it!¡± Coral called out angrily, releasing Zellin¡¯s arm to beat helplessly against his father¡¯s steel-like body. ¡°He¡¯s come to say something! Let him talk!¡± She demanded. ¡°Oh.¡± The king said, stroking his bushy beard as he retracted his aura. ¡°Come, now. What is it?¡± He asked. Though his aura was retracted, his body hovering over Zellin¡¯s and his piercing gaze still caused Zellin to be unable to speak. ¡°I- I- I,¡± Zellin tried to say through his fearful stutter. ¡°He¡¯s come to ask for my hand in marriage!¡± Coral suddenly burst out loudly. ¡°Oh? Can¡¯t he say it himself? I¡¯d really like to see how this kid is going to make me give up my precious daughter. What?¡± He said, holding his hand out around his ear. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you! Do you need me to turn around before you get over your fear?¡± The king said, turning his body around to mock Zellin.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Th-thanks, that¡¯s actually better.¡± Zellin forced out. This immediately caused the king to burst out into a laughter. ¡°Haha! A little shy, aren¡¯t you, kid? Well, get on with it. If it makes you comfortable you can talk to my back if you want.¡± He said with amusement. ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± Zellin immediately agreed, before getting on to business. ¡°I¡¯m here to make Coral my wife!¡± Zellin said with a deep, loud voice, attempting to sound manly. Though the effect was rightly taken away, as the king had to turn around for him to say it. Reyal had the burning urge to burst out laughing but held it in for fear of receiving the king¡¯s attention. The king let out a yawn, before asking, ¡°And why would I allow that, shy one?¡± The king seemed to be quite bored. ¡°Be-because I love her!¡± Zellin called out passionately, causing Liu and Reyal to turn their heads. ¡°Th-that¡¯s right, I said it! And I mean it! I love her!¡± Zellin said loudly, attempting to look serious. ¡°Yeah?¡± The king asked in boredom. ¡°Prove it.¡± He said, plainly. Okay, Zellin. All those years you spent writing romances in your room will finally be of use this day! Zellin said, motivating himself. ¡°To prove my love, I¡¯m willing to be pierced with 1000 throwing needles!¡± Zellin said, causing everyone¡¯s eyebrow¡¯s to rise as they thought, really? Throwing needles were weapons used by the ninja and assassin classes. They could range from half a foot to two feet, and were very thick for something termed as a ¡®needle.¡¯ Zellin paused for a moment before mustering up his courage and continuing. For Coral¡¯s happiness!... God I hope they don¡¯t make me do it, he thought before speaking. ¡°With the first needle to pierce my body, you may simply ignore my boast for love. With the hundredth needle, you may acknowledge it, but not approve. With the fifth hundredth, you may take my words seriously. But with the 1000th needle, if you still do not allow us to be together, you might as well pierce my heart and end me, as the pain of not being together with Coral would be 1000 times worse!¡± Zellin spoke intensely, taking heavy breaths by the end of his speech. Reyal and Liu¡¯s mouths dropped open, and Coral had to cover her mouth. Isn¡¯t that a little much? I mean, I¡¯m only seven this year. She thought to herself. The king slowly turned around with crossed arms. He stared intensely at Zellin for a moment before saying, ¡°Seriously?¡± Zellin threw away his hesitance, returning the king¡¯s intense stare and saying, ¡°Seriously.¡± The king suddenly broke out into a smile. ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s a good kid! I knew I picked the right one for my daughter! You said you¡¯re serious, okay? So no backsies. Remember, if you go back on your word, I¡¯ll be coming for you! You¡¯re betrothed now, so get out before you change your mind.¡± The king said with a wide grin. Zellin¡¯s face suddenly became expressionless. Picked the right one? Zellin said to himself, wondering what this all was. Zellin felt a force pick him up, as the scenery instantly changed. Zellin suddenly found himself back in a wide hall. The king seemed to have disappeared. Zellin turned to face Coral¡¯s blushing face, asking, ¡°Coral, what did the king mean when he said he picked the right one?¡± ¡°Oh, that? That¡¯s nothing.¡± Coral said, waving her hand as if to brush off the situation. ¡°My dad actually chose you in the beginning to be my husband, but he wanted to see if you¡¯d fight for me first.¡± ¡°Whhaaat!?¡± Zellin exclaimed loudly, unable to believe what he heard. Liu and Reyal started laughing, louder than ever at the increasingly amusing scene before them. ¡°Coral! I only said those things because I thought you were being married off to some a-hole!¡± Zellin yelled, exasperated. Coral, looked down slightly and blushed. Then she brushed away her pink hair and looked up at Zellin. ¡°I know. I never knew you felt that way about me.¡± She said shyly. Zellin felt as if the world had suddenly gone crazy, like nothing made sense anymore. He was so confused, it felt like his mind was spinning. Reyal struggled to stop laughing, wiping a tear from his eye. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry Zellin. If it makes you feel any better, she¡¯s still marrying a huge a-hole.¡± Reyal said with a giggle, patting Zellin on the shoulder. ¡°Fuck my life.¡± Was all Zellin could say. After Zellin¡¯s unfortunate engagement, they all went back home. Zellin sat in his room, trying to ignore the king and Coral¡¯s devious plot to trap him into an engagement, and instead thought about why the king wanted to marry off his daughter to Zellin. Could my parents have some extraordinary background that I¡¯m not aware of? I¡¯ll have to ask them next time I¡¯m home. Zellin spent the rest of the day thinking (sleeping) in his room. Coral attempted to speak to him about their engagement, but Zellin left the door locked and the lights off. He didn¡¯t want to deal with that at the moment. I might grow to love her in that way¡­ Zellin thought to himself. I hope she¡¯s super hot in the future¡­ The next morning¡­ The sun shone through the large glass windows, onto to Zellin¡¯s king-sized bed, caressing Zellin¡¯s sleeping face. Usually the bright light would have annoyed Zellin, but the warmth felt quite comfortable, allowing him to drift even further into his sleep. Zellin didn¡¯t know why, but he was at peace at this moment¡­ Thud! A large boot had suddenly stomped on Zellin¡¯s sleeping fac, abruptly waking him from his peaceful sleep. ¡°WTF, man!? Can¡¯t a kid sleep in peace around here!?¡± Zellin yelled out, rubbing his sore and dirty face. ¡°How lazy are you? It¡¯s almost noon. Get up!¡± Called out a deep voice. Zellin looked up to see a tall, golden-armored man staring down at him. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Zellin asked, his voice filled with annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m your new teacher. The king has assigned you and all your friends someone to teach them, for the sake of the princess. The way it is now, you¡¯ll likely not survive 5 years in the real world. Now, come on, up! Follow me to the courtyard.¡± The man said before striding out of the room. FML, Zellin thought to himself, before getting dressed and following suit. Out in the large courtyard, Zellin held is hand up against the bright sun before looking into the courtyard. He saw that in the very spacious courtyard, Liu, Reyal and Coral were already in the middle of sparring with their teachers. Even Greenz was being taught to use a short sword. Zellin slowly walked to his new teacher, as if dragging himself. When he got there, he lazily asked, ¡°Can¡¯t I get a meal first?¡± The tall man simply threw a pill at him, which Zellin caught and looked at. ¡°It¡¯s a meal pill. Everything you need in a meal, in a pill. Eat up.¡± The man said without expression. It seemed as if the man wasn¡¯t too pleased with this new assignment. Zellin grudgingly put the pill in his mouth. ¡°Why do I need a teacher? Can¡¯t the king just buy a bunch of skill books for us?¡± Zellin asked, his eyes squinting against the light. ¡°I¡¯m also here to teach you discipline. As the princess¡¯s future husband, you must learn to be responsible and work hard, lest the king end your life in disappointment.¡± The man said frankly. ¡°I hear you¡¯ve taken up the Pole Arm skill.¡± He said, changing the subject. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s kind of like a side skill. I¡¯m actually a Summoner.¡± Zellin replied. ¡°Well, now it¡¯s a main skill. The king isn¡¯t willing to let his daughter marry someone who can¡¯t fight. From now on, you will begin to learn everything about the pole arms skill.¡± The man said firmly. ¡°You will learn to fight at all lengths, from short staff, to long staff, to pike-length pole arms. You will also learn to use the halberd and fight with a shield. In addition, in preparation for the very likely occurrence where you¡¯ll be disarmed, you will learn hand-to-hand combat.¡± Zellin could only smile wryly. ¡°Who knew getting engaged would be so troublesome?¡± Chapter 12: The Friend Card ¡°Do you have any spear-related skills?¡± The tall armored man asked. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s super awesome. It¡¯s called Stab Dismemberment.¡± Zellin announced proudly. ¡°Show it to me.¡± Zellin took out his bronze spear and held his rear hand near his head, with his left hand, slightly lower, in front of his chest, holding onto the middle of the spear, angling the spear downwards. His grip with both hands, encased the spear with his palms facing the bottom of the spear, and his fingers wrapped around the top. ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± The man asked. ¡°The way you¡¯re holding spear basically cuts your maneuverability in half. How are you going to defend?¡± ¡°Relax, big guy. As I said, I¡¯m a Summoner. This stance is purely attack-based; meant to attack openings while my pets ravage my enemies. I call it the ¡®Pole-Vaulter Stance.¡¯¡± Zellin said with a smug grin, before rapidly stabbing out with the spear and displaying his skill. ¡°Right¡­¡± The man said, not knowing whether he should be impressed. ¡°Unfortunately, that skill is almost useless when facing the enemy yourself. It¡¯s only redeeming quality is its speed. Now put away your spear. I¡¯ve prepared several other pole arms for your use. First, we¡¯ll start with the short staff. Staves will teach you the basics necessary in wielding all pole arms.¡± The man instructed, beginning Zellin¡¯s lesson. Later that day¡­ Zellin and his friends have each received 1500 gold to buy their preferred skills at their respective colleges, and also to buy any manuals or learning-purposed books they may have. It was the most profitable day Zellin¡¯s ever had, and as such, he was quite happy. ¡°Man, what a work out eh?¡± Zellin said as he leisurely walked forward with his hands behind his head. ¡°I hope we don¡¯t have to work that hard every day.¡± Liu looked down and pinched his eyes near the bridge of his nose; sighing before responding. ¡°Zellin¡­ You only trained for an hour before we had lunch and left. You can¡¯t keep saying stuff like that. You¡¯re making us all worry about you and ourselves for even associating with you.¡± Liu said as if he was speaking to a troubled student with unused potential. ¡°Hey, now¡­¡± Zellin said, drawing closer to Liu to put his arm around his shoulder. ¡°Are you worrying about me, big guy? Don¡¯t worry man. When it¡¯s needed, I always pull through. Life is like riding a river to your dreams; all you need to do is go with the flow, man.¡± Zellin preached in a hippy-like manner. Liu forcefully closed his eyes, blocking out the rest of the world. I really, really want to beat him to death right now, Liu thought to himself. The group approached the dilapidated, wooden Summoner¡¯s College and waited outside while Zellin went in. As Zellin walked in the building he saw two white-haired girls standing at the counter, talking to Principal Lin. One was several inches taller, and the other was about Zellin¡¯s height. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t our most recent Summoner.¡± Principal Lin called out, interrupting his conversation with the white-haired girls. The two girls turned around, revealing their very similar and equally pretty faces to Zellin. Damn, he thought. They¡¯re like different sized twins. Very odd. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the boy who hid behind a rock during the dungeon clearing.¡± The taller girl said, recalling where she saw him. Zellin could only smile wryly. ¡°Zellin. Nice to meet you.¡± He said with a slight bow. ¡°S¨¨nah, and my sister, Sasha.¡± She said, nodding her head. ¡°Are you part of the guild?¡± She asked, slightly curious. ¡°Ah, yes. I joined a couple days ago.¡± Zellin replied casually. ¡°Have you heard of the upcoming Noob Village tournament?¡± S¨¨nah asked. ¡°Ah¡­ No, I can¡¯t say I have.¡± Zellin replied, after which S¨¨nah went on to explain the Noob Village Tournament. The tournament happened every 5 years, and was divided into three separate tournaments for the three separate Noob Village floors from the various bases throughout the city. Teams of 5 people would all fight for the glory of first place. The prizes were usually class specific items, so receiving the equivalent of the items in gold was also an option. But the true prize was the fame received after winning; it was very useful to have on your resume if you wanted to join a top-tier guild, as Noob Village was only for people under Level 30. The next tournament would start at the beginning of the new year, about half a year away. ¡°Anyways, my little sister is emotionally dead inside and doesn¡¯t know how to make friends, so would you be a dear and form a team with my little sister for me and join the tournament.¡± S¨¨nah said, leaning down to Zellin¡¯s eye level and patting his head. ¡°With two Summoners, you¡¯ll surely make it quite far in the tournament for your level.¡± Zellin raised an eyebrow. Are you seriously hitting on me? You¡¯re seriously like 12 years old. What¡¯s wrong with little girls these days? Plotting to trap guys into marriage, hitting on me for favors¡­ This world is effin crazy. Zellin thought to himself, secretly shaking his head. ¡°Ugh¡­ Yeah, sure.¡± Zellin agreed, slowly removing S¨¨nah¡¯s hand from his head. ¡°Just make sure she doesn¡¯t try to trap me into a marriage.¡± S¨¨nah raised her eyebrow in confusion. ¡°Oh kay¡­¡± She said slowly. ¡°Well, then. Hear that Sasha, I¡¯ve made you a new friend. Be sure to follow him everywhere he goes. Okay, well I¡¯m off.¡± She said, before swiftly leaving the two behind in the College and exiting the building. Zellin turned to look at Sasha who was staring at him expressionlessly. After a moment of awkward silence, Zellin decided to completely ignore her and stepped up to talk with Principal Lin.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Zellin eagerly bought several spells with a wide grin. After which he asked for some instruction manuals and textbooks, but all Principal Lin had was an incomplete textbook on the Primordial Tongue. Zellin didn¡¯t bother asking what it was and simply bought it. As Zellin gave Principal Lin the money for the incomplete textbook, he looked over at Sasha, who still had that same blank look, but she also had her hand raised to Zellin, as if she was expecting something. ¡°What?¡± Zellin asked with a suspicious look. ¡°Buy me skills too.¡± She said frankly, like it was totally normal. Zellin simply smirked. ¡°Are you serious? I just met you a couple minutes ago; why would I spend money on you?¡± He asked in amusement. ¡°We¡¯re friends.¡± She said simply. Zellin¡¯s brow raised as he thought, Is she really pulling the friend card after knowing me for a couple minutes? Isn¡¯t this girl a little too weird for her own good? Zellin thought about it for a moment before sighing and agreeing. It isn¡¯t my money anyways¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll buy you one.¡± Zellin said, expecting gratefulness. But all he got was the expressionless response of, ¡°Five.¡± Zellin couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Are you serious? No, forget it.¡± He responded. Sasha didn¡¯t say anything more, she simply pouted and closed her eyes. What¡¯s she doing? Zellin wondered. After a moment, tears started to stream out of Sasha¡¯s closed eyes and she started to sob softly. Are you effin serious? Zellin thought to himself. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll buy you two skill books.¡± Zellin said grudgingly. Sasha¡¯s face quickly turned expressionless again. ¡°Four,¡± She said with her blank, tear-stained face. Zellin¡¯s brows furrowed. He was seriously annoyed. This girl is like a little succubus. But instead of stealing my soul, she¡¯s stealing my money. And instead of seducing me with sex, she¡¯s doing it with a pitiful little girl act. ¡°Three, and that¡¯s my final offer. If you say anything more, we¡¯re not friends anymore.¡± Zellin said, turning his head and crossing his arms to express his seriousness. ¡°Okay.¡± Sasha said with a smile, but she was secretly thinking, what an idiot. Zellin bought her a Summon Water Elemental spell, along with both the Ice and Agility enchantment spirit spells. Enchantment spirits were similar to normal enchantment spells used by Enchanters, but they were only usable on the Summoner and his or her summons or those who he¡¯s formed a contract with. ¡°Hey, little summoner. Interested in a quest?¡± Principal Lin asked Zellin as he was about to turn away. ¡°Hmm, sure. What is it?¡± Zellin asked. Principal Lin played with some menu options. ¡°See for yourself.¡± He said as a quest information screen appeared before Zellin, which Zellin began to read. The question of whether the Ethereal Mouse¡¯s existence is unknown to almost all. Whether this rodent is extinct, simply non-existent or superbly hidden is for you to find out. Seek out an Ethereal Mouse and return your findings to Principal Lin. Do you accept this quest? Zellin nonchalantly hit yes, not caring too much whether he could complete this quest. ¡°It is said that Ethereal Mice like to live in graveyards, but are rarely seen by others. Here.¡± Principal Lin said, handing a piece of paper to Zellin. ¡°This is a recipe for Ghost Crackers. This can only be made by Enchanters with the cooking skill. You¡¯ll need to slay some ghosts for their ectoplasm to make it.¡± Principal Lin explained, causing a simple nod from Zellin. After that, Zellin left, hoping to never see the little succubus again, but unfortunately she followed close to Zellin¡¯s side, and approached Zellin¡¯s friends with him. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Liu asked. ¡°Everyone this is Sasha. She¡¯s a little succubus who will steal your soul so everyone just ignore her.¡± Zellin announced. ¡°She can steal my soul any day. In fact she¡¯s already stolen my heart.¡± Reyal said with a wicked grin. ¡°Hey, Zellin, is she single?¡± ¡°Are you serious Reyal? She¡¯s like 7 years old.¡± Zellin exclaimed. How did I forget that this guy was such a pervert? Zellin asked himself. ¡°I¡¯m 8.¡± Sasha said blankly. ¡°And yes, I¡¯m single.¡± She continued, giving Reyal a coquettish wink. ¡°I¡¯ll go out with you if you buy me skill books.¡± Zellin simply shook his head. ¡°Seriously, hit puberty first.¡± Sasha followed the group as they went to everyone¡¯s respective Colleges, and she also followed them all the way to their home. When they got home Zellin asked his nameless teacher to find a teacher for Sasha also, so she wouldn¡¯t follow him around all day. The teacher sent a servant out to find a teacher for Sasha, after which he forced Zellin to train for the rest of the day. As he trained Zellin asked his teacher if he knew of any low level graveyards for him to visit. His teacher placed a marker on Zellin¡¯s map of Ultimate Super Fighter City and its surroundings. The graveyard was a place called the Unfortunate Child Church. World Moderators placed the bodies of unlucky noobs there. Depending on the noob¡¯s death, his or her spirit might be too angry or disheartened to re-enter the cycle of life, and instead manifest their spirits into vengeful ghosts. Later that night, Zellin collapsed onto his bed, as tired as he ever was. His muscles were sore from too much exercise and from being beat with a quarterstaff repeatedly. But he didn¡¯t go to sleep just yet. Instead he opened his inventory and took out the incomplete textbook on the Primordial Tongue. Zellin began to read as he knew he wouldn¡¯t have enough time otherwise with his new training regimen. The book introduced the Primordial Tongue as being the language that created the universe, and as such, this language also had the power to destroy it. The written version of the language were somewhat used when inscribing enchantments or when creating Runic Formations. It read, This language cannot be seen as an actual language that associates itself to the world. It must purely be used as a tool to produce a desired effect. If one was to begin to truly understand the Primordial Tongue as a language, it could produce disastrous if one¡¯s mental discipline was insufficient. As Zellin began to ponder on the subject... he suddenly realized that he had just forgotten everything that he had read. WTF? Zellin thought in shock. Could it be that my Wisdom stat is too low? He wondered. Zellin continued to read, repeatedly reading a single sentence multiple times before moving on, so as to memorize the subject easier. Zellin didn¡¯t appreciate being slighted by a book, so he was determined to memorize the whole thing. Before long, Zellin was mindlessly repeating sentence after sentence, until he simply passed out. The next morning¡­ The sun had barely risen over the horizon when Zellin¡¯s nameless teacher¡¯s foot found itself on Zellin¡¯s face. ¡°Come on, up. It¡¯s time for your morning exercise.¡± He said, after which Zellin got up with a groan and dressed himself. Zellin and his friends trained for several hours until lunch, and by that time Zellin was completely exhausted. So he used the excuse of visiting the graveyard for a quest to escape from the torturous training his teacher forced him to do. As Zellin and his friends left to find the graveyard, the teachers silently shadowed them. They had been given orders to keep the princess and her friends safe, but they wouldn¡¯t necessarily help these kids out for every little thing. They should be able to fight their own battles, but if things were too excessive, these teachers would naturally show up. These teachers had been repeatedly warned of the consequences of the event in which these kids found out that they were being watched. The king didn¡¯t want these kids to get too comfortable. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait till next morning to go do this quest?¡± Reyal asked, slightly worried. ¡°Player Killers become much more confident in the night, and it will be dark by the time we have to come back.¡± ¡°Easy, Reyal.¡± Zellin responded, brimming with confidence. ¡°Do you seriously think the king would let the princess go out without someone to watch her? Our teachers are probably guarding us right now.¡± Zellin said without fear. As Zellin¡¯s nameless teacher heard this from a distance, he exclaimed, ¡°What a dick.¡± Chapter 13: Fated To Die Alone ¡°Really?¡± Liu called out. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that basically mean we can completely ignore all danger to us?¡± He asked. ¡°Exactly.¡± Zellin responded with a nod of his head. The group¡¯s teachers could only shake their heads from afar. The walk through the city was quite peaceful, with most people ignoring them. Some people would occasionally raise an eyebrow at the goblin following their group, but most couldn¡¯t care less. The group leisurely walked out of the city and onto the road, walking for several hours, occasionally passing other parties who chose to ignore them. During the night, these seemingly harmless travelers would eventually turn into vicious criminals when the people grew sparse and the eyes on the road became few. Unlike Zellin and his friends, most people didn¡¯t have the luxury of being guarded by high level characters such as the group¡¯s teachers, so they would have to plan their trips carefully, returning to the city as night fell. The Hide skill, was a common skill book, available to most who wished to remain elusive to the laws of the world, which provided limited information on the deaths of a guild¡¯s guild members, depending on the strength of a guild. The Hide skill¡¯s usefulness, likewise, depended on the user¡¯s level, but it was more than useful in getting rid of average kids of Zellin¡¯s level and reputation. The group wasn¡¯t in any hurry, as the knowledge of being guarded has ironically lowered their guard. Having to travel back in the night has suddenly grown to be a much more relaxing event to the group. When they arrived on the hill where the Unfortunate Child Church stood, they saw that there were several groups spread out on the very wide graveyard surrounding the hill. This graveyard spread out several kilometers and many groups could be seen fighting low-leveled ghosts. Zellin began to leisurely walk down the hill, towards the graveyard. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with this.¡± He said, as if this was a menial chore that he was forced to do. As the group walked by the numerous graves, they saw that the graves had no names engraved onto the tombstones. These children were found dead by the World Moderators, who hadn¡¯t bothered to engrave a name onto their tombstones. They were purely there to be experience points for the living. Most of the families of these children, given the choice, wouldn¡¯t have buried their children here, in a place for people to level. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zellin asked, confused. ¡°How come no ghosts are coming out?¡± ¡°Most of these ghosts are simply confused, not inherently wrathful. We have to provoke them somehow.¡± Greenz explained. ¡°But may I make a suggestion?¡± Greenz asked. Zellin nodded to him, telling him to go on. ¡°Many ghosts never suffer true deaths. They simply lose their power to manifest their spirits in this world because their ¡®bodies¡¯ or apparitions lose their energy when they become damaged. But I suggest we purify them.¡± Greenz said, looking to Zellin for approval. ¡°And how do you suggest we do that?¡± Liu asked. ¡°With fire.¡± Greenz replied. ¡°I say we do it.¡± Reyal said, stating his opinion. ¡°No one deserves to live in that wretched state. I have flame enchantments ready to go.¡± ¡°How are we going to provoke the ghosts?¡± Liu asked plainly. Zellin looked around, waiting for someone to bring up a better idea before sharing his. No one spoke up; everyone was in the midst of thinking, so Zellin spoke his mind. ¡°We could, literally, piss them off¡­¡± He said quietly. Reyal turned to look at Zellin, disappointment in his eyes. ¡°Dude¡­¡± Was all he said. ¡°What?¡± Zellin responded with lifted hands and shrugged shoulders, as if he didn¡¯t do anything wrong. ¡°Do you have a better idea? Isn¡¯t the point to provoke them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Sasha responded, immediately receiving a loud, ¡°No!¡± ¡°No wants to see that. Seriously, Sasha, have some respect for yourself.¡± Zellin responded with disdain. After a moment of debate, the group forced Liu to do it. No one else wanted the burden of the act weighing down their karma. Liu didn¡¯t mind much and peed freely. After a moment, two apparitions appeared out of two graves, forcing Liu to finish up and retreat quickly. Zellin shook his head as he silently thought, did he have to pee on two graves? They had emptiness where their eyes and mouths should be, looking rather gloomy. Their bodies faded into nothingness at their waists, and their hands extended into sharp claws. The almost translucent, green-glowing apparitions let out loud shrieks, extending their hands out threateningly, and displaying the might of Level 8 Ghosts. ¡°Reyal.¡± Zellin called out, signaling the flame enchantments, while he called out Bear and his own fire enchantment spirit. Their already ready weapons all lit up, a flame encompassing them with an intense heat. The flame enchantment spirit fused with Bear¡¯s body, similarly encompassing his body with flames, making him look like a hellhound. ¡°Don¡¯t let them pass through you! Always be ready to defend with your weapons; they won¡¯t be able to pass through them.¡± Greenz called out.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Liu charged at one ghost while Bear charged at the other. Liu and Bear both leaped in the air; Bear lunging in with his sharp, burning fangs, and Liu brandishing his new Level 8 50 kg Claymore, activating the skill Guard Break as he neared the ghost. He relaxed his hands and let the intense weight of the claymore come crashing down onto the ghost, before skillfully ending the skill and regaining control of the sword. Though the claymore was almost twice Liu¡¯s weight, he had always worked hard to increase his strength despite his scrawniness, and was able to wield the heavy claymore relatively easily. As for the immense weight increase as a result of the skill Guard Break, it was simply a matter of balance and control, which Liu had been adjusting to for a long time. The ghost Liu attacked screeched as the burning sword hacked into its apparition, causing a mild headache and a loud ringing sound in Liu¡¯s ears. The ghost swept out with its long arms as Liu landed on the ground, ripping its claws into Liu¡¯s face. The wound didn¡¯t bleed, turning black where the claw bit into Liu¡¯s face. Not good, Liu thought urgently, struggling to regain his balance and flee. The ghost immediately swept out with its other arm, but was blocked by Coral¡¯s swift figure and burning daggers, giving Liu enough time to back away. Bear was simply savage, allowing himself to take a beating as he clawed and bit into the ghost. Zellin took advantage of this situation by freely making use of his Stab Dismemberment skill; not bothering to control the swift stabs, and simply allowing the flaming spear tip to stab without restriction as Zellin doubted he could actually dismember a ghost. Greenz and Reyal took every opportunity to send out fireballs towards the ghost Zellin was facing off against. Because Bear¡¯s ability to defend was more limited than Liu and Coral¡¯s, Bear¡¯s opponent was naturally made the main target. Sasha also contributed by shooting flaming arrows. As she didn¡¯t have a fire enchantment spirit like Zellin, she didn¡¯t allow any of her pets to come out. Though the group¡¯s average level was lower than these ghosts, their teamwork allowed them to slowly whittle down the ghosts¡¯ health. Eventually Zellin¡¯s opponent let out a hopeless screech, the last of its health being consumed by Reyal and Greenz¡¯ fireballs. The ghost¡¯s now mostly translucent body became engulfed by flame and disappeared, leaving behind a glob of almost translucent, green-glowing ectoplasm. With one ghost down, it didn¡¯t take long for the other ghost to join it in the next life as its body also disappeared into nothingness in the midst of a flame. Reyal quickly gathered the ectoplasm while the others gathered the money. ¡°Hey, check it.¡± Zellin said, picking up a bronze, rusty ring. ¡°A Level 7 Specter Ring. ¡®Distorts one¡¯s image, making one semi-translucent, and allowing one to blend into their surroundings.¡¯ Hmm, you can activate its effect 5 times a day.¡± Zellin read aloud. ¡°Here, Coral.¡± He said softly, walking over to Coral and handing her the ring. He still felt quite awkward around Coral, which is why he spoke so softly, but the ring suited her the best, so he instinctively gave it to her. Coral grabbed the ring and looked at it before a shy look appeared on her face as she misinterpreted the softness in Zellin¡¯s voice. ¡°Zellin, I was actually going to talk to you about this earlier, but¡­ You see, my father¡¯s not quite normal. He¡¯s very¡­ whimsical. That ¡®engagement¡¯ the other day doesn¡¯t have to last if I come to him in a few years and explain things clearly. The other day¡¯s event was purely to satisfy a passing thought.¡± She tried to explain awkwardly. ¡°So you see, I don¡¯t think I can accept this.¡± She said, holding the ring back up to Zellin. Zellin was silent for a moment, in shock, slowly processing the information and slowly becoming revitalized. Before long, a wide grin appeared on his face and he began to giggle at his past dilemmas before calming down and letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°Ah, thank you Coral, I needed that. You don¡¯t understand how much I hate the idea of marriage. I truly don¡¯t believe that two people can truly love each other in such a close relationship without a piece of themselves dying in the process. Unfortunately, I love myself and I love freedom. I¡¯d only be miserable in a marriage. Thank you, Coral, truly, thank you.¡± Zellin said, closing in on Coral and giving her a heartfelt hug. Reyal smiled wryly at the situation. Dude, aren¡¯t you fated to die alone? He couldn¡¯t help but think. Zellin released Coral and began to walk back to the church, merrily whistling and taking in this moment of freedom. ¡°Ah, the ring!¡± Coral called out as she followed behind Zellin. ¡°Keep it,¡± Zellin replied. ¡°It fits your class the best.¡± Back atop the hilltop, Reyal took out some cooking equipment, cracker ingredients, the ectoplasm, and some blood, getting to work on the Ghost Crackers. The group lounged around for about an hour before Reyal finished. ¡°I¡¯ve made quite a lot, but hopefully we won¡¯t need this much.¡± Reyal told the group. Zellin summoned Leggy as they walked into the creaky, old church, to see that Leggy now had a silk sac attached to her abdomen. Zellin simply raised at an eyebrow at this development, wondering how much money he would make from these spider hatchlings. Zellin considered producing his own personal spider army, but his mind wouldn¡¯t be able to handle that many spiders and he wasn¡¯t sure of Leggy¡¯s own ability to control the spiders. Zellin had Leggy climb up to the ceiling and lay down a spider web trap, which Reyal put some green-glowing crackers onto. Then the group simply sat around and waited. According to Greenz, Ethereal Mice were apparently quite brave due to their very successful, sneaky ways, so the group didn¡¯t bother to hide and simply sat around on the church pews, attempting to seem casual as they engaged in some light conversation while they waited. Zellin assumed they would have to wait for quite a while, but 15 minutes later they suddenly heard subtle nibbling sounds. Zellin looked over and saw that some crackers were being slowly whittled away, with chunks disappearing to nothingness. Zellin gave a mental signal to Leggy and the web that was laid down abruptly rose into the air, trapping the creatures inside. Zellin casually walked over and grabbed the web in the air, holding it up to see an empty space in the middle of the web. Zellin heard some nibbling sounds, assuming that the little buggers were trying to bite through. Unfortunately they weren¡¯t able to, and the web grew still. ¡°Playing dead, eh? Well I won¡¯t fall for it.¡± Zellin said playfully. Zellin suddenly wondered if he could put them in his inventory, when he suddenly remembered that Bo had done the same for his spider prince. Zellin casually followed Bo¡¯s example, putting the web into his inventory. ¡°Well, mission accomplished. Let¡¯s head back.¡± He said to the group. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Liu replied. ¡°It won¡¯t matter if we stay a little longer. Why don¡¯t we level for a bit?¡± He suggested. ¡°Guys,¡± Coral responded. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should tempt fate here. It¡¯s true that I might be guarded, but that¡¯s no excuse to act reckless. We should go back while there¡¯s still light out.¡± Coral said, worried. ¡°Relax, Coral. You¡¯re the princess, what¡¯s the point in worrying? The king wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to you. Besides, we haven¡¯t leveled together ever since we came to Ultimate Super Fighter City. C¡¯mon, it will be like the old days.¡± Reyal responded. Coral looked to Zellin, urging him with her eyes to support her, but Zellin simply shrugged. He really didn¡¯t care. In the end, Coral could only follow the group as they continued to hunt. I have a bad feeling about this, Coral couldn¡¯t help but think to herself, unable to let go of that feeling in the pit of her stomach. Chapter 14: We All Want Her Forgiveness ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to rely on possible guards to keep me safe. Farewell.¡± Sasha said frankly, walking away. Once she was outside, she summoned a large white bird, which she used to fly away. Coral really wanted to go with her, but she couldn¡¯t abandon her friends, so she stayed, albeit, reluctantly. ¡°She¡¯s finally gone; thank god.¡± Zellin exclaimed. The group hunted for a couple hours, storing their pee into bottles so they could gently sprinkle them onto unfortunate graves when they wanted to fight. The method worked fine, conserving the urine so that the group didn¡¯t have to urinate continuously. Another passing group expressed their disgust with Zellin and his friends, explaining that all they had to do was hit the tombstone a couple times, leaving Zellin and his friends thoroughly embarrassed. Zellin coughed awkwardly in response, telling the other group that if you urinate on the graves, the ghosts become more savage and reward more XP. The other group¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Really?¡± They exclaimed. The embarrassment was too much for Zellin to take, so he lied to make himself seem less monstrous, which ironically, turned him into more of a monster, for that other group would surely test out this theory. Before he could be blamed for seducing the other group into doing what they were originally so disgusted about, he told his friends that it was time to leave. By the time the group left, the sky was already beginning to darken. Coral slowly began to walk faster and faster as they walked along the road, hoping that she could subconsciously urge these guys to hurry up. It worked for quite a while. Though Zellin was lazy, he really didn¡¯t want to be outclassed by a girl, so he, along with the others, continued walking faster and faster, unaware that this was out of the ordinary, or that they were being tricked by Coral¡¯s superior mind. Coral walked as fast as she could without running, but it wasn¡¯t enough. About half way on their journey, it became thoroughly dark on the road, and two thirds of the way there, a stranger appeared on the road, blocking their way. Coral¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared, preparing a preemptive attack. ¡°Well, well, well, little ones, it seems you have reached a crossroads.¡± The masked figure called out, causing Zellin¡¯s eyebrow to raise as he thought, dude, the road only goes straight from here. ¡°One path leads forward, to the city, the other leads¡­ to your graves. How to find the right path you ask? Of course, gold will naturally pave the path to a brighter tomorrow!¡± The masked man said theatrically. Zellin looked around to see that five others have surrounded them, and their levels seemed quite a bit higher than Zellin¡¯s. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t try anything if I were you.¡± Zellin called out calmly. ¡°You are in the presence of a princess.¡± He explained. The man laughed out loud in response. ¡°You mean this little one, here?¡± He asked as he abruptly thrust his hand out and grabbed the air, causing Coral¡¯s image to appear out of the darkness. The man wrapped his arm around her neck and pointed a dagger at her face. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that if I kill this little girl, there will be deadly consequences?¡± He said unimpressed, with a mocking grin. Coral closed her eyes in fear. She was scared, as scared as she¡¯s ever been. She couldn¡¯t even struggle against the man¡¯s unmovable body. Zellin was about to explain further when the man suddenly released Coral, only to thrust his dagger under her chin, all the way into her brain. The dagger immediately took the majority of her health, inflicting the bleed effect. The shock from the dagger stabbing into her brain caused her brain to shut down soon after, and soon after that, she bled away the last of her health. Zellin watched with wide eyes as Coral crumpled to the ground, and as her body glowed white before shattering into pieces, fated to disappear into nothingness, like so many monsters Zellin has killed before. ¡°Hahaha!¡± The man laughed. ¡°Princess my ass. Now hand over your money lest-¡± The man called out before the sound was drowned out in Zellin¡¯s mind. Zellin was completely still as he stared at the pieces of white light drifting in the air, his mind processing this information slowly. He suddenly felt a silent scream fill his mind with immense intensity. I was wrong, I was wrong, I was¡­ He constantly repeated in his mind. The world around Zellin suddenly started to move, and he realized he held his spear in his hands. Realization of the situation occurred within Zellin and tears streamed out of his eyes as he thought, come back, come back, please god¡­ There was a flood of thoughts that entered Zellin¡¯s mind, and as was his nature, his urge to escape overwhelmed him. ¡°AAAAHHHH!!!¡± He screamed with all his strength. The world disappeared before Zellin into a white, hot rage and an intense pain filled his entire body. I deserve to die, he thought sorrowfully, before completely passing out. Later that night¡­ Zellin struggled to open his eyes to see that he was back in his room. He looked down at himself to see that he was heavily bandaged. An intense pain filled his body whenever he willed himself to move. He slowly recalled what had happened and tears, once again, began to stream out of his eyes. He sobbed softly, regretting everything; his decisions, his character. Is god fucking with me? Why would he reincarnate a useless fuck like me? I should have truly died back then, before all this¡­If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Zellin opened his eyes and looked up at the sound of the door, to see Reyal walk into the room. When he saw that Zellin was awake, he turned on the lights to reveal his grim face and bandaged body. ¡°Hey¡­¡± He said dejectedly. ¡°Reyal, I-¡± Zellin tried to explain selfishly before Reyal cut him off. ¡°Zellin, it¡¯s okay. She¡¯s alive.¡± He said softly, causing Zellin¡¯s tear-stained eyes to widen. ¡°She was resurrected at a church, here, in the city. She¡¯s back in her room, but she hasn¡¯t woken up yet¡­¡± Reyal explained. Zellin was dumbstruck for a moment before asking, ¡°What happened?¡± Reyal smiled wryly at the question. ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡± He responded. ¡°After Coral died, you lost your mind and began to attack, screaming at the top of your lungs. The rest of us joined the fight, but he we weren¡¯t their match at all. Eventually I passed out and when I woke up, I was back here.¡± Zellin immediately guessed the situation. Our guards knew that Coral would be resurrected and only stepped in to save us at the last second. Zellin could only smile wryly. He was happy that no one truly died, but he intensely hated himself for causing the situation. ¡°I see.¡± Was all Zellin said. After a moment, he struggled to get out of the bed. ¡°Easy, there. You look pretty banged up. Where are you going?¡± Reyal said, worried. Zellin smirked in response. ¡°Aren¡¯t you also injured? I¡¯m going to see Coral. I need to ask for her forgiveness.¡± Zellin said determinedly, as he struggled to walk to the door. Reyal didn¡¯t try to stop him and simply sat there in depressed thought. We all want her forgiveness¡­ He thought to himself. Zellin slowly managed to walk out of the door and walked down the hall for a distance before he approached Coral¡¯s room. He slowly opened the door and peeked in to see Coral sleeping peacefully on her bed, in one piece. Zellin let out a sigh of relief, thanking god in the process. He walked into the room, closing the door behind him. He pulled out a chair from a nearby table and placed it next to Coral¡¯s bed. He sat there for several hours, awaiting Coral¡¯s return to the world. Zellin was sleepy, but his need for forgiveness let him ignore it. Zellin watched Coral¡¯s sleeping face with gentle eyes, careful to avoid anything that might disturb her peace. I never knew how much I cared for her, until that moment¡­ He thought to himself. He never wanted to experience something like that ever again. In both of Zellin¡¯s lives, no one had ever died on him, with the small exception of his grandfather dying when he was at a very young age. As such, the pain of loss bit into him at that moment like the cold in middle of a snowstorm. Like he was naked in that storm¡­ Cold and vulnerable, only wishing for escape. It wouldn¡¯t have hurt that bad if Zellin didn¡¯t care for Coral the way he did. It almost makes him want to regret caring in the first place¡­ Such was Zellin¡¯s selfishness. He needed Coral¡¯s forgiveness like he would need water in a desert. It was necessary for his survival in this world. It wasn¡¯t until dawn when Coral¡¯s eyes began to flutter open. She looked at Zellin¡¯s smiling eyes before remembering what happened. As her memories flooded in, so did the pain. Her tears flowed out uncontrollably from her closed eyes. ¡°Get out.¡± She said quietly. Zellin didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°Coral, I-¡± He tried to say before getting cut off. ¡°GET OUT!¡± Coral screamed. Zellin really didn¡¯t understand. In the instant before her death, Coral had felt everything. The blood streaming out of the hole under her chin, and her stunted thoughts as the dagger pierced her brain. She tried to scream, but her broken mind wouldn¡¯t allow it. Before it ended, she had felt the pain in full. ¡°Coral, please.¡± Zellin said, attempting to dissuade her. ¡°No, Zellin! I ¨C said ¨C GET OUT!!!¡± She screamed at the top of her lungs, her tear-stained eyes unable to even look at Zellin. What could Zellin do? It felt like his heart was breaking, and he was helpless to do anything but leave the room, struggling not to cry. Zellin closed the door behind him, and leaned back against it, tears once again staining his face. Fuck, I¡¯m pathetic. She¡¯s the one who died, and I feel like I¡¯m the one who needs pity. ¡°URGH!¡± He exclaimed, biting his lip till it bled. FUCK ME! ¡°Zellin, are you OK?¡± Came a voice. Zellin opened his eyes to see that it was Sasha, holding her hand out as if she was afraid he would collapse. ¡°Fuck off, Sasha! What the fuck are you even still doing here!? Get the fuck out!¡± Zellin yelled, letting out her frustration on Sasha, before storming off as quickly as he could. Sasha could only sigh helplessly at Zellin¡¯s distant figure. He¡¯s still a child. If he wants to survive in this world, he¡¯s going to have to grow up. Sasha thought to herself before re-opening the door to Coral¡¯s room. Coral was sobbing quietly with her eyes closed, and didn¡¯t notice Sasha as she walked over to sit next to her. Sasha waited for her sobs to slow before she spoke. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve died before.¡± She said, causing Coral to open her eyes and stare at Sasha with empty eyes. ¡°I was burned to death with magic. The pain was excruciating. Until today, I¡¯ve never fully recovered, but do you know why I continue onwards?¡± She asked. ¡°Why?¡± Coral asked quietly. ¡°Because of my sister.¡± Sasha said, an unexpected softness in her eyes. ¡°You see, Coral, when someone truly cares for you, you¡¯re not allowed to give up, because to give up would be to spit in that person¡¯s face. You can only repay that love by living.¡± Sasha explained. ¡°Tell me, do you have anyone that cares for you?¡± A bitter look suddenly appeared on Coral¡¯s face. ¡°No one cares about me. I thought my father did, but he let my guards watch me die. I thought my friends did, but they ignored my opinion which lead to my death.¡± She said, looking down with despair in her eyes. Sasha sighed in response. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t make that decision just yet.¡± Was all she said before she got up and left the room. Coral stared at where Sasha¡¯s figure was. She wants me to regain my hope¡­ Coral thought to herself. She sighed and closed her eyes. For some reason all she could think of were her carefree days back at the academy¡­ Zellin was sitting on a bench in the courtyard, staring blankly at the slowly brightening sky. He tried to stay as still as possible, as silent as possible, hoping everything would just pass by him. I should probably leave after today... He thought to himself. I¡¯ll find a good bar, get good and drunk, then, hopefully, I¡¯ll die from alcohol poisoning. ¡°Zellin.¡± Came a voice from behind Zellin. He looked up to see that it was Liu, bandaged and using a crutch to walk. ¡°We¡¯ve been summoned.¡± Liu said. ¡°The king?¡± Zellin said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Why bother? I¡¯m leaving soon anyways.¡± He said in disdain. Anger flashed across Liu¡¯s face, and he grabbed onto Zellin¡¯s throat from behind with immense strength, allowing his crutch to fall to the ground. ¡°You pathetic fuck.¡± Liu said with gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you before you run away. Coral just died, you asshole! What we need to do right now is stay by her side! Let me know right now if you can¡¯t, cause I¡¯ll end you right here if I have to!¡± Chapter 15: Insight Into The Dao Zellin responded by quickly jabbing Liu in the nose with his fist, then continued to throw him over the bench. Zellin sat on Liu¡¯s body and sent fist after fist at Liu¡¯s arms, which were blocking his face. ¡°Fuck you, fuck you.¡± He said as he struck out. Liu winced every time his bandaged arms were struck, and Zellin winced when he simply moved his arms. Liu immediately began to time Zellin¡¯s punches, then suddenly threw an elbow at Zellin¡¯s face, striking him to the ground. Zellin simply lied on the ground, breathing heavily, with a gash on his face where Liu elbowed him. There was no more fight left in him. Liu, likewise, also lied on the ground, breathing heavily, with his arms flaring up in pain. ¡°Liu, she doesn¡¯t want me here anymore.¡± Zellin struggled to say, discouraged. ¡°Fuck you.¡± Liu said with heavy breaths. ¡°Aren¡¯t we a team? Fuck your feelings, Zellin. You¡¯re the only friends I have; like hell, I¡¯m going to let you leave.¡± Zellin stared at the sky from the ground, thinking about what Liu said. He suddenly smirked, self-mockingly. Liu¡¯s more of a man than I am, and I¡¯ve lived three times as long as this kid. He¡¯s as selfish as I am but he doesn¡¯t give a fuck what anyone thinks. Zellin thought to himself. I want to stay friends too¡­ ¡°Yeah, Liu.¡± Zellin said slowly. ¡°We¡¯re a team.¡± A couple hours later, Zellin, Liu, and Reyal were gathered in front of the king¡¯s throne, kneeling with their hands on the ground, struggling from the pressure the king exerted. ¡°If I didn¡¯t need you, I¡¯d extinguish your little life, here and now.¡± The king said, discontent in his voice. ¡°Do you have anything to say for yourself?¡± Though the king sounded displeased, seeing how depressed these kids were gave him a strange sense of joy. When the king was told of these kids¡¯ situation at that time the king had ordered Coral¡¯s guards to teach these kids a lesson by saving them at the last second and allowing Coral to die. Coral had already suspected his father for doing this, since she had been guarded closely ever since she was born, and also because she knew her father the best, and his character wouldn¡¯t see this act as being out of line. As the king saw it, since he¡¯s the one who sacrificed his life force to set up a Resurrection Contract with Coral and the laws of the world, it was naturally his right to use Coral¡¯s life as he wished. Though he loved his daughter dearly, to him, it wasn¡¯t like she was truly going to die. Plus, when he considered the torment that he had to go through to reach his level, he simply summed the whole thing up as a good learning experience. Zellin tried to say something, but was he was already struggling hard enough to simply breathe. ¡°Do you know the name of this city, of this kingdom?¡± The king asked, receiving no response. ¡°Ultimate Super Fighter City of Super Kingdom.¡± The king said slowly, expressing a point. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m allowed to name my kingdom like an idiot? Because my strength is sufficient enough to allow my idiocy.¡± He explained seriously. ¡°But as for you kids, you kids are worse than shit in the eyes of the world! You have no right to act like an idiot!¡± The king yelled, the intensity of his voice causing Zellin, Liu, and Reyal¡¯s ears to ring. ¡°The only way for you to survive in this stage of your life is to cling to life like a cockroach, using all possible means to survive, and taking the least amount of chances possible. Thus, as your king, I¡¯m ordering you to stay within the vicinity of the city unless I decide otherwise. Until you kids gain some insight into the Dao of cockroaches you¡¯re grounded until further notice. Dismissed.¡± Though the king said ¡®dismissed,¡¯ he simply lessened the pressure exerted on Zellin and his friends. The king sat back and watched the kids struggle with all their might to lift their injured bodies and hobble towards the doors. As the doors to the courtroom closed behind Zellin and his friends, they looked at each other seriously. ¡°He¡¯s right, guys.¡± Reyal said solemnly. ¡°We can¡¯t keep fucking around like we use to.¡± Liu nodded in response then looked to Zellin who had some hesitance in his eyes. After a moment, though, Zellin¡¯s eyes grew resolute. ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied. ¡°We can¡¯t waste a second.¡± When they got back to the house, Zellin went straight to work on some body-mending pills to help their recuperation. Though their HP was filled to the max, their actual bodies were still recovering. As Zellin worked in his lab, the door opened to reveal Coral¡¯s shy figure, still dressed in her sleepwear. Zellin turned around and was stunned into silence for a moment. ¡°Hey, Coral¡­¡± He said cautiously. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Better.¡± Coral responded shyly, unsure of how to approach. She felt quite guilty for yelling at Zellin earlier. It was an emotional moment for her, and Zellin was unlucky enough to be around. ¡°Zellin, I just wanted to say I¡¯m so-¡± ¡°No, Coral. You don¡¯t have to say it.¡± Zellin swiftly responded. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be saying it to you. But I won¡¯t, instead, I¡¯ll earn your forgiveness. I promise to work harder from now on.¡± Zellin said, the words almost feeling empty in Zellin¡¯s mind. He¡¯s repeated those exact words so many times in his two lives, but he usually reverts back to his lazy mindset. But this time, the experience that changed him was associated with a death of a loved one, which deeply affected Zellin. This time, it wasn¡¯t just for himself that he desired to change, but for the well-being of his friends. I¡¯m not going to let you down ever again, Zellin though resolutely. Coral simply smiled in that bittersweet moment. ¡°Friends?¡± She asked. Zellin smiled back. ¡°Friends.¡± He said, pulling close to hug Coral. Sasha walked in on the touching scene and couldn¡¯t help but mentally pat herself on the back, somehow feeling responsible for this moment. But as Zellin hugged Coral with closed eyes, enjoying the moment, he sensed her presence and simply said, ¡°Fuck off, Sasha.¡± He didn¡¯t want her to ruin the moment. Sasha could only frown and leave the room.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Why are you so mean to her?¡± Coral asked, releasing Zellin from the hug. ¡°It¡¯s probably because she walked into our lives without properly attempting to be our friends.¡± Zellin said frankly. ¡°Well, be nicer to her. She¡¯s a good person, and we¡¯re lucky to have her in our group. If you¡¯re nicer to her, she just might open up to you.¡± Coral scolded, before leaving to comfort Sasha. I should be nicer to her, Zellin thought to himself. Or else her crazy strong sister might seek revenge¡­ Once Zellin reverted back to peak condition, he began to train every day, harshly punishing his body and pushing it to the limits. Since he couldn¡¯t leave the city to level, he was determined to raise his skill levels instead. Zellin frequently sparred with his teacher, using several different kinds of pole-arms. Whenever he grew accustomed to using one, he would store it in his inventory, causing his weight to grow over time, and only forcing him to grow stronger. After reaching his weight limit, Zellin trained in martial arts, slowly growing accustomed to the weight. He would also train together with his pets, improving their coordination and overall fighting skills. Zellin experimented with various tactics he could use with his current skills and matched them up with his friends¡¯ various skills, analyzing their synergy. During the night, Zellin continued to read about the Primordial Tongue, his mind slowly becoming accustomed to the effect the book exerted on his mind. As his wisdom stat grew, he began to slowly understand that this was a book on teleportation, which was related to summoning in a way. There were other uses for the Primordial Tongue that were lightly touched upon in the book. Except for a somewhat detailed account of a minor explosion-type Runic Formation, the rest of the lightly touched upon subjects were useless to Zellin, and only served to expand his general knowledge of the Primordial Tongue. Although teleportation was way out of Zellin¡¯s league, a Runic Formation of teleportation was also described in a very detailed manner. After numerous attempts to create the formation, he eventually succeeded in an attempt, granting him the Runic Formation skill. And with the information that flooded into his mind about Runic Formations, Zellin managed to follow the bread crumbs in his book and construct a minor explosion-type runic formation. In this unusual, new manner, Zellin worked hard every day, working even when he was resting, and growing stronger each day. Eventually, the New Year came around, and Zellin received a notification that it was almost time for the Noob Village tournament. Zellin casually brought it up to his friends and they were oddly excited for the event. They had stayed dormant within the mansion for half a year and were eager to test their strength. A couple days later, Zellin took Reyal and Coral to the Noob Originals base to see the guild leader and join the guild. After joining the guild, they found Bo and signed up for the tournament, naming themselves Las Cucarachas. Bo also took this time to give Zellin his share of the money he received from the World Moderators, as he rarely saw Zellin anymore. During the last summer and fall, Bo had been helping Zellin find mates for Leggy, because Leggy seemed to hate all males and ate all of her partners. As the king refused to give anymore handouts, Zellin and his friends were forced to find their own way to make money, though Zellin naturally found a lazy way of going about it. Though Zellin and Bo split the profits of selling spider hatchlings 50/50, Zellin was still making several hundred gold with each transaction, and Zellin never actually did anything. Since Leggy became a spider elite, she would only mate with males of that rank, and Bo was forced to find these spiders, while making sure that they were below Leggy¡¯s level, so that Leggy would be able to eat her partner afterwards. Zellin simply did nothing but take his share of the gold, causing Bo to feel quite unsatisfied, even though he was also making good money. Bo even went out of his way to lead guild members to several spider caves, in the hopes of driving up the price for the spiders. Unfortunately, when winter began, Leggy refused to mate, thus ending this lucrative business. Eventually, the day came for the preliminaries of Noob Village¡¯s Floor 1 teams. ¡°Well, the fated day is finally upon us.¡± Zellin began to recite as he waved his hands around to accentuate his words. ¡°Let us make haste to the arena, so that we may sooner vanquish our enemies and rejoice at our victory!¡± ¡°Okay, Zellin, calm down. We all get it, we¡¯re heroes on a quest to rule the land, blah, blah. Stop making a scene; people are starting to stare.¡± Reyal said in the midst of a large crowd who were on their way towards the nearby arena. People from all over the city were gathering in the arena to watch the fun. Many guild leaders have also come, hoping to see the talent of the younger generation. Noob Village was a trial guild, created by the kingdom¡¯s numerous powers, and was similar to a college basketball team. It was a place for the younger generation to stand out among their peers, and ultimately show the real guilds what they¡¯re worth. Getting into a good guild, meant less worries in life, and automatic power granted by ready connections. Because of the many powers backing Noob Village, it also had many connections, allowing members to easily make money and slowly grow rich enough for the very expensive class upgrades, whose prices were purposely set by the World Moderators to be expensive. Las Cucarachas followed the crowd into the arena where they found an usher to lead them to their contestant¡¯s seats. It wasn¡¯t long before the main arena was filled to the max, with many people standing along the aisles just to see the show. ¡°Welcome, ladies and gentlemen!¡± Called out a well-dressed man, walking to the middle of the large platform in the middle of the arena. The crowd grew silent and focused on the man, making him a little nervous. ¡°Who¡¯s ready to see a good show today?¡± He said loudly, which was followed by more silence. ¡°Get on with the fighting!¡± Someone from the crowd yelled loudly, followed by a, ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s get shit moving already!¡± The crowd raucously agreed. Well fuck me for trying to put on a good show, the announcer thought to himself. ¡°Right, on with the show.¡± The announcer said, complying with the crowd. The announcer hurriedly went on with drawing lots and announced in which arena which fights would occur in. Then the people began to stream out, heading to the fights they wished to see. But many people stayed in the main arena to watch the team which was said to be the most likely to win. For the first floor, this team was Bo¡¯s team, which Sasha¡¯s sister also belonged to. In a separate arena, where the crowd was somewhat sparse, Zellin, Reyal, Liu, Coral, and Sasha stood on stage opposite a group of teenage warriors, dressed in chainmail and leather. The other group¡¯s members were all Level 8, and were all wielding either swords or axes. ¡°Las Cucarachas vs. Team Ravage is about to begin.¡± The referee announced. ¡°Remember, to win you must either push the other team off the platform, cause them to concede, or kill them all. Yes, everyone, killing is allowed, and Noob Village will take responsibility for all deaths; not that anyone can really do anything about it. Yeah, I¡¯m talking to you, group of fresh off the teat, Level 5s. Back out now, while you can. No? You know their team is called Team Ravage right? It means destroy, in case you didn¡¯t know. I can literally feel that these guys plan to kill you. No? Okay, but don¡¯t blame me. Right, everyone take a moment to get ready.¡± The referee said, ignoring these kids¡¯ foolishness. Zellin took this moment to summon Bear, Leggy, and Sparky, who was now half a foot thick and 3 meters long. Sasha also summoned a wolf next to Bear, a two and a half meter long, pure white dire wolf. The dire wolf looked to its smaller, half-its-size counterpart, Bear and began to let out a low growl, causing Bear to back away. Sasha looked over to Zellin, and Zellin watched as Sasha¡¯s mouth slowly curved upwards, ever so slightly, into a self-satisfied smirk. Zellin could only smile wryly, thinking, fuck you, Sasha. Chapter 16: Nell, Necromancer Sasha also summoned her white bird, the Snow Garuda. The bird immediately gave Sparky a glare when she came out, which Sparky simply ignored. This type of birds hate snakes with a passion. If Sasha wasn¡¯t there to control it, it would undoubtedly try to rip Sparky apart. As Sasha climbed her bird and rose to the air, Reyal enchanted everyone with several spells and Zellin summoned some enchantment spirits. ¡°Reyal, what does the scouter say about their power level?¡± Zellin asked, with an eager grin. ¡°It¡¯s over 9000.¡± Reyal replied dryly, not seeing the point, but Zellin told him to say it earlier, and he really didn¡¯t care. Zellin covered his mouth as he began to giggle uncontrollably. Fuck, I love that show, Zellin thought to himself. Earlier in the year, Reyal got a job to fix the enchantments at a local bathhouse near their house, which served to keep the water hot and produce bubbles. When Reyal heard of this magical public bath, he naturally spent some time peaking on the women¡¯s side of the bathhouse. Reyal would sneak in when no one was around and hide behind a bush, waiting for women to come in. But one day, he was appalled to see that some old man took his hiding spot. Reyal pretended to be an angry employee to hide his shame and the old man began to get scared of getting exposed so he offered him an apprenticeship to keep Reyal quiet. The old man actually turned out to be one of those rare, reclusive Scribesmen, who spent their lives analyzing and recording others¡¯ skills into skill books that they made available to the public. Since class colleges would be so secretive were their skills, there were naturally people like the old man who wanted to learn those skills. Although class skills were usually immediately bought by their respective colleges, Scribesmen still managed to make money. Actually, the fact that Zellin was able to get his desired Contract skill before getting his class, was simply pure luck. Eventually, through his newfound apprenticeship, Reyal learned the skill Insightful Eye, which allowed him to analyze basic skills and people¡¯s levels and classes. At higher levels they could even analyze the flow of mana in people¡¯s levels. ¡°But seriously, these guys are all Level 8 Warriors.¡± Reyal responded. ¡°Whatever,¡± Zellin replied nonchalantly before casually suggesting, ¡°Blitz?¡± ¡°Fine, but we have like 8 minutes. My mana will run out at that time.¡± Reyal replied, also not caring too much about it. ¡°You guys ready?¡± The referee asked, receiving nods from both teams. ¡°Right, begin.¡± He said as he got out of the way. The first thing to reach the other team was a hail of arrows from above. With Reyal¡¯s enchantment and her natural skill, Sasha¡¯s hand was a blur as she drew three arrows at a time and released them in her bow in an instant, before continuing to send three more in the next instant. The second thing to reach the other team was Zellin, who was not only enchanted by Reyal, but also his own enchantment spirits, along with his Sprint skill. As the other team struggled as hard as they could to block the arrows with only their swords while occasionally getting shot, Zellin came in as a blur, thrusting out with his quarterstaff, and using the impact of his quarterstaff hitting his opponent square in the chest, to stop before the enemy team. Zellin¡¯s opponent was thrown into the air, traveling a large distance, and almost falling off the stage. But before this unfortunate person could let out a sigh of relief, multiple arrows pierced his body as he became Sasha¡¯s only target, for her fear of accidentally hitting Zellin. The person let out a begrudged wail as he threw himself off the platform. As this happened, the other team had realized the arrows were gone and immediately turned to attack Zellin, but at this time, Reyal and Coral joined the party and picked out their opponents while Zellin defended against the other two. Then Liu, Leggy, Bear, Sparky, and Sasha¡¯s dire wolf came, and, well, you can guess the rest¡­ ¡°We concede! We concede!¡± The other team yelled after finding themselves being beaten to the ground. ¡°Team Ravage concedes, Las Cucarachas wins!¡± The referee announced. The sparse crowd couldn¡¯t help but have some complaints. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little unfair? Their team has two Summoners!¡± One person complained. ¡°Half the battle was before the actual battle when they were summoning their pets and enchanting each other. They shouldn¡¯t have been given that time.¡± Someone else said. ¡°Are those guys really Level 5?¡± Zellin and his friends levels might make people assume that they¡¯re weak, but their stats were comparable to regular Level 9s thanks to constant training, and their skill levels were possibly higher than some Level 10s. And though it might be unfortunate, the group¡¯s style of fighting half the battle before the actual battle, was all within the rules. ¡°Hmm, not bad,¡± Zellin said, pleased. ¡°I wonder how long we can keep this up?¡± He asked. Zellin usually had a negative predisposition towards the future, thus is uncaring attitude. He always expects life to fuck with him somehow, especially if things were going well. Their next battle, a couple days later¡­If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Sasha didn¡¯t have time for a preemptive attack. The enemy¡¯s archer immediately targeted Sasha, with a slightly lower speed and skill than Sasha, but nonetheless, it managed to hinder her. As Sasha¡¯s Snow Garuda was an elite beast, even considering its low level, it was able to easily dodge the incoming arrows and block whatever managed to close in, but this slowed Sasha¡¯s rate of fire. Sasha grew annoyed, and the enemy archer unfortunately drew her focus. The enemy mage had also began the attack with the enemy archer, she held out her staff and electricity gathered at the blue pearl staff head before releasing the skill Chain Lightning which bolted out of the staff and headed straight for Zellin. Zellin reacted quickly, using a trick he had recently discovered, his contracted shield in his inventory was summoned out and was immediately equipped by Zellin. Reyal wasn¡¯t slow either, casting an earth element enchantment on Zellin, causing a layer of stone to grow on Zellin¡¯s shield. Zellin aimed the shield as the Chain Lightning clashed against its rocky surface; though the stone absorbed much of the lightning, Zellin still felt the shield grow hot and a shock run through his body. Zellin shrugged it off and called out to his friends. ¡°Time it well,¡± he said. Zellin, his friends, and their small army of pets, ran forward at a steady pace, unlike their previous battle¡¯s all out sprint, straight towards the warrior in the middle. Zellin led the charge, as he was wary of the mage, and he was also the only one with a shield. But the charge would only take a couple seconds, so it wasn¡¯t of paramount importance unless the mage had a secret insta-spell that had some intense effects. But as the mage saw there was going to be a heated fight, she began to gather storm clouds; this spell would take longer than a couple seconds. She was hoping for the warriors to hold out for a little longer. The other two warriors that held back at the sides grew worried as they saw the charge, and immediately rushed to help, making it at their companion¡¯s side just as Zellin and his friends arrived. But just as they arrived, Coral and Reyal leaped high into the air with the support of Reyal¡¯s enchantments and sprinted towards the mage. Unfortunately, the enemy warriors couldn¡¯t be bothered with it, as they had their own fight to worry about. Fucking kids, one of them thought. You¡¯re out of your league; this tournament wasn¡¯t made for Level 5s! Though this might be true for Zellin¡¯s slightly weaker pets, Zellin and his friends had more than enough right to fight on this stage, which they immediately proved as the enemy warriors became overwhelmed seconds after they began to clash. And by this time, Sasha had dealt with the archer, forcing him off the stage, and the enemy mage, was similarly dealt with, becoming beaten to a pulp. ¡°Hmm, maybe we¡¯re better than I thought.¡± Zellin wondered to himself. The third match was more challenging. They enemy team was composed of a dark mage, a priest, a hunter, and two heavily armored knights with lances and shields. The first thing the enemy did was lower their eyesight with the priest¡¯s spell, while the dark mage slowed their movement, causing some irritation among Zellin and his friends. But they responded as best as they could. Sasha¡¯s Snow Garuda, Hail, jumped off the ground and began to take flight as Liu hopped up on its back and Coral grabbed on to its leg. With the Reyal¡¯s enchantments basically cancelling the dark mage¡¯s slow effect, and Hail¡¯s natural overwhelming speed, Liu and Coral swiftly found themselves at the other side of the platform while Zellin began the charge. The two knights hesitated for a moment, before falling back to defend against Liu and Coral. But even though they weren¡¯t being slowed by any spell, their heavy armor, lances and shields, caused their reaction to be somewhat lacking. By the time their lances were in range, Liu had already knocked their hunter into unconsciousness and Coral had forced the dark mage off the stage, while the priest managed to run off to the side. Liu would be able to manage the fight quite well, but Coral would have to struggle as her daggers¡¯ range was negligible in this fight. Luckily, Zellin arrived at this time and with his help they managed to defend against the knights, while Reyal took care of the priest. Then, in the end, like their other fights, they managed to win because of their overwhelming numbers. Though the audience hated the way Zellin¡¯s group won their matches, they couldn¡¯t keep their eyes away from their overwhelming charge, which brought in even more spectators to grumble about Zellin¡¯s team and their unfair advantage in numbers. In this way, Las Cucarachas earned some fame as ¡®that horde of fucking cockroaches.¡¯ Eventually, Las Cucarachas made it to the top 10, where they would be forced to fight in 3 duels involving only one person from their team, along with the team match. The team match was worth 2 points, and the duals were worth 1 point each, so it was possible to win the match even if some of your team mates crapped out on you in the team battle. When it came time for their next match, Zellin and his friends had come early to watch the other matches and see what level the top 10 was at, but Zellin wasn¡¯t really in the mood so he went to competitor¡¯s lounge to take a nap. When Zellin walked in he saw that someone else in a black robe was already napping on one of the couches. Zellin ignored it and chose a couch to lay on. Soon Zellin was in a deep sleep, dreaming about cockroaches. ¡°Ah¡­ no¡­ no¡­ I can¡¯t die¡­ cockroaches are¡­ invincible! Ugh? Ah?¡± Zellin exclaimed as he abruptly woke himself up. Shit, how long have I been sleeping? Zellin asked himself. Zellin got up and saw that black robed kid staring at him from the other couch. ¡°You¡¯re weird.¡± He said dryly. ¡°Screw you, you¡¯re weird.¡± Zellin retorted. ¡°You¡¯re that summoner from that cockroach team, right?¡± The kid said. ¡°Yeah, you?¡± Zellin asked casually. ¡°Nell, necromancer.¡± He replied, just as casually. ¡°Hmm, so we¡¯re like the same.¡± Zellin said, comparing their classes. ¡°Yeah, we both have others do our fighting for us.¡± Nell replied frankly, immediately causing some annoyance in Zellin. Screw you, he thought. I fight all the time. ¡°You¡¯re level?¡± Zellin asked. ¡°9, you?¡± Nell said, continuing on in that casual tone. ¡°You¡¯re level 9? But you¡¯re like my age; how often do you level?¡± Zellin replied, avoiding revealing his level, as he was quite embarrassed about it. ¡°I don¡¯t really level. Most of the time I¡¯m putting together skeletons, which I send out in the wilderness to get experience for me. They die a lot, but it works.¡± Nell responded. Zellin¡¯s mouth twitched as he heard this. For some reason this kid is pissing me off, he thought. ¡°Hey, is that girl Coral on your team?¡± Nell suddenly asked. ¡°Yeah, what of it.¡± Zellin responded. ¡°I heard that she¡¯s the daughter of the king.¡± Nell said with curiosity. ¡°Where¡¯d you hear that?¡± Zellin said, becoming slightly defensive. ¡°And why¡¯d you want to know?¡± ¡°Oh, no reason.¡± Nell said nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s always been my dream to get with a princess.¡± Zellin¡¯s face twitched again, and was just about to teach this kid a lesson when Liu entered the room. ¡°Zellin, we¡¯re up.¡± Liu called out. ¡°Au revoir, I¡¯m out.¡± Zellin said to Nell as he headed out of the room. It¡¯s probably better if I don¡¯t attract attention to Coral¡¯s status anyway, lest some kidnapping situation or something occurs, Zellin thought silently, already regretting not beating this little pervert into a pulp. Unknown to Zellin, Nell¡¯s eyes were wide in shock. Was that French? Is there even a French language in this world? There is English¡­ Damn, if I could only google it... Nell began to wonder. Chapter 17: The Enemy of All Women For the one-on-one match, the group sent Reyal out first, since there was no way to know who their opponents would send out. Though Liu had the most battle-oriented class, Reyal had the most ability to adapt because of his enchantments. And though he was an Enchanter, and this world was setup like an MMORPG, this world didn¡¯t really wish to take away people¡¯s individuality and freedom. This allowed numerous ways to develop your ¡®character¡¯ and allowed classes to be less stereotypical. Ever since Reyal picked up the sword, he was interested in mastering it, and with hard work and the assistance of his new skill, Insightful Eye, Reyal¡¯s mastery over swords became no less than Zellin¡¯s skill with spears, and perhaps he was more skillful. Though this world only restricted the armors and clothing you can wear by level and not by class, Reyal still chose to wear free-flowing robes. They grew wide near his legs to allow free movement, but were still tailored perfectly as to not allow it to get caught under Reyal¡¯s shoes. They were much like Zellin¡¯s robes, and were likewise, Level 8 clothes. Reyal wasn¡¯t too worried about its defense. Though its defense was still quite good, compared to heavier armors it was somewhat lacking. But Reyal wasn¡¯t worried about getting hit either, as he had a lot of confidence in his skill. Reyal went up to the fighting platform and took out his sword as he waited for his opponent. To Reyal¡¯s surprise a pretty girl walked up to the stage and also took out her sword, a katana. She was wearing the loose clothes of a martial artist and Reyal saw that she was a Level 10 Swordswoman. Swordswomen or swordsmen, typically had high levels of mastery over the sword compared to regular warriors. Reyal was immediately disheartened and began to walk off the stage. ¡°Where are you going? Do you wish to forfeit?¡± The referee asked. ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± Reyal said with a waved hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight a girl.¡± The swordswoman¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. ¡°Why are you afraid I¡¯m not your equal?¡± She asked with displeasure. Reyal stopped and looked back. ¡°No, it¡¯s just you¡¯re so pretty. I¡¯d rather date you than fight you.¡± He said boldly. The swordswomen only grew more annoyed. ¡°Are you saying women are only good for dating and that they can¡¯t fight?¡± She asked again. Reyal grinned in response. ¡°You¡¯re feisty; I like that. I¡¯ll fight you if you promise to go out with me.¡± Reyal said eagerly. Zellin shook his head in shame as he watched from his seat. It won¡¯t be long before you¡¯re the enemy of all women, he thought to himself. ¡°I¡¯d rather die.¡± The girl said frankly. ¡°But if you impress me with a fight I might grow to respect you as a fellow swordsman.¡± She said, holding in her disgust. Though she had no intention whatsoever of respecting Reyal in anyway, she wanted to thoroughly cut him up for looking down on her. ¡°Okay,¡± Reyal said, resigning himself to the girl. ¡°But when I win, we should get some lunch together.¡± He said confidently. ¡°Finally!¡± Someone from the crowd called out. As they were in the main arena and the matches were being held one by one, the packed crowd was forced to listen to that whole scene. ¡°Seriously, who cares about your love life?¡± ¡°Start stabbing each other already!¡± ¡°Dude, you didn¡¯t even get her name and you¡¯re already asking for dates?¡± Reyal and the girl held their swords out, and slowly drew closer together, wary of the other¡¯s skill. Soon there was only two meters between them. Reyal moved into a more defensive stance before saying, ¡°How ¡®bout you go first? It¡¯s the lady¡¯s right.¡± The girl¡¯s eyebrow twitched as she charged in. Reyal sighed at this frontal charge. I was hoping she¡¯d show some more grace, Reyal thought in disappointment. But the girl unexpectedly disappeared as she was about to close in. Shit! It¡¯s a movement skill! Reyal thought as he hurriedly threw his body into a roll, away from his original position. Reyal felt the eerie presence of a blade pass above his head as he ducked and threw himself to the ground. Reyal¡¯s hair was quite long, so some hair was inevitably cut off. I better start taking this seriously, Reyal thought to himself as he got up and activated some enchantments. ¡°You¡¯re quite impressive,¡± he said as he prepared himself for the next bout. The girl, was now behind where Reyal originally was, didn¡¯t say anything. She fully focused in this fight. She charged once again. Like before, the girl seemed to have disappeared, but Reyal was prepared this time and was about to send his elbow back to where Reyal sensed the girl¡¯s presence. But he froze. Fuck! I really can¡¯t hit a girl! He said helplessly as he felt a cold steel blade cut into his neck sending blood spraying out of the wound. Reyal instantly threw himself to ground and yelled ¡°I concede, I concede!¡± as he curled his body up and defended his face. ¡°Pathetic.¡± The girl exclaimed coldly. The audience immediately began to boo in displeasure. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking loser!¡± Someone called out. ¡°Go home! No one wants to go out with you!¡± Someone else yelled.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Reyal used his Preserve skill to stop the bleeding on his neck then slowly walked off the stage with slumped shoulders. This is the biggest failure of my life, he told himself. ¡°Wow, Reyal.¡± Zellin said as Reyal sat down. ¡°You actually successfully dodged the first time and failed to dodge the same move the second time. As failures go, that was pretty impressive.¡± ¡°Las Cucarachas, send up your next competitor.¡± The referee called out. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Zellin told the group. The girl grew quite wary as Zellin walked onto the stage. She knew that Zellin was a Summoner and that it would be tough to get past his pets and face him alone, so she decided to taunt him. ¡°Tch! A summoner!¡± She exclaimed in disdain. ¡°If you were a real man you¡¯d fight me by yourself.¡± The crowd immediately expressed their approval. ¡°Yeah! Stop hiding behind your summons!¡± Someone called out, while others also expressed their agreement. Zellin smirked in response. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t use my pets. But the result won¡¯t be any different.¡± He said. It wasn¡¯t long before the two competitors were facing each other. The girl thought that beating a summoner without his pets would be simplicity in itself and didn¡¯t plan to do anything special as she closed in to attack. But as soon she got close, Zellin threw a powder into her face which served to immediately blind her. Zellin showed no mercy as he stabbed the girl over and over, causing her to concede. Though Zellin also believed in equality for all, Zellin had no innate concern specifically for women like Reyal did. Fuck feminism, he thought. It¡¯s nothing more than excuse to be a bitch. It¡¯s better to simply be a humanitarian. Reyal shook his head in shame as he watched from his seat. It won¡¯t be long before you¡¯re the enemy of all women, he thought to himself. Zellin¡¯s next opponent was an ice elementalist who sent a barrage of ice spears at Zellin, and tried to finish him off quickly before he could summon any of his pets. But Zellin pulled out his shield and dodged as he summoned a speed enchantment spirit; after fusing with it, it wasn¡¯t long before the enemy mage was repeatedly being stabbed into conceding. The next opponent was a paladin, to which Zellin immediately conceded, causing loud boos from the crowd. Instead, Liu went up to face the opponent. Liu went up on stage and pulled out a large, weighty, meter and a half maul. The referee announced the beginning of the match, and Liu confidently walked towards his opponent with his war hammer over his shoulder. From the way he held his weapon, you might assume that it was a tough weapon for him to wield, but that assumption is dead wrong. Liu¡¯s strength stat is the highest among his group of friends, far surpassing the strength of regular Level 5 warriors, and was closer to, or might be higher, than most Level 10 Paladins; he could wield the weapon like it was an extension of his hand. As Liu got closer, he asked, ¡°Ready?¡± The paladin smirked under his helmet. ¡°How could I not be ready for a child?¡± Liu shrugged in response before holding out the full weight of his maul. He raised his maul as if he was about to strike, but unexpectedly charged instead. Liu activated the skill Tackle, which tripled his speed and strength as he closed in from close-range. The paladin was caught unprepared and Liu charged into him, causing him to step back and lose his balance. But Liu didn¡¯t stop and immediately used the skill Guard Break, increasing the weight of his maul as it aimed to hammer the paladin¡¯s head. The paladin took another step back and hurriedly raised his shield. The maul and the shield collided with the loud sound of metal clashing against metal. As the force was too much for the paladin, his shield was forced downwards by the impact, and his chest immediately became the target of a heavy kick from Liu. Liu concentrated all his strength above the paladin¡¯s center of gravity, on his sternum, causing the paladin to inevitably fall down to the ground with a heavy thud. ¡°AAAAAHHH!¡± Liu cried out, activating the skill War Cry, which increased his damage by 10%, before ruthlessly beating the paladin on the ground. The paladin became frantic and hurriedly raised his shield as he healed himself. This caused Liu to begin aiming for his legs, but just as the maul was about to strike, the paladin rolled out of the way, causing the maul to clash against the solid arena floor. As this stage was usually meant for fights between much higher leveled people, the floor was extremely sturdy. The rebound vibrated up to Liu¡¯s hands with intensity, causing him to release the maul. ¡°Shit.¡± Liu exclaimed. The paladin got up and instantly pounced on the unarmed Liu, savagely slashing at him with his sword. ¡°We concede!¡± Zellin yelled from his seat. ¡°Las Cucarachas concedes, stop fighting!¡± The referee called out, causing the pissed off grudgingly walk away. Liu wasn¡¯t happy either. ¡°Why¡¯d you concede?¡± Liu asked after walking off the platform. ¡°I could have beaten that guy.¡± ¡°Your stubbornness would have gotten you killed.¡± Zellin reprimanded. ¡°Here take this.¡± Zellin said, handing Liu a pill, before leading the group to the platform for the team battle. They immediately had an advantage as the swordswomen couldn¡¯t fight because she was still blinded, making it that much simpler. The opponents were somewhat smarter than their previous opponents. They had a warrior, a paladin, the ice mage, and an archer. They grouped together, with their fighters at the front, and waited for their opponents to come to them. Zellin and his friends responded by pulling out their bows and sending a barrage of arrows at their opponents. Though most of them were only mildly skilled in archery, it wasn¡¯t hard for them to simply aim and shoot. The warrior and the paladin were hammered with arrows, and whenever the ice mage or the archer moved out from behind them to send out their own long range attacks, they immediately became targeted. The ice mage did the only thing she could think of and prepared the spell Cold Mist, causing a mist to soon spread out over the whole stage. It effectively chilled Zellin and his friends, slightly slowing their movements and hiding their enemies. But Zellin was slightly positive about the situation. This could work out, he thought to himself. Reyal activated Insightful Eye while Coral¡¯s activated Night Hunter Vision, which all served to enhance their eyesight. Insightful Eye would be able to pick out subtle changes in Reyal¡¯s surroundings, and Night Hunter Vision was a sort of thermal vision skill. Reyal and Coral charged out to hunt, while Sasha took to the skies to see from above. Zellin also let Sparky out, many snakes had a skill similar to Coral¡¯s. It didn¡¯t take long for the other team to quit. ¡°Is it me, or we much better at this than I think?¡± Zellin couldn¡¯t help but wonder. In the end, the crowd was still mad as Zellin and his friends cowardly avoided confronting the other group. Then when they won in the midst of the mist, they could only attribute it to foul play. A couple days later¡­ 5 teams remained, and the other teams gathered in the arena to see who would get the free pass to the next round. ¡°And the winner of the draw is¡­ Las Cucarachas!¡± The announcer called out. ¡°Awww! Of course they won!¡± Someone in the audience called out in displeasure. ¡°Those guys don¡¯t deserve it!¡± Zellin could only smile wryly. ¡°How did the crowd end up hating us so much?¡± Zellin asked his friends. ¡°Well, first, we won most of our matches by outnumbering our opponents. And our last match probably didn¡¯t help either; especially since you blinded that girl.¡± Reyal replied. ¡°Yeah, why didn¡¯t we just fight them normally?¡± Liu asked. Zellin shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Liu, don¡¯t you see? Fighting like cowards will only lead us further down the path of the cockroach. You need to meditate more and gain some enlightenment.¡± Zellin reproved. Liu couldn¡¯t respond, and only sighed as he thought, the only enlightenment I¡¯m having is I¡¯m slowly on the path of losing all my honor. Chapter 18: Fucking Losers The next day, Zellin and his friends watched the other teams from the top 7 do battle. Zellin couldn¡¯t help but be a little intimidated. Zellin cringed at the thought of fighting Bo¡¯s team as they completely slaughtered the team they faced. Everyone on their Bo¡¯s team had high skill levels for this Floor 1 competition, and S¨¨nah¡¯s huge polar bear was absolutely ferocious. Zellin also saw that Nell¡¯s team made it to the next round. The crowd hated him as much they hated Zellin¡¯s team. Nell overwhelmed his opponents with a large pack of beast skeletons that were seemingly endless. Zellin was quite impressed by the fact as he couldn¡¯t manage controlling that many summons; his current limit was 4 summons. So whether he summoned his pets, an elemental, or an enchantment spirit, he could only summon 4 at once. Eventually it became time for the next round, and unfortunately for Zellin, his team was facing off against Bo¡¯s team, according to the structure of the tournament. Zellin could only sigh helplessly as he made his way to the arena with his team. I wonder how soon we should forfeit, Zellin pondered to himself. They had come quite early today, before the crowds came in, as the tension got to the whole team, causing them to become restless. Surprisingly, when they walked into the arena, they saw that Bo¡¯s team had also come early. Sasha immediately rushed to hug her sister. ¡°Woah there, little sister.¡± S¨¨nah exclaimed as Sasha wrapped her arms around her. ¡°I know I said to follow your friend everywhere he goes, but you should visit more often. This way, you won¡¯t be so excited whenever we meet.¡± She said with a smile. She greeted Zellin and his team as they approached. ¡°Sorry if she¡¯s been a bother. I didn¡¯t expect her to take my words so seriously and start living with you.¡± She said with an awkward smile. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not like you dropped off a baby for me to take care of, or anything.¡± Zellin said wryly. ¡°It¡¯s not like you left her there expecting me to find a home for her and buy her skill books, or anything. It¡¯s not like she relentlessly follows me everywhere I go, or that I sometimes find her outside my door, waiting for me, in the morning or anything.¡± Zellin expressed nonchalantly, in detail. S¨¨nah smiled in return, ignoring Zellin¡¯s sarcasm. ¡°Well, thanks for taking care of her.¡± ¡°Zellin.¡± Bo signaled, nodding his head to the side. Zellin took the hint and walked off to the side where the two could talk privately. ¡°Since when have you been friends with Sasha¡¯s sister?¡± Zellin asked casually. ¡°Ah, her. Yeah, I never really noticed her until half a year ago. At that time, she was suddenly popping up everywhere, asking to go hunting, and do quests together. Or just to spar and practice our skills. She¡¯s kind of clingy.¡± Bo replied without thinking much. Zellin smiled wryly in response. ¡°Did she mention she had a sister?¡± Zellin investigated. ¡°Ah, yeah. I asked if she had any family once, and she said she just had a sister, but that she would likely become jealous of any friends that S¨¨nah makes.¡± Bo replied. That bitch! Zellin thought to himself. She pawned off her obsessive sister on me so that she could get a boyfriend! Bitch! ¡°Anyways,¡± Bo continued. ¡°I have a proposal to make.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Zellin said, snapping out his thoughts of revenge. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How ¡®bout we call ¡®no summons¡¯ for our match?¡± Bo suggested. ¡°Ah? Why? All you guys really need to do is sent out S¨¨nah with that beast of a beast of hers, and the match is yours. Are you perhaps giving us a chance?¡± Zellin asked with a raised eyebrow. Bo grinned in response. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a way to enhance both of our teams¡¯ individual battle skills.¡± He said. As Bo had a somewhat close relationship with Zellin, he didn¡¯t want to be ruthless. ¡°Okay.¡± Zellin agreed. ¡°Do you want to set up the individual matches too? I suggest you send S¨¨nah out first. I¡¯d love to face her without her summons.¡± Zellin suggested. Bo grinned as his sense of competition arose. ¡°Okay, fine. Who do you want for our second and third participants?¡± Bo challenged. ¡°How ¡®bout the warrior and the shapeshifter. And how ¡®bout we say that spirit enchantment summons are allowed, as they¡¯re basically normal enchantments?¡± Zellin suggested, hoping to get as much as he can get. They also had a flame elementalist, but that guy was seriously deadly and Zellin wasn¡¯t inclined to having slow healing burn scars for the next couple of months. ¡°Oh ho ho. You don¡¯t want to face up against me?¡± Bo taunted. ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Zellin responded, intending on being frank. ¡°You¡¯re just as bad as S¨¨nah¡¯s polar bear. No one wants to face up against you.¡± ¡°Alright. If that¡¯s the way you want it, that¡¯s fine with me.¡± Bo said, complying with Zellin¡¯s wishes. ¡°But you know, you¡¯re still going to lose, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Zellin said dismissively. ¡°We¡¯ll see for sure when it¡¯s done.¡± The two teams simply sat on the arena platform and chatted as they waited, knowing that it wouldn¡¯t be long before they were fighting instead of chatting on that platform.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Time flows on and the arena slowly becomes filled with people. Soon, the arena was packed and the referee announced the beginning of the match. Zellin went on stage, and as agreed upon, S¨¨nah went up too. ¡°Begin!¡± The referee called out. Zellin simply stood there, waiting. S¨¨nah also remained still for a moment, before calling out, ¡°Should we have a moment to enchant ourselves?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Zellin responded. Zellin summoned the spirit of a cheetah and fused with it, causing his agility to gain a boost. Zellin didn¡¯t stop there, he also emptied his inventory of all his weapons. Multiple spears and staffs appeared out of thin appeared and landed on the ground with a clang, along with a halberd and a glaive. Zellin stretched his arms and legs before moving all his weapons off to one side and equipped two javelins. ¡°Ready.¡± He called out. S¨¨nah raised an eyebrow at this sight. Is he aiming for a long ranged fight? She asked herself. S¨¨nah also fused with some enchantment spirits and equipped a mace and shield, preparing for the javelins. ¡°Okay,¡± She replied. ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± The words barely left her mouth before Zellin¡¯s body flickered slightly and S¨¨nah saw that the javelin was already upon her. She instinctively raised the shield to cover her face. CLANG! As the javelin clashed against S¨¨nah¡¯s shield, Zellin was already sprinting forward. When S¨¨nah lowered her shield, her eyes widened as she saw the second javelin flying straight at her, leaving her only with enough time to raise her shield again. CLANG! When Zellin threw the second javelin, he instantly summoned a reserve spear from his inventory, and when his javelin once again clashed against S¨¨nah¡¯s shield, he was already upon her. S¨¨nah lowered her shield and instantly felt a sharp object poke her neck; Zellin¡¯s spear was subtly resting on her throat. Zellin sighed. I was going to stab her mercilessly, but after getting to know the other team, I¡¯m just not in the mood. S¨¨nah also sighed. She could receive the damage from the spear and attempt to fight back, but if she was too slow, the spear could pierce through her neck, leaving her trapped. Though she¡¯d have sufficient health points left over, Zellin could literally pick her up with the spear and throw her off stage. ¡°I concede.¡± She said with some bitterness. The crowd was surprised. ¡°Well that wasn¡¯t too bad.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Someone else said with a nod. ¡°He actually used some skill this time.¡± ¡°Yeah, and he didn¡¯t mercilessly stab a helpless girl either.¡± Round 2. Zellin vs. the warrior. Zellin had seen this guy on that spider dungeon clearing the guild did. Though he seemed quite skilled, Zellin wasn¡¯t really sure as he never had the chance to stand out while Zellin was watching. Zellin thought about using javelins again, but quickly abandoned the idea. It only worked last time because S¨¨nah¡¯s shield limited her visibility, but the opponent was wielding a two-handed sword; plus, they¡¯ve already seen that trick. Zellin equipped a simple spear. The warrior didn¡¯t waste any time and activated the skill Charge, which was pretty effective in closing the distance with your opponent in a short time. He abruptly stopped and lunged his sword out; he was slightly wary of the range of Zellin¡¯s weapon. Zellin quickly dodged to the side and thrusted his spear with his right hand, but then he saw his opponent¡¯s sword was already sweeping in from the side. Zellin had no choice but roll to the ground, mid-strike. He¡¯s faster than I thought, Zellin observed. Zellin quickly got up and defended against the next strike. As Zellin was quite confident in the durability of his spear and his own strength, he held his hands out and let the shaft of the spear accept the full force. ¡°Ugh!¡± Zellin couldn¡¯t help but exclaim as he felt the force of the impact. Shit, he¡¯s stronger than I thought too, Zellin thought with slight worry. As the warrior pulled back the sword, Zellin abandoned the idea of transitioning his stance as it was too slow, and simply let go of the spear as he opted to insta-summon another short spear which he immediately stabbed at his opponent¡¯s wrist. ¡°Fuck!¡± The warrior exclaimed as the spear pierced his wrist, disabling his left hand¡¯s movement, and forcing him to wield the two-handed sword with one hand. That didn¡¯t stop the warrior though, as hurriedly slashed down once again, but before the sword got far, Zellin leaped and insta-summoned a shield which he used to block the sword before it was half-way down. Zellin smirked. This is more my speed, he thought as stabbed his short spear into his opponent¡¯s jugular, midair. He activated the skill Penetrating Stab, and forced the spear in deep before once again, abandoning the spear to insta-summon another, which he used to completely disarm the opponent¡¯s sword, leaving him at the mercy of a series of quick stabs. ¡°I concede!¡± The warrior exclaimed. The warrior awkwardly pulled the spear which stabbed down his throat and into his chest. He cringed as the spear painfully made its journey out of his body, before handing the spear to Zellin and walking off the stage. Round 3. Zellin vs. the shapeshifter. When the referee announced the match to begin, Zellin quickly sprinted forward, while the opponent took the time to transform. The shapeshifter¡¯s muscles bulged out, his hair grew thickly on the sides of his face and fur grew on his bare upper body. Zellin threw javelin after javelin as he ran, but the shapeshifter refused to dodge and allowed the javelins to pierce into his body. Then the shapeshifter¡¯s eyes began to glow with a yellow light and his hands transformed into deadly claws. By this time, Zellin within range, and he thrusted his recently summoned pike out. The shapeshifter¡¯s elongated arms weren¡¯t slow, and managed to catch the pike, mid-strike, and ripped it out of Zellin¡¯s hands. Zellin tried to summon another spear, but as a new spear found itself in his hands, the back-end of his pike, now in the hands of the shapeshifter, whipped against his face sending him to the ground. After that, the shapeshifter¡¯s beastly and bloody body pounced, and thoroughly ravaged Zellin into conceding. ¡°Fuck,¡± Zellin exclaimed, as he walked off the stage. ¡°What a beast.¡± ¡°Who wants to go up next?¡± Reyal asked. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± Coral and Sasha immediately refused. They didn¡¯t want to be at the mercy of a savage beast. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Liu called out bravely. For the win. Liu vs. the shapeshifter. ¡°He fought bravely,¡± was all Zellin could say when Liu¡¯s beaten and bruised body walked back to his seat. Liu was simply overpowered. Whether it was speed or strength, he was thoroughly beaten when up against that beast. It didn¡¯t take long for him to be cut up with claw marks, and it didn¡¯t long after that for the beast¡¯s immense strength to send him flying off stage. ¡°Crap, I guess it¡¯s my turn.¡± Reyal said dejectedly. He couldn¡¯t force this responsibility on a girl. Reyal bravely went on stage, but the second the shapeshifter charged forward on all fours, he immediately yelled, ¡°I concede!¡± ¡°Fucking losers!¡± The crowd yelled out. Zellin shook his head thinking, there¡¯s no point in trying now. Zellin saw that they only really had a chance in the one-on-one duels, and had no expectation of winning the whole match. He only went this far for the fun of it, so he went up on stage and announced his team¡¯s forfeit to the referee. The crowd was no doubt, displeased, and quickly commented on their team¡¯s cowardice. But Zellin didn¡¯t care, as there was no way to win against Bo¡¯s team. He¡¯d rather save himself the trouble. Though Liu was also displeased that they forfeited, he too, saw no way of winning. The king shook his head as he watched the match disguised as an old man from the crowd. What a bunch of babies. How am I supposed to raise that kid if he has no fighting spirit? That Liu kid though, he has potential. I seem to remember he began walking down the road of the blacksmith. Maybe, I should help him out¡­ The king thought to himself. Chapter 19: Living In A Well Though they lost, it didn¡¯t faze Zellin. He had no real intention of winning the tournament anyway; he just wanted to see how much progress he¡¯s made. After their match, Zellin and his friends stayed to watch the next match. Zellin watched the one-on-one duels, but he grew uninterested after sometime as nothing impressive stood out for him. Then the group match began, and a curious light flashed in his eyes as he saw Nell walk up on stage. He was curious as to whether or not he could pass this stage. The other group were no pushovers. They had three highly skilled clerics, an enchanter quite proficient in archery, and their leader, a beautiful minstrel. They even won the earlier one-on-one duels, albeit, barely, with a 3 wins, 2 losses record. But Nell didn¡¯t seem impressed. He looked as uninterested as Zellin when this match began. The referee announced the beginning of the match and both teams immediately went to work. The three clerics charged and the enchanter raised their agility and strength, while the minstrel took out a fiddle and began to sing. That dick who cut in line, I¡¯ll make sure to cut his dick off, That asshole who stole my swine, I poisoned it! So I hope it melts his ass off, And any piece of shit that wants to whine, I¡¯ll beat you down, ¡®til you¡¯re begging, ¡®Ma¡¯am, all I want is to fuck off!¡¯ The song, no doubt, immediately had the whole crowd singing along. Zellin couldn¡¯t help but smile as he thought, what a vulgar girl. Although the song was amusing, it was just as effective, and served to raise the damage of the party by 20%. The clerics spread out as they charged with their maces and shields, leaving room for their enchanter to aim where he needed to. The four warriors of the opposite team, also spread out to meet them, in order to protect Nell behind them. Nell casually pulled out a bag from his inventory, from which he grabbed a handful of rocks, which he apathetically threw in the air. When the rocks landed, it summoned a black smoke from which appeared his wolf skeletons. The rocks were actually Gravestones, a Necromancer summoning tool. Nell continued to reach in his bag and throw stones in the air without a care, until the bag was empty. Soon, there were more than 30 wolf skeletons summoned, which charged out to meet the clerics. Though the clerics¡¯ eyes went wide, they didn¡¯t lose faith just yet. With their immense buffs, it didn¡¯t long for them to defeat the warriors, knocking them unconscious, and then they faced off against the undead with determination. They were confident as they were all capable of holy spells. Nell watched the battle for a while, unfazed as his skeleton wolves toppled on after the other. He simply pulled out another Gravestone and threw it beyond the battle in the center of the stage. The stone flew and exploded into black smoke a short distance from the minstrel and the archer. The smoke faded, revealing 3-meter long bear skeleton who immediately pounced on the minstrel. It threw her down to the floor where it began to ravage into the minstrel¡¯s neck and face. ¡°Shit!¡± The enchanter exclaimed. ¡°Retreat!¡± He yelled at the clerics, as he pelted the bear skeleton with arrows, attempting to draw its attention. But the undead bear was a Nell¡¯s slave and simply ignored the arrows at the command of its master. The minstrel¡¯s health became dangerously low, so she was forced to yell out their forfeit. Fuck, Nell exclaimed in his mind with disappointment. I wonder how it feels to kill someone¡­ The next day, Zellin and his friends fought the losing team for 3rd place. They had lost the one-on-one duels with 3 losses, and 2 wins, but they managed to get 2 points from the team match. Though it was a struggle, they had ultimately won through numbers. Sasha took out the minstrel with her arrows as she dodged the enchanter¡¯s arrows, while everyone else ganged up on the clerics. Without their damage buff, it wasn¡¯t too hard to accomplish. Eventually, they forfeited begrudgingly. Then it was the match for 1st place. Bo¡¯s team won 3 straight one-on-one duels and ravaged the wave of undead in the team match to win the whole thing. It was simply no contest for Bo¡¯s team throughout the whole tournament, so it wasn¡¯t a surprise that they won. They were going to have an awards ceremony but the unruly crowd wasn¡¯t interested and they had all left. To most of them, a kid¡¯s tournament was simply to amuse themselves or a small while. To others, it was to see if anyone really stood out, but most of the children were ignored. The announcer smiled wryly and awkwardly gave out the top 3¡¯s prizes. Zellin¡¯s team had received amulets that allowed for 10% more experience in battles, while Nell¡¯s team received the same but with 15% more experience, and Bo¡¯s team got 20% more experience. All in all, Zellin was satisfied for something he did on a whim. In the king¡¯s courtroom¡­ ¡°Congratulations on third place.¡± The king asked casually.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Zellin let out a satisfying grin. ¡°Not too bad.¡± He said, appraising their performance. ¡°It was actually quite simple to get into the top 3.¡± The king gave them a blank stare before he responded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It wasn¡¯t much at all; actually it was quite unimpressive.¡± Zellin and his friends raised an eyebrow. They thought they had done pretty good for their levels. ¡°It was a tournament for children. At that age, most kids simply focus on leveling to raise their stats and disregard skill and stat development through training. Also they didn¡¯t have the luxury of being supported by me to buy all their skills; forced to earn money the hard way. So at this level, most kids only have basic weapon and spell proficiencies, and sometimes the additional crafting skills. So you¡¯re right, it wasn¡¯t much at all. And no, you shouldn¡¯t feel good about it, especially since you so cowardly forfeited that match.¡± The king solemnly admonished. Zellin smiled awkwardly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who said we should live more like cockroaches?¡± The king laughed in return. ¡°Yeah, but who really wants to be a cockroach. That¡¯s just shameful.¡± Zellin could only continue smiling awkwardly, not knowing how to feel. Isn¡¯t this the worst sort of role model? He asked himself. ¡°Anyways,¡± the king continued. ¡°From now on you need to continue leveling, raising your skills, and making money, as you won¡¯t be receiving any from me. In addition, I will occasionally be giving you quests, so be prepared, lest you die from laziness. Dismissed!¡± The king said, watching as the group turned to leave. ¡°Zellin, wait a moment.¡± He said abruptly. Zellin¡¯s friends turned to look at Zellin, who simply shrugged before turning back to the king. ¡°Yes, king?¡± He said after his friends had left. The king¡¯s eyes, once again, turned serious. ¡°I know my daughter¡¯s death has had a severe effect on your behavior lately, and I know you¡¯ve been working hard to make sure she stays safe. And I want to say I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Zellin didn¡¯t know what to say, so he just said, ¡°Thank you, king.¡± ¡°But, unfortunately, simple effort isn¡¯t enough to keep my daughter safe in this world.¡± The king continued. ¡°As you grow older, you¡¯ll realize that the diversity of your skills and their levels will become increasingly important. If you watch the rest of the tournament for the 2nd and 3rd floors of Noob Village you¡¯ll understand.¡± Zellin¡¯s eyes also turned serious as he listened intently. ¡°As such,¡± the king continued to speak. ¡°The most valuable asset your team has is currently your friend, Reyal. As he¡¯s learning to be a Scribesman, the variety of skills he can provide your team will greatly improve its overall quality. So keep that in mind.¡± The king instructed. ¡°And to further the quality of your team, I have provided a gift.¡± Hmm? Gift? Zellin thought expectantly. Two tomes floated over to Zellin which grabbed in the air. Death Alchemy? One tome was a book on Death Alchemy, and the other was a skill book, for the skill Transmute. ¡°Death Alchemy is a rare and evil art, that focuses on corrupting the soul. Though it¡¯s despicable, it is extremely powerful. As, in you¡¯re the group, you¡¯re the one with the most common sense, I chose to give it to you; use it wisely.¡± The king warned ominously. ¡°Remember to continue working hard. I have high expectations for you and if you disappoint me, I¡¯ll torture you for 3 days and 3 nights. Now go.¡± The king said dismissively. At that, Zellin¡¯s determination could only grow in face of the threat of torture. Over the next few days Zellin and his friends watched the rest of the tournament, and it was as the king said. The skills used in the floor 2 and floor 3 tournaments were at a much greater level than the floor 1 tournament; more than double. Also, the diversity of those skills were greater as well. There were mages who used two-handed weapons, and warriors who used magic; their skills became applicable in numerous situations so the struggle against each other was greater and the battles were much bloodier than the floor 1 tournament. Zellin was amazed at the immense difference in quality from the floor 1 tournament; it¡¯s as if he had been living in a well all these years. After the tournament¡­ Zellin was sitting on the floor of his and his friends¡¯ living room, with Sasha, meditating. He had found out a while ago that by simply thinking and philosophizing about ways he could achieve his dream of a lazy heaven, his Wisdom stat would grow. So it naturally became part of his daily routine. He instinctively tried to teach Sasha, since she followed him around everywhere, but Sasha had no real aspirations of a better world, so she couldn¡¯t understand. She simply meditated and imagined herself dancing in the snow with her sister, but that was enough, and her Wisdom stat slowly grew as well after finding her happy place. A maid suddenly came into the room. Though she was a maid, she was also a trained assassin. Most people in this world had some sort of battle skills. ¡°Zellin, Sasha, there¡¯s someone at the door for you.¡± The lady said. Though the maids and guards were friendly to Zellin, Coral was the princess, so Zellin and the others were treated casually. Zellin and Sasha went downstairs to the front door to see a black robed, scrawny man. ¡°Hello, my name Vrago.¡± The man introduced himself, to which Zellin also introduced himself. Sasha remained silent. ¡°I represent a Summoner¡¯s guild in the northern country, Alfheim, called The Conq-¡± The man tried to say, but was interrupted by Sasha. ¡°Zellin, tell this man to leave.¡± She said with a sour face, before walking back inside. Zellin raised an eybrow. What¡¯s with her? He wondered, before turning to the man. ¡°Sorry, not interested.¡± He said frankly, before closing the door behind him. Zellin had no plans to move to the north, so he payed no attention to the offer. Later that day¡­ Liu walked into the guild and met Bo near the bar. Liu was currently learning the art of blacksmithing and Bo was helping him sell his merchandise. Unfortunately, the quality wasn¡¯t very good, so Liu had to modify his products to suit children even younger than Liu. Bo was using his connections to sell them to schools in the city that trained children. As they conducted their business, the one-armed bartender approached them. Liu¡¯s eye twitched as he saw him approach. What does this guy want? He wondered with annoyance. Ever since the incident with the whiskey, Liu naturally grew to dislike this guy. ¡°You¡¯re Liu?¡± The man asked in a gruff voice. ¡°Yes? Do you want something?¡± Liu asked. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in private.¡± He said, before walking out of the room. Liu raised an eyebrow before following him out to the alley nearby. ¡°Do you want to learn some real blacksmithing?¡± The man asked when they were alone. ¡°Eh?¡± Liu said in surprise. ¡°This seems kind of shady.¡± The man ignored him and continued to speak. ¡°The king seems to dote on you and your friends a lot. As such, he¡¯s asked me to teach you a skill of mine.¡± ¡°Why would I want to learn a skill from you?¡± Liu said in suspicion. ¡°Why else? To grow stronger.¡± The man said frankly. ¡°This is a harsh world, and if you want to live through it with your friends, you¡¯ll want to use any means necessary.¡± Liu thought about it for a moment and his eyes slowly grew more resolved. ¡°What will you be teaching me?¡± In the park¡­ Nell was enjoying a sunny day at the park, when he was suddenly approached by a black robed, scrawny man, who introduced himself as Vrago. ¡°Hmm¡­ The north, eh?¡± Nell pondered. ¡°That¡¯s quite a ways. How ¡®bout if I¡¯m ever in town, I¡¯ll look you guys up.¡± ¡°Yes, well, if you ever change your mind, this ring will instantly teleport you to our headquarters.¡± The man said as a he handed Nell an engraved ring with a red crystal. ¡°Think it over thoroughly. Our guild can be very supportive, and offers a freedom you won¡¯t be able to find here.¡± The man insinuated. He had seen the disappointment on Nell¡¯s face when he saw that he couldn¡¯t kill that girl, and he instantly knew that Nell would fit in quite well in their organization. Prologue - Promises Nell was doing his morning prayers at the holy maiden''s altar, along with the other devout followers. Within his head, thinking, with his back tense and hunched, as if to hide, while the full moon in the sky waited to greet the sun; he was still processing his various plans to escape this place. Nell wasn¡¯t like the other initiates who were born here, growing up with and instilled with the idea of the importance of the holy maiden. Nell was an outsider; a lost youth who was manipulated and lured into the cult with hopes and dreams of salvation; a promised land, where bunnies can scurry through the bushes, fish can flow freely through the water, and birds can fly high in the sky. Promises of freedom and safety; but alas, he was young and dumb to believe it. His blood was red and the ground was rock solid, so why did his eyes wander to the heavens above; perhaps the most he can ever be is a witness to something he could never have¡­ But in his mind, from the moment the idea of escape sprouted, it had never left, and after all these years, as his youth dwindled away, it was still something he was looking forward to. If anyone cared to look, cracks could be found in the walls, and there were all sorts of ways to get past locked doors, for those with the tools. If there was any benefit to the time he spent here at the Church of the Holy Maiden, it was his education; this place refined the way he thought, and gave him all sorts of tools to accomplish tasks for the church. In addition, they introduced him to all sorts of magick and disciplines, such as necromancy, enchantment, and divination, which drew on various energies, from the moon to human emotions.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Nell couldn¡¯t deny it; he had learned a lot. But alas, within the depths of his heart, he hoped for a sort of peace this life would not offer him. As the line moved forward, eventually it was Nell¡¯s turn. He first bowed, then he got on his knees and kissed the altar. In the depths of his heart, he couldn¡¯t help but pray. Please, there has to be more to life than this. If there is, as long as you can grant it, I will serve you for eternity¡­ Nell let out a sigh as he gets up, and moves ahead, allowing the next person to approach the altar. Nell stands to the side and watches the ritual proceed; he shakes his head, and he couldn¡¯t but think, perhaps he would never obtain his dream. Nell looks to the sky, at the shadow of the full moon, and the bright rising sun; like the corpses, and the blood that stained his hand, perhaps he was doomed to rot. Suddenly, a bright light flashed in the sky. Nell raises an eyebrow. What is that? He wonders as he squints his eyes. Something was moving quickly through the sky, and in Nell¡¯s vision it was getting bigger and bigger. Its size and presence quickly made itself apparent to Nell, and before he knew it, it was upon him. Nell¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°Noooo!¡± He exclaims. Then¡­ BANG!!! Darkness, silence¡­ On the edge¡­ Whispers¡­ Chapter 1 - Died and Arrived at Heaven Eric awoke with an immense headache. He struggled to look around and saw that he was on a bed in the middle of a white-walled room. The nurse next to him noticed his movements, and offers a smile. ¡°I''ve done a preliminary check, and you don¡¯t seem to have sustained any serious injuries. But it may be best to go through a round of healing just in case.¡± She says. Eric raises an eyebrow. ¡°Healing? Did something happen?¡± He asks. The nurse makes a note on a piece of paper; minor memory loss. She looks up and smiles. ¡°It¡¯s said you were struck with a meteor during morning prayers. The other initiates brought you here just in case anything serious was inflicted.¡± She says. Initiates? Eric wonders. He looks down; he was dressed in all black. Suddenly, a flash of memories flooded into his mind. Eric covers his aching head. The nurse raises an eyebrow, and makes another note; experiencing headaches. ¡°A round of healing may be necessary after all. Would you like to receive it spiritually or sexually?¡± The nurse asks. Though Eric¡¯s head was burning with a headache, he couldn¡¯t help but catch the nurse¡¯s words. ¡°Sorry, healing?¡± He asks. The nurse smiles. ¡°Yes, all the nurses of the Church of the Holy Maiden are practiced in the healing arts. So spiritually or sexually?¡± She asks. For some reason a wide grin was on Eric¡¯s face. ¡°Sexually, please.¡± He says, thinking he died and arrived at heaven. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡­ ¡­ Anyways, this story¡¯s not about him. Nell awoke with an immense headache. He looks around and he was within an unfamiliar room. He gets out of his bed and looks around, moving to glass door, and the balcony. Nell¡¯s eyes widen at the scene; there were buildings that pierced into the sky, and all sorts of fast-moving metal beasts traveling the roads. ¡°Where the hell am I?¡± He asks himself. Suddenly, a flood of memories flow into his mind. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He says, clutching his head. Nell suddenly realized, he had transmigrated, into someone else¡¯s body, and this place, it was called Earth. ¡°How the hell did this happen?¡± He asks himself once more. Nell immediately sent his senses into his surroundings and felt the vibrant spiritual energy that he was familiar with. This city, like many gatherings of people, seems to have pooled much of it. ¡°Weird.¡± Nell says. In his memory, Earth was a place where magick didn¡¯t exist. They appeared in legends and stories, but it was rarely visible on the surface of Earth¡¯s civilization, except for the most for handfuls of societies on the edge of what most people were aware of on Earth. ¡°But the energy is still here.¡± Nell says. He checks his body and finds it was lacking spiritual sustenance, but in this world, it was still possible to grow in power, closer to his previous body, or perhaps even greater. Suddenly, Nell¡¯s eyes open wide; that¡¯s right! This means I¡¯ve escaped the Church of the Holy Maiden! I¡¯m free, finally free! I can explore as I wish! He thinks with excitement. Nell was previously worried at this sudden transmigration, but maybe this was a chance; a chance to live a life he wanted to live, away from spiritual devotion and servitude. Nell scans his memory; it seems that this world had various laws protecting the safety of civilians and working-class people, and there seems to be all sorts of opportunities to grow in power and wealth for those who dared to work for it. Nell¡¯s eyes widen. All the work that was put into this society; this must be some sort of heaven. Nell thinks to himself, determination in his eyes. I must do my best to thrive here; this may be my last chance at happiness. He thinks to himself. The first thing I should do is regain my power; after that, it should be smooth sailing. He thinks to himself. Suddenly an alarm begins to ring, and a loud, slightly soothing melody resounds in the room. A memory appears in Nell¡¯s mind. ¡°Damn,¡± He says. ¡°I have to get ready for work!¡± He exclaims.