《Overpowered Wizard [Stubbing Book 2 @ Feb 28th]》 1: Not Crazy Zarian was sitting on a bench at a major Miami mall. The place was all sparkling glitz, in-season glam, and neutral colors. Each store front shone with wares that attracted the flurry of passing people ignoring him. The delicious smells from the food vendors the next floor above had his empty stomach growling. When he looked down between his darkness-inked arms, the polished floor reflected a scruffy black face and kinky black hair that hadn¡¯t seen care in a while. The passing mall shoppers spoke of mundane topics, unable to sense what he could sense. The local sports team was losing like usual. Elections were around the corner, riling everyone up. Fake celebrity gossip. The economy was hard. A new pair of shoes from a popular brand cost as much as a paycheck, but people bought them anyway. There were more banal topics than Zarian cared for. His focus was on something vitally important. Magic. Actual magic. It hummed, rippled, and pulsated from the center of the koi pond near the elevators across from him. Everyone kept walking past it without recognizing they were in the presence of the supernatural. Between him and the koi pond was an open floor where promoters had set up a stand for a popular rum drink. He was tempted to steal a bottle and have a big swig or two. He could use a little liquid courage while attempting something that should be impossible. Zarian grimaced. I¡¯ve been doing the impossible for a year. It was a good thing the Marines had kicked him out when they did. He would¡¯ve preferred not having a bad discharge, but it was around then the magic powers showed up. Instead of being poked and prodded in a sterile laboratory, Zarian was out in the open, dressed in wet, ratty clothes, with duct tape keeping his shoes together. He smelled like the Miami streets on a heavy rain day. He wasn¡¯t a fan of the literal down-to-earth living. But he had a lot to do the past year instead of finding a job and living under a roof. He¡¯d focused on practicing his magic powers. And he¡¯d done so without the government knowing they had a superhuman on the streets. He¡¯d also worked on being a good older brother to the ghost who was claiming to be his sister. ¡°You got this, Big Bro. Just like in the dreams. Go touch that magic thingy and see what happens!¡± Ariana cheered, sitting on the bench beside him. ¡°Dreams are dreams for a reason. I¡¯ll get thrown into jail again if it¡¯s really just a dream.¡± Zarian didn¡¯t want to raise his hopes too high. Ariana was too bubbly to put up with that. ¡°Don¡¯t let it be a dream. You have magic. Make it a reality!¡± Zarian chuckled at her cheesy motivational words. Ariana was way more put-together than him while she acted like a perpetual four-year-old child. She had on pearly white shoes. A flowery skirt covered in sparkles. And she had her hair tied into braided pigtails. She was like a doll always dressed in her Sunday best, while Zarian looked like a public menace who crawled out of the sewers. At the very least, she was a good little sister who kept him from being lonely, even if she was the primary source of his problems. She¡¯d manifested into his life when Zarian was eight years old and learning to make friends at school. The friends faded fast, but Ariana had always stayed nearby, except for when he needed his obvious privacy. Zarian had long practiced speaking to her without looking at her. He would speak from the side of his mouth in a low tone, which he¡¯d thought was sneaky enough. The sharp looks from passing mall shoppers suggested otherwise. He¡¯d received the same looks when he started making too many mistakes in the Marines. He¡¯d always tried being considerate to people around him. His little sister understood that nobody other than him could see or hear her. She understood he should ignore her, especially in public. Yet Zarian had a hard time doing that. She was adorable and sweet, after all. He could, however, acknowledge she was probably an untreated issue with his psyche. Drugs and therapy could make her go away. Then Zarian might become a functional member of society. Zarian shook his head, putting aside what was logical and safe. He turned to his little sister fully. ¡°Alright, fine, let¡¯s go all out. I¡¯ll hate myself if we miss what could be the opportunity of a lifetime.¡± Zarian ignored the many concerned looks or dirty glares from mall shoppers. He squinted toward the humming magic in the center of the koi pond. ¡°The dreams from the past couple of nights kept pointing to this. It all has to mean something, or my psychotic breakdown is imminent.¡± The nearest mall shoppers hurried away after overhearing Zarian. From the corner of his vision, he noticed a squad of cops positioned from two angles on the floor with him. A few other authorities covered the nearest escalators and the elevator. Wow, the mall didn¡¯t even bother with in-house security. They went with the local police directly. Ariana balled her little fists and puffed her cheeks, angered by the show of force drawing a net around Zarian. Since she was perpetually four years old, the act didn¡¯t lose its cuteness factor over the years. He was tempted to send her away before the potential violence started, but the determinedly cute expression on her face suggested she wouldn¡¯t be easily swayed. ¡°You got this, Big Bro!¡± Ariana shouted, pumping her arms up and down, little fists held tight. ¡°You practiced for a whole year. You¡¯re the strongest, and nobody can beat the strongest! Not these mundane weaklings!¡± Zarian nodded to her cheers, ignoring the strange phrasing toward the end. He looked up and noticed the mall shoppers clearing out faster, sensing danger on the horizon. Retail workers looked out from the entrances of their stores. The rum promoters looked around in concern. One of their young show girls started to put away the rum bottles. Zarian sighed, disgruntled. ¡°This is going to be so embarrassing if all of this was made up in my head.¡± Heart hammering, Zarian reached out with one arm, calloused fingers aimed at the rum promoters. ¡°He¡¯s raising a weapon!¡± A police officer shouted. The screaming started. ¡°Freeze or we will shoot!¡± The screaming grew louder. Innocent bystanders threw themselves to the ground or ran for their lives. The winding, inky darkness around his arm shifted forward. More darkness flowed out from the short sleeve of his pitted shirt and piled up onto his outstretched hand. More and more darkness gathered until it built up as a bulging dark orb surrounding his hand. The police hesitated. The mall quieted. No more squeaky footwear scuffing across the shiny floors. No more pointless conversations circling around the same unimportant concerns. No more mundane humanity. For the first time since ever, people saw Zarian for what he truly was. They saw what he was doing with the inky darkness on his arm and the bulging dark ball growing from his hand. They saw something eerie, unbelievable, utterly impossible.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Magic. Then the melon sized dark orb shot out fast, like an arrow, while staying tethered to his hand, stretching. The dark magic caught the bottle a rum promoter girl was holding while staring like a deer caught in headlights. She shrieked, letting go of the bottle, which was nice of her. The long tendril of pure darkness snapped back to Zarian with his prize. He lost some of the dark material. He could feel it slipping away, getting vaporized by the mall lights. It took a lot of concentration to gather and store quality darkness. Mere shadows wouldn¡¯t work out well enough. Not when he needed to do magic quickly. The shiny, industrial mall was not a good place to pull off these stunts. Oh well. Zarian bounced off the bench, twisted off the cap from his newly stolen drink, and took a big swig. He let out a loud whoop as he swaggered toward the koi pond, drawn by the humming, dreamy, pulsating magic at the center. Random bystanders went back to screaming. The police maneuvered fast and aggressively, setting their sectors of fire while trying to avoid shooting their own or the civilians. Zarian hoped he had enough time to get to his goal before they had a clear shot. A roaring blast from a pistol going off dashed away his hopes. Even after his stint in the Marines, he nearly flinched from the sound. Without ear protection, a pistol shooting indoors sounded louder than what the media depicted. It was also easy to miss a target while panicking or shooting on the move. He felt the first bullet zip past his back. Then another shot zipped close to him. Then another and another. Zarian wanted to duck for cover and avoid the open space around the koi pond. He went against his instincts for self-preservation when he felt the swirling magic from the pond thump with sudden urgency. It felt unstable. It felt like it was going to disappear if he didn¡¯t reach it in time. Poignant questions came to mind. Should he risk getting shot for the chance of something impossible and dreamy? Or should he collapse to the ground and hope for mercy from a bunch of panicky police? If they didn¡¯t kill him on the spot, he was destined for Area 51 or worse. He had no doubts about that. Zarian picked up the pace while draining more from the rum bottle. He tossed the half-emptied bottle behind him as the liquor burned a trail to his gut. Somehow, he kept everything inside. Even with his hammering heart and queasy stomach. More gunfire blared, roared, and sent supersonic lead snapping through the air around Zarian. They kept missing, and he kept moving. ¡°Go, Big Bro! Go all out!¡± Ariana frolicked behind him, completely fine. Bullets snapped into her and phased out the other side with nothing to show for it. Nothing mundane could harm her. Zarian¡¯s annoyance boiled up anyway. Being the big brother came with a protective attitude, regardless of his little sister being an untouchable ghost. When he reached the koi pond, instead of hopping in with a forward lunge, he twisted around and dove backwards. He extended both arms and let the darkness gush out. Watching it go was extraordinary. But feeling it was something else. The darkness he¡¯d gathered had weight to it. Like the depths of their black, lightless substance went further than anything he could imagine. They also felt homey to him, as if they were family. And they shot out with a lot of force. The darkness flew as blunt javelins from his arms. A dozen of them. When they passed by mall lights, the illumination dimmed and curved. The dense, dark conjurations seemed to have an effect against the lights, which was another weird quirk among many that Zarian was still trying to understand. It didn¡¯t matter at this point. All his answers were on the other side of the strange magic humming from the center of the koi pond. Shooting out all of those dark javelins sent him skipping across the koi pond like a well-thrown stone. His javelins landed in a bursting barrage on contact with the police. Each hit struck like getting tackled by a three-hundred pound American lineman, who was sprinting at full speed. Zarian gawked, mouth hanging open, as his dark magic sent grown men with guns flying off their feet. Then he lost momentum and hit the water with a big splash, koi fish scurrying away from his dirty body and the ruckus surrounding him. The gunfire died down. Police and bystanders shouted and screamed. He twisted around, rose to his knees, and hacked up some water. Feeling woozy from the rush, the rum, and the lack of proper nutrition, Zarian needed a second to get his bearings. He muttered, ¡°I¡¯m really not crazy,¡± a few times before he recognized his position. He landed in front of the magic thing that had beckoned him through his dreams the past couple of nights. ¡°It¡¯s there, it¡¯s there,¡± Ariana said in awe, standing on the water¡¯s surface behind him. Now that he was here, Zarian felt the pond magic more acutely. It was definitely weird. Like he was getting drawn by a weak riptide to somewhere unknown. The full current of the pond magic was getting blocked off. He couldn¡¯t see what the magic was composed of nor what kept it plugged up. He had no idea how any of this worked. But his dreams had led him and Ariana here, making him act rashly, as if he was going to miss out if he didn¡¯t take this chance. Is it some sort of mythical ley line? Zarian thought of all the mystical mambo jumbo he¡¯d read whenever he could get access to the internet. He wished he wasn¡¯t in such a rush or he would¡¯ve enjoyed the moment. An actual ley line sat patiently in the most modernized mall around. Nothing human or human-made could sense it but him. I¡¯m not crazy. Zarian smiled. More gunfire roared, the shooting starting up again. Bullets snapped around him. He felt a sharp punch through his right back shoulder and got a concerning reality call. Most people would¡¯ve screamed or fallen down from the pain of getting shot. Not Zarian. As his back shoulder flared with pain and bled, he clenched his jaw and ducked down to make his body a smaller target. He focused past the pain. He focused on his magic, connecting with the remaining darkness he kept stored. He sent the inky darkness down his legs, through the koi pond¡¯s bottom, and up into a crisscrossing cage of spikes. He couldn¡¯t form a dome. His dark magic liked to form into straight shapes with reach: tendrils, spears, spikes, stuff like that. A cage of spikes was good enough. Bullets from most pistols could rip through car doors, dry walls, plenty of furniture, and still kill humans. But against Zarian¡¯s magic barrier of crisscrossing dark spikes, the bullets might as well be plastic pellets. The killer rounds ricocheted away and endangered the shooters themselves or fell in crumpled drops into the water. Zarian felt like a god. A tired, wheezing, thoroughly soaked god with his blood draining out. But a god nonetheless. He wasn¡¯t crazy. His magic could affect the physical world. Of course, he¡¯d seen it do so when he used it for tricks at the behest of his little sister. Or when he¡¯d committed to the old school superhero training at a ghetto junkyard with nobody around. He¡¯d grown proficient at wielding darkness from the year of practice. He¡¯d seen how it could plow through hard obstacles that would¡¯ve stopped the strongest humans. He had magic. He had fucking magic! And he was the only one to have it. Why? How? What was this all leading to? The koi pond ley line could hold the answers to his questions. Because there was more to Zarian¡¯s strangeness than his dark powers. There was Ariana. There was his weird upbringing in foster care. There was his name, Darkrun, which felt branded to him in a way that no paperwork or mortal person could change. He was Zarian Darkrun, brother to Ariana Darkrun, and he wanted answers to his weird-as-hell origins and impossible powers. Feeling mighty awesome and ignoring his perilous injury, Zarian split his attention between maintaining the dark spike barrier and reaching out to the ley line. He pushed with a thought, which felt magical on its own even if nobody could see it. Zarian was ready to fight tooth and nail to yank the ley line open and access what lurked behind it. That didn¡¯t end up being necessary. The moment he touched it with a press of his mystical will, Zarian felt no resistance. The koi pond ley line let his desires pass through, opening wide. Zarian watched, jaw dropping, as a portal bloomed into existence. It was dark and strong. And it was sucking up everything into its howling depths like a miniature black hole. Zarian was right in front of the portal. The only thing keeping him rooted was the darkness he tethered to his ankles and the spike barrier around him. Everything else fell into the hungry maw of the portal. Gallons of water. Thrashing koi fish. And more, which kept surprising Zarian. He watched as a police officer whirled head-over-heels through the air and toward the portal. ¡°You can see it!?¡± Zarian blurted out at the screaming, blabbering man. Zarian wanted to reconfirm again that this was all real. Before he received an answer, the cop made contact with the dark portal. The man wasn¡¯t simply flushed into its depths. He disappeared the moment his flailing body touched the hole to somewhere beyond. That looks dangerous, Zarian thought. I might¡¯ve unleashed something that¡¯ll destroy the mall. Maybe even all of Florida and beyond. Whoops. 2: Honored Outsider Zarian was about to gather his remaining darkness and try to escape away from the wild black portal. When he turned to check on Ariana, he found her stepping calmly through the chaos of twisting water, thrashing koi fish, and screaming people flying to what could be their doom. Zarian shook his head at his ghostly little sister. What was she thinking? She should get away. Yet, she ignored what should be common sense in favor of getting up close to the portal. Her braided pigtails wavered toward the swirling dark pit. So did the rest of her body, barely holding on to this side of the world. What happened to ghostly little sisters when a void-like phenomenon ate them? Zarian didn¡¯t want to find out. ¡°Ariana, what are you doing?!¡± Zarian shouted. ¡°Heading for the portal, Big Bro,¡± she said with a grave weight that was beyond her childish appearance. ¡°We don¡¯t belong in this weak, mundane world. We belong on the other side. At least for now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s over there? How do you know that?!¡± Zarian watched a screaming mall shopper fly into the portal. She disappeared with her shopping bags. There in one moment. Gone in the next. Zarian¡¯s heart was practically in his throat as he shouted himself hoarse. ¡°The dreams didn¡¯t tell us about what¡¯s on the other side!¡± Ariana turned back to him and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go on an adventure and see. It¡¯s going to be okay. Just like always. Trust me.¡± Zarian watched her, waiting to see if she would step into the portal and disappear. She didn¡¯t. She waited patiently for him. He was both relieved and horrified. He always wondered if Ariana was a weird break in his psyche that drugs and therapy could treat. If she was fake, then he was actually crazy, even with magic. That would be devastating. They had thirteen years of laughter and tears, hard times and visceral excitement. She was the only family he knew, and that familial bond was strong, like well-forged steel. She¡¯d been encouraging. She¡¯d been practically perfect. She had to exist. If so, then there was another slight worry. Tiny. Infinitesimal, even. He still had to ask while facing down an apocalyptic scenario. ¡°Ariana, you¡¯re not a demon are you?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t, like, play a long game of getting me to this point, so I¡¯ll doom Florida and the rest of world, right?¡± She smiled at him, holding her silence. She looked lovely and bubbly like always. Zarian felt like he wanted to protect her instead of accusing her of apocalyptic evil. More screaming people tumbled past him and Ariana. More blood leaked out of his body from the gunshot wound. He was getting more tired now. All the chaos, violence, and bad nutrition were draining. ¡°Fuck it.¡± Zarian dropped the dark spike wall from around him. He didn¡¯t bother regathering his fading darkness. That was going to be a pain to load up later. Oh well, he had bigger concerns. Like getting lifted off his feet and yanked into a portal to the unknown. The last thing he saw was Ariana¡¯s upturned face as she watched him flip into the portal. The look on her face was slightly different. Just slightly. Zarian¡¯s concerns deepened. Because inside of Ariana¡¯s eyes was a glint of crazy glee. Truly, they were family. They were crazy together. He hit the portal. Everything went dark for him. And ultra weird. Like he was getting stretched out into the longest piece of human taffy without physically feeling it. Time seemed to stop. Motion was a concept that didn¡¯t exist in simple observable terms here. Space was infinite and finite. He should be dead. Or at least unconscious. But he was still alive and aware. His mind interpreted it all while unable to feel, speak, taste, hear, smell, or do anything. Most people would¡¯ve found that hellish to endure, or they would¡¯ve completely zonked out. Zarian, however, found it normal. Once he put aside the panic and settled into the journey to the unknown, it even felt like a pleasant reprieve. It helped that the journey was happening inside high quality darkness. The deepest and densest kind. Since it was his favorite element, he liked its crushing hold on him. Better yet, he could sense the depths of this portal magic far better than before. There was more to it than just darkness. Like it had a few unique twists or ingredients to make it all possible. What could all that be? They felt ¡­ familiar. Natural. He kept trying to break it down, but the answers kept slipping out of reach. He was right on the cusp of grasping it all. He snapped back into reality before he could unravel the secrets of the portal. He slammed chest first into a stone floor. Hard. The air whooshed out of his lungs. His chin dribbled off the stone floor, whacking his jaw and the rest of his head with thumping pain. He was still bleeding from the gun wound inside his upper back. And he wasn¡¯t alone. Zarian heard other people shouting and screaming in front of him. He pushed up a little, blinking rapidly to clear his blurry vision. A strong, desperate hand grabbed him by his bushy, tangled hair. The assaulter, a police officer, shoved Zarian¡¯s face back into the stone floor, smashing his cheek. Then the officer pushed a hot pistol barrel into his face. ¡°What the fuck did you do? Where the hell are we?¡± shouted the cop, voice breaking. Before Zarian could speak, the cop¡¯s knee slammed down onto the small of Zarian¡¯s back. The air he¡¯d struggled to take in rushed back out. Zarian sputtered and gasped. He tried to think as the cop screamed down at him while yanking even harder on his hair, his scalp burning. Zarian wanted to say he had no idea where they were. He wanted to say he hadn¡¯t meant for any of these complications. He didn¡¯t get the chance. He was still gasping for air when a strange thing occurred, popping up in his vision. A blue box appeared in front of Zarian¡¯s face. Like a notification. It even came with a soft ¡®ding¡¯ in the corner of his head. It wasn¡¯t a sound that was heard by the ear. It was more internal, a part of his mind.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The blue notification read as if it came from a genderless and artificial speaker: ¡°Hello,¡± Zarian mumbled hoarsely. Another notification popped over the welcoming one. That was ominous. Shocking, even. Zarian¡¯s mind felt like it was crawling and racing at the same time. With a gun still to his face, he glanced past the cooling barrel and at the man holding him hostage. The panicked cop was staring at something in the air that only he could see. Are we all seeing our own blue notification boxes? Zarian wondered if all the blue notifications were doing the weird glitchy thing. Was there a problem with the integration commencing? There was another weird thing happening. Zarian¡¯s reactions. I¡¯m handling this pretty well, Zarian realized. Then again, I¡¯ve been playing with actual magic for almost two years when nobody else can. I think. Maybe. Another blue notification appeared over the last. A red notification popped up with one big bold word written in white. Zarian felt rising excitement instead of fear. He was growing more thrilled even while having a gun shoved into his face. Then the hype grew further with more red notification boxes appearing, overlaying the past ones. ¡°What the fuck is this? Is this some sick virtual reality game? Who paid you to pull this stunt off, asshole?¡± The cop yanked Zarian¡¯s head around and placed more weight on his back. He winced at the pain, but his enthusiasm remained undaunted. He wanted more notifications. He was practically starving for them. He had no idea that any of this would happen. But he felt like he was meant for this. The Infinita Star System seemed to be on his side. It gave him a new notification to feel even more excited about. The notification came out gold this time around. Zarian had too many questions. But he was delirious, starved, suffering blood loss, and having his hair yanked near the scalp with a pistol barrel and a twitchy trigger finger in his face. He couldn¡¯t focus on any one thing until he forced himself to take a painful breath, hold on to that pain, and clear his head. Two things came to mind. It would be nice if I get a little more info about my origins. And where is Arianna? Zarian needed to get his feet under him, then take another breather and look around. First, the panicked cop had to get the hell off of him. Zarian felt around for his familiar darkness. To his surprise, he felt a greater connection to the darkness in his surroundings. Stranger yet, when he called on the darkness, unfamiliar hieroglyphic symbols flashed through his mind. Something clicked inside of him like the press of a button. With a flex of his will, darkness pooled under his palm rapidly. Before it became too noticeable, Zarian flipped over his hand and shot up a dark bar of thick darkness. He struck the handgun directly with a force that was both surprising to Zarian and the cop. The pistol fired. Zarian¡¯s hearing went out, replaced by a painful ringing. He clenched his jaw when the flesh on the back of his skull flew off from a bullet scraping across his head. If the shot was a few more inches to the left, then the back of Zarian¡¯s head would¡¯ve been blown out. His luck was pushing past the point of breaking now. Lucky or not, I can¡¯t die now. That¡¯s a hell naw from me. Zarian pushed aside his pain, the weariness, and the shock of everything happening at once. He scrambled from under the surprised cop who was already falling over, his gun arm swinging wide after getting shoved hard by the dark beam. He was shouting about his gun hand hurting, barely able to keep hold of his weapon. The cop was still armed and dangerous. There was barely any light here. Only some scraps of illumination, with the shadows circling around the light sources and the darkness waiting hungrily further out. Zarian and the man who nearly blew out the back of his head were in one of those dark zones. The strange hieroglyphic symbols flashed through his mind again. The button-like click resonated inside of him once more. He felt something uniquely orderly and powerful, giving him a firm push to do as he pleased, as if he was getting a helpful assist from something bigger than him. He gathered a straight bar of darkness as long as a pipe and slammed it down on the gunman¡¯s shoulder. Zarian felt the crunch underneath the weighty blunt hit. The arm holding the gun flopped to the side uselessly after getting popped out of the shoulder socket. The gun fell fully with a dull clatter, barely audible to Zarian¡¯s ears while they were still ringing. The man cried out hoarsely, holding his injured arm. Zarian might¡¯ve done more damage than pop the arm out of the shoulder. But at least he neutralized one shooter. He turned in time to see the other cops who¡¯d entered the dark portal along with a bunch of randos. People were paying attention after the gunshot. Zarian counted three pistols leveled at him. There were no more weaponized authorities than that. The rest were a handful of civvies and some flopping koi fish entangling with some weird gunk pooling in the middle of the dark stone room. Hell, Zarian had seen nobody else drop in after him. There was no roaring portal or anything now. It was just him and the people who¡¯d got sucked in first. Looks like we have ourselves a Mexican Standoff, Zarian thought, even though everyone else was aiming at him. A real Mexican Standoff would have everyone against each other. Worse yet, they were close enough to hit him accurately this time. ¡°Do you wipe up or do you wipe down?¡± Zarian asked, his hearing returning quicker than normal. The police glared at him. One man asked, ¡°What the hell are you talking about, psycho?¡± ¡°An older Marine once told me, depending on which direction you wipe, you might have shitty balls. So, do you have shitty balls?¡± Zarian didn¡¯t wait for them to respond as he covertly pooled darkness under him. He deepened its depths and density. It was far easier than ever before. He shot three dark beams from in front of his feet, like lances of the deepest abyss. The guns fired, roaring, flashing. Bullets flew, snapping by with sonic speed. One bullet clipped him on the hip. Another dug away some meat from his left arm. Zarian was feeling awful even with the adrenaline. He stayed on his feet and watched his magic work. Three dark beams landed on three chests and struck the police officers harder than Zarian had expected. For dozens of feet. They hit the stone floor with a hard finality that suggested they wouldn¡¯t be getting up for a while. Just to be on the safe side, Zarian reached out with four tendrils of darkness that snapped out faster than ever before. He gathered all the guns and piled them on the floor behind him. Then Zarian collapsed to the ground with a phlegmy wheeze. He coughed into his fist, enduring the pain of having bullet wounds all over his body. Blood leaked from everywhere, which made it a wonder how he was still alive and functional. ¡°What the hell did you do? Where are we? You won¡¯t get away with this,¡± yammered the officer who had his shoulder broken. ¡°And get this blue crap out of my face!¡± Zarian ignored him and the others for now. He looked around for Ariana. She was still nowhere to be found. He paid attention to the new notifications he felt piled up in his head. The soft dinging sound they made wasn¡¯t too distracting and helped as a reminder to check. As soon as he willed for the notifications to show up, they appeared in front of his face. The boxes were still gold. Despite the pain of bleeding out alive, Zarian¡¯s face lit up with a crooked smile. Call him a simple man, but he liked how the System made him feel special with gold notifications. It was like getting the VIP treatment. He¡¯d never had that before. And things were only getting better. Zarian laughed giddily as a whole golden profile appeared before him. His heart rate picked up. Chills ran down his spine. He might bleed out soon. He didn¡¯t care. He did what the notification told him. Behold. <> Origins: Zarian Darkrun, 21-yr-old Human, Honored Outsider. Level: 10 Class: (Please Select) Traits: Dark Affinity (Rare), Overpower (Epic). Alpha Skills (1/3): Straight Darkness (Level 5). Willpower: 21 Strength: 15 Agility: 14 Wonder: 22 Mysticism: 75 Free: 50 Achievements: Honored Outsider (Unopened). <> 3: Why Him? While Zarian was ignoring his bloody problems and feeling hyped over his golden advancement, his former high school peer was doing all he could not to piss himself. The former peer¡¯s name was Jack Masters. He was the one who¡¯d called mall authorities on Zarian prior to the shooting, chaos, and portal madness. Jack had warned them of a ¡®dangerous, deranged, and likely armed¡¯ man sitting on a bench across from the koi pond. Jack had reported as many details as possible to urge the police to move in quicker. He had tried his best to be equally tolerant of everyone. But past issues didn¡¯t make Jack tolerant of the mentally ill. They were likely to be violent and do horrible things, in Jack¡¯s experience. He remembered how Zarian would mutter to himself during class back in high school. He remembered how Zarian attacked other people like a raving maniac ¨C though there were rumors saying that Zarian had only attacked his bullies in self-defense. He bit off a guy¡¯s ear like a Mike Tyson wannabe. That¡¯s the actions of a crazy man, not someone rational defending themselves. Jack had stayed as far away from Zarian as possible. He¡¯d started doing that ever since he first heard Zarian whisper to his dead little sister that nobody else could see. What was her name? ¡°Ariana, come out and see this!¡± Zarian yelled, sounding as deranged as usual. Hearing him like that made Jack flinch where he lay belly down, arms covering his head. A few droplets of piss leaked out and stained his expensive pants. This is my favorite brand, Jack realized before pushing that thought aside. He was still grasping at straws, trying to make sense of the unbelievable things he¡¯d seen. Zarian had shot out a dark tentacle from his hand back at the mall. Gunfire had ensued, which had Jack pinned in the corner close to the elevator behind the koi pond. Then a powerful suction had snatched Jack off the floor and dropped him into a dark, cave-like room. From there, he¡¯d watched Zarian shoot more dark beams like he was a villain straight out of a fantasy novel or movie. As a concept, it should¡¯ve been comical or silly. Jack had never seen something so horrifying in his life. That couldn¡¯t be actual magic. There was no way. Because why would Zarian of all people have those powers? Yet, the dark beams had sent grown men off their feet. Zarian had defeated them without weapons, only magic. Not without injury, though. It was dark here, with only a few light sources. Despite the lack of clear vision, Jack was sure that Zarian had been shot. Possibly in multiple places. If only someone could land a final hit on the mad man. If only I weren¡¯t hallucinating about blue notifications and a profile, Jack thought. What the heck was this madness? He was Level 1, apparently. And he had an ¡­ alpha skill? It even came with a description: Jack looked up shakily at Zarian. The mad man was sitting down, not moving, doing God knows what. Quickly, Jack resummoned his profile with a thought. He examined his ¡®stats¡¯ ¨C which he could hardly believe were real ¨C and noticed that his Wonder stat was higher than the others. Why was that? What was Wonder? He waited for answers from the so-called System. But he received no explanations. Was 9 points in Wonder enough to do anything to Zarian? ¡°Ariana, if you don¡¯t come out, I¡¯m going to choose my class without you!¡± Zarian shouted hoarsely before letting loose some wet coughs and a groan. ¡°Then you¡¯ll regret it!¡± He sounded weak even while shouting. Even with all of his magic power. If Zarian could use magic, couldn¡¯t Jack do the same now? Why should someone as crazy and dangerous as Zarian be the only one to use his powers? Jack trusted himself to have magic if it existed. Someone had to stop Zarian before he did even worse damage. Removing his hands from over his head, Jack initiated his plan. He calmed his shaking body with a few deep breaths, in and out, in and out. He pushed his hand forward toward Zarian¡¯s seated body. The distance wasn¡¯t too far. Only about forty feet. Jack had a good eye for hitting at range ever since he¡¯d played little league baseball. He was not good enough for D1, but he was good enough for chucking a decent fast ball accurately. Or in this case, shoot actual magic to kill a dangerous man. You need to go down! Jack gritted his teeth and willed for the magic, Star Bolt, to work. To his ever-growing surprise, the alpha skill answered his request. He felt a click inside of him, like the press of a mystical button. He saw weird alien symbols flash through his mind, overworking his brain, making it throb. He didn¡¯t get why he was hurting when it was a Level 1 skill. Was that because he lacked enough energy or whatever? The throbbing headache stopped mattering when a literal spark of starlight formed in Jack¡¯s palm. The light pushed back the darkness despite its small size. The growing Star Bolt shone with hope, faith, and Wonder. Jack was amazed. He was a true believer now. And he was about to die when a pony-size creature thrashed across the ground in his direction. He noticed its moving bulk from the corner of his vision and turned to see a gaping maw filled with teeth aiming for his flesh. Jack jerked his star-lit palm around. He fired his shot. And missed. His one skill streaked across the cavernous room and over a pool of dark ichor that was filled with more of the large monsters. The Star Bolt blasted the far wall with a solid burst, spraying sparks and rock chips like a grenade going off. It was amazing. It would¡¯ve beaten the monster back if it had landed on flesh instead of stone. It would¡¯ve been nice to charge another one if Jack had the time and energy. I¡¯m dead, Jack thought. The monster lunged into the air. It plummeted down on Jack. He froze. He screamed. Before he met his doom, dark beams struck the slimy monster¡¯s side, all direct hits. The streams of jetting darkness pushed with a force that was palpable, making Jack feel oppressed under a heavy, invisible weight. The monster¡¯s momentum reversed and slammed down somewhere behind Jack. ¡°Ah, wait, I should¡¯ve struck with the pointy ends, not the blunt ends,¡± Zarian said, slurring his words. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m not doing so great.¡± ¡°Are you for real, Darkrun? You caused this mess, and now you¡¯re complaining? You¡¯re so out of pocket I want to shoot you myself,¡± said a familiar dark-skinned woman. Despite her threat, she sounded way too calm about the situation they were in. She grabbed hold of another woman¡¯s hand, one of the show girls who worked for the rum promoters. She was the same girl who had her bottle snatched away by Zarian.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Jack watched the two women run from the slimy, coiling monsters. They stopped behind Zarian, who was still sitting down. The guns are over there. Jack scrambled to his feet, his headache giving him some trouble, but not enough to stop him. It faded away a little at a time, making it easier for him to concentrate and move. He lunged over one of the police officers. They were still struggling to get up after Zarian had taken them down. Jack wasn¡¯t going to help them. They¡¯d failed their duty to protect and serve. If the monsters ate them, that was their fault. Breathing in relief, he joined the others who got on the side of the man who caused all of this trouble. Other than the familiar black woman and the rum promoter girl, there was the addition of a middle-aged woman clutching half-a-dozen shopping bags and a skinny retailer worker guy. None of them went for the pile of pistols that was near the maniac. Jack thought of them as idiots as he tried to circle around the strange gathering and get at the guns. Something snake-like lunged from the darkness under him. It snatched him by the wrist and made him squeal. ¡°Jack Masters? Yeah, that¡¯s you.¡± Zarian flicked a single finger, beckoning Jack. The dark tendril pulled Jack over into a stumble, its power undeniable. He nearly burst into pathetic apologies about calling the police and trying to kill him, but Zarian kept talking. ¡°You should¡¯ve pitched more baseballs, dude. I swore you would¡¯ve made it to D1. But I guess it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re here. I need you to aim my hand. Blood loss is getting to me, and I¡¯m still in the middle of selecting my class.¡± Jack couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Zarian hadn¡¯t realized Jack had tried blasting him with Star Bolt earlier. Well, Jack wasn¡¯t going to tell him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what those big wormy things are, but they look scary. It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m scarier.¡± Zarian laughed wetly before letting loose a fit of coughs. Now that Jack had an up close look. The man ¡­ looked rough. Very rough. He¡¯d gone into the Marines and gotten kicked out, which was the last thing Jack heard about his former school peer before today. Jack wondered why the Marines would let go of a magical super villain? How were they here? How was any of this possible? Then Jack noticed one monster thrashing toward a vulnerable police officer. The man was struggling to crawl away. Jack still didn¡¯t want to help. What if touching Zarian was a trap? What if the maniac bit off his ear? Jack didn¡¯t want to sacrifice anything, not for a failed police officer. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± The black woman brushed past Jack and dropped to a knee beside Zarian. ¡°Gods damn you, boy, why are you so much freaking trouble? I can¡¯t go anywhere without wondering what stupidity you¡¯re gonna get into next.¡± ¡°Oh hey, Sergeant Washington,¡± Zarian slurred. ¡°Fancy meeting you here.¡± Jack jolted with sudden realization. The black woman was the military recruiter who¡¯d shown up at their high school senior year. She¡¯d recruited Zarian into the Marines. What was this twisted fate? How did this happen? Jack gawked as Sergeant Washington sat in a stable shooting position and treated Zarian¡¯s arm like a rifle. She rested her cheek on his triceps and aimed down the limb and past his outstretched fingers. Then she squeezed his biceps firmly. Instead of the boisterous bang of gunfire, a silent and weighty bar of darkness shot forth. It was scarier when it made no noise while packing so much power. The dark beam speared through the monster that nearly bit into one of the downed policemen. The creature thrashed aside, missing the man by a few inches. Monster blood sprayed about, spilling on the officer. Jack heard a stifled gasp from someone behind him. He was gasping for air himself. ¡°My aim was off,¡± Sergeant Washington said. ¡°Let¡¯s try that again with a double-tap.¡± She squeezed Zarian¡¯s biceps twice and fired two short, dark beams, one after the other. She obliterated the monster¡¯s skull, tossing up gore, brains, and eyeballs. ¡°It¡¯s a fish,¡± said the retailer worker guy. ¡°It¡¯s a koi fish, but a big and mean one.¡± ¡°How did it get like that?¡± said the rum promoter girl with a strong Hispanic accent. ¡°Someone fucking help me!¡± shouted one of the downed policemen. That was the most he could do. ¡°Someone should go help them before they get eaten by the, eh, koi fish,¡± urged the rum promoter girl. Nobody moved, especially not Jack. Instead, he glanced at the guns. The rum promoter and retail worker followed his gaze, probably thinking the same thing. Jack hesitated. He had his energy back. The headache was gone. He could fire another Star Bolt. It was powerful. Maybe it could be as powerful as Zarian¡¯s dark beams. Wouldn¡¯t his skill improve if he used it more? Just like how it worked in a video game? This was actual magic. Wonderful magic. It would be more powerful than a gun if he leveled it up, right? Zarian was the perfect example, which Jack realized with horror and disgust. Sergeant Washington was picking off the monster-turned koi fish with ease. Zarian was a reliable weapon, shooting pointy dark beams whenever his recruiter squeezed his biceps. She pushed the shooting pace to a five-shot volley with a pause in between. She and Zarian blasted the koi monsters into gory bits before the giant fish could reach the downed policemen. It was a terrifying display of power. Zarian wasn¡¯t even paying that much attention. He was letting someone else aim and signal when to fire. Sergeant Washington handled that like a pro. ¡°How are you doing that? How are you so brave?¡± asked the rum promoter girl, which was the same question Jack was wondering. ¡°I¡¯m cheating. I got this alpha skill called Tranquil Thoughts, Level 2. It calms me down and makes me think clearly. Or I¡¯ll lose my shit like the rest of you,¡± Sergeant Washington explained. ¡°Is that what¡¯s happening now? We¡¯re in a video game? All because of this impulsive boy? God, you annoy me so much, Darkrun.¡± ¡°My bad, Sergeant.¡± Zarian let out a bloody chuckle that made the others shiver. ¡°I might¡¯ve screwed up a lot. But I got good news. I know what I¡¯m picking for my class.¡± ¡°Does this look like high school to you?¡± Sergeant Washington snapped at him, while still shooting at the monsters. Jack couldn¡¯t believe the gall of this woman during an absolute massacre. Yet, Zarian kept chuckling, not bothered at all. ¡°Video game term, Sergeant. It means I¡¯m picking a magical battle role to beat the monsters better.¡± ¡°Sorcerer?¡± asked the retailer worker guy. ¡°Oh, I get it. This is a role play. This is all make-believe. It¡¯s like the VR stuff and brain chips, right?¡± asked the rum promoter girl. Jack was having a hard time with the tonal whiplash. There was death, macabre, and screaming monsters ahead. Yet the surrounding discussion was more suitable at a convention for nerds. ¡°Not sorcerer. And this is not make believe,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll show you. You can stop shooting now, Sergeant.¡± The recruiter hesitated for a second before backing off of Zarian¡¯s arm. She strode to the pile of pistols, picked one, then emptied the rest of their magazines and cleared the bullets. She shoved the mags into the thin waistline of her jeans. She probably needed the gun and bullets more than Jack. He¡¯d never shot a gun before. He was still sad she took control of one and hogged all the ammunition. Meanwhile, Zarian staggered to his feet like a drunk. Wait, he is drunk, isn¡¯t he? He¡¯d taken a bottle from the rum promoter girl when all of this madness started. Jack couldn¡¯t believe he was standing behind this guy now. Zarian lurch toward the remaining monsters. There were far fewer now. Sergeant Washington had done a good job wiping out half of them with Zarian¡¯s power. Jack glared. Why wasn¡¯t Zarian affected by overuse? ¡°Yeah, no, I¡¯m not going to,¡± Sergeant Washington muttered to no one in particular. ¡°Not going to what?¡± Jack asked. The military recruiter looked grimly at the back of Zarian¡¯s bleeding head. Her hand gripped the pistol firmly while it pointed at the floor, finger off the trigger. Jack understood what she meant now. He disliked the woman even further. She had a golden opportunity, and she was squandering it. Yes, she could wait for Zarian to finish the koi monsters then take advantage. But how could she call herself a Marine and not aim to take down a dangerous disgrace? It has to be me, Jack thought. Zarian has to have a limit. He can¡¯t shoot all of that magic forever. He¡¯s barely able to stay standing. ¡°Ariana, I¡¯m worried about you. You¡¯re not responding or showing up anywhere. If you really were a figment of my imagination, that¡¯s going to hurt,¡± Zarian said aloud. ¡°You know how many people wrote me off as crazy. I¡¯m not crazy. Don¡¯t make me look crazy.¡± Jack looked dead in the recruiter¡¯s eye. Aren¡¯t you seeing how insane that is? Sergeant Washington ignored Jack¡¯s glare with a stony expression. She was not a good woman, that was for sure, or she wouldn¡¯t have gotten Zarian into the Marines somehow. ¡°When do we go home?¡± asked the rum promoter girl. ¡°We¡¯re in an isekai,¡± said the retail worker guy. ¡°I don¡¯t think we get to go home. I¡¯m Wally, by the way.¡± ¡°Hannah,¡± said the meek-looking, middle-aged woman still clinging to her shopping bags. She was all the way in the back. ¡°Bianca,¡± said the rum promoter girl. She was a natural blond beauty and should be far away from these horrors. Jack muttered his name while Sergeant Washington grunted out ¡°Naomi.¡± They fell into an uncomfortable silence as Zarian faced off against the remaining koi monsters. One of the koi monsters stood bigger than the rest with a greater amount of bulk. It looked like a serpentine dragon rising out of the eerie muck that was covering all the monsters. Maybe the creature might be strong enough to kill Zarian. Wait, no, if that happens, who would kill it? Jack wanted to shout in frustration. He also wanted a new pair of pants. It felt uncomfortably wet, distracting him even with death and horror happening in front of him. Then things became weird when a large, chain-wrapped book phased out of Zarian¡¯s torso and floated in the air beside him. The chains rattled so hauntingly they drove the fear of evil into Jack¡¯s soul. The chain bindings on the big black book pulled away from its thick face. The covers swung open. Ghastly black lights shone from the rapidly flipping pages. What the fuck was that? What class did he choose? Jack checked his profile and saw he didn¡¯t have the option to choose a class. Was it because he was Level 1? What level was Zarian? And seriously, why him? 4: Title Drop Why do I have so many class options? Zarian was barely conscious of what was happening. He was on his feet because of his Willpower. He felt like he was about to fall over and kick the bucket soon. He stayed up because the people he¡¯d yanked into this cavernous room would die if he didn¡¯t take responsibility. It didn¡¯t take him long to believe it was his duty to protect them. Even the police who had shot him. He had no hard feelings toward them, really. He¡¯d done some freaky stuff at the mall that would¡¯ve scared anybody. He was self-aware enough to acknowledge that. He had to be self-aware to be somewhat functional. Or maybe that was another weird quality of his. Self-awareness hadn¡¯t done him much good before, but he could change things around now. Especially with his class selection. He¡¯d shorten the list of over a hundred class options to a few. So many varied between different brands of warrior, rogue, cleric, and more. There was a Death Squire class. There was a Blood Reaper class. There were class-types for Wiccan, Alchemist, Murderer, Assassin, Executioner, Torturer, Soldier, Jailer, Wanderer, Vagrant, Studier, Portal Jumper, Void Dancer, and more. There were mundane sounding classes. There were super special classes that seemed cool. It was a lot to take in, and he didn¡¯t have time to examine them all. Thankfully, he found one that fit his fancy early on the list. He kept thinking of it as he zoomed down to the bottom and back up multiple times. There were a few other epic classes. But none of them suited him like the Black Wizard Apprentice. Anything below epic gave fewer stats, even if they sounded cool like Portal Jumper and Void Dancer, which were rare classes. They probably had strong skills. But Zarian liked the idea of being an epic wizard with a fancy spellbook. No, not a spellbook. It¡¯s called a grimoire. That sounded even better. There was one legendary class, which seemed major. It gave more stat points than Black Wizard Apprentice. Zarian didn¡¯t like the sound of the class or the skill. The legendary class didn¡¯t even come with a rare trait, whatever that could be. He had little time to scrutinize things because he was dying from blood loss. He needed something to help stop that. Picking Black Wizard Apprentice was probably a Hail Mary judgment call. He figured the epic wizard class might have a fix-me-up type of spell if he was lucky enough. He locked in his choice with a push of his will, which he found really cool. There was no need to plant chips in his brain. The magic system, or System, did it automatically. A new notification confirmed the addition of the new class. He also felt the update, like someone uploading new codes or runes into his soul. He shivered from the sensation, nearly tripping over. Did having a profile and being connected to the Star System make him part magic machine now? Even with the fleshy bits? Or was the magic so advanced here it was almost Sci-Fi? Maybe it was sufficiently advanced science that became magic-like. Either way, this was all rad. I¡¯m getting too distracted by all these scattered thoughts. Where was Ariana? Ugh, he was going to give her a good scolding the next time she showed up. For now, he needed to save the people who probably wanted him dead. It¡¯s my screw up. I¡¯ll fix it. Zarian didn¡¯t even bother looking at the skill description for the Grimoire of Black Arts 101. He felt it in his soul-attached profile and pressed the inner button to activate the skill. A flash of runic text scrawled across his mind¡¯s eye. The runes were deep, vast, complex, and almost incomprehensible. He felt energy drain out of him. He was flagging a lot now. The book came out with a big rattle of chains like a wraith exiting its container, which was him. The covers spread open, and the pages flipped in a blur. The book glowed an eerie black light before shifting to the bloody red spectrum. Zarian could barely focus, but somehow he could make heads and tails of the magic geometric shapes and hieroglyphic scribbles of an unfamiliar language. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s straight up gruesome,¡± Zarian muttered before shrugging lazily with his better shoulder. ¡°But a man¡¯s gotta do what man¡¯s gotta do.¡± The koi fish monsters slithered toward him. There were ten of them left, with a bigger koi fish in the back acting like a mini-boss. Zarian stopped at the edge of the murky, oily liquid that the koi fish splashed around in. He sighed tiredly as he forced himself to think through a few actions. First, he dumped 30 Free points into Mysticism, 10 Free points into Wonder, and 10 Free points into Willpower. While raising Mysticism felt like the smartest move, his gut instincts told him to raise up Wonder and Willpower as well. Just like that, he felt more focused and ready. He didn¡¯t feel so close to death anymore. And he was swelling with a new inner power as the koi fish launched their attack. He commanded the darkness to spring into a wall of pikes in front of him. It happened so fast the speed of the formation nearly shocked Zarian. The koi fish monsters thrust themselves onto the pointy ends with their monstrous bulk. They were even more surprised than him. He was going to smile when a few more monsters slammed into the backs of their brethren. The jarring impacts did the unexpected. The long, dark spears snapped. Zarian had made them too long and thin without enough density. Now the monsters were lunging down at him. Zarian cursed as he dropped to the floor and quickly manipulated more lines of darkness. Thick bars criss-crossed inches above his body from both sides. The koi monsters slammed down with a heavy force, bending the dark bars inward, threatening to crush Zarian. He wished he put points into Strength. He was too weak to push back physically. Things looked bad until the blood of the perforated monsters dripped through the gaps. Loads of it. It was pouring all over him. The chained grimoire was lying next to him. Zarian hadn¡¯t done his research on the consequences of its use, but he evoked his first ever spell: Bloody Lifesteal. The spell pages glowed a malignant and vampiric red. The blood touching Zarian glowed the same foreboding color. Then Zarian felt renewed energy uplift his entire sense of life. He felt further away from death than ever. He felt like he could live forever. He felt like he could drain life from the blood of his enemies, or anyone he deemed his enemies, nonstop. It was a rush.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. It was insanely intoxicating. It was a new drug. Zarian crushed that pleasurable high with Willpower. He had enough to refocus on his situation. The dark bars continued to buckle under the hill of crushing koi monsters. It was time to get squirrelly and escape. Feeling more lively, Zarian twisted around and belly crawled through a gap above his head. A koi monster lunged down and scraped some flesh off the shoulder. Zarian hissed out a curse and raised his hand, shooting out a dense jet of sharp darkness. He punched out the brains from the monster that bit him before he crawled the rest of the way out. He made it just in time. The dark bars holding up the monsters collapsed. He avoided getting crushed beneath the bulky monster hill by a few feet. The danger at his back remained. The ones on top thrashed free and resumed the chase. They were too late to stop him, however. Zarian was up on his feet now, and he was more aware. He had his second wind and enough magic. ¡°Sorry for what happened to you,¡± Zarian said, sliding to a stop before spinning around with arms raised. The koi fish lunged at him again. He struck them back with rapid fire javelins of the densest and sharpest kind. It was an incredible display of power. Like he was a heavy caliber machine gun. Each puncture wound tore out so much flesh from the monsters, it almost seemed comical if there wasn¡¯t so much blood and gore. By the time Zarian felt like he was gassing his reserves, he¡¯d slaughtered all the koi monsters, including the big one. He tore that one apart the most until it stopped moving. Then all was still. Silence filled the cave. Nobody spoke. Zarian only heard the pulsating beat of his hammering heart and the blood racing through his ears. His floating, soul bound grimoire rattled as it shut closed and phased back into his body. Zarian lowered his twitchy hands and smiled, soaking in the momentous victory. Then the closest police officer pulled out a taser while still on the ground and shot Zarian with it. The taser stung somewhat. But it wasn¡¯t enough to drop him. Not anymore. He weathered the shock for long enough to pull the prongs out of him. ¡°Do that again and I¡¯m not saving you from the next monster attack.¡± Zarian stuck a thumb back at the monsters. ¡°This is your fault!¡± shouted the cop. ¡°Yeah, and?¡± Zarian still stuck his thumb at the dead monster corpses. The cop shook his head before laying back, groaning in pain, his eyes looking about in bewilderment. The other police officers were doing the same. Zarian had struck them so hard they still couldn¡¯t move. He¡¯d definitely broken some ribs. One man was coughing up blood. He sounded like he was struggling to breathe. ¡°Can someone help that guy?¡± Zarian pointed. ¡°I need a break.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help him, sir,¡± Sergeant Naomi Washington offered. Zarian looked hard at her, puzzled. Naomi wore a serious, no-nonsense face, which suggested he was better off accepting the ¡®sir¡¯ designation than fighting her about it. It made him itch to be called a ¡®sir¡¯ when he was an enlisted man, but she was clearly doing it for a reason. ¡°Yeah, cool, much appreciated. I got to examine some things. You all work together for now. I¡¯ll be over there. Oh, and stay away from this evil-looking gunk here. It¡¯s like dark radioactive waste, but magical. That¡¯s what transformed the koi fish into monsters, I bet.¡± While he had a short stint in the Marines, he learned enough to lead people. He wasn¡¯t always the best at it, but he had a decent time leading subordinates before having his ranks taken, kicking him down to private. Wow, thinking of that brought back some heavy emotions. He almost wished things had gone differently. Oh well. He had magic powers and was in another world now. He was closer to tracking down his origins more than ever before. I took a bunch of losses to get here, but I¡¯m here. There were plenty of bright sides. He wasn¡¯t dying of blood loss. He was still bleeding a little and covered everywhere in crusted blood, yeah, but the wounds that would¡¯ve killed him earlier had sealed up mostly. He¡¯d gotten lucky with Bloody Lifesteal as his first spell from the grimoire. Too bad the bullet lodged in his back right shoulder was still in there. That sucked. A lot. He could feel it when he shifted his right shoulder around. Note to self: Lifesteal helps with securing life, not fixing my pains. Miniscule difference, but still a difference. Zarian walked over to the nearest wall and sat against it. He closed his eyes and chilled out. He was back to feeling weary, but he wasn¡¯t as far gone as before. He probably looked even more crazy to the others, but he couldn¡¯t care about that right now. Ariana was gone. He was in a new environment, the Infinita Star System, which called him an Honored Outsider. It sounded like he wasn¡¯t in the old Solar System anymore, let alone Earth. Zarian had literally ripped open a hole in spacetime and flung him, some koi fish, and ten other people across the universe. Or into another universe. Yeah, he caused the isekai. Suck it, Truck-kun. Since nobody had followed in after Zarian, he assumed the portal had closed up once he went through. Earth was safe on the other side. Unless Ariana waited for me to go through so she could take over Earth, Zarian thought, feeling crummy. He was better off pushing forward and examining the new magic stuff made available to him. Then he could go on an actual adventure. Ariana would either show up or not. Hopefully, she was just playing hide-and-seek. Or maybe she wasn¡¯t. Maybe this was goodbye. Zarian shoved his feelings deep down. He was no stranger to people abandoning him. Clapping his hands quietly, Zarian forced himself to smile, eyes opened. ¡°Back to the magic powers.¡± Yes, he had those. He also had new notifications to examine. Those might be important, so he pulled them up with a whim. They were still golden. He enjoyed seeing the gold boxes a lot. That VIP feeling made him feel warm inside. Zarian reached the end of the notifications, surprised by all he¡¯d accomplished. He also felt disappointed that he didn¡¯t choose his third skill in time for it to get some levels. He was still shaky about what the evil alignment meant. He was also unsure how his current level compared to when he unleashed his powers in public view at the mall. The chaos of the past ten to twenty minutes had blurred the differences. I definitely feel different. I feel way healthier and stronger than before. If I had a reference point, I can tell the difference easier. Before he dove deeper into his profile, he noticed one civilian talking excitedly. Zarian caught traces of the conversation surrounding blue boxes and levels. Ah, I¡¯m going to have to check with them about all of that, Zarian figured. He was pretty sure Sergeant Washington mentioned having a skill. Zarian could¡¯ve sworn someone conjured a shooting star that hit the wall. He didn¡¯t know who ¨C he had been dazed at the time ¨C but that was another useful skill. He wondered what their classes were. When he looked at the nearest civilian ¨C or survivor ¨C he stared a little harder this time. Something inside of him flipped like a switch. Then a golden box hovered over the person¡¯s head ¨C the woman holding onto her shopping bags. That looked like the major parts of her profile. If all of that was true, why was her level so low? After some thought, Zarian figured it was because she was a normal Outsider instead of an Honored Outsider like him. Could the others see each other¡¯s levels and skills, or was that special to him? Zarian checked his traits. He had a few compared to the last time he saw his profile. And he could read all of their powers. Yeah, Dark Affinity made sense. It was thematic with him. And he¡¯d guessed right when he distributed stats earlier on which to focus on. Mysticism was probably his most important stat, while Willpower and Wonder served as good supportive pillars. He had no idea what those stats truly meant. They wouldn¡¯t explain themselves. But if his Dark Affinity liked them, he would like them, too. He wished the Dark Affinity would explain a little more about what ¡®aura¡¯ meant. Was that the magic energy fueling his powers? Aura, huh? Not mana? Zarian let it sit for now and moved on. Now that was a badass trait. Probably the only reason he could overcome a bunch of giant koi monsters. His magical abilities came with an overkill switch he could turn on whenever he wanted. He needed to test the Overpower trait to see how fast it could switch from boosting stats to boosting a single skill. Pairing this with the grimoire skill would be devastating, honestly. Bingo bango, this one was the reason he saw Hannah¡¯s info. He had gotten the Identify trait from accepting the Dark Wizard Apprentice class. It was likely that the others didn¡¯t have this trait, only him. And it was a rare trait, which sounded highly valuable. In fact, the epic trait Overpower was probably higher in value than a rare trait. He was an overpowered wizard. Yeah, it sounded cheesy to call himself that. He couldn¡¯t help it, though. This was everything he wanted, plus more. Excited, he turned toward where Ariana would usually stand. He wanted to tell her about all the great news so far. She wasn¡¯t at his side, however. She was still nowhere to be seen. Zarian forced himself to move on. He had his current skills to look over along with a new skill choice. He also had that unopened achievement. What would that get him? 101: B2: C1: The Dreaded Floridian 1 [Start of Book 2] Zarian was kneeling on a patch of dirt and grass that wasn¡¯t soaked in blood. He was in a foreign world far from his original world. Hells, he wasn¡¯t in the universe he¡¯d grown up in. White blocky clouds drifted like fluffy tetris pieces sailing in the wide blue sky. Patches of cobblestone hid under fields of colorful wildflowers. Various creatures, like little drakes and elemental avians, skittered and flitted about around him. In the distance, he saw a small hill made of fortress fragments with verdant plantlife weaved through its gaps and cracks. There was a small forest to the east where the trees had stone blocks covering their bark. There were many trees like that on Corma, the World of Castles and Caverns, just one in many in the Infinita Star System. Zarian was kneeling in the grass because he had the biggest humbling anyone could have. He¡¯d become an existential threat across multiple dimensions, to where whole multiverses and armies of primordials couldn¡¯t stop him. His ever-expanding darkness crushed them and consumed them, and his mortal mind could do nothing but fight and struggle to slow it down. He failed countless times. He¡¯d watched his own world along with many others get consumed by his out-of-control power. He still kept fighting. He still kept trying. But he was forced to be a passenger for a long, long time. When it all looked bleak, his Funnest Granpapa had showed up and reversed all the damage. Everything Zarian¡¯s darkness had destroyed and eaten returned to their most pristine state prior to the apocalyptic doom. But not everything was back to normal. For one, everyone could remember what happened before they died. They would all know that an unbeatable darkness had snuffed out the stars before eating their worlds. The gods might know whose darkness had done that. How could they not? Zarian wasn¡¯t the most subtle person around. Zarian looked at his new skill again, the replacement of his old straight darkness. Overwhelming Darkness is the edgiest name ever, Zarian thought. He almost wanted to laugh. He held back because a part of him was still reeling from the aftermath of his rash decisions and the consequences. Still, he found some humor in it all. This new skill is so stupidly broken I¡¯m going to need some control measures before I could learn to tame this bad boy. Zarian tried to put Overwhelming Darkness in the beta section. The skill refused to be a beta. It stayed in the alpha section as the first skill. Zarian wasn¡¯t surprised even though he hadn¡¯t expected that. With a name like Overwhelming Darkness, why would it let itself become anything beneath alpha? Still, he needed to subdue this thing safely. Could Hannah create ability restraints? Zarian still had the Basic Lawkeep Aura Cuffs. He had to wear them during his party¡¯s first brush with the local humans of Corma. The cuffs reduced the aura of the wearer. What if Hannah reversed engineered them into restraints made specifically for Overwhelming Darkness? They would have to work on that together most likely. Only Zarian could trace the runes of a skill in someone¡¯s aura. I¡¯ll have to see if she still wants to be my friend after what just happened, Zarian thought. Honestly, he had to check in with many people. Before he could do that, he checked in with himself. Specifically, the notifications he¡¯d set aside. It was clear to Zarian that killing weaker creatures was the most inefficient way to level up in the Infinita Star System. If it wasn¡¯t for the fight against Bianca earlier, he would¡¯ve gained reduced vitality for those two measly levels. ¡°Para, you can be my wizard assistant now?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Para answered with a monstrous hiss, the entire cloak quivering delightfully. ¡°I do magic. I will help you.¡± The Parasite Cloak was practically Zarian¡¯s favorite skill. She was a tattered, leathery, and monstrous thing. Even though she seemed more like a comfy blanket while she was wrapped around, that didn¡¯t stop her from being dangerous to their enemies As of this moment, she was being cuddly to her host after having died and revived together. Being reunited was nice. Zarian smiled at her adoration. He reread the detail where Para now scaled partially with Mysticism. If she wasn¡¯t strong before, she was going to be hella strong now. Maybe she can help me control my darkness. Was he eventually going to get a magic seal? No lie, that would be cool. Zarian could see himself releasing his sealed restraints to unleash layers of his Overwhelming Darkness. He would need a cheesy line or two.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Before his imagination ran rampant, Zarian moved onto the other important notifications. Zarian let out a low whistle. He couldn¡¯t recall ever getting this many achievements at once. Despite the circumstances, he did feel special. It couldn¡¯t be helped. He liked the gold notifications. The VIP treatment remained a favorite of his in this Star System life. That might¡¯ve been something in his past life ¨C when he was a rich asshole ¨C that stayed with him. He was currently living the life of a homeless Marine veteran and Florida Man who became an overpowered wizard. Regardless of his convoluted origins, he started opening up all his achievements to see what he gained. Zarian tried not to laugh. This was not the time to laugh. It really wasn¡¯t. But it was hard not to. Onto the next. Zarian felt a familiar and solid weight land against his chest. It was much lighter than when he first wore the Divine Revival Charm. That was back when he was Level 14 and his mortal shell was much weaker. He traced his fingers over the intricate engravings on the gold medallion. He touched each of the seven different colored gems embedded in a circle around the medallion. Yeah, he was going to keep this one. He hoped the others who didn¡¯t have a Divine Revival Charm wouldn¡¯t mind. Maybe he could pressure the Star System to cough up some more. Not now. Not when the wound was still fresh. But maybe later. Zarian¡¯s free evil +3 bubbled under the surface, somewhere close to his life energy and soul. It felt like a distinct magic, slightly separated from aura, vitality, and the others. His free evil +3 called for him to use its power, but it couldn¡¯t do anything more without him reaching for it. He was free to be evil or not be evil. The cunning and smarts were there whenever he wanted to use them. He would explore that later. He looked at the next achievements. Is it screwed up that I kind of like this new trait? It goes well with Uncanny Valley and Lore Eater, honestly. Other than that, he didn¡¯t feel like the Honored Outsider fit him anymore. The Dreaded Outsider was more fitting now. Hell, he could see it in his origins. The Honored Outsider was gone. The Dreaded Outsider waited in its place behind his name and tag as a 21 yr-old Human. Behind that was Dungeon Master. Now for the last achievement ¡°Oh, shit.¡± Zarian¡¯s heart raced. He nearly pulled the trigger. Nearly. Then he remembered the more his stats grew, the stronger Overwhelming Darkness became. It was a catch twenty-two situation. He almost wondered if leveling up Overwhelming Darkness first would help him control the doomsday skill. Once he had more control of Overwhelming Darkness, then it would be safer to invest his huge dump of stats. But how could he deny all of those free stat points? They were begging for him to invest them all now. He could imagine how huge and mighty his Mysticism would feel if he placed all 100 Free points there. He would recover so much aura so much faster he would¡¯ve been way better off at the end of the fight with Bianca. Granted, Willpower was a great choice for the Parasite Cloak +2. Wonder was a great choice because Wonder was an unfairly amazing stat. Many of his spells scaled with Wonder, either mainly or partially. ¡°I should stay strong,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I should do the smart thing and not invest all the stats. I¡¯m in control of myself, I swear.¡± I will do better, Zarian promised himself. ¡°You should give yourself a little to bleed the edge off,¡± Naomi advised. She¡¯d been standing at his side the whole time. Naomi Washington was a dynamic, no-nonsense, and beautiful black woman. She was the Marine Recruiter who¡¯d helped Zarian get into the Marines. It wasn¡¯t her fault that he¡¯d fallen out with a bad conduct discharge. She was just trying to help him despite his issues back then. Now she¡¯d played up her role as his right-hand woman, sometimes with the wisdom of a twenty-six-year-old, and sometimes as a thrill-seeking freak who wanted nothing more than action and adventure and to rise beyond her mortal limits. She was the atypical murderhobo and big sister of the party. ¡°It¡¯s 114 Free Points. And 14 of those points came from leveling up from 64 to 66,¡± Zarian explained. Naomi blinked. She was leaning on her Tranquil Mind +2 to keep her cool. Her first skill must¡¯ve advanced recently because Zarian had only known it as Tranquil Mind +1 until now. Everyone in his party needed to update each other on their growth later. Once they could get past how their party leader was a doomsday threat, the Dreaded Outsider. ¡°Where did all those points come from?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°For being a freedom leader. Want to be one?¡± Naomi knelt on the ground beside him. She offered her hand. Zarian accepted and thought about the concept of freedom. A blue notification appeared. He heard an eagle cry in the background. But it wasn¡¯t an eagle. It was a magical bird that didn¡¯t exist back in the old world. Still, he felt a little more patriotic and gung-ho. ¡°Yes,¡± Zarian said. Naomi gasped. Her brown eyes blinked rapidly while she tried to get used to her alignment change and new position. As someone with the free for real sub-alignment, she was hard for others to figure out or control. That would pair well with her psychic abilities. Zarian tried to use his Basic Aura Manipulation to feel for any outside forces around Naomi without digging into her directly. The alignment magic didn¡¯t work like aura magic even though they could get intertwined with each other. Still, when he tried to press his aura manipulation onto her, he felt major resistance. He could break through if he pushed harder, but there was no need. ¡°Whoa, I felt that. Something trying to break my boundaries and getting repelled. That was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°It was. You¡¯ll need to invite me whenever I¡¯m trying to do stuff with your person. Free for real extends against everyone, friends and enemies.¡± ¡°Hm, interesting. I¡¯ll let you inside me whenever you want, okay?¡± ¡°Thanks. I appreciate that.¡± 102: B2: C2: The Dreaded Floridian 2 Zarian watched as Naomi scrolled through her notifications. He didn¡¯t see her notifications directly, but he knew she was looking based on how her eyes unfocused from him and twitched. He saw the corner of her mouth quirk up. She¡¯d reached the note for the new achievement. ¡°What? It¡¯s divine! That¡¯s my first one!¡± Naomi barely contained her glee. ¡°Okay. Sorry. I¡¯m going to be a hypocrite with you. I didn¡¯t even think about it. I dumped all one hundred points into Willpower, Strength, and Agility. Thanks, Zarian.¡± ¡°No problem. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± Zarian smiled at Naomi¡¯s open enthusiasm. She was more upbeat lately. He wasn¡¯t sure if this was her way of combating the existential dread or if she was putting on a show for him. He wasn¡¯t sure. He could try digging up his free evil +3 to analyze her, but he didn¡¯t want to break further boundaries. She¡¯d given him a light slap for making her cry. Not for killing her twice. Just for making her cry. She could¡¯ve hit him harder, but she hadn¡¯t. He owed her a lot for putting up with him. Until he could find a thoughtful way to pay her back, Zarian refocused on his own situation. He was still kneeling in the grass as the day waned. He had a lot of things to do. Wishing for some inner advice, Zarian delved into his free evil +3 for himself. A malicious recommendation immediately hit him. A twisted part of his Fractured Mind wanted to let Overwhelming Darkness reign free. If he was fast enough to eat as many universes and multiverses as possible, maybe he could overpower his Funnest Granpapa. Zarian set aside the useless evil ideas. Those were lame and bad. He went for the more intellectual introspections of free evil +3. His Fractured Mind parsed out what he needed and what was rubbish. Eventually, he found a line of thought that made sense to him. He should reward himself with some free points once he found control measures for Overwhelming Darkness. He could feed himself points little by little, almost similar to what Naomi had suggested, as he gained more control of the skill gradually. He needed mastery instead of more power. He needed to be like the Funnest Granpapa, a maestro of control. ¡°I¡¯m going to save the free points,¡± Zarian decided. Naomi looked at him in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Zarian furrowed his brow. ¡°I¡¯m not completely hopeless. I can learn from my mistakes. I can be patient.¡± ¡°I have my doubts. But if you can manage it, I¡¯ll be proud of you, Zarian.¡± She patted him on the shoulder and left a warm feeling on that spot. Naomi bounced to her feet. The difference made by her power spike was immediate. She left the ground and cleared twenty feet into the air by accident. Her psychic powers snapped and crackled with a slight hum like an electric generator around her. Her body rippled with newfound might and speed, the tension oozing raw physicality. When she hit the ground again, a sharp smile slashed across her dark face. She licked her full lips and looked like she wanted to fight something and dominate. Zarian loved that look on her. Despite everything. Despite him destroying everything. Despite his Overwhelming Darkness. Naomi was a simple woman at heart. A murderhobo and thrill seeker. He added to his growing list to do something nice for her to repay her patience and for making her cry. He couldn¡¯t really recall what Naomi liked outside of training and fighting. No, wait, there¡¯s dancing. Well, at least he had a starting point. As for Naomi herself, she didn¡¯t run off to hunt something down and test herself. Instead, she turned to him and offered her hand. Zarian looked down at the dirt and grass under him. His cloak quivered comfortably around him. Naomi waited without making him rush. With another glance up at the waning day, Zarian inhaled and exhaled deeply before taking her hand. She helped him up gently, showing superb control, and had him back on his feet again. She looked behind him and seemed slightly disappointed. He could guess why. ¡°I have no idea when the tail will show up,¡± Zarian said. ¡°It could be tomorrow after we sleep or the next day, or years down the road.¡± ¡°Para, girl, hide the tail from everyone else until I get to it first,¡± Naomi said. ¡°It¡¯s our secret.¡± Para held her silence. Naomi squinted. ¡°Para? It¡¯s our secret, right? You can¡¯t tell Bianca.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°No habla Ingl¨¦s,¡± Para replied. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is!¡± Zarian held in a laugh as Naomi tried to use pitiful Spanish to argue with Para. Unfortunately for Naomi, the Parasite Cloak +2¡¯s fluency in Spanish was much higher. Para easily ran circles around Naomi and made the epic Rumble Psion look incompetent at the language despite the cloak being a four or so months old. Zarian led the way back to the Ride-or-Die Fort. By the time they were halfway there, Para was helping Naomi with rolling her R¡¯s better. Zarian enjoyed the background noise as he examined everything in his profile, along with one more new addition that he couldn¡¯t quite figure out. How did I get this? Zarian wondered. Thinking about it further, he might¡¯ve gotten this from resisting the darkness for a long time. By not letting his mind fade away, he gained a divine trait that was a universal law. Nobody could break or lessen his Willpower. Nobody could mess with his mind or emotions. His soul was secured depending on what soul technique an attacker used. He didn¡¯t really think of that as a major concern until he had another realization. Sinfeast couldn¡¯t screw with him anymore. The same went for many other gods with trippy powers that traumatized people, leaving marks on their mind and soul. My mind is really a fortress. A Floridian Mindset. That was going to be important going forward. He was a weapon of multiverse-level destruction, after all. Zarian dipped into his free evil +3 again and learned of numerous ways evil-doers would try to take advantage of him. There were plenty of ways for do-gooders to try trapping him forever. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Naomi asked him, bumping her shoulder into his arm. He smiled at her restraint. She only moved him a little instead of a lot. ¡°A bunch of people are going to want to abuse me or trap me,¡± Zarian said. Naomi¡¯s abilities crackled and popped around her. Her next step shook the ground with a heavy psychic force. A tremor passed through the earth. Dirt, grit, and rocks flew up around them for dozens of feet in all directions. She clenched her fists and raised them up. The air bent and warbled around her knuckles as she exuded the epic power of a Rumble Psion. ¡°I won¡¯t let them,¡± she said, huffing. ¡°You¡¯re our Zarian.¡± Ah, I see, she¡¯s still dealing with what just happened. He was still dealing with it, too. It was a lot to process. Zarian still smiled, feeling a little warm inside, as he traced his finger over the medallion on his chest. Naomi calmed down as she looked at his medallion. Then she brought her medallion out of her soul. They were matching. Their Divine Revival Charms glinted under the sun, each gem glimmering brightly. ¡°Yeah, well, let¡¯s see if everyone else is on the same page.¡± Zarian absorbed his medallion back into his soul. Naomi did the same. They reached the fort¡¯s main entrance. ¡°Stony¡¯s gone.¡± Zarian blinked up at the smashed gatehouse. There was rubble everywhere. The cubes from Hannah¡¯s Cube Maker Magic +1 were magically tough. But Stony was way tougher. ¡°Stony ran away. He wanted to go home after dying to a darkness he couldn¡¯t fight,¡± Naomi explained. Zarian frowned. They¡¯d lost their Level 105 Wall Crusher Master. That was one big and tough-as-hell giant. But Overwhelming Darkness had traumatized the poor guy, pushing him to desert his post. Losing him like that hurt a little. Not because of the loss of Stony¡¯s giant might, but because Zarian liked Stony. Glancing behind him, Zarian saw the battlefield was still filled with thousands of dead kobold bodies. Nobody had collected them to feed the Dancing Librarian Dungeon. He currently had no eyes inside of the fort. All of his spectral spiders had expired when Zarian had killed himself without a quick enough revive. I really shot myself. Man, I don¡¯t hold back any punches. ¡°Let me see how bad it is with my own eyes.¡± Zarian continued forward. Naomi followed beside him. The Parasite Cloak +2 fluttered and wavered like a monstrous flag behind them. More importantly, the cloak had a small glimmer of reddish purple magic to it now. Almost like dying stars preparing to go out forever while on the edges of the ravaging void. It was beautiful. It remained so to Zarian, even when the cloak shifted forms. Para created veiny hands, insectoid scythes, mandibles on long muscled necks, multi-jointed hacksaws, bestial skulls with large chomping teeth, bone-plated tentacles, tendrils ending with hooks, and other nightmarish forms. Each part of Para¡¯s creative and glimmering body gnashed, snipped, slashed, grasped, and whipped at the air around Zarian and Naomi. Even while under a clear sky day, they looked like a scary pair with a monstrous eldritch entity backing them. Even without Para showing off, Zarian¡¯s profile by itself was scary. <> Origins: Zarian Darkrun, 21 yr-old Human, Dreaded Outsider, Dungeon Master, Freedom Leader Level: 66 Class: Madness Wizard (Legendary) Alignment: Free Evil +3 Traits: Dark Affinity (Rare), Overpower (Epic), Identify (Rare), Aura Channeler (Rare), Fractured Mind (Uncommon), Basic Aura Manipulation (Rare), Frenzy Zone (Uncommon), Uncanny Valley Effect (Rare), Void Mysticism (Rare), Lore Eater (Epic), Thematic Law/Floridian Mindset (Divine), The Dreaded One (Epic) Alpha Skills (5/5): Overwhelming Darkness (Level 1), Parasite Cloak +2 (Level 27), Spectral Spider Network +1 (Level 22), Grimoire of the Mad Voidling Exile (Level 24), Summon Wizard Hat +1 (Level 24) Beta Skills (8/15): Grimoire of Black Magic 102 (Level 21), Grimoire of the Dread Mire Hell Gator (Level 19), Tranquil Mind (Level 0), Adrenaline Jolt (Level 0), Willful Might (Level 0), Wondrous Speed (Level 0), Mystic Toughness (Level 0), Rune Alteration (Level 0) Willpower: 244 Strength: 39 Agility: 40 Wonder: 194 Mysticism: 470 Free: 114 Achievements: Honored Outsider (Divine), SSS Dance with White Silk Reiki (Epic), Heroes of the Eternal Garden Kingdom (Legendary), Divine Knock Knock (Divine), Junior Manslaughterer (Uncommon), Initial Pacifist Gauntlet (Rare), First Human Gnoll Elder of Corma (Epic), SSS Genius Beyond the Lore Eater (Epic), Boon Wrecker (Divine), Befriending Gods (Divine), Rare Dungeon Master (Rare), Lizard Slayer (Uncommon), Divine Enemy (Divine), Dreaded Outsider (Divine), Freedom Leader (Divine) Spells: Bloody Lifesteal (Uncommon), Raise Advancing Skeletons (Rare), Black Fire (Rare), Quagmire Pit (Uncommon), Dread Mire Bite (Rare), Dread Mire Bellow (Epic), Void Step (Epic), Void Authority (Epic), Void Layer (Legendary), Dread Mire Hell Gator (Legendary) <> Yeah, Zarian was pretty sure his profile was ridiculous for someone at Level 66. He was the Dreaded Outsider with a Floridian Mindset. Might as well call him the Dreaded Floridian, honestly. Who around his level would fight that? ¡°Zarian!¡± Gilbert roared drunkenly, red in the face. He was striding across the rubble that was lying around from the smashed gatehouse. He had his hands balled up into big, knobby fists. ¡°Hey big guy.¡± Zarian gave him a cheeky smile. ¡°So, I died. Killed everyone. An ancient ancestor of mine fixed everything. And now we¡¯re all back.¡± Gilbert entered a run. The former cop and now legendary Knighted Healer charged full steam ahead at the Madness Wizard. ¡°Para, let the boys be boys,¡± Naomi said, walking off to the side. ¡°Okay!¡± Para contracted into a mostly normal cloak that glimmered only a little. Zarian rolled his eyes before taking a heavy punch to the face. He let Gilbert get six solid, uncontested hits. Then Zarian stopped being a punching bag. He fought Gilbert man-to-man, fists to fists. This brawl was a long time coming. 103: B2: C3: Evil Little Sister 1 A part of Zarian¡¯s Fractured Mind saw the old Gilbert, a big, blue-eyed, straw-haired, stereotypical American that could¡¯ve played lineman in the NFL. Here in the World of Castles and Caverns, dressed in the runic leather armor of the Wolf Dragon Hunter suits, Gilbert also looked like a half-charming, half-barbaric, warrior prince. The full beard on his chin fitted him. He shouldn¡¯t shave it anymore. The beard might cushion the force of Zarian¡¯s punches, especially the last one he landed. For some reason, Zarian struck with way more oomph than normal. He was not relying too much on his Level 0 skills for buffing his body, like Willful Might, Wondrous Speed, and Mystic Toughness. Yet, he knocked Gilbert off his feet and sent him flying back into a small garrison building, busting straight through the stone wall. ¡°Huh,¡± Zarian said, glancing at his knuckles. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be hitting this hard.¡± ¡°Is that because of your ancient lineage showing through?¡± Naomi asked, standing off to the side. Zarian shrugged. Naomi continued to watch from the sidelines. There was nobody else nearby except for one acolyte, Amabel. The girl hid mostly behind a different stone building while peeking out. She shivered when Zarian¡¯s attention landed on her, but she didn¡¯t run away. She waved her hand shakily. Zarian waved back. He turned his attention back to Gilbert as the Knighted Healer staggered through the hole. Gilbert was red in the face from having chug a lot of magic booze and from taking Zarian¡¯s punchess. He was also raging hard, leaning full-tilt into his Berserk Vitality trait and Sacrificial Blow skill. The more damage he accrued, the harder he could hit. However, Zarian was hitting much harder than normal. As Gilbert lunged over the rubble from the busted gatehouse, Zarian quickly realized why he was hitting so hard. It was because of his Thematic Law. Zarian wasn¡¯t just stronger and tougher. He was faster, too, hence dodging the heavy punch Gilbert swung with all of his weight. The whiff kicked up a gale force of wind. Dust and grit flew off into the air and over piles of rubble. The legendary Knighted Healer turned about slower than the Madness Wizard could circle. By the time Gilbert was halfway to facing him, Zarian struck the big man with an overhand punch and rocked him off his feet again, but at a downward angle. Gilbert smashed a small crater into the stone floor. His body bounced up into a midair tumble. He flailed and roared angrily the whole time as he tried to right himself. Just when he got his feet under him and touched the floor, Zarian was already there with a shoulder tackle. Zarian planned to pick him up, run him into the cubic wall, and keep the big man pinned. That didn¡¯t work out as expected. Gilbert juiced himself with multiple doses of Adrenaline Jolt until he hit a cap. Zarian knew that was happening because Gilbert¡¯s entire body was turning red. The Knighted Healer¡¯s veins bulged with incredible girth. His eyes turned red around his blue irises. His muscles pumped up with more physical might. Gilbert went completely out of his mind and hulked out. He slammed both fists like mega hammers down on Zarian¡¯s back with a loud thump that roared and echoed off the walls. This time around, the Madness Wizard truly buckled and felt some pain. Zarian pushed aura into his Willful Might and Mystic Toughness skills. Only enough for him to endure, and no further than that. He didn¡¯t want to cheese the brawl. Hell, he was enjoying himself, leaning into the craziness. The two of them went at it like fighting animals stuck in a cage. Zarian ditched the tackle, hooked one hand on Gilbert¡¯s bulging forearm, and swung up another overhand punch. Boom. It sounded like two fleshy boulders colliding with an explosion. That would¡¯ve killed most people. Gilbert, however, ate the punch and stayed standing. He spat blood into Zarian¡¯s face and swung around a hook that struck like thunder on Zarian¡¯s jaw. Any other wizard would¡¯ve had their head smashed apart like a melon. Unlike most feeble wizards, the Madness Wizard staggered only once. Then he set his feet and returned another overhand punch. Gilbert ate it and threw another hook. Zarian ate. He swung back. Overhand. Hook. Overhand. Hook. They traded punches again and again. Neither man gave ground while locked up together. This was a brutal union of frustration and anger and wildness that they both had to get out. Their vitality, stats, and buffs let them strike at each other and endure despite their superhuman devastation. It was like letting Hulk and Superman duke it out without much restraint. The stone floor cracked and caved under them. Craters formed underneath their heavy and impactful steps. Each explosive blow sent rubble flying away. The thumping impacts sounded like a constant barrage of cannon fire at some point. Both men had to dig their heels down into the cratered floor and hold tight to each other to avoid flying away from these punches. The area was a mess after Stony¡¯s departure, but now it was becoming even messier between the Knighted Healer and the Madness Wizard. Zarian didn¡¯t even care anymore about why he punched Gilbert and why Gilbert was punching him. He was in the fight just to fight. Every blow was like fireworks in his cranium or down his arm. His face was cut up and bleeding from multiple wounds. His brain was rattling around in his head hard. Zarian kept going. He gave as good as he got. He kept rocking Gilbert¡¯s head around like no wizard should or could. The further the brawl went, the hungrier Zarian became. The hungrier Zarian became, the more his other abilities bled out.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. A hint of the Uncanny Valley trait displayed itself, making Zarian¡¯s outline shifty, eerie, and hard to predict. A hint of the Dreaded One showed up, adding a foreboding sense of doom to the air. Of course, Aura Channeler, Basic Aura Manipulation, and his Overpower trait were enormous factors. Without them, Zarian couldn¡¯t push his Level 0 skills higher than their strict beta limits Zarian became more monstrous. He became less of a magical man and more of the Dreaded Outsider. Eventually, Gilbert¡¯s punches stopped doing much, making the brawl even more one-sided. Zarian swooped in for the win. He kicked in one of Gilbert¡¯s legs and brought him down to his knees. He grabbed Gilbert by the hair, yanked his head to the side, and pummeled his face with rapid punches that forced Gilbert to raise his arms and block. Then Zarian went low with a body kick that threw the Knighted Healer backward like a rag doll across the floor and rubble. Gilbert smashed into the corner of the demolished gatehouse and formed a crumbling pocket for his body to sit in. He didn¡¯t get up. A moment of silence passed between them. Then Gilbert turned over with a groan and vomited. He sat back against the crater he¡¯d ended up in, his chest rising and falling heavily with each labored breath. He spat bile and blood in an equal measure before looking out with one eye that wasn¡¯t completely swollen shut. ¡°How are we here?¡± he asked with a grunt. Zarian didn¡¯t answer right away. His body was still hot and ready for more action. His hunger was burning like a furnace. He was really warmed up to go the distance and wanted to fight more. He nearly dipped into his free evil +3 without thinking. It was right there for the taking. It was so, so tempting just to heap on everything that made him ferocious. Instead, Zarian stood for a while and let himself calm down. He was still running hot when Gilbert¡¯s question finally registered with his Fractured Mind, which was busy getting hyped off the high octane rush provided by his parasitic body. The parasite and his lawful Floridian Mindset were the reasons he was so much stronger than normal. The +1 Advancement to Parasite Cloak fused Para with him, increasing his resilience, physicality, and appetite. Para mainly scaled with Willpower regardless of her new partial scaling with Mysticism. Zarian¡¯s Floridian Mindset improved abilities that were Willpower-based by a whopping 150% added on. The base amount to his Willpower stat was only second to Naomi¡¯s. Having high Willpower and the Floridian Mindset was making the parasitic skill a big deal in Zarian¡¯s profile. And to think, I chose the cloak mostly to look cool and to use the pocket dimension. While he kept Gilbert waiting, Zarian looked down at his body. His sweat steamed off of him in wisps. His muscles felt like they were bulging with the combined might of his physique and the parasitic threads weaved with almost every fiber of his being. If this was a boost for him, Zarian could only imagine how stupidly OP Para was now. As for Gilbert¡¯s question, Zarian answered with this: ¡°I¡¯m the son of an old lineage of super primordial ultra gods. I¡¯m basically like superman, sent to a mundane world or System or whatever, but on purpose. I think this is all to have me grow mundane before developing my powers.¡± Zarian sighed as his body cooled off further. ¡°But my development, along with my little sister¡¯s, is not for us to grow the most powerful. It¡¯s for us to control our power. Or we become the ultimate evil siblings around, a pair of spreading darknesses that are world eaters, System usurpers, multidimensional and multiverse-level threats.¡± Gilbert slowly nodded along. He spat to the side again. He waved his swollen hand for Zarian to continue. ¡°I can¡¯t control my darkness right now. It wants to eat and spread. It¡¯s big and strong. I¡¯ve eaten Corma and you guys. I¡¯ve eaten all the worlds of the Infinita before breaking this universe and eating what remained of the Star System. Ariana broke free after that. She seemed in control of herself. But she was a bit more wicked than me. After watching me for a while, she sought universes to eat as well. The difference between me and her was that I was bigger and stronger while she was smarter and had a habit of playing with her food.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Gilbert said. Zarian grimaced. This was getting harder to talk about. But he needed to say it. He had to get it out there. He didn¡¯t care about the optics or bad PR. He¡¯d spent a long time with this stuff even if everything seemed to have reset. He had no idea how many years he¡¯d spent out there trying to fight his darkness as it ate worlds and universes, but it felt like a long, long time. The horrors and the memories stayed with Zarian. That was just another consequence Zarian would have to deal with left by the Funnest Granpapa. Zarian kept going: ¡°So it¡¯s been the two of us for a long time, consuming, spreading, destroying all in our wake. This version of me, my mind, was conscious throughout while I tried to stop myself, my darkness. I slowed it down a little, but not much more. I kept fighting until finally my family intervened and reset everything.¡± ¡°Reset everything? Like, with a snap of their fingers?¡± Gilbert asked. Zarian nodded. ¡°It was pretty much like that. The one to do it calls himself my Funnest Granpapa. He sounds Floridian and has a Haitian Creole accent. Apparently, a Haitian became a super primordial ultra god. Go figure. Also, I have other family members, or grandparents, known as the Greatest Granpapa, the Strongest Granpapa, and then there¡¯s the Biggest Granmama, who is the wife to the Funnest. I¡¯m supposed to take after the Biggest, and I¡¯ll have a tail because of that.¡± The following silence was a long one. Zarian filled it with some more words. ¡°I need to work on controlling my new skill, Overwhelming Darkness. If I don¡¯t, it could kill me and unleash the Darkrun Apocalypse again. So, yeah, that¡¯s the gist of it.¡± Zarian sighed, feeling a little lighter. He should learn to shorten that explanation while telling the most important bits. He figured he was going to repeat that story loads and loads of times. More importantly, the ones who needed to hear it were here. Naomi was standing off to the side with her hands on her hips. Hannah had arrived during the brawl, her face an icy mask, giving nothing away. And Bianca was up on her bare feet. She was mostly back to her usual pretty self. Long straw-colored hair. Amber eyes. An easy, graceful, model-like beauty that could bewitch a man to spending countless money on her. She¡¯d worked as a rum promoter back in the old world. Still, the nineteen-year-old could¡¯ve easily become a rich housewife once she got close to the right guy. Zarian didn¡¯t think she was that type of person deep down. Maybe she could¡¯ve been if she hadn¡¯t become the legendary Light Princess with good +5. Speaking of her alignment, it was acting funny again. Bianca flicked her hand to the side and conjured a whirring saber made of hard light. The air warbled around the bright blade with radiant heat. She looked angry. But even with a scowl on her face, Bianca remained the prettiest girl in miles. She was also the most dangerous girl in miles. ¡°I must kill you. You¡¯re evil. The biggest evil. I must kill you.¡± Bianca staggered toward Zarian slowly, step by step. ¡°She¡¯s still got some of the tranquilizer in her,¡± Gilbert said. Nodding, Zarian waited in place. Naomi walked in stealthily from Bianca¡¯s blind spot. The Rumble Psion set her hand on the back of the younger woman¡¯s head, almost caressingly, and used a psychic ability or two. Bianca stumbled to a stop. Her radiant eyes blinked in confusion. Her face twitched with different emotions. Her sabers of light flickered on and off. Zarian rushed forward with quick strides. He used his Lore Eater trait to remove Bianca¡¯s clear vision of him. But he didn¡¯t stop her from hearing him. This was a delicate maneuver. He had to dig deep into his free evil +3 to empower his Fractured Mind. Just so he could tamper with Bianca¡¯s head and offer her the invite. ¡°Bianca, you can do even more good as part of the freedom alignment. You must accept being a Freedom Leader. Fight for freedom. It¡¯s the goodest thing to do,¡± he argued. The words sounded cheesy. But they conveyed a simple idea that could stick in the spots Zarian¡¯s Lore Eater left open in Bianca¡¯s mind. The process was easier with Naomi¡¯s psychic abilities involved. Zarian wanted to ask for a detailed report on her advancements. He imagined her Tranquil Mind +2 was a big factor. Between the two of them, they pacified Bianca¡¯s crusader insanity. She still twisted and squirmed between the Madness Wizard and the Rumble Psion before honing her focus elsewhere, such as her notifications. Zarian¡¯s heart hammered in his chest. His cloak quivered in anticipation. They waited and waited. Then, finally, the raging goodness, a bonfire of crusader energy, winked out. Bianca was back to being herself. 104: B2: C4: Evil Little Sister 2 To Zarian¡¯s relief, Bianca had joined the freedom alignment. She was free good +5. She collapsed. Zarian caught her. He helped her down to her knees gently. She shivered in his arms, squirming against his chest, not to get away, but to delve deeper into his embrace. Para wrapped them both up, providing comfort and adoration with her cloak form. As expected, Bianca¡¯s waterworks came, and they sounded traumatic. Naomi bent down and rubbed her hand over Bianca¡¯s head as the Cuban girl cried and cried. Zarian wondered if he should pass Bianca over to Naomi, but the way Bianca clung onto him suggested he had to play his role as the shoulder for her to cry on. Naomi kept petting and combing through Bianca¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Bianca blubbered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I couldn¡¯t control it! I couldn¡¯t be me. I couldn¡¯t do anything. I was stuck in my head. And that thing took over. I¡¯m sorry!¡± Bianca transitioned into a rant of Cuban Spanish that was too fast for the non-fluent speakers. Para was just fluent enough to say some simple phrases and keep consoling Bianca. Zarian let out a long, exasperated sigh. This was what he wanted. The cost was almost too high. But at least Bianca was herself again. Naomi frowned. One hand curled into a trembling fist. The other kept petting Bianca¡¯s head to comfort her. Zarian imagined Naomi was mad because of the gods. Zarian still had his divine naughty list, but the gods seemed so small to him now. Well, except that bastard Sinfeast. Bianca kept crying. She wasn¡¯t going to stop crying for a while. Hannah came over. ¡°Is there a way for us to be that strong? To be as strong as you? Or at least halfway?¡± She sounded cold. Withdrawn. The pale-skinned and mousy brunette who had transferred from Alabama to Florida was the type most people would¡¯ve overlooked. Zarian had seen how brilliant and bold she could be in the heat of conflict. He¡¯d also encouraged and discouraged her dark side in equal measures. Hannah had an edge to her. When fully unleashed, Hannah could be more dangerous than Naomi sometimes. Right now, that edge was showing. ¡°That¡¯s part of my many goals,¡± Zarian explained, still acting as the shoulder for Bianca to cry on. ¡°To make my best friends into high-quality gods. We¡¯ll need to go on our adventures with more nuance. Oh, and you can join the freedom alignment, too. Become a Freedom Leader and get a nice, juicy divine achievement.¡± ¡°I would very much like that, please,¡± Hannah said curtly. Zarian gave her the offer. Hannah took it. Now there was only one. Gilbert picked himself up and lumbered over to the rest of the Floridians. He looked like a walking corpse. He hadn¡¯t bothered to heal himself. Maybe he wanted to feel the pain and let his natural vitality do the heavy lifting. Zarian felt the same way. ¡°I think I get it now,¡± Gilbert said cryptically. ¡°What did you get?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°This is my test. From the Big G. Bigger than your grandpapa, grandmama, and whoever. My test is to be your healer. To set you straight. To keep you on the righteous path of redemption.¡± ¡°Does that include my little sister? She¡¯s fairly evil. She enjoys living as the ever-expanding apocalypse, I think.¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s definitely a part of the test. She appeared right in front of me when I was trying to save you.¡± Zarian nearly jolted from hearing that. Ariana had never shown herself to anyone before. Could she have appeared wherever or whenever she wanted this whole time? The implications of that were shocking. He was having a hard time bouncing back after hearing that. He was still reeling when another voice, much younger, much more familiar, interceded. ¡°Oh, darn it, Gilbert McDonald! Why¡¯d you have to say that? Now my cover is ruined!¡± Ariana complained, appearing between them all. She was still dressed in her Sunday best. Sparkling white dress. Pearly white shoes. All adorned on a four-year-old body as cute as a button. She smiled before letting out a cheer. ¡°Big Bro, Big Bro, let¡¯s do that again! Let¡¯s eat! Let¡¯s play! Let¡¯s spread the darkness of the Darkruns forever and evermore!¡± Nobody could say a thing for a while. Especially not Zarian. They all just gawked at Ariana Darkrun. The little sister. The phantom of Zarian¡¯s broken psyche. The ghost who existed in both the old universe and in this universe. The hits just wouldn¡¯t stop coming for Zarian. Finally, Naomi broke the silence with a drawl. ¡°Zarian, I¡¯m going to have to bend your sister over my knee and whoop that little behind. That is a very naughty girl. I can feel the badness of her.¡± Ariana placed her fingers to her cheeks, her indexes on her dimples. She flashed a simple human smile. Then she sealed her lips before she flashed another smile. This one had wicked fangs. ¡°You¡¯ll have to meet me where all bad little girls stay, Naomi Washington,¡± Ariana said with a demented and creepy voice. Zarian leaned on his Willpower stat to regain his composure. He still didn¡¯t know what to say, and he didn¡¯t want to use his free evil +3.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Gilbert mumbled for the power of Christian God. Hannah watched with cold fascination. Bianca sniffled, curling deeper into Zarian¡¯s and Para¡¯s embrace. And Naomi crossed her arms, head cocked to the side. ¡°Where¡¯s that?¡± Ariana laughed. ¡°In hell! Ha ha ha! You must meet me in Infinita, Hidden Hell, to be exact. But you¡¯re all far too weak for that. It¡¯ll be easier for me to wake up and see you myself. But if that happens ¡­ I¡¯m going to be really, really hungry, in a different way.¡± ¡°Ariana,¡± Zarian called. The evil little sister snapped her attention to him. She softened her features and gave him a cute, bubbly smile with little human teeth. ¡°Big Bro, I know you want to play pretend with these tiny mortals. But we¡¯re bigger, grander, greater than anything they can conceive. We shouldn¡¯t hide from our destiny. We should embrace it.¡± ¡°And get stuck in a jar,¡± Naomi quipped. Ariana snapped around and revealed her fangs again. ¡°My Big Bro¡¯s favorite little pet, I tolerate you because it¡¯s amusing to see you struggle despite your lack of talent. Do not take my kindness for weakness. All it would take to squish you is the press of my littlest toe.¡± Ariana smiled venomously up at Naomi. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the Rumble Psion held her tongue. Naomi could only push so much. Ariana refocused on Zarian with a human and soft smile. ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about my placement, don¡¯t be. I¡¯m quite fine in hell. It¡¯s a good place for my lame body to sleep. But I don¡¯t care about it much. I don¡¯t care about any of these mud ball worlds or system restraints. We were born to a lineage that far surpasses them all!¡± ¡°Okay. Whew. I think I¡¯ve gotten past the shock,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Good. Now do you agree with me?¡± Ariana pressed. ¡°No, Ariana! You¡¯re speaking like a megalomaniacal villain! You¡¯re so terrible you sound like a Saturday morning cartoon cornball!¡± Ariana flinched back, surprised. Then she rebounded. ¡°But you¡¯re edgy!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m edgy. But I want to use my edginess to, ugh, do decent things. And regardless of that, I don¡¯t want to be a mass of ever-expanding darkness that only eats and eats.¡± Zarian sighed. ¡°I like having friends and touching grass.¡± Ariana nodded seriously. ¡°I think your dislike of our destiny stems from not fully embracing it. It¡¯s much better when you embrace it. And just for you, Big Bro, I can contain these little pets and some grass for you using my dark body. I know you can¡¯t control your appetite. But I can. Would that convince you?¡± Zarian shook his head. ¡°I want us to live to be better people and have some fun adventures. Throw in a training montage soundtrack, and we¡¯re living the life here.¡± Ariana snorted. ¡°What does being better people mean compared to being the ultimate existence? Who needs adventures? Training? Bah! None of that matters! Only power matters! More and more power! That¡¯s what everyone wants, and we have it! So let¡¯s do the logical thing and be overpowered together and forget the rest!¡± Zarian had never seen Ariana act so passionately before. She really cared about what she was saying. His mind was his own because of his Thematic Law. That didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t end up breaking or debuffing his own Willpower from having sheer doubt. Would free evil +3 make it easier to debate Ariana? Or would that turn against him? Having the choice to dip into his evil intellect or not had its own difficulties compared to having it as a constant presence. Maybe I should have it on all the time and learn to deal with that. Before taking that risk, one of his friends stepped in boldly. This came as another surprise. ¡°Being better people is the ultimate existence,¡± Gilbert said with a sudden burst of conviction. ¡°It¡¯s caring for your neighbors. Forgiving those who¡¯ve wronged you without forgetting to hold them accountable. It¡¯s accepting the grace of life and the miracles that every day we breathe can bring us. And it¡¯s knowing our lives are finite and making the most out of them. You may scoff at the simplicity of it all, but this right here is the best living we can have.¡± Ariana scoffed. ¡°You must be joking. I refused to be told off by a hypocritical, dogmatic, religious fanatic like you. Especially one who sleeps with a witch!¡± ¡°Oh, damn,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Sorry,¡± Bianca mumbled. Hannah held her silence and kept watching. Zarian felt like he was part of a play. He was both an actor and an audience member. He felt bad for Gilbert, because the one-night-stand with a witch was supposed to be a joke for later. Ariana, like most evil little sisters, had overheard or discovered the secret on her own. She used it like a dagger for a critical mortal blow. Gilbert took it without batting an eye. He kept going. ¡°Little demoness, you spawn of hell, I won¡¯t let you make me doubt my belief. I¡¯m a sinner, just like any other. But all can be forgiven by my God and savior. I won¡¯t let you turn me away from my mission. I won¡¯t let Zarian fall off the righteous path. And you will be cleansed into the good little girl you should be.¡± Ariana staggered back, baffled by Gilbert¡¯s audacity. ¡°I¡¯m with him,¡± Naomi said. ¡°I¡¯ll fight your littlest toe if I have to.¡± Hannah said nothing. Bianca hid under the cloak. And Zarian looked at his little sister sadly. ¡°Yeah, I know. Despite everything, even the witch, Gilbert stays a hardcore, bible-thumping Christian. Even on his best days, he could be annoying about it. But I¡¯m with him.¡± Ariana took one deep breath in through her nostrils and out through her mouth. She repeated the gesture a few more times. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve gotten too excited. The rush of having the ultimate form and tasting so many juicy worlds while mortals and gods alike become reduced to little delightful seasoning was ¡­ well ¡­ a trip. I¡¯ve acted incorrectly here. I hope you understand I¡¯m always on your side, Big Bro, and I¡¯m always cheering you on. It¡¯s just ¡­ I have my¡­¡± ¡°Demons,¡± Gilbert drawled. ¡°Urges,¡± Ariana spat. ¡°I have urges that are more ingrained into me than you, Big Bro. So, yes, your appetite is much more vast and unstoppable. But I¡¯m ¡­¡± Ariana trailed off. She shook her head. ¡°My body will be awake sooner or later. We shall meet again either in the spirit or in the flesh. But until then, I¡¯ll leave you with some helpful news, since I¡¯m the best little sister and very caring for my Big Bro and his little pets.¡± ¡°Can you not call my friends ¡®little pets?¡¯¡± Zarian asked. Ariana huffed. ¡°When you and your little ¡®friends¡¯ go face the Grimrock Warlock, prepare yourselves to the best of your abilities. She wouldn¡¯t have caught my attention if she had stayed unambitious. But after recent events of the most wonderful kind, she¡¯s not being subtle anymore.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°I¡¯m not saying specifics. The Creepiest Matant warned me about cheating too much. That¡¯s aunt in Haitian Creole, by the way. You¡¯re lucky you have the Funnest looking over you, because the Creepiest is the most annoying creature ever. Nonetheless, I must listen until we combine forces and be greater than the old ones, Big Bro.¡± ¡°Or until we learn to control ourselves and not be the ultimate evil assholes, Ariana,¡± Zarian grumbled. She snorted and shook her head. Then, with a sigh, she looked at Zarian adoringly. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I love you, too, you evil munchkin.¡± Ariana giggled cutely before she disappeared. Zarian looked at the spot his little sister had occupied. He wondered if they should set up a runic spirit catcher or something. He might have to consider his little sister as a rival of sorts. They were having a big debate. He wanted to enjoy the simpler pleasures. She wanted to enjoy the darkest urges. He wanted to see his friends grow. She wanted power to eat all of life. If she kills me, she would get her way, Zarian thought. Despite Ariana¡¯s evilness and manipulations, he couldn¡¯t see her going for the direct approach. That could break their relationship to an irreparable degree. Putting aside his concerns for his evil little sister, Zarian turned to Gilbert. ¡°Want to join the freedom alignment as a leader? You¡¯ll be free for real from foreign controls, and you can grow that.¡± Gilbert looked better now. His vitality was kicking in hugely. He didn¡¯t answer right away and chewed on the offer. Then he asked, ¡°Do you mean we¡¯re spreading freedom?¡± A magical bald bird cried out in the background. Zarian answered, ¡°Yes.¡± They shook on it like men, and Gilbert joined the freedom alignment as the fifth leader. Two seats remained. 105: B2: C5: The Dark Era After eating enough for a dozen men, Zarian was getting sloshed at Reiki¡¯s dungeon coffee bar like he was at a Marine party with unlimited booze. The place had warm red and brown tones with wooden furnishings like a tavern set near the entrance to the dungeon. There was the smell of roasted coffee, cooked food, and sweet beer in the air. It was a comforting place, perfect for cutting loose or drowning out one¡¯s misery. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Gilbert drank like a fish in water. Naomi knocked back as many as Zarian. Bianca and Hannah sipped on their drinks lightly, but they were a few mugs deep. The Light Princess was still a mess, clinging onto the nearest person with a shoulder to cry on. That was Naomi right now, but at least her psionic abilities helped calm Bianca down. Para reached over with a veiny, leathery hand to keep patting Bianca on the back. It was evening time. They hadn¡¯t picked up the kobold bodies outside the fort. Zarian knew that would lead to a problem, but it was easy to ignore that while inside the dungeon. He just couldn¡¯t convince himself or anyone to care right now. Reiki and the dungeon didn¡¯t seem heavily affected by recent events. They kept operating as normal. The Freedom Leaders weren¡¯t the only ones occupying Reiki¡¯s dungeon coffee bar. Soldiers huddled in one corner, keeping to themselves. Acolytes took another corner, keeping to themselves. Even while on the farthest outskirts of their kingdom, the gender divide remained strong. Maybe they were naturally reverting to what felt normal after having their entire reality shattered and toyed with. The Floridians had a section to themselves as Reiki flitted back and forth, playing barkeeper, food giver, and venerable host to the shell-shocked humans who¡¯d died and came back to life. Granted, now that Zarian thought about it, Reiki and her dungeon monsters existed in a perpetual cycle of death and rebirth already. It was no wonder that they weren¡¯t heavily affected. Was all of reality just a bigger dungeon in the backyard of his lineage? Man, that¡¯s screwy. I¡¯m definitely drunk, Zarian thought. The others sitting away from the Floridians had their own opinions after enough gossip had gotten around retelling Zarian¡¯s story. His hearing was sharp enough to eavesdrop. He could still hear them sharing their reactions. ¡°Lord Zarian destroyed all of Infinita and everything beyond just to call down his ancient ancestor to create a new alignment,¡± said a soldier on the side for boys. ¡°And all I get is waking up an orphan and getting sent off to be sacrificed to gnolls before the Floridians arrived.¡± ¡°If the business of universal destruction is true, does that mean Lovewar died to Lord Zarian? Is she back to being alive again? Is our goddess okay? Do we still follow her decree to follow the Floridians? What do we do? I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± an acolyte said, growing stressed at the girl¡¯s side. ¡°We should¡¯ve stayed behind the walls and waited to be picked,¡± another acolyte said. Over at the boy¡¯s side, one soldier grumbled with existential dread. ¡°What¡¯s the point of life? What¡¯s the point of the Star System? What do we do if Lord Zarian destroys everything again because the gods enraged him? What if we don¡¯t get another reset?¡± ¡°I wonder how things are going back down in our old neck of the woods,¡± a different soldier said. ¡°Everyone saw it. Before the end of everything, before the darkness, the suns changed into Lord Zarian¡¯s eyes. How¡¯d that affect things down south in the kingdom proper?¡± ¡°Evil will reign,¡± another soldier claimed with a drunken slur. All the soldiers and acolytes hushed down. Zarian and his fellow Floridians perked up. All eyes were on the last soldier who¡¯d spoken. The young guy trembled from the attention, especially when he noticed Zarian looking at him. The guy looked like he was about to vomit from sheer nervousness. ¡°He¡¯s got a point,¡± said a familiar, feminine voice. Looking back, Zarian saw it was Amabel. Garden green eyes. Freckles. Petite. She was the bold little fourteen-year-old who¡¯d worked in the spa area back in the Lovewar Mansion. She¡¯d been getting bolder lately as a Level 32 War Spy Trainee. She¡¯d netted the most kills on Level 40 kobolds among acolytes, which had leveled her up fast. The highest level among the soldiers and acolytes was Roland who was Level 39. He could achieve his First Class Advancement at any moment. That reminded Zarian that they should deepen the depths of the soldiers¡¯ and acolytes¡¯ training before their advancements. The unfortunate part of leveling them up fast was their shallow vitality and shallow options when they advanced. They would need more time. They would also need to stick with the Floridians, if they were willing. Zarian waited to see what more Amabel had to say. She was working up to something significant. ¡°It¡¯s Mid Autumn, 1532 of the Dark Era,¡± Amabel said. ¡°This is the era where grand kingdoms forged by adventurers of the last era fall like bundles of sticks. This is the era where evil and villainy are predicted to reign the strongest and those who are supposed to be good fall to corruption and betray their good alignment.¡± Curious of where this was going, Zarian held his silence. He let the crowd respond in murmurs and hushed conversations. Eventually, a soldier piped up. ¡°Are you saying a bunch of evil bastards are going to take over?¡± a soldier asked. ¡°Who¡¯s going to do that when the biggest evil ¨C er ¨C lord is right here?¡± ¡°Evil doesn¡¯t have to have a purpose or plan to spread,¡± Gilbert said drunkenly. ¡°That¡¯s just how it is when the Devil¡¯s out to get everyone.¡± I¡¯m pretty sure I have a few Christian jokes I can make, Zarian thought. But I¡¯ll wait for the mood to lighten up first. ¡°What Lord Gilbert says.¡± Amabel bobbed her head up and down. ¡°I believe this is a sign that the Dark Era is fulfilling its purpose.¡± ¡°What purpose?¡± a different soldier asked. ¡°Evil will rise with the coming of the dark. It¡¯s up to us to war against it and survive,¡± Amabel said resolutely. ¡°Even if that means we must use evil to fight evil.¡± ¡°Or,¡± Zarian said, interjecting now. The entire coffee bar area fell silent. Zarian took his time to look over the banisters and at the huge rows of bookcases and spider librarians shuffling about. He glanced down at a fresh mug filled to the brim of beer Reiki had placed down for him. ¡°We spread freedom,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I¡¯ve been curious about that, milord,¡± Amabel said demurely. ¡°What boon do you grant us after having us destroyed and reborn? What is this freedom of yours?¡± Zarian ignored the shudders, shivers, and uneasy shifts from most of the soldiers and acolytes. Even Roland and Lora were keeping away from him and the Floridians. ¡°Free good. Free evil. Free for real. Under the freedom alignment, you can bring forth the power of good or evil however you want without outside influences. And if you¡¯re neutral, the free for real sub-alignment protects you from influences better.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we want our gods¡¯ influence?¡± a soldier asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this separate us further from the path? Is this new alignment born from the corpse of Lovewar?¡± an acolyte questioned. ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± another acolyte said. Zarian grunted in frustration and drunkenness. The coffee bar patrons fell into a meek silence. Their fear of him was more animalistic and primal now. It wasn¡¯t this bad before. It was kind of annoying him, honestly. He liked for his enemies to fear him greatly, not the people he worked alongside and watched over. The buzz he was under from drinking a lot of uncommon-quality beer was hitting fairly strong. His patience was shorter than usual. It was unfortunate, but he couldn¡¯t deal with the kids right now. ¡°I¡¯m going to peruse the library.¡± Zarian stood up and walked out of the coffee bar. ¡°Thanks, Reiki.¡± The glamorous dungeon boss spiraled around and waved at him with three of her six arms. She looked like a drider even though she was the biggest personality of the dungeon.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Since the dungeon was set to the base option, Reiki could act as a friendly proprietor, while the dungeon monsters played as librarians. Sometimes, if anyone looked around the bookcases and lounging areas, they could catch the librarian spiders dancing secretly in the corners. To his surprise, the other Floridians trailed after him. Naomi caught his look and raised an eyebrow. ¡°You didn¡¯t say you wanted alone time. And we haven¡¯t run an update yet.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure, let¡¯s do that.¡± It took more time than usual, since they were all slurring their words a little, but they ran an update on each other¡¯s gains. Zarian had a better idea of how much each of his party members had grown and what areas they needed to improve on. His Sophisticated Monocle had a new upgrade from Hannah, allowing him to use it as a mini-journal and recorder. With a thought, he updated his mini-versions of the others¡¯ profiles. Now that Zarian had everyone¡¯s information, and they had his, he realized there was a problem with their current profile setups. He looked up while they were in a lounge area with standing tables and decided to make a request. ¡°Hey, System, can we get Stats Per Level as a permanent addition to our profiles?¡± Zarian asked. As of now, that wasn¡¯t a thing, and Zarian had to look back at notifications and do the math consistently instead of having it displayed automatically in their profiles. The System responded with a blue notification above their heads and a soft ¡®ding¡¯ in Zarian¡¯s mind. He was sure the others heard the same. Zarian saw the new change pop up in his profile now, right between the skills and the stat list. Stats Per Level: +2 Willpower, +2 Wonder, +3 Mysticism, +7 free. ¡°The Star System seems to serve at your beck and call now,¡± Hannah commented while steepling her hands on one of the standing tables. ¡°Can¡¯t we just ask for whatever we want now?¡± The System didn¡¯t respond. Zarian shook his head as he leaned back against a standing table. ¡°That¡¯s too cheesy. We wouldn¡¯t grow properly if we made requests for any little thing. That and I think the System is only accommodating the simple stuff for me. It still has its own parameters to follow.¡± Hannah huffed. ¡°You destroyed all of us just to have a change in the alignments. That was far outside of its parameters. Maybe you have it leashed further now.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all back alive now. Maybe life and death when Zarian loses control isn¡¯t too big of a deal,¡± Naomi said, while still holding onto a sorrowful Bianca. Zarian grimaced. He didn¡¯t like that mindset. But he had no way to dispute it. His family lineage was powerful enough to reverse things. So why couldn¡¯t they do it again and again? Gilbert shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t treat our lives like cheap commodities. That¡¯s the wrong attitude to have.¡± ¡°And this isn¡¯t the original me,¡± Zarian said. Everyone¡¯s attention turned to him sharply. Zarian explained further. ¡°I¡¯m in a loop along with my sister. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve looped, but apparently I¡¯ve messed up multiple times before.¡± ¡°Do you remember the past loops?¡± Hannah asked. ¡°I don¡¯t. I only remember this life and how I grew up. But the Funnest Granpapa described a version of me who once grew up rich and was a raging asshole. I don¡¯t remember that now. Who knows how many versions of me there were. How many times have I failed?¡± ¡°What happened to everyone in your past lives?¡± Hannah asked with some heat and determination. ¡°Relationships? Friendships? Followers? Worlds? Did they extract you so you can start anew in another universe before you unleashed untold damage? Or was there so much damage that it couldn¡¯t be reset and they had to shuffle you and your little sister off to another loop? Depending on the answer to that, Zarian, it¡¯ll explain how dire our situation is.¡± Zarian didn¡¯t know the answers to any of that. He looked up. ¡°Granpapa?¡± There was no response. ¡°You know my thoughts on this,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°We should act like this is our last chance. Miracles happen. We¡¯re living them every day. But the same miracle happening again and again? Even I find that foolish to rely on.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to get stuck in a jar do you?¡± Naomi asked Zarian. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Is it simple for them, the super ultra gods of your lineage?¡± Hannah rubbed her finger down the spine of a book that contained old cartography. ¡°Or is there a cost? I can¡¯t comprehend exactly, but I want to think there¡¯s a cost. Or there wouldn¡¯t be a reason for there to be loops. If there were no costs, you can let your progeny reset again and again in the same area, in the same loop, can¡¯t you?¡± Nobody said anything and let Hannah cook. She paced back and forth from between a bookcase and a standing table. ¡°The fact that you don¡¯t remember past versions of you suggests that there needed to be an even harder reset. So, what happened to those around you when you outright failed to where a new loop must start from scratch? Do they still live on? Or have they been thoroughly destroyed with no way of returning?¡± Hannah stopped and looked dead into Zarian¡¯s eyes. ¡°What if you¡¯ve destroyed countless worlds and universes again and again to the point of no salvation? If I¡¯m wrong, then I¡¯ll appreciate this Funnest Granpapa of yours to step in and correct me.¡± The Funnest Granpapa didn¡¯t appear. That didn¡¯t mean Hannah was right. But they had no idea if she was wrong, and that was horrifying. Zarian opened and closed his mouth. The others gawked at Hannah. She wore a cold face, lips presses tight with focus. Then, after a while, she continued. ¡°I don¡¯t want to feel so insignificant again. I don¡¯t want my life to be a mote of dust on the currents of much larger forces. I just can¡¯t exist like that. So I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to ascend past my mortal limitations, which means I¡¯ll ask you the hard questions, even if they are uncomfortable.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the answers to those hard questions,¡± Zarian said. ¡°My old, old man says I have to deal with the consequences. I guess not knowing is one of those consequences.¡± ¡°Whelp, I say the answer is simple.¡± Gilbert shrugged. ¡°This is the best we have it now. Let¡¯s make the most of it.¡± ¡°The jars are waiting after this,¡± Naomi said, petting Bianca¡¯s back still. ¡°What happens to us? Dunno. But Zarian¡¯s going to be stuck if he fails again.¡± Hannah huffed. ¡°Naomi, I know your devotion has you head-over-heels as playing the loyal Marine, but we should worry more for ourselves, too. That doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t care for Zarian, but it does mean I won¡¯t stand by and accept things as they are without some reassurance.¡± Naomi looked at Hannah for a while, the two women having a heated stare off. Zarian let out a whoop of a breath. ¡°Okay. Let me say this. Your success is my success.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t give any specifics,¡± Hannah said. ¡°But that¡¯s the truth of the matter. Your success is my success. And I want to say the reverse is possible, too. My success is your success. I can¡¯t say if any of this around us will continue existing if I screw up again, but I don¡¯t want that. I want to be there with all of you as you rise and become greater. In return, I need help to control my Overwhelming Darkness, especially before we continue the kobold wolf dragon stuff. Before anything, really, I need some serious control measures.¡± A notification appeared over their heads just when Zarian finished. ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s perfect,¡± Zarian said, picking himself up despite everything. ¡°Hannah!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I need your help to develop seals or ability dampeners for Overwhelming Darkness. Maybe that can also expand your enchantment toolbox.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Zarian nodded before turning to the others. ¡°Naomi, I want you to go back to training like crazy and helping the kiddos whenever you can. Gilbert, I want the same from you. If you¡¯re serious about being my wingman in staying righteous, you need to develop yourself further. Bianca, I want you to take some time to ¡­ well ¡­ look deep inside of yourself and sort things out.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Got it, chief.¡± ¡°Si.¡± Zarian nodded. He looked around him. There were reading materials of all types. ¡°I wish Reiki was here.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Reiki appeared from around the corner. Zarian turned to face her, not reacting much to how the dungeon boss could pop up almost instantly in her dungeon. He imagined this was only a thing for the base setting. ¡°All of these books you have. How useful are they?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Some have some tangible magic. You can learn traits if you read enough books on the same thing and drill what you¡¯ve read with practice,¡± Reiki said, leaning dramatically against the edge of a bookcase. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t always work if you have too many traits.¡± Zarian caught Hannah¡¯s widening gaze. She had the epic Lore Eater trait just like him. The both of them could run through volumes of books faster than anyone else. She might actually be faster since she also had the Swift Research trait. ¡°We should get everyone to read some stuff in the library,¡± Zarian said. ¡°The soldiers can¡¯t read much other than Roland and some rare others,¡± Naomi informed. ¡°The acolytes can teach them,¡± Hannah offered, sounding less cold. She was warming up again now that they had stuff to work toward. ¡°We need them to be self-sufficient if we want to leave them on their own.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Gilbert hummed. ¡°What is it, big guy?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°It¡¯s only a week going back and forth from Bramblevale, right?¡± Gilbert asked. ¡°And Late Winter is four months away,¡± Zarian said. ¡°We can get stuff delivered as needed, honestly.¡± The dungeon could provide a lot. Food. Drink. Equipment. Knowledge. But the Dancing Librarian Dungeon wasn¡¯t the type to provide seeds or anything farming related for a community to persist on their own. Additionally, they were heading from fall to winter. It was too late to grow crops for spring and summer. Hell, they were mostly relying on meat made by the dungeon, which Zarian didn¡¯t want to question even though he had a dark idea of where it came from. Zarian slowly nodded, feeling a semblance of a plan and direction finally setting in place. He was shaking off his buzz, too, so he felt like he had more solid ground under him now. ¡°We have time for once. We can focus on developing ourselves. This is what we need most of all.¡± Zarian looked at the other Floridians, his fellow Outsiders. ¡°Lots will change because all of Infinita had its existence questioned. But our objectives remain the same. We go on adventures and be the best that we can be.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Bianca squeaked. ¡°Yes,¡± Hannah said. ¡°That¡¯s the most logical action.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Gilbert nodded sagely. Naomi took a while to respond. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to up the ante in my training. Hell, you might see less of me depending on what I¡¯m doing if I¡¯m not instructing the kids. I have a lot of hurdles to overcome because¡­¡± Naomi trailed off. Everyone waited for her, Zarian especially. She sighed. ¡°I want to be so strong I can survive beyond the universe. Now that I know there¡¯s more out there, everything I do now matters more. So, wish me luck.¡± ¡°I share the same sentiment,¡± Hannah said. ¡°That¡¯s all understandable.¡± Zarian nodded. ¡°I give you all my blessing.¡± Naomi looked satisfied by that. 106: B2: C6: Ramifications 1 Zarian enjoyed working with people on the same page with him. Even when they were all drunk, which made things better sometimes. They were holding nothing back and being true to themselves. He didn¡¯t, however, like all the responsibilities and hangups of being a dutiful leader all the time. The absence of evil +3 made him realize he¡¯d leaned on evil¡¯s intellect a lot more than he expected. If I don¡¯t choose to use it, I¡¯ll get soft with it. Zarian sighed while moving between tall rows of ancient bookcases. Large spider librarians stalked and danced in the background. As he returned to the coffee bar with his fellow Floridians, they glanced at him but didn¡¯t pry directly. ¡°I gotta stop being a wimp,¡± he muttered. ¡°I have to train myself on free evil +3 to get used to it.¡± ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have to,¡± Bianca piped up quietly. Her voice was still shaky. Her eyes were red and puffy. ¡°Maybe it should just stay buried.¡± That was another reason he needed to have free evil +3 turned on most of the time. He needed to set an example for Bianca. Zarian went all in, activating free evil +3 fully, which felt like diving into the deep end. He felt colder. He felt a sharp rise in narcissism, cruelty, paranoia, mistrust, ambition, pride, and many things that could be detrimental when pushed to the extreme. He also felt like free evil +3 was more internal compared to plain evil. There wasn¡¯t much of a palpable force radiating out. There was still a force, but half as much compared to before. However, he felt like his intellect was more expansive, more capable of thinking laterally as well as vertically. Free evil was more unbound than plain evil, but free evil was less tangible as a force than plain evil. Zarian stood still as his Fractured Mind dealt with the power of his sub-alignment, including the obvious negatives and positives. His void-like eyes fluttered. Then he turned his free-evil gaze on the others, who watched him with different reactions. Bianca shrank into herself. Hannah remained expressionless. Gilbert looked like he was itching to throw some holy water at Zarian. And Naomi had her arms crossed. ¡°Got something evil for us?¡± she asked. ¡°Evil? Not exactly. I just need you to kick the children into gear. We also need two shrines established. One for Shadowfell and one for Lovewar pronto. I¡¯ll try to contact them with the crystal ball,¡± Zarian said smoothly. ¡°You have a bit of your little sister in you when you¡¯re leaning into evil,¡± Gilbert drawled. ¡°That darkness must run deep in the family.¡± Zarian arched an eyebrow at the pun. ¡°Tell me, dear Gilbert, which part of you burned the most when you slept with a witch out of wedlock? Your pride or your soul?¡± Gilbert¡¯s mouth flapped open and closed like a gasping fish. Zarian smiled sharply, like a wolf following the scent of blood. ¡°I hope you know the witch lived because I spared her when I had a chat with the evil gods at their altars. In a sense, you finally found relief because of me.¡± ¡°Chief, do you have a thing for beating on dead horses?¡± Gilbert complained. ¡°Zarian, stop, you¡¯re being too evil,¡± Bianca whined. Zarian chuckled darkly. ¡°I apologize. I just had to get that out. I¡¯m honestly bothered that my little sister got to it before me. Truly, she¡¯s the evilest little sister a big brother can have.¡± ¡°Do we need the shrines because of our new freedom alignment?¡± Hannah asked, getting back on topic. ¡°I think so. We might be disconnected. I didn¡¯t think about it until now, but I bet we don¡¯t even have a barrier up. In fact, if we take things to the logical extreme¡­¡± Zarian trailed off and waited for Hannah. She didn¡¯t disappoint him. ¡°We don¡¯t get their boons anymore, do we?¡± ¡°As freedom leaders, do we have boons we can give out?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Are we gods and goddesses now?¡± ¡°No and no,¡± Zarian said. ¡°We¡¯re just able to invite others into the freedom alignment. I already know who I want for the sixth seat. The seventh seat will stay open for a while until we find someone interesting enough for it.¡± Zarian led them back to the coffee bar. The children still looked sullen from the weight of existential dread and having their magical reality shattered. Before delving all the way into free evil +3, Zarian would¡¯ve let them have some time off and deal with their feelings. Now he realized that would be a mistake. Their feelings mattered somewhat less compared to progress. They could work out their feelings later. ¡°Naomi,¡± Zarian said, unleashing her. The dynamic black woman strode to the front of the coffee bar. She looked like she had drunk nothing and was perfectly balanced, standing straight. ¡°Alright, you boys and girls. You¡¯ve cried enough ¡®boo hoo¡¯s¡¯ and ¡®oh woe is me.¡¯ It¡¯s time to get your butts up and roll out. We¡¯ve got corpses to pull into the fort for our dungeon to eat. There are a lot of weapons and gear out there, too. Most of that could go into the dungeon. Let¡¯s get to it.¡± Zarian smirked when the children didn¡¯t respond right away to Naomi¡¯s orders. One acolyte let out a grouchy huff of air. Some soldiers looked at her like she was annoying them. One soldier even went as far as scoffing at her while knocking back another mug of beer. ¡°Reiki?¡± Naomi called. The dungeon boss twirled into the scene from seemingly out of nowhere. She stopped to give Naomi an appraising look. Then she waved her hand daintily, as if saying ¡®Go ahead.¡¯ Naomi¡¯s psionic power blasted out in a force wave and knocked over the nearest tables and chairs. She sent a dozen soldiers and acolytes falling to the floor. Hands on her hips, her power continued to crackle and pop like a living storm had appeared in the coffee bar area. Then that invisible and raging storm found its targets and latched onto them, Head Acolyte Lora and Garden Officer Roland. Without even looking at them, Naomi used her Psychokinesis +1 to lift them into the air, their arms stuck to the sides, as if the invisible hands of a giant held them. ¡°I could yell,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Or I can show you I mean business. And I don¡¯t feel like stressing my vocal chords right now, so I guess I¡¯ll get to practice my abilities on you all.¡± The acolytes and soldiers watched in horror. They looked at Lora and Roland, who stayed on the far opposite sides according to the gender divide, the two floating up, body stiff and locked up in the air. Then, as the cherry on top, Naomi used her High Intimidation trait to dial up the fear factor even further.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The children stopped being sullen over their existential fate. They remembered Lady Instructor Washington was a more immediate and painful threat. ¡°Get out there and feed this dungeon,¡± Naomi demanded. She let Roland and Lora go. The children ran for it and exited the dungeon. ¡°I¡¯ll go fix the gatehouse. Since we have time, I can make more complex cube designs,¡± Hannah said. ¡°With the right enchantments, I can make a gate door that moves up and down and other things. Let me know when you want to dive into the library and conduct our research on seals, Zarian.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± he said as his party exited the dungeon. Gilbert looked up at the night sky. ¡°Ain¡¯t it dangerous to make the kids work in the dark?¡± Bianca sighed morosely. She raised her hand and narrowed her eyes as she focused. Her eyes and body flashed once with inner light before she created a shining globe that expanded until it was as tall as her. She sent it straight into the air, hundreds of feet above the fort. She made the shining globe brighter and brighter, chasing away the shadows inside and outside of the fortress like a miniature sun. ¡°Do you want a new spider?¡± Zarian asked gently. ¡°I can help feed you aura directly before you run low.¡± Bianca hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for killing your spider.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Bianca. You weren¡¯t yourself. All is forgiven.¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take a new spider. But I want to maintain it on my own. It¡¯ll be good practice for me.¡± Zarian nodded. He liked that attitude. He turned to the others. ¡°I need your permission, since we¡¯re all about freedom.¡± Once he received their permission, he gave them all new mind spiders. The women took theirs in the mouth. Gilbert chose the direct approach, his spider burrowed into his head. They split off to work where they were needed. Gilbert summoned his steed, Slip the Sleipnir, and rode off with Naomi. The two of them would keep a lookout for dangerous creatures scavenging off the battlefield and ensure the safety of the children. Hannah went to the busted gatehouse to fix it and experiment with her cubes and enchantments. Bianca walked up floating steps made of hard light projections. She chose the tallest tower in the fort and sat on its rooftop with her legs crossed, as if to meditate. Zarian used the spectral spider in Bianca¡¯s head to feel what she was feeling. Bianca lacked his aura finesse because she didn¡¯t have aura manipulation. She relied mainly on the Wonder stat to perceive the supernatural, which included her aura and the miniature sun she created in the sky. She also had the Level 0 Summon Wizard Hat, which appeared as a white and gold feathery fedora on her head. Still, keeping the miniature sun going while trying to be efficient with the aura expense was difficult for her. Bianca tried anyway. I¡¯m glad, Zarian thought. He hadn¡¯t realized until now that Bianca could¡¯ve ended up broken and lost all her adventurer determination. She was still a surprisingly bold young woman even without the direct force of goodness pushing her. This supported a theory Zarian had toyed with a while ago. Bianca¡¯s the most talented mortal in the party, Zarian thought. That would explain why Bianca became so powerful so quickly. She had a talent for goodness. She had a talent for her use of magic and her own abilities. She was extremely talented in many areas. Despite being a person of darkness, literally, Zarian looked up at Bianca¡¯s work with admiration. She was maintaining a miniature sun of her own creation. That was straight up magical. She would¡¯ve been a true isekai hero if it wasn¡¯t for me, Zarian figured. Then again, it¡¯s because of me she grew so fast and so powerful. Now if only she could lean into her free good +5 and squeeze it for all it was worth. As of now, she wasn¡¯t using it. Zarian could tell Bianca needed time and reassurance before she leaned on the power of her sub-alignment. Hopefully, she could keep most of its ridiculous power without going crusader crazy. If it wasn¡¯t for Bianca, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten to test my best abilities, Zarian thought as he cast Void Step. He walked through the emptiness of the void and came out of wrinkled air on top of the northern wall. He looked over the battlefield. The death and destruction remained apparent. The fires had died down to smolders and some smoke. Carrion insects and avians were abuzz in the air. The smell was awful. Zarian imagined enough airborne diseases could circle around on the wind. Stuff like that would affect anyone in the weaker levels who lacked enough vitality to survive a magical sickness. Evil Goddess Sickspread would be a heinous problem during times like these. Zarian wondered if she would try something. Killing her as a nearly unstoppable force of darkness didn¡¯t cross her off the naughty list just yet, since it didn¡¯t feel personal enough. But he might reconsider if she reconsidered her approach to him. There was no free pass for Evil God Sinfeast, however. Zarian remained Sinfeast¡¯s number one hater. Despite the grotesque mess left behind by war and the drama with the gods, everything worked out how Zarian wanted. He just had to sacrifice everything and get lucky with his lineage, at least up to a point. The full ramifications weren¡¯t apparent just yet. Frowning, he looked down at himself. He felt around with his aura using manipulation. He traced the System runes for Overwhelming Darkness. It was completely different compared to the old straight darkness. The runes were too fuzzy for him to understand without multiple attempts to trace over them. There were many runes to examine for Overwhelming Darkness. In fact, the number of runes involved with the troublesome skill was far greater than the sum of everything else combined in his profile. It was like he already had the biggest seal possible in containing his burdensome skill, the doom of all life and systems in this universe and beyond. And yet, he needed even more seals for him to use it in a controlled manner. Zarian sighed. He continued to maintain free evil +3, putting aside the malicious thoughts for the intellect boost. That helped him with his next spell cast. While under the light of Bianca¡¯s sun, Zarian snapped his finger and spoke the magic words. ¡°Raise Advancing Skeletons.¡± He didn¡¯t bother with pulling out the grimoire from his soul. He could use its power directly. A hint of nefarious green light entered the air around him and his targets. Hundreds of skeletons rose from the battlefield with the soldiers and acolytes, who were all scrambling between ditches and over dead kobold bodies. Zarian used the skeletons he¡¯d already raised once. He also raised up the runic ones who had the Self Sufficient trait. Loner, Darko, Flamer, Windy, Icicle, Mighty, Warper, and Blender picked themselves up among the bodies. To further the clean up and transport of bodies and gear, Zarian raised new skeletons as well. Dead kobolds stood to their feet, halfway out of their fleshy garments. They peeled off skin, muscle, and tendons. They scooped out organs from their rib cages, ripping free the useless things still clinging to their frames. Once the skeletons were mainly all bones except for some trickles of blood, Zarian gave out his orders with a booming voice. ¡°If there are any surviving kobolds, kill them. Ensure the safety of our young human friends. Pull out the kobold bodies in the spike ditches and pass them to the spider librarians at the gate. Do what you can to help feed the dungeon. Now get to work. Please and thank you.¡± All the skeletons saluted. They turned to their grim work. Fortunately, they would get further help from Zarian¡¯s Spectral Spider Network +1. He¡¯d already sent out hundreds of stealthy spiders to scurry around and help with the scavenging effort. The aura drain was incredible. But it wasn¡¯t too bad for him as long as he stayed focused. A majority of his Fractured Mind kept the Raise Advancing Skeletons going. Because of his unusual mentality, he could duplicate and increase the volume of a spell by splintering his mind. With each partitioned piece of his mind, he maxed out how many magical texts and symbols he needed to raise hundreds of skeletons. It would¡¯ve brutally crushed the mind of most wizards. Despite the workload, Zarian separated another portion of his Fractured Mind for what could be an uncomfortable call. He took his time before committing all the way, though. He saw Naomi and Gilbert circle around the giant corpse of the wolf dragon. The Rumble Psion and Knighted Healer were trying to figure out how to deal with it. Zarian left them to it as he reached into his Parasite Cloak, feeling his hand pass partially into Para¡¯s pocket dimension and immediately touch the thing he wanted. He pulled out an opaque glass orb the size of a baseball. 107: B2: C7: Ramifications 2 ¡°The anti-air barrier really is gone,¡± Zarian said, looking up. He could feel its lack of presence with aura manipulation. There was no missing the disappearance of a powerful divine working like that. Either Good Goddess Lovewar wasn¡¯t a friend anymore or couldn¡¯t use her boon for him. He wanted to think it was the latter, but he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Lovewar was unhappy with him. At the very least, he knew of one goddess who would accept his call regardless. The crystal ball turned shadowy. In its glassy surface, an oily liquid swirled before taking the shape of a feminine humanoid. There were no defining features, but Zarian knew he was looking at what Luciana wanted to show him. She really liked to play the mystery card, even after they¡¯d spent countless years together as a spreading darkness with an indestructible shadow. ¡°Luciana,¡± Zarian said, some emotion entering his voice. ¡°Zarian,¡± she said in return. Her voice was magnetic, inviting, tragic, and shadowy. The way she uttered his name held as much familiarity as the death of countless worlds did, making it sound beautiful despite the horror. Zarian licked his lips. ¡°Who are you really?¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ready to hear that?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes.¡± He needed to know. While he and Ariana were apocalyptic darknesses, Luciana had hitched a ride and stayed completely safe the whole time. Luciana sighed deeply. ¡°Then so be it. The truth of me is that I¡¯m a young goddess, a sacrifice on the altar, a child whose destiny was decided years ago, a girl whose potential is already dead and fossilized, a woman who has but one duty.¡± ¡°What is that duty?¡± Even with free evil +3 active, Zarian felt a hint of worry gripping his heart. He wasn¡¯t sure he was ready to hear the truth like he¡¯d claimed. Luciana chuckled darkly. She was enjoying this, no doubt. ¡°I¡¯m to be the strongest and most powerful of the Shadowfell Family, one who is foretold to usher a corruption that engulfs the hearts of all men in the shadow of sin. I am a most worthy possession, a prize to be sought and used. I am also a gift from my lineage, who are conquered servants to a greater and more powerful lineage.¡± Zarian slowly shook his head. He wanted to tell Luciana to stop. He didn¡¯t. The can was already open. The worms were wriggling free. ¡°Zarian, I am your promised wife, the future bearer of your children, a factory of flesh who¡¯ll produce the most horrific monsters ever seen, all sired by you. This is the truth of my tragic existence, for I am the shadow of darkness. Isn¡¯t that lovely, oh husband, oh master of mine?¡± Zarian¡¯s mind nearly collapsed from the marriage revelation. He couldn¡¯t comprehend it personally. His free evil +3 became too rabid, too merciless. He nearly reduced its power, but when his Fractured Mind struggled to support hundreds of skeletons scavenging around the battlefield, he kept free evil +3 fully powered. He took a long time to sort himself out. A few hours went by in silence, and Luciana Shadowfell stayed on the other side of the crystal ball connection. Para kept the glimmering leather cloak wrapped comfortably around him, less a dark display of might and more of a supportive measure for her host. ¡°Can we talk more about this another time?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Your will is my command, husband,¡± Luciana said. His stomach did flips. He felt revolted. ¡°My will is not your command. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but you¡¯re a whole ass evil goddess. You can¡¯t just ¡­ bow to me.¡± He wanted to counter her and the dark thoughts of his free evil +3. He knew how deeply depraved many people could be with this limitless power. ¡°I didn¡¯t bow to you at first because I was waiting to see the truth of you as my husband. The truth has been revealed. You are my master husband, and I¡¯m your servant wife. But if you wish for us to roleplay as if this is not the case, I can facilitate that for you.¡± Zarian gritted his teeth. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to marry you. We¡¯re supposed to start off as friends! What happened to that?¡± ¡°Our lineage. Our family. Specifically, the great matriarchs. The matriarchs of mine kowtowed at the feet of your matriarchs. My matriarchs were taught a lesson. Your family is the strongest. To appease your matriarchs, I¡¯ve been wedded to you with little ceremony.¡± ¡°No freaking way.¡± Denial, denial, denial. Zarian was in denial. Luciana laughed again, evil and witch-like. ¡°If you don¡¯t think that is true, then hear my full name. I am Luciana Shadowfell Darkrun, and I am your wife.¡± Zarian reeled back. He felt it. The Darkrun name belonged to Luciana. Everything she was saying was true. Luciana was his wife. He felt frustrated. Horrified. Disgusted. He knew there were more nuances to this situation than he could appreciate now. There were greater plans in motion than he understood. But he was a Freedom Leader, and this went against freedom. ¡°Is my family forcing you to be a servant?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Yes, and no,¡± Luciana said, cryptic as usual. ¡°Yes, because your family is the most powerful. We must serve them in some capacity. However, it¡¯s my family who wishes for me to serve you as if I¡¯m an extra limb you can command, a slave of your whim. Your family is more cavalier about the arrangement. I suppose now that I have the Darkrun name, I could do things for myself.¡± ¡°Well, I would rather you choose to do what you want. Do you want a divorce?¡± he asked. ¡°No.¡± Zarian was stumped. Luciana chuckled softly, playfully, holding onto her shadowy nature. ¡°You¡¯ve carried me with you from one end of a universe to another end of a universe. I¡¯ve witnessed such tragedies that I didn¡¯t know were possible. I¡¯m inspired by you.¡± He didn¡¯t like the sound of that. ¡°Inspired how?¡± ¡°To be myself. To revel in the joy of shadows and corruption. Of heartache and tragedy. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done enough evil, honestly.¡± Zarian opened and closed his mouth. He knew Luciana had acted as an indifferent young goddess, yet she had caused untold damage from merely crying.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. What would she be like if she were more active? Especially when she was a Darkrun. The goddess continued. ¡°We are truly living in the Dark Era, aren¡¯t we? Isn¡¯t it my purpose to draw a shadow across the worlds and corrupt the weak, to truly challenge the would-be adventurers who wish to rise to the Adventurer King¡¯s empty throne? Even thinking about it all makes me weep more tears than I¡¯ve ever wept before.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the scavenging and battlefield clean up, maybe Zarian would have enough room in his head to deal with this better. As of now, he was absolutely out of his element. The consequences of his actions were growing bigger and bigger than he¡¯d first appreciated. He would¡¯ve been scared if it wasn¡¯t for free evil +3 keeping him cold enough to focus on his objectives. ¡°Let¡¯s put aside the family drama,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this mess.¡± He did have time. He just didn¡¯t want to think about the drama anymore, at least for now. ¡°How may I be of divine service, Zarian?¡± Luciana asked. ¡°Can you deliver boons?¡± ¡°Not directly to you. You¡¯re a leader of a new alignment. It¡¯s fresh. And very free from the influence of traditional good and evil. It¡¯s more resilient than neutrality, that is certain.¡± ¡°What about the people under us? We don¡¯t have them added to our freedom alignment yet, but we will soon.¡± ¡°Hm? Free good. Free evil. And free for real? I haven¡¯t yet tested such an attempt to deliver boons to your sub-alignments, but I imagine it¡¯ll be slippery and likely to fail.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Maybe. I am not sure yet. Your alignment is not as tangible compared to the old alignments. It would be better if you had devotees of mine who were strictly evil. If not, then those who are free evil will have to devote themselves to my altar freely while under your alignment.¡± ¡°Freedom is all about having a choice, so I don¡¯t see an issue with that.¡± ¡°Hm, interesting and peculiar. This freedom of yours is against the established norms. Are you ready to defend it?¡± ¡°Hell yeah I am,¡± Zarian growled. He was certain of that, at the very least. ¡°Well, then, if it¡¯s okay with you, Zarian, I will poke and prod at this freedom of yours. There is quite a lot of potential for me to do my work against you. Is that okay?¡± Zarian took a slow breath in and out. He was still reeling from hearing how much power he held over Luciana, his supposed wife. If she was truly inspired to be an active goddess, then he could shut that down with a simple sentence. But that would go against everything Zarian was trying to do. ¡°It¡¯ll have to be,¡± Zarian muttered. People would die from this decision. But Zarian had some principles. Having people work under him in a mutual transactional relationship worked for him. Hell, even doling out charities just to provide good vibes and uplift morality worked for him. But having a whole ass goddess as his servant wife, a slave, and ordering her around to go against her nature disgusted him. Maybe that was the freedom alignment talking, but Zarian was pretty sure this was just who he was as a person. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to cheat the game too much. Without challenge or effort, he wouldn¡¯t learn to have proper control of his Overwhelming Darkness. Luciana chuckled. ¡°You are an interesting man. You have so much power at your fingertips, as if you¡¯re the Adventurer King already. It will be fun seeing how you play this game. Don¡¯t forget that as much as I can challenge, I can also provide support.¡± Zarian nodded. ¡°That leads to my next point. How¡¯s Lovewar?¡± ¡°She is frightened of you. She came to me just recently, telling me the details of her death, and how hard she tried to fight your darkness.¡± Luciana released another dark chortle, like she was enjoying gossip while eating the darkest chocolate delights with her coffee as black as oil. ¡°Nothing she did could avert you. She was crushed and eaten. Her memory of that is not so easy for her to shake even as a goddess of love and war.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± Zarian sighed heavily. ¡°I imagine the same freedom measures apply to her. We¡¯ll need someone outside of a leader to devote to her altar. Hopefully free good works well enough. If not, we¡¯ll find someone traditionally good.¡± ¡°Yes, but she might need time to watch you before she becomes a present benefactor again. She¡¯s not your enemy, far from it, but she¡¯s ¡­ traumatized.¡± The hint of a grin appeared in Luciana¡¯s voice. ¡°I expect she will return to me and shed as many tears as needed. I never knew she could be broken. I feel we¡¯re becoming even closer as friends thanks to you.¡± ¡°Luciana,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Yes, dear?¡± ¡°You¡¯re one sick puppy.¡± ¡°Ah, but you see, I¡¯m your sick puppy.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± ¡°Will that be all, my dear? I¡¯m feeling whimsical and spirited. Like never before. There¡¯s much work to do, and I¡¯m devoting much of my omniscience to you now. I will stay if you want me to.¡± ¡°Please, go do what wickedness you want. I¡¯ll have altars made for you and Lovewar. And ¡­ maybe Hisscreep and Serveserf, if they want.¡± ¡°Hm, interesting, the old frail gods of the traditional alignments have taken some interest in you, haven¡¯t they? I hear little complaints from them after the coming and going of your darkness, at least compared to the other gods and divine beings.¡± ¡°Is that so? I guess the old gods are better at bouncing back from huge setbacks,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Hm, perhaps so. I am sure there are ways to mend relations with those two. But that is for you to figure out, I suppose. Farewell for now, my indomitable dark husband.¡± ¡°Later, gator.¡± The shadowy figure in the crystal ball faded off. The surface returned to its opaque nature. Zarian tossed it up and down before putting it away in the pocket dimension. He wondered if he should ask for a divorce. What would happen to Luciana and her family if he did that? Luciana didn¡¯t want a divorce, but he didn¡¯t get a say in the matter. ¡°Funnest Granpapa? Will Luciana stay a Darkrun if I divorce her?¡± Zarian asked. No response. Zarian frowned. His family was a pain in the ass. He couldn¡¯t act without getting more information. Or maybe he should just ignore it all and leave it as a problem to fix in the future. That sounded preferable. He did a quick check with each of his Floridians by sharing senses through mind spiders. Everybody was fine, even Bianca. She was doing a bang-up job of maintaining her miniature sun above Fort Ride-or-Die, even without her free good +5. Maybe Bianca could turn her trauma into a weapon and reforge herself. It looked like Naomi and Gilbert were putting their heads together by doing the simplest thing, lifting the huge body of the wolf dragon. They were dragging it all the way toward the entrance. Naomi used Psychokinesis +1 to stabilize the ground, granting them footing. That was a creative use of her ability, which had Zarian wondering how much further she could push herself in the next couple of months. She still had a friendly rivalry with Bianca, didn¡¯t she? They seemed closer now after recent events. The two of them together could really grow themselves to further heights. He also wondered if Foodie would be okay with the delay back at Castle Grimrock. How much trouble would the Grimrock Warlock produce with the extra time? How much worse would Jack get? ¡°We¡¯ll make preparations of our own,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Para?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± she growled. Her voice was clearer now. Still monstrous, but with more notable femininity and humanity. All her practice and fluency in languages was good for her. That and the Floridian Mindset buffed her considerably. Zarian nodded. A curious thought struck him. He hesitated before letting his free evil +3 push him. He bothered the one person who probably didn¡¯t want to talk to him. ¡°Hey, System, how bad are things?¡± The Star System, the overseer of the Infinita Universe, replied with a blue notification. Zarian moved his head from side to side. He pushed a little more. ¡°But how bad is bad?¡± ¡°Uh, no, I¡¯m thinking I really shouldn¡¯t do that again. Just let me know if me and my people can help in any way.¡± The next notifications came out gold. ¡°Thanks, System. I appreciate the quests. I know we got off on the wrong foot but maybe we can do things better going forward.¡± Zarian tried to sound amicable. The Star System didn¡¯t respond. 108: B2: C8: Zarian鈥檚 Party Notes <> Naomi Washington: Age 26, Level 50, Rumble Psion (Epic), Freedom Alignment (Free For Real). Traits: Psionic Affinity (Rare), Physical Phenom (Uncommon), High Intimidation (Uncommon), Juggernaut Hitter (Rare), Little Giant (Rare), Aura Ignition/First Stage (Epic), Barehanded Mastery (Uncommon). Alpha Skills: Tranquil Mind +2 (Level 26), Mind Spike +1 (Level 20), Overclock +1 (Level 12), Psychokinesis +1 (Level 15), Earth-Sky Meditation +1 (Level 11). Beta Skills: Adrenaline Jolt (Level 0), Willful Might (Level 0), Wondrous Speed (Level 0), Mystic Toughness (Level 0), Summon Wizard Hat (Level 0). Stats Per Level: +3 Willpower, +1 Strength, +1 Agility, +7 Free. Stats: 300 Willpower, 200 Strength, 184 Agility, 30 Wonder, 30 Mysticism, 0 Free. Achievements: Junior Manslaughterer (Uncommon), Barehanded Enthusiast (Rare), Perfected First Stage Aura Ignition (Legendary), Cannon Arm (Rare), Lizard Slayer (Uncommon), Freedom Leader (Divine). Thoughts: Naomi¡¯s the best min-maxer of the entire party. Better than me. She can keep Wonder and Mysticism low because of her Earth-Sky Meditation. She has a decent amount of achievements, but I think she¡¯ll need more to fight people and creatures who¡¯ll naturally have her outmatched. At least her traits synergize with what she wants most, being physical while layering psychic abilities over that. She can pretty much deliver big bad psychic punches to things and blow up their skulls. I¡¯m proud of her for being able to use Aura Ignition, although she can¡¯t use her skills properly while using the First Stage of Aura Ignition. She needs to get to the Second Stage for her to use Aura Ignition techniques based on her abilities. I still haven¡¯t inserted my aura into her while she¡¯s using Aura Ignition. I need to do that. I bet it¡¯ll be glorious. Her alpha skills synergize very well. Tranquil Mind +2 is a nice mood relaxer while removing mental debuffs and detrimental effects, and she can also use this for others now. Mind Spike +1 delivers direct mind damage to multiple targets within her vision, which is better the closer they are. Overclock +1 intensifies mind, body, and psionic abilities. Psychokinesis +1 grants her powerful telekinetic powers around her, which dials up even more when she uses it close up. Then there¡¯s Earth-Sky Meditation +1, which lets Naomi cheat by raising her Wonder and Mysticism so she doesn¡¯t have to put stats toward it. Overall, Naomi is an epic workhorse trying to keep up with the legendary classes. I think she still wants to match up with me, or at least my mortal body. It¡¯s kind of hard to do that. But she¡¯s the type who enjoys the chase and challenge like a proper thrill-seeking murderhobo. Side Note: I want to do something nice for Naomi. But the more I think about it, the more I realize she¡¯s good at putting aside what makes her a person. She¡¯s so focused on becoming stronger and keeping up with the rest of us while fighting above her weight class that she¡¯s not much of a person outside of that. Granted, she can joke, drink, and be a comforting friend when you don¡¯t think she can. She¡¯s also good at taking flak thrown her way. But between all of that, Naomi¡¯s also ¡­ guarded. Or it¡¯s hard to pinpoint the things that she likes or dislikes that¡¯s personal to her outside of adventuring, grinding, and being loyal to others. I need to watch her more to see more of her secretive quirks. <> <> Gilbert McDonald: Age 29, Level 49, Knighted healer (Legendary), Freedom Alignment (Free For Real). Traits: Extra Life (Uncommon), Shield Mastery (Uncommon), Health Affinity (Rare), Berserk Vitality (Rare), Knighted Rider (Rare), Stalwart Defender (Rare), Battle Supporter (Rare). Alpha Skills: Healing Force +1 (Level 24), Adrenaline Jolt +1 (Level 22), Tranquilizing Touch +1 (Level 18), Summon Spirit Steed +1 (Level 12), Sacrificial Blow (Level 9). Beta Skills: Tranquil Mind (Level 0), Willful Might (Level 0), Wondrous Speed (Level 0), Mystic Toughness (Level 0), Summon Wizard Hat (Level 0). Stats Per Level: +3 Strength, +1 Agility, +3 Wonder, +6 Free. Stats: 75 Willpower, 150 Strength, 100 Agility, 250 Wonder, 144 Mysticism, 0 Free. Achievements: Reliable Tank (Rare), Mass Healer (Epic), Siege Rider (Rare), Constant Siege Support (Epic), Freedom Leader (Divine). Thoughts: I always get this feeling that Gilbert¡¯s lacking, but he really isn¡¯t. Yes, he¡¯s not a brutal fighter like Naomi or supercharged like Bianca, but he¡¯s very solid, and he has a legendary class. I guess what bugs me is that he has it the hardest when killing enemies most of the time. But to ignore how useful his abilities are is the mark of a fool. I hope he gets more achievements. He seems really determined now that he wants to make sure I follow the righteous path, which is interesting. As for his abilities, I still want more for Gilbert. Another trait or two would make me feel at ease. If he¡¯s going to be the big berserker and defender, he needs a trait that straight up raises his toughness. Stalwart Defender is for helping others, and so is Battle Supporter. Yeah, getting him a more powerful toughness trait, or another overall Strength-booster trait is something to work on. His alpha skills are the reason Gilbert is important. They¡¯re useful in many situations. Healing Force +1 is a godsend skill, able to heal and supercharge anyone¡¯s vitality rapidly, so I¡¯m expecting big things from Healing Force +2 or an evolved version. Adrenaline Jolt +1 from Gilbert has no bad side effects and juices people¡¯s bodies up hardcore. Tranquilizer Shot +1 isn¡¯t always useful, but it can save the day, just like how it put Bianca to sleep and kept her sluggish. Last, there¡¯s Summon Spirit Steed +1, which now gives Slip the Sleipnir spirit armor and a bladed horn for an extra cost.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. In conclusion, Gilbert¡¯s a work in progress that will leave me constantly frustrated even though he¡¯s a hugely important component of our party. I guess I have to accept that he¡¯s not a big damage dealer and works in ways that I have no control over. Honestly, he¡¯s a miracle worker, and he can level up from helping people and healing unlike me. Side note: I have this weird feeling that he wants to be a big brother to me. I don¡¯t know how to deal with that. I¡¯ve never had a big brother. What do you do with those? It¡¯s weird. Maybe I should call Ariana for help. But I can¡¯t. I have to make a barrier of sorts to keep her from spying too much. Okay, tangent over. Side note 2: Big Brother Gilbert is a weird thought to have. Will he make me fish with him? <> <> Hannah Townhouse: Age 30, Level 59, Runic Engineer (Legendary), Freedom Alignment (Free For Real) Traits: Weakness Sensor (Uncommon), Rune Affinity (Rare), Swift Research (Uncommon), Lore Eater (Epic), Runic Mystic Intensity (Epic), Runic Inventive Genius (Epic). Alpha Skills: Enchantment +1 (Level 22), Rune Alteration +1 (Level 22), Rune Scan +1 (Level 20), Cube Maker Magic + 1 (Level 19). Beta Skills: Tranquil Mind (Level 0), Adrenaline Jolt (Level 0), Willful Might (Level 0), Wondrous Speed (Level 0), Mystic Toughness (Level 0), Summon Wizard Hat (Level 0) Stats Per Level: +2 Willpower, +1 Agility, +1 Wonder, +3 Mysticism, +6 Free. Stats: 100 Willpower, 45 Strength, 123 Agility, 200 Wonder, 350 Mysticism, 0 Free. Achievements: Rune Seeker of the Forgotten Kingdom (Epic), SSS Genius Beyond the Lore Eater (Epic), Enchantment Jammer (Rare), Rapid Fortress Builder (Epic), Freedom Leader (Divine) Thoughts: Hannah¡¯s scary. I mean, I¡¯m not exactly threatened by her too much, but the more I think about it, the more I can see the absolute danger Hannah poses the more she grows. It¡¯s funny because she doesn¡¯t see how scary she is currently, and I think she¡¯s being cold right now because she wants more and more. The truth of my origins might¡¯ve made her feel insecure when she shouldn¡¯t. She¡¯ll become a powerful goddess one day, I think. But until then, Hannah¡¯s a little tricky to manage at times. I like that she¡¯s being more of herself. Pragmatic, cold, and sometimes ruthless, even when she¡¯s not evil aligned or free evil. It¡¯s probably a good thing that she doesn¡¯t touch evil because she might become a true villainess at that point. The reason Hannah is scary is that she¡¯s highly favored by the System. Hannah can mess with enchantments and runes, which is just a lesser version of what the Star System uses to give us our profiles and record our skills, traits, stats, and other stuff. She can¡¯t mess with the System stuff just yet, but she often gets special quests from the System just for her. She¡¯s able to grow through combat or by being a builder, crafter, enchantress. She doesn¡¯t seem like she has much, but the sheer potential of what she can do is the highest among the squad other than me. Technically, it¡¯s higher than me, based on sheer potential. I already know how far my capabilities can go. Anyway, I have no issues with Hannah right now. I think as long as I circle my attention back to her here and there, she¡¯ll grow and continue becoming a monster. Her traits help her be the main researcher and runic expert. Her alpha skills stack up on top of that even more so except for Cube Maker Magic +1. That one is the only out-of-box skill that seemed like a side-project skill until Hannah created walls made of cubes that follow their own physics. She did that for an entire fortress, all overnight. Hannah¡¯s incredible. I want to see her grow further. I want to help her become a goddess. I just hope she doesn¡¯t lose too much of her heart along the way. I like how uniquely pragmatic she can be, but she¡¯s the wrong person who should fall into being evil. Or Hannah might literally step on the innocent for her own progression. Side Note: Hannah can be cute and bratty when it¡¯s only the two of us. That¡¯s surprising. She acts as the more mature and reserved one among the girls and Gilbert. I wonder why she changes up with me. Would I get to see that side of her again after what happened? <> <> Bianca Garcia: Age 19, Level 56, Light Princess (Legendary), Freedom Alignment (Free Good +5). Traits: Shining Trust (Uncommon), Light Affinity (Rare), Lesser Smite (Rare), Aura Charge (Rare), Wondrous Princess Regality (Epic), Feathery Grace (Uncommon), Overcomer (Epic), Hellish Endurance (Rare). Alpha Skills: Searing Flash Array +2 (Level 27), Light Step +1 (Level 19), Refraction +1 (Level 24), Light Construction +1 (Level 17), Shining Mark +1 (Level 13). Beta Skills: Tranquil Mind (Level 0), Adrenaline Jolt (Level 0), Willful Might (Level 0), Wondrous Speed (Level 0), Mystic Toughness (Level 0), Summon Wizard Hat (Level 0). Stats Per Level: +1 Agility, +5 Wonder, +1 Mysticism, +6 Free. Stats: 70 Willpower, 40 Strength, 126 Agility, 349 Wonder, 176 Mysticism, 0 Free. Achievements: Heroes of the Eternal Garden Kingdom (Legendary), Junior Manslaughterer (Uncommon), Crusader Annihilation (Rare), First Corma Dragon Slayer in Many Years (Legendary), Lizard Slayer (Uncommon), Hell Slayer (Rare), Freedom Leader (Divine). Thoughts: If it wasn¡¯t for my Void Layer spell from Grimoire of the Mad Voidling Exile, I might¡¯ve had to kill Bianca to survive her overwhelming power. It¡¯s crazy how busted being higher on the good alignment can be. It¡¯s an unfair power-up cheat. But it makes me theorize why Bianca is so special. She can get her good alignment raised way faster than the local do-gooders favored by the gods. Then again, that might be because she¡¯s an Outsider and because I¡¯m involved. I guess the gods rarely pay this much attention otherwise. Or they could simply be more into Bianca. The crazy thing is that Bianca¡¯s pretty damn strong as her base self, without the good alignment. But she makes issues more trivial when she intertwines her good alignment with her light powers. Now that she¡¯s free good, she has to summon that huge depth of power herself, and she doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s capable of doing it automatically yet. Unfortunately, she seems heavily traumatized from the good +5 takeover and getting forced to fight me. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s back to her regular self, but it¡¯s at the loss of how assertive and mighty she can be when she¡¯s fully confident of herself and her power. Her last two traits are interesting, since one came from killing a wolf dragon, and the other came from fighting my Dread Mire Hell Gator. She can boost her abilities when up against a more powerful force. And her endurance is so much higher now. Her other traits range from being a better manipulator to improving her for being a princess, stacking over each other when she¡¯s being hero material. The alpha skills work well together and are the only skills I really can¡¯t copy because they¡¯re an antithesis to me. Searing Flash Array +2 is both a deceptive supportive skill and hugely destructive as the prime skill of Bianca¡¯s annihilating style. Light Step +1 turns her into a flurry of lights that can damage enemies she touches or eradicate them. Refraction + 1 lets her control her light and creates light illusions in many flexible ways. Light Construction +1 lets her create hard light objects at a lower cost, and can lead to her own illusions being more solid than most would expect. Then there¡¯s Shining Mark +1, which is the fuck-you skill for anyone who wants to run, hide, or do evil stuff because it makes them easy for her to track while disrupting certain dark or evil powers. Yeah, so Bianca¡¯s scary for most evil-doers. And that¡¯s not going over how she¡¯s picked up swordplay and combat faster than what her personality would suggest. Side Note: She¡¯s going to need time and support to recover from her trauma. I hope she¡¯ll take advantage of her free good +5 and become the awesome demigoddess she is meant to be. I¡¯ll do all I can to support and hope the other girls do what they can to build Bianca back up. At least Naomi¡¯s on top of it already. So is Para, who is speaking fluent Spanish better than everyone else other than Bianca. <> 109: B2: C9: Late Winter Four months after the death and revival of everything, which everyone knew as the Darkrun Apocalypse, Late Winter came around. Zarian was officially a year older. If this was the old world, it would¡¯ve been February, the month of Zarian¡¯s birthday twenty-two years ago. He hadn¡¯t had many records of that time surrounding his arrival in the old world. He remembered how his records were dubious and messy while he grew up in the foster care system. That had been the nature of his down-on-luck life, before the dark magic, before the portal. All because of his family¡¯s accursed tradition. The males usually had to grow up poorly before getting their true power. It was still 1532 of the Dark Era in Zarian¡¯s new universe. Unlike the old one, the Infinita Star System counted a new year when Early Spring happened. They weren¡¯t that far away from reaching 1533. Zarian had learned there were different customs for welcoming a new year depending on the world or area. In Corma, the World of Castles and Caverns, they held new year festivals throughout Early Spring. Zarian¡¯s people were already making plans for that back in Ride-or-Die Village. They were in a festive mood ever since they¡¯d reached Late Winter. He wasn¡¯t currently back there to oversee anything. Instead, he was out on a solo trip further north-northwest of the village. Mounds of blocky snow covered the landscape. A wintery chill swept across the battered lands of the former North Crown Peak area. Minor forests of frosted trees, with stone-covered trunks slick with ice, scraped at the air with their bony branches. Under the sparse cloud cover and the shining suns reaching their zenith, and amid the snow-laden plains, minor ice forests, and hillocks of snow-covered fortress mounds, the Level 72 Madness Wizard trekked with a comfortable gait. His boots walked over the snow¡¯s surface without leaving a print for anyone or anything to track. The chilling wind parted around him without pushing him, barely touching him. Snowfall twirled out of his way like someone pulling aside loose curtains for him. No effect of the mundane weather could break past the powerful enchantments weaved into his gear. Only the Para allowed the weather to have some effect on her. This was Para¡¯s first winter, and this was Zarian¡¯s first winter where he actually saw snow. Looking back, Zarian saw his tattered and monstrous cloak whip, flap, and curl her many tendrils. Para flicked at the flurry of snow blowing by and formed toothy mouths to laugh aloud. She was having a lot of fun while stretched out twenty feet behind him, not touching the ground whatsoever in her defiance of gravity. She was still reddish like old blood dried on hard leather skin. A supernatural glimmer akin to dying stars on the edge of the void covered the edges of her surface. Meanwhile, Zarian was dressed in all black. A lightweight gambeson covered his torso and his upper arms, reaching down mid-thigh. The trousers were lightweight and flexible. The same for the boots. On the chest was an emblem that looked like a tribal gator¡¯s head. The color was dark red, almost similar to Para¡¯s color. It was the guild¡¯s crest. And under the crest was the motto written in fancy pensive: ¡®Fuck Around and Find Out.¡¯ His wizard hat was black with a few traces of the Parasite Cloak¡¯s likeness, such as having a tattered look around the brim. Then there was the enchanted monocle covering Zarian¡¯s right eye, which was as dark as the rest of him. Zarian smiled as magical displays appeared in his vision and highlighted some footprints in the snow in red. They were deep, large. The way they were shaped reminded him of a reptilian. The tracks led him down a small forest trail where he found broken branches and more footprints. The tracks were recent. He was no professional ranger or tracker, but he liked to think his training from the Marines helped. He¡¯d also picked up a few books on the subject in the Dancing Librarian Dungeon. In a universe with no television or internet, having a magical library dungeon with nearly endless books was a godsend treasure. Reiki¡¯s dungeon was the heart of the Ride-or-Die Village for many reasons, and the library was chief among them. Zarian followed the tracks. The tracks turned fresher. He was getting closer to his targets. They weren¡¯t aware of him just yet. Or maybe they were and had a trap set up for him. Now, how should he proceed? One, should he go stealthily from behind like an assassin? Two, should he go around and set an ambush like a hunter? Three, should he go forward to fight directly like a warrior? Four, should he drop a big attack from the sky like a wizard? Five, should he go in like a Marine and use whatever worked? Hm. Tricky. Tricky. All these options seemed so viable. How was he supposed to choose? It was almost an impossible choice, especially since he¡¯d been mostly inactive these past four months, focused on studying and research. He could call in a friend, such as Para, but the Parasite Cloak +2 was busy playing with the falling snow. Zarian figured he should play the role he chose for himself a while ago. Option five, he would go in like a Marine and do whatever worked. He could start off slow to test out things, set traps, then drop a big attack from the sky like a wizard in the end, just like calling in artillery. Now that he was near his targets, he summoned a few spectral spiders to locate them directly. Since the past four months bore little action, the Spectral Spider Network +1 had advanced only a little. It was Level 24 now, right at the cusp. Personally, Zarian was Level 72 because of the multiple side quests he¡¯d accomplished. He still had his party¡¯s main quest, which had been updated because of new information.
Then there were the rest of his side quests: Zarian smiled. There was another reason he¡¯d come out here. He was working on getting some nice things as rewards for his fellow Floridians. The current gift was a long time coming, too. He wouldn¡¯t have known where to find it if he hadn¡¯t looked at maps around the area multiple times. Zarian sat on a log and pulled out an enchanted mug. He sipped on hot coffee mixed with dark chocolate and some alcohol while waiting for his spectral spiders to find the targets and lay traps.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The drink tasted sweet. Absolutely delicious. It felt rich going down his throat. It was like he was drinking ambrosia. It was nearly as good as what Foodie could make. Reiki had truly outdone herself as the Ride-or-Die Village¡¯s Dungeon Boss and the proprietor of their chief restaurant and coffee bar. She had some new competition growing in the village trying to steal her customers, but they didn¡¯t have her deep resources, and they still hadn¡¯t figured out how to make coffee or chocolate. Nonetheless, Zarian got a cut of everything passing through Ride-or-Die Village. The amount of money he was raking in lately was nice, and things were only getting more active this month. He had more money than he knew what to spend on. There wasn¡¯t much he needed, honestly. He could get mostly everything for free. He didn¡¯t plan on shopping for anything much outside of the village, especially not from anywhere south. The Eternal Garden Kingdom was in a three-way civil war down there. Because of that, a lot of traders, merchants, and adventurers were passing through Ride-or-Die Village with loads of goodies while on their quests going west or east. Early Spring promised even more activity. Zarian wondered if his village could handle it all. What would it be like once Foodie was saved and introduced to his village? Zarian had a lot to think about. A ping from his spectral spiders brought him back to the present. It wasn¡¯t coming from the direction of his targets. The ping came from spectral spiders he¡¯d left behind him during his trek here. Zarian followed the thread leading to the spider who¡¯d wanted his attention. He saw what the hubbub was about. It wasn¡¯t anything dire. He remained on his log and kept taking enjoyable sips from his cocoa-coffee alcohol drink. The delicious beverage was rare quality, too, so he could actually get a decent buzz from it, but not too much to impede his work. A few minutes later, a ten-foot form stalked quietly toward his position between stone walls and frosted hedges. Her digitigrade legs sliced through the snow-covered ground without making too much sound. Her head bobbed down gracefully under the grasping, snow-covered claws of the skeletal trees. Then the elder gnoll stopped by a block of snow. She stooped down onto her haunches in the shade across from Zarian, out of the glare of the winter suns. She seemed to make herself as small as possible while in his presence. ¡°Elder Ezda,¡± Zarian greeted. ¡°Alpha Elder Zarian,¡± Ezda replied in return. ¡°Your spiders are much stealthier. I didn¡¯t notice them as much this time around.¡± Zarian chuckled. ¡°They¡¯ve gotten some decent practice. The skill for them is one level away from advancing. Perhaps they¡¯ll become even stealthier or have even more interesting abilities.¡± Ezda nodded before looking off to the side. Zarian studied her, making note of how the massive gnoll female had cleaned up a lot lately. She didn¡¯t smell of rot and old blood. Her fur was pristine and freshened up, all yellow with brown spots that stood out against the white blanket of snow. She¡¯d even brushed her teeth. It was less brown and more yellow. Her long locks of hair had seen a trimming, too, now only reaching down to her hips. The outfit she wore was newer, far from the frayed rags of before. She had on leather trousers big enough to fit her and leather straps wrapped around her chest to seal up her three pairs of breasts. She didn¡¯t wear human bones as her trophies anymore, and the same could be said about the other gnoll elders, most likely. They weren¡¯t here, since Ezda was chief among them, and the most forward, but Zarian had seen glimpses of them from a distance. If Ezda was all cleaned up and looking respectable, they would certainly follow her lead. None of these changes happened because Zarian asked for them. The gnolls changed on their own gradually. They always acted in unexpected ways for savages, especially when they¡¯d appeared outside of the village back in Late Autumn and told Zarian he was the Alpha Elder of the Blood Prairie Savages. Then they¡¯d left. Then they¡¯d come back to check in. Then they¡¯d left again before making more trips in and out of the area. They were much more mysterious than savage lately, to be fair. Zarian wondered if his ¡­ wife ¡­ was acting in the background, influencing the gnolls. Or were the gnolls looking at him as some sort of grounded deity? Ezda hadn¡¯t bothered to explain much. Zarian didn¡¯t bother to force an explanation. He acted as if everything was okay. ¡°I¡¯m going to engage in some combat to test out my new sealing style techniques,¡± Zarian informed. ¡°Do you want to sit back and watch? Maybe even be my cheerleader? Or do you want to join?¡± Ezda looked at him for a while. Zarian finished slurping up the delicious drink from his mug. After a few minutes, the elder gnoll bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to wait in the back and behold the magnificence of your new techniques, oh alpha elder.¡± Zarian was tempted to ask her how Evil God Killall was doing. But he held back since it seemed like the Blood Prairie Savages were in a sensitive transitionary period. He supposed when Ezda and the other elders were ready to be more forthcoming, he would happily lend an ear and invite them into his village with open arms. After all, his power was bending them to his whims without him having to ask. There was no need for him to be rude to his friends. That and he still owed their rising gnolls some training. ¡°Okay, enjoy the show.¡± Zarian licked the smeared remains of his tasty drink from his lips. He placed the mug back into the cloak¡¯s pocket dimension and stood to his feet. The Madness Wizard turned away from Ezda, and his cloak fluttered and flapped as twisted streams of glimmering leather and flesh. Some of which traced over the epic Level 91 Blood Brute in a friendly manner. Ezda silently stood up and stalked after him. Most humans would¡¯ve feared for their lives to have an elder gnoll, one at Level 91, trail behind them. And Ezda was an infamous elder gnoll, known as the Voracious Blood Beast of the Blood Prairies. There was a reason Silver Guardian Arnold of Ambrose couldn¡¯t stop himself from attacking Ezda on sight months ago. Strangely, Zarian felt comfortable to have her cover his back. Her presence felt loyal and reserved. Not dangerous at all. At least when around him. He hadn¡¯t known her true level and class until she told him weeks ago. It had come up at random. He thought little of it until he remembered she¡¯d lied about being in the Level 80s the first time they met. Zarian almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it was to have a Level 91 gnoll act subservient to him of her free volition, while he was only Level 72. His free evil +3 enjoyed it. They reached the target area. Zarian blended into his environment. His black and dark red outfit turned mostly white with off gray to match with the snow and shadows. Para shifted colors and blended with the environment just like him. She twisted, splintered, and changed around him. She acted like spindly bush plants, bare without their leaves. She¡¯d even copied the nearby fragmented walls and looked like lumpy, blocky covers of snow. Together, they became one with the habitat and settled on the upper edge of a downward slope leading into a basin. Hundreds of feet ahead, dozens of kobolds acted as they pleased while on Zarian¡¯s side of the mythical event. The war between the Ride-or-Die Village and the wolf dragons hadn¡¯t ended. It was only on pause. Skirmishes had broken out frequently still, at least three to four times a week. Fortunately, the original two hundred and eight-nine young soldiers and acolytes the Floridians had taken here remained alive. They were flourishing in unique and unexpected ways inside or around Ride-or-Die Village. However, newcomers, some who were passing adventurers from foreign kingdoms, had fallen during kobold skirmishes. There was also something Zarian found strange that his people had warned him about. The kobolds were abnormally stronger than they should be. And if the kobolds had a quality jump in power, then the same could be predicted for the wolf dragons. Zarian hadn¡¯t fought them in a while. He¡¯d get to see for himself, which was perfect. He could finally test what he¡¯d researched for months in the Dancing Librarian Dungeon, digging up its exhaustive catalogs, practically living down there for weeks on end. He had the gear for all of that hard research. Hannah¡¯s handiwork. Smiling, Zarian looked down at the thick black gauntlets covering his hands and forearms. They looked like implements made for tanky bruisers. They were, in fact, the tools that would let him use his Overwhelming Darkness for the first time. Zarian nodded at the description from his Identify before he checked on his new trait. He¡¯d earned it a few days ago once he¡¯d finished his initial research. ¡°I should be able to use one percent of my true power now,¡± Zarian whispered into Ezda¡¯s ear through a spectral spider on her shoulder. ¡°To be fair, I¡¯m actually using a fraction of my one percent power, but saying ¡®One Percent Power¡¯ is cleaner and sounds more badass.¡± ¡°Let the foolish lizards behold your dark magnificence, oh Alpha Elder Zarian,¡± Ezda said with quiet reverence. Zarian raised up and started the lengthy sequence to use Overwhelming Darkness. Was it all an inconvenience? Kinda, yes. Did he feel cool, like a younger and edgier him? Yes, very much so. The inconvenience was second to the experience of unleashing the techniques he¡¯d developed in the library and through rigorous study. Too bad the kobolds were aware of him now and rushing to the attack. That was okay. While Zarian worked his dark magnificence to fruition, the spectral spiders and Para were prepared to show off what they¡¯d learned the past couple of months as well. The spiders were out of sight, out of harm¡¯s way. They waited for the ¡®gifts¡¯ they¡¯d left in place to go off. The cloak shifted forms once again. She transformed into many arms and hands with slender and articulate fingers. Meanwhile, all three grimoires appeared. One grimoire phased out of his body. Its rattling spectral chains bound the covers to his soul. Another grimoire appeared over his shoulder with jagged teeth running down the spine. It came with a hefty and predatory presence that formed like a translucent shade behind Zarian. Finally, a dark metal grimoire appeared through a portal in front of Zarian. It emitted a metallic hum and slowly orbited Zarian¡¯s body. Para¡¯s many hands and slender fingers grabbed each grimoire. She cracked them all open, flipped their pages, and traced her fingers over the enchanted text and symbols. Then Para formed mouths in the palms of her free hands to speak with. Para started things off by chanting and casting, ¡°Quagmire Pit.¡± 110: B2: C10: One Percent Power Zarian¡¯s Fractured Mind had only grown sharper, faster, and more capable with time, especially with all the pressure of establishing his Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style. He could focus on his sealing style and stay highly aware of battlefield conditions. His aura manipulation reached out in a wide sphere, feeling across various strands of aura and magic. He¡¯d gotten better at this, more fine tuned ever since the day of the Darkrun Apocalypse. He used his hidden spectral spiders to keep a visual on the battle from multiple angles. He¡¯d even had spiders watching his and Ezda¡¯s backside. Yes, he had Ezda to his rear, whose presence was powerful. But he¡¯d kept some eyes on watch back there as an extra layer of observational defense. You could never be too careful as a running-and-gunning wizard with a dooms-day power inside his soul. Meanwhile, he used Identify while practicing subtlety through his spectral spiders, so that none of the kobolds would feel the trait happening to them during the initial rush of combat. This was something he¡¯d worked on for a while. He had a good idea of what he was facing the instant they began their onrush and blasting efforts. The rumors about the kobolds being significantly stronger than before bore some truth. Immediately, Zarian noted how the strongest of the three dozen kobolds were part of a tribe or group called Wolf Dragon Enforcers. There were six of those. The others were much weaker and part of the normal Wolf Dragon Idolizers¡¯ tribe, the ones Zarian and his people had crushed during the first sieges of the Mythical Regional Event. That could only mean Zarian¡¯s people were facing a new element in the delayed event. The wolf dragons had called in new kobolds, and the kobold enforcers looked fiercer and more competent than the kobold idolizers. Before Zarian could focus on more nuances, he had an onrush of twenty kobold idolizers rushing him. They were in the low Level 50s and high Level 40s. Their classes seemed of lower quality compared to the enforcers. Some kobold idolizers were called Wild Burners and used fire-based skills infused with their rusted weapons and gear. Others were more like the wolf dragons, such as the kobolds with the Wolf Chaser class, and could run across the snow with some blurring speed. The fastest Wolf Chasers led the rest of the advancing pack. The slower ones, such as the Elemental Shamans, cast magical abilities that shot at Zarian¡¯s position. Wind torrents that could rip away flesh blew apart every branch in its way. Ice shards grew into javelins that were as long as humans were tall and shot in volleys that could cut down a platoon of men. The air buzzed, crackled, and clapped with whips of lightning that lashed forward over the heads of the advancing kobolds. All of it flew at Zarian. Yet, he didn¡¯t dodge any of the ranged attacks from the kobold idolizers. There was no need. Because as Para cast her spells, she revealed why the Thematic Law/Floridian Mindset was overpowered on her. Para combined a few of myriad hands and arms into multiple bone-plated shields. She deflected the wind torrents, absorbing their power and sending roaring streams breaking off at an angle into the air. She combined more of her myriad hands and arms into propeller blades and spun them around at high speeds no matter how much she had to twist her strands around. She chopped through the ice spears and sent their fragments flinging off to the side. Then she formed up giant hands with rubbery flesh and caught the chained lightning bolts with her bare palms and long fingers. She¡¯d formed long bone spikes, punctured them into the icy ground, and sent the excess lightning magic down into the earth. This was all while the spectral spiders¡¯ traps were going off as Para finished forming the Quagmire Pit spell. While Para had practiced her mystical side as an intelligent Parasite Cloak +2, the spectral spiders had learned to make more advanced use of their arcane webbing. Apparently, the arcane webbing wasn¡¯t magical for the sake of catching people and ensnaring targets. The webbing was a catalyst for the spiders to do magic. The spiders were little wizards and enchanters! Zarian wouldn¡¯t have known that if Hannah hadn¡¯t asked to study their webbing. Once she¡¯d realized the truth, she taught the spectral spiders enchantments. Once that was established, well, the spectral spiders¡¯ potential shot up immensely. Hence the dozens of landmine webs the spectral spiders buried under a light layer of slow. The fastest kobold idolizers ran over those and blew themselves up. The thunderous eruptions echoed off the slopes leading into the basin the kobolds had camped in. The booming retorts sounded louder than usual in the winter wonderland landscape. Screaming kobolds twisted about in the air with mangled legs or everything missing below their hips. The kobold idolizers hadn¡¯t gotten much smarter even after the seventh landmine blew up. Others kept barreling forward into the arcane minefield. One of the Wolf Dragon Enforcers, the Dragonized Elementalist, shouted out his skill: ¡°Howl of the Wolf Dragon Wind!¡± A powerful and fast wind swept around the battlefield like a running wolf dragon. The wind moved smartly to avoid the kobolds and bulldozed over the snow where the spiders had laid their explosive arcane webbing. More explosions went off like the loudest Fourth of July, clearing the way for the kobolds idolizers rushing at Zarian. Except for when they ran into the infernal Quagmire Pit, which Para had laid down ahead of the spider minefield. The kobolds¡¯ advance came to a complete halt then and there. Para had done a good job of transmigrating the ground at the last second. She caught twelve of them before the others stopped. Then she moved onto the next sequence of the folktale combo. ¡°Dread Mire Bite,¡± Para chanted. As kobolds tried to scramble free of the Quagmire Pit and its infernal flames, an invisible predator rushed up with jaws spread wide. The massive teeth snapped shut. Flaming ooze of the quagmire, body parts, and streams of crimson rained down on the remaining kobold idolizers that had stopped before the pit. The kobolds screamed and pointed up at the bloody mayhem, many scrambling back in fear. The Wolf Dragon Enforcers saw enough. The Dragonized Wrecker, Dragonized Rusher, Dragonized Dragoon, and Dragonized Assassin rushed forward. The Dragonized Elementalist and Dragonized Wizard stayed back. The kobold enforcers moved faster and with more coordination, but they fell into another of Para¡¯s trap as easily as the kobold idolizers. They placed themselves within range of the next folktale combo spell. ¡°Dread Mire Bellow,¡± Para chanted. The invisible and bloody jaws shifted. They became more corporeal, more tangible and real. Spots of hell-hardened scales appeared amid the blood and infernal sludge of the pit. The jaws opened again, but not to strip flesh away nor snap apart bones. Instead, an enormous roar blasted out from the jaws of the great pit predator. The roar rolled out as both a traumatic noise and a solidified force wave that sent the still-standing kobold idolizers flying back. Blood spewed out from their throats, from their eyes, and from their ears. The bellow was so powerful some kobold idolizers died outright. A few others tossed and turned, suffering in the torn-up snow. The kobold enforcers handled the bellow better, but they weren¡¯t free from its effects. They rolled with the shockwave and slowed their approach to deal with the traumatic aftereffects. Worse yet, at least for the kobolds, the trauma intensified the power of Zarian¡¯s Uncanny Valley Effect trait, which made him shiftier, more monstrous, more frightening to their perception. Even if they had better training, abilities, and equipment than the usual kobolds, the enforcers became more hesitant to engage him in combat for a little while longer. The only ones who had a shot were the Dragonized Elementalist and the Dragonized Wizard. But as they prepared their mightiest abilities, Zarian finally finished all the warm-up drills he¡¯d promised to do before using his Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style for real.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. His heart was hammering. The memories of his long voyage eating worlds, gods, and universes lurked in the back of his head. The apocalyptic monster that dwelled in his soul waited for its chance to break free and devour everything once again. I won¡¯t let you win again. I will control you. ¡°Overwhelming Darkness: Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style Technique,¡± Zarian chanted, his voice resounding with grand power. He motioned his hands carefully up to his face and down to his chest, his fingers forming particular arcane signs, every motion specifically crafted, every gesture a part of the sealing style to guide his apocalyptic power. The atmosphere darkened. The sky darkened. The surrounding forest and demolished battlegrounds in the basin lost whatever white luster it had prior. ¡°We must stop him!¡± the Dragonized Assassin shouted. ¡°For the Wolf Dragons and Evil God The Dragon!¡± the Dragonized Wrecker roared, breaking free from the traumatic debuff. A roaring power burst free from the wrecker¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t Aura Ignition, but it was an ability that gave an almost similar, if subpar, effect. He was covered in energetic brown embers that buffed him up, straining the oiled scale armor and pelts he wore. He raised his twin maul hammers and moved at breakneck speed to cross the distance to Zarian. In the meantime, the Dragonized Elementalist finished charging a wind cannon-style blast. The attack came out as a powerful torrent that ripped stone trees from the roots and knocked down stone walls in their way. Snow split apart from under the torrent¡¯s passing in crashing waves. The wind torrent moved with so much power it even dug a furrow into the ground without touching the earth directly. Meanwhile, the Dragonized Wizard used a spell that raised the spiritual maws of the wolf dragons themselves, or what looked like them. The maws were massive, easily able to snap up a squad of men with a bite each. They appeared from each side of Zarian and Para with their large teeth already clamping down, aiming to rip the wizard and his cloak apart. A move like that would¡¯ve caught most dueling wizards blind, since the Dragonized Wizard had cast it from a distance. Most wizards didn¡¯t have a spell-slinging cloak. Para chanted, ¡°Void Step,¡± as she formed spider legs to pluck Zarian out of the danger zone. The wrinkling air was all that remained of them in their prior position. The giant wolf dragon maws tore up the top of the slope leading into the basin. The super wind cannon hit with a ground rumbling roar that sheared away nearby trees, stoned walls, hedges, and cobbled steps. A second after that, the Dragonized Wrecker struck down blindly with another meteoric impact that shook the slope even further and sent more debris and stone blocks tumbling down. Snow fell in huge dumps from the top of still-standing trees. The impact crater was nearly twenty feet deep and fifty wide. They had nothing to show for their effort, however. They hadn¡¯t even harmed Ezda. The Level 91 Blood Brute stood up from the earthy and soggy rubble. A crimson glow shone through her fur, radiating from under her flesh. She spat some soggy, cold mud from her mouth, shook like a dog to rid more muck from her fur, then she hopped straight into the air with a powerful lunge. ¡°Where did he go?!¡± the Dragonized Wrecker shouted, ignoring Ezda in favor of finding the wizard. ¡°We must kill the source of the Darkrun Apocalypse and claim glory for The Dragon!¡± ¡°Wizard, search for him with your magic!¡± the Dragonized Assassin shouted. The Dragonized Wizard couldn¡¯t respond. Nor could the Dragonized Elementalist. Zarian and Para now occupied their spot, both kobold enforcers of the mystical arts gone. Para had eaten them when she¡¯d appeared behind them with Void Step, catching them unaware. Some of her mouths that were formed on thick, leathery tendrils were still munching on their flesh and bones. Now that Para was more mystical and willful, she could better enjoy the taste of others who were magical or intelligent. She seemed to have liked the wizard the most. She was still chewing on his brains. Meanwhile, Zarian continued with his long-as-hell technique. His voice resounded with even more volume. His hand gestures remained slow but purposeful. The edges of the gauntlets vibrated. Dark light beamed from the gaps. The twenty small cubes inside the vambraces pushed up from their locking mechanisms. There were twenty in all. Ten on each gauntlet. ¡°Unlock Dark Lock One. The Worm Lurks Buried Deep Under Fabled Myth. One Percent Power Unsealed.¡± The Dragonized Rusher was the first to reach him at long last. The trauma from the Dread Mire Bellow was gone. The hesitation was gone. The rusher had a shifting power that turned the nearly human-size kobold into a scaly beast akin to a wolf dragon, but one the size of a bear. Ferocious jaws that could bite through metal bore down on Zarian¡¯s head. Para stopped playing wizard and became a brawler. A bone-plated leather fist the size of a bear¡¯s head smashed into the rusher¡¯s jaw with a hard crack. Para knocked the rusher¡¯s transformed body aside and sent it crashing with ground-rumbling force. Then she swung around a parasitic bone shield and deflected several death-touched knives aimed at Zarian¡¯s chest, throat, and mouth. The touch of death magic went straight for life energy with no regard to Zarian and Para¡¯s vitality. Para quivered with anger. She wanted to get to the assassin personally. She turned her attention to lashing away the transformed rusher as Zarian finished the last piece with a final gesture and phrase. ¡°Dark bolt.¡± The mini cubes inside the vambraces moved up and down rapidly. Once they stopped, and Zarian remained alive with the Overwhelming Darkness still under control, he was finally ready. Para peeled back her many limbs. The rusher lunged again with jaws spread wide. Zarian pointed his palm loosely and shot his first Dark Bolt in four months. The rusher disappeared into far-flung bits of flesh, bone, and droplets of blood that hadn¡¯t outright disintegrated. The nearest tree tops turned into fine splinters and water particles rushing into the air in the direction the dark bolt had flown. The nearest snow blew away in rushing waves that blinded the other kobold enforcers while clearing the ground surrounding Zarian. The noise and confusion for the kobold enforcers were nearly too much for them. They hadn¡¯t even comprehended the death of their comrade. Zarian had plenty of time to prepare his next move, which was much faster than the initial sequence. He still had to make some hand gestures while chanting, ¡°One Percent Power Unsealed. Nodachi.¡± The little cubes on the gauntlets moved up and down again to fulfill his order. Then Zarian formed his familiar nodachi, a seven-foot blade of curved darkness. He hadn¡¯t grown any taller. But fighting like a mundane human worked best for mundane humans. Fighting like a Level 72 Madness Wizard with a Parasite Cloak +2 worked best for him, hence the outrageously long sword. Zarian launched at the remaining three kobolds with a powerful jump, leaving a crater beneath him. His cloak flapped like thunder, shifting into many forms, all horrifying or dangerous. She still kept hold of his grimoires, ready to cast any spell from their pages. The Wolf Dragon Enforcers did the dumbest thing when they saw him falling through the cover of snow. They faced him head on. Zarian chopped his nodachi down on the Dragonized Wrecker. He split through both maul hammers. He split the metal helmet on the furry and scaly head of the kobold. He carved straight through like cutting air and exited out the groin between the legs. Then the nodachi slammed into the ground with an eruptive force that sent the Dragonized Assassin and Dragonized Dragoon flying off their feet. ¡°Bloody Lifesteal,¡± Para chanted, wasting no time to whip her bone-tipped tendrils toward the assassin. The kobold was slick, tumbling away quickly with supernatural grace, but the Madness Wizard was slicker. Or, more importantly, his summonings were. The classical arcane webbing appeared behind the assassin and slowed his escape. A group of nearby spectral spiders danced in celebration of their cleverly placed trap. Para¡¯s tendrils caught the assassin. Her bone hooks and quills dug deep into the flesh, refusing to let go. The crimson glow and magic of Bloody Lifesteal went into effect. The kobold enforcer shouted in desperation and hacked at the tendrils with his death-dealing knives. He couldn¡¯t cut through fast enough. Para drained his life through his blood, negating most of his death magic. More importantly, Zarian had the Divine Revival Charm nestled in his soul, so the death magic was even less effective on him. Still, Para didn¡¯t like it and made it known. She sucked the assassin dry and added to Zarian¡¯s life energy. As Para finished the assassin, Zarian faced the dragoon. He was the last of the enforcers. There were still some kobold idolizers, but they were heavily incapacitated after the Dread Mire Bellow. Most kobolds would¡¯ve attempted to run. But the dragoon, who was an inch taller than even Zarian, held his ground and spun around his bronze spear. The weapon gleamed brightly under the wintery light. It had a metallic polish that was certainly magical. It was probably a highly enchanted weapon. Zarian figured it was rare in quality for sure. ¡°Nice spear,¡± Zarian said. The Dragonized Dragoon snarled. ¡°I will kill you with my Treasured Bronze Spear. Your death will be in honor of the wolf dragons and Evil God The Dragon!¡± ¡°You do know killing me will unleash another Darkrun Apocalypse?¡± Zarian asked. The kobold enforcer hesitated. Then he snarled again. ¡°You lie?! If that was true, then you wouldn¡¯t risk your life in a fight. Unless you¡¯re hiding the truth of your power!¡± ¡°Risking it is part of me controlling it. Then again, I bet there are cults who want another Darkrun Apocalypse. The types who enjoy the tragedy of it all. My wife¡¯s one of those types, unfortunately.¡± Zarian didn¡¯t know why he was explaining all this to an enemy. But it was interesting to get the kobold¡¯s perspective. The kobold enforcer was just another pawn thrown into a game he didn¡¯t know had very breakable boundaries. Could the scaly and furry guy think beyond his day-to-day dogma in this situation? For a second, it seemed like the kobold was trying to think about what Zarian had said. Zarian recognized sparks of critical thinking in the Dragonized Dragoon¡¯s eyes. Then those sparks went away like snuffed embers. The enforcer buckled down and pointed his long bronze spear at Zarian with more deadly intent. The dragoon seemed to hone his focus and prepare to strike with his alpha skill and his blessed bronze spear. He¡¯d probably spent years training with the spear while Zarian was mostly out of practice with his giant sword fighting techniques. The Madness Wizard threw his whole sword to the floor at the dragoon¡¯s feet. The dense sword hit with massive force and erupted. The ground exploded apart. The nearest trees ripped free from their roots and flung into the air. A thunderous roar resounded for miles and miles across the winter wonderland. Most of the blast was focused forward and away from Zarian. He stood mostly unaffected except for having to ride out the aftershocks. Once everything settled down, Zarian found the kobold enforcer scrambling free from some rubble with both of his legs gone. The enforcer looked like he¡¯d gotten chewed up and spat out by his own wolf dragons. He had done a decent job moving at the last second to avoid the full deadliness of the explosion. ¡°You do have a point. I can¡¯t take as many risks as I used to,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I have to keep living. I must win against my Overwhelming Darkness for myself and for everyone else. So ¡­ I¡¯m going to fight dirtier, meaner, and more ruthlessly than ever before, while not trying to cheat too much.¡± The kobold enforcer coughed up blood before looking into the sky. ¡°Father of wolf dragons. Father of all dragons! Hear my plea! Awaken from your slumber! Take us to your treasured horde by claw or fang. And eat the one who holds the power of the Darkrun Apocalypse. Take the power for yourself, Evil God The Dragon!¡± Zarian waited to see if Evil God The Dragon would respond or do anything. Nothing happened. Zarian continued the execution with hand gestures and a chant: ¡°One Percent Power Unsealed. Dark Bead.¡± The mini cubes moved up and down in another enchanted sequence in response to his request. Then Zarian had a tiny bead of darkness in his gauntlet-clad palm. He aimed and shot it through the kobold¡¯s head. The skull, neck, and upper torso disintegrated. The impact tossed up a ton of rock, stone, dirt, and snow. Then the forest became still again after the explosive echoes faded away. Para whipped out some tendrils and killed the weakling kobolds that remained. The battle ended with that, a total victory and some notifications. More importantly, Zarian hadn¡¯t failed outright. His Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style worked. At least for now. 111: B2: C11: Cultivate When Zarian started learning sealing and unsealing techniques four months ago, he had to dig up the basic volumes first. They leaned toward the esoteric. Stuff like ¡®The Four Cornered Square Locking Hand Techniques¡¯ or ¡®Basics of Seals and Stars, A Three Part Volume on Holding Back The Abyss¡¯ or ¡®Everyday Magic Beyond Star System Skills¡¯ were his first reading materials. There were books with long and tedious names that led to the name of Zarian¡¯s current technique. There were books which had Zarian throwing up what looked like a mix of ninja gestures and gang signs. There were also books that were more serious and had historical tellings of hell breaks and how to seal those. The Dancing Librarian Dungeon even had books on sealing dungeon entrances for dungeons that had gone wild. Sealing required some investment in Mysticism, an aura controlling ability and/or tool, and some decent Willpower and/or Wonder as extra insurance. Then everything else relied on the know-how. It was possible for anyone to cast minor ritual spells or build enchantments, just like it was possible to blacksmith common stuff. But the study was rigorous and the bar for talent was high if the practitioner was outside of a class devoted to those specific magical disciplines. Hell, even Zarian had needed Hannah¡¯s help multiple times. Just so they could make sense of the many volumes of uncommon books they had to absorb for useful information. If they hadn¡¯t gotten Lore Eater combined with Hannah¡¯s Swift Research and Zarian¡¯s Fractured Mind, then making a competent sealing technique with the gear to match would¡¯ve taken far longer. But here he was, victorious after using Overwhelming Darkness on a small platoon of advanced kobolds, and he hadn¡¯t lost control. The fight had worked out as a good trial run. He¡¯d gone through the sealing technique slowly on purpose. He wanted to make sure he had the basics down pat. He could go faster once he had more confidence. That was the most important part other than finding a gift for a friend. ¡°I need more fights,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I should probably do the cultivation part, though. But let me look at the nice goodies at least.¡± ¡°No way, seriously?¡± Zarian couldn¡¯t believe it. He put away all of his grimoires. He reread Spectral Spider Network +2 from the top to the bottom. He refocused on the +2 Advancement especially. If Para was his best skill, the spectral spiders were growing up to be a great skill of their own. As a freely flowing winter gust blew through the forest opening made from the eruptions of the prior fight, Zarian turned toward a squad of ghostly spiders scuttling closer. They were all stronger now. Their power and levels were based on his Mysticism and Wonder combined along with some other scaling factors tracked by the System. His Overpower trait played a part as well, at least stat wise. ¡°How much better are you guys?¡± Zarian asked, kneeling down. The spectral spiders raised their faces up to him. They formed a pose with their front legs raised. Then they burst into frenzied action. They moved faster. Almost too fast for most people to track. They coordinated with each other far better than before. They lunged perfectly into a tower of spectral spiders while balancing on one leg each. Then they tumbled down gracefully and scuttled up and around Zarian like little speed demons. Para formed hands and attempted to catch them. The spectral spiders skittered past her grasp and kept evading her. Then they evaded her while dancing about like little lunatics. Zarian chuckled while watching their antics. Staying knelt in the fresh snowfall covering the ruins of the battlefield, he looked around and enjoyed the peace and wonder. I don¡¯t mind the library setting, but four months of that can really make a man want some time spent in nature, Zarian thought. The weather was nice, but the Spectral Spider Network +2 was nicer. Now that the little guys scaled partially with the Wonder stat, their perception and fortune would be greater. The spiders had more faith and luck on their side, too. More importantly, Zarian¡¯s awareness when observing through them improved. When he tapped into the spiders jumping all over him or hanging out nearby, their vision and other senses reached out further and were more acute. He did a quick scan with all of his spiders in the immediate area. He smiled at the squad of spiders hauling the bronze spear to him before he gave the weapon a quick look over with his Identify trait. Yeah, it was rare quality and it could extend and release impact waves after a strike, almost like a gong. Zarian could either feed it to Reiki¡¯s dungeon or get one of his village merchants to sell it for a price. Or maybe he could keep it as a trophy. ¡°Spears are supposed to be the easiest weapons for anyone to use. They¡¯re mass produced for a reason. Maybe I should learn to use it in case I can¡¯t do my stuff.¡± Zarian lobbed the bronze spear up and down. It made a metallic hum sound when it collided with his gauntlet-clad hand. Without further ado, he stored it in the pocket dimension inside of Para. Maybe an idea would come to mind later on what he would do with it. He looked up as Ezda¡¯s large form crept up to him. With the ground mostly barren except for rubble and fresh snow, she stood far above him. That was until she crouched down and was basically on all fours. She panted almost like a beast. He could smell her breath, and it was less rancid than before. It even had a touch of mint. She really had been taking more care of herself. Damn, I¡¯m curious what the Blood Prairie Savages have been up to, Zarian wondered. Zarian held back. It would be way more gratifying once Ezda finally opened up to him fully. It was almost another game, but more social. How long would it take until the former alpha elder revealed everything? ¡°Impressive show of power as always, Alpha Elder Zarian,¡± Ezda complimented. ¡°It was my first test run. I was very slow. But that¡¯s by design. I¡¯ll speed up the process with more practice.¡± Ezda looked curiously down at the gauntlets. There was a gleam of excitement and wariness in her eyes. Like she wanted to play with fire, but she was afraid she would get burned. She spoke around the subject, which picked up on what he wanted. ¡°If you wish for more battle experience, then I recommend a voyage into the Blood Prairies. It is a good time for such. The Fortress Bears will awaken, and so will the Bear Men.¡± ¡°Those sound like interesting targets,¡± Zarian replied. ¡°Yes, indeed. They are both monsters who exist in alliance with one another. It is suspected that the Fortress Bears guard an epic dungeon, while the Bear Men go out to raid and drag back their spoils to feed the dungeon and reap benefits.¡± ¡°And how come you haven¡¯t dealt with them?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°We have tried to deal with them until a more monstrous bear has killed some of our elders. So we only fight the Bear Men and will sometimes fight the Fortress Bears, driving them toward easier prey than us gnolls.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. A question came to mind that Zarian should¡¯ve asked a while ago. ¡°Do you know Ekri the Tailor?¡± If Ezda had a humanoid face with bare skin, she would¡¯ve looked as white as a ghost. Instead, her canine mouth dropped open. Her eyes widened. Her entire body shivered as her fur bristled. Then she let out a low growl that made the air shake for a few seconds until she finally got a hold of herself. She looked apologetically at Zarian. The Madness Wizard reached over with one hand. He gave her scratches behind her hyena-ears. The powerful gnoll elder, a Level 91 Blood Brute, froze up on the spot while on all fours. After a few minutes, Zarian pulled his hand away, but Ezda leaned her head toward him for more scratches. Zarian rolled his eyes. He provided Ezda with some more scratches. Then he finished things off with head pats before he took his hand back and gave Ezda a hard look that said she couldn¡¯t ask for more. It took several long minutes before Ezda recomposed herself fully and continued the conversation. ¡°I know of Ekri the Tailor. He¡¯s one of multiple barons who rule from the shadows of Carrowmore with thrones made of silk and skulls. He doesn¡¯t seem like a secretive baron. He¡¯s too upfront. Too chatty. But he¡¯s horrifying.¡± Ezda shuddered, her gaze turning dull, her mind lost to her memories. ¡°I remember when I was a pup when he took the flesh and fur off of my elders and left them alive. The shame was so terrible, they gave themselves up to be feasted upon so a new council of elders would rise.¡± ¡°When you said feasted upon, you practiced cannibalism?¡± ¡°Most evil-born creatures do, even for practical purposes. Sometimes, we must even commit sacrifices, self or otherwise. But rarely do the elders sacrifice themselves to the next generation. The shame of what Ekri the Tailor had done to them ran too deep for them to endure.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Okay. Noted. Ekri the Tailor is that guy.¡± Ezda shook her head. ¡°I do not think he can withstand the might of your dark magnificence. However, he is still dangerous, my alpha. How do you know of such a powerful creature?¡± ¡°One of my party members ran into him. Ekri gave her a card and an invitation to Carrowmore. We¡¯ll be on our way there once we settle things down here in this part of the continent.¡± Zarian hummed. ¡°In fact, my party member, Naomi, wants to face off against the guy and dominate him for some reason. I guess Ekri the Tailor made her feel too insecure or something.¡± ¡°The savage, fist-fighting human? I like that human. It¡¯ll be a shame if Ekri the Tailor strips her of her flesh and dishonors her, but I suppose humans like her will strive for excellence while under your leadership.¡± Ezda nodded before continuing. ¡°As for Carrowmore, hm, there are numerous ways to get there. Going straight north through the Blood Prairies is one such way. Or you take the Stone Sea River going north to reach the edges of the Coldbooth Castle Mountains, then find your way down to Carrowmore. That might prove to be a most valuable route once we conquer Castle Grimrock for you, my alpha.¡± That would depend on how they would access the Forgotten Kingdom before taking the trip to Carrowmore. But that was a concern for later. ¡°Future plans are nice, but they¡¯re in the future. Let¡¯s do what we can today.¡± ¡°Your wisdom holds no bound.¡± Zarian chuckled. Ezda was really laying it on thick. Even Naomi wasn¡¯t this bad when she had placed herself as subservient to him and called him ¡®the sir¡¯ half a year ago. Zarian stood to his feet and dusted off the bottom of his gambeson. He gestured for Ezda to stand and follow him. They walked for about an hour. They saw winter beasts prance or prowl through the snow-laden, stony forest. Some were like elks or moose with magic antlers. Others were prowling felines that could turn invisible or control the snow to raise veils. Nothing bothered the wizard and the gnoll. Nothing would dare when Ezda was in the area, who was very much like a beast herself. Then they reached the area Zarian was looking for. ¡°You must wait till Early Spring to catch the fish here,¡± Ezda said. ¡°Though prepare yourself. The fish can be big and rebellious.¡± Zarian chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I have a friend who¡¯s been bugging me about this for half a year now.¡± Before them was solid ice on top of an expansive lake hidden in a circle of fortress hillocks. Zarian and Ezda walked through stone pathways covered in snow around the lake¡¯s bank. They moved past ancient statues and hedge gardens blanketed under more of the white winter substance. They found stairways, leaning towers, ramparts, and parapets on top of dilapidated walls that circled around the lake¡¯s perimeter. Zarian enjoyed the walk after spending months cooped up in a cubby or laying about between shelves in the dungeon¡¯s book cases. He enjoyed the crisp taste of winter with each breath. His intelligent Parasite Cloak fluttered and reached out, stroking across the ancient walls and ceilings, flowing as many streams of leathery material, tendrils, and arms. Some of Para¡¯s attention turned to Ezda and provided many pats and scratches. The gnoll seemed both wary of and eager for more affection from the Parasite Cloak +2. They stopped on top of the tallest tower above a messy mass of fortresses. The view of the lake from here was exquisite. The World of Castles and Caverns didn¡¯t disappoint. ¡°We are being followed by spiritual types,¡± Ezda said. ¡°More monstrous than bestial. They wait for our guard to fall before they strike.¡± ¡°My spiders had already found them.¡± Zarian smiled softly. ¡°Do you have a way to deal with the spooks or do I have to call a buster of ghosts?¡± ¡°Blood,¡± Ezda answered. ¡°My blood skills have enough magic to catch and disrupt spirits, even if they are hard to hit solidly.¡± ¡°Hm. I suppose my spectral spiders can fight them as well. The ghosts aren¡¯t strong, only in the Level 40s. Do you want to beat on them or watch me do my cultivation?¡± Ezda tilted her head, her ears lowering slightly with uncertainty. ¡°What is cultivation, my alpha?¡± ¡°It¡¯s another style of techniques that involves gathering and cycling and affixing energy. There¡¯s also pills involved for some reason,¡± Zarian explained. She gave him a questioning look. Zarian shrugged and continued. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in pill popping for levels. That sounds weak and might net low vitality. Besides, the style of cultivation I¡¯m looking at isn¡¯t for generating more power, but it¡¯s for gaining better mastery of my unyielding power.¡± Zarian raised his gauntlets. ¡°These stop-gap measures are automated to help me execute certain moves. But if I can¡¯t go through the entire song and dance, I won¡¯t be able to use my darkness. So, I need to cultivate so I can start freestyling again. And once I can freestyle at One Percent Power, I might go up another percent or keep it at that.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Ezda said. ¡°You must dominate the darkness with your cultivation so you can use its apocalyptic power upon your whims. Then you can consume and destroy whenever you please and let those who earn your favor exist under your dark grace.¡± Zarian opened and closed his mouth. He decided not to correct Ezda, because he wasn¡¯t sure if she was right or wrong. The gnoll stayed nearby instead of hunting down ghostly monsters. The new and improved spectral spiders handled the ghosts themselves. Ghostly combat filled the battered and snowed-in halls and walkways of the lake-perimeter fortresses. Zarian took a quick glimpse and witnessed spiders twirling in the air and performing acrobatic kicks on wraiths who should¡¯ve passed on to the next life a long time ago. The spectral spiders were helping the monster ghosts along. Sometimes with little flying spider kicks. And sometimes with their highly magical webbing. Zarian even saw one spider use webbing like a lasso to wrangle down some ghosts. Who had taught them that? Zarian shook his head and returned his focus to himself. He sat on the edge of the crenellation overlooking the lake. He crossed his legs and put his hands together in a particular pose, both knuckles pressed together. He breathed in and out deeply before going through the entire sequence from the top. His hands moved and gestured quicker than before as the words flowed out. ¡°Overwhelming Darkness: Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style Technique. Unlock Dark Lock One. The Worm Lurks Buried Deep Under Fabled Myth. One Percent Power Unsealed.¡± Zarian slowed down for the last part. The mini-cubes on the vambraces moved in sequence. Dark light glowed from the gauntlets. The air darkened above the lake and fortresses. Then Zarian uttered the last part: ¡°Cultivate.¡± Immediately, Zarian was plunged into darkness. Everything was cut off. The world, the universe, even the Star System, they were all gone. He was in a place that stretched forever. An endless void with a hunger that was deeper than any abyss. This was his darkness. This was the overwhelming power that wanted nothing more than to destroy and consume forever and ever. Even at one percent, Zarian could feel the power trying to break away from him. He barely started, and he was having a hard time trying to move it into a cycling loop. Overwhelming Darkness was nestled deep into his soul. But in this place, as he cultivated, it felt like he was inside the fathomless depths of an unstoppable behemoth. It was as if he was another morsel that his own darkness would consume. He needed to move it, cycle it, and master it. He needed control of this power. But the more he tried to grapple it, the more it felt like he was fighting something that couldn¡¯t be defeated. It felt like fighting something that was supposed to break free and reign as an unstoppable force forever. Zarian kept trying. He kept pulling just to get some measure of success going. He kept reaching to overcome a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of his monstrous power. He wasn¡¯t even starting against the entire one percent of Overwhelming Darkness. He just wanted a piece. A thread. A hair, even. Then after much struggle, Zarian caught hold of that one tiny strand. In this other world, perhaps a place of his own imagination and spirit, he remained seated in a meditative pose while the dark strand ran through his midsection, the core of his body. It circled around his body, flowing through energy channels and spiritual gateways described in the cultivation manuals. Zarian kept that going. He stayed focused despite the pressure squeezing down on him from Overwhelming Darkness. He denied his own fear of failure. He put everything into cycling the thread again and again. Then, finally, he felt the burden lift off his shoulders. He cultivated naturally while up against a single piece of his One Percent Power. When Zarian awakened from his dream state, he found himself fiendishly hungry and thirsty. Deep snow buried the ramparts and crenelation around him. It was dark now, which was perfectly fine with him. Ezda remained hunkered down beside him. She lifted her head when she heard his breathing shift. ¡°It¡¯s been three days and four nights, my alpha,¡± Ezda informed. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been out that long, huh?¡± Zarian croaked. ¡°Not only have you been out, but more interesting enemies close upon us.¡± Ezda sniffed at the air. Her hair bristled. ¡°The taint of corruption is in the air. Your wife shedded her tears. Now we must deal with those who are deeply stained.¡± No kidding. Zarian sensed the corruption in the air using his Basic Aura Manipulation trait. Luciana¡¯s divine touch was distinct, powerful, and creepy. Worse yet, the corrupted weren¡¯t making any sounds. No cries. No howls. Not even a grunt. They were all silent. This wasn¡¯t like facing the corrupted back at the subterranean floors of Castle Grimrock. This might be far worse. At the very least, he had a nice gold notification to look at before the action broke out. The cultivation technique worked. 112: B2: C12: Actual Challenge There was mainly one reason Zarian hadn¡¯t divorced Luciana already. It had nothing to do with their families, at least not for Zarian. While he had no idea what would happen with his family or Luciana¡¯s family once he divorced her, he didn¡¯t appreciate their elders deciding how to run his love life. He figured he shouldn¡¯t have to be considerate of their grand, ultra outrageous plans in return. The real reason he held back from divorcing Luciana was because she would dwell in the heartache. Then she would unleash her own version of the Darkrun Apocalypse on Infinita, albeit a smaller one. Yes, even Zarian¡¯s marriage held an entire universe at the mercy of the Darkruns. The Funnest Granpapa was probably having a laugh at Zarian¡¯s expense. The bastard. I¡¯ll divorce Luciana face to face. Once Zarian reached the natural peak of power in this universe, he would have more than enough leverage to protect all of Infinita from Luciana¡¯s corrupted tears. For now, he put up with the weird relationship and its implications. He hadn¡¯t talked much with Luciana in the past four months, so he had plenty of time to pretend it wasn¡¯t a big deal. However, that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d remained completely out of the loop. Luciana¡¯s main acolyte at the village had kept him informed of some tidbits. Evil Goddess Shadowfell was committed to what she¡¯d told him on the day of the Darkrun Apocalypse. She was becoming a more active evil force. And that was scary for everyone, especially the Star System itself. Luciana could stretch further beyond the parameters set for Star System Gods. Her actions had more long-lasting consequences. The winter night was clear of clouds above. The many stars and worlds of the Star System glinted in the dark canvas of the systemized universe. Three moons dominated the night-lit sky ¨C the pale Castle Haunter, the orange Cavern Hellion, and the blue Sea Strider. Under the moons and stars, Zarian and Ezda stood on the tallest tower on the perimeter of a frozen lake surrounded by fortress hills, dilapidated pathways, snow-laden hedges, and ice-coated statues. The lake would serve as a gift to one of Zarian¡¯s fellow Floridians in Spring, but the corrupted creatures had the area surrounded and threatened. Spilling their blood here would ruin the lake. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them wait before,¡± Ezda said, letting a hint of nervousness creep through her voice. Zarian was a little surprised to hear Ezda showing fear. Maybe because he was here instead of anyone else meant Ezda was okay with being vulnerable with him. No matter what, Zarian wanted to ensure Ezda came out of this okay. ¡°I know the corruption from Shadowfell Tears gives more power,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I also know it could drive those who consume the tears crazy and mutate them drastically if they aren¡¯t strong enough. But how they measure the capability of a consumer is beyond me.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what level you are,¡± Ezda said. ¡°The Shadowfell Tears care not for levels or stats or abilities. It will bury itself deep in you and test your soul. I¡¯ve seen elders fail to master the Shadowfell Tears. We had to put them all down. That¡¯s the real reason we¡¯ve avoided Castle Grimrock. The warlock seems to have a mastery of the substance.¡± Zarian snorted. ¡°Her daughter says otherwise.¡± ¡°Which daughter?¡± ¡°The only one who matters. Don¡¯t worry about that now. How do you avoid corruption? I won¡¯t be affected.¡± ¡°As long as I don¡¯t ingest it or let it fester in my blood, I will not be corrupted. It is also advisable to not stay around large amounts of Shadowfell Tears for too long. Breathe in its fumes for too long and you will be tested and turned corrupted.¡± Zarian nodded. There wasn¡¯t much information on Shadowfell and her tears, other than the dangers of its effects. Luciana was a very new goddess, after all. But so far, there were a few key details everyone knew. Once someone became fully corrupted, their power would rise sharply at the cost of their growth potential. They would get a new class. Their abilities would change drastically, falling under shadowy themes. They would become unhinged. So far, Foodie and one other person Zarian knew were the only examples of people able to ingest Shadowfell Tears and come out greater on the other side. Foodie had benefited the most, becoming legendary at Level 10 with a class that led to huge bursts of growth. Thus, she was the most prized goblin in possibly all the Lesser Worlds. However, what Zarian was seeing here went further beyond all that he¡¯d learned of corruption. His spectral spiders had gotten close enough for him to Identify some of the corrupted creatures. He didn¡¯t like what he was seeing. Luciana¡¯s tears or personal designs had twisted the corrupted into aberrant monstrosities. There were only ten of them. But these ten were the most deeply unsettling foes Zarian had seen that weren¡¯t Evil Gods. ¡°Ezda,¡± Zarian said calmly. ¡°We need to run. We can¡¯t fight here.¡± Before Ezda could reply or act, all the corrupted spoke as one. Their voices resounded with no hint of their monstrous nature. Instead, they all spoke in a sultry, shadowy, and darkly magnetic feminine voice, one that made the end times seem attractive and provocative. ¡°Hello, husband,¡± Luciana greeted through the mouths of her monsters. Ezda¡¯s fur bristled, her large frame shaking as she shifted close to Zarian. The ten-foot gnoll was all over him. She even muttered a prayer. ¡°Savage ancestors, one and all, protect me from the voice of the Young Corruptor.¡± Para twisted the cloak around the frightened gnoll elder. Zarian remained in control of his emotions. He reached up and patted Ezda¡¯s arm and repeated himself. ¡°We need to run.¡± Luciana spoke further through her corrupted creatures. ¡°I¡¯ve made many new discoveries with my powers, dear Zarian. I showed them to Lovewar, and she pleaded with me to start slowly. Everyone in Infinita needs time to adjust to my new passions. Even the Star System has its struggles with me.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Ezda,¡± Zarian grunted with more force. The corrupted creatures lumbered slowly toward Zarian and Ezda¡¯s location. Luciana continued. ¡°I will follow some of Lovewar¡¯s advice. I appreciate her. Even if we are opposed in alignments. However, I think you can handle a more authentic approach. Perhaps you will enjoy the challenge. These aren¡¯t my best, but these are some of my favorites who¡¯ve soaked in my new tears very well. Enjoy.¡± Ezda continued to shake and not act. The Level 91 Blood Brute must¡¯ve fallen to a mental debuff somehow while Zarian remained unaffected. My Thematic Law saved me, Zarian realized. I¡¯ll have to protect us both. Zarian summoned all of his grimoires. He was about to cast Void Step when something tore through the air so fast it caught Zarian off guard. The top of the tower smashed apart from the passing projectile that might¡¯ve been a corrupted creature. Stone rubble, fragments of ice, and drifts of snow flew in all directions. Zarian remained mostly unhurt, while Para kept a protective hold of Ezda, wrapping the gnoll elder up into a big leather ball latched onto Zarian¡¯s back. They careened through the air for a little while until Zarian completed Void Step. The moment his foot touched a large piece of rubble, he took a stride from the mortal plane and into the dark abyss. The solid footing wasn¡¯t always necessary, but it helped him move with a purpose. Exiting the void, he ended up a mile away. He could¡¯ve gone further out, but he wanted to lead the corrupted creatures away from the lake. He should¡¯ve gone further. All ten corrupted creatures stepped out of the shadows and appeared close the split second Zarian got his feet under him. Ezda remained frightened and unable to act, and Zarian needed time to unseal his next darkness move. He hadn¡¯t cultivated enough to freestyle One Percent Power yet. Wow, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had actual pressure like this, Zarian thought quickly as he pushed his Wondrous Speed to the max. He shoved more aura into the Level 0 skill than ever before. He also dumped 40 Free points into his Wonder stat for the extra luck and supernatural perception, while making Wondrous Speed more effective. He snapped his head away from the bite of a corrupted creature that looked like multiple predators fused together. It had eleven legs, three heads, and a partially humanoid torso, with a chest wide enough to encompass three average sized men standing shoulder-to-shoulder. When it moved, most of its bones cracked from the force. It ripped its own flesh apart to lunge at its prey, Zarian. Then everything that broke and tore apart mended itself with a healing factor so fast that both its vitality and health-based ability must be high. It was only Level 75. Most of the corrupted creatures were in the mid-Level 70s to mid-Level 80s. Ezda had a higher level, but she was scared into inaction. And Zarian was forced to move at blistering speeds, running ahead of the charging pack that lunged at him with every ounce of their being even at the cost of breaking and tearing themselves apart, only to heal their self-inflicted damages again and again. He cast Void Step once more and ended up three miles away, Ezda remaining wrapped up to his back and protected by Para. Zarian¡¯s arms moved quickly as he formed the gestures and chanted aloud. He focused most of his intent on fulfilling the unsealing technique all the way, especially now that he had his heart hammering and his blood flowing hot. He prepared another cast of Void Step just in case with a portion of his Fractured Mind. ¡°Overwhelming Darkness: Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style Technique. Unlock Dark Lock One.¡± A corrupted creature with a giant ram¡¯s head and the bulging muscled arms of a gorilla lunged out of the shadows. It rushed Zarian¡¯s side with a headbutt and a piercing scream that hurt his ears. Maybe it would¡¯ve frozen him on the spot, but his Floridian Mindset kept his mind running. He cast Void Step again and slipped away by the skin of his teeth. He came out on top of a large fortress hill at the edge of the Blood Prairies. The red sea of long grass glowed like shining blood under the starry and moon-heavy winter night. The snow reflected the same color. Almost everything was crimson here. Zarian continued his technique. ¡°The Worm Lurks Buried Deep Under Fabled Myth. One Percent Power Unsealed.¡± The corrupted creatures lunged out from the shadows in the grass. Their lightless gazes burned furiously at the sight of their target, the one married to the goddess who tainted them into abhorrent monsters. They surrounded the fortress hill from all sides. They had Zarian encircled. Zarian had them where he wanted them, and he held the high ground. ¡°Unyielding Barrage,¡± he said with a finish. The mini-cubes moved as expected in the vambraces of his gauntlets. The dark starry night rippled and dimmed, responding to his reign as its lord. Zarian felt a better grasp of his Overwhelming Darkness while it was under One Percent Power. It was less automated. It was more connected to him. Dark bolts formed above him and rained down in all directions beyond the fortress hill. He lit up the edge of the Blood Prairies with so much thunderous force it sounded like dozens and dozens of ceaseless thunderclaps roaring about. The bolts struck down the corrupted creatures. They struck down the earth. The roaring barrage shook the area like Zarian was the bringer of earthquakes, a phenomenon that nothing could resist. Except for the corrupted creatures. They couldn¡¯t outright resist. But the natural way for Zarian to win didn¡¯t wipe them out instantly. More dark bolts landed. The booming eruptions and pounding tremors continued. Zarian¡¯s aura could keep this up for a while. But the vitality of the corrupted creatures proved vastly impressive. They rapidly healed. They trudged forward. Then they suffered another hammering blow and another and another under Zarian¡¯s barrage, only for them to repeat the process and gain ground. ¡°The vitality of these things is ridiculous,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Luciana, you¡¯re crazy for doing this. What¡¯s an adventurer to do when they¡¯re not me? Do they at least have weaknesses to offset the massive vitality? Or are you just having fun doing whatever comes to mind? You have to consider the balance on these things, at least.¡± Well, thankfully, Zarian had a solution against overt vitality. More importantly, Para could help. Zarian focused on maintaining the Unyielding Barrage while having another Void Step ready to cast. Para formed a few arms she unwrapped away from Ezda. Then she selected the grimoire with the spectral chains attached to Zarian¡¯s soul. Para flipped through the pages. She rubbed her fingers over the text and symbols. Some of her hands formed mouths in the middle of their palms. Then she chanted, ¡°Black Fire.¡± Now Zarian¡¯s Unyielding Barrage had black and gray flames coating them. When the flaming dark bolts landed, the Black Fire consumed the corrupted creatures silently. The war of attrition remained on Zarian¡¯s side. The corrupted creatures chose to fight smarter. A few slipped into the shadows again and reappeared on the same fortress hill Zarian stood on. One had a man¡¯s face fused with a horse with fanged teeth. The creature¡¯s body was as bloated and tumorous as a sick boar the size of a minibus. The corrupted man-horse tried to bite off Zarian¡¯s head. Instead of running, Zarian poured aura into his Willful Might skill and gave the creature one big uppercut. The creature¡¯s jaw turned into fragments. The head snapped back. All of its bus-size momentum stopped, while its entire body rippled like dropping a stone on the surface of a tranquil lake. The aged floor beneath Zarian cracked and broke, taking away most of his footing while the corrupted creature he punched tumbled away, still covered in silent gray and black flames. Zarian fell into a darkened hole. His Unyielding Barrage ended. The corrupted creatures dove into the hill fortress and filled its shattered, bent, and skewed halls with their roars and screams and savage bloodlust. The Madness Wizard still didn¡¯t cast Void Step. Instead, he hand-signed and chanted, ¡°One Percent Power Unsealed. Dark Fists.¡± Then he cast Void Layer on his darkened fists before the first corrupted creature turned the corner on a dilapidated and tilted hallway. When he punched the corrupted creature, he hit with a weighty piece of Overwhelming Darkness and a layer of the endless void. He also struck with the full weight of his Floridian Mindset, Willful Might, parasite-enhanced body, and aura manipulation for extra boosts. The entire hill of fortresses shuddered and crumbled down on Zarian, Para, Ezda, and the corrupted. The Madness Wizard kept going as rubble rained down and the tilted floors collapsed from under them. He kept duking it out blow for blow regardless of the environmental destruction. For the first time in a long time, he had an actual challenge. And they could hit back worth a damn. They made his heart beat in his chest like the loudest war drums. The blood rushing by his ears sounded like a roaring rapids. The corrupted creatures even made him bleed a little. He would hate to admit this was a nice gift from his evil weirdo wife. 113: B2: C13: Dark Resistant 1 Zarian faced a monster that looked like three wendigoes fused together at the waist, its lower body a bovine hulk the size of a full suburban SUV. The entire entity didn¡¯t fit in the dilapidated hallways of the fortress hill that Zarian found himself in while brawling corrupted creatures covered in Black Fire. None of them cared about proportions or cramped spacing. All that mattered was violence and madness. The monster barreled forward destructively, its hooves digging through the crumbled, tilted floor like it was a much softer material. The sharpened antlers on its three heads raked across the stone ceiling like cutting through sand. Zarian hooked a punch and smashed one head through a wall. He swung an uppercut and connected again, sending another head into the ceiling. He grabbed the third head by the antlers, stomped his foot on its shoulder, and wrenched with all of his enhanced might as the black and gray flames sputtered out. The Black Fire spell finished consuming the creature¡¯s vitality, leaving it more vulnerable. Zarian ripped away the head of one torso and used the antlers to stab the torso of the second and gore it dead. He didn¡¯t get to finish the third torso because a four-headed bear rammed through the walls and tackled him through more walls. Everything felt like thin layers of plaster and cardboard getting smashed apart around him. Zarian¡¯s body was so tough he could endure the punishment, only suffering a few bruises and cuts from the monster¡¯s bites. His Mystic Toughness was proving itself as one of his best Level 0 skills. The environment couldn¡¯t endure him and the corrupted creatures, however. The hill of fortresses collapsed around him and the four-headed bear. Before they tumbled out into the sea of crimson grass, Zarian cast Void Step and took the creature into the air with him. They separated for a moment before Para latched onto the monster¡¯s limb with a thorny tentacle and yanked Zarian back in. He punched one head and smashed it like a tomato under a hammer. He punched and punched again until he smashed all the heads of the corrupted creature, its body already out of vitality. Finally, Zarian received the notification he was waiting for. Seriously, Luciana? Now you¡¯re really messing with these poor adventurers. You¡¯re gonna have them crushed by a thing with a warped teddy bear class? Did the Star System make these classes on purpose? Or did Luciana force the System to make the class for the aberration? Did Luciana have that much sway over the System? More so than any other god other than The Dragon, perhaps? These questions mattered. But Zarian was currently falling. So he focused most of his Fractured Mind on the task at hand. He cast Void Step again and ended up higher in the air. Quickly, he hand-signed and chanted for another one percent move, Dark Javelin. He cocked his arm back as the dimmed night swirled to answer the demand of their lord. He had to struggle a little with this one. The 40 point dump in Wonder had added more aura power to him. That increased the likelihood of Overwhelming Darkness breaking free. Thankfully, Zarian¡¯s cultivation from earlier balanced things out. He was still in control. The Blood Prairies glowed crimson under him. The stars and moons shone their celestial colors dimly above him. In the middle of it all, the Madness Wizard formed a javelin made from the pure darkness of the night. He threw it down at the hill of fortresses and the roaring aberrations contained inside. The javelin traced a streaking dark line between the night sky and the crimson ground of the Blood Prairies. The javelin landed like the strike of a miniature god and blew the fortress hill and the surrounding land apart. Rubble flew sky high in tumbling heaps. Geysers of earth and snow shot into the air. Zarian fell through the mess before casting Void Step again. He landed a few thousand feet away in the tall crimson grass. The grass reached up to his shoulders. One touched his cheek with a sharp edge that would¡¯ve sliced the flesh of a lesser person, but Zarian was too tough for that. His breath was heavy. Sweat covered every contour of his muscular body. His heart was still hammering hard. He could hear his rushing blood in his ears. He checked the notifications. ¡°Seriously, is this your attempt at humor, Luciana? I don¡¯t think the Star System would do this on purpose,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Naming these monster classes with silly names when they can wipe out human kingdoms is the height of villainy.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Zarian shook his head as he spoke. He didn¡¯t even know why he was scolding his evil weirdo wife. He just felt like he should, for some reason. ¡°Each of these things is tougher and more savage than your average dungeon boss, by the way. You really shouldn¡¯t let them roam around. Give adventurers a chance or some forewarning before they face these monsters.¡± Criticism aside, there were still four more. Zarian watched them hobble out of the crater from the Dark Javelin. They ignored the raining debris. They focused on him from thousands of feet away and lumbered forward with screwed-up strides. They weren¡¯t unbeatable. The Black Fire spell had stripped them of their primary advantage. Now they were slower and more predictable. ¡°Go ahead, Para,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Quagmire Pit. Dread Mire Bite,¡± the Parasite Cloak +2 chanted, casting the spells quickly. A pit formed under the aberrations and dropped them into its infernal and mucky embrace. They couldn¡¯t get out in time before the great predator of the pit snapped its large jaws shut from below and tore them apart. The remaining aberrations ranged from Level 84 to 88. They were tough enough to have survived the Dark Javelin, but no more than that. ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Zarian said, licking his dry lips. Zarian nearly flipped out. He winced when he felt a deep pang of hunger in his gut. He was also thirsty. Because of his parasite body, he had an increased appetite that kept up with his rise in levels. Zarian needed more and more nourishment to meet the demands of his monstrous profile, unlike others. Still, the upgrade from his old void grimoire to the advanced version was terrific. And he could advance a spell, old or new. Zarian was almost tempted to delve into that now. He¡¯d spent so much time working on sealing and unsealing techniques he hadn¡¯t spent time developing his wizardry the past four months. He still had a long way to go before learning the gravity spell from his black magic grimoire. Wait? Does this mean each grimoire becomes an advanced version at Level 25 and resets to Level 1? Zarian wondered, heart pounding with renewed thrill. Does that mean that I can advance any spell I choose when the advanced grimoires are at Level 1, Level 10, and Level 25? The implications of that were immense. He could make his spells even more powerful. And he could learn new spells from each of the advanced versions of his skill-bound grimoires! Doesn¡¯t that mean I need to go back to studying like a bookworm? Zarian thought. How much harder will the new spells be? Will they be as hard as that freaking gravity spell? Zarian¡¯s hunger struck again and pulled him out of his thoughts. He sighed and checked his surroundings. There were no more immediate enemies. Para ended the Quagmire Pit spell, returning the land to normal where the blood-red grass and crimson snow of the Blood Prairies dominated. All that remained was destruction and dead aberrations outside of Zarian, Para, and Ezda. The fighting had sent most nocturnal creatures fleeing. Zarian staggered from side to side woozily. Para unraveled her material from around the large gnoll elder, dropping Ezda into the crimson grass and snow behind him. The Parasite Cloak +2 formed into a throne of leather, bone, and teeth. Zarian sat back and leaned into the comfortable seat. Ezda shifted about in front of him while remaining on all fours. She didn¡¯t lift her head. ¡°Apologies, my alpha. I¡¯ve made a pathetic display of myself,¡± she said. ¡°How much Willpower do you have?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°I have 83 Willpower,¡± she answered. ¡°Ezda, that¡¯s irresponsible. You¡¯re at Level 91, and you left your Willpower to languish?¡± Zarian shook his head. Even Bianca and Gilbert had 100 Willpower, which was the lowest in Zarian¡¯s Floridian Party. And those two were nearly thirty levels under Ezda. Sometimes, Willpower seemed like a less regarded stat compared to others. The one who used it the most was Naomi. It made sense for her profile as the Rumble Psion. Zarian¡¯s Parasite Cloak +2 needed Willpower as well. Still, Willpower was part of three three esoteric stats for a reason, which included Wonder and Mysticism. Willpower was important for the mind, soul, and emotions, especially for the cases that they¡¯d just gone through. Ezda had fallen to fear and was unable to take action. Zarian couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed by that. ¡°I¡¯ve prided myself on Strength, Agility, and Mysticism,¡± Ezda explained. ¡°Almost all of my abilities scale or enhance those stats.¡± Zarian sighed. To be fair, nobody else had Level 0 skills, at least nobody Zarian knew. Naomi¡¯s Tranquil Mind and Gilbert¡¯s Adrenaline Jolt were more than just quality-of-life skills and could help snap someone out of fear or being frozen by external powers. Because of stuff like that, every stat was viable for Zarian¡¯s party members. This brings up an important point I¡¯ve put aside, Zarian thought. Would he copy over his Level 0 skills onto others outside of the Floridians? I don¡¯t want to. There¡¯s charity, and then there are some things that should remain sacred in a small circle. I don¡¯t want what we have that¡¯s special to spread. That and Zarian didn¡¯t want enemies to face examples or test cases outside of his party. Hannah having abilities outside of what a Runic Engineer should have worked best as a surprise. ¡°Put points into your Willpower, Ezda,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Or do exercises that¡¯ll raise your Willpower stats naturally if you can¡¯t afford the Free Points.¡± The once proud gnoll elder bowed her head and groveled at Zarian¡¯s boots. He hated to see this from Ezda, but her lack of response against some tough foes was concerning. She would¡¯ve easily dominated otherwise. Or at the very least, she would¡¯ve given Zarian some breathing room to play the wizard easier. His heart rate was still up. He was hungry. His enchanted gear was torn in several places. The aberrations had broken past the advanced protection of his outfit. They¡¯d ruin the crocodile emblem and motto on the front of his gambeson. However, his bruises and cuts faded away rapidly because of his own vitality. He was a tough man, after all. When was the last time he had a challenge like that? Four months ago? Against Good +5 Bianca? Yeah, that was the last real challenge. 114: B2: C14: Dark Resistant 2 Zarian was tempted to call Luciana through the crystal ball. He was itching to do it. Maybe he would curse her out for throwing all that at him suddenly. Or maybe he would thank her. The blood rush had felt good. His heart was still hammering. He held back from calling her. He didn¡¯t exactly trust himself right now. His free evil +3 helped wizen him up. The smartest thing was to act unfazed and give himself time to think. More importantly, he should check on his party members. They were all doing their own thing during the winter lull. Naomi had gone west into the wilds to train. Gilbert and Bianca had gone east, but for separate reasons. Hannah remained in the village as the chief architect and protector, mostly focused on her own studies, experiments, and consistent stream of side quests. Because the distance was so great, Zarian would¡¯ve usually remained blind to their activities. That wasn¡¯t the case anymore with Spectral Spider Network +2, which made the distance trivial. Having a partial scaling to the Wonder stat made the experience of transmitting his attention down the phantom threads smooth and clear. He found Naomi first on the spider network, and his heart was hammering again. He became her. He felt her heart racing, her blood rushing. He felt how her emotions were a cool blaze under her tranquil and clear-minded mentality. He felt psychic energy crackle around her flesh while her body worked like a miniature giant of raw vigor. He felt all of that, especially with how smoothly Naomi invited him into her world via the mind spider. She¡¯d learned to influence hers the best because of her Psionic Affinity. It took a few seconds for Zarian to reorientate and see that she was fighting a lesser aberration of her own. It was in the high Level 70s, which worried Zarian some. Should he use Void Authority to enhance his next Void Step and help? He held back for now and observed. The corrupted monster had the face of a man while it had the body of a drake. It was a nightmare to face, yet Naomi brawled it with no hesitation. Every blow Naomi landed struck with a shockwave of psionic force and giant might. She turned the aberration¡¯s flesh into mince, its bones into powder. She sent it tumbling backwards, forcing her to chase at rapid speeds to keep hitting it again and again across the snow-laden land. No matter what got in their way, such as trees, walls, hedges, or hills, they plowed straight through. The creature healed rapidly, but Naomi struck while it was healing again and again. Eventually, she flattened the creature into the side of a fortress hill. She kept raining punches nonstop and burrowed the creature from one side of the hill to the other. She struck so many times she defeated the speed of its healing. She defeated the creature itself. Then she came to a stop and acted like everything was perfectly fine. She calmed down quickly, almost scarily so. She had grown a lot the past four months. ¡°I¡¯m okay, Zarian,¡± she said. ¡°Damn thing interrupted my training.¡± Zarian used her mouth to speak. ¡°I had to face ten of them at once.¡± ¡°Lucky,¡± Naomi replied. ¡°I probably could¡¯ve handled three at once. Any more, and I would¡¯ve needed to use Aura Ignition.¡± Zarian used her face to smile. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten better.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been working hard while you studied all day and night,¡± Naomi said. ¡°How are the others?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to check on them. See you at the village later.¡± Zarian followed another phantom thread all the way to Bianca. He became her. He saw the night sky through her eyes. He heard and felt everything through her. Blocky clouds surrounded her, with icy winds swirling about, making her colorful elven dress go aflutter. As she looked down, Zarian saw the ground was far below her bare feet. A thin board of moon light kept her aloft while she held a silverish sword of sharpened starlight. She was looking down at the sliced form of an aberration she¡¯d just slain, the two halves twirling around on their descent, corrupted blood pouring out and mingling with the falling snow. Bianca was okay. Zarian jumped to Hannah¡¯s Point-of-View. The Runic Engineer sat on her throne in a room designed perfectly for her. She was looking at screens of magic holograms that fed her livestreams of various areas around the village where she¡¯d set up her golem eyes. She was currently looking at a screen that observed a patch of land north of the village. The thump of runic artillery sounded through the magic holographic display. The village¡¯s northern guns dumped their payload on several aberrations that were trying to make way to the wall. The artillery was holding the aberrations back, but the corrupted creatures only needed one shadow step or teleport to get free of the barrage.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Before the worst could happen, Hannah touched a runic keypad on the armrest of her throne. She changed one of the artillery guns to shoot a different payload. The night became day. The aberrations screeched from the burning brightness of the solar flare artillery shot. Then they became weaker as another salvo of hard-hitting runic guns obliterated them. It was at that moment Zarian realized why he¡¯d struggled a little. He didn¡¯t want to admit it aloud until he checked on Gilbert. He found the Knighted Healer face-to-face with an aberration, close enough for them to glare eye-to-eye. He felt Gilbert¡¯s rage. He felt the man¡¯s defiance in the face of pure evil. He felt Gilbert¡¯s unwillingness to bend to the fear because of his Willpower and his Free For Real sub-alignment, which had Zarian pumped up along with him. Gilbert wasn¡¯t alone. He had foreign adventurers cowering behind a copse of snow-ladeb trees, unable to help against such a powerful entity. Without Gilbert, they would¡¯ve been dead. Knowing this, Gilbert had gone hog-wild in the fight, even to the point of riding the aberration like a bucking bull. Slip the Sleipnir ran in while wearing mystical armor that glimmered under the night. The Sleipnir smashed into the side of the aberration with a heavy charge, sending the corrupted creature tumbling with Gilbert still mounted. The Knighted Healer kept slamming his fist into the monster¡¯s face while holding on with one hand, still riding the creature while pummeling it. Zarian felt Gilbert¡¯s growing wrath. He felt the skills Gilbert was using and noticed the corrupted creature becoming more sluggish with time. The aberration¡¯s rapid healing ability and vitality weren¡¯t working as effectively, not against Gilbert. The Knighted Healer roared, leveraging his advantage, raining down the punches until he burst the aberration¡¯s head. He didn¡¯t come out perfectly fine. But all of his injuries rapidly healed like he¡¯d never suffered a hit. Zarian pulled back since Gilbert was too juiced up on Adrenaline Jolt +2 for conversation. At the very least, Gilbert was fine. He¡¯d proved capable enough to face the new corrupted creatures Shadowfell had created. Zarian returned to his own body, regaining his own perception that was familiar to him. He also came away with a profound understanding. ¡°The aberrations are dark resistant,¡± Zarian said. ¡°What do you mean, my alpha?¡± Ezda asked, raising her head slightly. She was still in a groveling pose in front of him. ¡°I was wondering why they were enduring my darkness better than most. I hadn¡¯t realized the most basic explanation was the answer.¡± Zarian reached up to adjust his monocle. It wasn¡¯t there. A corrupted creature had destroyed it during the fight. Whelp. He was back to looking young and foolish now. Zarian shook his head. He continued his explanation. ¡°They have high resistance to my darkness. That¡¯s why I struggled so much more than usual, which is interesting.¡± Zarian rested his chin in his palm. ¡°Challengers are adapting to me now. Also, my quote-unquote wife is one of the few who can outlive the Darkrun Apocalypse, so she¡¯ll be one of the best at adapting to me. Eventually, others might learn from her and follow her example.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smiling,¡± Ezda said. Zarian jerked back while on his throne. He blinked rapidly at Ezda. He didn¡¯t know what to say at that moment, so he snapped out something quick via his free evil +3. ¡°I have the right to smile. Do you?¡± Zarian asked. Ezda held her head low. Zarian grimaced. Maybe that was too much salt in the wound. He didn¡¯t feel like apologizing, however. He let the wind and flurry of snow fill the silence between them. Looking around, he saw the Blood Prairies dominating the landscape. The crimson glow extended far into the north. He imagined the territory promised many horrific types of creatures, some that even the gnolls feared. But he imagined few were as fearsome as the new corrupted creatures of Luciana Shadowfell Darkrun. ¡°I have a request,¡± Ezda said, breaking the silence. ¡°What is it?¡± Zarian asked, with a more gentle tone. ¡°I want to join the freedom alignment,¡± Ezda said, licking at her teeth. ¡°I¡¯ve discussed this with the other elders. We wait to see what will happen to me.¡± ¡°What about Evil God Killall?¡± She shifted nervously in front of him. ¡°You are greater than Killall. You¡¯ve killed all. And had us revived. Let me be the first gnoll of freedom.¡± Zarian knew this was not an easy decision for her or the other elders of the Blood Prairie Savages. She was forgoing her way of life. She was practically making herself a sacrifice as an experiment for the tribe. They had no idea what would happen if one of their own, an elder at that, became a creature of a new alignment. For all she knew, being part of freedom could backfire, then she would get put down by her own kind. It was brave. And it made Zarian happy. The only way for freedom to spread was through its members, which could happen through a leader or any member. It didn¡¯t come up as an option when selecting classes during advancements. It had to happen at the grassroots level. The World of Castles and Caverns was the only world across all of Infinita that held members of the freedom alignment. There was one cool perk about being a Freedom Leader, however, other than being recognized as a leader. Zarian and the others hadn¡¯t realized until weeks after becoming the first people of freedom. The leaders could swap new members into any of the sub-alignments. ¡°Ever thought of seeing what good feels like, but with the aspect of freedom?¡± Zarian asked, extending his hand. He heard a screech behind him. It sounded like a certain type of avian with a bald head. Or maybe he was hearing things. Ezda gawked up at him, her canine mouth falling open. It was like she was seeing the true face of the devil. After she regained her senses, Ezda stayed conservative. She stuck to what she was familiar with. She took Zarian¡¯s hand and transitioned from evil +1 to free evil +1. Ezda became the first free gnoll across all the worlds and the entire universe of Infinita. Freedom was spreading. Zarian celebrated by bringing out dozens of boxed meals from Para¡¯s pocket dimension. He shared them with Ezda, which worked as an apology for snapping at her earlier. It didn¡¯t take long for Ezda to see he could keep up with the wild appetite of a gnoll elder. He even out-ate her, which left Ezda quite shocked among other things. Para ate some of the corrupted bodies and stored away a few for later examination. Once they finished eating and resting, they left the Blood Prairies and went south. It was time to head back to Ride-or-Die Village and check on things. He was certain the village¡¯s Head Acolyte for Shadowfell had much to say about the new corrupted creatures. Until he had that conversation among others, Zarian ruminated on the new potential challenges and the possibilities of his advanced grimoires. Should I advance a spell now or wait until I learn more spells? 115: B2: C15: I鈥檓 Him 1 Dawn¡¯s light appeared on the eastern horizon of a gray winter morning. Thin beams streamed between the ice-coated trees, frost-covered hedges, and weathered statues. It was all nice and picturesque, or it would¡¯ve been if Ezda wasn¡¯t moving so fast while Zarian rode on her back. She was transformed into her more giant bestial form as she took them back south, which was an unnecessary mode of transportation for Zarian. He could move on his own feet fairly fast. He couldn¡¯t fly reliably well right now, but he could leap far and glide while Para was shifted into her winged form. Or he could cast Void Authority to enhance his next Void Step, which would¡¯ve taken him most of the way back to the village. That was something he should learn to abuse more often instead of thinking about it in hindsight. Yet, there was a certain primal thrill he felt while riding on gnoll elder, a Level 91 Blood Brute. Especially when she was a hulking beast straight out of fantasy. It was like riding the giant version of a hyena who could eat an entire tavern¡¯s supply of food and some patrons as dessert. Granted, that matched Zarian perfectly. He and his cloak could do the same, or more so. As the new winter day turned brighter, the snow-laden ground trembled under the rapid fall of Ezda¡¯s heavy paws. Thick clouds of snow rose in her careless wake. Smaller and weaker beasts ran in terror or were trampled over by the massive gnoll. South of the Blood Prairies, everything truly was prey compared to Ezda. Zarian remained perfectly fine while he had locks of Ezda¡¯s hair gripped tightly in his fists. His Parasite Cloak +2 served as his saddle while strapped onto Ezda¡¯s back. Para had even formed a backrest for Zarian¡¯s comfort while she flicked forth thin scythes to slash down branches in the way of his face. Zarian enjoyed the ride without having to concern himself with any of the annoying parts. Hell, he even dug his heels into the gnoll elder¡¯s back and let out a whoop. ¡°Faster, Ezda, faster!¡± Ezda laughed. She triggered a skill. Her blood glowed brightly under her fur. She buffed up, becoming even larger. Then she ran so fast she became a locomotive of destruction. Zarian had to brace himself. A parasite-made harness reached across his chest and strapped him down, keeping him from getting bucked off. Ezda¡¯s footfalls impacted the earth and snow so hard she left behind wide craters. Small trees and natural landscaping fell over from the sheer force of her movements. Para had to work even faster to slash apart and move aside branches before they hit Zarian¡¯s face. Thankfully, there were plenty of fields or areas with tall trees along the journey. Para didn¡¯t have to overwork herself and could enjoy the ride, too. ¡°Weee!¡± cheered the Parasite Cloak +2. Eventually, Zarian requested for Ezda to slow down. The crimson glow of her blood faded from under her fur. She dropped to a more casual pace before they broke free of a tree line and reached a road between fortress communities of the former North Crown Peak. They were getting closer to Zarian¡¯s village now. The other party members were still busy or coming back from their own adventures, so he didn¡¯t need to rush any further. There were no more lesser aberrations in the area. Luciana hadn¡¯t followed through with any more trouble, for now at least. Alright, I think this is the perfect time to choose which spell I should advance. The ride on Ezda¡¯s back was distracting enough to keep him from over-analyzing the next decision. When playing the role of a wizard with a Fractured Mind, it was easy to go down several rabbit holes and get stuck in all of them. Zarian had concluded that he shouldn¡¯t wait to learn a new spell before he started advancing spells. At least not at Level 1 for the advanced grimoires. He could start waiting when the advanced grimoires reached Level 10, since it took longer to reach Level 25, and who knew how long it would take to reach the next skill advancement after that. There wasn¡¯t any reliable information on that, but Zarian figured it would be Level 50. He could be wrong. But after spending many years snapping the spines of cosmic systems and having some preview of their setup before his darkness consumed them, he would like to think that his hunch was right. Granted, that depended on if the skill avoided a total reset to Level 1 because of an evolution. So far, he had a couple of skills working their way up to the Level 50 milestone right now, such as the Parasite Cloak +2 and Spectral Spider Network +2. Maybe they might reset again from an evolution at Level 50. Or maybe they would keep going to reach Level 100 or whatever. So, that was the skinny of what Zarian knew or could guess so far on skill advancements. With that out of the way, it was time to avoid overthinking this spell advancement decision.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Which one would it be? Which one? Would it be this one: Or: Or: Alrighty, then! Two epic spells. One legendary spell. The obvious choice would be to make the higher quality spell stronger with an advancement. However, Zarian wasn¡¯t so sure about that because Void Step was his most used spell from the voidling grimoire. There was also the hidden usefulness of Void Authority that could expand to being even more useful after an advancement. Zarian assumed that advancing a spell would add a +1 to it instead of making it a higher quality. Or maybe it would become a higher quality. He didn¡¯t know, and none of the books at the Dancing Librarian Dungeon had that piece of knowledge. At least none that he¡¯d read through outside of sealing techniques. ¡°Ezda, do you have any wizards among the elders?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°No,¡± the transformed gnoll elder growled. ¡°Wizardry requires much study. We do not spend the time studying. There are some gnolls who are magically gifted, but they are few of them. It was always better to progress ourselves with what¡¯s present, with what¡¯s reachable with our own claws and teeth. Or ¡­ that was what the evil alignment had made us assume. I¡¯m ¡­ not sure anymore.¡± Zarian waited to see if Ezda would continue. She fell silent while padding forward. She was clearly deep in her thoughts and feelings now that she didn¡¯t feel the constant pressure of the traditional evil alignment. Zarian was prepared to help if Ezda had a breakdown, but she remained okay for now. Returning his attention back to his spell advancement decision, Zarian felt more alone in his class than ever before. Wizards weren¡¯t popular. And from what he knew, they were fairly weak in the Star System, or at least by this world¡¯s standards. Zarian imagined the studying aspect and necessity to use a grimoire as a medium was not a solid selling point compared to using a skill that could conjure and throw a fireball instantly. Additionally, Zarian was an abnormal wizard, and that was regardless of him being an existential threat to multiple universes and dimensions teeming with life. Most wizards shouldn¡¯t be able to use more than one spell at a time, but Zarian could use three spells at the same time now. More importantly, wizard spells weren¡¯t usually direct damage dealers. Zarian would be out of luck if it wasn¡¯t for his old straight darkness when he first started adventuring in the Infinita Star System. Beyond that, wizards were normally slower and weaker, since they had to put more points toward the esoteric stats, Mysticism chief above them. They also fought from the back and would gain little in vitality when leveling up. Their squishiness would usually get them killed outside of an academic setting. I¡¯m the most bullshit wizard across all the lands, Zarian thought. So I should advance a spell that I want to see more use out of. Void Step. That was the answer. It might not be a decision others would make, but it felt right with Zarian. Oh, fuck, it did raise in quality! Shit! He might¡¯ve changed his approach if he¡¯d known that. Or if he had waited and tried to contact some wizards somehow. He¡¯d heard that an empire made of minor kingdoms and tribes to the far west had very knowledgeable wizards. But they would rarely come through the village. There was some info about an evil human city to the northeast, between the Blood Prairies and the Grimrock Castle Mountains that might have some solid info, but Zarian didn¡¯t pay it too much mind right now unless spies were involved. Zarian¡¯s village mostly had foreigners who were adventurers from the eastern kingdoms of the Walled Continent, the ones across the Stone Sea River on the other side of the Grimrock Castle Mountains. None of the eastern kingdom guys were very intellectual, at least not the ones that he¡¯d seen so far. Maybe if he¡¯d waited long enough, he would¡¯ve seen more people crossing through from the west. He had doubts about the usefulness of people from the south, especially with how things were developing in the Eternal Garden Kingdom with their three-way civil war. ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve been more patient,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what troubles you, my alpha, but it is said that if you are alive to see another day, then all lessons are worth learning,¡± Ezda said. ¡°Mm, yeah. Well. I have another legendary spell now,¡± Zarian said. ¡°A legendary spell?! That¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°I could¡¯ve had a new mythical spell, however.¡± Ezda made choking sounds and nearly stumbled over her own feet. Then she regained her balance and took longer to respond. ¡°My alpha, you are truly one of power beyond this mere universe, even while on the mortal plane. Though, I must ask this. Can you not have that mythical spell later?¡± Zarian chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I can. I just have to be more patient.¡± Ezda bobbed her large hyena-like head. Para reached around with a tentacle and patted Zarian on his head as an extra comforting move. The wizard slapped at the tentacle lightly, in a joking manner, which only encouraged Para to give him more head pats until he gave up and accepted the treatment. At the very least, he had a new version of an old spell. Zarian squinted at the description of Void Waltz. Why did he have a lot of dancing quirks related to him? Maybe it was a coincidence. Thankfully, a lot of time spent in the Dancing Librarian Dungeon had led to Zarian picking up a few moves here and there. He should probably consider himself lucky that Void Waltz still included the basic step from the original epic version. I¡¯ll get to choose another spell to advance once the voidling grimoire reaches Level 10. And he had new spells to study. He should get on that when he could have a quiet sit down, but until then, it was about time he did a complete scan of the area with his spectral spiders. Ride-or-Die Village was an active place, after all. It was on the frontier between a kingdom in civil war and all the savage things that would come down from the north, not including the wolf dragons and wolf kobolds. 116: B2: C16: I鈥檓 Him 2 Zarian had spiders nearly everywhere around Ride-or-Die Village. Even when there was too much distance for him to receive pings or observe through an individual spider, the spiders could act without him. Their primary objective was to serve as scouting backup for the two hundred and eighty-nine youngsters who were the core members of the Ride-or-Die Guild. Zarian and his fellow Floridians hadn¡¯t opened up to the guild for more members yet, since they were still focused on the development of the youngsters. That didn¡¯t mean the spiders wouldn¡¯t help foreigners and visitors in need, but the spiders had their top priorities set on guild members. Now that he was in the area, he could feel ping alerts much easier, although he¡¯d felt them even from as far out as the Blood Prairies. Spectral Spider Network +2 was indeed a vast improvement, especially when it was a mainstay in his alpha skill section. Zarian shifted his observation to the most pressing alerts. To the south of Ride-or-Die Village, a patrol of fifteen girls and boys came across forty ragged looking men. Zarian entered a spider that was one of several in the area who were monitoring the event. The spiders sent updates to key personnel back at the village and other patrols outside of the village. There was one spider sitting on a girl¡¯s shoulder, which Zarian also patched into for multiple point-of-views, something his Fractured Mind could handle easily. Zarian recognized Eleanor Sawyer as the one leading the teenage patrol. The sixteen-year-old with a brown ponytail and high cheekbones had a rare class like the other kiddos. While she was Level 42, which was at the lower end among the boys and girls, the Star System had deemed her exceptional upon her First Class Advancement. She¡¯d gained an extra free point. There weren¡¯t many who were deemed exceptional and had 6 Free Points per level. Better yet, Eleanor further proved she¡¯d deserved the exceptional recognition by taking a leadership role. Her class was Lightning Amazon. That didn¡¯t seem obvious until she filled her body with lightning and grew two feet taller. Her body shape filled up, making her seem older, more powerful, and more womanly for a sixteen-year-old. A lot of the girls envied her. Eleanor handled her position and privileges with a cool head, even when standing tall across from some ragged men who were in the Level 20s or low-Level 30s. They were all Foot Soldier Grunts. No officers among them. All common classes, pretty much the bottom of the barrel for combat classes. Zarian could assume them to be renegades. Maybe they were bandits. Or maybe they were just desperate men in search of a place to rest and recover after escaping the civil war somehow. They were all in the neutral alignment, so these interactions could be a roll of the dice, going either way. Maybe, just maybe, they were decent men. Then the one at the front opened his mouth. ¡°Under the all-knowing eyes of Good Good Lawkeep, what the Hidden Hell you think you¡¯re doing, girl?¡± the man snarled, a Level 34, the highest among the forty raggedy grunts. ¡°Are you a weed to be removed or a flower to be picked? Get us to your village or stand out of our way!¡± The air around Eleanor cackled, snapped, and popped with intense electrical energy. When she turned up the juice, her body sounded like the high-voltage whine of a running generator. Her armor had enchantments that juiced her seven-foot body even further as she looked down at the rude grunt. She tapped the reddish gator emblem on her black leather chest-piece. Then she traced a finger across the motto written in fancy pensive that read, ¡®Fuck Around and Find Out.¡¯ ¡°If you are coming this way, then you must know which lords, ladies, and princess we serve,¡± Eleanor said with a youthful, girly voice. The hum of her lightning-juiced body quieted as she spoke, making her sound clear despite the lack of bass. ¡°I promise we are very much stronger than you are. We¡¯ve had more dedicated training in months than the likes you¡¯ve seen in years. It will not end well for you to challenge us, so it¡¯ll be best if we find a more amicable agreement.¡± ¡°What hogwash are you speaking, girl?!¡± the Level 34 grunt shouted. ¡°I know your type. You used to belong to our garden. It does not matter what lords or ladies you serve, you are acting out of place!¡± Eleanor continued, as if the ragged man hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°We will gladly escort you to our village as long as you answer to me, who is the current authority present, unless Lord Zarian Darkrun is watching. Then he is the highest authority present. It is also possible that the other lord, ladies, and our dear princess can be watching if they are near enough. If so, then they are the highest authorities. If none of them decide to intercede, then I¡¯m the highest authority, and you must adhere to my orders.¡± Look how much our kiddies have grown, Naomi. Damn, I feel proud of them, Zarian thought, as he stayed in the background. Naomi had made it part of her duty to establish a new leadership doctrine with an attitude that was militant, hierarchical, and duty-bound. She drilled Roland first, who naturally had the background of an officer with some noble bearing. It wasn¡¯t hard to change his approach to things and have him teach everyone else how to act when holding a position of authority. If it wasn¡¯t Eleanor, the other fourteen teenagers in her patrol could take her place. Not all of them were the most excellent leaders. But they were all decent enough after four months of doctrine training. At the very least, the boys in Eleanor¡¯s patrol were in the high Level 40s. One was Level 51. The girls were in the mid to low Level 40s, similar to Eleanor. The kiddos had done more than leadership training, or they all wouldn¡¯t have their First Class Advancement.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The North Crown Peak region had fallen to dragons and kobolds. The evil reptilians weren¡¯t waiting around for the mythical regional event to continue without satisfying their thirst for blood and carnage. Their patrols liked to skirmish, after all. Then there were all the random beasts and monsters of the region along with those from the Blood Prairies coming down. Someone had to cull all of those. The two hundred and eighty-nine youngsters of Ride-or-Die Village had seen more combat than most veterans of their former war-struck kingdom. All within these past four months. None of them had the scars or injuries to tell the stories, however. They had decent healers now, each of which had Gilbert¡¯s approval, although they¡¯d studied way more than the Knighted Healer to get this far. There was a rare Support Healer in Eleanor¡¯s group, in fact. She was a Level 44 girl who looked just as fierce as the others. Eleanor looked the fiercest while upfront, of course. She rested her right hand on the war hammer hanging from her gear-belt. She rested her left hand on the pouch holding her shrunken golem. She tapped the fingers of her left hand over the golem, which only patrol leaders would get to carry. Zarian wondered if she was going to deploy it. Eleanor was practicing a lot of patience while the Level 34 grunt ranted at her like a lunatic. The forty raggedy grunts were closing the distance, too. There was a hundred feet between the two groups at first. Now there were fifty feet. The grunts were spreading, some getting off the road, arcing around to cover the flanks. Eleanor remained calm. The others in her patrol acted the same. The Level 34 waved his chipped sword around in Eleanor¡¯s direction. ¡°Strip down and give us your gear. Everything. You don¡¯t get to tell us what to do. You¡¯ve lived in the walls. I know it. You were an acolyte. All well-bred and well-fed.¡± The crazed man grinned fiercely at her. ¡°We¡¯ve fought and bled for our kingdom. You ran off to be an evil monster¡¯s whore like the bad weeds you are. If you know what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯ll do what I say, and maybe I¡¯ll make a flower out of you that¡¯s worth picking.¡± ¡°Your boots don¡¯t match your gear, soldier,¡± Eleanor replied, sounding as calm as a a still lake. ¡°I¡¯ve also noticed your men have an assortment of items that don¡¯t fit them. Did you practice banditry on your way here?¡± The Level 34 and his comrades hesitated. Eleanor drew her war hammer. She scooped the shrunken golem ball from the pouch. ¡°As the highest authority here, I judge you as unfit to visit our village, and unfit to remain among the living.¡± The villainous grunts lunged into the attack. They tried to cross the rest of the distance and attack the teenagers from the front and the flanks. Zarian watched with a grin on the face of his original body as the teens fell back to their training. They used overwhelming power to the point of overkill, which Eleanor started off by throwing the golem ball to her left. The glove on her left hand glowed with sophisticated enchantments. The golem flashed with similar enchantments before expanding to being three feet wide while pulsating with kinetic force and a hint of Eleanor¡¯s lightning charge. The descendant of the original Roller Golem flew like a ball out of a cannon. It slammed the ground with an explosive and electrical force amid the grunts attacking from the left. Just like that, fifteen men died. Another fifteen died in the next five seconds as fourteen teenagers slashed, burned, hammered, eviscerated, and outright slaughtered the grunts to the right. Eleanor herself moved straight ahead. She walked like a terminator and took on ten by herself, including the Level 34 grunt. Strings of lightning crawled over her arm and down along her hammer. When she swung her weapon, she struck with thunderous force and turned men into hot splatters of gore. It was overkill. It was like using a lightning bolt to pop pimples. Zarian loved every bit and watched from multiple angles because of his lurking spiders. Eleanor¡¯s expression remained calm and focused, like it was another day at the office for the Lightning Amazon. She smashed aside every weapon swung at her from pitiful and desperate grunts. She blitzed around with swift steps to take advantage of easy openings. She even kicked a man into the sky with her superior Strength. When a few men started begging for their lives, she struck down with no mercy. She had the authority, and she was exercising it to the fullest. Then she reached the Level 34 grunt who was trying to backpedal out of her reach. ¡°Stop it! Under the witness of the Good Goods, you must not strike me!¡± shouted the Level 34 grunt, nearly tripping backward. He looked up with wide eyes and a pale face as Eleanor towered over him with strings of lightning covering her amazonian body. ¡°We hold respect for four gods currently.¡± Eleanor grabbed the man by the throat. Her touch paralyzed him. She easily lifted him off his feet with one arm and gave him his last lesson. ¡°The one I know best, Lovewar, is not on your side. Besides, we are of the freedom alignment. I stand for free good, in fact. So I¡¯m not too inclined to bring the matter of gods into what is a rudimentary cleaning of my community, not when I serve a lord who can eat the gods at his leisure.¡± The last living grunt tried to fight. He tried to resist the lightning paralysis. But there was nothing he could do. His years of service couldn¡¯t withstand the four months of intense training and killing Eleanor had experienced. With little fanfare, Eleanor closed her grip on the man¡¯s throat and snapped his neck. Then she tossed him aside like a dirty towel. She turned off her skill and shrank back down to a petite size, appearing as a young girl instead of a super woman. ¡°That was a brutal way to kill a man, Eleanor,¡± said one boy. ¡°You sure the whole amazon class hasn¡¯t gotten to you?¡± Eleanor pouted. ¡°I have to establish my authority by being brutal. That¡¯ll lessen the chance of others making the same foolhardy mistake of thinking themselves above that.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re all dead. We don¡¯t have any witnesses for that.¡± Eleanor looked about at all the dead men. The Advanced Roller Golem returned to her side and contracted to its smaller form. She placed it back in the golem pouch on her belt and continued to examine the blood-soaked remains of the forty men. ¡°Well, I will do better to leave a witness to set an example,¡± Eleanor said. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll report my failing to Lady Instructor Washington when she returns.¡± ¡°Can we not?¡± asked a girl. ¡°If one fails, we all fail.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t report, and one of them is currently watching, it¡¯s even worse,¡± said a different boy. ¡°I won¡¯t tell,¡± Zarian said through all the spiders in the area. He smiled with his true body while all the way north, seated in a comfortable parasite saddle strapped to a giant bestial gnoll¡¯s back. He watched how all the teenagers stood straight and turned their expressions blank, showing no fear or emotion. He caught one or two shivering a little before correcting themselves. They were doing very well, honestly. Even if Naomi could be such a hardass on them. Is this what it feels like to be a proud dad? Zarian wondered. Or maybe more like a proud leader of a military unit. He hadn¡¯t had a great time while in the Marines, but maybe he could make up for that here. These kiddos kept growing on him. ¡°There are enough spiders in the area to deal with the bodies,¡± Zarian said through his spiders. ¡°Continue your patrol. I¡¯m the only one who held witness. Great work, Eleanor. While it seemed excessive, they weren¡¯t the type of men we¡¯d like at our village or left alive to roam the lands. We wouldn¡¯t want them preying on the helpless, would we?¡± ¡°No, milord,¡± Eleanor said. ¡°Then you did a great job. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me. There are more of you doing great things in the name of freedom. But before I go. Let me get an oorah.¡± ¡°Oorah!¡± shouted Eleanor and her patrol members. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Zarian chuckled before turning his attention elsewhere in the snowy lands around Ride-or-Die Village. 117: B2: C17: I鈥檓 Him 3 Zarian pulled away from Eleanor¡¯s patrol. He jacked into other spiders that were surveying events around Ride-or-Die Village. He watched Roland the Rose Knight lead a grizzled group of ten killers against a nest of monsters that came from the Blood Prairies. The monsters were blood raptors, a dinosaur-like creature with scales, feathers, and large talons. The monsters stood as tall as a horse and had big lizard heads with wicked man-eating teeth. They were migrating from the colder north with nothing much in their way except for the area around Ride-or-Die Village. They attacked and ate for sport, too, and had the monstrous nature of growing too fast if they set up a lair. Thankfully, they were mainly in the high Level 40s to low Level 50s. However, there were over a thousand of them. Roland and his killers pushed as far as they could go before Roland deployed an Advanced Roller Golem and performed a tactical retreat. The young men had to haul out their wounded as their healer mended severe injuries on the go to avoid getting surrounded by hounding blood raptors. Other than the spectral spiders diving in to secure their escape, Zarian held back from helping. This was a solid learning lesson for Roland and the other youngsters. The kiddos needed to practice tactical retreats to avoid getting themselves killed, and it was great that Roland knew when to pull out. Besides, they had spectral spiders that were leading them to other nearby patrol units. One of those units was a band of thirty Self-Sufficient skeletons led by Flamer. Once Roland reunited with Flamer, they waited for other patrols of teenage girls and boys to join them until they had a hundred skeletons and teenagers. They went back to clearing out the blood raptor nest with a vengeance. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t a lair or they might¡¯ve gotten something nice out of it from the Star System. Maybe they should¡¯ve waited for the blood raptors to root down a little more. Zarian might have to add that to the list of gamified lessons the kiddos needed to learn to better survive as a savvy force without the Floridians. Well, at least they did well. Zarian turned his attention to a more distant group. He didn¡¯t like what he was seeing. There were four teenage girls acting alone with foreign adventurers. The teenagers were playing tour guides for six men and one woman. He recognized the girls, Clotilda especially. Maybe it was a little old-fashioned, but even Naomi and the other women would agree that the young girls should have a boy or two with them. Or at the very least, they should¡¯ve had more numbers in their squad. The foreigners were from across the Stone Sea River. They differed from people of the Eternal Garden Kingdom, but they were still medieval types. One man acted especially flirty with the teenage girls. ¡°My dears, leave these savage lands and come back with me across the Stone Sea River,¡± said the man who was a Level 42 Slick Cutlass. He dressed in loose clothing, almost like a pirate, and had a thin saber as his main weapon sheathed into a scabbard on his side. Zarian wasn¡¯t sure if the man was uncommon in quality or rare, but the name of his class seemed to lean toward rare. His lecherous attitude definitely came with some confidence. Not only did he talk close to their ears, he felt up one of the girls¡¯ backsides. Zarian took a deep breath. He took another deep breath. He tried not to intervene just yet. ¡°Come on now! Don¡¯t act so cold like the rest of this world,¡± said the Slick Cutlass. ¡°I hear how in the Eternal Garden Kingdom, they keep beautiful flowers like you trapped. In the Wind Strider Kingdom, you can be your true self. Wild like the wind. I can show you after we¡¯re done here. All four of you, in fact.¡± The girl he was feeling up on shoved him away and refocused on the job. But the Slick Cutlass renewed his attempts minutes later. Zarian noticed Clotilda, the leader of the girls, was growing more irritated, about ready to snap. The other five men and one woman of the foreign adventurers were also in the Level 40s. They had the numbers advantage over the four Ride-or-Die girls. The foreigners had them outmatched, even when Clotilda had an Advanced Roller Golem on her. The problem was proximity. A fight could start and end within a split second at these levels. They were more than superhuman enough for it. The girls had screwed up, in Zarian¡¯s opinion. Even if they didn¡¯t need a boy with them, they should¡¯ve had more numbers on their side. Zarian was going to have to snitch on them. This was something Naomi needed to know and nip in the bud. There weren¡¯t any other major activities outside of Roland¡¯s raid on the blood raptors, and that one was well under control. So Zarian¡¯s presence became a larger factor around the isolated girls and the foreigners. More spiders gathered stealthily near them. The one in lead, Clotilda, was a Level 44 with a rare class called Axe Rager. Her best alpha skill was an axe she could summon or stick to her back with no need for support. The white and red weapon was on her back right now, emitting a wrathful energy. That energy grew more intense with the Slick Cutlass¡¯s persistence. Clotilda stopped while on a game trail used by beasts with mystical fur. The pelts from those beasts were worth some nice amount of coin. Zarian imagined the adventurers were on a quest for those particular pelts they could sell for a ransom back in their kingdom, if they could get back to their kingdom. There were multiple factors involved when traveling east, such as the issues surrounding Castle Grimrock and the mountains there. There was also Clotilda¡¯s temper. ¡°Shut up!¡± Clotilda snapped. ¡°Touch us one more time and I¡¯m taking that hand. We¡¯ve got men we¡¯re picking already. We¡¯re not interested in you. Let¡¯s stick to what we agreed on or we¡¯re leaving you on your own.¡± I honestly think you should leave now, Zarian thought. Maybe we¡¯ve trained too much patience into the kids. There was some genuine concern that the well-trained and well-equipped kids could abuse their powers. Gilbert had done all he could to drill some moral aspects when acting with authority. Gilbert¡¯s not wrong, especially when a girl like Clotilda can fly off the handle. But this is that one time when Clotilda should rage all the way. Hit first, figure it out later. Oh, well. They couldn¡¯t get it right all the time. Thankfully, Zarian was here as the foreigners¡¯ reactions became less than ideal.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Watch it girl. Our friend here is just a harmless romantic. All you have to do is ignore him. But threatening to cancel when we¡¯ve paid you is pushing it too far.¡± That was the foreign woman speaking, a Level 49 Hawk Huntress. There was a mystical avian circling above right now, acting as eyes in the air and as a deadly focal point for the Hawk Huntress¡¯s abilities. Zarian was certain the Hawk Huntress was rare quality at the very least. However, could she be more than rare? Could she be epic? Zarian frowned further while still riding on the saddle strapped to Ezda¡¯s back. He cast Void Authority and felt his connection to the void intensify. Then he cast Void Waltz. Ezda¡¯s next stride took them from a road north of Ride-or-Die Village to a road east of Ride-or-Die Village. Ezda didn¡¯t question it and kept padding forward as his reliable steed. From here, Zarian¡¯s connection with the local spiders grew stronger. He wanted to be close not to intervene directly, but to try something he¡¯d theorized a few times before. Now was the best time to push the boundaries. His reasoning was simple. His spectral spiders were an extension of him. They were a network centered on him. They scaled mainly with Mysticism, but now they scaled partially with Wonder as well. Mysticism enhanced control of magic and granted greater magical ingenuity. Wonder enhanced supernatural perception, luck, and faith. Combine them together with Basic Aura Manipulation and Zarian had the means to push magic through his spectral spiders even better than before. He wasn¡¯t yet ready to do anything crazy with the spectral spiders. Maybe one day he would try to get them to do the Void Waltz for him, if he could figure out how. That was a possibility that was more distant from today. But he could expand his aura out of his spiders and manipulate things. And wherever his aura manipulation could go, some of his traits could go as well. Clotilda and her three companions squared off against the seven foreigners. The hawk in the air circled around tightly, preparing to dive in with mystically sharpened talons ready, which put Clotilda and the girls at a disadvantage. They had tunnel vision, unfortunately, and weren¡¯t mindful of the eighth danger above. ¡°As the current authority here, I¡¯m going to call a severing of our contract,¡± Clotilda muttered. ¡°No, you will not be getting your payment back. Think of it as our fee for putting up with you to this point and for providing you with a map and written instructions as backup. The information is updated. You can take that to complete your quest or stick it up your arsehole. It¡¯s up to you.¡± Clotilda tried to lead her companions around the foreign adventurers. But the Hawk Huntress revealed her talons, the ones she could grow from her fingers, and the ones her avian companion could use when diving at unsuspecting targets. This would¡¯ve ended up as a bloody fight that might¡¯ve gotten one or more of Zarian¡¯s kiddos killed. Or maybe had them all killed. Zarian intervened. Through his spider. The one on top of Clotilda¡¯s head. A dark, uncanny, and dreadful power expanded outward from that lone spider without affecting the young girls. Instead, Zarian¡¯s dreaded aura slammed into the foreigners and had them reeling, eyes flying open, faces paling, their bodies failing them. The expanding aura reached the diving hawk as well. The bird squawked in surprise and lost control of its flight. The mystical hawk slammed into the frozen ground and knocked itself out. The Slick Cutlass collapsed onto his knees and prayed to Good Goddess Hopeland. The other men stumbled back, fell onto their bottoms, or curled up into the fetal position. The Hawk Huntress stood her ground, eyes wide, sweat rolling down her face. Then she let out a defiant scream and tried to fight the fearsome source of the aura, which was the single hidden spider on top of Clotilda¡¯s head. The Hawk Huntress swung her talon-tipped fingers in a wild attack. Clotilda¡¯s axe lopped off the huntress¡¯s arm. Then Clotilda smashed the butt of her axe into the woman¡¯s jaw and shattered it. The huntress fell into the snow and stayed down. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t kill her,¡± said one of the other girls. ¡°They¡¯re paying customers. I¡¯ll give them that much.¡± Clotilda reeled in her rage and returned her mystical axe to her back. She looked around before letting out a huff. ¡°It was supposed to be a quick job, milord.¡± ¡°You messed up,¡± Zarian said through a few spiders in the area. ¡°Are you going to tell Lady Instructor Washington?¡± Clotilda asked, holding her bearing decently. The other girls weren¡¯t as disciplined and showed some fear. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Clotilda cussed. ¡°Yup, exactly. Your asses belong to the Lady Instructor. Prep them for when she returns to the village. Now let me get an oorah.¡± They gave him his ¡®oorah¡¯ even if it was forced before he watched Clotilda and the other three girls hustle back to Ride-or-Die Village. A spectral spider turned around a unit of Self-Sufficient skeletons led by Mighty and had them link up with Clotilda¡¯s reckless girls and escort them back home. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, Ezda.¡± Zarian used Void Waltz and ended up in front of the Slick Cutlass. ¡°Give me your hands.¡± The man gasped like a fish out of water. He didn¡¯t hesitate for long as he looked the Madness Wizard up and down. He offered his hands. Para took them both at the wrist and ate them. ¡°Let your friends know that in my village, no means no,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Especially with my kids.¡± ¡°Yes, milord,¡± the Slick Cutlass said between gritted teeth. Zarian returned to Ezda, and Para assumed her saddle form. Then Zarian did another sweep through his spider network around Ride-or-Die Village. Everything was going well enough. A few teenagers got hurt on their patrols from bouts against would-be bandits, dangerous beasts, and invading monsters, but it was nothing terrible. It was all great for character-building and raising their vitality. Everybody was learning how to incorporate their own individual approaches to their rare classes and new freedom, too. Then Zarian observed a group of foreign adventurers run into kobold skirmishers with one spider on the scene. The nearest patrols were too far away to help. These foreigners were different. Not like the ones from the Windy Strider Kingdom, who were the most frequent visitors. They looked like people from the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom. Oh, fun, zealots! Zarian wondered how they would react if he helped them. ¡°Ezda, want to feast on some annoying kobolds?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Maybe that¡¯ll give you a better feel for your new alignment?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Ezda said huskily. ¡°I don¡¯t yet know how to think of freedom or free evil. The bloodlust is dull. Everything is much duller. But ¡­ lighter. I don¡¯t know if I should laugh. Why do I feel this ache I¡¯ve never felt before?¡± ¡°So, is that a no?¡± ¡°Let us experiment, my alpha. Let us spread ¡­ freedom.¡± Zarian cast Void Authority. He didn¡¯t need to, but he did so for the sake of practice. Then he cast Void Waltz. They landed in the middle of the kobold skirmishers with barely a wrinkle in the air, the passage through the void a swift one. Ezda¡¯s giant hyena form swiped down and crushed a kobold under her paw. She lapped her tongue around her fangs and lips and let out an excited shrill. The kobolds screamed, and Ezda chomped down on them, eating kobolds alive while stepping on them with her big paws. Clearly, Ezda acted perfectly fine with free evil +1. Or maybe she was fine for now while dishing out cruelty against evil-aligned creatures. Zarian was curious about how she would act in the aftermath or inside the village. Para joined in on the fun by forming large, far-reaching, bone-tipped tentacles from under the saddle. They whipped out from around Ezda¡¯s body and wrapped up kobolds trying to flee from under the massive gnoll elder. Together, Ezda and Para ate the kobolds or played with them until they broke like living dolls. The two left a bloody, fleshy mess under them as they rampaged. From his seat on Ezda¡¯s back, Zarian looked down at the cowering and bloodied adventurers from the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom. He tipped his wizard hat at them. ¡°Howdy!¡± Zarian said. ¡°Who the Hidden Hell are you?¡± shouted an adventurer. ¡°And why are you riding on a gnoll monster!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Zarian Darkrun, lord of Ride-or-Die Village and the guild of the same name,¡± he answered. ¡°And this isn¡¯t a gnoll monster. This is a gnoll elder of the Blood Prairie Savages. In fact, she¡¯s the strongest gnoll elder, and she¡¯s currently my trusty steed.¡± The adventurers gawked and trembled even more. One murmured, ¡°Blood Prairie Savages are supposed to be the strongest gnolls of the continent, perhaps even the strongest of the whole world. How can one man tame an elder to those horrific creatures?¡± ¡°Purehome, oh Protecting Mother, watch over us,¡± said another adventurer. Then a braver adventurer asked the questions they were all probably wondering. ¡°Are you the one who sparked the civil war of the Eternal Garden Kingdom? The one who is said to be the husband of Evil Goddess Shadowfell? And the one who is the reason behind the darkness that had befallen us four months ago, the apocalypse?¡± Zarian shrugged, staying nonchalant on his tentacle-whipping saddle strapped to a gnoll elder¡¯s back while taking his time to answer. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m him.¡± 118: B2: C18: Dealing with Zealots The paladins didn¡¯t attempt to kill Zarian. They had their swords drawn. They had their magic charged. But they stayed put and did nothing as the kobolds suffered very gruesome deaths. The paladins chose to not throw their lives away to strike at the most evil creature they had ever seen, the Madness Wizard. Maybe that was a consequence of Zarian riding on a shifted gnoll elder who was about thirty feet tall at the shoulders. Her drooling, blood-coated maw could snap up a whole man. Her extended belly had plenty of room for more after feasting on dozens of kobolds. Or maybe the paladins didn¡¯t want to mess with the wavering tentacles that were sprouted from the saddle. Unfortunately for them, Para was the type to test their patience. She formed smaller tendrils and feelers that prodded at the paladins playfully, almost tempting them to attack. They refused to take direct action, which was smart of them. However, that didn¡¯t stop them from acting out in other ways. Zarian felt a familiar zing against his aura, like someone scanning over him. That was the telltale sign of Identify being used. Chuckling darkly, Zarian jumped off of Ezda¡¯s back. Para returned to her monstrous cloak form before he hit the ground, his boots splashing in puddles of gore inside the giant paw prints left by Ezda¡¯s stomping. He reached up with one hand, and Ezda lowered her bloody snout down for scratches. She made happy hyena noises, sounding cute to his ears. The paladins didn¡¯t seem to share his appreciation of Ezda being adorable. Meanwhile, Zarian used his own Identify trait. Sometimes, people couldn¡¯t feel it, especially if they weren¡¯t magically inclined, lacking stat points in Wonder or Mysticism. Zarian had also gotten better at using subtlety to ensure he could get away with Identify on more sensitive targets. But for this once, he identified the paladins pervasively, and made sure all twenty of them felt it. ¡­ Among the fifteen men and five women, sixteen had the actual Stalwart Paladin class. Two of the paladins were healers, which was clear to see from how they worked quickly to fix up their wounded and promote rapid vitality recovery. Two of the paladins were priests, the head honchos of this party. From what Zarian knew outside of his tedious studies, it was common to say paladin when referring to those from the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom, regardless of their class. The paladin people ran their kingdom with more of a theocratic and hyper-religious bent. They also had the most paladin classes, hence them being all called paladins. The people from the Windy Strider Kingdom were commonly referred to as striders. That was a fitting name for them since they were the most adventurous people of the Walled Continent. There were a bunch of striders at the Ride-or-Die Village right now, in fact. People from the Eternal Garden Kingdom were known as gardeners. Although, not all the time. Their women were commonly referred to as flowers by everyone, since the practice of grooming women to remain delicate and weak wasn¡¯t a common one beyond the gardener people. The case with the Slick Cutlass being a flirty creeper wasn¡¯t the first. Striders liked to get invested in the girls of the Ride-or-Die Guild, even though they weren¡¯t so delicate and weak anymore. The girls were still considered some of the most well-groomed flowers for starting out as acolytes of Lovewar. That kept their desirability high, which could lead to some annoying trouble here and there. Thankfully, Naomi was the hot-headed mama bear of the Floridians, which kept Zarian from having to put his foot down too much. There was also Hannah, who could act as a cold and scary guardian when necessary, maybe more so as the engineer of the village. And Bianca was Bianca, depending on her mood, which was more unpredictable as of late. Not all striders were bad, especially when Gilbert liked to get drunk with some of them, but striders definitely lived up to being the most adventurous of adventurers. Maybe that was part of the reason the Eternal Garden Kingdom had outlawed adventurers. The gardeners certainly had issues with adventurers from rival kingdoms way down south, even while having a civil war. The southerners were far from Zarian¡¯s village, so they weren¡¯t much of a concern compared to the gardeners themselves. As for the empire to the west, which was known as the United Nomad Empire, the people from there had the name of nomad attached to them. Zarian wasn¡¯t sure if that name was true since there was a lack of nomads flowing through Ride-or-Die Village so far. To be fair to them, the lands west were some of the harshest outside of the Blood Prairies and Coldbooth Castle Mountains. There was a big desert out there, the Man Hunter Sands, and it lived up to its name based on the limited info Zarian knew. Maybe the nomads were getting held up by that desert and were still on their way. I have to admit that I had no idea I¡¯d create a village that would be the focal point of so many adventurers, Zarian mused, ignoring the angry glares from some of the paladins. They definitely didn¡¯t appreciate the pervasive Identify scan that Zarian had used on them. The Madness Wizard didn¡¯t care and ignored most of them. The one paladin who drew his attention was the man who remained the calmest, the Level 56 Battle Priest, Bernard. He was a bald and elderly guy, dressed in bronze armor and brown robes. He had a steel mace that was certainly enchanted, probably a rare quality weapon. Bernard gave off the feeling of someone with a rare class. The same could be said for the other priest and the two healers. The actual Stalwart Paladins were of uncommon quality despite their unique quirks. Even with the paladins being older, Zarian imagined in an equal fight against the kiddos, the kiddos would¡¯ve massacred the paladins. The paladins had already underestimated the dangers of the area and needed saving. Their one positive decision was their caution toward the Madness Wizard, despite the rude Identify. ¡°You used Identify on me,¡± Zarian accused. ¡°Not quite. I have a more epic version of that trait that should¡¯ve gone unnoticed.¡± Bernad had the decency to lower his head like a man caught red-handed. ¡°I¡¯m unable to Identify you. We seem to truly be at your mercy, regardless of the ¡­ gnoll elder.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Zarian nodded. Bernard squinted up at the shifted giant. ¡°That can¡¯t be Alpha Elder Ezda the Devouring Beast, is it? I¡¯ve heard tales of her barbaric savagery. And yet she truly answers to you.¡± ¡°I am no longer the alpha elder,¡± Ezda answered with a guttural voice that scared the paladins. ¡°Lord Zarian is my alpha, and he is the alpha of all the Blood Prairie Savages, although he still needs to conduct the blood rites as is tradition.¡± ¡°What can I say? Ezda just showed up and told me I¡¯m the boss, and that was that.¡± Zarian shrugged at the paladins as they gawked at him. ¡°But I¡¯m no uncultured swine, so I will get those blood rites done soon enough.¡± Bernard shuddered a little, but not as much compared to his frightened comrades. They knew of the Blood Prairie Savages, and they knew of Ezda¡¯s infamy. They knew of Zarian¡¯s infamy, especially. Zarian soaked it all in while playing as the nonchalant lunatic. Politics surrounded him these days. Yes, he had other people handle that for him while he¡¯d studied his ass off in the library, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to get involved here and there. Sometimes, politics could be fun. ¡°Do you need any of these bodies?¡± Zarian asked. Bernard schooled his expression as he looked at the massacre. A hundred kobolds had once stood here for a battle, with twenty of them being enforcers in the high Level 60s. Bernard and his paladins would¡¯ve died if Zarian hadn¡¯t dropped a gnoll elder and a hungry parasite into the mix. ¡°It would be convenient to gather resources from these bodies. Scales, fur, bones, bile, and such. While we don¡¯t officially approve of the disciplines that may use these materials outside of the pure power our faith presents to us, we do recognize that our heathen neighbors across the Stone Sea River would appreciate them,¡± Bernard said. ¡°So, unofficially, you use alchemy and the black arts of crafting as backup in case the power of Wonder and faith fails.¡± Zarian chuckled as Bernard¡¯s carefully crafted facade cracked a little. The man probably had some decent investment in his Willpower. But Zarian¡¯s Willpower was no doubt higher, imposing his will on the Battle Priest with ease. Zarian kept going. ¡°Either way, I doubt you¡¯re only here to collect body parts and sell them off. This place is a prime location for grinding up levels and to build your reputation. And to dig up info on the troublesome village where a troublesome man lives.¡± Zarian smiled sharply at Bernard¡¯s pensive expression. Before the Battle Priest could rebuttal, the Madness Wizard kept on going even further. ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t give me that look. I¡¯m going to share half of what¡¯s remaining of these kobold bodies with you, after all. You just have to entertain me.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Bernard took his time to respond. ¡°It is good to see that you are a charitable man, Lord Zarian.¡± ¡°The most charitable, perhaps. Now, come on, Bernard. Bring your people and walk with me. Ezda won¡¯t bite as long as you¡¯re a friend. Same for my cloak, Para.¡± ¡°If food is friend, then you stop being food. If you stop being friends, then you are food,¡± Para explained, while picking up bodies and gory remains to store into her pocket dimension. The paladins watched with a disturbed gaze as Para cleared the entire battlefield in less than half a minute. Ezda laughed like any giant hyena would. She smiled hungrily at the paladins, then she turned to her alpha and provided Zarian giant nuzzles with her bloody muzzle. Zarian gave her more scratches and cooed over how much of a sweetheart she was acting toward him. Maybe her being free evil +1 allowed her to be more affectionate and endearing in ways she¡¯d never acted before. Who knew savage gnoll elders could be so cute. Zarian led the paladins to the nearest road that would take them to Ride-or-Die Village. They moved faster from here while the midday sky turned darker with the approach of evening. A more chilly winter wind blew down on them. Zarian whittled away the time by using his spiders to observe events around the village as the paladins carried on them plenty of bags for roughing it out in the wilderness. They didn¡¯t rely on any travel beasts, only themselves. A few paladins clearly had solid investments in Strength with how they carried bags so big and heavy their loads would¡¯ve crushed ten mundane men easily. At the Level 40s and beyond, adventurers usually relied more on themselves. Most kingdoms relied on these adventurers to protect caravans, transport goods, aid in battles, clear nests and lairs of monstrous activities, and venture out into frontiers despite the ridiculously high death rates. There were few actual traders or merchants moving through these frontier lands on their, just adventurers who served as traders and merchants, especially the striders. ¡°How did you know we¡¯ll head back to the village?¡± Bernard asked calmly. He was doing his best to ignore the lumbering gnoll giant stomping close to him and his paladins. But that wasn¡¯t nearly as hard as ignoring Zarian¡¯s playful cloak. Para kept splitting and shifting and taking on different monstrous forms around the paladins. She loved making alien hands with long fingers to further prod at the paladins, just because. ¡°It¡¯s not casting a hex on us, is it?¡± one paladin asked as Para fingered the gaps in his armor. ¡°Purehome, protect us,¡± prayed a female paladin, as Para patted at her dome-shaped helmet. ¡°We must stay strong. We must stay strong,¡± a different male paladin muttered, as Para jimmied the sword on his weapons belt. Smiling, Zarian took his time to answer Bernard¡¯s question as they trekked over the frozen, cobblestoned road. ¡°After you nearly died in a skirmish with a kobold patrol, you would feel ill-prepared. So the best option is to head back to the village, regroup, and perhaps combine forces with other paladin parties. Or heavens forbid, you join up with your heathen neighbors, the striders.¡± Bernard frowned at that strider part. Zarian had more to add. ¡°That¡¯s assuming you don¡¯t wait in the long request queues in hopes of my kids partnering up with you.¡± ¡°The time we would have to wait for your guild to assist us is considerable,¡± Bernard said. ¡°It would be helpful if the creator of the golems would sell her constructs to us. Wouldn¡¯t that make a difference to the survival of adventurers in this region of yours?¡± Ezda let out another big hyena-like laugh. She shifted her head from over Zarian to over Bernard. Sticky saliva mixed with blood oozed down from her muzzle and dripped over the paladin. ¡°Speak, Ezda,¡± Zarian said, waving a hand over his shoulder. Ezda purred. ¡°The rising humans in the care of my alpha have much renown to their name already. They carry knowledge, expertise, and achievements like no other young humans on this continent. They offer their services and their time for measly coins, which is more fair treatment than you deserve. Yet you dare ask my alpha to give away such prized possessions from his war hoard? Call me a savage if you must, but even I can see you are reaching for more than a little snack should.¡± ¡°It is only a suggestion, I swear,¡± Bernard replied quickly, ignoring the oozing blood and saliva that was dripping over him. ¡°Perhaps you are right that we are in need of patience. But the journey here has been long, and it has cost us too much in resources and funds. We¡¯ve also lost another unit of paladins who we were meant to meet before crossing through Bramble Wolf Forest. They disappeared at the foot of Grimrock, I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Zarian hummed. ¡°You can blame that on me, too.¡± Bernard and all of his paladins shifted with self-contained disturbance and anger. It took a while for Bernard to respond. ¡°What do you mean, milord?¡± ¡°There is a man on a rampage at the foot of those mountains. He¡¯s someone from my past. Someone who hates me so much, he works with the Grimrock Warlock to see my downfall. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s gotten stronger since I¡¯ve last seen him. Maybe he might be able to tickle me if we face off again.¡± Bernard looked at Zarian for a long while before he asked, ¡°Will you be heading back that way, Lord Zarian?¡± ¡°I will be. To ensure that man is dealt with. And to put down the Grimrock Warlock.¡± Zarian kept out the part about securing the mythical goblin cook. Foodie was so precious, Zarian imagined kingdoms would rage war over the little goblin if they knew the truth of her abilities. Thinking about her made Zarian a little sick to his stomach. He and the others had delayed for a long while. It was out of necessity, however. Zarian had just finished learning to seal and unseal his darkness. The mythical regional event should continue soon. Once that was out of the way, they could head for Castle Grimrock. ¡°Perhaps we can find an accord there at Grimrock,¡± Bernard said. ¡°The warlock has turned aside one holy war so far. My kingdom plans for another. If we can combine our forces, we would surely win against her.¡± Zarian shook his head. ¡°I have plenty of force already. I won¡¯t stop you from trying to get in a scrap before I do. But once my people get involved, we¡¯re taking care of it our way.¡± And I don¡¯t trust you guys, Zarian thought. I know you¡¯re looking for an angle to deal with me. But let¡¯s all pretend and smile like we¡¯re buddies. Zarian was the one with free evil +3, after all. He had an advantage in cunning and smarts in this game, if he wanted to push the political angles further. That depended on which of the major humans wanted to try their hand at playing hard ball with him and his people. The gardeners? The striders? The nomads? The paladins? Or all of the above? They really should pay close attention to our motto. Zarian reached up again as they broke through the forest line. Ezda dipped her head down for more scratches from her alpha. Bernard and his fellow paladins fell silent as they followed a bend around some blocky snow-laden hills and came into view of Ride-or-Die Village, or at least the very top of it. The best way to describe the village was like playing a game of Minecraft in a medieval setting that wasn¡¯t supposed to have Minecraft. Most first-time viewers would gawk at the impressive height of the Central Library Artillery Tower, a great and hulking cube-made pillar that was mainly black and over a thousand feet tall. Zarian and the paladins were still quite a distance away, with snow-covered fields and a stretch of road ahead of them. But the Central Library Artillery Tower dominated the skyline for a good while until they drew close enough to see the wall. Four months ago, it might¡¯ve been possible for something in the Level 50s to leap high and get close to the top of a wall. Nowadays, that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. The surrounding wall was two hundred feet tall now, the tallest in all the Walled Continent. Classical war machines sat on the walls, each one operated by skeletons with the Self-Sufficient trait. Zarian waved at one of the nearest ballista skeleton crews. They waved back in recognition of their necromancer, even with the gulf of distance between them. There were more skeletons on the ground outside the wall as well. They roamed the fields and acted as a show of force that made the numerical advantage necromancy provided something too scary for most people to face. Who could blame them? The skeletons were untiring, cold, and looked out at the world with eyeless sockets and rictus grins. The paladins clenched their weapons tensely as Zarian led them past several units of skeletons marching around, each one rattling about, letting people hear them coming. The closer a foreigner would get to Ride-or-Die Village, the more automated the security became. The skeletons also directed people away from the fields that were filled with deactivated traps. They wouldn¡¯t trigger outside of war time, but Zarian and his fellow Floridians could all agree on practicing safety when engaging with many different people, especially striders. The neat part was how everything was drenched in colors that were similar or exactly the same as their theme, which was broadly black with splashes of dark red. Great big flags on tall poles wavered in the winter wind, showing off the tribal gator head with the cursive writing of their Floridian motto. The closer Zarian, Ezda, and the paladins drew to the nearest gate, the more active the road became with adventurers waiting to get in and seek shelter from the oncoming night. The adventurers, all striders as of now, looked back and gawked at the monstrous gnoll. Para had to reach out and slap down striders who were about to attack Ezda. ¡°Don¡¯t attack, silly food, or you¡¯ll become food,¡± Para explained to each of the striders she smacked. The striders nodded along and stopped being hostile. As they continued forward, Zarian noticed there was a gap in the waiting line. Zarian saw why once he drew close enough. He ignored the gossiping striders and strode off the road where several groups of skeletons set up a cordon. As Ezda came to a stop on the road, Bernard and his paladins stayed on Zarian¡¯s heels, right up to the edge of the cordon where artillery shots from the tower had bombarded a small group of lesser aberrations. A dark, oily, and dangerous substance bubbled at the bottom of the craters. ¡°Allow me, Lord Zarian. I have the divine right and abilities to eliminate this foul substance,¡± Bernard said with a tight smile. ¡°Sure, give it your best shot. My wife can always use little helpers to clear away her tears,¡± Zarian replied. Bernard stepped forward. He thrust out his hands. He chanted aloud for support from his Good Goods. Then he unleashed his skill with a shout, ¡°Holy Cleanse!¡± A flash of white rimmed by gold covered the bottom of the craters. Zarian looked away to keep from getting blinded. His darkness revolted a little. His skin felt itchy. He wondered if Bernard used his skill more liberally than he should¡¯ve. The priest probably did. Zarian¡¯s smile grew a little sharper, especially when the glow faded and the corruptive substance remained unaffected at the bottom of the craters. Bernard had failed. ¡°What?¡± Bernard gasped. ¡°How could this be? I¡¯ve always been able to cleanse the tears.¡± ¡°Try identifying first before making assumptions,¡± Zarian said. Bernard clenched his hands into fists. He shook with so much rage that Zarian wondered if the Battle Priest was going to whirl around and strike the reason for all of this trouble. The Madness Wizard waited, as if inviting Bernard to make the attempt. ¡°Countless lives will be lost because of this,¡± Bernard muttered. ¡°I know,¡± Zarian said. ¡°But I won¡¯t take back what I¡¯ve done. I did it for the sake of a friend and for our freedom.¡± ¡°A friend? Freedom?¡± Bernard snarled. ¡°What purpose is one friend and this freedom of yours compared to being of service to the gods? Compared to knowing our place and having the comfort of a world that is right and just? What purpose is there for the darkness you¡¯ve brought upon us in an era that is already dark, if not for the sake of evil itself?¡± Zarian didn¡¯t answer Bernard¡¯s questions. There was no point. He kept smiling as Bernard and his paladins glared at him, forced to watch on the sidelines as Para dipped her tentacles into the pools of Enhanced Shadowfell Tears. The cloak drained up all the tears and placed it away in her pocket dimension until there wasn¡¯t a drop left. Zarian told the skeletons they could return to their normal standard of operations, which meant twenty-four-seven patrolling that no mortal at their levels could do while remaining sharp and ready. Zarian returned to the road. He walked ahead of all the foreigners waiting in line as Ezda followed along in her giant beast body. She didn¡¯t seem inclined to change back, and Zarian didn¡¯t mind whatever form she wanted to use as long as she acted appropriately in his village. They reached the towering gatehouse in time, too. Roland and seventy other kids had just returned from clearing out the blood raptors¡¯ nest. They were hauling carts filled with the monster bodies for butchering or to sacrifice to their growing dungeon. ¡°Lord Zarian, welcome back!¡± Roland greeted, while standing straight in an attentive position. The other kiddos did the same, girls and boys, all properly trained like magical medieval Marines. It almost brought a tear to Zarian¡¯s eye. Almost. ¡°Children, congrats. Every day you¡¯re out there being the best killers you can be is another day I feel proud to be your lord,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Now let me hear it. And say it like you mean it. I want the gods to tremble when my killers let out their battle cry!¡± At the top of their lungs, the kiddos shouted, ¡°Oorah!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Zarian cheered. ¡°Now let¡¯s get inside and get you all your special hot chocolate. I have things to discuss with Lady Hannah. The others should be on their way.¡± 119: B2: C19: Ride-or-Die Village Every time Zarian entered Ride-or-Die Village the mundane way, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle from how over the top it looked. Corma, the World of Castles and Caverns, was a high fantasy medieval setting. Yet, a new Outsider wouldn¡¯t know that from the slight futurism Hannah had built into the village. There were magic lights shining from the top of magic poles on every street corner. There were magic signs that glowed with colorful neon lights from over entrances and on the sides of various cubic buildings. There were even magic lights that shone from the streets themselves, highlighting when traffic should move, stop, or cross intersections cautiously. Beyond the lights, there were the buildings. Ride-or-Die Village wasn¡¯t built wide, it was built high and low. Most buildings reached up to a hundred and fifty feet into the air, staying well under the height of the walls. However, the length of the buildings extended downward as well, taking full advantage of the ground¡¯s stability and depth. The newcomers couldn¡¯t help but gawk around, unless they were paladins. Bernard¡¯s people looked at everything distrustfully, as if this medieval futurism was the work of devils in the Hidden Hell. They were sourpusses like that. The striders making it through the gate reacted way better. ¡°By the gods, good and evil, I thought this place would be a shithole from the name of it!¡± a strider woman yelled. ¡°It all looks too amazing to be real. I can already feel my coin bag dwindling away to nothing, and I haven¡¯t bought anything yet,¡± a strider man said. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know the taxes of this place. How many people have they deployed to make all of this? It must¡¯ve taken thousands!¡± another strider man shouted. ¡°I think I want to live here forever. This is way better than my old village back in the windy kingdom,¡± a strider woman said. ¡°How can anyone think of this place as anything but evil?¡± asked a random paladin who was outside of Bernard¡¯s group. ¡°They even let in man-eating beasts.¡± Ezda had never gone into Ride-or-Die Village before. She¡¯d only seen things from the outside. Even with her bestial shifted face, Zarian could see the amazement showing through her hanging maw and wide-open eyes. The giant gnoll was even taking careful steps to not crush anyone under paw while looking about and sniffing at new things. People scattered quickly to get out of her way still, but for the most part, everything was fine with Ezda. The striders were more amazed with the village than the deadly gnoll elder in their midst, too. They were quick to assume the Madness Wizard was in control, and they were right to do so. Zarian was trying not to snicker because the new people had seen nothing yet. There were more unique features and amenities inside of the buildings. Right now, they were crossing through a gatehouse marketplace that was filled with hustle and bustle. Along the sides of the marketplace, there were vending stalls. Each hawker and seller had their own designated position highlighted with more lights, some brighter than others depending on the packages they selected when they paid for their permit to sell. Everybody was mostly on their best behavior as the security skeletons made their patrols around the village along with rolling golems. Though they were mostly a show of force. The real eyes and ears on the ground came from someone far scarier than most people in this world could appreciate. Ignorant of Hannah¡¯s reach and power, the striders, gardeners, and the few paladins working the stalls yelled out hoping to make some coin by nearly whatever means that wasn¡¯t too illegal. ¡°Get your anti kobold oil right here! One whiff of this scent and the nasty kobolds might run away!¡± hawked an oily strider. ¡°We have blessed armor here, my friends. Chain mail. Scale. Plate. And yes, they are all blessed to keep you secure from the foulness of evil! You don¡¯t want to go into the wilds of the frontier without some blessed armor, my friends!¡± shouted an entrepreneurial paladin. ¡°Foreigners won¡¯t know the lands like us gardeners do! Get our services to keep you on track to complete your quests. All for a cheap price. We¡¯ll take any coin from strider or paladin, as long as it¡¯s in gold or silver!¡± offered an eager gardener. Zarian wasn¡¯t a fan of that last vendor. He didn¡¯t care if it was cutting into the business of the Ride-or-Die Guild. That wasn¡¯t a big deal. The guild had plenty of business. The problem was that any gardener acting as if they knew the frontier was mostly lying. The first people who knew the area around North Crown Peak had died to the wolf kobolds and wolf dragons before Ride-or-Die Village became a thing. Granted, the gardener playing second-rate tour guide could¡¯ve learned from Zarian¡¯s guild first before striking out on his own to take advantage of an opening in the market. Either way, someone among the Hemlock Family must¡¯ve approved it, and so far, Rhea¡¯s people had done a somewhat decent job at running the village¡¯s admin side while serving as Hannah¡¯s peons. ¡°Is something a bother, milord?¡± Roland asked, dressed in armor that looked like weaves of roses, vines, and thorns. He was one of the few young men who had the amazing fortune of getting an epic class that suited him. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Well, except for the bird poop on the statue. Poor Stony deserves better.¡± Roland turned to look at a pleasantly aesthetic fountain in the middle of the marketplace. The fountain had a statue that featured Stony the Wall Crusher Master as the centerpiece. Of course, the statue was much smaller than the actual giant, but the spirit of the showpiece remained the same. It was Zarian and the others¡¯ way of saying thanks to the giant, even despite his desertion. Stony had largely contributed to their success when they had to put down defenses for the first version of the fortified dwelling. So they had statues of him made everywhere, which was confusing for newcomers, because they didn¡¯t find Stony appealing enough to deserve such. Zarian found it humorous when visitors kept trying to understand why the statues of Stony were so important. The ditches didn¡¯t dig themselves, Zarian thought. If you¡¯ve never had to dig fox holes and dugouts and trenches, you won¡¯t know how annoying and tedious that can be without major help. ¡°I can clean the droppings off of Saint Stony, milord,¡± said another guild member. ¡°Nah, Osbert, the skeletons will handle it. You go on to the library and get your hot cocoa drink. That goes for the rest of you once you drop off your loot. Now, as for my paladin friends here.¡± Zarian turned toward Bernard. The Battle Priest looked back with barely contained contempt. The man was clearly exasperated with a situation that was out of his hands and out of the control of his gods. Zarian couldn¡¯t help but add salt to the wound, first by dumping half of the kobold bodies in front of Stony¡¯s statue and letting everyone in the marketplace see it. Then Zarian said, ¡°I don¡¯t want payment, friend. There¡¯s nothing you have that I need. Think of this as a charitable effort.¡± ¡°We are deeply appreciative of your aid and continued efforts to conduct yourself for the greater good,¡± Bernard replied by rote, noticing the stares and growing silence from everyone in the gate marketplace. The kobold bodies were worth a lot. More importantly, everyone was paying attention to the conversation. Zarian dialed up the free evil +3. It wasn¡¯t as scary as before. But he didn¡¯t need to be scary when he could be darkly attractive and convincing, his monstrous cloak fluttering with sudden grace behind him. ¡°For the greater good? Nonsense!¡± Zarian boasted. ¡°This is the power of freedom! I¡¯m free to save your lives when you and your people nearly got yourselves killed by kobolds. And I¡¯m free to help carry these bodies without asking for a price. No greater good necessary, just plain old freedom.¡± Zarian had never thought himself much of a politician. He was leaning on his free evil +3 to help him mostly. But once he was on a roll, it was kind of fun. Yeah, good had the benefit of power ups. But evil was surprisingly flexible, while displaying cunning and smarts in different areas beyond the narrow scope that good applied itself. In other words, Zarian had the extra juice buffing his finesse, and the old priest was finding himself outmatched.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°No, no, that makes little sense. Good should define freedom,¡± Bernard tried to counter hastily. Zarian kept punching down on him with charismatic words. ¡°There¡¯s no need for the old ways of good or evil. Nobody should ever have to feel trapped by that anymore. It¡¯s because we are free that we are the last stand against the wolf dragons and the wolf kobolds. It¡¯s because we are free that striders can make their way here without ridicule from gardeners and paladins!¡± ¡°Hells yeah!¡± a strider shouted. Zarian winked at the crowd who was reacting positively to his words. Bernard shook with anger as his carefully crafted character of a calm old man was slipping away. Just when he was about to say something that he would probably regret, Ezda returned to hang over Zarian like a loyal giant of a beast. Bernard hesitated, and Ezda took advantage. ¡°It¡¯s because of freedom that I¡¯m no longer of the evil alignment,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m a free gnoll. I¡¯m not in the mood to eat all of you all the time. Not like before.¡± The marketplace still had some conversations circling about even at a low volume. When Ezda spoke, everyone fell completely silent, surprised that the giant creature could talk, and even more surprised that a gnoll had joined the freedom alignment. If that wasn¡¯t a big enough sales pitch, then Zarian didn¡¯t know what else he could do today other than close out. ¡°Well, I better get going. You know how it is? A lord is always busy, especially one who¡¯s spreading freedom. But if you ever want to switch alignments, you can go see a member of my guild at the central library. Or find a friend who¡¯s already in the freedom alignment. Join the winning side and spread freedom!¡± As an invisible bird cried out with heart and passion somewhere in the background, Zarian walked off with Ezda and his kiddos, leaving Bernard stewing with rage without having much of an outlet. The marketplace became a whirlwind of conversation, and most of it was leaning slightly toward the positive about the brand-spanking new freedom alignment. All it took to move the needle further was making someone else look like a bumbling fool while giving them a ¡®charitable hand¡¯ and a gator-like smile. Who knew doling out charities and being a politician could be so useful, so fun? Maybe Zarian was being too antagonistic toward the old Battle Priest, but the game of politics was a cut throat business. If Zarian didn¡¯t strike first, then he was giving his political enemies room to do whatever the hell they wanted. If they saw an opportunity to undermine his people¡¯s efforts here, they would take it. That was part of human nature. He wouldn¡¯t get to play politician often since he had a lot of studying to do, but he figured he should attempt to throw in political bombs when he could. He was the most impactful figure in the entire universe and beyond, after all. ¡°I don¡¯t like how those paladins are looking at you, milord,¡± Roland said. ¡°I feel the same. But the alpha enjoys playing with the softer meat,¡± Ezda added. Roland looked up at Ezda with a troubled expression, stuck between wanting to be polite and wanting to say how he really felt. The gnoll elder watched the Rose Knight curiously in return, tongue lolling out as she panted over them, her every giant step a soft thud landing beside the parade of guild members. Zarian said nothing. He figured yesterday¡¯s enemies could learn to be today¡¯s friends on their own. They all served under him, so they had to learn to get along somehow. With the busy gatehouse marketplace behind them, the activity on the streets died down quickly. Most adventurers and visitors stayed around five main locations. They were either at the center of the village around the library or staying close to the gatehouses. There was one for each cardinal direction, and different groups usually stuck to their own depending on a direction. Striders could be seen anywhere because they were so adventurous, but they usually stayed around the eastern gatehouse. Paladins congregated around the central library because the temples for two acceptable Good Gods were there. The northern gatehouse area was a mix of everybody. Then there were the gardeners, especially refugees, who lived at the southern gatehouse mainly. It was the closest gate for many gardeners coming up north to escape from the fierce fighting inside and outside of their kingdom. Zarian tried to avoid going near the southern gatehouse. His appearance was a touchy subject, despite how the refugees were living in his village. He figured that was part of the package with being a controversial figure, having to make little compromises that weren¡¯t much of a bother to him. What he couldn¡¯t compromise on was the general safety of the village. Crime was still a thing, but skeletons or guild members had a handle on that, especially with the guidance of Hannah¡¯s Magi. There had been nothing major that drew Zarian¡¯s attention since the start of the Mythical Regional Event. He was too big and busy to deal with the small stuff in the village. What were petty criminals compared to lesser aberrations and the horrors his wife might unleash? They certainly didn¡¯t compare to the regional event that might start up at any time or the slight chance of an invading force from an angry kingdom. So it was on this day when Zarian finally found something so bizarre and out of place in his village that his heart rate picked up way faster than usual while in his own home turf. He nearly lost his calm in front of the kiddos and Ezda, and he wasn¡¯t even sure what the problem was exactly. It was well cloaked, making it difficult for him to feel it out with Basic Aura Manipulation. The thing waiting in an empty lot between spare buildings was invisible to his spiders and might even be invisible to Hannah¡¯s golem eyes or even Magi himself. Zarian was very sure something was there. It was a few blocks to the left of the central street he was on that led to the library. ¡°Everyone, head home without me. Show Ezda around for me, please, if she can fit,¡± Zarian said coolly. ¡°I will use a smaller form, my alpha. But is there a reason you must separate?¡± Ezda asked. ¡°Yeah, but it concerns just me, mainly.¡± Zarian wasn¡¯t sure if he should raise an alarm or not. He had to check things out first. Roland and the others didn¡¯t seem to sense anything amiss, or they didn¡¯t mind Zarian wanting to go alone, unlike Ezda who wanted to cling to Zarian¡¯s side. That was sweet of her, but he gave her a look that brooked no refusal of his orders. Ezda bobbed her big head up and down in acknowledgement and went on ahead with the kiddos. She gave Roland a crash course opportunity on how to deal with his former enemy and learn to be friends. It must¡¯ve been quite a strange sight for the few visitors on the street as guild members and one giant hyena-like beast paraded about. Some guild members were still hauling carts of their kills that they hadn¡¯t sold off at the marketplace. Before Zarian disappeared down an alley, he remembered all the magical gear in the pocket dimension and had Para dump them into a semi-empty cart that a young girl was hauling behind her. The bronze spear poked up from the top. Ultimately, he was better off letting the kids figure out what to do with the enchanted stuff. They could take it as new weapons or feed it to their growing dungeon. Or Hannah might pick out some that she wanted to study if anything caught her interest before she tossed it into the belly of the dungeon. Zarian would¡¯ve laughed if it wasn¡¯t for the seriousness of the situation, since he imagined that a bunch of foreign adventurers would¡¯ve choked on air if they knew all of this enchanted gear could end up as dungeon food. For Zarian and his people, most of the stuff was unnecessary. Hannah¡¯s enchanted crafts were usually better. Hell, most of the damage on Zarian¡¯s gear from corrupted attacks had already self-repaired itself. Still no monocle, but he could live without it, and he was as prepared as anyone could be as he walked the clean alleys and side streets alone. Wherever he passed, the magical lights dimmed, submerging him in growing darkness as the dying daylight gave way to the celestial embrace of the night. A cold winter breeze whistled between the buildings, circling around the mini lot that was empty except for a cloaked figure. The person had their hood up, face covered, while dressed in a mix of forest greens and browns that was more out of place than it should be. Standing like a menacing sentry, the cloaked figure had a shining great sword, the tip on the floor with both hands on the wide hilts of the guard. The cloaked figure looked like an executioner waiting for his victim to come to him. Zarian stopped at the mouth of an alley. He glanced at the nearest spectral spiders. They were still blind to the stranger even with Zarian seeing the guy with his own two eyes. So, was this another Ariana scenario where she would only show herself a select few times? Or did the stranger have a cloaking ability that worked a specific way? ¡°Where are the trees?¡± asked the stranger. He had an accent that Zarian couldn¡¯t place. It sounded very affluent and arrogant, like every syllable was a chance at putting down someone else without trying. ¡°The architect wasn¡¯t too concerned about that compared to making a village habitable and safe for many people.¡± Zarian took a seat at a bench, his cloak fluttering and moving about to Para¡¯s whims. ¡°Neat trick, by the way. Staying invisible to most others except for the specific way I can sense you. So either that was a hole in your cloaking or¡­¡± Zarian trailed off to see if the stranger would finish what he was insinuating. The man didn¡¯t bother, leaving the Madness Wizard to assume the stranger had wanted Zarian to notice, and only him alone. Is this guy one of the nomads? Zarian hadn¡¯t seen this high level of meticulous magic and cloaking from anyone else, not from the gardeners, striders, or paladins. Nomads supposedly had some decent wizard types among them, so maybe the stranger was one, which would make this meeting even more interesting. After some tense silence, the stranger spoke further with his affluent and arrogant accent. ¡°I¡¯ve heard tales from my elders of how this land was once flush with towered trees as far as the eye could see. Where fruits were plenty and the beasts were merry. I heard tales where good was abundant, and the shadow of evil was hidden deep underground, never daring to surface for long. Yet here I see the horrors you humans allow to fester without our rule, without our power to put you lowlives in your place. I see the mongrel who is darkness incarnate become leader of the Dark Era, and no true man raises a sword to fight.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Wait a minute, you¡¯re not a nomad.¡± The stranger reached up with one hand while the other stayed on his weapon. He flipped back his hood and revealed a severely sharp and handsome face with pale skin and eyes so green they could be mistaken for forest leaves. His hair was long spools of gold as bright as the twin suns on a cloudless morning. And his ears were long and sharp at the tips. Zarian hadn¡¯t used his Identify trait because he figured it wouldn¡¯t work properly on someone so uniquely cloaked. Now he knew for sure that he was meeting someone far greater than anything he¡¯d faced before. ¡°Oh,¡± Zarian said. ¡°You¡¯re an elf.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not just an elf, Dark Lord. I am Prince Ruven, Great Grandson of the Sorceress Queen, thirty-third in line to the throne of the Forever Green Empire, Captain of the Promised Continent Slayer Scouts,¡± Ruven said, which was only the beginning of an overly long introduction. Letting the elf prince say his piece, Zarian tried to use the full power of the Void Waltz spell. He had to stand and shimmy around a little, ignoring his rising embarrassment, while his Fractured Mind brought up the mad text and symbols of the spell in rhythm with his moves. The elf prince stopped to stare as Zarian completed the desired dance and attracted the void. ¡°What madness is this?!¡± the prince shouted. ¡°This madness is how you get served.¡± Zarian infused the nearby area with the void before taking himself, the elf, and part of the lot out of the village and into a cleared field north. That was the last move Zarian would get off relatively easily before Ruven showed him what an elf prince from the Promised Continent could do. 120: B2: C20: Elf Prince Zarian was just about to finish unsealing his One Percent Power, chanting and hand-signing faster than ever before, when Ruven did the unexpected. The elf smashed the shining great sword on the nearest cubic stone floor, which the Void Waltz spell had moved with them into a snowy field. Everything stopped moving. The flurry of snow in the winter breeze. The blocky clouds covering the stars and moons of the night. Even the distant sounds of conversation and late-night haggling from the village. Everything stopped. Everything was frozen. To Zarian, it felt like the freeze lasted forever while also happening within a blink of an eye. Then there was some movement again when broken fragments of the shining great sword swirled around Zarian and Para, becoming an arcane cage of sorts, before everything else resumed its flow of time. Zarian and Para remained trapped and unable to move. ¡°From Grimrock to the Hidden Hell, damn your powers of the void!¡± Ruven snarled. ¡°I still carry dread from when my great grandmother put me through that experience of evil magic. Just so I can be prepared for it. Of course, you¡¯d make her right as always.¡± Zarian could hear Ruven just fine. He could still see the elf until Ruven walked out of his direct view. Zarian¡¯s eyeballs couldn¡¯t move with the elf. Zarian¡¯s physical body wasn¡¯t his own right now. A powerful type of magic froze him using the broken shards of the shining great sword that Ruven had smashed. The shards of that powerful tool floated in a cage around the Madness Wizard. But that was not the worst part. Zarian couldn¡¯t move his aura. He couldn¡¯t circulate it. He couldn¡¯t use it to activate skills. Everything was frozen on the outside and inside. He would¡¯ve been horrified if he wasn¡¯t able to still think. Maybe that was a strange reaction, since being able to think like this would lead others to panic. But Zarian wasn¡¯t exactly in the mood to panic. He was absorbing as much information as he could. Every part of his Fractured Mind remained snappy and sharp even though the rest of him was stuck. Ruven returned to the front of Zarian¡¯s vision and stayed outside of the field of arcane sword fragments. The elf snapped his fingers to the left of Zarian¡¯s vision and then to the right, as if checking to see if Zarian¡¯s eyes would move. They couldn¡¯t move, but Zarian was still aware of being tested. ¡°It¡¯s as I thought. The boon combining Purehome and Lawkeep¡¯s divinity is unmatched,¡± Ruven said, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe a great elder of ours needed our help, let alone the help of another god, but who are we to turn down such a request from Purehome. Especially when dealing with a monster like you.¡± Ruven bent down slightly to look directly into Zarian¡¯s eyes. The vibrant green color of Ruven¡¯s eyes spoke of a refined savagery that most people wouldn¡¯t associate with elves. Ruven was a killer, through and through. But he held that part of him back for now. ¡°Congratulations.¡± Ruven straightened and walked out of Zarian¡¯s view. ¡°You will be the first human to set foot on the Promised Continent since the end of the Adventurer Era, years before the Dark Era began. Let¡¯s hope my great grandmother hasn¡¯t grown too rusty from years of being a recluse and still has the power to seal you forever.¡± Ruven was now doing something in the background that was out of sight, and Zarian was left to do nothing but think. Well, at least he knew how this had all come to be. The elves were throwing their hat into the political arena. The Good Gods were backing them to sweep their Madness Wizard problem under the rug. Purehome was the elven ancestor of this world, which made Zarian very interested in visiting the Forever Green Empire and leaving his mark there. Maybe it could use some sprucing, trimming, and deforestation to get his message across. First, I need to break free of this fusion-boon from Purehome and Lawkeep, Zarian thought, which would not be an easy feat to accomplish. The trap was air tight. But it wasn¡¯t perfect, because Zarian was certain he shouldn¡¯t be able to think. My Floridian Mindset is keeping my mind running. And if I have an active mind, my Willpower stat must still be usable. And if my Willpower is still usable¡­ With some prodding, Zarian felt Para¡¯s presence at the back of his mind. She was there, conscious and able. She benefited from the Floridian Mindset as long as they were conjoined as host and parasite. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get back. The foulness of this continent has tainted me the moment I set foot here,¡± Ruven said from behind Zarian. ¡°Even with the orcs gone, their wretched stink still can¡¯t be extinguished. I can only imagine what it was like before the Dark Era came and before this continent became inhospitable. Maybe that¡¯s why all the humans seem more like swines to me. They have orc foulness in them.¡± Ruven was a chatty guy, but at least he sounded calm. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to send them across the world to an entirely different continent. Ruven sounded confident that he had Zarian and nothing could intervene with that. Zarian focused on Para. He studied her presence with Willpower and his Floridian Mindset alone. He didn¡¯t have Naomi¡¯s psychic proficiency. But he had enough willful spirit to get a reaction from Para. The parasite threads inside of his skull wriggled around, squirming in the gaps between his brain matter. Para was mobile while inside of his skull, which was nifty to know, because that might be another positive side effect of Floridian Mindset. Now it was time to have an old fashion jump scare. Zarian waited until Ruven circled around in front of him as the elf finished scrawling runes into the snowy ground. Ruven looked about in satisfaction before moving close to Zarian without touching the boon shards. Ruven did the finger-snapping eye test again. Para burst free from every hole in Zarian¡¯s head. Little tendrils pushed out his eyeballs and filled the sockets. The tendrils came out from his nostrils. They exited his ears and his mouth. Then they froze along with the blood spray, making it hard to see or hear Ruven¡¯s reaction.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Para gave Zarian some impressions of the elf. Ruven was cussing up a storm and rightfully freaked out. But then he went back to the circle of runes he drew in the snow around them and prepared to complete a ritual that would take Zarian away. Plan one had failed. The jump scare didn¡¯t convince Ruven to free Zarian from the trap and check on him. Now onto plan two. The parts of Para inside of Zarian¡¯s brain went on a rampage. She sliced through brain matter and ate the tissue. She hollowed out his skull until there was so much damage his own life energy winked out faster than his vitality. The moment Zarian died ¨C again ¨C the Divine Revival Charm activated. The timing was perfect. A burst of systemized divinity expanded out from Zarian¡¯s body and destabilized the double-boon holding him trapped. The teleportation ritual failed to activate as the divine charm revived Zarian. Since his revival was the top priority for the Star System while staying within its parameters, the System itself denied the teleportation ritual. Para remained present during the death and revival. She used the split-second freedom to grasp the ground with her limbs and yank Zarian free of the divine trap. Better yet, Zarian came back awake while still in the middle of his chant and hand-signing, carrying on through the motions to get closer to the finish. But Ruven was still on him like a fly on a corpse. The Elf Prince, Captain of the Promised Continent Slayer Scouts, moved with blazing speed that was nearly too fast for Zarian to track, even with his many abilities and stats. Zarian pushed Wondrous Speed hard, and he still took the butt of a staff swing to the head, the weapon suddenly appearing from nowhere. Zarian nearly lost his focus. His head rang with a sharp ache. He nearly screwed up the unsealing technique and unleashed the Overwhelming Darkness. The idiot elf wasn¡¯t giving Zarian anytime to explain or fight properly. Para tried to intervene, turning the cloak into many grasping hands, tentacles, hooks, and blades of bone. But the elf moved like he knew where Zarian would go and what Para would do before the wizard¡¯s Fractured Mind could decide. The elf placed such pressure on Zarian that many of the Madness Wizard¡¯s terrifying traits weren¡¯t working, making Zarian more predictable to the elf and an easier target. Worse yet, the prince had such martial skill and power in his staff swings that he completely battered aside dozens of attempts by Para to slow him down. Ruven found his openings, slipping in a thrust to Zarian¡¯s midsection and another swing that clipped him on the edge of his jaw. Zarian reeled from the blows while still having trouble with the One Percent Power unsealing. Then Zarian grew truly mad and charged forward instead of retreating backward. His cloak wrapped up his body to turn him into a bone armored juggernaut. He was working on casting spells through his mind, but blinding pain and a sudden shortness of breath caught him by surprise. Zarian found himself flying and smashing across the snowy field at breakneck speeds that would¡¯ve killed a weaker human. He felt every impact through his parasite armor, rattling his hurt body. By the time he stopped, Ruven was already there, swinging his staff around for a big hit. Instead of dodging, Zarian and Para hunkered down in their most armored form. They were going to take the hit, but Ruven aborted at the last second. The prince dodged away before a human meteorite of a dynamic woman came crashing down. Zarian staggered back. And Naomi stood in the crater formed by her landing, with powerful psychic energy snapping angrily around her. The Rumble Psion slowly turned to the elf. She oozed a palpable power that was born from unbreakable Willpower and the highest tier of hard work that would make most others sick to contemplate. She looked like a physical phenom, both beautiful and dangerous. Yet, she was still not enough for Elf Prince Ruven. A narrow beam of moonlight shot across the field for Ruven¡¯s head. He leaned out of the way before having to step back when another moonlight beam shot at his leg. Ruven retreated as a stream of rapid fire moonlight beams assaulted him nonstop. From the side of the field, a young amber haired woman walked on top of the snow. She moved with the grace of someone born from fairytales and myths, especially with her dress fluttering with her steps and shining peerlessly with myriad colors even in the night. Bianca looked sharper and more steel-eyed from these last four months. She kept plucking streams of moonlight from the sky to keep the machine-gun style shooting going as her bare feet came to a stop outside of the crater. Zarian freed himself from the parasite armor. He gave Bianca a bloody smile. ¡°We found your elf husband, and he¡¯s a prince,¡± Zarian said. ¡°He¡¯s too much of a pendejo. Let¡¯s return this one and find me another,¡± Bianca said coolly. She gave Zarian a hug before providing a kiss to each cheek in greeting. She was still shooting moonbeams and keeping Ruven from diving in. ¡°Did you die?¡± Naomi asked, strutting out of the crater. ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± Zarian replied. ¡°I felt it. Even if it was for a split second. I wasn¡¯t here on time to stop it.¡± Naomi clenched her trembling hands into tense fists. ¡°Bianca, come on. Gilbert¡¯s going to take a while longer. And Hannah¡¯s still too slow.¡± Hannah replied with the best she could give from afar. An artillery cannon from the library fired with a bright, flashy blast. A large ball of enchanted magic blew up the ground Ruven was running around on. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Naomi grouched. Zarian didn¡¯t blame Hannah¡¯s late response because it was just recently, while Ruven had gone on his attack, that the power cloaking the elf was using had dropped. Zarian figured under normal circumstances he could see the identity of most creatures, since he held the greatest power of all, even if it was mostly sealed. The moment the smoke and debris settled, revealing the elf remained upright, Zarian used his Identify trait on Ruven. ¡°You must be sealed away, Zarian Darkrun,¡± Ruven said. ¡°It¡¯s for the greater good.¡± Hannah replied to that with another artillery shot that exploded the snowy ground at Ruven¡¯s feet. Bianca sighed as she multiplied into a dozen copies of herself, each holding a saber of moonlight. Naomi let out a low, rumbling groan before triggering Aura Ignition, but a different version Zarian hadn¡¯t the pleasure of feeling before. He would have to get reacquainted with Naomi later. He was finishing his one percent unsealing with the last phrase. ¡°Freestyle.¡± The mini cubes on his gauntlets moved up and down quickly. The darkness of the night warbled around him, the snowy fields, and for miles beyond. Overwhelming Darkness pushed at the borders of his control like never before. Like he was going to tear apart from the inside. He hadn¡¯t cultivated enough. He hadn¡¯t gained enough control. But against an enemy like Ruven, he had to play to his best abilities. Ruven was making his move, dashing past falling debris and snow from the missed artillery blast. He was about to swing his staff at Naomi while she was still igniting her aura in a special way. Bianca and her clones couldn¡¯t make it in time. Zarian intervened with a lance of darkness that ran fifty feet deep into the ground. The lance cut straight across the field, snow, forest, and fortress hills for a few miles before it winked out. Ruven had to abort his attack on Naomi to avoid a death blow from Zarian¡¯s darkness. The Rumble Psion had enough time to complete her new ignition. Meanwhile, the Slayer Scout Master lost his arrogant composure for the first time. He even had a hint of horror showing through his vibrant green eyes. He must¡¯ve known by now that even at Level 112, he was nothing against Overwhelming Darkness, at least in any contest that tested his vitality and life energy on a direct hit. ¡°Oh, sorry, I¡¯m not so good at controlling my One Percent Power yet. Were any of those trees your friends?¡± Zarian chuckled as his monstrous cloak wavered behind him and formed extra limbs. His trio of grimoires appeared, phasing out of his body directly or through a portal. Many of Para¡¯s extra limbs ended with alien hands and grabbed each grimoire, flipping to distinct pages, ready to cast spells. Zarian kept his Overwhelming Darkness from breaking free and eating everything despite the strain, and he kept trash talking, too. ¡°So your ancient ancestor is on my godly naughty list, and I know I already ate her once, but the first time wasn¡¯t that satisfying, to be honest. I really want to relish it the second time. You think she¡¯ll turn out spicier if I burn your tree-hugging empire down from border to border, have my way with your old as hell elders, and finish what the orcs failed to do.¡± 121: B2: C21: Master Ranker While Zarian spent the past four months studying to seal his Overwhelming Darkness, his fellow Floridians had taken separate routes to advance themselves. Just like him, they¡¯d often committed to tedious, less rewarding tasks. However, they hadn¡¯t studied volumes of books to create a legendary technique. Instead, they¡¯d dealt with clearing random packs of weaker monsters or lifting rubble from a fallen hill of fortresses off a trapped adventurer. Or, in Naomi¡¯s case, having to pick up something big and lift it a bunch of times in between drills with the youngsters. That hadn¡¯t seemed like much. And it hadn¡¯t been, especially for Naomi, Bianca, and Gilbert. So to maximize their growth, those three had to find stuff to do day-in and day-out, almost nonstop and with little rest other than the bare minimum. These simple and well-known words, ¡®Welcome to the grind,¡¯ summed up that part of their lives after the Darkrun Apocalypse. Naomi had focused on her stats and pushing herself beyond her limits. She¡¯d kept developing her physicality and her Aura Ignition with the help of her psychic abilities. Bianca had focused on dealing with her trauma after being brainwashed by traditional good. She¡¯d gone on adventures to fight and meditate on how free good +5 worked, which was different from traditional good. Gilbert had leaned more toward being a major support for their young guild members and for foreign adventurers. He¡¯d often saved lives at the expense of being a drunken human meat shield and taking more and more punishment. Unlike the other three who¡¯d often gone out into the wilderness for multiple days to weeks at a time, Hannah stayed in Ride-or-Die Village. Hannah¡¯s way of grinding and growing had come from completing many side quests that were related with the village or crafting or enchanting or all three. The System truly seemed to favor Hannah and went as far as providing enhanced levels with higher than normal vitality when she¡¯d accomplished her quests. Granted, she alone had uplifted the sole human bastion standing against the wolf dragons, wolf kobolds, and the savage creatures of the northern frontier. Everyone¡¯s growth had come far slower compared to earlier adventures. But the time and effort they¡¯d spent on their individual paths allowed them to delve deeper into who they were within their roles and what they did best as they leveled up and progressed. With each new gain, everyone had kept their fellow Floridians mostly updated, so there wasn¡¯t much they couldn¡¯t account for with each other except for maybe the most recent changes. Zarian had mostly known what he was working with even after four months of not teaming up with his favorite people. But knowledge wasn¡¯t always the biggest factor even if it was foundational for Zarian¡¯s Fractured Mind. One of the Floridians¡¯ biggest weapons was their ability to communicate and stay linked up via the mind spiders inside of their heads. Thanks to Spectral Spider Network +2, the speed at which information relayed between them was much faster and smoother than before. It was both instantaneous and simultaneous without getting confusing, like a really clear chat call where everyone was locked in and there was no lag. Zarian felt Naomi¡¯s rising anger suppressed by a chilling calm as the aura in the air snapped, crackled, popped, and moved with a frenzy with her new ignition technique. He felt Bianca¡¯s cheerless focus as she devoted her all to support with equal measures of goodness and sadness in her heart. Zarian felt Hannah¡¯s crisp calculations, which were assisted by Magi¡¯s sharp predictions, as the legendary Runic Engineer sat on her architect throne at the top of the tower and laid down suppressive fire from miles away, all with a flex of her runic will. And, finally, Zarian felt the alcoholic burn from the rare beer Gilbert drained all in one go while riding hard on Slip the Sleipnir¡¯s back, like a medieval cowboy racing to get to the action. And while Zarian was filtering through all the sensations that his friends were sensing, they could do the same with each other and him especially. They could feel the impending doom encroaching upon them all, like a ticking time bomb of inevitability. All because Zarian had to play the overpowered wizard role against a relentless enemy and keep Overwhelming Darkness from breaking its seals fully. It was both painful and exhilarating, like holding back the tide of ultimate destruction, the end of all life in the universe and beyond, just to use a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of its true power. Gilbert summed it up best while still riding hard from miles away. ¡°God Almighty, if this is their way of trying to save the universe from Zarian, I think they shouldn¡¯t have sent an elf retard to masquerade as an elf prince!¡± While also miles away on her architect throne, Hannah replied: ¡°Gilbert, you¡¯re not supposed to say that.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say what now? God Almighty?¡± Gilbert was flabbergasted. ¡°Retard.¡± Hannah sent down another volley of magic artillery that kept Ruven from moving around too easily. ¡°The universe is on the verge of getting eaten again, Hannah, and this is what we care about?!¡± Gilbert shouted. ¡°Fuck it! What do I know? I¡¯m here, and it really looks like I¡¯m late to the shindig!¡± Gilbert launched off of Slip¡¯s armored back. The legendary Knighted Healer landed hard and skidded to a stop close to the edge of a deep ravine Zarian had created while using one percent freestyle. There were multiple ravines ¨C some short, some deep ¨C that lacerated the snowy land and slashed apart the nearby stony forests and fortress hillocks. Artillery fire struck down and shook the earth constantly, filling the battlefield with the roar of violent thunder and bright magical effects that ranged from furious red to frozen blue. When heavier cloud cover blocked out the stars and moons of the night sky, a new type of magic artillery soared across the air at a slower velocity. The new magic ordnance erupted into long-lasting yellow flares that shone on the battlefield like miniature suns. Bianca and her squad of clones plucked the artificial lights from the sky and sent lasers flying at Ruven¡¯s dashing form. They forced the stubborn elf to zig-zag around them or deflect the lasers with rapid swings of his arcane staff. Naomi moved with she-hulkish speed and power to chase after the elf. A green-blue aura crackled from close around her dynamic phenom of a body, the aura trailing behind her like the long tail of a human-shaped comet. She was moving nearly as fast as the elf at speeds so dizzying it was hard to track. And she was using Aura Ignition in a way that was far different from the usual. This newer version of Aura Ignition felt too weak to be the true Second Stage. However, it was less of a burden to her body while granting more control, enabling her to use her skills. Naomi¡¯s stack of abilities combined with this smaller form of Aura Ignition was powerful for her, letting her keep up and use her psychic powers. The blurring forms of Naomi and Ruven hopped over ravines, swerved around piles of rubble, and skipped past craters as dark and elemental powers struck at the ground around the two. The dark powers landed the hardest, of course, since that was Zarian¡¯s forte. The apocalyptic son of ultra gods stood on a thirty-foot tall boulder Naomi had thrown earlier. He couldn¡¯t move as easily while he focused on controlling a fraction of his cosmic-dooming power. With every release from one percent freestyle, Zarian felt himself about to tear apart, constantly fighting to stay human. Constantly fighting to stay focused and unyielding to his own weakness, the loss of control. He refused to let his darkness break free once again. He refused to bring about another Darkrun Apocalypse, which could be the last for all they knew. Determined, Zarian slashed and hacked up the land with giant lances and cleavers of darkness with all the control he could muster. Each of his attacks were so large, so awe-inspiring, they could¡¯ve executed titans and lay waste to kingdoms. The lands north of the village suffered greatly. But even with all of this power, it was obviously too big, too unwieldy, and too inaccurate against an extremely nimble target like Ruven, a Master Ranker.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The Level 112 Slayer Scout Master stayed one or two steps ahead of outright destruction. He outran Naomi¡¯s psychic melee attacks. He vaulted away from thumping magic artillery sent by Hannah. And he dodged around laser beams and hard-light sword attacks from Bianca and her clones. Nothing could slow the stubborn elf down. Then Gilbert swaggered into the scene and unleashed an invisible but palpable force that unfolded from around his armored body. That was the game changer they all needed coming out to save the day, Tranquilizer Shot +2. The skill to slow enemies or make them fall asleep had always seemed like an afterthought of an ability. It was always easier to apply as much damage as fast and hard as possible unless the Floridians wanted to capture someone. On this night, the least favored crowd control skill and its +2 advancement became king. The big, blue-eyed, and drunken man moved into Ruven¡¯s path. Explosive artillery fell in a line to the right, cutting off that direction. Zarian¡¯s one percent freestyle carved the land to the left, keeping Ruven stuck in a single lane. Bianca dashed over the air on steps of captured light while unleashing more suppressive light beams at Ruven¡¯s head, threatening him from above. Then there was Naomi dogging Ruven from behind. Ruven had done nothing but run away from her as she chased him. There was no going back. So when Ruven inevitably ran into the Knighted Healer, who was standing at the end of the big magical trap, the elf prince couldn¡¯t outright dodge the expanding tranquilizer force. Things only worsened for the ¡®intellectually challenged¡¯ elf from there. Naomi unleashed a short-range Mind Spike +2 for the first time. She¡¯d bided her time until now to catch the elf prince off guard. Ruven snarled from the direct psychic damage to his head. He lost his footing for a split second, which sent him tumbling fast past Gilbert. The Knighted Healer stood with a drunken grin on his face. He tipped his wizardly cowboy hat with a single hand, as if in greeting to the elf prince. Naomi grabbed Gilbert by the collar like she was plucking a tin soldier off the floor. Held from behind the Rumble Psion, Gilbert let loose a long yee-haw, his tranquilizer energy pervading the air and seeping into Ruven¡¯s body still. Despite the crowd-control and psychic brain damage, the Slayer Scout Master corrected his movements with sharp grace. He dodged aside a big, ignited, psychokinetic punch from Naomi that could¡¯ve broken his head open. As he slowly but surely became more impaired, Ruven swung his staff at Naomi. She blocked with one hand and returned fire with another powerful punch using the same hand. The elf prince grunted as he deflected her attack with a swing of his staff before returning another hit of his own. She blocked again and returned fire once more. They traded blows like this, picking at each other, trying to leverage their advantages while poking at each other¡¯s disadvantages. But in a battle of attrition, Naomi was winning. Ruven was looking slower while running backwards against Naomi and Gilbert. Bianca joined the party. She dropped clones of herself in the path of Ruven¡¯s retreat. The elf still couldn¡¯t go left or right as Hannah and Zarian demolished the land with magic artillery and apocalyptic darkness just to keep him stuck in the lane. Ruven chose the most predictable escape option, upward. He jumped and twisted into the sky, dodging many of Bianca¡¯s attacks, but not all. Lasers and clones struck him with glancing blows, leaving some marks and keeping him under pressure. At that point, Para unleashed what she¡¯d been working on this whole time. With Zarian focused on freestyling with his Overwhelming Darkness, the Parasite Cloak +2 kept a spell prepared for the right time. Black and gray flames fanned out across the air in one enormous wave aimed at Ruven. With everything working against the elf prince, Ruven finally showed off his special abilities outside of staff mastery and super speed. Green elven runes appeared in the surrounding air as he pointed his staff at the wave of Black Fire. The surrounding green runes spiraled into concentric circles. Then they released a bright flash, followed by a large wooden trunk that was as tall and thick as a Californian Red Wood. Ruven conjured more of those giant logs. They punched through the Black Fire and flew down on Zarian¡¯s position. None of them hit as Slip the Sleipnir launched off the ground and kicked his eight legs off the sides of each flying trunk. The Sleipnir bounded between multiple trunks in the same volley before landing back down in front of the boulder Zarian and Para stood on. Slip released a mighty neigh, as if sounding proud to stand guard over the spellcasters. That seemed to be the end of the retaliation from Ruven. He was now using light blue runic magic to run across the air, which didn¡¯t stop Naomi whatsoever. She braced herself, while still holding onto Gilbert by his collar, and launched into the air as well. She stayed in flight by sheer psychic prowess alone, even if she wasn¡¯t proficient at it. At the very least, she could throw herself around like a rocket. Bianca joined Naomi and Gilbert, the trio hounding Ruven across the sky. Meanwhile, Hannah lit up the air with shockwave blasts in front of Ruven. As for Zarian, he had to turn his Overwhelming Darkness on the giant tree trunks. Apparently, there was a phase two after their summoning, leading to the giant tree trunks transforming into wooden constructs with arms and legs, almost like treants. Slip the Sleipnir neighed in indignation, as if offended that the giant logs would persist as threats. The eight-legged and armored horse dashed forward for more action. He rammed into one of the treants and stomped hard with his steel hooves to break off huge slabs of bark. Zarian let Slip battle a towering, trunk-grown monster many times bigger than the Sleipnir. The boy wanted the action, so he could have it. Meanwhile, Zarian conjured one wide ring of serrated darkness and spread it out with a snap of a finger. He cut down the rest while Slip stomped all over the body of the one he was facing. Each dying treant struck down with a groan and rumble. Then all became still around Zarian after Slip killed his treant and neighed in victory. It was right then that Zarian realized something. He couldn¡¯t use Overwhelming Darkness any longer. He cut himself off from the spider network and left the rest of the fight to the others. He focused inward, as if he was going to cultivate again, but not quite. He cycled his breathing and felt the bead of darkness inside of his soul. This was not an accurate showing of how massive and terrifying this entity could end up being, but it was there. And it was raging. He felt how it wanted to break free and go on a rampage once again. He felt how the darkness wanted to eat everything. He still remembered the taste of the many worlds, galaxies, and universes he ate across multiple dimensions. He even salivated at the thought. He was growing hungry. Part of him wanted to feast and feast and feast forever and ever and ever, regardless of morality, regardless of all the lives that would end to satisfy his eternal darkness. However, he still remembered the countless years of struggle against something that was out of his control. He remembered how he refused to quit, forcing him to suffer in spite of himself and his own darkness. For too long he¡¯d carried the burden of having an undying but futile determination, all while losing constantly. Zarian refused to suffer that again. He pressed down on the monstrous sensations. He pushed his entire Willpower and Floridian Mindset against the raging darkness inside. He took a risk and dumped all his remaining free points on Willpower, pushing it from 267 to 404. He felt a surge of power from Overwhelming Darkness, but he stayed locked in as his willful mind refused to yield. He refused to quit. He refused to lose. He refused, he refused, he refused. He wanted to have control and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. He wanted to grow powerful under his own terms with his friends. He refused power at the cost of having a fun life. Zarian wasn¡¯t sure how long it took, but he found equilibrium. Then he committed to chants and hand-signs for a specific technique, the biggest reason he¡¯d studied the many books about sealing. ¡°Overwhelming Darkness: Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style Technique. Lock All Twenty Dark Locks. The Dreaded Dragon Sleeps Away Inside Imprisoned Legend. One Hundred Percent Seal. Full Control.¡± The mini cubes in his gauntlets moved up and down before disappearing. The pressure inside faded. The night stopped being his servant to bend and manipulate at whim. The darkness stilled. Zarian released a sigh of relief. He opened his eyes and saw the others closing out the fight in the sky. Naomi was getting juiced up by a combination of Adrenaline Jolt +2 and Sacrificial Blow +2 from Gilbert. The adrenaline skill was more potent than ever, buffing Naomi¡¯s ridiculous physicality to even more ridiculous heights. The sacrifice skill had a new advancement letting it work on others, empowering Naomi¡¯s next melee blow at the cost of Gilbert¡¯s health. Naomi punched straight through Ruven¡¯s staff and destroyed it. Her punch landed on the elf¡¯s torso where a barrier of runic power covered him. She smashed the barrier into pieces with a strident crack that resonated for miles. Her punch didn¡¯t stop there. It kept going, glancing off Ruven¡¯s side as he dodged the full blow at the last split second. That was okay. Naomi¡¯s glancing punch turned Ruven¡¯s ribs and half of his torso into one colossal mess. He became a limp thing of broken bones, bruises, and bleeding lacerations. He fell hard from the sky and landed with a final, crater-forming thump. Ruven didn¡¯t get up from that. He wouldn¡¯t want to, as Bianca stood on a hovering panel of light in the air above. She held aloft a large javelin made of more light and would throw it if the elf budged only a little. Ruven didn¡¯t budge. Naomi and Gilbert crashed down together, the both of them looking ragged from the blitzing chase. Naomi¡¯s ignition was gone, leaving her body strained and badly busted. Apparently, even the weaker version of Aura Ignition could still cause her some damage. Gilbert used his Healing Force +2 to help them both out. With everything settling down, Zarian nodded at the results. The landscape north was smashed, totaled, and completely ruined for dozens and dozens of miles. But the Floridians had won their first fight against a true Master Ranker. 122: B2: C22: Monumental Success The night was filled with stars, moons, and blocks of clouds drizzling snow across a battered battlefield that extended for many miles. Zarian was still standing on the large boulder that Naomi had chucked like it was a mere ball. He was soaking in the monumental success of his party, his heart hammering hard as his Fractured Mind ran through many thoughts. What a hell of a week. My wife¡¯s casting down enhanced versions of her tears. The strongest gnoll in the world acts like a puppy in my village. And we just finished beating a damn elf prince from another continent. I didn¡¯t let the darkness beat me this time. I kept it under control. I didn¡¯t let it break away. The others actually came in to help me. For the first time in a long time, I really needed help, and they were there for me. They didn¡¯t let me down. They saved me. Is this what the Funnest Granpapa and the rest of my family want to see? Are they watching? What do they think? Ariana, little sister, look how far these mortals have come. Look how much they¡¯ve grown since their journey began in the Star System. You think of them as bugs. But they will show you how wrong you are. Zarian looked up at Bianca. She was standing on a panel of light as the winter breeze made her colorful elven dress flutter around her long and graceful legs. She looked sullen but beautiful, glamorous but deadly, while hefting a javelin of supercharged light over a conquered enemy. She could execute the elf at a moment¡¯s notice. Zarian looked down at the two who¡¯d acted like the tip of the spear during the fight. They were the ones who¡¯d kept the pressure and dragged the elf down so that his lofty levels, rank, and abilities couldn¡¯t keep him from getting pummeled. Gilbert was roaring with drunken laughter as Naomi went ballistic from the hype and boasted: ¡°I did that! Did you see me?! I was on that elf boy¡¯s ass and I punched him! I did that! Look at me! I¡¯m a motherfucking, elf-smashing bitch! Oorah!¡± Naomi kept hollering while laying spread eagle. She should focus on using her Earth-Sky Meditation +2 and resting up, but the adrenaline was still running its course through her body. It didn¡¯t help that Gilbert encouraged her, gassing her up. But who was going to stop them? Not Zarian. He was riding on the highs just like them. ¡°You¡¯re proud,¡± Para said, sounding more sophisticated than ever before. There was only a hint of a creepy and monstrous edge to her voice. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling proud of them.¡± Zarian turned slightly. He blinked at the thing hovering over his shoulder. It was a face that he was familiar with. It almost looked like his face, in fact. But it was more feminine, with fuller lips, longer eye-lashes, and slightly more pronounced cheekbones. She would¡¯ve been a truly beautiful human if she had more than a head held up by leathery threads. She didn¡¯t have eyes either, just more wriggling threads inside of empty sockets. When her plush lips spread into a smile, she revealed needle-like teeth that could cut through flesh with ease. At least her hair was bouncy and long, looking like a girlier version of Zarian¡¯s curly hair. ¡°Para?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Yes, it is me, Para.¡± She tilted her head to the side. Her smile shrank to a knowing smirk. Then she reached upward and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before backing off a bit. She had him stunned, so she spoke on. ¡°I¡¯m your parasite. And you¡¯re my host. Thank you for making me much, much stronger. And much, much smarter.¡± ¡°Yeah. Sure. Um. What can I say? You¡¯re practically the best skill in my profile. Glad to help,¡± Zarian said. ¡°We will have to explore the new things I can do. But here¡¯s a teaser.¡± Para turned her face down toward Zarian¡¯s hand. She squinted her wriggling eyes and furrowed her brow. Zarian¡¯s hand stopped being his own, Para taking over to wriggle the fingers before clenching it into a fist. ¡°I will cause some pain. Is that okay?¡± she asked. ¡°Go for it.¡± Para made his arm move, holding up his hand. There was a gap in the gauntlets¡¯ gloves where Zarian¡¯s palm showed. He watched as Para made threads under the flesh wriggle visibly against the palm¡¯s skin. Then sharpened threads pierced out of Zarian¡¯s palm with some blood squirting free. The threads wriggled upward into the air and wavered about. Zarian understood right away what this meant. Para had mostly reserved her rapid transformations to doing things on the outside and with the cloak. But that was not the full extent of her abilities, really. The skill had ¡®parasite¡¯ in the name for a reason. She could change the host directly. She could do things without his say so, if she truly wanted to. Strangely, Zarian felt no fear. He was actually happy about Para¡¯s growth. The possibilities were nearly limitless now that she could do more things inside his body as well as outside. Maybe others would¡¯ve feared something like Para having so much power. But Zarian wasn¡¯t like most others anyway. ¡°Thank you,¡± Para said. ¡°What for?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°For trusting me so much. Normally, I would¡¯ve eaten my host from the inside-out by now, letting them think they were in control until I took over.¡± Zarian snorted. ¡°What stopped you?¡± Para bopped her head against his and let out a chuckle. ¡°You being you stopped me. You welcomed me happily. You¡¯ve always tried to keep me fed. You showed me the pleasures of friendship, which is important.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. As a parasite, these emotionally charged concepts do not come naturally to me. But ever since you became my host, I learned them from you. I value friendship because of you. I care about things more and more because of you. I¡¯m even willing to sacrifice myself, which is not what a parasite should do, because of you.¡± Para bobbed her head from side to side merrily. Zarian¡¯s eyes followed her, mesmerized, while she spoke further. ¡°The gods may look at you as evil, and our powers may be evil magic, but the moment you became my host, I felt your true nature. You are a good person. I can understand goodness without the alignment because of you. I¡¯m interested to see what more you¡¯ll do.¡± Zarian didn¡¯t know what to say to that. That was the biggest emotional gut punch he could get right now. Especially after beating a Master Ranker and keeping his Overwhelming Darkness from breaking free again. He still tried to say something, but his throat tightened. His eyes stung a little. He couldn¡¯t say anything. Para watched him with a big smile. Then, without another word, she touched foreheads with him again before she unraveled her face into parasitic threads. She returned to being nothing more than a cloak hanging from around his shoulders and his back. In fact, she stopped forming random monstrous parts. She let herself move to the whims of the natural wind, like any mundane and ragged thing of dark red leather and little beads of glimmering light. Para had no reason to show off right now. Zarian looked down at his palm where parasitic threads had burst free. They were gone from sight, having returned under the flesh. His high vitality must¡¯ve healed up the damage, leaving behind some splatters of blood. Or had Para stitched him up regardless of vitality? Did that mean his health was less of a concern? Could that leave more vitality for his stamina? There¡¯s only one bad side effect to all of this. Zarian¡¯s stomach roared like a dangerous beast. His hunger was far, far greater than ever before. He reached back for Para¡¯s cloak, and the parasite formed a humanoid arm with slender, feminine fingers. She reached into her pocket dimension and passed him a boxed meal of fresh food that was mainly meat. Zarian chowed quickly, running through multiple boxes. Para used multiple humanoid and girlish arms to pass him more fresh food. She put empty boxes back into the pocket dimension as Zarian ran through meal after meal. Best skill ever, Zarian thought. When Zarian ran through enough food to settle down his freakish hunger, he came to a sudden realization. ¡°Damn, if Ruven had lasted a little longer, that would¡¯ve been the perfect time to push the wizardry angle more. We could really learn to work on that without having to rely on Overwhelming Darkness.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree. I want to see how well we cast spells together after my recent improvements,¡± Para said, forming her lower face and neck over his shoulder. She spoke easily just like this. ¡°I think we can even study together and improve our learning. We can certainly multicast spells better.¡± ¡°Four spells at the same time? Five maybe?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°I think we can be more ambitious than that. Especially if we incorporate the spiders. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. We have many things to check on. And it¡¯s hard to think without food, so I will nourish myself now.¡± Zarian nodded at Para¡¯s blooming brilliance and constant need to eat. She passed him a few more food boxes as dessert while also dumping bodies they had stored in the pocket dimension. She multitasked between feeding him some more and consuming bodies. Seriously, the best skill, regardless of her ability to eat me from the inside out and takeover, Zarian thought. She ate quickly and efficiently with blood-sucking tubes, flesh-tearing lamprey mouths, and bone-crunching jaws she easily formed with the cloak. Nothing was wasted. She even licked up droplets of blood with tongue-like tendrils. Then she dropped even more bodies and ate and ate as Zarian ate and ate. While the duo continued their feast, Zarian glanced up at Bianca, who remained on guard. She had done well. But she was still not the cheery young woman from before. He looked down at the crater where Ruven looked worse for wear, but not completely dead. They would have to decide on his fate soon, though Zarian had a few ideas. Naomi and Gilbert were still clowning around, but this time Naomi was mounted on Slip¡¯s back as the eight-legged horse strutted around proudly.Stolen novel; please report. Hannah remained quiet at the top of the tower while keeping watch from miles away. She was soaking in the moment just like the rest of them, Zarian imagined. Then Hannah said, ¡°You should check the notifications.¡± Zarian jumped right on it in between meals. Nice. That was a huge jump at these levels. They didn¡¯t even have to kill the elf prince to level up. Winning a fight against a Master Ranker while in the lower levels was good enough. Zarian voiced his level up to the others. They all did the same, regardless of their defeated foe¡¯s presence. Hannah leveled up from 78 to 79. Bianca leveled up from 74 to 76. Naomi leveled up from 73 to 76. Gilbert leveled up from 73 to 76. Zarian wondered why he¡¯d gained the most. Then he realized he hadn¡¯t just fought Ruven, he¡¯d also fought the Overwhelming Darkness. It showed in the next notifications. ¡°God dammit, Star System. I know we¡¯re going through a rough patch, but I want to kiss you right now,¡± Zarian said. ¡°And maybe bite you a little,¡± Para added. The +2 on the wizard hat was a godsend gift. They needed every scrap of studying boosts they could get to cut through the onslaught of new spells coming their way. Zarian already had some waiting for him in the advanced voidling grimoire. Grimoire of Black Magic 102 was one level away from resetting and making him have to choose a spell to advance. The hell gator grimoire wasn¡¯t that far behind either. Zarian informed the others. And they told him of their growth in skills. Hannah had only seen improvements in her Summon Magical Intelligence +2 skill. Granted, Hannah had stayed far out of the fight, so it made sense that her growth was smaller. She was okay with that since Magi had progressed considerably from this. The magical intelligence, Magi, was like Para. Hannah had gained the skill-based summoning two months back from one of the newer achievements she¡¯d earned. All of Bianca¡¯s skills had gone up except for Shining Mark +2. She didn¡¯t get the chance to apply that one on Ruven or it would¡¯ve made the fight easier. The utility skill not only hindered a target¡¯s vision and focus, it also increased the accuracy of allies aiming at those who were marked. She would have to land a solid hit the next time they fought a Master Ranker. Naomi¡¯s entire roster of skills had gone up. Psychokinesis +2 was the biggest winner with four new levels, from 29 to 33. She¡¯d used a lot of that skill to help her move around without throwing herself too hard or breaking the ground under her. And she¡¯d used it for a limited but useful flight, too. Despite all that, Naomi¡¯s more recent discovery was more impressive. ¡°It¡¯s Half Ignition, by the way,¡± Naomi explained. ¡°The thing I did with my aura. I bet you felt it, Zarian. It¡¯s not Second Stage, but I think it¡¯ll get me there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be shaking in my boots when you start blasting out punches from miles away,¡± Zarian replied. Naomi let out a happy growl. She was still hyped up. Zarian didn¡¯t blame her, but she didn¡¯t take all of his attention. Not when he owed someone his thanks. ¡°Gilbert,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Now, now, you don¡¯t need to roll out the red carpet or anything for me. I¡¯m just doing my job. Like a cop. But for the universe and beyond.¡± ¡°Still, I have to say this, man. You¡¯ve come a long, long way. We weren¡¯t winning until you made sure we could win against the elf prince.¡± ¡°Si, you¡¯re ace, Gilbert,¡± Bianca said. ¡°I concur,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Still can¡¯t shoot worth a damn, but you¡¯re the man we need most when we¡¯re really hurting.¡± Naomi reached down from on top of Slip¡¯s back and patted Gilbert on the shoulder. ¡°You stop all of that now. I don¡¯t need this rain of praise.¡± Gilbert tipped his cowboy hat over his face. ¡°I¡¯m just doing the work I¡¯m set to do. It¡¯s you, Zarian, who had to hold it down against that awful darkness inside of you. God gave us a mission that¡¯s bigger than all these false idols and idolizers, and I¡¯m gonna walk with you all the way to see it complete. No matter how many elf retards they send.¡± Hannah decided not to correct Gilbert on this. Instead, she directed their attention to the next items on the notification overview. Before Zarian could move on, he got Gilbert¡¯s update. All of the big man¡¯s skill levels had gone up, with Sacrificial Blow +2 being his biggest winner, going from Level 25 to 29. Then Zarian and the others shared the next notifications they had. Bianca¡¯s freedom alignment (free good +5) remained the same. Naomi, Gilbert, and Hannah¡¯s freedom alignment (free for real) went up to +1. That was all they needed to see to know the growth in freedom was based more on their actions now, which seemed to place weight on defending freedom in some capacity, especially theirs. Thus, the former neutral types were freer than ever. Or it was much harder for anyone to come in and control them. ¡°Did anyone hear that bird screaming in the background?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°I hear it in my heart,¡± Gilbert said. Slip huffed and nipped at Gilbert¡¯s head haughtily. Apparently the Sleipnir didn¡¯t like the idea of birds being in his rider¡¯s heart. The growth in alignment would¡¯ve been the most amazing part if it wasn¡¯t for the final notifications. ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Zarian said. ¡°We can upgrade traits in the Star System.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t upgrade Aura Ignition,¡± Naomi said. ¡°It¡¯s restrictive.¡± ¡°This is a pleasant change of pace,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Perhaps we should hunt down more Masters.¡± ¡°Damn it, Hannah. You tell me I can¡¯t say ¡®retard¡¯ while you¡¯re saying stuff about hunting a bunch of Level 100s. Next up, you¡¯ll make a farm for them,¡± Gilbert complained. Hannah didn¡¯t respond. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of making a farm for them, aren¡¯t you?¡± Gilbert accused. Hannah remained silent. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this is the right time to make these major decisions,¡± Bianca said. ¡°We must do something about this pendejo who nearly ruined everything.¡± Bianca had a point. While upgrading a trait was a tremendous boon, Zarian would want some personal time to decide. Finally, Ruven said something, even if it came out as a croak. ¡°It would¡¯ve been easier if you didn¡¯t resist. It would¡¯ve been for the greater good. But you decided to resist.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a joke in there, Gilbert. Do you sense the joke? Do you? Do you, Gilbert? I bet Zarian senses the joke!¡± Naomi laughed like a loon. Zarian smirked. Gilbert heaved a heavy sigh, ignoring Naomi¡¯s verbal jabs. He seemed a little more sober now, and he obviously wasn¡¯t happy about that. With slow steps, he strolled over to the crater Ruven was laying in and looked down at the beaten elf prince. ¡°Can we call his great grandma? That one is still world bound, right? I didn¡¯t quite get if he meant Purehome or someone else,¡± the Knighted Healer asked. ¡°I think Purehome is older and separate from his great grandmother. So we can probably negotiate with the latter,¡± Hannah said. It wasn¡¯t a bad suggestion, especially since Gilbert was keeping Ruven pacified. Healing Force +2 could block the healing of a target. Tranquilizer Shot +2 could keep pumping away from range and pacify targets. Ruven was stuck, making him the perfect ransom. ¡°So we hand the prince over, then let Zarian have his way with her as part of some major deal?¡± Naomi asked cheekily. ¡°I¡¯m down if I can be there for it.¡± ¡°Now I might still be a little buzzed, but I¡¯m under the impression that he was maxing his free evil there with some trash talk and didn¡¯t mean what he said.¡± Gilbert glanced back up at Zarian while the Madness Wizard stayed on the thirty-foot boulder. ¡°You were speaking a bunch of hot air, right, chief?¡± Zarian didn¡¯t say anything because there was something more pressing coming from behind him he felt with his Basic Aura Manipulation trait. The moment he noticed, he and Para finished eating and prepared for another fight. Para shifted the cloak into a dozen sharpened scythes, hacksaws, clawed hands, hooks, bone-tipped tentacles, and even wolfish heads with large fangs. She formed a dozen hands that grabbed the grimoires floating around Zarian¡¯s body, prepared to cast spells. It didn¡¯t end there. Para made changes to Zarian¡¯s body from the inside while he hunkered down. He felt her threads intertwine with his muscles more. He felt her follow his every intent, as if she was wearing his flesh while he was still in control. Para¡¯s nature would¡¯ve been freaky if it wasn¡¯t for how easily she synced up with him through his Floridian Mindset. With their internals deeply embraced, Para could enhance Zarian¡¯s physicality way more than ever before. As the finishing piece, threads ruptured from Zarian¡¯s palm with a small crimson spray. They grew rapidly, twisted into shape, and formed a solid handle. Then the handle grew into a curved and sharpened form of dark red color. The parasite nodachi was born. Following Zarian and Para¡¯s example, the rest of the party prepared for another battle, even if they hadn¡¯t fully recovered. Bianca was the only one who had to stay on guard over Prince Ruven. Zarian faced the oncoming presence with his body and mind braced. He watched as a small form walked across the cold air with nothing under her feet. In fact, she went bare-foot just like Bianca. She was a small slip of a girl. Or she seemed that way from afar. When she drew closer, Zarian saw she had enough curve to seem both mature and young at the same time. The petite woman had pale skin that glowed under the lunar lights of the moons, as if she was some faerie creature walking out of the pages of fantasy. She wore a green and brown dress that seemed plain at first glance, but that was far from the case. Zarian could feel the high density of magic coming from her clothing alone. Above her shining emerald green eyes, she wore a circlet of vibrant green and gold vines. Her head was further topped by long golden-silver hair that fell like a shiny waterfall past her narrow shoulders and down to her ankles. Despite her large volume of hair, Zarian could see the sharp tips of her elven ears poking out from both sides of her head. That seemed to be the cherry on top to what he was facing. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should assume the worst. But there was certainly some danger. The elves seemed like late-game enemies in this world, and this elf seemed way more dangerous than Ruven, even if based on composure alone. Zarian didn¡¯t bother using Identify. He wasn¡¯t in a powerful enough position with Overwhelming Darkness fully sealed. For now, he held his parasite nodachi in preparation. He waited as the petite elf woman finished her walk across the air and stopped on the boulder he stood on. She was only ten feet away while Zarian and Para aimed their many abilities and magic at her. She didn¡¯t look at them. She looked down at the crater Ruven¡¯s beaten body was laying in. Everybody was tense and quiet. Then Naomi let out a frustrated huff. ¡°Should¡¯ve showed up earlier. I would¡¯ve kept the aura ignited.¡± Naomi¡¯s body was heavily debuffed right now. But Zarian knew she would try to throw down anyway, even if it meant using her psychic powers from a distance. Do we have to fight? Zarian wondered. He decided to lean on his Wonder stat. It was decent enough as his third highest stat. He lowered his parasite nodachi and straightened his posture. Para stayed ready with her many limbs for savage melee and evil magic. Zarian took his time before opening up. ¡°You know, I was just thinking earlier it would be nice if we get more fights like these. There aren¡¯t many creatures who can push my party this hard so we can have our big comic book team up. Maybe we have to pay the Forever Green Empire a visit for more occasions like these.¡± Zarian gave the elf woman a cheeky grin. She took her time to respond. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Her voice was on the youthful, girly side. But there was a hint of wisdom that went beyond her appearance. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°There are many matters of importance conflicting at once.¡± Hearing this, Zarian went all in with his political savvy. He ¨C or Para ¨C made the parasite nodachi unravel and slurp back into his palm. Then he reached behind himself and pulled out a cigar case from the pocket dimension. He took out a single cigar, leaving five remaining in the case. Para used a claw to cut off the end. She fished out a runic lighter from the pocket dimension and lit the cigar for him. Zarian had a couple of puffs. He enjoyed the smoke fully, letting it roll around his mouth, before blowing gray streams into the wintry wind. He hummed to himself a bit before he went a step further. He reached back again and pulled out a clean, bone-white skull. Almost instantly, Para read his Fractured Mind and hacked the bottom of the skull from the top. Then Para pulled out a small cask of beer from the pocket dimension. She pulled the cork from the hole before pouring the beer into the makeshift skull bowl. Once the skull was filled with beer, Para plugged the beer cask and put it away in the pocket dimension. The skull wasn¡¯t a perfect drinking implement, but it had a certain style to it. Zarian enjoyed himself. He smoked his cigar and drank beer from the skull of a previous enemy. Everyone waited for him, and he let them wait while having a few more puffs and sips. He let the silence linger. Then he extended his arms off to the side. Para formed a head over his shoulder. She still maintained her battle prowess, but she was ready to try new experiences. Para was way smarter now. More cultured. She could savor the taste of politics, puffing from the cigar before tasting beer from the skull. The parasite smiled with delight. Smiling in return, Zarian said, ¡°So you don¡¯t have a clue on where to begin, huh? Don¡¯t worry. I have you covered as long as you do what I say. First, start with saying whatever else comes to mind so I can better tell you what else to do.¡± 123: B2: C23: This is My Guest 1 The petite elf woman turned away from the crater holding Ruven. She faced the Madness Wizard for the first time, her bright emerald eyes seeming to see straight through Zarian¡¯s soul. He couldn¡¯t sense if she was or wasn¡¯t. It was a hunch. Blocky clouds covered the starry sky. Snow flew in flurries on wintry winds. Bianca¡¯s big, charged up javelin glowed across the demolished battlefield, casting a bright light on everyone while drawing long shadows. Finally, the elf woman said, ¡°My great grandson failed catastrophically.¡± Zarian nodded. ¡°Your great grandson, huh? So is it safe to assume you¡¯re not Purehome but the Forever Green Empress?¡± ¡°No, I am not Purehome, who is my elder. But yes, I am the empress. Ruler of the Promised Continent and all the kingdoms there. I have many other names in my origins, but I don¡¯t think they matter.¡± Ruven spoke up hoarsely. ¡°They do matter, great grandmother! You are Corma¡¯s Chosen One!¡± The empress ignored him. Her bright green eyes kept staring into Zarian¡¯s soul (maybe). He almost wanted to feel uncomfortable, but free evil +3 kept him secured with his political charisma and edge. Zarian took another puff on his cigar while Para refilled the skull with more beer. ¡°Well, your great grandson entered my land. Assaulted me. Caused immense damage that threatened the people of my village. And is an asshole elf retard.¡± ¡°Amen,¡± Gilbert added. ¡°He should¡¯ve been more patient. He could¡¯ve chosen a more diplomatic solution,¡± the empress replied calmly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing diplomatic about trying to seal me away forever.¡± ¡°That was one of multiple options I¡¯ve presented him with. He has the training to do better. But I suppose my progeny let his ego and goodness override his pragmatism. He¡¯s never lost like this before other than to me, and his parents are soft on him.¡± The little empress looked back down at her great grandson. Ruven could barely move, but he shrank into the crater anyway, as if he wanted to disappear. The fear in his eyes was intense while under his great grandmother¡¯s scrutiny. ¡°Hey, Naomi,¡± Gilbert said, leaning toward the Rumble Psion and the trusty steed under her. ¡°What?¡± she replied. ¡°Do elves have different meanings to how family works or something? That¡¯s a kid saying she¡¯s an empress and calling Ruven her great grandson up there. I can¡¯t always predict the chief, but he¡¯s playing along with it pretty hard.¡± ¡°Gilbert has to be acting obtuse on purpose. There¡¯s no way he hasn¡¯t caught on. He must¡¯ve at least seen Lord of the Rings and know how elves age,¡± Hannah said. ¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± Gilbert said proudly. Hannah nearly broke down on her seat in the tower. She would¡¯ve lost her cold composure if it wasn¡¯t for her focus on the most important political meeting happening on the World of Castles and Caverns. The empress turned her gaze from Ruven back to Zarian and said, ¡°To be fair, he mistook me for being able to seal anything away forever. I spoke confidently about such just to save face in front of my controlling grandmother. I could only keep you sealed for at least two eras maximum. You should know why.¡± Purehome is her grandmother, huh? Zarian kept note of that. Aloud, he said, ¡°Yeah, yeah. Seals never last. They¡¯re degrading the moment you plant them. The degradation can be slow or fast, but it¡¯s constant. The technical term is Sealing Entropy.¡± ¡°Indeed, Sealing Entropy is the bane of all good creatures who must put away unstoppable evil without the proper time or resources to kill them. If you¡¯ve read enough on the subject, you would know who has broken the most seals in all of Infinita.¡± ¡°The Dragon,¡± Zarian answered in between cigar puffs and sips of beer. ¡°Excellent. You are well learned, as evil should be. Or should I say ¡®free evil?¡¯ Hm, I suppose we can get into the semantics another time.¡± The empress glanced down and wriggled her toes over the frost-covered stone. ¡°Now we must do the hard part. We must talk, Zarian Darkrun, and see how we can find a solution going forward.¡± She looked back up at him expectantly. ¡°Yeah, I guess that was bound to happen. But are you sure you want to talk with me, though?¡± Zarian chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m only a petty village lord. And you¡¯re the empress of an entire continent!¡± ¡°I see you find humor in the juxtaposition of our positions on the surface level. Under normal circumstances, you would be too insignificant to garner my attention. Even your threats to burn my empire and have your way with me would¡¯ve been nothing of note. I¡¯ve heard worse from orc shamans before I had their people go extinct. However, these circumstances are far beyond normal, and I¡¯m the one at your mercy unless I take drastic, shortsighted measures.¡± Bianca sighed. ¡°Co?o. Why are there always genocides for the greater good?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t leave things to chance in Infinita,¡± Hannah murmured. Zarian semi-ignored his friends and watched the empress with a straight face. ¡°Well, I still need to have my way with you. So how about this? You have to slap your great grandson. Really hard. Then we can talk.¡± The empress glanced back at her fallen progeny with no love, concern, or pity on her face. ¡°You¡¯ve done considerably well against him. Better than anyone at your levels should.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still warming up,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Is that so? Many in my position might find that troublesome. Not only are you a universal threat, your party is remarkably strong. Hence, you¡¯ve defeated someone who¡¯s a Level 112 Master Ranker, which is unprecedented.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re going to slap him?¡± ¡°He is defeated. Why must I?¡± ¡°Because he nearly cost us the entire universe,¡± Zarian said. ¡°So if you want to talk, I need you to show you got some skin in the game.¡± ¡°I could attempt to seal you wholly for a long time,¡± she replied. ¡°I understand your sealing technique. You¡¯re all at my mercy.¡± ¡°But you know that¡¯s shortsighted.¡± He pointed his chub of a cigar at her. ¡°You could make me worse than The Dragon once I bust free. Because I will break free. In fact, I¡¯ll break free sooner rather than later. I¡¯m already crazy, but who knows how much worse I can get after some solitary confinement.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hey, chief, tell her it¡¯s for the greater good,¡± Gilbert advised. ¡°Yeah, what Gilbert said,¡± Naomi added. ¡°Exactly!¡± Zarian cheered as Para giggled from behind him. ¡°It¡¯s for the greater good. You can¡¯t deny the greater good, empress! So slap the kid for the greater good!¡± ¡°Great Grandmother, no,¡± Ruven begged, sounding like he was about to break down into tears. The empress frowned. ¡°The greater good? That is considerable for me when I¡¯m good +4.¡± Nice, Bianca remains the highest, Zarian thought with a smile. Then he said aloud, ¡°Good +4 is more than enough for this.¡± The petite elf woman pouted a little. ¡°I don¡¯t like striking my own progeny down outside of training. But I suppose this is the price I must pay for not being more vigilant with him in a delicate situation like this.¡± The empress sighed. ¡°Fair enough. I will pay this price of yours.¡± ¡°Everyone, back off!¡± Zarian warned. Bianca dismissed her supercharged javelin and flew away in a frenzy of lights. Naomi, Slip, and Gilbert skedaddled lickety split. ¡°Great Grandmother, no! Please forgive me!¡± Ruven begged, unable to move or escape. ¡°Please, spare me, Great Grandmother! Please!¡± ¡°For the greater good,¡± the empress said, pointing her finger at her great grandson. An intensely bright flash turned the night into day, making Zarian wince and stumble back. He heard roaring magic. He felt a huge earthquake shake the battlefield, forcing him to hunker down with Para¡¯s help. His Basic Aura Manipulation sensed so much magic generating and moving Zarian could hardly believe it was happening. The empress could match his One Percent Power or go beyond it. She could destroy kingdoms and lay waste to large parts of a continent. Maybe she could destroy more than that. All with a point of her little finger. Once the bright light dimmed away, Zarian blinked rapidly to rid himself of the temporary blindness. Then he saw there was an enormous hole where the empress had struck. The sides were red hot with melted slag dripping toward the bottom. The depth went down very far. Ruven was gone. ¡°There. I slapped him,¡± the empress said. Zarian stared for a long while with the cigar in the corner of his mouth. The others slowly returned after running away to safety. They gathered near the boulder Zarian and the empress stood on. ¡°I think you killed your great grandson,¡± Zarian said. The empress slowly shook her head. ¡°He has an item that rescued him before he died completely. He¡¯s back home now. The healers will save him. He¡¯ll be quite traumatized for the next hundred years. But I have other great grandsons and great granddaughters who can pick up the slack. Well, the ones I can count on.¡± Zarian nodded. The empress was a serious little woman. He didn¡¯t know what else to say. The others voiced their opinion. ¡°You know what? This stuff is getting a little too far-fetched for me. Is this what you call anime nonsense?¡± Gilbert asked. ¡°You know about anime but you don¡¯t know about Lord of the Rings?¡± Hannah asked. ¡°I know neither. So this is all news to me,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°Scary,¡± Bianca said, staring at the hole. ¡°Amazing,¡± Naomi said, trembling. ¡°Whelp, I¡¯m partially satisfied. But not all the way. I¡¯m still going to work you hard, empress. I need my reparations, and I¡¯m going to get them for sure,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Ready?¡± The empress bobbed her head up and down. ¡°Bring me to a suitable meeting area. In return, I shall brew you my family¡¯s secret tea as we discuss matters.¡± ¡°Oh, I like tea,¡± Bianca piped up, showing some rare cheeriness. ¡°Also, I just want to say this now before things get serious again. You are not only scary but you are very cute, se?orita.¡± ¡°Is she cuter than Foodie?¡± Naomi asked while still riding on Slip the Sleipnir. Her head was bobbing up and down. She was barely staying awake. ¡°Do not put me in such a position, Naomi. You are being cruel,¡± Bianca replied. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m supposed to go on about how this is a bad idea and the mini empress can turn around and betray us and all that. But there¡¯s more beer at the meeting place. So yeah, let¡¯s go there before things go tits up as usual,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°I¡¯ll ensure the room is prepared,¡± Hannah said. Only the Floridians could hear her through the spider network. Or that was what they thought until they realized that wasn¡¯t true. ¡°What a unique style of magic for communication,¡± the empress said. ¡°Also, I¡¯m highly impressed with your runic crafting, young human. I would like to have some time with you later, after I¡¯ve spent some time with the wizard, of course.¡± ¡°She could hear me this whole time?¡± Hannah asked from miles away. ¡°I will question you on the meaning of ¡®Lord of the Rings¡¯ and what that has to do with elves,¡± the empress said. ¡°I am aware of ¡®anime¡¯ already and I would prefer we keep tentacles out of our first meeting.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Hannah said shakily. ¡°Tentacles? You hear that, Para, no tentacles,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°Noted,¡± Para said. Zarian didn¡¯t comment on the empress¡¯s network infiltration or her troubled knowledge about ¡®anime.¡¯ He figured this entire situation was a consequence of dealing with an overpowered elf. She hadn¡¯t lied when she said she had them at her mercy. However, Zarian figured he had no reason to fuss. He held the biggest cosmic stick at the universal level. And Sealing Entropy was a real issue that the empress felt concerned about. It is what it is. He wondered how many more surprises might crop up. Of course, it didn¡¯t take long for even the Infinita Star System to throw in another curve ball. ¡°Before we go, you must decide on whether the tailor should have an invitation on this unusual night,¡± the empress said. ¡°The tailor?¡± Naomi shot ramrod straight, nearly bucking herself off Slip¡¯s back. She was fully awake again. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be that tailor.¡± ¡°Damn it, Ruvaria, you never know when to let a delightful surprise just play out.¡± A well-dressed drider appeared from nowhere on the ground near Zarian¡¯s party, nearly spooking the Sleipnir. ¡°I was really hoping I could reintroduce myself and hog all their attention. But now I have to compete with Empress Ruvaria the Sorceress Queen! That¡¯s not fair!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, Baron Ekri the Flesh Ripper,¡± the empress responded. ¡°Oof, not that name. It¡¯s too boorish and unfit for me these days. Tailor works best.¡± Ekri turned his spider-like face toward Naomi, all six arms folded behind him. ¡°My, my, my. Look at you. You¡¯ve grown far faster and far greater than I could¡¯ve ever imagined. The threads of our fate truly have remained strong and blessed, Naomi Washington. Praise Hisscreep, because I¡¯m truly glad to see you again.¡± Naomi didn¡¯t respond. It was at that moment, something inside of Zarian found a reason to dislike Ekri. Even if only a little. That little dislike grew as Ekri looked up and met Zarian¡¯s darkened gaze. ¡°You better hold on to this one, milord. She¡¯s the type that can really leave an impression, and I can¡¯t help but want to have that to myself. Not for her flesh. No, no. She¡¯s a walker. A wearer. She¡¯ll make my newest and latest inspirations really stand out like never before. You understand?¡± ¡°She¡¯s mine.¡± Zarian flicked away the remains of his cigar. He chucked the beer skull into the pocket dimension. ¡°That¡¯s about it. She¡¯s mine.¡± Ekri the Tailor chuckled. ¡°Oh, the husband of Evil Goddess Shadowfell is laying claim to more than one? Harems can be fashionable if you do them right. But you¡¯re of this new and fancy thing that¡¯s getting all the younglings excited. What is it again? Freedom! How can she be yours if she¡¯s free?¡± Zarian shrugged. ¡°The marriage is one-sided, and I don¡¯t want a harem. I¡¯m just saying Naomi¡¯s mine. She can dispute that if she wants.¡± Naomi held her silence and disputed nothing. The others stayed out of it. Ekri the Tailor laughed some more. ¡°Well, well, I won¡¯t disabuse an apocalyptic man for standing up for what he believes, despite how dangerous that belief could be. Just know you must be able to defend what¡¯s yours without losing to others. Or to yourself, Zarian Darkrun.¡± ¡°Empress, I¡¯ve decided. He can wait outside,¡± Zarian said. Ruvaria bobbed her head up and down. ¡°Oh, come now! Are you really going to put out a baron from Carrowmore? There are so many wonderful things I can tell you! Naomi, dear, can¡¯t you make him act more reasonably?¡± Ekri turned to her. Naomi had a special connection with Ekri. She¡¯d often said she wanted to catch him and wreck him. Tonight wasn¡¯t the night for that. Not while Zarian was upset. Naomi looked away from Ekri. She kept her mouth shut. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later, tailor,¡± Zarian grunted. Before Ekri could say anything more, Zarian turned to Ruvaria. ¡°Do you have a reliable teleportation spell? If not, you¡¯re going to have to see me dance a little to sweep us through the void.¡± ¡°Most teleportation spells rely on the void. Its emptiness makes it easier to teleport from one place to another without complications,¡± the empress said. Zarian was going to reply with interest on the subject. He was a wizard, after all. But the words stopped in his throat when his surroundings faded from the battlefield to a lively street in Ride-or-Die Village. 124: B2: C24: This is My Guest 2 There was barely any forewarning that she¡¯d used a complex spell. He¡¯d barely felt the trace of the void, either. She¡¯d moved them instantly to a spot near the center, making it look easy, as if she was merely breathing. He looked back and saw the others were with him under the glow of neon magic lights, fully returned to their village. No Baron Ekri the Tailor in sight. When Zarian looked up, he saw the Central Library Artillery Tower looming above the other village buildings. The structure stood as a vast monument to Hannah¡¯s crafting prowess and runic engineering while looking like a skyscraping weapon of doom, all black with the dark red gator head emblem and cursive motto. ¡°I¡¯ve placed a ward around your village made for Ekri. It would keep him out unless he wishes to attract my wrath. The last time he did, I made him regret it for years,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill him?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°That is a story for another time.¡± Zarian looked back at the others. Nobody had anything to say. Then they glanced off to the side as a pair of adventurers from the Windy Strider Kingdom walked drunkenly by them. The striders were singing about how the world was ending and nobody had time for love except for the Darkness Lord and the Shadowfell Lady. Their love was the end of Infinita. That was one of a few bawdy songs that turned Zarian¡¯s marriage into a comedy, tragedy, dramedy, or all of the above. Zarian didn¡¯t put it past striders to find something to celebrate for even when there was a major doomsday fight miles outside of the wall. Wanting to avoid unneeded attention, Zarian grabbed the empress by the hand and pulled her down an alley. The others followed as Zarian escorted Ruvaria toward the tower. The empress didn¡¯t pull away or correct him. ¡°Thanks for putting up a ward,¡± he grunted. ¡°It is of no trouble to me,¡± she said. Zarian stopped when a squad of paladins stalked through the alleys suspiciously. It was easy for Zarian to cover himself, the empress, and the others under dark shadows using his Dark Affinity, especially when Hannah or Magi dimmed down the lights around them. They also had advanced stealth enchantments on their outfits that kept them unnoticeable, too. Once the suspicious paladins moved past, Zarian sent some spectral spiders after them. He moved on with the elf in tow. ¡°I can¡¯t use Identify on you right now, so I have to ask how you can do what you do?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°I¡¯m a Master Ranker at Level 184,¡± she said. Zarian looked back at the others on the ground with him. None of them interrupted, trusting him to speak. Even Hannah didn¡¯t dare speak. The observational prowess of the empress still spooked her. Zarian nodded. ¡°Okay, this has been bugging me. This is a world for Levels 1 to 100 mainly. Yet, there are plenty who are way past that. Why?¡± ¡°Because the remaining Master Rankers and Level 100s chose not to ascend. Which comes with a drastic penalty in experience and other means of growth, as well as more negative attention from the System. Most Master Rankers don¡¯t get above Level 110 if they stay in a Lesser World, anyway. Some would rather let their life energy expire than ascend.¡± That was more bleak than Zarian had expected. He didn¡¯t let it affect him and kept rolling forward. ¡°So you¡¯re far above most Master Rankers in this world?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the most powerful Master Ranker in the World of Castles and Caverns and in most of the Lesser Worlds across Infinita,¡± Ruvaria answered. ¡°However, I would be considered a small threat if I ascended to a Greater World, forced to grind against even bigger monsters and Master Rankers while hoping to avoid the attention of Champions. I don¡¯t wish for that, and even if I did, it¡¯s too late for me now.¡± Zarian wasn¡¯t so sure if she was a ¡®small threat¡¯ as she claimed, but before he could challenge her on what could be a lie, Hannah blurted out, ¡°Why is it too late for you to ascend?¡± ¡°The First Ascension Star Trial would tear me apart for being this high leveled while coming from a Lesser World. I have the advantage of nearly unending life energy, and many elves in similar positions are more harshly tested, especially if they go too high into the Master Rank from a Lesser World,¡± Ruvaria explained. ¡°So there¡¯s a heavy soft cap in progress after becoming a Master Ranker in a Lesser World. And the First Ascension Star Trial is a hardcore test that can scale up with you based on level.¡± Zarian could see how these measures reduced the chances of anyone reaching the Greater Worlds from the Lesser Worlds without earning it. The empress sighed. ¡°So instead of dying in a test that would kill me, I stay and live the lifespan of an undying elf and rule at the top of this world.¡± ¡°What about regressors and world bosses?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°If I can get to them in time, the regressors will die,¡± the empress said. ¡°World bosses aren¡¯t easy for me to attack directly because of system parameters, but I have other ways if those who are much weaker than me can¡¯t handle that challenge. Other than that, I stay to myself and live a fine life.¡± ¡°Apologies, ma¡¯am, but that sounds like a coward¡¯s life,¡± Naomi grunted, breaking her silence at last. She remained on Slip¡¯s back, the eight-legged horse clopping across the cobblestone. For the first time since they¡¯d met her, Ruvaria smiled. The look on her face expressed her many years of experience and wisdom. ¡°Yes, it is a coward¡¯s life. I¡¯m the biggest coward there is.¡± ¡°I think I like her,¡± Gilbert grunted. ¡°She¡¯s got the right type of attitude.¡± Slip the Sleipnir let out a disagreeable huff. The eight-legged creature was more on Naomi¡¯s side than Gilbert¡¯s. Bianca fell mostly silent again while walking from the back. And Zarian walked from the front while brooding darkly. This was a lot of great information for him to learn. But he was still upset with Ekri, which was distracting him still, and he hadn¡¯t figured out why. In fact, it wasn¡¯t smart to keep the Carrowmore Baron out. How much was Zarian missing from Ekri¡¯s side of the story?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Zarian could justify his exclusion of the baron for Ezda¡¯s comfort. The gnoll elder had a traumatic meeting with the drider when she was a young pup. But that wouldn¡¯t be true. Zarian simply didn¡¯t like the drider. Before Zarian could keep brooding himself into a hole, Gilbert shocked him with a pat on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s alright, brother. It¡¯s only natural. I¡¯ve been there.¡± Zarian looked up at the big, blue-eyed man in confusion. Then Zarian glanced at the others, but the ladies were placing their attention elsewhere, especially Naomi. With a shrug, he put aside his disgruntled mood. There was more to concern himself over. They were going to cross past the central courtyard at the foundations of the tower. The stone buildings were all decently tall, many reaching slightly above hundred and fifty feet, but the library stood like a titan in the skyline. Zarian found the alley¡¯s exit. He saw the bustling market surrounding the most commercial area in the village. There were restaurants run by the Hemlock Family who¡¯d invested here first among other adventurous entrepreneurs. There were shops circling around the area run by other entrepreneurial adventurers that had paid a fee to the Hemlock Family, which had fattened the coffers of the Floridians. Snowflakes drizzled down between the stone towers. Magic lights shone on the crowds. Most people would probably stay up for hours longer after listening to volleys and volleys of the magic artillery fire from earlier. The crowds could be distracting, but they weren¡¯t much of an attention grabber compared to the four temples of the village, one at each of the corners of the central market. One temple held Shadowfell¡¯s altar. He felt drawn toward it like being under a darkly magnetic pull. Zarian ignored the pull and looked down into the empress¡¯s awaiting face. ¡°I want people to see us. Ready for that?¡± Zarian asked. Empress Ruvaria sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve lived for three eras. And nothing tortures me more than the dreadful masses. I suppose this is another worthwhile punishment even after the near destruction of my great grandson.¡± An introvert, huh? Say no more. Zarian smiled darkly. He pressed his hand to the empress¡¯s back and pushed her forward. He made it seem like he was tossing a cute little girl to the wolves. All conversation around the center died down quickly. The silence was deafening. Then an eruption of activity and voices roaring over each other filled the center. The sight of the first elf on the Walled Continent in over an era was worthy of mythical attention, especially since she was a petite thing. Ruvaria glared straight ahead. She wasn¡¯t happy. But she endured the onrush of gushing and talkative adventurers while holding back power that could wipe out the village instantly. Thankfully, Zarian was there. And with his presence, there was the benefit of the Uncanny Valley Effect, The Dreaded One, and Parasite Cloak +2. Zarian made himself look like a nightmare from the darkest depths of a human¡¯s depraved imagination. Most people looking at him directly turned away fast. Para spread out with multiple harmless limbs. She put no effort into tossing aside adventurers who focused too much on the petite empress. Making solid progress on the political walk, Zarian glanced back at the others. Gilbert was enjoying the show. Slip the Sleipnir nipped at random hands from people who wanted to touch his majestic hair and figure. Bianca was quiet and dim in the back. And Naomi was looking at Zarian weirdly. Her expression was mostly blank. He couldn¡¯t tell what was truly up with her. She was leaning hard on Tranquil Mind +2 to suppress whatever emotions she was feeling. Maybe he should apologize about what he¡¯d said in front of Ekri the Tailor. While Naomi was his party member and fellow Marine, Zarian could see how he¡¯d sounded too possessive of her. It was kind of hypocritical to act that way as a Freedom Leader, wasn¡¯t it? Once I apologize, she¡¯ll understand. Zarian figured that was that. He turned forward and smiled as they reached the many steps up to the front door. The air felt fresher once they moved under the stone awning. Zarian could almost taste the runic magic and high amounts of aura passing through the mega structure. The glass doors slid open as they approached. Then a holographic male in a tuxedo appeared. ¡°Welcome to the Central Library Artillery Tower!¡± Magi said cheerily. ¡°It is great to be your host, Empress Ruvaria. We can set an appointment for public tours once you¡¯re able. We even have a royal room with state-of-the-art amenities for esteemed guests.¡± Nice job, Hannah and Magi, Zarian thought. The nicer we present things, the more luxurious we seem. The more luxurious we seem, the more we can leverage how strong and rich and awesome we are to the op elf. Empress Ruvaria didn¡¯t reply as she examined Magi. Regardless of the holographic body and tux, the magical intelligence only looked semi-humanoid. His face was smooth. His body, even while wearing a nifty suit, wasn¡¯t proportioned like a real humanoid man. His arms were too long. His body was too narrow. Magi reminded Zarian of a smaller version of Slender Man. Hannah seemed to prefer him this way. Before Empress Ruvaria responded. Another decently major political figure ran out. Zarian didn¡¯t recognize the woman until he heard her voice. By then, she already had him trapped in an embrace. ¡°My alpha! I¡¯ve been told to wait while you were on a conquest against a powerful enemy! Who was this enemy you¡¯ve defeated? And did Elder Para eat all of its remains? I would¡¯ve liked a taste if you can spare even a bone,¡± Ezda said, backing off from the big hug. Zarian shook his head as he looked up at Ezda¡¯s humanoid form. Her skin was dark. Her hair was shorter while still falling as locks of yellow and brown. She still dressed like a savage woman with leather straps in front of her chest, but now she only had one pair of breasts. Her pants fitted her looser. And she wore no shoes, displaying claws from her bare toes. She had claws on her fingers, too. When she opened her mouth, her yellowish fangs, although smaller, reminded him of a gnoll. And instead of being ten feet tall, she was a little under seven feet tall. So she can shift into a giant hyena form and a smaller human form, huh? ¡°Did they treat you well, Elder Ezda?¡± Zarian asked with a small smile. Ezda seemed to remember having tact. She bobbed her head, her locks failing. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been treated well. The Roland human remained professional even though I think he should¡¯ve attacked me. It would¡¯ve been easier to let out the passions in our blood that way.¡± ¡°The gnolls truly haven¡¯t changed on this continent,¡± Ruvaria said. Ezda blinked down at the petite elf woman. The human-shifted gnoll looked with wide eyes at the pointy ears. Then Ezda seemed to muster her boldness and speak haughtily down at the elf. ¡°So you remain alive as a political hostage, hm? Or as the reward for conquest? Excellent. The alpha should have his appetite sated by all types, even the smaller ones,¡± the gnoll elder mocked. Ruvaria blinked her bright green eyes up at the haughty gnoll. No response. Someone in the back, Gilbert most likely, was choking on air. Zarian let out a soft evil chuckle. ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha. Oh, Ezda, Ezda, Ezda.¡± ¡°Yes, my alpha! That is my name!¡± ¡°Would you consider yourself the strongest gnoll in the world?¡± Ezda laughed like a hyena. ¡°I know I am the strongest across all the Walled Continent. If there are other gnolls elsewhere, I¡¯ll dominate them all! I bet I can even dominate little elves if they meet me in open battle!¡± Zarian nodded slowly. He gestured a hand at the little elf next to him. ¡°Hm, yes, yes, I suppose you could. Well, let me introduce you to this little elf right here: Ruvaria the Sorceress Queen, the Forever Green Empress, the Ruler of the Promised Continent and all the kingdoms that exist there. She¡¯s the strongest Master Ranker in this world and across the other Lesser Worlds. She¡¯s lived from the Reset Era till now. She¡¯s the granddaughter of Good Goddess Purehome. She once made Ekri the Tailor look like an annoying bug. And she is Corma¡¯s Chosen One.¡± Zarian chuckled some more after the lengthy introduction. ¡°So, yeah, I will have my appetite sated, but this is not my hostage, this is my guest. Understood?¡± Ezda turned around and ran away. 125: B2: C25: Fractured or Manipulation 1 Zarian was standing with a porcelain tea cup in his hand, looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the top of the Central Library Artillery Tower. Wisps of vapors rose from the scalding hot tea. It was a dark blend. It had a herbal scent. Slightly minty. His village¡¯s most important guest, Empress Ruvaria, had just brewed it for him and the other occupants inside of the spacious meeting room. One might think in a political meeting like this, there was the danger of poison. But Ruvaria was the type who was so powerful the use of poison would be too far beneath her. It was actually a flex that she could be the most powerful Master Ranker across most of the Lesser Worlds and still serve other people tea. There were only six of them, the Floridians and the empress, who seemed present. Zarian could make a case that a few of their skill-summons, Hannah¡¯s Magi and his own Para, could be major decision makers, too. If so, then the choices made by all eight of them could possibly rock the entire foundations of the entire universe and maybe further beyond. Zarian imagined the man he was a year ago wouldn¡¯t have believed he¡¯d gotten this far so fast. Granted, many incredible things had happened. He couldn¡¯t blame the man he was before for not having the capacity to imagine all of this. Here he was, holding an entire universe hostage, able to look out the top floor window of a weaponized tower and see many people scurry about under him like ants. In the old world, he used to be down there in the alleys when it rained. He used to look up at the skyscrapers and wonder what it would be like to be up there. Between him and the scurrying people below were rectangular protrusions along the upper third section of the tower¡¯s sides. The magic artillery cannons have already cooled by now. They were ready to dish out more punishment against any major invading force. ¡°Outsiders never cease to amaze,¡± Empress Ruvaria said. She looked out the ceiling-to-floor windows while standing next to him. The other Floridians were seated at the giant conference table, which was loaded with food and drinks galore. They were eating while taking sips from the ancestral elven tea. Zarian hadn¡¯t taken a sip yet. Ruvaria hadn¡¯t taken one either. They looked out the window for a long while. After recomposing his thoughts, Zarian took his first sip of the tea and hummed with delight. It was excellent stuff. High in quality. Magical to the senses. He felt like he tasted Nirvana as it flowed between his tongue, stomach, and brain. He felt more and more relaxed. The tea soothed him. ¡°I guess we can¡¯t persuade you to think we came from the World of Swamps and Princesses, huh?¡± Zarian asked. Ruvaria shook her head, her long gold-silver hair swishing with the movement. ¡°You can¡¯t. I know Florida is a specific landmass in the mundane world you herald from. I¡¯ve heard of it before, in fact.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± ¡°It is so. You¡¯re not the first Outsiders I¡¯ve met who came from there. Although, I¡¯ve met plenty who claim to come from the World of Anime and Samurai. And those who claim the World of Soju and Kpop.¡± Back at the conference table, Gilbert burst out. ¡°Hey, I got those references!¡± ¡°Impressive,¡± Hannah said dryly. Zarian couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He wondered if he would meet any Japanese or Korean Outsiders along the way. Maybe there were other Americans, too. He might have to watch out for that. Other Outsiders might have their own OP-ness. Even if his OP-ness trumped everybody else¡¯s right now, all it would take was one crazy Outsider with the right skills to catch Zarian off guard and end everything. There were already some wildcard factors brewing in the background who wanted to challenge, like Luciana, or seal him up, like Ruvaria¡¯s grandmother. ¡°Good Goddess Purehome isn¡¯t going to be happy with you after this, I imagine?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Our relationship has always been transactional,¡± Ruvaria answered. ¡°There is no point in pretending otherwise. Family does matter. But even family has become a dreary exchange of favors for power and influence. It¡¯s times like these I prefer to fake my death and disappear for centuries.¡± The empress gave Zarian a sidelong glance. ¡°But I can¡¯t ignore you. You won¡¯t let me ignore you.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t make me go away easily, either. Well, not without considering the long-term consequences,¡± Zarian said. ¡°We¡¯ve gone over this already. I may be old, but I was never dull.¡± Ruvaria sighed. Zarian shrugged. ¡°I like the political dance. It¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°Enough performance. Tell me what you want,¡± she demanded, adding some weight with her good +4. Zarian didn¡¯t let her goad him easily. Without a clear lane to crush him like an ant, the empress¡¯s use of good +4 was an empty threat. The freedom alignment made it hard for anyone else to come in and crush someone of freedom without the force to back it. In other words, his free evil +3 was better than her good +4, especially in the political arena. Zarian smiled nonchalantly over the brim of his tea cup before taking another sip. He let the empress stew away in her annoyance before she finally took a sip from her own cup. Then she looked down at the dark blend with a hint of surprise. ¡°It¡¯s still awful,¡± she said. ¡°Tastes great to me,¡± Zarian said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t compare to my father¡¯s tea. His tea was the best. He was the best.¡± ¡°Is it too early for me to ask what happened to him?¡± ¡°He died in the First Star Ascension Trial.¡± Zarian nodded. He supposed he held back long enough. ¡°My condolences, empress. I won¡¯t pretend I knew your father or your relationship with him, so I won¡¯t say anymore than that. Instead, I¡¯ll make my request.¡± ¡°I appreciate that. And yes, tell me.¡± ¡°Mentor us,¡± Zarian requested. ¡°No,¡± the empress replied. ¡°I figured you would say that.¡± Zarian took another sip. He steadily walked around the petite elf woman. His ragged cloak moved smoothly with his steps. ¡°But I need to know why you would say that before I can haggle.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve mentored enough. I¡¯m tired. I have a garden to tend back home. I have many hobbies I would rather do.¡± Ruvaria took another sip from the tea. ¡°How about you point me at an enemy and let me erase them for you? I can do that much before the Star System attempts to impose its restrictions on me.¡± Zarian shook his head. No dice. It wouldn¡¯t be cheating to use the empress as a hammer, but it would be too cheesy. The Funnest Grandpapa had made it obvious that Zarian needed to do the hard work and stay committed to the grind. Zarian needed to stay away from making things too easy for himself and for his party. That would lessen the quality of his party¡¯s growth, which was especially bad. ¡°I guess you aren¡¯t in need of me destroying anything.¡± The empress sounded frustrated. ¡°I can talk to you and your friends. Make suggestions. Give advice. I have my own curiosities I would like to have satisfied. But mentorship requires a deeper relationship. And I¡¯ve done this enough with adventurers before you. I¡¯m too old for it now.¡± ¡°Do you have anything you have to handle directly back at the Promised Continent?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°No. I made sure it can all run without me,¡± she said. ¡°Then I¡¯d like you to stay in my village for a while. Be a long-term guest. Ask whatever you want. Everything you want to know is yours to know,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Besides, you know you can¡¯t just vanish. I¡¯m a huge, huge, cosmic issue. Do you want someone else to come into your backyard and mess things up? I¡¯m in your backyard. I¡¯m your problem. Who better to tend to that than you?¡± Zarian held nothing back. His free evil +3 sang beautifully in this sort of contest. This was where evil shone best, especially his free evil +3. I want her. I will have her, Zarian thought greedily. Empress Ruvaria took a slow sip from her tea. ¡°How unusual.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing unusual about it. Why hide anything from you when I have nothing to hide? Why turn us away when you can watch over us and see everything with no resistance?¡± Zarian smiled wickedly.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. She pouted like a little girl. ¡°You are being too convincing. You are quite evil.¡± ¡°Evil? No, no, no, empress! What I offer is beyond evil! The schemes? The backdoor deals? The preparations to step on others and backstab up to the top? Yes, those are best used against pitiful players who bumble their way through the game. But for someone like you? No, no, no, I will not play the game that way with you. I¡¯m going to flip the entire board instead by doing the opposite. By being honest. By giving you what you need. And then by giving you what you will want.¡± ¡°Honesty can be used for evil,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°Yes, it certainly can. But you can¡¯t resist me when all I¡¯m doing is satisfying your curiosities, handing you solutions to your problems even before they crop up, and putting myself further into your mercy just so you can have more control. After all, I am just another plant in your garden. Despite me being big and prickly, I know and you know that with enough care, this big prickly plant and his plant friends can all flourish and make you proud.¡± ¡°I have heard similar words before. I know this trap. It is a noose to hang my spirit by. Yet I can¡¯t end you. I can¡¯t make you go away. Thus, your presence and words annoy me greatly. I don¡¯t like how you have all this power over me and must parade it as my problem.¡± Zarian pressed forward until they were tea cup to tea cup. Ruvaria had to tilt her chin up to meet his eyes. ¡°Regardless of what I prefer and what you prefer, I need to control my Overwhelming Darkness. You are the best Master Ranker of the Lesser Worlds, with a bunch of names including Sorceress Queen. So, I¡¯m going to do everything I can to pull you into the fold and have you help me.¡± Zarian let out a low evil laugh. ¡°So welcome to Little Florida, my dear, a warm and lovely place that¡¯s perfect for your next forever retirement home. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take very, very good care of you. We have a decent track record for that.¡± ¡°You make it all sound that I have no choice,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°I can always disappear and hide.¡± ¡°I will find you. And make things inconvenient for you,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll make you so annoyed you¡¯ll accidentally kill me. Whoopsie daisies. There goes the universe. Again!¡± Ruvaria turned from Zarian to the other Floridians sitting at the table. She looked expectantly at them, as if they should call out Zarian for being crazy. They didn¡¯t, of course. Because they were Floridians, and they all had the craziness, Bianca especially. ¡°You remind me of my abuela,¡± Bianca said. ¡°You sound like you need someone to take care of you and not make you feel used. Let me help you, se?orita.¡± Ruvaria blinked, not able to respond right away. Bianca moved from her seat gracefully, her colorful dress swishing with her long strides. She crossed the distance before crouching down to look up into Ruvaria¡¯s shiny green eyes. ¡°Si, si, I know. I see what¡¯s the problem. I understand. This is why you must stay. It will take time, but you will get better.¡± ¡°You know not what you are babbling, child,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°I don¡¯t need to know. I just need to feel it. And I can feel it.¡± Bianca smiled brightly. ¡°We will have good times together. You need a spa day. Let¡¯s do a spa day for all the girls.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pampered well enough.¡± ¡°Yes, but no. Not properly. And not well enough to heal what¡¯s wrong inside. We¡¯ll work it all out together.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you or anyone.¡± Bianca nodded seriously. ¡°Do not be afraid. It will be painful, but once you¡¯re on the other side, the wound in your heart will feel a little better.¡± Zarian had no idea what was happening. But he wasn¡¯t going to stop it. The exchange between the princess and the empressess had Ruvaria on the back foot, either way. The petite elf woman had an expression that was both unnerved and dumbfounded. She was completely stumped by Bianca being Bianca. Unable to handle the Bianca-ness, Ruvaria turned away and looked out the window. ¡°I hate it when things get complicated,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°It was simple in the early days. Evil attacks good. And good slays evil. Rinse and repeat. But two eras later, everything¡¯s more complex. This is the Dark Era indeed.¡± Ruvaria sighed. ¡°And I¡¯m the darkest I¡¯ve ever been even with all of my accolades. I should just go home and accept things as they are.¡± ¡°She sounds like she needs a healthy smoothie,¡± Bianca suggested. Zarian reached over and patted the Latina on the shoulder. He gently turned her around and sent her back toward the conference table. It was good to see Bianca¡¯s bubbly personality rise to the top again, but it could be too much without some restraint. At the very least, Bianca knew to listen when Zarian needed her to dial down the Bianca-ness. Zarian let the silence persist afterward. He finished his tea. They did nothing but look out the tall windows and watched the snowfall and heavy block clouds crawling above the village. Finally, after an hour of nothing happening, Ruvaria broke the silence. ¡°I will stay until I can make a more permanent decision,¡± the empress said. ¡°I would like to get shown to my room soon, but before I go, I wish to weigh in on your next decisions, children.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Zarian raised an eyebrow. The others sat up in their seats curiously. They listened politely like well-behaved children in class. ¡°When upgrading a trait, know that this is a very rare gift from the System. You should use it on a trait that might yield the best rewards for your profile, especially one that helps synergize with many of your abilities and the abilities of others.¡± Ruvaria spoke in a scholarly tone. It was easy to listen to her. They all wanted to listen to her. She really was the best mentor across the many Lesser Worlds. So Zarian took in every word of her advice like the most delicious meal. ¡°Do not waste your upgrade on a trait that has a higher quality simply because it has a higher quality. It is often the lower or mid quality traits who improve the most with those upgrades, which can make the biggest and most positive difference.¡± ¡°How long have you been watching us?¡± Hannah asked. ¡°Forgive me for throwing this suddenly, but it¡¯s been something I wanted to ask.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you more directly since the moment the Darkrun Apocalypse concluded,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°It¡¯s only just recently that I¡¯ve taken a closer examination. This has led to certain curiosities I¡¯ve had while also giving me some insight into your situations.¡± ¡°Can we ask for more insights before you head in?¡± Hannah asked greedily. ¡°No,¡± Ruvaria answered. That did not surprise Zarian. Ruvaria had done more than enough for tonight. She had also opened a can of worms regarding her long-term surveillance. Gilbert looked like he wanted to admonish the empress, but then he held back and gave himself time to think. It was probably lucky that he had a self aware moment and kept his mouth shut for once. Zarian certainly couldn¡¯t say much, not when he had the village and the wilds beyond covered with spectral spiders. Besides, they were always under surveillance in one way or another. They had done their best to mitigate certain outer influences from looking too closely at them, but they didn¡¯t have an adequate way of stopping it fully. After thanking Ruvaria for her advice and for deciding to stay over and consider the offer, Magi appeared and guided the empress to her room inside the tower. With her physically gone, Zarian let out a big sigh and dropped the free evil +3 sub alignment, freeing himself up from playing the role of big, bad politician. He dumped himself into his seat at the head of the conference table and looked at the others lazily. It didn¡¯t matter that Ruvaria could observe all of this. Just because he had nothing to hide didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t let himself chill out and act as he pleased for different occasions. Right now was the time to put his feet up on the table and relax. ¡°Been an interesting few days,¡± Zarian said. The others agreed. There were casks with plenty of beer. There was also more tea in the pot. There were plenty of snacks that remained, which Para grabbed with lengthy limbs to feed her host directly. Zarian, Bianca, and Hannah drank the rest of the tea. Gilbert and Naomi went for the beer. The Floridians took their time to hang out, talk about prior adventures that came with important discoveries, and exchange important info. They went over stuff going on with the village, the foreigners, the guild members, the wolf dragon invasion, and whatever else came to mind. Other than having a massively overpowered elf in their village, they had three prominent issues. One, they had no idea when the Mythical Regional Event would begin again officially. Two, the situation at Grimrock was getting out of hand. Three, Zarian¡¯s Evil Goddess wife could cause horrific damages and death with her rise in activity. ¡°Your wife can act in ways that the other gods can¡¯t,¡± Hannah said. ¡°We¡¯ve heard nothing about monsters coming from Sickspread or Goldhound except for The Dragon. But that one is asleep while your wife seems to act under different rules. I suppose it makes sense with her origins entwined with yours, Zarian.¡± Hannah was sitting with legs folded under her. Her Architect Suit and Smart Gauntlets clung to her body more, revealing that she wasn¡¯t the mousy brunette Zarian had once known. Her body had filled out lately, looking better for it. The cold and hard edge to her expressions, however, had remained the same for the past four months. She was giving Zarian a hard look right now. ¡°You can make her stop. You can order her right now. You can even take control of her, really, if you want to push it that far.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I get it,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°Really?¡± Hannah asked. Gilbert shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a forbidden fruit. Take one bite, and you¡¯ll invite a whole heap of sin that will push you too far out into the wasteland.¡± ¡°There will be many deaths if Shadowfell progresses further as an active evil force,¡± Hannah said. ¡°You can¡¯t always see the path in front of you when things seem all dark. But you just have to hold fast to your faith and let that carry you onto the other side,¡± Gilbert said, nonchalant. ¡°I think the chief¡¯s right by not playing into this game his folks got set up with Shadowfell¡¯s family. It¡¯s too obvious. It goes against what¡¯s needed. Defeating the darkness from the ground up is the surefire path.¡± Hannah huffed in frustration. She waved her hand around her. ¡°Nothing about what we do is from the ground up. Look at where we are now. I¡¯ve created this place by pointing my hand and making it so. What¡¯s the difference between this and taking the reins on an Evil Goddess when you have the power to do so?¡± ¡°Seems like that now, us being far off the ground. But I don¡¯t think we¡¯re that far off. I still remember every part of when Jack snapped my neck as I cried like a baby,¡± Gilbert said. There was an awkward silence after that. ¡°Maybe we should get some rest. I¡¯m going to stay in the village for a while and see if I can help with our elf abuela.¡± Bianca stood. ¡°I¡¯m excited about this. She¡¯s not the bad side of good. She¡¯s ¡­ hurt. I want to help her. I will help her.¡± Zarian nodded. He noticed the free good +5 ebbing and flowing around Bianca¡¯s form more freely than before. The sub alignment was harder to summon up. Free good was the hardest form of all the alignments, in fact. Bianca truly had to pull up the essence of goodness from inside of her to make it work, and it didn¡¯t seem as powerful as traditional good. It was the reverse of the last situation. No longer could the force of goodness compel her. She had to compel the force of goodness herself, and that came with less power, unfortunately. Then again, we haven¡¯t seen Bianca push to the peak yet. She¡¯s still figuring it out. I just hope it¡¯s not too big of a setback for her to lose the power from good +5. Even if she was weaker with free good +5, Zarian couldn¡¯t see her going back to traditional good. Not after all she had done to heal from her trauma. ¡°Buenas noches,¡± Zarian and the others said. After Bianca left, Gilbert and Hannah bickered over ideologies and opinions surrounding the Shadowfell situation. Zarian didn¡¯t mind the divergent opinions, especially since they were both accepting of his bizarre and horrifying marriage. They both knew what it was like to be in a bad marriage while looking forward to the divorce. Once Gilbert and Hannah were ready to call it quits, the two left the conference room and went to bed. 126: B2: C26: Fractured or Manipulation 2 Zarian noticed that Naomi had remained behind. He had known this would happen. He found himself a little lost for words because he couldn¡¯t read Naomi easily. Out of everyone, she alone could block out certain aspects of the mind spider in her head. She could completely eliminate her emotions, thus making herself the most unreadable. She gave Zarian nothing he could work with as they watched each other. Before Zarian found something worth saying, Naomi smoothly stood from her seat. Something in Zarian¡¯s brain tripped up as he watched her move. At first, he felt alarmed because he wondered how much of his mental sabotage was from Naomi¡¯s abilities. Then he realized Naomi¡¯s psychic magic couldn¡¯t breach his mind so easily. Not in a hostile way, at least. His brain tripping was more on him, which left him confused since he had a huge amount of Willpower. His mind should be a fortress. But Willpower was a stat that covered more than just the mind. It also touched on the spirit, too, along with emotions. Something inside of Zarian used his own Willpower against him. His mind wasn¡¯t completely fortified against everything because his spirit or flesh were reacting strongly. Naomi was dressed in her Psychic Battler Suit, which was like Hannah¡¯s own skin tight suit. But unlike Hannah, who had only recently filled out, Naomi had always been a shapely woman. Her insane physical training regimen hadn¡¯t taken away from her body¡¯s obvious femininity. It had enhanced all the best qualities if her body, in fact. When she walked around the meeting table with a sway to her hips, it made her prominent features stand out even more. And the way she was moving was different, too. More effective. Zarian clearly remembered how she moved during Operation Domination months ago, which had been dynamic. But this one was more ¡­ intimate. More focused. She wasn¡¯t walking for the attention of the crowds. She was walking for his attention alone. Before he knew it, Naomi reached him where he remained seated. He knew then and there he had lost to her. He was at her mercy, which left him wondering what she would do. She placed one hand softly on his shoulder before bending at the waist. She stopped and held a position above him, giving him an angle where he had a lot to see. He hadn¡¯t realized there was a button and flap to her suit that revealed her cleavage. It was right there in front of his eyes. Then she went as far as removing his wizard hat and setting it on the table gently. Zarian¡¯s eyes roved upward until he locked in on her eyes. He still couldn¡¯t read her, but he stayed focused in the depths of her straightforward gaze. ¡°You have more power than you know what to do with,¡± Naomi said. ¡°You hold our lives in your hands. You make the decisions we want to follow. And you say things that have a lasting impact. You are the most important man in the universe, Zarian.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he murmured. ¡°Then why did you say what you said?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Without thinking of how that¡¯ll affect me.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Somehow, her response sounded matter of fact instead of being a put down. ¡°You do what you want regardless of the consequences.¡± ¡°I still have to own up to the consequences.¡± Zarian heaved a heavy breath. ¡°I¡¯m not free of that.¡± Naomi placed her other hand on his other shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re not free of the consequences.¡± She slid closer, one leg on his seat, her knee was between his legs, the meat of her thigh against his crotch. ¡°Well, Marine, you know what this means.¡± ¡°I played a stupid game,¡± Zarian said listlessly. ¡°You win a stupid prize,¡± Naomi added in rote. ¡°What¡¯s my prize, Staff Sergeant?¡± ¡°I will make you more aware. I know you¡¯ve blocked it off. That¡¯s been okay when things were just us and our little party. But if you¡¯re going to make it known loudly that I¡¯m yours, then you¡¯re going to have to reawaken that part.¡± She lowered down. Her full and shapely lips, wet with a thin film of saliva, brushed over his lips. He tasted her breath. It was sweet and warm. He felt an urge in the pit of his stomach. His chest warmed. It became hitchy. His heart pounded very loud. He became tense. He felt like something bestial was rising from the depths. She hadn¡¯t even fully kissed him and she had this much of an effect. Her lips brushed over the corner of his mouth. It traced a line across his cheek, soft, delicate, torturous, thrilling. Then her lips stopped close to his ear. She rubbed the lobe with her upper lip. Then she flicked at the lobe with her bottom lip. She waited and let her breath pass hotly into his ear. She was calm. There was no psychic energy sparking off. She was not invading him. She didn¡¯t have to. She just let him feel her in a way he hadn¡¯t felt before. Then she finally pulled back in reverse. Slowly, too. She only drew away bit by bit. The meat of her thigh slid away along with the rest of her shapely leg from between his legs. Her hands trailed away. Then she stood and walked off. Zarian remained in his seat, heart hammering, his head feeling light, his body a storm. Naomi stopped at the door. ¡°I want to love you like a brother or a best friend, Zarian. I shouldn¡¯t do more than that. I have issues. And I have an impossible dream to achieve in this life of ours. I can¡¯t be distracted,¡± she said. ¡°But?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°I¡¯m a dog. I get hungry just like everybody else. I¡¯ve been doing my best staying on the leash. Better than Gilbert, at least. But I can be bad if you keep tempting me. So, you better watch out, okay?¡± Naomi warned. ¡°Why am I getting warned?¡± Zarian asked, weary and dumbfounded. Naomi didn¡¯t answer. She kept steamrolling. ¡°You need this warning. So you can think about it and be more mindful. Because If you don¡¯t, and you keep playing stupid games like you do, I won¡¯t be able to stop myself, Zarian. And I¡¯m not the only one. There are other women circling in. But they¡¯re more like starved sharks. So you better be a strong swimmer or a big fisher.¡± ¡°I have big responsibilities. I need to be focused.¡± Zarian groaned. ¡°And I¡¯m a married man.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Then act like it. Or face the consequences.¡± Naomi left. Zarian sat there in silence for a long time. He felt hungry suddenly. He still felt the echoes of Naomi¡¯s body all over him. He still felt her lips brushing over his. He remembered the taste of her breath. He remembered how her breath sounded right against his ear. His stomach growled. His appetite had certainly renewed. He needed to refocus elsewhere. He couldn¡¯t let Naomi throw him off so easily. She hadn¡¯t given him the chance to apologize, either. Or maybe there was no point in apologizing. The damage was done. Things were different with Naomi now, even if only a little. More importantly, he didn¡¯t understand why she wanted to awaken something inside of him. He had too many other things to focus on. Yeah, let¡¯s get to work. Zarian stood from his seat a little stiffly. After a few strides, he felt closer to normal. He went to a kitchen a few floors below. The tower had multiple, up and down. Each one had high quality cooks and chefs under employment of the Floridians and their guild. Some were talented adventurers, others were people brought by the Hemlock Family. He went straight to the meat locker and raided it for sustenance. Once satisfied, he paid close attention to half a dozen activities in his village. The suspicious paladins were talking about conducting a holy war and causing some terrorism in the village. Bernard wasn¡¯t part of this group of paladins. Zarian figured the terrorists were a more extreme sect of paladins. There was no need to discriminate and hunt down all paladins. He would let the terrorists plot and move about, as if they were sneaky enough, before he struck them down in a showy fashion. Other than that, nothing else of note reached his attention on the Spectral Spider Network +2. Going to his spacious apartment, Zarian dragged his feet in and was relieved that there was nobody in there. He had a weird thought about Naomi before he banished it. Zarian removed his gambeson and stripped down to shorts. He looked at himself in the mirror and marveled at the weight he¡¯d gained in muscle from his chest alone. Then his cloak zipped straight into his back. Zarian blinked in surprise. Apparently, he could hold all the parts of the Parasite Cloak +2 inside of him now. It was a little weird not seeing any signs of Para while her skill was still active in the alpha section, but at least he could see his back muscles clearly. While he did spend four months studying, that didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t exercised. Still, the muscular growth was beyond normal. He imagined this was because of Parasite Cloak +2 getting that enormous boost in Willpower. ¡°What does Naomi mean there are women circling in like sharks?¡± Para asked, forming a talking mouth on Zarian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do they want to eat you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s a metaphor for me being attractive to them. And my attractive actions are making them want to act in a frenzy, I guess,¡± Zarian said. ¡°This is not for eating, I assume. The actions between you and Naomi aren¡¯t about the consumption of each other. I believe you have other needs that aren¡¯t apparent to mine,¡± Para said. ¡°Yeah, something like that. There might be times when I need you to go dormant for privacy. But I don¡¯t want to turn you off entirely,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I can go dormant myself and awaken when you need me.¡± Para went silent. His shoulder returned to normal. ¡°I might need you as soon as we get back to studying for spells,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Maybe the spectral spiders, too.¡± He felt Para giving him a positive confirmation through their mental link. There were multiple ways for them to communicate. He was glad he¡¯d put all those points in Willpower. Para seemed way more flexible now, and that was great for her and him. Zarian chuckled, shaking his head at his reflection in the mirror. He went over to the full bar his apartment came with. He poured himself more beer. Then he sat on the expansive, half-crescent sofa in the sunken floor section in front of his home-theater System. There was an entire screen made of magic glass against the wall that he could operate with an enchanted crystal ball. When activated, the screen displayed information he¡¯d inputted himself. No entertainment, unfortunately. This world didn¡¯t have television shows or any such recordings. Instead, Zarian had pages upon pages of notes he¡¯d uploaded into his local rune network and could display on the screen. It helped to have a bigger view of things when dealing with the gravity spell. The graphs and symbols and magical mathematics demanded it. Despite the difficulty, Zarian wanted to go after the gravity spell once and for all. He felt like he needed a big game changer. Overwhelming Darkness was in his control for now, at least with One Percent Power. But that was obviously the one direct attack option he had in his magical repertoire. Other than attacking in melee range, he needed something else to fill that direct damage hole. There would be plenty of times where he wouldn¡¯t want to unleash his darkness. He needed more options. ¡°It¡¯s about time I go all in on gravity,¡± Zarian said, flicking at the brim of his wizard hat while it was back on his head. ¡°The other spells would have to wait. This is too important to set aside anymore. But before I can do that, I¡¯ll have to decide on one of two traits to upgrade.¡± Zarian had thirteen traits. But only two of them could make the biggest impact on him as a wizard. He had to choose one or the other. One could evolve his mentality further at the risk of driving him crazier. The other could expand his magical prowess and make it harder for others to get the jump on him. ¡°Fractured Mind or Basic Aura Manipulation,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Which one should I upgrade? Which one will benefit me the most right now and for the long term?¡± Zarian looked hard at the gravity notes compiled on the large crystal screen. His heart rate picked up when echoes of Naomi¡¯s touch revisited him. His imagination veered toward the other ¡®sharks¡¯ in the water. He really had a lot of powerful and available women inside or around his circle, didn¡¯t he? He wished he remained unaware of certain aspects. He almost wanted to get angry with Naomi for triggering this so-called awakening. The last time he¡¯d pursued anything remotely intimate with the opposite sex, he¡¯d been burned. He¡¯d been burned too many times. Friendship was easier. Friendship was safe. Why was it now that these women wanted him? That¡¯s the consequence of being overpowered. Zarian wanted to get angry. Not at the current women around him. But at the ones who¡¯d hurt him without realizing what they¡¯d stepped over or stepped on. Would they have changed their approach if they knew what he was truly capable of? He couldn¡¯t get too angry with Naomi from how things were in the old world, because she¡¯d done a lot for him. She¡¯d risked her neck to get him in the Marines even though she knew he was unfit. Other than Ariana, Naomi had shown him more kindness and concern than anyone else in Zarian¡¯s life, like a big sister. But things had changed after the portal incident. They were different people. ¡°Does she know she has a lot of power over me?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°More than anybody else, maybe.¡± That was dangerous. Yet, he wasn¡¯t sure if he was against it. ¡°We should stay friends. We need to stay strictly friends. Nothing more than that,¡± Zarian mumbled. ¡°So, Fractured Mind or Basic Aura Manipulation?¡± A knock on the door caught his attention. ¡°It¡¯s open,¡± Zarian said. Gilbert let himself in, dressed in pajamas. Without even saying another word, he raided Zarian¡¯s fridge. Then he tossed himself onto the sofa with one arm filled with snacks and drinks, the other holding onto a few books. He looked up at the crystal screen and blanched. ¡°This nerd stuff?¡± Gilbert complained. ¡°Come on, man! We¡¯ve been at this forever. Can¡¯t we relax?¡± Confused, Zarian looked at Gilbert for a long while. Why was he here? What was he doing? Instead of asking, Zarian turned to the screen. ¡°I have lots of studying to do. I need another big damage attack for the times I can¡¯t use Overwhelming Darkness.¡± Gilbert groaned. ¡°Fine. Sure. Go on and study or whatever. I¡¯ve brought some books with me written by a hilarious bard. Dude¡¯s got some raunchy stories that will have me praying for forgiveness later.¡± Zarian sighed. ¡°You won¡¯t get bored?¡± ¡°I probably will. But I figured I can be bored in my place or be bored here. So why not be here?¡± Zarian didn¡¯t know why, but he appreciated that. Gilbert got comfortable as he thumbed through a volume he¡¯d brought along and enjoyed himself while eating Zarian¡¯s snacks. Meanwhile, Zarian kept looking up at the gravity spell notes on the screen. He set aside all distractions, which felt easier with Gilbert around for some reason. He kept debating himself on choosing Fractured Mind or Basic Aura Manipulation. Which one should he choose? Or: Which one? 127: B2: C27: Unraveled 1 Zarian let out a deep and low chuckle. Then it became a loud and hysterical laugh, as if he was a madman who had escaped an asylum. ¡°Heh heh heh heh HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!¡± Laying on the sofa across from him, Gilbert gawked, his face turning pale. He might¡¯ve dealt with a few crazies in his time as a cop, but none as dangerous as Zarian. The Madness Wizard experienced a trippy feeling that made him want to lose all control. He felt like he could let go of everything and keep unraveling forever and ever. He didn¡¯t let himself unravel completely, of course. His Floridian Mindset and free evil +3 grounded him well enough. He had a backbone. He had his determination. He had cunning, charm, and smarts. Combined with Unraveled Mind, Zarian had a better understanding of himself without going fully insane. He¡¯d come from nothing, forced to exist at the bottom of everything. Then all of that had changed with some magic and the opening of a portal. He was now at the center of everything. He was becoming what he was truly meant to be, and part of that ¡®becoming¡¯ was going through the growing pains. He shouldn¡¯t shy away from that. No, no, no. He should lean into it. Go all in. All the way! If Naomi wanted petty vengeance by awakening something inside of Zarian for having roused her attraction, then why shouldn¡¯t he embrace that? Why stay shy and frustrated because of the past? Fuck the past! He was progressing every day. He was changing every day! He was living in a tower with magic artillery cannons protruding from the sides! He was securing mentorship from an elf empress who was thousands of years old, a survivor of three eras that even the so-called gods haven¡¯t survived intact! An elf who was known as Corma¡¯s Chosen One, the most powerful Master Ranker across most, if not all, the Lesser Worlds! She could be his wizard mentor if he played his cards right. He had actual friends who accepted him for who he was despite how much of a fuck up he could be. He was brimming with so much power and magic that his doomsday, crash-out option was only one part of his power set. He was the better half of Overwhelming Darkness. He was the one who would reign supreme in the end, not the power itself. So, yes, he was going through some growing pains. But that made everything matter all the more. The frustrations wouldn¡¯t go away completely. But how he reacted or acted toward obstacles was his to control. And wasn¡¯t control such a tricky but wonderful thing? ¡°Chief?¡± Gilbert called out nervously. He was standing now. The books and snacks had spilled onto the floor. Someone was going to have to clean the stains off the rug. Zarian held his finger to his lips. ¡°Not now, my most sinful Christian friend. I¡¯m having my eureka moment.¡± Gilbert tried to talk past that. Zarian didn¡¯t pay attention to his words. He watched the man himself. Gilbert looked tense. Like he was going to use an ability and was second-guessing himself. Zarian predicted what Gilbert would do before he settled on the decision himself. ¡°No tranquilizer,¡± Zarian warned. ¡°Or the next time you go horizontal with an evil strider woman, my spiders will ruffle the sheets. By the way, you have a weird fixation on sleeping with wild and evil women. You might want to check that out.¡± Gilbert gaped at him. Zarian had thrown him for a loop. At the very least, Gilbert was holding back from using his Tranquilizer Shot +2. Zarian didn¡¯t blame him for being prepared just in case. The Madness Wizard was still getting used to his new Unraveled Mind. For a rare trait, it had a tremendous impact. Not as obvious as some of his epic or legendary traits, but it almost mattered the most. Almost like a linchpin to who he was. With Gilbert pacified, Zarian¡¯s unraveling thoughts swept around to something that caught his attention. His mind wanted to pick at the concept of control. He was obsessed with control. He needed control. He couldn¡¯t overcome his Overwhelming Darkness without more control. But, as of late, all that lust for control had turned a little detrimental, hadn¡¯t it? He¡¯d allowed himself to get stifled because of the desperate need for control. He¡¯d slowed down. He¡¯d lost some aspects of himself that made his new life fun. He¡¯d suffered quite the humbling, which had left its mark on him. But that didn¡¯t mean he should let his peddle-to-the-meddle factor die off completely. He was made for chaos. He was wild in his heart. He was a man with an impossibly immense lineage, making him an existential threat to all life, yes, but that only made the journey to conquer his own darkness even more interesting. He was pretty sure his entire ultra god family was filled with chaotic, wild, and destructive individuals. He imagined they were far from perfect, hence why they acted in a laissez-faire manner to raising him. He wanted to control his Overwhelming Darkness so he could do more with it, not less. He wasn¡¯t trying to just control it for the sake of controlling it. Or at the very least, he wanted it to serve as a tool in his tool box just like any other power. It shouldn¡¯t be bigger than him. He should be the biggest.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I alone am the Dreaded Outsider,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I do what I want.¡± Parasitic threads wriggled everywhere from under Zarian¡¯s flesh. Gilbert paled even further from hearing those words. The reality of the world seemed thinner than before. Like it leaned more toward the conceptual than the actual. Like Zarian¡¯s mind was on the verge of unraveling the dimensional integrity of the universe and slipping into the depths of the abyss far beyond the Star System¡¯s grasp. Maybe all he needed was a push. Or maybe he simply needed to push harder. But that didn¡¯t really interest him. While he did want to loosen up a lot more, he didn¡¯t want to forgo everything he¡¯d worked for. Chaos was fun. But applied chaos, the type that was focused and purposeful, was even better. So instead of trying to paint far outside of the box, he could make his box the most fantastic thing anyone had seen. ¡°I¡¯ve been going at the gravity spell wrong the whole time.¡± Zarian touched the crystal ball. After a few inputs, he erased months of work. Just like that. It was all gone. He turned to the Knighted Healer. ¡°Gilbert, my friend, what is gravity?¡± ¡°Can I talk now?¡± ¡°Yes, you very much can.¡± ¡°Well, I reckon gravity is the thing the eggheads say keeps us on the ground, yeah? I don¡¯t believe that, but that¡¯s what they say.¡± ¡°Close, Gilbert. Gravity is the relativity of importance. It¡¯s when time, space, and energy are bent to the whims of what matters most. Everything else that is less important falls into the influence of what is relatively the most important.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not much into science, but even that doesn¡¯t sound right to me,¡± Gilbert admitted. ¡°That¡¯s because magic doesn¡¯t work entirely under mathematical and scientific principles taught by human mortals without Systems and without real magic. That¡¯s limiting. In fact, philosophy is just as important as math and science for spellcraft.¡± Zarian summoned his black magic grimoire, the spectral chains rattling between the covers and his soul. He thumbed through its pages rapidly. He loved how the pages sounded extra demented the further along he went. He hadn¡¯t paid that little detail much mind before. ¡°For example, the Bloody Lifesteal spell is an attempt at prolonging one¡¯s life at the cost of others. This is a spell crafted by someone who doesn¡¯t believe they can make it to their first ascension without the sacrifice of those around them, whether friend or foe.¡± Zarian flipped to some other pages. ¡°Then we have the Raise Advancing Skeletons spell, which was made by someone who believed in the superiority of skeletons as a clean, efficient, and pragmatic workforce. In fact, the person who crafted this spell wanted to use necromancy for all the right reasons.¡± Zarian shook his head with a dramatic sigh. ¡°But it fell into the evil camp because of how gruesome and unholy necromancy looks at certain stages. Don¡¯t pretend that you don¡¯t get the ¡®ick¡¯ when my beautiful skeletons are shedding their useless flesh.¡± Zarian waved the grimoire around, its spectral chains rattling some more. ¡°Now, back to the original topic. The importance of the gravity spell makes it the biggest in my grimoire. Bigger than all the spells among all my grimoires, really. It¡¯s so big that I do everything I can to study other spells instead. Or I try to understand the gravity spell as linearly and quickly as I can to get it done and over with.¡± Zarian shook his head. ¡°But that¡¯s the wrong way to approach gravity. The importance of the gravity spell makes all of its parts dense and influential, regardless of me looking at the beginning, middle, or the end. It doesn¡¯t matter how far along I go, I will never finish understanding the spell if I keep thinking linearly.¡± Zarian scrutinized the pages of his grimoire. ¡°Honestly, I think the spell adds more pages and scripts to itself when I¡¯m not looking. It literally gets denser and denser the further I delve. And that is happening no matter how quickly I try to study in a straight line. In fact, lines are faulty here. Gravity encompasses the entire spell like a curve. Or better yet, a sphere. I need to think more circularly to grasp the whole reach of gravity. Maybe even beyond three-dimensional concepts. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°No,¡± Gilbert said flatly. Zarian nodded rapidly. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here, buddy.¡± ¡°Uh, sure, man. Same here.¡± Gilbert gulped and straightened up, looking firmly down at Zarian. ¡°Just don¡¯t shoot yourself again, okay? I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I won¡¯t. By the way, if Naomi doesn¡¯t give Jack a worthy death, I certainly will. I¡¯ll revive him just so I can torture him and kill him again if the first death isn¡¯t good enough.¡± Gilbert slowly nodded. He had little more to say. Zarian was on a roll. ¡°Anyway! I¡¯m going to be busy for a while. I need to start from scratch and be more encompassing of the entire gravity spell. Heck, I can already see things I¡¯ve missed on the first pass from trying to brute force everything in a line!¡± Elated, Zarian dove into his studies. He¡¯d never felt so excited about studying before. Studying gave his Unraveled Mind a purpose, because it wanted to solve this long, tedious, and complicated puzzle of a spell that would¡¯ve broken most wizards. Zarian didn¡¯t mind his mind getting broken anymore. He refused to let that stop him. He was feeling giddy about the aspects of what this spell could do, so a failure was nothing more than a mini pit stop for him. Hell, the gravity spell could possibly ¡®guide¡¯ his Overwhelming Darkness better than his current options. Maybe it could make his Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style redundant. Zarian found that funny. The spell that had haunted him for what felt like a long time could be his salvation. Or maybe it was just another fun spell to toss into the mix because being a wizard with OP spells was the best. Hopefully, there would still be interesting challenges that could make him think a lite once he claimed the gravity spell. Or he would have to ask his wife to create bigger and badder monsters for him, which he probably shouldn¡¯t do, since that would most likely backfire, but that might be the better option than letting himself get bored. Nobody should let a bored son of ultra gods run around unchallenged and unchecked. By the time Zarian finally took a break to feed himself, it was morning. Gilbert had fallen asleep on the sofa. He stayed even though he had nothing to do but hang around. Gilbert really was a bro. He had a horrible taste in women, but he was a bro. Other than that, there was a plethora of new notes on the living room magic screen. The previous Zarian, before gaining Unraveled Mind, would¡¯ve found it all incomprehensible. Most people, wizards included, would¡¯ve seen it all as gibberish, too. But the current Zarian, with his new Unraveled Mind, understood it all well. He also had an extra guest in his room who understood his notes as well, or maybe even better than him. Looking up at his notes with a serious gaze, Empress Ruvaria was wearing a light green nightgown that was loose and billowy on her petite frame. Her hair was fizzier than before. She hadn¡¯t even bothered to clean herself up. She tilted her head from side-to-side, toes curling into the fibrous rug under their feet. With a flick of her finger, she operated his private network herself and scrolled through his notes on his big living room screen. Zarian held his breath as she examined his notes and findings. ¡°Impressive,¡± she said. She approves! Zarian had no idea how tough of a teacher the Sorceress Queen could be. He imagined getting a compliment from her on anything magical was a hell of an accomplishment. ¡°I¡¯m only getting started,¡± Zarian said. ¡°This is the work of an unsound mind that is immensely gifted. You¡¯ve changed drastically compared to last night. What trait did you advance with the upgrade?¡± she asked, her eagerness peeking through. Zarian told her about his new Unraveled Mind. He even went as far as reiterating his thought process from before he gained the rare trait to how he was thinking afterward. The empress nodded along, showing more interest in him as he explained. When he finished, he waited for her to speak. She took her time. Zarian and Para starved as they waited. Gilbert got up, made himself breakfast, and went out by the time Ruvaria finished thinking. ¡°Keep going,¡± she said. ¡°I gotta feed us before we can keep going,¡± Zarian said, his body growling with monstrous hunger. He turned toward the exit. Ruvaria disappeared. Then she reappeared with multiple trolleys stacked with freshly cooked and meaty beasts. She also brought untouched bodies of monstrous creatures as big as three bulls combined. Zarian was pretty sure these offerings didn¡¯t come from the tower. Where had Ruvaria snatched these from? And why was she so eager to feed him now? Wasn¡¯t that a little funny? She was good +4 and ruler of an entire continent, while he was free evil +3 and lord of a little village on the frontiers. Yes, there were universal and apocalyptic factors, but despite that, Zarian found this budding relationship with Ruvaria becoming quirkier, more amusing. 128: B2: C28: Unraveled 2 Zarian was thankful his room¡¯s personal kitchen area was enormous. It had a long kitchen island that was perfect for laying out multiple meals or a few bodies in Para¡¯s case. The wizard and his cloak ate their ravenous fill. Empress Ruvaria provided more food until their hunger was sated. Then Zarian was back on his gravity spell study, but this time he included Para more. She worked as his soundboard as he discussed some of his ideas aloud. She either debated with him or pointed out the parts he¡¯d overlooked. Despite being a parasitic article of clothing, she was hooked up well to his body where she could pull from his senses, his memories, and even his thoughts, which made it easier for her to predict when he was going too far down into the rabbit hole. Then she would pull him out and help him refocus. Eventually, they included some spectral spiders for experimental purposes. They used their arcane webbing to play with gravity runes that were tiny pieces that made up the whole gravity spell. There was no other spell that allowed him to try out pieces of itself before learning the complete spell. Only with the gravity spell could Zarian attempt mini trial runs, and he wouldn¡¯t have known to do this if Para hadn¡¯t suggested it. Hours became days. Ruvaria remained in his room, watching his process. Para moved about with multiple arms and hands to jot down notes or flip through grimoire pages for Zarian while he was making notes on the living room screen. Spectral spiders looked at the notes and tried to replicate certain runes for practice in their webbing. Most of the time, nothing major happened other than tiny fluctuations of gravity ¨C they once sent a mug flying across the room. Zarian kept encouraging them to go bigger. When they did, the entire gravity of the room flipped. Zarian felt his stomach roll and his heart pound hard as he tumbled toward the ceiling with a large sofa following him. He blinked once, felt an enormous burst of magic, and saw everything freeze in place. Ruvaria canceled the gravity mishap and returned all of Zarian¡¯s stuff to where they belonged. She even placed him down gently on the sofa, which was surprisingly kind of her. ¡°Be more careful or you¡¯ll throw the entire tower into the sky,¡± Ruvaria scolded. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Zarian replied, sitting heels together, left hand left knee, right hand right knee, just like a Boot Marine at boot camp. ¡°Also, you and Para missed certain parts of the temporal section and how gravity affects time. Also, recheck your notes on gravity and dimensions. Redo them if you must. You want to be sure of what limitations you set for yourself with gravity or you¡¯ll attract more than you should beyond the Star System. You¡¯ve already attracted too much attention.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Zarian and Para said together. The spectral spiders saluted. Then Zarian asked, ¡°You know more about the Star System and what goes beyond than someone in the Lesser World should.¡± ¡°I may be a coward, but I¡¯m not dumb. Now go back to studying you foolish and apocalyptic fiend of a child.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Zarian said alone. Later on, Zarian vaguely recalled Bianca bursting into the room and scooping up the empress. Bianca was complaining about how the empress was smelly, her hair was a horrible mess, and that the elf abuela shouldn¡¯t stay so long in a man¡¯s room without checking in with the girls. Once Bianca had a hold of her, the empress seemed powerless. She looked to Zarian for help. There was no help he could provide. Not against Bianca and girl stuff. More days passed by. Nothing major required his attention on the Spectral Spider Network +2. He¡¯d made some awesome progress on the gravity spell and solved issues that had stumped him prior to the trait upgrade. Empress Ruvaria¡¯s occasional help was a godly gift that kept on giving. Para and the spectral spiders were brilliant assistants, sometimes filling holes in Zarian¡¯s unraveling studying process. He was no longer bothered by failure and setbacks. He accepted each difficult moment as a worthy puzzle waiting for him to unravel unless Para figured it out first. Then she would tease him a little. She gave him clues instead of outright saying it because he would learn better that way. So many people were afraid to fail because it seemed like failure was life or death. He¡¯d thought the same when he was younger, which was an anxious mentality to have. Failure had meant he wouldn¡¯t eat consistently. Or he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold down a job. Or he would end up in jail, or worse, dead. He was free from those mundane consequences now. He had more universe-breaking consequences to overcome, but that was a problem for later. All that mattered was the gravity spell. That and when his people wanted his attention. ¡°Hello, my alpha. I¡¯ve come to tell you that I must go to report to my tribe now.¡± Ezda shifted from foot to foot nervously as she looked about the messy room. It was as if she was ashamed to break into a sacred place, one that belonged to her alpha. Zarian burst free from a small hill of notes Para had made with stencil and paper. His hair was wild and mangy. He¡¯d skipped a few meals, so he was a little skinnier than he should be. And his room had seen little cleaning because the fluctuations of chaos would ruin most efforts to clean it up. And Zarian felt more creative when it was messy. Spectral spiders crawled everywhere as they conducted mini magic tests with gravity runes and arcane webbing. A few pieces of furniture were orbiting around the room or clumped together because of some of their practical experiments. It was less a sacred place and more of the laboratory of a madman. Now that I think about it, doesn¡¯t me living in a tower as a wizard mean I have a Wizard¡¯s Tower? Zarian wondered as he strolled through the mess. Parasite limbs swept mountainous stacks of paper out of his way as he approached the humanoid gnoll.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Ezda looked even better than the last time he saw her. She was wearing a dress now with sandals. And her fangs looked even whiter. Her locks were shorter, but now they had red ribbons woven into them. She looked girlier than ever before, even while standing close to seven feet tall. What happened to his brutal savage? She looks happier. Zarian smiled. I guess if I think about it a little, I can infer why Ezda is here in the first place. ¡°I understand why,¡± Zarian said. ¡°You do?¡± Ezda asked. ¡°You¡¯ve completed your mission by learning to integrate into human society. While other gnolls might be incapable of transforming like you, they don¡¯t truly need to transform to hold back their urges.¡± Zarian grasped his chin thoughtfully. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a long experiment, but it¡¯s been long enough for you to see things from our perspective before reporting back to the other elders. From there, you and the other elders will implement ways for your tribe to adapt to the changing times. And you can better convince them to join the freedom alignment while serving under me as your alpha.¡± Ezda gawked at him. Zarian reached up and patted the side of her face. Then he pinched her cheek and shook it a little. Ezda buckled a little from the show of affection, leaving Zarian to carry the conversation. ¡°The biggest problem is dealing with your young in the prairie pits and bloodletting. I understand that gnolls breed fast, and without a means to control your own population, it can get out of hand. I¡¯ve thought about that problem, and while I haven¡¯t been there myself to see things, I can offer a suggestion.¡± ¡°I await whatever advice you have,¡± Ezda said eagerly, snapping out of her shock. ¡°Get a dungeon core and plant it nearby. Let the dungeon deal with your young. Those who survive will not only be better at dealing with dungeons, but they won¡¯t be so intense when dealing with each other or other humanoids. You could also farm resources from the dungeon and make it a mutual relationship.¡± This was a messed up thing to suggest. And he hadn¡¯t visited the site to see things himself. But if everything about the gnolls having an outrageous population issue and needing to cull themselves was true, then there had to be a better option than throwing their young into pits for them to eradicate themselves. They could eradicate themselves against dungeon monsters, feed the dungeon, and then let the rest of the tribe celebrate the survivors and farm resources from the dungeon. Despite the gruesome suggestion, Ezda glowed with adoration from hearing his advice. ¡°This is ¡­ brilliant! But it is difficult. To get a dungeon core from a dungeon would require great luck, would it not?¡± ¡°Or it would require another dungeon boss who is a glitch in the matrix, isn¡¯t that right, Hannah?¡± Zarian asked. A few seconds later, Hannah¡¯s voice transmitted through the room¡¯s enchanted intercom. ¡°Yes, that would be correct.¡± Zarian imagined Hannah had kept tabs on him consistently. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she¡¯d picked up a few new tricks based on his studies and live practices of gravity. ¡°It would be a little inconvenient, but if you¡¯re fast enough, we can lend you our dungeon boss to help you get a dungeon core. I¡¯m more inclined to let this happen since you¡¯re taking a guest with you to the Blood Prairies and to your stronghold, I imagine,¡± Zarian said, looking past Ezda. The human-shifted gnoll hadn¡¯t come alone. Naomi was leaning against the wall near the entrance to Zarian¡¯s room. She wasn¡¯t as unreadable to him as the last time he saw her. She still had a tranquil attitude, as if what happened weeks ago was an afterthought, but that was all a part of her poker face. ¡°I¡¯m not getting much better staying around our little village here. I figured Ezda can show me around the Blood Prairies and I can help her improve her Willpower while being a training partner for their rising gnolls,¡± Naomi said. ¡°If there¡¯s a dungeon that you want me to conquer while escorting Reiki to grab a core, I can do that, too.¡± Zarian nodded. ¡°Sounds like a plan. The kiddos will be sad that Reiki¡¯s cafe will be shut down for a while. But it¡¯s for a quote-unquote good cause.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to do this much for us?¡± Ezda asked. ¡°Yesterday¡¯s enemies are today¡¯s friends. But how do we stay friends? The best way I can think of is making long-lasting changes that are more helpful than letting things stay the same. That is what you call real progression.¡± Ezda lunged in for a big hug, sweeping Zarian off his feet. His face was stuffed into her chest for long enough where he was a little concerned about how he would draw his next breath until she finally let go. Then Ezda went a step further and nuzzled Zarian with her human face. He gave her some head pats and scratches behind her ears until she was satisfied. Hannah called for Ezda to come down to the basement where the dungeon waited and the core waited. Once Ezda was gone, Zarian and Naomi mostly had the room to themselves as Para and the spectral spiders made themselves scarce. ¡°You smell,¡± Naomi said. ¡°You need to take a shower.¡± Zarian smirked. ¡°We¡¯ve breathed enough of each other¡¯s funk to tell each other apart by smell. Now you¡¯re complaining before heading out to the Blood Prairies. Don¡¯t be so weak, Marine.¡± Naomi snorted. She almost smiled. Zarian looked Naomi up and down. ¡°You look good.¡± ¡°I do what I can.¡± ¡°You do the best that you can. You hold nothing back.¡± Naomi arched an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ve changed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve upgraded my Fractured Mind to Unraveled Mind. It¡¯s given me some new perspective on things. I even have a better idea of what¡¯s going on between us.¡± ¡°Oh? Do tell.¡± ¡°You dream of being stronger than me.¡± For the first time in a while, Naomi¡¯s poker face cracked. Zarian grinned as he watched Naomi try to hide the chink in her armor. Zarian leveraged his advantage and went on the attack ¨C verbally. ¡°We¡¯ve joked about it before. Or maybe it was a subject that has come up in a non serious manner. But it was never non serious for you. Somehow, someway, you want to overcome me and my darkness. Which is why you reacted so strongly when I made my claim for you in front of Ekri the Tailor, because he was someone you wanted to step on as you climb up the ladder of power.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to step on you, Zarian,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t. Or maybe you do.¡± Zarian crossed the distance between them. He looked down into her eyes. ¡°Love and war are two sides of the same coin, some would say. For you, Naomi, they might as well be the same thing. Do you really think you can beat me?¡± Naomi¡¯s brown eyes locked onto his. She didn¡¯t waver. She refused to look away. She looked like the most stubborn mortal anyone could ever meet. He liked that a lot about her, despite the futility of her dream. ¡°So you¡¯ve made your choice,¡± Naomi said. ¡°You¡¯re going to be the big fisher.¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t much of a choice. I am what I am. But don¡¯t pretend that this is all about me. You¡¯re the one who wants to do the fishing, but what you¡¯re trying to fish is unbeatable.¡± Zarian leaned down until his mouth was close to Naomi¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try.¡± He backed off after that. Naomi had little else to say. She left his room without even exchanging a goodbye. ¡°The mating practices of humans continue to confuse me,¡± Para said, using his upper arm to speak from. ¡°Think of it this way, Para. We¡¯re just two unique humans with a unique approach to sharing our feelings. And that¡¯s mostly through the promises of violence, like any good pair of Marines.¡± ¡°I am not sure about feelings like those. They seem less reliable. But in practical applications such as combat, I can think of several ways that Naomi could defeat you as you are now. But if this is a battle where she wishes to fight the entirety of you, including Overwhelming Darkness, then this is impossible. She will be crushed like a bug.¡± Zarian chuckled. ¡°I think the same.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°I really want to see her try.¡± Zarian continued his studying, but at a more even pace. He remembered to feed himself and Para more while also taking showers and cleaning up. Eventually, Early Spring arrived. And while Zarian still had more gravity studying to do, it was about time he went outside and got some exercise. It was Gilbert¡¯s birthday month. It was festival time. And the terrorists were going to make their move. 129: B2: C29: Early Spring Festival Zarian found a problem with Unraveled Mind while standing on top of the Central Library Artillery Tower. He was trying to ignore it while enjoying the rooftop view. It was a wonderful view. Breathtaking even. The Early Spring suns were rising, turning the eastern skies a white gold color like new loot filled with shiny jewels. The morning sunbeams shone on the lingering ice that was melting off the surfaces of wild castles, tree tower forests, and fortress hillocks of the former North Crown Peak region. There were new rivers, streams, and moats forming from the melted winter snow transitioning into cool spring water. Budding flowers, wild gardens, and mazes made of hedges were regaining their vivid colors as beasts of the land, rivers, and air became more active with the warming temperature. Even as a dark entity, Zarian could get behind a view like this. But his Unraveled Mind wanted to uncover all the big and complicated mysteries, impeding the splendor. Ceaseless questions spiraled in his head like a drunk hurricane. How did they make world themes seem so natural? Gravity accounts for a randomness to what gathers together and forms up but all of this is through intelligent design that holds together seamlessly. Was this the System or the creator of the System? Or did the System come afterward? Regardless of the System, the name itself and the belief in this world being natural can be the important glue filling in some of the seams. I wonder what Empress Ruvaria thinks about world creations. Does her grandmother have the power to create worlds? Maybe if I bug Lovewar or Serveserf hard enough, they will answer. Zarian sighed wearily at his rampant thoughts. He was now seeing how annoying he could be when he was in constant nerd mode all the time. Gilbert should be commended for having checked on him personally from time to time, reminding Zarian to be a human. Hannah was probably too absorbed with Zarian being a wizardly freak to consider the humane concerns. But Hannah shouldn¡¯t be blamed for that. She¡¯d sacrificed a lot of herself to make this village a functional place in only a few months. She was still trying to cope after having died, revived, and getting told that her existence depended on the whims of the Madness Wizard, his darkness, and his ultra god family. Zarian started with his Level 0 Tranquil Mind to smooth things out. Then he used his cultivation technique. He cycled his breath rhythmically as his mind calmed further. He felt his Overwhelming Darkness stir while threading its monstrous power through his channels and gates for a few slow loops. He didn¡¯t lean all the way in or he would lose days to his cultivation. He only did enough to help put his Unraveled Mind in check. His Floridian Mindset acted as a heavy anchor between the spiritual discipline and the mental insanity, which led to his unraveling thoughts stabilizing. The fractures in his mind only had a few deviations now. He couldn¡¯t stop the deviating thoughts completely, but he could better mitigate it. Once he had a better control of himself, the suns were above the horizon. The first parade was already marching through the slick, wet streets, with their horns blaring and their performers shouting and singing in the central marketplace as they headed down one of the big streets. Para was finishing her study of a new spell from the voidling grimoire. Unlike the other grimoires, the texts were printed on metallic sheets with deep indents. It was easier for her to read them by touch without Zarian having to look ahead. Granted, Para was still evolving, so with time she would get better and better at stuff that humans take for granted. ¡°I have it now,¡± Para said, her arms and tentacles extended from around Zarian¡¯s waist. The red and leathery Parasite Cloak +2 was wrapped around his waist instead of her usual spot on his back. The materials and limbs hung over his black armored legs and boots, which were visible through the opening in the front. The duo were going for a new appearance and tactic. Other than the sealing gauntlets and his black wizard hat, his upper torso remained bare, showing off his muscles. He looked a little bigger after the giant breakfast he and Para had enjoyed earlier. As the finishing touch, Zarian now had a pair of black sunglasses, which was a gift from Bianca that she¡¯d requested from Hannah to make. The sunglasses were enchanted to be incredibly durable and to keep him comfortable even while under bright conditions. They also made him look more impressive. That worked well enough for him, since the Infinita Dark Lord should be a striking figure. They really love doling out multiple names for the big guys. Now I¡¯m known as Darkness Lord and the Dark Lord, which aren¡¯t the same thing and can have many meanings depending on who you ask. Though, I think Dark Lord is getting more widespread way faster. Zarian chuckled a little at the quirkiness of his life. Then he turned to the humming, metallic grimoire that Para was holding with three feminine hands. Thanks to a powerful combination of abilities and high Willpower, Para could speedrun Zarian through the fourth void spell. Zarian didn¡¯t let his mind unravel except for a few interesting points that caught both his and Instructor Para¡¯s attention. The void spells were slightly the antithesis to the gravity spell. Especially when comparing philosophies. In fact, there was another way to look at void spells. They reminded Zarian of the concept of entropy. Zarian found that interesting since the empress had explained that all styles of teleportation used the void. That could mean every style of spell that defied space and dimensions was basically defying gravity in such a specific way that they were slightly entropic. Before Zarian fell too deep into that rabbit hole ¨C or black hole ¨C Para guided Zarian into grasping the new spell in record time, which was incredible. The spell was the hardest void one yet. Now it was officially in their profile. ¡°That was pretty fast,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Then again, we¡¯ve leveled up the wizard hat from all our studying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious to see how we conduct ourselves since we¡¯re powerful in this region,¡± Para said. ¡°The terrorists are so weak, it will be a pitiful showing if we don¡¯t give them a chance. They will be less tasty if it¡¯s too easy.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s obvious we won¡¯t be using Overwhelming Darkness. And they have a few tricks up their sleeve that make paladins unique,¡± Zarian explained. ¡°I¡¯ve caught a few tidbits here and there because of the spectral spiders. Check some of my memories from the fracture that¡¯s focused on spider recon and surveillance.¡± He felt Para dig around in his mind. Her delight bloomed and sent shivers across Zarian¡¯s flesh. Multiple mouths from around Zarian¡¯s torso and Para¡¯s limbs ripped open and let out a chorus of horrifying laughter. They spoke in unison, Para¡¯s voice filled with monstrous glee. ¡°This is delightful. I will get to enjoy an exquisite meal if this comes to fruition. I hope they won¡¯t disappoint us.¡± ¡°Same. If they do well enough, we can remind everyone why I am the Dark Lord.¡± The horns from the parade blared louder. The performers danced harder, some of them dressed in colorful costumes depicting dragons, griffins, and pegasuses. Early Spring Festivals in the Walled Continent called for a celebration that the early risers would enjoy, since the dark and night were associated with evil. Seeing a new spring was considered good for surviving the evil things that could lurk in the winter months. For the Madness Wizard, it was deliciously ironic that the festival was happening in a village that was considered highly evil because of Zarian being the de facto big bad leader. The festival was happening in other towns, cities, and villages across the continent, too. Zarian (with a lot of encouragement from Bianca) made sure the event organizers were properly funded to make the Ride-or-Die Early Spring Festival as big and merry as possible so anyone passing through would get something worth comparing when they went back home. Better yet, it was multicultural, including small tidbits from most of the kingdoms. For the gardeners, they had roses tossed onto the streets and beautiful women dancing about in flower patterned dresses. For the striders, they had pressurized casks that sprayed beer everywhere while bards yodeled the latest drunken tales ¨C a lot of that depicted the Darkness Lord and the Shadowfell Lady having a couple¡¯s fight that could put the entire universe at risk.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. For the nomads, who still hadn¡¯t shown up, they dressed up travel drakes with ribbons and bright paint to honor them, since nomads relied on the domesticated beasts a lot in their empire. And for the chaste paladins, they had a very plain float with depictions of the Good Gods. Yes, Zarian let all the Good Gods get represented. He really, really liked the irony. It made this day more exquisite as he worked on his last preparations. He checked his stats. Willpower: 414 Strength: 39 Agility: 40 Wonder: 267 Mysticism: 522 Free: 35 He was tempted to devote his Free points to Wonder. Void spells would normally scale with Wonder alone. However, his Void Mysticism trait made that less of an issue. He might as well save the Free points for later. It was still surprising that he hadn¡¯t gained that last point in Strength yet to hit 40. Maybe he needed to devote some time to pushing Strength by itself without excessive buffs. I hadn¡¯t done physical body training with Naomi in a while. She hadn¡¯t worked on his hair in a while. They¡¯d been too busy training and progressing or taking care of their guild and village. I still need to get her a gift or do something nice for her. Zarian felt a smidge sad over Naomi being gone to the Blood Prairies before putting it aside. He focused on his alpha skill set up. Because of his darkness occupying the first alpha slot no matter what, he was limited on what he could move around between alpha skills and beta skills. Parasite Cloak +2 and Spectral Spider Network +2 were non-negotiables. Zarian wanted them in his alpha section forever. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to have to nerf ourselves a bit here,¡± Zarian said. He switched two skills around. Now his alpha and beta section looked like this. Alpha Skills (5/5): Overwhelming Darkness (Level 3), Parasite Cloak +2 (Level 34), Spectral Spider Network +2 (Level 25), Grimoire of Black Magic 102 (Level 24), Grimoire of the Dread Mire Hell Gator (Level 21) Beta Skills (8/15): Advanced Grimoire of the Voidling Exile (Level 3), Summon Wizard Hat +2 (Level 27), Tranquil Mind (Level 0), Adrenaline Jolt (Level 0), Willful Might (Level 0), Wondrous Speed (Level 0), Mystic Toughness (Level 0), Rune Alteration (Level 0) Immediately, Zarian felt the difference from Summon Wizard Hat +2 going from alpha to beta. The drastic reduction in efficiency, power, and capability was so sharp he was shocked. He hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d relied on his wizard hat being alpha for so long he¡¯d forgotten what it felt like as a beta skill. Now he felt way less mystical and powerful, which was him coming down closer to a normal baseline. However, his normal was way above the normal of others, so he could afford the drop. At the very least, he increased the difficulty for himself and Para. So the paladins had a better chance against the duo. No, not paladins. They were terrorists. There were plenty of paladins who weren¡¯t involved with the terrorists. Old stubborn Bernard and his party were merely adventurers making the most out of the area. Other paladins were just like them. The extremists were known as the Brothers of Original Good. Zarian thought of them as mainly terrorists. For the last check, Zarian looked over his list of spells. Spells: Bloody Lifesteal (Uncommon), Raise Advancing Skeletons (Rare), Black Fire (Rare), Quagmire Pit (Uncommon), Dread Mire Bite (Rare), Dread Mire Bellow (Epic), Void Authority (Epic), Void Layer (Legendary), Dread Mire Hell Gator (Legendary), Void Waltz (Legendary), Void Shout (Legendary) ¡°Ready?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Para flailed her arms, tentacles, and scythes from around Zarian¡¯s waist. The leathery article, which now looked more like a red battle kilt with a few sparkling glimmers, flapped from around his armored legs. Threads of Para wormed under Zarian¡¯s flesh and around his muscles, his veins bulging with more physical prowess, raising his might, his toughness, and his speed. Zarian pushed his black sunglasses up the bridge of his nose with a finger. He flicked at the brim of his crooked wizard hat. Then he spoke through a few spectral spiders to inform his people he was starting Operation Dead Terror Parade before he took the first step with his Void Waltz spell. He ended up at the head of the main parade. The performers had known he would come, so they didn¡¯t stop parading and celebrating. The people lining the sides of the streets were shocked into disbelief. Many of them had never seen the Dark Lord before. They had only heard of him or had seen wildly fabricated depictions of him. They saw how his skin was darker than a nomad in the desert. So dark that many of them thought he had fallen in boiling oil as a crime for being so evil. They saw the crooked wizard hat, the strange gauntlets, the armored boots and leggings, the strangely shaped dark glasses shading his eyes. They saw how everything he wore was black except for the living kilt flapping from around his waist and legs, the ends of Para¡¯s material reaching out with grasping hands and waving tentacles. They couldn¡¯t believe that such an entity like Lord Zarian, husband of Evil Goddess Shadowfell, could exist while at the head of a parade devoted to the rising of good in the Early Spring. And he was dancing! While he lacked the years of practice that the performers would¡¯ve had, Zarian leaned on his Wondrous Speed to make him just decent enough to look on point with the performers. And since the style of dance was folksy, the steps weren¡¯t complicated, and the music wasn¡¯t hard to follow. Zarian felt like he was celebrating in the Scottish Highlands. He whirled about, high stepping, and having a bit of fun while Para showed off by waving her limbs in sync with his movements. The performers were paid well enough not to bat an eye and keep the parade going. Roses fell around the Infinita Dark Lord. Men and women dressed in bestial costumes frolicked around while presenting ferocious creatures from their own myths and legends. The bards couldn¡¯t help but join in around the Darkness Lord and throw about an excessive amount of beer. Zarian reached out, snatched a small cask from a bard, and drained it empty while he kept up his dance. The hint of liquid courage helped him add a little swagger to his steps. It would¡¯ve been better if Naomi were here, but he had the next best thing, which wasn¡¯t Empress Ruvaria. She hated parades, and they could only push the old elf so hard. The empress was now in Hannah¡¯s care, watching everything from the architect throne room, the brain of the entire village. They probably had a better view than even Zarian as Bianca fell from the sky like a shining star. Her colorful elven dress fluttered tastefully, showing just enough of her slender long legs and bare feet without giving away the most important goods as she dropped right next to Zarian with the utmost of princess-like grace that had the audience swooning with adoration and infatuation. She bowed, blew kisses at the cheering crowds, then turned to Zarian and joined him in the dancing fun. Seeing Princess Bianca with Lord Zarian was almost too much for some of the audience. Good?! Evil?! Dancing right next to each other while at the head of the Early Spring Festival Parade?! Many foreigners and visitors were still grappling with the concept of freedom. They still couldn¡¯t get their heads around how it was possible for Zarian and Bianca to coexist, even with their high levels in their sub alignments. Still, the audience became even more mind-boggled as Bianca¡¯s free good +5 slowly emerged from inside of her. This performance was for a good cause, after all, since it would distract the innocent pedestrians from the violence that was about to start. Bianca was looking better these days with her efforts to take care of Empress Ruvaria. Her smiles were brighter. Her laughter was louder. And she merrily linked arm and arm with Zarian as they danced and kicked about in circles. Zarian wouldn¡¯t have minded their day carrying on just like this if it wasn¡¯t for his duty to protect the village and everyone who was innocent and following the rules. ¡°Is it time, papi?¡± Bianca asked in the middle of the performance. ¡°En tres, dos, uno,¡± Zarian said. He, Para, and their spectral spiders performed a village-wide spell array centered on him dancing at the head of the parade. At five locations where the terrorists were planning to cause trouble, dancing spectral spiders had already formed runes linked to the Void Waltz spell that used their arcane webbing. Many principles made the void antithesis to gravity. But there were still underlying principles that kept wizardry a structured practice. The writings of the mad voidling exile, who was once a prince, had certainly stumped Zarian many times while learning the earlier spells. But he was a much more learned wizard than before, and his spectral spiders were stellar little magic assistants. Add in Para, who was almost smarter than him in some aspects, and the void seemed almost too easy now. And here was the kicker. They were doing this while the voidling grimoire and the wizard hat were in the beta section, making this feat of wizardry all the harder. Yet, Zarian succeeded. He, Para, and the spectral spiders transferred themselves and the terrorists from their hideouts and into special underground sections under the village. These sections were closed off from the public. They were all part of a side project Hannah had worked on when she¡¯d found herself bored making a village for humans. So ¡­ Hannah had made an artificial dungeon deep underground. It wasn¡¯t anything complex. Just some wide underground hallways and several giant atriums filled with enchanted traps and deadly obstacles. But it was still an impressive feat of engineering while servicing a place for humans. What was the best part? Zarian was the artificial dungeon boss. And he was a boss who could move around instead of waiting for the would-be challengers to come to him. He also didn¡¯t know the full depth of Hannah¡¯s traps, some of which she had worked on hiding from even his senses. So there was some danger for him, too, which he was fine with. As the paladins recovered from getting snatched up and dumped by a village-wide void spell, Zarian stood on a pillar of hard stone while surrounded by Hannah¡¯s traps and maze-like obstacles. He let out a bellow so loud and monstrous it could be heard in every corner of the artificial dungeon. ¡°PALADINS! PALADINS! Come out! Come out! Come out and play with the DARK LORD!¡± Okay, in this case, he called them paladins because it was more on theme. But the terrorists were still terrorists, and now they would get to savor a terror like no under while trapped with Zarian. Granted, that was only one half of the scary part. Hannah could make changes with a flex of her runic whim. And knowing her, the trapped men and women were less like humans, and more like test subjects for her to play with and eliminate at her leisure if Zarian didn¡¯t get to them first. The only person who could save the trapped paladins was Empress Ruvaria. ¡°Zarian,¡± Hannah said through a spectral spider on his shoulder. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The empress gives us her full approval. We can go full throttle on the terrorists.¡± Zarian grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s see who gets the most kills, Hannah. You versus me.¡± ¡°Game on, Zarian.¡± 130: B2: C30: Into Hannah鈥檚 Dungeon First things first, Zarian checked the network connection between him and the recon spiders while keeping his feet planted in one place. He also looked around with his own eyes. His starting location was an enormous chamber that was moving around him. Different size cubes slid, docked, tumbled, and configured themselves like Hannah had merged a death game with the inner workings of a Rubik Cube and a three-dimensional display of Tetris. Even the light sources shifted around. Zarian saw blocks that were solely made for illumination travel along the jagged edges of the ceiling and down the uneven walls. The light sources would sometimes disappear into random recesses that open and closed unpredictably. The only thing that remained somewhat stable were dark cubic formations and four colored paths. Zarian had no idea what the rules of the game were in Hannah¡¯s prototype dungeon, but he knew what she¡¯d done here was a feat worth marveling over. He hoped Empress Ruvaria was a little impressed while overlooking everything. Still, he had to test if he could push his way through the network jammer that was blocking his connection with the recon spiders. The harder he pushed, the more he could get past the fuzz, but it took some considerable concentration. He reached a point where it wasn¡¯t worth pushing anymore and dropped the recon. While such an inconvenience might¡¯ve bothered most others, he was actually proud. Hannah had found a way to jam his spider network and keep him somewhat blind to other chambers and hallways unless the spectral spiders were in the same section with him. That meant he would have to do a little work to hunt down the paladin terrorists. ¡°Clever girl,¡± Zarian said. He waited to see if Hannah would respond through the spectral spider on his shoulder. She kept her silence, which Zarian could respect. Zarian figured Hannah could take out some frustrations while staying constructive here. Or maybe she might rage against him for real. Either way, Zarian wouldn¡¯t mind. He was okay with her taking her pound of flesh from him if that meant she would warm up again. He missed how much closer they were before the Darkrun Apocalypse. Maybe they could talk about all of that later. Now was the time for action, and for Hannah to draw blood from the son of ultra gods while Zarian went on a rampage. ¡°What do you have for me, Hannah?¡± Zarian examined the four colored paths. There was a red one, a green one, a blue one, and a white one. The red one traveled on the floor. The green one traveled along the wall. The blue one traveled along the ceiling. And the white path went wherever it wanted ¨C floor, wall, and ceiling. The start of each path was near his position, giving him a choice without having to tell him directly. Beneath him was a blocky tower that was fifty feet tall and solid. It hadn¡¯t shifted or budged, letting him get his bearings while most of the death chamber kept rearranging itself and playing with lights and shadows. It was a simple effect, but insidious and complex in practice. A weaker dungeon crawler would¡¯ve had their visual senses and balance disrupted constantly. Zarian was unbothered while noting how the four colored paths seemed the most stable throughout from the starting point and toward the chamber exits. ¡°The white path will be more interesting, won¡¯t it?¡± Zarian asked. Para didn¡¯t respond. She was going inactive until she was needed directly. She even withdrew her limbs and became a seemingly unspecial battle kilt hanging down from around his waist. No sparkles or glimmers. This way, she could slow their metabolism and keep hunger and thirst from being major concerns for a long enough time. They had plenty of provisions in the pocket dimension just in case, but it was better to make those last as long as possible. Zarian could still use the parasite abilities himself even while she was staying inactive. He also felt small pulses of her in his mind. She was still aware, looking at the world through his senses, even when she didn¡¯t respond directly. She was agreeing with whatever decision he made, so he chose the white path, which was behind him. He turned and jumped down from his starting point. His boots hit the cubic floor that was painted white, the Madness Wizard falling into a crouch and waiting for a reaction from Hannah¡¯s engineered dungeon of shifting death. Nothing happened. Feeling adventurous, Zarian rested on one knee and used his Identify trait, his Basic Aura Manipulation trait, and his Level 0 Rune Alteration skill in combination to mess with stuff. The entire chamber blared wrathfully. A warning yellow light flashed from everywhere. A strident klaxon alarm filled the air. The warning lights and alarm were so loud Zarian and his parasite squirmed in discomfort, his kilt flapping angrily. Eyes squinted, Zarian noticed the dungeon¡¯s reconfiguration turning up in speed. It all seemed more menacing and chaotic, like he was waking a beast or rousing the anger of the creator. Zarian¡¯s own path seemed to glow with the promise to retaliate for any further tampering. He stopped messing with Hannah¡¯s work. Everything returned to normal operation and nothing more threatening happened. With a heavy breath followed by a chuckle, he nodded at the situation in approval. He was growing more and more impressed. That was twice that Hannah had made things more difficult for him instead of letting him steamroll as usual. If that hadn¡¯t raised Hannah¡¯s spirit, then she really needed to give herself more credit. Again, Zarian could only wonder what Empress Ruvaria was thinking. Personally, Zarian was really starting to like this game. It¡¯s almost unfair that I learned the perfect spell for screwing all of this up. Thankfully, the Void Shout spell had a very high aura cost and was demanding in other ways. And his Advanced Grimoire of the Voidling Exile was in the beta section, so it was best for Zarian to keep the powerful spell in his back pocket for now. Zarian looked ahead. The white path was as wide as a ten-lane highway. There was plenty of space for him to maneuver around without going out of bounds of the white path. He imagined going off the chosen path would turn the entire artificial dungeon and its mistress against the crawler who¡¯d fouled.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. It¡¯s tempting to mess around more, but it¡¯ll be more fun to see what Hannah has in store for me under normal play conditions. Hopefully, all paths would cross or converge, or there were ways to mess with others on different paths. That way, Zarian wouldn¡¯t be too restrained once he found paladins on paths that weren¡¯t white. Wasn¡¯t white looked at as pure in this world? He would be surprised if the paladins hadn¡¯t chosen white. Finding nothing else unordinary, Zarian moved forward at a decent jogging pace, which was still blistering fast to most people. He fed aura into his Level 0 Wondrous Speed skill for the extra haste and luck, but he only used a conservative amount. He kept brushing his aura manipulation ahead of him, behind him, to the sides, above, and further out at all times. He wanted to sense any sharp changes in foreign aura as a protective measure against traps going off. He wasn¡¯t much of a rogue, so he had to handle the threats of traps as a wizard would, with his fingers on the trigger, ready to blow something up. Granted, he didn¡¯t have a bing bang ability he wanted to use down here, so he would have to get creative. The white path veered toward the right and took Zarian between two dark monuments of shifting cubes. He felt something in his gut, his instincts telling him to slow down a little as he passed in between the shifty monuments. He heard a loud clunk and felt something was wrong. The patch of white cubes around him glowed brighter. Parts of the cubic floor dropped away before refilling with another white floor piece that seemed no different at first glance. The weird feeling in the air increased with each section of the floor that quickly shuffled and replaced itself. This was all happening at superhuman speeds, so Zarian was just a tad slow on realizing why the air felt so weird to his physical and mystical senses. Then he realized the strange energy reminded him of Warper, one of Hannah¡¯s first experimental skeletons that wore her runic enchantments heavily. Warper had the warp enchantment and could do unique teleportation stuff. Knowing this, Zarian understood one part of the trap: Hannah was going to slow his void spells. She was warping the immediate area as a countermeasure to void abilities, which was freaking brilliant and highly, highly scary of her. The second part of the trap revealed itself as cube panels sliding open on the sides of the two monuments flanking Zarian¡¯s path. From each opening, rectangular artillery guns folded out, their mystical payload already charged. Zarian recognized the power of one right away, which held a typical load. The right cannon was going to shoot light at him. The left cannon was different. It vibrated more violently while releasing its payload, which blared with such volume that Zarian understood what he was facing, which would¡¯ve doomed most adventurer parties. The left cannon struck with pure vibrational force. The right cannon unloaded concentrated light energy as a blazing laser. There was a roar like one long thunder clap along with an explosion of light that shone like a solar flare. Then all became still while the cannons made slight readjustments, as if recalibrating per Hannah¡¯s predictions of Zarian. Not bad. But not quite good enough, because the attack had struck nothing but boggy swamp water. Zarian was gone! At least from sight. Meanwhile, the anti-void energy was much weaker. Zarian¡¯s Quagmire Pit had transmuted the cube sections on the floor that empowered them. Without that warp field, Zarian could use Void Waltz easier and slip free of Hannah¡¯s first major trap for him. Of course, the Madness Wizard didn¡¯t take the easy solution. Instead, Zarian burst up from the surface like a lunging alligator. His parasite kilt flapped behind him like one long tail, the boggy water sliding off of him easily. He zipped into the air quickly as both cannons readjusted to get a bead on him. But it was too late for them. Zarian held orbs of furious flames in each palm, but these flames were far different from the embers of his Black Fire spell. They were not black and gray like they usually would be. Instead, they were almost glassy, clear, and twisted in such a way that most observers would find them disturbingly wrong. In fact, even Zarian found these flames to be disturbing because they were a danger to even himself if he allowed them to get out of control. These flames were born from the Black Fire spell combined with the Void Layer spell. For a high expense of aura, Zarian could lay the starved emptiness and madness of the void over an elemental ability. The result of that changed Black Fire from seeking vitality to seeking aura. Zarian peeled his own aura out of the way before he unleashed twin gouts of the ghoulish void flames from his palms. He doused the cannons in the void flames and watched them make inhuman, almost machine-like screams. The void flames did its gruesome work plus more. By the time Zarian settled back down on the surface of the Quagmire Pit, the cannons fell apart, and the aura-eating flames began to spread further. Zarian cast his Void Authority spell and snuffed out the ghoulish flames. By that point, Hannah had disengaged her first trap completely and gave him safe passage between the artillery monuments. Zarian wondered if Hannah had calculated he could do something like this or if he had caught her completely off-guard. Granted, he¡¯d never used a low-quality spell like Quagmire Pit in such a creative way before. He hadn¡¯t even planned for it. As everything was happening, his mind had found a weird but worthwhile solution to the problem and went all in like any proper Florida Man would. He felt Para praising him in his mind. She was pleased that they¡¯d avoided the super vibration cannon, which would¡¯ve messed with Para hardcore. Zarian chuckled as they reached the wall of the chamber and found big and blocky white platforms for him to jump on so he could traverse upward and at a diagonal angle. ¡°Hannah, you are being really scary for me and Para. Aren¡¯t we supposed to be the dungeon boss? I hope you¡¯re not tossing the paladins into instant death traps like mine.¡± Zarian shook his head. ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t cheat that hard. I know you would cheat when necessary, but you value the data you can gain more than outright victory. And you enjoy the power trip, even if it means you hold back on outright victory.¡± Zarian grinned as he pushed his enchanted sunglasses up his nose with a finger. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Hannah. You can let it out here. Go on ahead and play dungeon goddess and get your rocks off.¡± Zarian landed on another platform just like the many beneath him. Suddenly, he felt the warp-effect again, but the source came from the walls this time, which made Quagmire Pit useless against them. Zarian looked up as panels in the walls opened up and shoved out a humanoid figure. The figure landed on the next platform he was going to jump on. It looked like a darkly colored character formed out of cubes with two blocky arms and two blocky legs. From its blocky head was one eye that glowed with an aura-rich blue color. From its blocky fists, the high whine of the lightning element plus some thunderous vibration sounded off. Zarian used his Identify trait and saw that it was an item instead of a proper creature, which was interesting. So the cube man had no level. Instead, it was epic in quality, which meant it was similar in sentience to Hannah¡¯s usual roller golems. The proper name was Cube Golem Dummy, and when it clashed its two stormy fists together, it looked like it meant business. Zarian cast the quagmire spell on the golem¡¯s platform and watched it drop into the magical quicksand like a heavy construct would. He only transmuted the middle and was lucky enough that the platforms were made thick for Quagmire Pit to work. After the golem electrocuted itself and short-circuited, he hopped onto the platform with the magical pit and dove into the boggy water. For the next few seconds, Zarian swam like a predator, grabbed the golem by its blocky shoulder, and punched it in the face a couple of times until it fully broke. Zarian resurfaced and turned off the spell. The broken golem appeared on the floor in front of his boots. Looking up, Zarian smirked at each of the platforms above him. Hannah hadn¡¯t changed them to make the platforms thinner. She could probably make the changes to ruin his Quagmire Pit tactic if she wanted, but she was surprisingly a good sport. Instead, she unloaded more Cube Golem Dummies with different elemental effects. Some had roaring flames around their blocky fists. Others had misty frosts on their fists. Plenty more could extend their fists and shoot bright lasers that even came with a classical sound that reminded Zarian of Star Wars. Many of the golems rushed down at him instead of waiting on the platforms above. He might have to sweat a little if he wanted to reach the ceiling walkway and finally leave his starting chamber. This had to be the only human-made dungeon across the Infinita Star System that tried to smash the dungeon boss along with the adventurers. Please tell me the paladins are getting the kiddie version. If they are having it way easier than me, I would literally fall over and laugh my ass off and let them get a few hits on me Zarian felt like he was unraveling. He used his Willpower and multiple mental abilities to keep his fractures somewhat stable. He fought his way up from white platform to white platform as golem men rained down upon him and threw punches with their magic-lit blocks for fists. 131: B2: C31: Aura Cultivation 1 Zarian stayed light and nimble, bouncing from side to side on the balls of his feet. He pushed various strands of aura into multiple buffs, making him grow more and more powerful. First, his Level 0 skills saw a rise of aura power ¨C Tranquil Mind, Adrenaline Jolt, Willful Might, Wondrous Speed, and Mystic Toughness. Unlike the other Floridians who only received small to moderate bumps from Level 0 skills, Zarian could push the limited skills harder because of his aura manipulation. However, this trick alone wasn¡¯t enough for him. He buffed himself even further by manipulating his Dark Affinity. The trait could never replace Overwhelming Darkness. But with enough manipulation, Zarian could layer his body with the condensed weight of the dark. He stacked more and more on himself, especially around his fists. Meanwhile, his body thrummed with a vigorous heat. He was like an engine revving up, his heart pounding like a piston. When Zarian threw his next punch, with his gauntlet-clad fist shrouded by his Dark Affinity, he sent a flaming golem man flying across the chamber. The blue runic eye on the construct¡¯s face flickered off while it died from the crater in its blocky chest. The epic construct was a mere soda can against one physical attack from the buffed up Madness Wizard. Yet another golem man jumped in as a replacement followed by many more. Zarian fought like a compact boxer, his fists raised, his steps light. He acted less like a dancer and more like an efficient slugger. In this situation, he stayed ahead of the golems in the movement department because he had the speed advantage. He sidestepped the blocky punches of a golem man with lightning and thunder fists. He dodged another golem with windy cyclones roaring around its fists. He retreated backward and nearly off the edge. At the last second, he used an enchantment on his boots to stick to the sides of his current platform. He raised his arms and blocked laser shots from the more elevated golem men that attacked like murderous droids, but with more accuracy. The walls kept emitting warp energy, an anti-void measure that made it costlier for Zarian to use his void spells. However, the energy was nowhere near enough to stop him completely. He retreated further down the side of the white platform. He went under and out of sight of the constructs. They stopped shooting and waited to see where he would pop up from. The next time he appeared, Zarian had the drop on them from several platforms up after using an expensive cast of his Void Waltz spell. Zarian slammed down like a mega weight and crushed a construct under his boots. He swung around his arm and smashed the head of another golem man with the back of his gauntleted hand. Snapping his head aside, he avoided a point-blank laser beam meant for his face. He twisted on his heels and landed a metal-crunching gut punch to the shooter, sending the construct careening across the chamber like a ball shot out of a cannon. In a few seconds, Zarian cleared out the platform of constructs. There was no more above him. The rest came from below, like swarming ants trying to get to the top of the hill. But Zarian wasn¡¯t an ant. He was a titan. He was still warming up as his body became hotter and a little hungrier. The parasitic bonds increasing his physical prowess intensified, leveraging the huge buff that came from his Floridian Mindset. ¡°Come! Come! One and all! I¡¯m barely getting started!¡± Zarian laughed as more constructs jumped onto his platform. They wielded various elemental magic on their blocky fists, throwing punches or shooting lasers. But he was so tough at this point he didn¡¯t even have to dodge. He tanked. Flame bolts and punches? They snuffed away like embers on the surface of a wide ocean. Lightning and thunder? They did nothing but give him a pleasant massage to his muscles. Misty frost attacks? He was tempted to take out a drink to go along with the nice chill. Ripping cyclones? Super vibration impacts? Laser beams? The golem men came at him with a wide variety of elemental attacks and couldn¡¯t make anything stick. Zarian stood against the gauntlet like an unbeatable tank and remained the king of the mountain. He beat so many golems out of commission, there was no more space for them on his platform, forcing them to spill over the sides. They rained down on the chamber floor in a heavy deluge. The sound of Zarian¡¯s fists landing quickly on constructs was like hearing rapid snare drumming. He laughed and laughed as he enjoyed himself, using a combination of abilities to fight like a warrior even when he was a wizard. He could use more void flames for the ¡®EZ GG¡¯ but it felt better to save the special stuff for special cases. He did, however, incorporate his Level 0 Rune Alteration more. He scrambled the enchantments on golems he struck with quick jabs, stopping them in their place to set up his bigger insta-kill punches easier. Finally, there were no more golems, and Zarian could move on. The ceiling walkway had columns on the sides holding up the white path. It was more narrow near the ceiling than when the path was on the ground. There were deep recesses above his head and shifting cubes all over just like the reconfiguring mechanisms on the ground. Zarian looked around for more traps. He was still excited after the warm-up session against the epic golems. His appetite rose a pinch, but that was more of a feeling than a need. Nothing new revealed itself to him, so he followed the white path while sticking close to the edge. He liked the view. It was almost bleak, in a mechanical and inhuman way. Hannah really made for a great and scary dungeon designer. He wondered what it would take to turn an artificial dungeon into a real one. He knew a dungeon core was needed. But how did those come to be? Had Reiki been someone major back in Carrowmore a long time ago? How had she gone from that to being a dungeon boss and the sole personality of her core?If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s supposed to be a sacrifice to make a real dungeon with a dungeon core? Or does it happen in the wild through magic? Or is it a System thing?¡± Zarian asked aloud, not expecting any responses. ¡°You can make a dungeon come to exist with a sacrifice, but only under rare conditions that are mostly dictated by the Star System.¡± Empress Ruvaria appeared from nowhere and was hovering next to him as he jogged toward the exit of his starting chamber. She looked pristine and ethereal, her bare feet floating inches above the walkway¡¯s surface. She wore an embroidered green and brown robe that was casual and fitting for someone of her immense pedigree. The thing that wasn¡¯t fitting was her hair. It was bouncy and filled with rings and curls, which Zarian imagined was Bianca¡¯s work. The cutesy style didn¡¯t match the empress whatsoever, yet Bianca had gotten her way somehow. Zarian tried not to laugh. He did crack a smile. The petite elf pretended not to notice as she continued lecturing. ¡°Most dungeons are formed in the wilds, especially when strong monsters form a nest. Once that nest becomes like a large enough grave for locals and adventurers, it becomes a monster lair. If that lair stands to exist for long enough, the boss monster can receive recognition by the Star System.¡± Zarian reached the opening to a hallway that was painted entirely white. It was bright with little to no corners for shadows to lurk. White lights shone from within glass fixtures and bounced off the walls that had mirror-like polishes, which would¡¯ve irritated his eyes if it wasn¡¯t for his enchanted sunglasses. Other than that, the hallway seemed wide, airy, and open. Zarian adjusted his sunglasses with a finger. He pulled down at the brim of his wizard hat to shade his face a little more. Then he headed forward into the glassy and reflective hallway. The empress trailed behind him while continuing her lecture. ¡°After System recognition, a dungeon core is formed from the heart of the boss, and the dungeon comes to exist at the heart of the lair. The lair doesn¡¯t necessarily go away at first, however it is quite often that a dungeon will cannibalize a lair for sustenance before reaching out for more food to fuel its expansion. This is the main way dungeons come to exist. However, there are exceptions.¡± Zarian didn¡¯t respond even though he had multiple observations and thoughts spilling between the gaps of his mind. Most of his focus was on the highly strange room and heavily obscured enchantments. There were invisible walls standing in his way. He bumped into a few that forced him to redirect. Some were plainly perpendicular. Some flanked him. Others were weirdly oblique. Then the floor became uneven at odd angles that forced him to rise or fall and maneuver on slanted surfaces. The problem was the translucency of the walls and floors. With the rise of levels, vitality, and stats, Zarian¡¯s base senses rose as well. While the Wonder stat had the highest influence on supernatural perception, all the stats had their own unique effects on the senses, too. Willpower seemed to affect the sense of mind. Strength and Agility affected the potency and speed of the senses. And mysticism affected aura senses. These effects were minor additions on stat choices and builds. They weren¡¯t major compared to how Wonder dominated perception of the supernatural. Still, this was valuable information Zarian had seen from the many uncommon books hoarded inside the Dancing Librarian Dungeon. This was the reason Zarian had stellar senses for the esoteric stuff that covered his mind, the strangeness of the world, and aura. His Willpower, Wonder, and Mysticism were much higher than his Strength and Agility. This was also why he could sometimes be a little slow when something surprised him in the more physical sense. This was the case when he¡¯d faced the Scout Slayer Master by himself. However, his physical buffs, especially the buff from Parasite Cloak +2, helped mitigate the lack in Strength and Agility in some cases. But not in all cases. So he was a little troubled when he faced a more physical challenge he couldn¡¯t outright dominate without leveraging his nuke options. Granted, he was a wizard, so it made sense to have this problem. It was just unique to face those weaknesses when he¡¯d covered his physical bases in ways that would thwart ninety-nine percent of cases. I¡¯m facing Hannah, and she¡¯s a top one percenter for sure. The hallway became a maze of see-through material Hannah had somehow dug up and crafted into a devious trap. Because there was carefully obscured magic involved and a physical challenge with little magic Zarian could sense, he was finding more and more trouble progressing forward. He did feel something change. But it was quick and shifty. By the time he swept his aura manipulation around, the effect had already done its work. The walls had shifted. An invisible wall replaced the empty lane in front of him. When he turned, he saw a distorted tunnel of his own reflection repeating endlessly, all the copies looking back at him. He reached out to what he thought was empty space and found another invisible wall. Zarian glanced at the empress. She wasn¡¯t physically here. This was a projection of her, which could either be a sound and light illusion or a direct projection to his mind. He felt around in his head to see if she was in there and she wasn¡¯t. She would¡¯ve had to ask permission to be in there anyway. In other words, she was making an illusion while two thousand feet above him, ignoring the walls and earth in the way. And ignoring Hannah¡¯s enchantments that would¡¯ve normally blocked such projections. The empress examined Zarian curiously. He smiled. ¡°Pop quiz time, empress! What do you think I¡¯ll do next?¡± He would set aside his questions about dungeons for later. He was curious to see how well the empress knew him. The petite elf blinked slowly. She took her time as always. An hour passed before she answered. ¡°First, we must consider the trap young Hannah has placed for you. Not only has she harnessed the true power of Glacial Air Stone to its full effect, she did so while retaining ninety-nine percent of purity. Most miners haven¡¯t discovered this much Glacial Air Stone since the past era, and many crafter types would¡¯ve found such work impressive for a young woman who has been in the Star System for less than a year.¡± Empress Ruvaria rubbed the illusion of her hand across the invisible ceiling above Zarian¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s a material that isn¡¯t just invisible to the eyes but nearly invisible to the aura controlling abilities, so it¡¯s difficult to sense physically and magically. Additionally, she¡¯s made good use of obscurements and alteration blockers to deny you easy access to her enchantments. I approve of all of her approaches even though I think they are still rudimentary and rough.¡± The petite elf hovered close to Zarian, face to face. Her eyes shone with an ethereal greenness that was alluring and powerful. ¡°Naturally, you should use your spectral spiders and parasite to find chinks in this trap,¡± she said. ¡°Those are traps as well. Hannah knows I can do that. She would have countermeasures. In fact, she¡¯s goading me to do that,¡± he said. Zarian traced his finger along the wall. He used his Identify trait and received his own description. He nearly laughed. The glacial air wall had reflected his Identify trait on him. He¡¯d skimmed a thin book about magical materials, but he hadn¡¯t taken those materials seriously. A while ago he thought about crafting, but he was already juggling enough disciplines already. Clearly, Hannah had gone the extra mile in the crafting arts. I should brush up on it just in case I run into more unique craft materials that can do weird stuff. The empress finished her thoughts before continuing the academic lesson. ¡°You are a more clever wizard than most, I see. That is what I should expect from someone with this free evil of yours. To believe that Hannah has more traps in place for your usual scouting routines is a very reliable assumption to make. Thus, I must think you would attempt something unique. And if you are a worthy wizard, then you will use your aura manipulation ability uniquely. I¡¯ve seen enough of it to know you have it.¡± Zarian nodded. He looked around. The place was bright and full of light. The illumination had a magical effect, too. His Dark Affinity was weaker and less reliable here. There was no warp energy, which was telling. Zarian predicted Hannah was waiting for him to use a void ability. If so, then she would spring a countermeasure against that, too. With most means countered based on educated guesses, Zarian had to look at his list of options. Then he realized there was nothing else but aura manipulation itself just like the empress had said. He knocked his fist against the wall and nodded. He closed his eyes. He narrowed his focus. 132: B2: C32: Aura Cultivation 2 He could¡¯ve upgraded Basic Aura Manipulation to something better instead of turning Fractured Mind to Unraveled Mind, which would¡¯ve made this next part way easier. But there was something nice about having most of his options limited while challenged by a friend who was showing her own extraordinary talent and expertise. Zarian cycled his breath. He focused his cultivation technique on his aura instead of his Overwhelming Darkness. The feeling was weird because he already had fine control of his aura, but now he was looping it around even faster and harder than ever before. Aura existed inside and outside of him. The same was for everyone else he¡¯d met so far. The aura on the outside focused more on affecting the outside world and gathering more aura in a process similar to osmosis. The aura on the inside focused more on empowering various abilities linked to the System while heavily connected to his culmination of stats. However, no single point of aura was necessarily tied down to a specific task. True aura manipulation could theoretically move every portion of aura inside and outside of the manipulator. If Zarian wanted to use more aura outside of himself, then he simply needed to redistribute some of his aura from inside to outside. As Zarian concentrated and cultivated, he depowered the abilities and skills inside of him that weren¡¯t necessary. He pushed more of his aura from inside to outside. Because of his Dark Affinity, his aura was naturally dark. But if he honed his focus even more, he could split his aura into two types, dark aura and pure aura. The splitting wasn¡¯t hard. Maintaining the pure aura without it being consumed by the majority, his dark aura, was hard. This was necessary because lights, reflections, and very translucent walls filled the trapped hallway. The invisible maze worked against him, leaving barely any shadow to be found. While Zarian was overpowered in many ways, especially now that he could withstand being out in the sun, he was still a dark type, and the Infinita Star System had a subtle but heavily ingrained rule set that reminded him of Pokemon types. This hallway was an antithesis to him, which was becoming an interesting theme on the white path. Hannah must¡¯ve known he would choose this path. She had spent some time preparing for this, just to see if she could stump him. Zarian relished the challenge she was posing as he slowly moved his arms in circular patterns. By using motion, with his eyes still closed, he had an easier time rotating his dark aura out of his way. He cycled the pure aura in front of him. He kept adding more to the pure aura by splitting it away from his heavy supply of dark aura. He used cultivation for the splitting and maintenance process, which differed vastly from the usual case. But he was glad he¡¯d read a bunch of volumes on variant cultivation techniques for this moment. Applied knowledge was the key to power. But having the knowledge was foundational for a reason. Finally, when he had enough pure aura, he sent out rippling pulses that spread everywhere with a mental shove. It was like he was a bat using echolocation. Before the pure aura stopped belonging to him and absorbed into the environment, he could easily sense where his aura pulses went. He noted which section of his aura pulses went the furthest, while other sections slowed down just a little. Glacial Air Stone was elusive to the senses and difficult to discover through most aura controlling abilities. It was, however, not one hundred percent perfect, only ninety-nine percent per what the had empress said. If it was perfect, then it would¡¯ve taken a divine act to manipulate such a material into these hard-to-sense walls. Instead, a brilliant and legendary Runic Engineer had sourced, mined, and crafted walls out of the material with near perfect results. The Madness Wizard found a way through anyway. Zarian followed the path where his pure aura pulses went the furthest. He moved slowly and deliberately, balancing two types of auras through a splitting-style cultivation technique. Once he had a rhythm going, he kept shooting out rippling pulses of pure aura as easily as he was breathing. He was honestly having fun even while limited to one trick. He was also vulnerable since he had to underpower many of his abilities that weren¡¯t necessary. Hannah could have royally crushed him if she sprung an aggressive trap at that moment. Instead, she held back, which was rather kind of her, until his combination of supernatural and aura senses noticed the environment shifting again. Zarian moved faster to slip past a closing wall. He made it through by the skin of his teeth. He kept his forward progress without getting heavily obstructed. The journey through the glacial air maze took hours, but he eventually made it on the other side. With a sigh, Zarian slowly stopped his splitting-style cultivation. He let his dark aura consume his pure aura. Then he slowly opened his eyes and found Empress Ruvaria inches away from his face, studying him intensely. ¡°That ¡­ was impressive,¡± she mumbled. ¡°It was nothing.¡± Zarian shrugged, a little surprised by her closeness. Even for a projection, she looked and sounded real. He even felt heat radiating from the body. He wasn¡¯t sure if this was the real empress or not anymore. He sniffed. He could smell her floral and herby scent. Was that really her? She slowly shifted away, letting him see more of the room past her youthful, elven face and bountiful rings of silver-gold hair. She seemed to study him with a spark in her glowing green eyes. ¡°You are a curious problem, Zarian Darkrun,¡± she murmured. ¡°It has been thousands of years since I¡¯ve seen someone of your talent. If we were to ignore how you could bring an apocalypse down on us once again, your Feats of Adventure are going to be filled to the brim.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Feats of Adventure?¡± Zarian raised an eyebrow. ¡°A record of sorts that the Star System keeps. You ever wonder what really grants you access to the Throne of the Adventurer King?¡± ¡°Feats of Adventure,¡± Zarian replied. ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s more important than your levels, alignment, traits, skills, stats, and even achievements. Those are all shown to you because it is a reliable motivator. But Feats of Adventure belongs to the Star System, and those records aren¡¯t shown. All that matters is if you can accomplish enough feats of quality to earn passage to the throne. And those feats can be anything, even something as small as navigating the ultimate invisible maze on a Lesser World.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a little unfair if the Darkrun Apocalypse is considered a Feat of Adventure, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Zarian asked. The empress looked at him long and hard. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be. That is too destructive to the Star System itself and goes against the game. You can rest assured of that. Your other feats, on the other hand, are worthy of recording.¡± ¡°To be fair, I¡¯m the biggest nepo baby around. I¡¯m kind of starting on a strong footing compared to most. Maybe these Feats of Adventures should dock a few points off.¡± Zarian shrugged again, feeling uncomfortable from receiving so much praise from the empress. The idea behind the Feats of Adventures, an invisible recording of accomplishments that could lead to earning the biggest prize of the Star System, was thrilling. But it wasn¡¯t his primary goal. He wanted control of the biggest power inside and outside of this universe. The throne was ¡­ not really meant for him. He hadn¡¯t even gained anything new after using cultivation on his aura to split it. He¡¯d reached the point where it was harder to gain new traits because he¡¯d solidified himself so much from the rapid growth prior. He supposed it was a good thing Feats of Adventure existed in the background. Even if he didn¡¯t get a power-up directly, knowing his grandest efforts would get recorded by the Star System counted for something. ¡°That wasn¡¯t Basic Aura Manipulation, was it?¡± the empress asked. ¡°Your aura ability. It was quite advanced. It couldn¡¯t be the basic version.¡± ¡°It was the basic version of the trait,¡± he corrected. ¡°You call yourself a nepo baby, hm? Well, it is true. But if we remove your ability to cause an apocalypse with your Overwhelming Darkness, would you still have figured out a way?¡± she asked. Zarian didn¡¯t know how to answer that. Without his darkness ability, there were plenty of situations he wouldn¡¯t have survived. Without his scary origins, Zarian wasn¡¯t sure if he would¡¯ve gotten this far. It was kind of questionable if he¡¯d gotten this far because he had a major leg up or if he¡¯d gotten here because of his hard work. He figured the leg up mattered more, which felt like a bitter pill to swallow. But he refused to lie to himself and go on tirades about how he pulled himself up by the bootstraps and others weren¡¯t as successful as him because they didn¡¯t work as hard. People who spoke about those platitudes while having the biggest nepo baby support were a bunch of fucking hypocrites and nitwits. Zarian may be an idiot at the best of times, but he had some self-awareness about him. He was also aware of how he could go the extra mile and risk it all when most others wouldn¡¯t, for himself and for his friends, so he wasn¡¯t completely reliant on just what was given to him. ¡°I think by now you¡¯ve already heard of the story of how I killed myself to save a friend. But I imagine you haven¡¯t heard how I first broke my brain,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to. I could¡¯ve relied on my darkness for everything. But I wanted to push myself as a wizard. So I nearly tore my brain apart to cast multiple spells simultaneously at a level I probably shouldn¡¯t have. I nearly killed myself doing that. Wasn¡¯t the first time I nearly killed myself, definitely not the last, but it was a memorable moment among my multiple near-death experiences.¡± Despite being a reserved elf, the empress had little ways to show her thoughts. She had long eyelashes, too, so when she blinked rapidly before leaving her eyelids half closed to match her sidelong look and slight pout, the expression was strangely cute on her. Her ears evened out, too. ¡°It is strange to say this, Zarian Darkrun, but at this moment, I¡¯m glad you survived the ordeal and made yourself a better wizard. You continue to draw my curiosity like none before you.¡± Zarian slowly nodded. ¡°Um, thanks, empress.¡± ¡°There is no need for thanks. You are indeed a child of immense nepotism. But so are my children and children¡¯s children and the others of my progeny. Yet, they lack a certain spark.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that spark?¡± ¡°The heart of an adventurer.¡± The empress slowly turned away from him. ¡°Now let us move on, since I¡¯ve held you up already. Behold, this next chamber will test you even further.¡± Zarian could now pay attention to his surroundings better, which was hard earlier since the empress could take up so much of one¡¯s attention. Looking around, he noticed he was in an enclosure with walls made of imperfect Glacial Air Stone. He could tell based on how the walls were slightly less translucent, making them more noticeable while pale white. The ceiling was the same. It looked like Hannah wanted him completely contained. Outside of the enclosure was another chamber that was cavernous while looking like a massive playpen with different colored tunnels that were also made of imperfectly see-through Glacial Air Stone. Many of the tunnels stuck to their own routes along the floor, on the walls, or on the ceiling, which was the case for the tunnels colored red, green, and blue. But the white tunnels branched out in all directions and surfaces. The point where all the tunnels mostly connected was at the dark cube towers placed around the cavernous playpen. There were dozens of them, almost like a district of towers in the village above. How did Hannah find the time to make all of this? It was a mystery to even Zarian. But he saw how nothing was moving, shifting, or reconfiguring here. It was a much more stable place, despite also being more puzzling. After a quick scan, Zarian¡¯s eyes focused on the red tunnel far across the chamber to his left. He saw a squad of paladins traversing through the tunnel that stayed on the ground. They looked bruised up and battered, but they remained alive. Hannah had gone soft on them. Zarian appreciated that a lot. ¡°Okay, back to the game. How do I get my path to theirs or vice versa?¡± Zarian sprinted forward. ¡°You won¡¯t use your void spells?¡± the empress asked. ¡°That would go against the game and risk pissing off Hannah. She might kill the paladins instantly then,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Instead, I need to find how to intersect with them so I can play my role as big bad dungeon boss.¡± ¡°You are showing me the ways of a superb adventurer,¡± the empress said. ¡°I can only imagine how your Feats of Adventure look.¡± ¡°You keep complimenting me like that, Ruvaria, and I¡¯m going to think you either want to adopt me or play with me.¡± He flashed a grin at her while he was mid stride. A tiny red tint colored the empress¡¯s cheeks. Zarian somehow stumbled and fell over. He quickly rolled back to the soles of his rugged metal and leather boots. He looked up and saw that the empress was gone. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have said that. Or maybe it didn¡¯t matter. Zarian shrugged and kept running. Eventually, he entered a tower and found an interesting station filled with turned-off screens, buttons, and multiple closed doorways. The screens turned on with a loud click. One of them showed the faces of the paladins as if they were looking directly at him. They must¡¯ve entered a similar tower and station filled with buttons and closed off doors. They looked shocked, angry, and murderous. A different screen showed something that threw Zarian for a loop. It looked like they were going to play a mini-game against each other. On Zarian¡¯s side was the option for him to dial down the consequences for having losses. Hannah was nice enough to give him that option, with the setting already placed at the maximum output. Zarian decided to leave it maxed for the sake of being authentic to the game. It looked like victory over the mini-game would let him have access to the paladins, as if they were treats for him and Para. ¡°Hannah ¡­ you are a devious and cruel dungeon mistress,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I can dig it.¡± 133: B2: C33: Shock Therapy ¡°Brothers! Sisters! Be not afraid!¡± shouted High Brother Mason Justicier, the leader of a paladin squad trapped in a false dungeon under Ride-or-Die Village. ¡°We are where we need to be to usher in the end of the Dark Lord! Let our sacrifice put that bastard under judgment for his crimes against all that is GOOD!¡± High Brother Mason was rousing the spirits of the other sixteen men and three women who were in his squad of Stalwart Inquisitors. Their class was one of the best the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom could send on short notice across the frontiers and human lands of the Walled Continent. High Brother Mason¡¯s particular squad and the other squads sent on this secret mission were part of an esteemed chapter called the Brothers of Original Good. High Brother Mason was a proud servant and leader in his chapter. He believed his chapter to be the most moral, the most righteous, and the most good. He was once the pious son of a beast shepherd. He remembered how his family were good-fearing people. He remembered his neighbors being the same. Then the goblins had come and ravaged their lands. He¡¯d hid under the floorboards where only his little body could fit. He¡¯d waited with his little hands over his mouth while his family¡¯s blood seeped through the cracks and coated his body. Years later, High Brother Mason was no longer that little shepherd boy. He was a tall and mighty man whose own armor seemed to struggle to fit his heavily muscular form. His hair was graying. He had equal measures of wrinkles and scars on his face. But despite his age, he had a strong jaw as mighty as his muscles. And he was Level 67 with plenty of stat points he¡¯d stacked into his Strength and Wonder. Most of his fellow brothers and sisters in the chapter were in the early Level 60s. They had to be highly leveled to be here. While on the mission, he wore armor that was bronze, which was the dominant color of the empire. However, unlike the brown apparel that most paladins wore under their armor, the Brothers of Original Good wore black apparel and layers. The black represented how the Brothers of Original Good would go deep into the darkness where the greatest evil existed. Then they would fulfill their duty as men and women sworn to their chapter, their kingdom, and their Good Gods. Even if it meant they would die. But even in death, they would serve. Their devotion was carved into each of their backs, after all, making them more than just skillful humans adorned in rare quality armor and weaponry. They were pieces of a cosmic tapestry, a universe-spanning canvas. Such devotion empowered the will of the Ascended Heavens. Such devotion helped the Good Gods leave a greater mark upon the mortal worlds and spread the grace of goodness across all of Infinita. For High Brother Mason, the grace of the heavens was more important now than ever while fighting to save a Lesser World from the encroaching horrors of evil. And there was no evil greater than Shadowfell¡¯s vile husband, the source of the apocalypse, the reason for the Dark Era being especially dark, Zarian Darkrun the Dark Lord. ¡°Paladins, oh, paladins, you think I¡¯m the worst,¡± said the horrid fiend himself, his face filling one of the nefarious crystal screen devices made from evil witchcraft. The device was one of many strange trinkets and mechanisms that filled a room High Brother Mason had led his squad into. They had found no traps. They had thought the junction was secure enough for them to find some solace away from the trials of the red path. In truth, this entire false dungeon was a mechanism of black magic, and High Brother Mason was still uncertain how he and his fellow brothers and sisters had ended up here. A blackness like no other had captured them, and only the blessed items they carried kept them somewhat whole as they passed through a veil of nothingness before arriving in the false dungeon. They¡¯d nearly lost one of their own when they tried to step off the red path, which taught them the only way forward was to conquer the challenges of the false dungeon. They¡¯d overcome multiple smaller trials while following the dangerous red path. But it seemed to High Brother Mason they were going to face a new and more dire trial soon. He still remembered how the Dark Lord howled out to goad them earlier. The Dark Lord¡¯s voice had resounded across every corner of the chambers and tunnels, driving fear into the inquisitors. High Brother Mason mustered his bravery and snarled at the face of the Dark Lord while the fiend took up one of the crystal screens. The other screens revealed various images through more means of black magic. One even made sounds that were strange and foreign to High Brother Mason and the other paladins. ¡°You will face judgment, Dark Lord!¡± High Brother Mason raised his war hammer to prepare for a fight. He felt the righteous magic of his traits and skills empowering him. His good +2 alignment filled him with the warmth and comforting power of goodness itself. ¡°From you? Probably not,¡± the Dark Lord mocked. He was a youthful man of foreign dark skin. His hair was strangely curly and dark. He wore dark glasses that were squarish on his face. His crooked hat was as disturbing as the rest of his apparel. He didn¡¯t have much, since he remained bare chested, revealing a musculature that was highly unusual for what was supposedly a dark magician. High Brother Mason hated magicians of all sorts. They relied on magic that didn¡¯t come from the gods. They had the arrogance of thinking themselves better for it. The High Brother¡¯s trusty hammer had spilled the smart minds of many magician types. He¡¯d imagined doing the same to the Dark Lord, but only briefly. He knew that slaying the Dark Lord was the last thing they must do. Their mission here was more delicate and sacrificial. They¡¯d already failed the first part by not inciting unrest, disabling the operations of the evil village and weakening the foothold of this place. The den of the Dark Lord held too much power in an important crossroads between kingdoms and the frontier. No matter. They could devote everything to the primary goal. Defeating the Dark Lord. ¡°You know what¡¯s funny?¡± asked the Dark Lord, a white smile slashing across his evil face. ¡°I would¡¯ve just killed you. Maybe even painfully. But it would¡¯ve been quick depending on Para¡¯s mood. However, my friend has made us a game where I¡¯m going to have to work for it.¡± He tossed his head back and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s kind of screwed up! Because the more I have to work, the more you¡¯re going to really regret it when I finally get to you. And I think Hannah¡¯s doing this on purpose regardless of the consequences you¡¯ll face. We¡¯re all part of her experiment. Isn¡¯t that fun?¡± It was hard listening to a madman. High Brother Mason was glad he¡¯d gathered pieces of intel about the direct servants of the Dark Lord. The most shocking of these servants was the young lady who wore an authentic elven dress. She was well known as Princess Bianca Garcia, the most glamorous and blessed across the many lands and oceans of Corma. She was apparently the most gifted force of good, with an alignment of +5, yet she served the Dark Lord. High Brother Mason felt sick to his stomach. It was hard knowing that the Dark Lord had used his nefarious magic to enthrall the mind of poor Princess Bianca! Saving the princess only made this mission even more important. There was also the gallant Gilbert, a knight who rode on a powerful eight-legged steed. He¡¯d come to the aid of many adventurers and healed them from the brink of death. He, along with Princess Bianca, could find redemption. The one known as Naomi, the incredibly strong witch whose skin was dark like the Dark Lord¡¯s, was irredeemable from what High Brother Mason had learned. The one who was the architect of the village, and most likely the creator of this false dungeon, was a mystery to the High Brother. But it was safe to assume she was wicked for making such torturous and monstrous traps, many of which seemed to direct the Brothers of Original Good in a death maze against the Dark Lord, like mice pitted against a frenzied cat. ¡°High Brother Mason, I¡¯ve discovered the rules of this game contraption,¡± Sister Aveline exclaimed excitedly. Despite being of the fairer sex, she was like the other sisters, broadly built and tall like a man. It still saddened High Brother Mason that good women and providers of good paladins would risk their lives in this gritty work. But Sister Aveline was the smartest of them. She was much needed in this strange false dungeon, which existed without the proper dungeon rules of the Star System. High Brother Mason snarled once more at the smiling face of the Dark Lord before marching over to Sister Aveline. She directed with one sword and explained how the metallic tables with colorful buttons were part of a game that ten of them could partake in. Certain buttons could control certain geometric figures on one of the wide crystal screens. They could make the game figures shoot strange dots that made ¡®pew, pew¡¯ sounds. There were solid objects floating in the way, acting like obstacles that were worth avoiding. One touch equaled destruction of their geometric pew, pew game figures. High Brother Mason decided not to play. He waited in the back as Sister Aveline and the youngest and most impressionable members of their chapter stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the metal tables. They each had a set of buttons and took control of their specific moveable figures. ¡°Excellent, you¡¯ve figured out the game,¡± the Dark Lord said in a sinister voice. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fun if you had no idea what you¡¯re doing. You don¡¯t even have to worry about friendly fire. It¡¯s just the ten of you versus me.¡± ¡°What happens when we win this game?¡± asked one brother. The Dark Lord looked at them with mocking sadness. ¡°You can only hold back the inevitable. I assume once I destroy all of your spaceships, I¡¯ll get access to you, if Hannah deems me worthy.¡± ¡°I see him! A black, spiky shape that¡¯s maneuvering around the fields of floating obstacles!¡± shouted a brother who was playing.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Everyone, turn and shoot at him together!¡± Sister Aveline directed. High Brother Mason felt his heartbeat quicken despite the impersonal and alien nature of the game. At the very least, the eight brothers and two sisters playing against the Dark Lord seemed highly invested, which the High Brother thought was important. They erupted into cheer when volleys of moving dots going pew, pew from their figures destroyed the dark spiky shape that represented the Dark Lord. A roar filled with enraged pain cut their cheers off. It came from the screen and from outside of the room. The inhuman roar sent chills down High Brother Mason¡¯s spine. He gripped his hammer with one hand and placed a fist over his heart. He prayed to all of his favorite Good Gods: Purehome, Purgehunt, Lawkeep, and Hopeland. Although Purehome was the most pivotal goddess in the kingdom, and Purgehunt was the patron god for the Stalwart Inquisitor class, Mason¡¯s favorite was Hopeland. It was through hope that Mason felt relief when he saw the pain and suffering of the Dark Lord on the screen. Apparently, the destruction of his game figure had caused him to suffer a grave punishment. The High Brother was starting to relish the torment when the roaring quieted. The viewing screen panned around to show the Dark Lord knelt on the ground, with smoke wafting from his body. He was wheezing, as if he¡¯d suffered through an incredible trial. Then his hard breathing changed to mad laughter. The heinous husband of an Evil Goddess rose to his feet. ¡°There are some instructions on my side,¡± the Dark Lord said. ¡°There aren¡¯t many of those because Hannah is cruel and devious, but I guess she wanted to warn me.¡± The Dark Lord sighed merrily. ¡°I¡¯ll get punished every time I lose. I let you beat me in the first round just to test it. News flash, shock therapy is a little on the painful side.¡± The Dark Lord burst into laughter again. High Brother Mason firmed up his heart as he heard the wicked sounds the Dark Lord made. His fellow brothers and sisters tried to hide their fear as they watched the madman through the screen. The Dark Lord acted as if the punishment was nothing when it would¡¯ve harmed any paladin severely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You don¡¯t get punished for losing any members. All you can do is withstand the inevitable,¡± the Dark Lord said. ¡°The game is restarting everyone!¡± Sister Aveline shouted. ¡°If we can keep destroying his game figure, we can attempt to shock him into submission!¡± ¡°But what will happen if the Dark Lord succeeds?¡± asked one brother who was playing. ¡°Then we will handle things as paladins should,¡± grunted High Brother Mason. He looked toward one of the metallic doorways that closed off all forward progress. There was no going back, either, since that way was shut off by another metal door. The mice couldn¡¯t escape. But they had certain tools that could incapacitate the cat. The game resumed. The tension rose. The Dark Lord¡¯s spiky game figure moved with deftness and skill that wasn¡¯t apparent the first time. He darted between pew, pew shots from the skittering figures of the inquisitor players. And just when they were about to entrap the Dark Lord and destroy his figure again, he eliminated a brother. The game became harder for the paladins. They didn¡¯t seem to have a revival ability in the game like the Dark Lord did. A second brother fell, and the Dark Lord¡¯s position grew ever stronger. Then, by the grace of the Ascended Heavens, Sister Aveline clipped the Dark Lord¡¯s game figure and demolished it. The high whine of an electrocution filled the Dark Lord¡¯s side of the screens. But this time, there was no roar of pain. Instead, there was wretched and hysterical laughter that High Brother Mason had once heard from the likes of gnolls. It was wild. It was insane. It was the voice of evil itself. Even High Brother Mason couldn¡¯t stop himself from shivering in instinctual fear. The Dark Lord suffered his punishment merrily before the game resumed. Now it was eight inquisitors versus one Dark Lord, and the evil madman had momentum. Another brother fell. Then another and another. Now there were five against one. The Dark Lord was even mightier and more formidable with the reduced number of paladins. High Brother Mason watched the sweaty faces of the remaining paladin players before hearing a sister scream in frustration after the Dark Lord destroyed her game figure. Once again, Sister Aveline saved them. She struck the Dark Lord and forced him to endure a punishment created by someone who was supposedly his servant. ¡°Wow ho ho he ha ha ha ha ha!¡± The Dark Lord guffawed. ¡°I would¡¯ve normally hated this pain stuff, but it definitely makes me more excited to see you all in person. How many remain? Just four? Alright, I think it¡¯s time to finish this. Say hello to Para, everyone, because all of this shock therapy has her appetite raised all the way.¡± Multiple leathery hands formed from the tattered kilt worn around the Dark Lord¡¯s waist. Sister Aveline emitted a cuss that High Brother Mason would¡¯ve normally admonished her for under different circumstances. Instead, he barked out an order to have his squad prepare for what was coming next. High Brother Mason looked over his dutiful brothers and sisters of the chapter. Everything was still in order. He glanced at the game and saw that Sister Aveline was the only one who remained. She became the sole adversary of the Dark Lord¡¯s ¡­ article of living clothing. The Dark Lord smirked, his arms folded across his muscular chest, while four feminine hands tipped with bone-white claws pressed the buttons for his game figure. The hands were made from a red and monstrous kilt, and they moved with blurring speed. Sister Aveline did all she could to avoid outright destruction while trying to thwart the advance of the Dark Lord¡¯s living clothing until the inevitable happened. The Dark Lord destroyed the sister¡¯s game figure under a rain of pew, pew shots. ¡°No! I was going to get another win!¡± Sister Aveline shouted. ¡°Drop the matter and refocus, sister! It¡¯s now time for our original purpose!¡± High Brother Mason shouted. Just when Sister Aveline joined their formation, a shrilling siren wailed from the corners of the room. A yellow light flashed with a heinous warning. The noise and lights reminded High Brother Mason of the stories that depicted the bowels of Hidden Hell. He had wondered plenty of times what it would be like to experience it himself. One of the metal doors that was blocking off a passage slid open quickly, revealing a white tunnel curving upward. High Brother Mason looked at the screen where he¡¯d last seen the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord was gone. ¡°Shields up!¡± High Brother Mason shouted over the shrilling siren wail. His heart was hammering fast. He squinted through the hellish yellow lights and deep shadows. He saw his brothers and sisters were shaking in their armor. But one showed her bravery in the face of immense evil. ¡°For our kingdom! For the sake of original good!¡± Sister Aveline shouted, as if to thwart the grip of dread they all felt. She sounded gallant and cheerful. She sounded like a real Stalwart Inquisitor, filling High Brother Mason with pride. A dark figure stepped out of a wrinkle in the air and appeared in the middle of their formation. High Brother Mason felt the evil presence and the wicked magic before he could give a proper response. The Dark Lord placed his hand on the back of Sister Aveline¡¯s helmet. He punctured the back of her helmet and skull with something that moved too fast for the High Brother to recognize. Blood, bits of brain, and a smattering of skull pieces sprayed the air and splattered on the armor of the nearest brothers. ¡°Fight, my brothers and sisters, fight!¡± roared High Brother Mason. He lunged toward the floating spell books that were key tools used by magicians. The High Brother had a skill that could disable manifested spellbooks with a single strike. Something from the Dark Lord moved with a speed that blurred its form. High Brother Mason turned his hammer around to deflect the attack. On impact, he noticed the attack came from a bone-plated fist with numerous joints that extended from the monstrous kilt. The strike threw the High Brother across the room and into a wall with a heavy slam. He had the air knocked out of him, stunning him. When he hit the ground with a ringing clang, he looked up. He saw several of his brothers falling, their heads rolling away from between their shoulders. The Dark Lord fought with Agility and Strength that no magican should ever have. His body was a blur of action, unstoppable and savage, while flicking out deadly weapons from the flesh of his palms. His abilities and stats were unyielding. His form was shifty, dreadful, and menacing, striking fear into each inquisitor like a horrid wraith. Sometimes he would disappear and reappear without warning, making every effort against him useless. He carved a bloody war path through inquisitors who had trained for years to become an elite fighting force. The Dark Lord dismantled them as if being the best of the best of inquisitors, the Brothers of Original Good, was no matter to him. And the Dark Lord was chuckling throughout the blood bath, making it all seem like another game to him. He kicked dear Sister Isolde so hard her breastplate caved into her chest. The broken pieces of her ribcage spewed out of her mouth in a bloody jettison made of crushed organs. He thrust his hand and shot from his palm a thick thread of flesh tipped with bone. The rope-like dart speared through the shoulder gap in Brother Antoine¡¯s armor. A crimson glow shone from the monstrous strand of flesh. Brother Antoine screamed as the crimson glow consumed him and fed a horrific red energy into the Dark Lord, the evil villain letting out a gasp of pleasure. High Brother Mason felt sickened to his core. He felt his soul revolt as he climbed back to his feet. He watched more of his fellow inquisitors fall. Brother Antoine fell dead, his face stretched with horror and pain, his last moments spent with his life energy devoured by the Dark Lord. Other brothers faced the same fate as the Dark Lord¡¯s living kilt struck out with many monster limbs colored by the evil crimson glow. Bone-edged scythes hacked off limbs. Tentacles with bone hooks latched onto necks and strangled brothers dead. Wolfish heads on long necks snapped their fangs through plate armor and leather, ripping out intestines. The few paladins who remained tried to fight hard and fast, but the Dark Lord moved around them with ease. He made it seem as if the inquisitors had trained for nothing. Worse yet, when they finally landed a few hits, the Dark Lord shrugged them off. Only small cuts and welts appeared on his muscular form, and even those injuries were quick to disappear, leaving no lasting impression. His vitality must¡¯ve been enormous! No. Monstrous! The Dark Lord repaid each glancing hit they landed with slaughter. Brother Julian had his guts ripped out until he was thoroughly eviscerated. Brother Gaspard had his skull crushed between two gauntlet-clad hands. Brother Tristan threw his life away for a desperate blitz. Now he was nothing but ragged flesh after being drained of all his blood and innards by a hungry tube attached to the Dark Lord¡¯s monster kilt. Now only High Brother Mason remained. His squad hadn¡¯t lasted a minute. ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s that good stuff.¡± The Dark Lord chuckled. ¡°I think Hannah might¡¯ve gone a little too far with the shock therapy. But at least it gave you a sense of hope. That made you tastier for Para, honestly, and more fun for me. So it all worked out. Now for the dessert, oh High Brother.¡± High Brother Mason dropped his trusty hammer. He fell to his knees. He placed one fist over his heart. He clasped the other hand over his fist. He began the last prayer he would ever commit in this lesser life. He ignored the flashing memories of his family¡¯s death to goblins. He ignored his brothers¡¯ and sisters¡¯ fresh and bloody deaths to the Dark Lord. In the end, they all knew their deaths were unavoidable. All that mattered was the symbols and texts engraved into their backs. Their flesh served as the canvas where the heavens would commit their great work. He was prepared for the Dark Lord to interrupt him, too. It wouldn¡¯t be ideal, but the miracle for striking down such wicked evil would not allow for half measures while among the living or the dead. Strangely, the Dark Lord seemed to hold back and let Mason pray. By the time he neared the last lines, the corpses of his brothers and sisters glowed with palpable white and gold divine energy. The divine light pushed away the red hues, yellow warning lights, deep shadows, and bloody horrors covering the room. The divine energy even forced the Dark Lord to take a few stumbling steps back. ¡°Oh Good Gods, oh heavenly spirits of the righteous alignment, I give the life and flesh of myself and my brothers and sisters to serve your purpose!¡± High Brother Mason shouted, knowing that he wasn¡¯t just sacrificing the dead. He was also sacrificing the others who were still alive down here. They all shared the same sacrificial symbols and scriptures on their backs. They were all pieces of the canvas, tools for the heavens to achieve their great work. Thus, High Brother Mason was fulfilling his duty as a leader of his chapter. ¡°Hear my cry! For I give unto you everything, oh my Good Gods, my kings and queens of the heavens! If what I give isn¡¯t enough, take from the Brothers of Original Good everything you need! And if that isn¡¯t enough, take from the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom everything you need! And if that isn¡¯t enough, every soul of good will place down their lives. Then evil shall be vanquished!¡± High Brother Mason felt light. His connection to this mortal world was slipping away. His focus was fading gradually. He couldn¡¯t see the bodies of his brothers and sisters anymore. They were all white and gold sparks, pieces of light that made up the cosmic canvas of the heavens. The High Brother, once a son of shepherds, smiled as he said his last words. ¡°Let evil hear what all men and monsters must fear, Arch Cherub Metatron, the Welcoming Voice of Good!¡± High Brother Mason slipped from the mortal coils of his former flesh and whisked away to somewhere else as white and gold sparks. But while on his way out of this life, he heard something that placed a shadow on this glorious moment. ¡°Sweet, I get to kill my first angel,¡± said the Dark Lord. ¡°I wonder how Gilbert would react once I tell him.¡± 134: B2: C34: Be Very Afraid Zarian had spoken flippantly to hide some of his concern. He¡¯d known ahead of time that certain paladins, the terrorists specifically, could summon an angel through mass sacrifice. That was perfectly fine with him as long as the sacrifice didn¡¯t harm the innocent villagers, visitors, and guild members. He¡¯d allowed High Brother Mason to make the prayer and sacrifice because Zarian was interested in testing himself against a lesser angel. But he¡¯d hoped for something at the top of Tier 3 status regardless of level ¨C which was powerful, but not incredibly destructive. Arch Cherub Metatron, the Welcoming Voice of Good, was supposedly a low Tier 4, which was highly, highly destructive. There were uncommon theocratic books in the library that depicted immortal angels like Metatron, which were creatures that roamed the God Land and the Ascended Heavens. Hannah had checked out relevant holy books from Reiki¡¯s library before the dungeon went to the Blood Prairies with Naomi and Ezda. Hannah had also gathered some intel from Empress Ruvaria while Zarian¡¯s spectral spiders spied on the terrorists. After Hannah had compiled her research notes and gave Zarian a briefing on what he could face before Operation Dead Terror Parade began, he¡¯d expected something smaller instead of Metatron. Thus, its summoning by the late High Brother Mason was surprising. The Arch Cherub, a low Tier 4, could wipe out the entire village and beyond if it could abuse its full power. Even now, with its flashy summoning to the lesser mortal realm loading, Zarian felt sick and weighed down. He was forced to retreat into the corner of the room as pulses of goodness and holy sounds rolled over him heavily. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t stay trapped for long. The entire game room for the red path collapsed. The walls dropped immediately. The tower above his head fell to the side. Zarian found himself in a crumbling structure, but none of the cubes fell on him. Hannah was demolishing portions of her own creation on purpose. She gave Zarian plenty of space to retreat. He avoided the harsh glow from Metatron¡¯s summoning as the divine light grew wider. White and gold sparks scorched the earth and cubes equally. The entire cavern trembled. An angelic choir filled the air. Zarian felt sicker and sicker. His parasite squirmed in discomfort under his flesh, the kilt flapping wildly from around his waist. Para was already bothered about losing the paladin corpses before she could consume them all, but now she was suffering along with Zarian. And this was before the Arch Cherub showed up completely. It¡¯s a good thing we threw the terrorists down here or they could¡¯ve wrecked the village and killed a lot of people, Zarian thought as he retreated some more. He was now standing outside of the colored paths and on the dark, cavernous grounds that were sometimes barren of Hannah¡¯s influence. Amid the patches of uncharged rock, there were cube towers, monuments, and more objects of Hannah¡¯s engineering that were shifting rapidly for the upcoming challenge. She was going to help him. Zarian didn¡¯t mind. The biggest surprise was the elven empress making an appearance, popping up to Zarian¡¯s right. Ruvaria¡¯s bright emerald eyes looked at the vast and terrifying glow of heavenly wrath. She hovered about, slender arms crossed under her breasts. ¡°I¡¯ve always hated it when angels make an appearance,¡± Empress Ruvaria said. ¡°This summoning will kill thousands of paladins who agreed to be sacrifices beyond just the inquisitors. And angels do not understand nuance and will kill tens of thousands for having too much sin, which is not something anyone can measure, so even good humans can suffer its wrath.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± Zarian grunted. ¡°We didn¡¯t read that in the books.¡± The empress nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t die because of my Chosen One trait. And it¡¯s quite difficult to kill me these days. However, I¡¯ve done plenty of things that have gone against the nature of good, so even I am a target.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re good +4,¡± Zarian said. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have sin that much.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t go backwards in alignments unless you change classes with diverging alignments. And I can¡¯t even do that much. Elves are born into the good alignment just like how evil creatures, such as gnolls and goblins, are born into the evil alignment. We don¡¯t have the option for alignment changes like humans do.¡± The empress sighed. ¡°Nonetheless, I¡¯ve been naughty in my own ways. If you cannot stop Metatron, it will have you sealed away before it wipes out the village. Then it would ensure I¡¯m punished for my many sins. Chief among them is not doing what my grandmother wants.¡± ¡°To have me sealed?¡± ¡°It is a shortsighted and unreliable solution, in my opinion. I have other plans for you and your friends I want fulfilled, even if it means I must go against the will of the Ascended Heavens.¡± Zarian gawked at the petite elf woman. She was one of the most powerful beings across the many Lesser Worlds. She was the Chosen One of the World of Castles and Caverns. She¡¯d acted like a mentor figure for weeks, even though she once said she didn¡¯t want to be one earlier. It hadn¡¯t occurred to him she was rebelling against the heavens, especially her grandmother, Purehome. He hadn¡¯t quite pinned down her exact reasons yet even though he was glad to have her, but the degree to which she was becoming more involved was considerable. ¡°You can destroy it, can¡¯t you? If it tries to harm you?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Good is powerful. But good is highly restricted. Striking against an Arch Cherub from my position would be a sin so dreadful I would rather not suffer it,¡± the empress explained. ¡°Especially when Arch Cherubs are good +7.¡± Zarian flinched. His heart hammered harder in his chest. He felt Para getting riled up inside of his body, inside of his mind, and through the ragged apparel around his waist. He¡¯d figured there would be holes in Hannah¡¯s research. The library only had uncommon quality books, which could only contain so much information. And Empress Ruvaria wasn¡¯t completely forthcoming about all of her info. The empress hadn¡¯t told them about the good +7 factor on purpose. This was one of her tests, which was highly dangerous and maddening for even the Madness Wizard. Is it possible that Empress Ruvaria could be crazier than me? Zarian wondered. This is the price for getting her mentorship, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m dealing with the most powerful elf around, the queen demigoddess of the Lesser Worlds. To hold her attention means she¡¯s going to throw you in the deep end with the sharks while you are covered in bloody cuts. Then she¡¯ll see if you can swim. Feeling in over his head once again, Zarian began chanting and hand-signing. The mini cubes in his gauntlets moved up and down as part of the unsealing sequence. He was about to unseal his One Percent Power.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Empress Ruvaria turned a sharp glare at him. Zarian slowed down. ¡°You¡¯re buckling already?¡± The elf harrumphed. ¡°It may be good +7, but it will be Level 60 at most. It shouldn¡¯t be impossible for you since you have the advantage of a new and more free alignment.¡± He paused the unsealing process. He only had a few more moves to go. He glared back at the empress through his sunglasses. ¡°I fought Bianca when she was good +5, and she was pretty freaking strong. Good +7 is immense, Empress Ruvaria. My free evil is only +3, and it¡¯s not much help in direct combat. So even if I¡¯m Level 80, and it¡¯s Level 60, that thing is going to be ridiculously strong because of its alignment. I should use Overwhelming Darkness to guarantee victory.¡± The words tasted bitter in his mouth. He¡¯d orchestrated for all of this to happen, and now he was regretting it quite a bit. Yes, Zarian loved to accomplish crazy things. But the cavern walls weren¡¯t tough enough to contain a fight like this. The village above them was in deep trouble. He should use his Overwhelming Darkness. Yet, he hesitated. His mind was unraveling with possibilities. And the empress was prodding at him on purpose, bringing out the craziness, making it a struggle to do the rational thing. She pressed closer until they were an inch apart. He felt the heat radiating from her skin. He was ninety-nine percent sure this was not a projected illusion. ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t win without Overwhelming Darkness? You are the most powerful wizard of your level, Zarian Darkrun,¡± she said softly, with a hint of sweetness. ¡°You are not just a child of nepotism. You have the spark of an adventurer, perhaps one destined for the Throne of the Adventurer King. Do not run away from this challenge. Face it head on. Add to your Feats of Adventure. And take what spoils the Star System will owe you.¡± She was so close to him he felt the glow from her emerald eyes pushing aside the shadows on his face. He could smell the mint on her breath. Despite her age, she remained youthful and beautiful, arresting his attention. The angel choir sang louder. The entire cavern shook. The glow of heavenly divinity and destructive goodness grew brighter, more intense. Zarian felt sicker, and so did his parasite. But his attention was fixed on the empress, as if she had cast a spell of enthrallment on him. She was a powerful figure. She could have anything she wanted. Yet she was here, trying to push him to overcome a great challenge while defying the will of the greater good. Her belief in him was so palpable it was almost undeniable. Naomi wouldn¡¯t back down from a challenge like this, Zarian thought, which was strange to consider at the moment. Somewhere out there in the Blood Prairies, my little rival is trying to grow stronger and stronger by facing the hardest challenges she can. I should do the same every now and then. Finally, he snapped back to focus and made his decision. He dropped his hands and didn¡¯t unseal his Overwhelming Darkness. He secretly cussed at the petite elf, not daring to say it aloud. Fucking aye, Naomi could learn a thing or two from the empress about instigating, Zarian thought, before letting out a sigh. Despite the whiplash in mood, the decision still felt right with him. Zarian wanted to use more wizardry than darkness, at least for now. He could establish control over his darkness through cultivation later. Right now, after the empress had pushed at him so convincingly, he figured he could learn a lot about himself if he tried to put wizardry first. He could certainly grind up his grimoire skills and have them all advanced for new spell upgrades. Thus, he had to ask himself an important question. How would he beat the good +7 Arch Cherub, a creature with Tier 4 civilization-destroying power, without his biggest weapon? The challenge felt too extreme. But at least he wasn¡¯t alone. And he could make a request from the empress. ¡°Hannah¡¯s going to help. But I need your help, too,¡± Zarian said sharply. ¡°You can¡¯t let Metatron get out of here.¡± The empress nodded. ¡°I will seal the cavern and keep your fight contained. I will also offer some assistance to Hannah, so she will attack effectively with what tools she has at her disposal.¡± ¡°Thank you, milady.¡± ¡°No, thank you, milord.¡± The empress disappeared. He still felt some of her warmth lingering in the air close to his skin. It really seemed like Empress Ruvaria had a lot of vested interest in him, regardless of her true intentions. Zarian sighed. ¡°Damn, I really have to do my best here. You with me, Para?¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± Para said through the kilt. ¡°I want to eat the flesh of an angel. I was excited about that. But this creature feels like a natural predator to me.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Zarian said. ¡°It is okay. I will do my best as well.¡± Zarian nodded as he switched around some alpha skills with beta skills. Now his alpha skills included Overwhelming Darkness, Parasite Cloak +2, Spectral Spider Network +2, Summon Wizard Hat +2, and Advanced Grimoire of the Voidling Exile. He wished he could shove Overwhelming Darkness into the beta section so he could at least have Grimoire of Black Magic 102 in his alpha section. He was tempted to trade out Spectral Spider Network +2, but the little spiders were already hard at work to help him in a big way. Thus, his black magic grimoire and hell gator grimoire had to stay in the beta section with the Level 0 skills. At the very least, having Summon Wizard Hat +2 in the alpha section would uplift everything. With the skills set, Zarian was as ready as he was going to be. The white and gold glow in the middle of the cavern finally solidified as the singing choir grew so loud it deafened Zarian some. Para did her best to endure. The singing crescendoed, and an implosion of force scraped away the nearest rocks and cubic formations. Born from the blast, a huge psychic wave spread throughout the cavernous chamber and flowed around Zarian¡¯s mind, unable to breach. The first genuine attack from Metatron would¡¯ve been devastating against anyone else other than Zarian and maybe Naomi, and this was happening while the Arch Cherub was completing its form in the Lesser World. Metatron was the definition of ¡®Be Not Afraid,¡¯ which was a total lie. The creature was a giant white sphere of hardened flesh covered in giant mouths with elegant and supple lips. Dozens of huge, feathery, gold wings extended from the sphere of its main body. Each wing had a mouth that was made from feathers. When the lips attached to the wings parted, Zarian could see teeth, tongues, and even throats that led down to the unknown, despite how impossible that should be when set on the feathery appendages. Zarian spotted more impossible anatomical designs from the four spiraling platinum rings encircling the Arch Cherub¡¯s giant round body. Each platinum ring had multiple mouths made of the same platinum material ¨C lips, teeth, tongues, and throats included. It was impossible to fully tell the gender of Metatron, but it was clear the angel had its own uncanniness merged with a biblically accurate angel design. Then the Arch Cherub spoke with a voice that was feminine but otherworldly. ¡°Be very afraid, Dark Lord.¡± ¡°Yes, but no,¡± Zarian said, making one more promise with himself. I¡¯ll push as hard as I can with just wizardry and my other abilities, but I will use Overwhelming Darkness rather than suffer defeat if it comes down to it. I have to think about everyone else, after all. He had people relying on him. He would hate to disappoint them again. The Star System made itself seen and heard before the fireworks started, a big golden box appearing against the cavern ceiling. Zarian watched as more boxes appeared, overlaying the first, which gave him some clue that this wasn¡¯t just a message for him. This was being told to everyone around Ride-or-Die Village. Perhaps even further than that. *** As Zarian began his battle against Metatron, the Star System was informing all major populations and leaders around the world about the Divine World Event. Such an event hadn¡¯t happened in decades, ever since the Sixth Divine War of recent history. Most leaders immediately hoped for Empress Ruvaria to keep the situation contained. Many of the leaders knew the histories that were mainly kept secret from the public. They knew how major events like these could cause widespread damage, leaving them at Empress Ruvaria¡¯s mercy as per usual. She was both a nightmare and a hero of epic proportions, a figure who seemed as mighty as an actual goddess of the Lesser Worlds. Some world leaders, such as the king and council of the Windy Strider Kingdom, went on the offensive against the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom. They were neighbors across the Stone Sea River. The striders were highly aware of the dangerous angelic summonings that the paladins could achieve. Once again, they butted heads. However, the conflict between striders and paladins, and all the other political events happening around the world, mattered little to Zarian, Hannah, Empress Ruvaria, and the people of Ride-or-Die Village. Only the destruction of Metatron mattered. 135: B2: C35: Tell Your Gods Zarian shoved his remaining free points into his Wonder Stat, pushing it from 267 to 302. He felt luckier, more faithful, and more perceptive of the supernatural. Then, with his Basic Aura Manipulation trait, he pushed aura hard into his Level 0 Wondrous Speed skill. He ran faster than he¡¯d ever ran before. His grimoires jerked after him as he became a human streak of luck and speed. Spectral chains rattled. Metallic hums resounded. A swampy presence groaned. And Zarian grunted as he maxed his physicality and dodged the first solid attack from Metatron. The Arch Cherub shot a beam from one of its many mouths. The radiant torrent of celestial energy scrubbed the air clean of anything that wasn¡¯t good and struck the cavern floor where Zarian had stood a second ago. The entire cavern chamber trembled from the single impact. Rock, sediment, and many high-quality materials became sparkling vapor under a bright and thunderous flash as the celestial beam kept burrowing further down below. By the time that single beam finished, Zarian could tell it dug thousands of feet into the ground and left its heavenly mark. If that attack had struck the village up above, multiple towers would¡¯ve fallen and thousands of people would¡¯ve died. The Arch Cherub flapped its dozen wings. Rhythmic storm winds blew out in all directions, all howling deeply with a monstrous bass. The beating wings and storm winds almost sounded like a choir of deep-voiced men providing the bottom tone of a song. The altos came from the many mouths that covered the hard, white flesh of Metatron¡¯s spherical body. By combining all its singing voices, the Arch Cherub produced a musical symphony that was like the orchestral tracks Zarian would hear in dungeon boss battles. But unlike the superfluous mood music a dungeon could provide him, the Welcoming Voice of Good was singing to invade Zarian¡¯s mind. It had no shot of succeeding there. Zarian¡¯s Thematic Law/Floridian Mindset denied the power of the invasive music. However, the Arch Cherub¡¯s other magical traits and skills weren¡¯t so easy to thwart. More celestial beams shot at Zarian as he moved around at blurring speeds. His back itched as the bright and thunderous volleys destroyed the cavern floor behind him with rock-rumbling impacts. Metatron¡¯s beating gold wings sent more bass-filled storm winds around the cavern chamber to slow him down or throw him off his feet. Zarian clenched his jaw, leaned into the storm winds, and pushed through as he ran in zig-zagging patterns with the celestial beams trailing after him along with other mighty powers of the Arch Cherub. That was all fine with Zarian as long as Metatron kept its attention on him and off the spectral spiders. The little guys were forming a decently large spell array with numerous arcane webs and gravity runes. While the gravity spell was still a long-term project for Zarian to complete, his studies had borne fruit in other ways, such as teaching the spectral spiders to be their own little wizards and enchanters. ¡°Do not run,¡± Metatron said through multiple mouths. ¡°You will not be destroyed, only harmed and incapacitated. Then you will be sealed for the greater good.¡± ¡°Fuck off!¡± Zarian shouted, throwing up double middle fingers. Metatron concentrated even more on Zarian. More of its mouths switched from casually singing to shooting celestial beams. With Metatron fully distracted, the spectral spiders triggered their trap. They created a purplish zone that encompassed the entire Arch Cherub. Heavy gravity fluctuations crashed into the creature from below and knocked it toward the cavern ceiling. Its volleys of celestial beams and beating storm winds died down, letting Zarian plant his feet and focus on wizardry. In the meantime, Hannah took her shot from the opposite side of the cavern chamber. A massive rectangular barrel fired with a loud thump that nearly challenged Metatron¡¯s choir of voices. The payload struck the Arch Cherub¡¯s side with a brilliant eruption of heat and force that even Zarian could feel as the blast turned the entire chamber from being a dark space to being the brightly lit home of a solar flare. Zarian and Para continued to prepare their spells while observing the results of Hannah¡¯s big bang attack. The light and flames dimmed away. The smoke cleared. Metatron remained unharmed. The air around the Arch Cherub looked thick and wobbly. The platinum rings encircling its body were vibrating. They seemed to have conjured a barrier to defend from direct damage. ¡°Lay down your arms and your magic. You must surrender to the demands of the Ascended Heavens and the Greater Good,¡± Metatron demanded, its many mouths speaking with a tone that was more magical and divine. ¡°There is no chance of you defeating me. Lessen your suffering and be sealed away. The Good Gods demand it so, and so it must be done.¡± Metatron¡¯s orders had no effect on Zarian and Para. The spectral spiders, however, weren¡¯t immune to the unyielding orders of divinity. Metatron forced many of the spectral spiders to stop their arcane webbing, and the gravity trap lost its consistency. Without maintenance on the arcane webs and new gravity runes, the spectral spider¡¯s ingenious spell array was breaking down fast. Metatron kept making orders to crush the will of the spiders completely. Eventually, the purplish zone dropped all the way, freeing the Arch Cherub. The horrific World Boss flapped its dozen gold wings, stirring up more bass-filled storm winds that propped up its song of heavenly wrath. It sang with an invasive psychic voice. It shot volleys of celestial beams that curved through the air, now targeting Hannah¡¯s makeshift cannons and Zarian¡¯s position. The Arch Cherub kept demanding for their surrender. It kept demanding for them to be obedient for the greater good. Zarian remained disobedient, and he didn¡¯t run this time. Instead, he and Para finished their preparations for a hardcore combination of wizardry. They stood their ground and went all in with their first big countermeasure. ¡°Void Authority! Void Layer! Black Fire!¡± Zarian shouted, his arms thrusting forward, his aura flowing hard, his mind burning. ¡°Quagmire Pit! Dread Mire Bite! Dread Mire Bellow!¡± Para shouted quickly, her hands flipping fast through the gator grimoire. Casting two void spells with a black magic spell counted as three simultaneous spells. Para casting the folktale gator spells counted as one continuous spell. Altogether, that was technically four spells happening at once. And unlike traits and skills from the Star System, multicasting wizard spells together was a ridiculously hard effort. This was the furthest Zarian had ever pushed, which made Para¡¯s help a great boon for him. Their combination of mental and aura enhancements supported the great workings. Meanwhile, Hannah lost some of her cannons, but not all. She deployed more cannons that rolled in on rail-like tracks through openings in the cavern walls. Another newly made cannon fired with a quieter retort, which struck before Zarian and Para¡¯s spells landed. Hannah¡¯s newest payload erupted with a warping effect. Metatron¡¯s barriers distorted and unraveled as the air around the platinum rings twisted violently in on itself. The flickering barriers didn¡¯t fall apart completely. But Zarian¡¯s void fire technique had an easier time chewing through what remained, especially with how the Void Authority spell enhanced the void fire attack to make it even stronger. The aura-eating flames consumed the warped barriers. Then the void flames spread fast around the platinum rings and caught some of the gold wings. Unfortunately, Zarian had to trade blow-for-blow to light Metatron up with the ghastly void flames. The celestial beams were still raining down on him. But that didn¡¯t mean Zarian was going to take those hits flush. A part of his Unraveled Mind split away and focused on pumping aura into his Level 0 Mystic Toughness skill, filling it with as much as it could take. Para toughened every part of Zarian¡¯s body with her parasitic threads. Then Zarian and Para helped each other even further. Zarian unraveled fractured parts of his mind until it could merge further with Paras consciousness. Para formed mouths on the sides of Zarian¡¯s throat along with extra vocal chords. Then they both cast Void Shout together, pushing to five simultaneous spells. Their combined vocals filled the cavern with a haunting and dreadful noise. It was a sound born from the deepest depths of the void, where only the most horrific creatures of the abyss could lurk. Zarian burned through so much aura that if it wasn¡¯t for his high Mysticism stat, Aura Channeler trait, and wizard hat skill, he would¡¯ve bottomed out instantly. Instead, his aura endured while he attacked Metatron¡¯s magical abilities with the void fire technique and Void Shout spell as volleys of celestial beams broke down and became weaker above him and Para. Consequently, his Unraveled Mind was a swirling, liquidated, barely conscious mess that was spilling further and further into Para¡¯s consciousness. Yet, regardless of the risks, the parasite did all she could to support him as Zarian did most of the grunt work. At the very least, the spells from the hell gator grimoire were giving Metatron even more trouble. The Arch Cherub couldn¡¯t suffer the dangers of falling into a quagmire since it was hovering above the cavern floor. But the following Dread Mire Bite latched onto two platinum rings that were covered in ghostly void flames. The platinum rings would¡¯ve resisted otherwise if it wasn¡¯t for the magic getting burned up inside their structure. The Dread Mire Bite tore away pieces from the two platinum rings, demolishing them and halving Metatron¡¯s best defense. The invisible predator splashed back down into the quagmire before resurfacing. Then the hell gator emitted a loud and explosive bellow that smashed into the bottom of Metatron¡¯s body. The Arch Cherub faltered. Its singsong demands for surrender and obedience fell silent. Its volley of celestial beams slowed, which was the most important part. Void Shout was powerful, but it wasn¡¯t perfect. A few celestial beams still broke through and delivered damage even while reduced from their former glory. Zarian suffered some.Stolen novel; please report. Most of his flesh was fried to a crisp. The parasite material around his waist burned away, leaving only some smoldering threads. His new sunglasses melted off his face, and so did his eyes, forcing him to see the world through aura manipulation alone. The ground under him turned into a vapor, dropping him into a short crater that disrupted him a little. He fell to a knee as he felt the horrible judgment and punishment of good +7. It couldn¡¯t invade his mind, but it could certainly leave a mark on his soul, and Para was suffering along with him. A combination of physical and magical defenses protected him as best as they could. But the good +7 power of an Arch Cherub was almost undeniable. Parts of his face scattered away into ash. His limbs felt heavy, laden with an invisible weight that made everything stiff. He felt like he was being petrified, trapped in his own body, pushed halfway toward death while being turned into a deep fried statue. It was by far the most painful experience Zarian had ever faced. It was like he was being roasted alive while being forced to turn into a scorched rock that wouldn¡¯t die, granting no escape from his suffering. The sealing process Metatron was using on him was extraordinarily harrowing, as if the Arch Cherub wanted to be an absolute asshole and ensure maximum torment for the Dark Lord. That was still not enough to stop Zarian, nor Para. They kept up Void Shout while multitasking more than any wizard at their level could imagine. ¡°Now it¡¯s time to leave the pit and reveal yourself!¡± Para shouted from another mouth formed on Zarian¡¯s shoulder. Multiple limbs sprouted from his back as Para flipped through the gator grimoire once more. Most of those extra limbs crumbled away, but Para still succeeded anyway. ¡°With this folktale, I summon the great infernal predator, Dread Mire Hell Gator!¡± Para, unfortunately, couldn¡¯t make the gator as large and deadly as Zarian could, especially with the hell gator grimoire in the beta section. But at least she could finish the combo folktale. A seven hundred foot gator born from the deepest depths of Hidden Hell crashed upward out of the Quagmire Pit. The monstrous hell fiend snapped its giant jaws on its natural enemy, breaking through the last two platinum rings to demolish its barrier defense completely. The Arch Cherub screamed, hurt and enraged. The hell gator¡¯s six orange eyes burned with a furious and malevolent fury that wanted nothing more than to make the Arch Cherub suffer more. Six mighty legs scrambled at the hardened flesh of the Arch Cherub or at the surface of the quagmire. Its huge muscular tail thrashed from underneath, splashing infernal quagmire water everywhere, until the hell gator touched the cavern floor with a foot. Then the hell gator swung its powerful body toward the cavern floor. It brought the panicking Arch Cherub down from the air to the floor for a kaiju-style body slam. The entire cavern rocked. The Arch Cherub made a sound that was less elegant and more like a bestial scream that pierced the cavern air. Hannah¡¯s cannons readjusted their angles and drew an accurate bead on the Arch Cherub¡¯s thrashing body. Then the cavern cannons unleashed explosive hell that hammered on Metatron¡¯s exposed flesh. Meanwhile, the hell gator lunged and readjusted the grip of its jaws. It sank a deeper hold with its large teeth on the bottom of the Arch Cherub. Then the hell gator did the thing. GIANT DEATH. ROLL. The hell gator rotated like the biggest log anyone had ever seen. It even twisted around while turning at an angle. Instead of rolling off to the side and fouling the aim of Hannah¡¯s cannons, the hell gator rolled mostly in place, twisting the Arch Cherub about. Angelic blood splashed onto the cavern floor in great heaps, and the hell gator let out a throaty bellow to celebrate the pain inflicted upon its natural enemy. Metatron, the Welcoming Voice of Good, released a high-pitched scream from its remaining mouths. A powerful wave of psychic energy blasted outward in all directions and bashed against the hell gator¡¯s body. The furious creature from the depths of hell hesitated as the psychic energy invaded its own mind. Then the hell gator growled angrily in defiance of its mortal enemy. It slammed all six of its paws down on the cavern floor. With an upward tilt of its head, the hell gator raised the thrashing Arch Cherub up into the air before slamming down. Metatron struck the cavern floor hard enough to form an enormous crater. Fissures spread in all directions from under Metatron¡¯s body like an expanding spider web. The hell gator raised up the Arch Cherub for another slam. Unfortunately, the hell gator couldn¡¯t deliver on the promise of further harm. While the hell gator was a powerful entity, Metatron was a big threat to civilization for a reason. Angered, the Welcoming Voice of Good sucked in a huge breath through its many mouths. Then Metatron released a concentrated sonic howl on the hell gator. The gator¡¯s face was obliterated. Its scales peeled away like chips of paint. The skull turned into discarded fragments. Roiling flames spitting out between the cracks in the gator¡¯s body snuffed away. Boiling blood turned solid and cold, like lava glass, while raining across the cavern floor and nearest wall. The hell gator died, completely blown apart by Metatron¡¯s strongest ability, its unified voices turned into a sonic cannon of ultimate destruction. Even the wall behind the hell gator stood no chance. The Arch Cherub blew that down and created a tunnel that kept going for a mile. The following silence was deafening for a few seconds. Hannah interrupted the silence with more cannon fire. The Arch Cherub flapped into the air and turned its attention on the cavern battery of makeshift artillery. Most of the guns were newly made, clobbered together like they came from a large scale and automated factory of a weapon-focused MacGyver. Hannah kept the Arch Cherub distracted, pounding away at its exposed flesh and wings. Metatron retaliated with another mega sonic torrent. It blasted away Hannah¡¯s entire line of big and loud cavern guns. The quiet resumed once the echoes died down. The destruction was immense, but the cavern ceiling remained mostly held together. There would¡¯ve been a cave in by now if it weren¡¯t for Empress Ruvaria. She kept the fight contained underground just as promised. Zarian wanted to thank her for her help. He also wanted to cuss at her for enabling him to be a masochist again. Maybe he should do both. He wasn¡¯t sure. He couldn¡¯t think straight after using five spells simultaneously. His mind was an unraveled mess, some of it fused closely with Para¡¯s consciousness. At least he could sneak in a dozen boxed meals. Para ate a bunch of fresh corpses from her pocket dimension. They both needed the extra fuel and were thankful to Hannah for having sacrificed her remaining big guns to give them this time window to eat. Meanwhile, parasitic threads ripped away the burnt and hardened flesh from Zarian¡¯s body, which cleared the lingering effects of Metatron¡¯s torturous attempt to petrify Zarian. With Hannah¡¯s weapons put out of the picture for now, Zarian figured it was the right time to swagger out of the crater he¡¯d taken a pit stop in and reenter the picture. He had a bright smile, a full belly, and parasitic threads replacing all of his lost flesh. Barely any skin remained except for half of his face. Para could only do so much to fix him after suffering so much severe damage. So she covered him with worming strands of her body and kept his organs from spilling out. He looked like a living nightmare as he walked toward the damaged Arch Cherub. He was happy to see the void flames were still in effect, eating at Metatron¡¯s outrageous supply of aura and harming it in some ways. Maybe Zarian was both a masochist and a sadist, because he refused to use Overwhelming Darkness to finish this. He figured he still had plenty in the tank to keep fighting. And he was in a crazy enough mood to unleash his most creative tricks. Zarian reached into the worming threads covering his chest and pulled out a skeleton from Para¡¯s pocket dimension. The skeleton came from a kobold, and it wasn¡¯t an advanced skeleton, so he had to maintain his necromancy spell to deploy it. But that was okay. The skeleton was covered in a unique set of runes Hannah had designed into a special array of enchantments. Zarian tossed out half a dozen more skeletons with the same enchantments. The skeletons assembled themselves from their piles of bones, looked at the Arch Cherub, and ran toward it. They made their excited bone-on-bone rattling sound as they charged full tilt at the angelic monster. ¡°Surrender,¡± Metatron ordered, sending out a wave of psychic divinity. The psychic wave struck the skeletons. And did nothing. Skeletons didn¡¯t have working minds even if they could act sentient. The psychic compulsion had no effect on the dead. ¡°Surrender!¡± Metatron screamed, uniting many of its voices. ¡°How about you go back to the heavens and tell your gods to fuck themselves?¡± Zarian snapped his fingers. The skeletons blew up their legs and launched into the air like rockets. They latched onto the injured lower half of the Arch Cherub. Then they erupted completely, the enchantments granting them some control of how and when they blew up. Naturally, they blew up all the way. The suicide skeletons were just one of many heinous ideas Hannah had come up with that fitted Zarian perfectly. The damage wasn¡¯t much. But Zarian had a lot of spare skeletons with explosive enchantments on their bodies. He also had a lot of spare skeletons with other enchantments for more sacrificial plays. He reached into the worming threads covering his chest and threw out more. The skeletons assembled themselves and ran merrily at Metatron to fulfill their purpose. Metatron roared in anger. Its gold wings glowed a brighter gold. Then the Arch Cherub showed off a new trick and phased out of sight. Zarian felt a familiar ripple through the immaterial fabric that held reality together. Something nearby kept swimming through the multidimensional folds of the universe and beyond. It was an ability similar to Void Waltz. Zarian clucked his tongue. ¡°Tut. Tut. That¡¯s my domain.¡± He cast Void Authority and yanked the entire Arch Cherub away from a nearby plane of existence and back to normal reality. The angelic creature screamed in rage at the rude interruption, spinning about as a giant dervish ball of sharpened gold wings. Metatron slashed through cavern stone and suicide skeletons in equal measure. Each time a suicide skeleton fell to the angel¡¯s bladed wings, it exploded, even if it wasn¡¯t for much effect. Zarian smiled as he used Void Waltz in the middle of the chaos. He danced in and out of the void and in and out of the whirling edges of Metatron¡¯s sharpened wings. He kept tossing out suicidal skeletons that exploded themselves on Metatron. Meanwhile, Para formed blade-tipped tentacles from Zarian¡¯s back. Each one glowed with the familiar crimson light of the Bloody Lifesteal spell. Then she took things a step further by coating the crimson tentacles with black and gray flames from the Black Fire spell. Fully prepared, Para lashed out with her sharpened tentacles while maintaining two spells on her own, which led to the next phase of the battle came ¨C a giant, spiraling melee. Zarian kept on the move while in the thick of things, only one mistake away from getting cut down and petrified. His skeletons exploded all over as they chipped at Metatron. Parasite tentacles coated in blood magic and dark flames whipped at the Arch Cherub¡¯s body as Para chipped away at the World Boss¡¯s vitality and life directly. Every time the massive wings chopped through the tentacles, Para grew more from Zarian¡¯s back and kept going. After a few minutes of this, it became obvious to Zarian that his skeletons and parasite seemed to struggle with leaving an impactful impression. He had the same issue. Without his darkness, he didn¡¯t have a heavy hitter ability. Zarian and Para kept dancing and chipping at their foe anyway. Metatron kept spiraling and cutting. The Arch Cherub seemed to have an endless supply of everything. Hell, its aura was still being burnt by void flames. Black Fire lit up its vitality. Bloody Lifesteal drained its life into Zarian. Yet Metatron refused to slow down. This was turning out to be a very long dance. The longest Zarian had ever faced. Yet, he didn¡¯t mind. He was too invested now. He might as well play the endurance game and test himself like never before. All in? Zarian thought with a savage and bloody smile. He felt a hunger inside him that was stronger than ever. It felt like his body was burning from the inside out. The next thought came from Para. Yes, all in! For however long it took, Zarian, Para, and Metatron danced. Things seemed alright for Zarian until he later realized he had one major problem. He didn¡¯t have a big enough pool of vital stamina in this type of game, which was a big drain on his already damaged vitality. Vitality was one half health, and one half stamina. Without Gilbert, Zarian¡¯s vitality was sufficiently low in both. And Metatron refused to flag still. Overwhelming Darkness would be the great equalizer right now. It would win the fight easily. Not yet, Zarian thought. I can still go further without Overwhelming Darkness. This is becoming dangerous. But I will support you as always, Para thought. We¡¯re going to be the best wizards ever, Para, the absolute best, Zarian thought. Yeah, he was a child of the ultimate nepotism, but that didn¡¯t have to define him. He really liked being a wizard and wanted to push that as best he could. Hell, he didn¡¯t even care about the Throne of the Adventurer King. He was here for the fun times, the big stakes, the adventures with his best friends, and seeing all that Infinita had to offer him. All while having a hell of a crazy time like any proper Florida Man. Zarian let himself unravel a little further, dangerously so, to grant Para more power. Para took over more and more of his mind, which enhanced his body and made them hungrier. He became less a man, and more of a beast, more of a suit of flesh for Para to wear. He practically put his life in Para¡¯s parasitic hands just for a bit more juice, trusting her all the way. Yet, that still wasn¡¯t enough against the unyielding Arch Cherub. So Zarian unraveled further. 136: B2: C36: A Man of Faith 1 While Zarian played a madman¡¯s game of attrition warfare with a Divine World Boss, Gilbert walked into a heavy metal elevator chute. The soles of his boots thudded across a thick platform that was going to plunge deep under Ride-or-Die Village. Hannah was there with him. She brought along three wagons filled with equipment and three softball size golems that were orbiting around her body. Other than Gilbert¡¯s armor and foldable shield and abilities, that was about it. ¡°Be safe, Gilbert, and My Lady Hannah,¡± Rhea Hemlock said from outside of the elevator chute. Gilbert tipped his cowboy hat at the Hemlock, who was their main admin errand girl. Gilbert preferred the first name basis with the woman, though the relationship between Rhea and her direct boss was more strict and hierarchical. Hannah hummed. ¡°You know what to do.¡± Rhea smiled and nodded gracefully. ¡°Yes, my lady. Your will is my command.¡± The chute doors closed. Purple lights illuminated the space. The elevator platform descended while making a metallic hum and some windy sounds. It was a chilly ride, too. Gilbert let out a big sigh. It wasn¡¯t his idea to go down there to where a destined son and a powerful false idol were duking it out. It was Hannah¡¯s idea. Gilbert would rather work with Bianca and the guild members, who were staying top side. Just prior, he was quelling unrest on the surface. Striders and paladins had broken out into random fights with each other because of historical issues. Apparently, the summoning of angel-like creatures usually led to the outright eradication of great swaths of people. Paladins seemed to lack a certain amount of concern about that, so Gilbert understood why the striders were raising a fuss. Granted, Gilbert was in his element when dealing with rowdy crowds and public disorder because of his past work as a cop in the old universe. With his abilities, he was the perfect person for calming widespread anger and securing people¡¯s safety. Too bad he wasn¡¯t doing that. He was going straight to the source of trouble instead. Gilbert knew angels could come in many shapes and sizes. He also knew that devils and demons could masquerade as angels and trick people into thinking their words were the almighty law. The rise in horror. The rise in violence. The rise in lunacy. All of that was because of a World Boss known as Metatron, the Welcoming Voice of Good, which could be a genuine threat to the nearest civilizations, especially their village. That all sounded pretty damn ungodly to Gilbert, so he wouldn¡¯t blame Zarian for putting down a false angel. He knew Zarian would be a pain in the ass about it later, but that was alright. Gilbert had some jokes prepared for the destined son, since his actions had started riots in his own village. They left the safety of the Central Library Artillery Tower. Empress Ruvaria remained in the best section in the city, the top of the tower, where she could look down on everything. The magical intelligence, Magi, kept the old elf company while coordinating with guild members like a police dispatcher. Rhea would assist with everything that needed a personal touch, no matter the emergency. While that all happened above, the elevator ride down felt like a one-way trip to hell. Maybe Gilbert deserved it. Or maybe it was another test from the Big G. Gilbert had faced a lot of tests lately because of his crazy friends and their outlandish objectives. One thing that kept Gilbert from panicking was knowing how damn great Hannah had become as the Runic Engineer. She¡¯d crafted and enchanted everything! The gravity enchantments placed into the elevator were done personally by her just like ninety-nine percent of everything else in the village. How? Gilbert had heard Hannah explain how, but he remained mostly clueless. Hannah could work miracles at speeds that Gilbert couldn¡¯t comprehend. But that came at a steep price that Gilbert sometimes found troubling. While the craft and enchantments were stellar, the further down they went, the more they could feel the impacts of the divine fight between Zarian and Metatron. The entire elevator chute rattled as they drew closer to the cavernous chambers below. Gilbert felt his heart pounding harder and harder the further they went. He glanced over at Hannah. Regardless of her being the oldest, she looked more dynamic and filled out, leaving behind her past appearance as a mousy little woman. The time spent training and eating quality magic food had done its work on her as well as everyone else. It would¡¯ve been better eating Foodie¡¯s meals, but Gilbert was certainly putting on more muscle than before the portal incident. His arms seemed too big and epic to be real. He was happy about the positive growth for them all, especially with how they settled down these past five months and raised up a village for the growing younglings. But the ice cold expression Hannah wore every day was troubling. Gilbert hadn¡¯t seen Hannah smile in over five months. Not since the day they¡¯d built a home for Stony the Wall Crusher Master. Hannah was happy and warm back then, like any Alabamian who kept up with their southern hospitality. Then the Darkrun Apocalypse had changed everything. Yeah, they shared the mind spiders, and they could all get a decent feel of each other without having to get into each other¡¯s heads completely, but Hannah had picked up a habit of hiding her emotions from the mind spiders as well. She wasn¡¯t as perfect as Naomi, but Hannah was scarily deft at acting like a machine. All she did these days was magic engineering and side quests, leaving little room for anything else. Now Gilbert was trying to figure out something stupid to say that would trigger Hannah and make her act a little more human. He¡¯d already played out the whole ¡®elf retard¡¯ thing. What would Hannah think if he pointed out how the empress gave him the creeps? The empress wouldn¡¯t obliterate him with a point of a finger if he called her an ¡®old creeper,¡¯ would she? Hannah beat him to the punch. ¡°I wish I could magically dissect with something similar to the Identify trait. We could learn directly from the anatomy of these fascinating creatures we face.¡± Gilbert raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°It just occurred to me that someone with the right traits and skills could learn much about divine beings from the corpse of an Arch Cherub, if Para could spare some remains.¡± ¡°Well, I like your confidence in thinking this will be another win for us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about winning or losing. Zarian won¡¯t let himself lose. If he did, I would be¡­¡± Hannah trailed off. She clenched her fist and took a deep breath. Her ice cold expression remained. ¡°We must consider what happens afterward when the Arch Cherub is defeated. Hence why I wish we had someone who could dissect and learn from the cadaver. That would probably require a particular healer class, I imagine. Such a class could be useful against the corrupted creatures from Shadowfell and future divine enemies.¡± Gilbert shifted from side to side with both thumbs hooked onto his belt. ¡°Well, excuse me for not being the nerdy healer guy. I¡¯m more of the healer who¡¯ll ask Jesus to take the wheel and pray that nothing gets fixed the wrong way.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s probably best that you rely more on faith and Wonder as our healer, Gilbert. You remain yourself and unbothered. You¡¯re better at that than me,¡± Hannah said. They were getting close to their destination. Gilbert figures it was now or never to dig into Hannah a little more. He should¡¯ve done this earlier, but something deep down told him now was the best opportunity. ¡°Hannah, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not good enough.¡± What? What did she mean she wasn¡¯t good enough?Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Gilbert was shocked, taken aback. Why would she say that? Was she not aware of all that she¡¯d created? She¡¯d done great constructive work in months when it should¡¯ve taken years! Gilbert just couldn¡¯t see why she would be so hard on herself, at least not easily. After further thought, Gilbert concluded there was only one reasonable explanation. She was comparing herself to Zarian, wasn¡¯t she? That was ridiculous! Zarian was a fallen angel, a destined son of greater angels and demons beyond Infinita. There was no way any of them could compare to that! ¡°Hannah, we¡¯re just people,¡± Gilbert said. The elevator slowed to a stop. It struck the bottom with a heavy thunk, but Gilbert barely felt the rattle. He felt the impacts of the fight shaking the cavernous chambers. He heard the cascading roar of tumbling rock and widespread destruction. He felt stuck, as if he could sense the ceiling collapse that was going to happen at any moment and trap him and Hannah. If it didn¡¯t kill them. He kept his eyes on Hannah while the chute doors were still opening. ¡°Naomi had it right from the start,¡± Hannah said. ¡°We can¡¯t just be people if we want to keep up with the darling son of ultra gods. We have to do more. Be more. Or we will be too puny and insignificant for Zarian and his little sister. And especially for the elders of their family. Hence why I say I¡¯m not good enough. I must be better than this.¡± There was no more time to talk this out, which was crap. They¡¯d avoided these hard conversations with each other for months. But just like always, there was something major to do to keep them from hashing things out fully. For now, Gilbert let Hannah off the hook as she marched out of the elevator chute, her mini golem balls revolving around her rapidly. He followed her and the self-driven carts. He felt tempted to take a drink as he faced a sharp rise of pressure, chaos, and lunacy. There was a flask on his person filled with high-quality alcohol that would activate his Intoxicated Brawler trait. He held back because he needed to focus on strictly supporting without getting into the thick of the fight. Gilbert looked around as he followed Hannah and the carts. He heard horrific and monstrous screams, roars, and shouts that made him think they were really at the gates of hell, or what folks of this universe called Hidden Hell. The cavern floor was filled with cracks, fissures, and craters. The rumbling impact and cascades of cavern-wide destruction shook up everything. Every step tested his Agility, which tempted Gilbert to summon Slip down here. The Sleipnir was up top, acting as a gallant mount for Princess Bianca while she quelled the unrest. Thankfully, Gilbert wasn¡¯t down here with nobody who was lame. Despite her self-esteem issues, Hannah moved like nothing could stop her. It was easy to see why. Vast heaps of cavernous material turned into large vortexes of tiny grit, no matter if it was giant slabs of fallen rock, hill-sized piles of rubble, or entire walls of collapsed sediment. Nothing escaped Hannah¡¯s Cube Maker Magic +2. Once she set her mind on something, she turned it all to dust and absorbed the materials directly into her body. It was like she had a great fiendish hunger similar to Para, but for inanimate objects instead of flesh. She was fancy with it, too, clearing out obstacles while snatching up whatever material caught her attention, even to the point of cannibalizing her own cube creations, the fallen parts and the whole ones. From the dust they were born to the dust they returned, fueling Hannah¡¯s relentless drive. All of that was already impressive to Gilbert. But Hannah was such an overachiever she couldn¡¯t stop herself from multitasking. She turned some of that new material around into a perfectly stable highway under their feet. All within a blink of an eye. If Gilbert wasn¡¯t already a big believer in the one God, he would¡¯ve thought Hannah was already a walking Alabamian Goddess. She went a step further and laid enchantments at the same time, damn near instantly. So now the newborn road canceled the harsh tremors and quakes while making their steps longer and faster, like walking forward with a speedy conveyor. Of course, that still wasn¡¯t enough for Hannah. She turned around, walked backwards, and deployed her little golem balls. They helped her construct a new cannon from the parts she¡¯d brought on the carts while introducing new materials she converted from the cavern. Gilbert watched as the golem balls used some tricky gravity magic to make all of Hannah¡¯s stuff float. The slim and stylish smart gauntlets she wore on her hands glowed with bluish runic power as she directed every piece where it needed to go along with arrays of magic runes. Then Hannah went another step further, because as she emptied the carts of major parts for her new cannon, the carts transformed into a rolling platform for Hannah to place her cannon on. From what Gilbert could see, Hannah was definitely the most efficient among the Floridians. Not everything was hands free for Hannah, however. Sometimes, she needed a fine-tune and direct touch for more complex enchantments. Gilbert could help there by administering the right amount of Adrenaline Jolt +2 to make Hannah sharper and faster without it being excessive. It was unfortunate, but the Level 0 skills were having a hard time keeping up with their overall growth. They were still helpful, but less so compared to before, or Hannah would¡¯ve been fine with her Level 0 Adrenaline Jolt. Only Zarian could make the Level 0 skills scale up perfectly for him. Regardless of those complications, Gilbert was also here to ensure Hannah made it back fine. She was a tough and powerful woman, but she was nowhere near as tough as Gilbert, Zarian, and the other two crazy women. Things seemed to be going alright for now. Their enchanted highway went over a giant crater and through an immense hole in a wall that was a divider between one chamber and another in these underground caverns. Gilbert saw the distant ruins of things Hannah had made for her artificial dungeon. Most of her stuff had fallen to destruction because of the fight between a fallen angel and a false angel. Gilbert heard his first intelligible word from the divine fight. This one came from the false angel. ¡°Surrender!¡± Metatron demanded. Gilbert hadn¡¯t laid eyes upon the World Boss yet, but he still felt the heavy compulsion to surrender. He didn¡¯t, of course, because he had free for real +1 and his Unyielding Mentality, a rare quality trait he had upgraded from the old hopeful version. He could¡¯ve gone for something else, but Gilbert liked to ensure his faith and his mind were his own regardless of the spider living in there. Being in the freedom alignment helped with that, but it wasn¡¯t unbeatable. Hence why Gilbert turned to Hannah, focused, and administered his Adrenaline Jolt +2 again, specifically for her mind. That snapped her free of Metatron¡¯s mind control. Gilbert was glad to help, but the expression on Hannah¡¯s face was the scariest he¡¯d seen from her yet. Her expression went beyond cold. On her face was a fury that promised vengeance of a highly intelligent degree. Perhaps to the point of craziness. Everybody knew Hannah would¡¯ve been monstrous if she¡¯d joined the evil side, free or otherwise. Gilbert could see that quite easily as Hannah dashed past him, with her unfinished cannon chasing after her. She crafted and enchanted the highway faster. She packed more cubes into her cannon, making it bulkier, greater, bigger. She packed on more enchantments, layers and layers of the stuff. Then they finally reached the cavern section that was holding the fight. Gilbert staggered to a stop. Metatron would¡¯ve been an impressive and awe-inspiring sight even as a false angel if it weren¡¯t covered in so many hideous, bloody wounds. It also had two different flames, one of black magic and one of more eerie origins, covering its brutalized form, burning it alive. It had six battered wings that were made of tarnished gold and covered in white blood, although Gilbert could see it must¡¯ve had more before the others were ripped off. It had many bleeding mouths, broken teeth, and ripped tongues, some looking blown apart while others were covered in acidic smoke. Metatron looked way past dead. Yet, the monstrous World Boss remained in the air, shooting beams and making buzzing passes to slice at its main foe with its remaining wings. Then there was Zarian, or what was left of Zarian. He was not much of a man anymore. He reminded Gilbert of that comic book villain with the living flesh suit, the red version of Spider-man¡¯s usual nemesis. After some thought, Gilbert realized Zarian looked like a more nightmarish and wormy version of Carnage, with tentacles covered in red, gray, and black magic that whipped at the cherub¡¯s torn-up body. This was all Gilbert could observe during pauses after a big exchange of blows followed by the cherub asking for them to surrender and Zarian howling like something that crawled out of the deepest pits. Then the two erupted into a furious exchange of wild attacks again, almost like two eldritch cats going at it, before having another pause and taunting session. Hannah interjected herself with a rapidly built wall that shielded her and Gilbert from the massive cannon. Then, with a growl of cold fury, Hannah fired the biggest magic cannon she¡¯d ever deployed. It felt like that to Gilbert as the cannon itself exploded entirely and knocked the wall over like a grown man kicking through a sand castle. The Knighted Healer moved his body where he was needed instantly. He planted himself between near absolute death and the Runic Engineer. Gilbert roared as he soaked the hits and wrapped up Hannah with his arms and his Healing Force +2. He felt his armor endure all it could before the enchantments hit critical failure. Then his spine snapped. The flesh along his back became brutalized. Numerous organs turned into jelly. Something, probably a piece of the cannon, inserted itself into the back of his head. He blacked out. Then Gilbert woke up. Hannah was wide-eyed and pale faced while still in his arms. He heard something fall and hit the ground behind his head. He heard crunchy, squishy noises from the back of his head as it returned to being whole. He felt his organs return to normal, and so did his bones and his flesh. He unentangled himself from around Hannah and hacked up some bloody chunks of loose gore and fragments of bone that had gotten into his lungs. ¡°Gilbert, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m so, so sorry,¡± Hannah apologized, still shocked while on the ground. The rubble from the blown up cannon surrounded them. There was a vast crater where Hannah¡¯s mega cannon once stood. ¡°Did you hit it?¡± Gilbert asked, turning to see if his Extra Life sacrifice was worth anything. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned. You hit it, Hannah.¡± The Arch Cherub was wailing like a dying animal while an enormous chunk from the top of its body was missing. Hannah had blown away a fifth of the monster and took a few more of its wings. Now it was flapping around erratically while closer to being on the verge of death than before. Gilbert wondered what Zarian was up to, because it was hard to pin him down. Access to Zarian¡¯s mind spider was either on the fritz or getting blocked. When he heard Hannah gasping, Gilbert turned to see a naked Zarian crouched over one of Hannah¡¯s little golems that was still working. The golem switched on aura charging mode. Zarian was all over it like it offered warmth from the cold. 137: B2: C37: A Man of Faith 2 ¡°I think the fake angel is almost dead,¡± Gilbert said, going with an obvious statement to spark some conversation. Things were very weird right now. Very, very weird. And that was the fault of Zarian having a wormy body made up of parasitic strands while strangely shaped in ways that bothered Gilbert. When Zarian didn¡¯t respond ¨C nor Hannah ¨C Gilbert slowly pushed his Healing Force +2 toward Zarian. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± said Para, who spoke directly from Zarian¡¯s mouth. ¡°Healing me will cement my takeover. If we wish to restore my host, do not heal. In fact, please use your tranquilizer on me, the parasite. But only a little.¡± Gilbert slowly nodded. He took one glance at the large lumps made of worming strands on Para¡¯s chest. Apparently, the girl version of Zarian had the biggest knockers. Gilbert didn¡¯t know why that mattered, but he¡¯d just come back to life after having his brain turned to mush by a mad engineer¡¯s irresponsible accident. He did as he was told and used Tranquilizer +2 on Para, but only a little. ¡°Let us finish this.¡± Para stood confidently even with the tranquilizer inside her. She moved her arms fast to throw up hand signs. Little cubes moved up and down on the legendary gauntlets Hannah had made. Para performed the motions and said the chant to unleash one percent of Overwhelming Darkness. Gilbert held his breath. Hannah sat dumbly on the floor. Metatron kept crying and spiraling. Para sighed, sounding disappointed. She tossed her wormy strands of hair over her shoulder, which made Gilbert wonder where Para had learned that. Then he noted how Para reached into her chest and pulled out something grotesque and covered in dark, oily blood. It was the corpse of a corrupted one she had kept in her pocket dimension. ¡°Overwhelming Darkness won¡¯t work for me. I¡¯m not Zarian. Which makes things even more dire. So I¡¯m going to try something interesting,¡± Para said. ¡°Be careful, please,¡± Hannah said shakily. Para smiled gently down at Hannah. ¡°We will be careful. Come along, Gilbert. I will need you to be my knight.¡± Gilbert took out his flask and drained it until it was empty, activating his Intoxicated Brawler trait. He kept his head up and his eyes on Metatron while he followed Para. She was dragging the corrupted corpse behind her without a care for the dripping and spreading mess that was the Enhanced Shadowfell Tears. As they drew closer to the busted cherub, Metatron turned about and let loose a mad howl of sonic destruction. Gilbert did the only thing he could. He sprinted forward and launched into the air with all his Strength, adrenaline, and buffs. He sacrificed a bunch of his vital health and drew close to near death again. He waded through the sonic torrent, losing a lot of himself, and reached the middle of Metatron¡¯s body. Then he punched the false angel with all he had. His arm exploded from the sheer force and lack of vitality. His body fell away like a flipping meat patty. He blacked out. He snapped awake. He blacked out again. He woke up on the ground with a sharp spire of rock spearing through the small of his back and out of his guts. Gilbert cussed a storm as he smashed the top of the spire away and shoved himself up and free. He hit the ground with a stumble and tried to catch himself with his right hand. That was currently gone, still in the process of healing, so he kept falling over. Hannah showed up in the nick of time. She caught him and held him up. He grunted out thanks as they turned about and watched Para wrap up the corrupted corpse with skeletons for some reason. Then Para dragged the corpse and skeletons to where the cherub lay in a daze between piles of rubble. Metatron was slowly waking up when Para threw the corrupted corpse and skeleton tagalongs into one of Metatron¡¯s mouths. A second later, a colossal explosion blew up another of Metatron¡¯s mouths and all that was inside. Metatron screamed. It convulsed. It tossed and turned. Its battered and torn up body started turning black like oil. Then Metatron did the most surprising and unsurprising thing Gilbert could expect. ¡°Please, have mercy! Do not let me become corrupted!¡± Metatron begged with its remaining mouths. ¡°Why?¡± Para asked. ¡°Kill me, now! Please!¡± Normally, Gilbert would¡¯ve felt uncomfortable, but he¡¯d nearly died twice and he was still feeling a strong buzz. He also found all that begging to be pathetic from Metatron. It was truly a false angel, a pretender masquerading as a force of good. He let Para do her thing, which comprised her waiting as the Arch Cherub twisted and turned, becoming more corrupted. Finally, Metatron cracked. ¡°It is final death! Death rarely holds upon us from the God Land. Not even when we take on these weaker forms to serve as World Bosses.¡± ¡°Or regressors?¡± Para questioned. ¡°Yes! But the evil taint from Shadowfell will turn me and leave me dead forever! Now kill me before I¡¯m corrupted! I won¡¯t resist you! Please, have mercy!¡± Para formed another pair of arms from behind her shoulders. The new arms formed a long bone-like blade that reached up far into the air. Red, gray, and black magic covered the mega long blade. Then Para chopped down. And missed. Metatron released a strangled cry. ¡°Why won¡¯t you kill me?¡± ¡°Because you are a fake authority of good, an entity of true evil. You are the antithesis to civilizations who are open and filled with progress. You are the sworn enemy of what my host and his friends stand for. You are an enemy of freedom.¡± As Para spoke, Gilbert could¡¯ve sworn he heard a familiar-sounding avian screaming proudly in the background. He ignored that in favor of listening to Para, since she had more to say. ¡°Worst of all, Metatron, you hurt my dear, dear host by torturing him as you attempted to seal him away. So no, I won¡¯t free you from this fate. On this day, let it be known that Metatron dared to fight Dark Lord Zarian Darkrun and the Floridians, and is now no more after his foolish folly.¡± Metatron howled with monstrous rage. It tried to throw itself at Para, but it froze up and turned completely black. The Arch Cherub was corrupted now. It turned into something more horrifying. Gilbert glanced away briefly, feeling a little sick, as the horrid monstrosity twisted and reformed itself with new limbs, new mouths, and more grotesque appendages. Then it stopped moving and spoke with a chilling, dark, and gothic female voice, one that was both alluring and deadly, tempting and sinful. It was the voice of Zarian¡¯s wife. ¡°Hm, Arch Cherub Metatron, how interesting. It always voiced its dissent against me from a distance, never daring to speak to my face directly. Now it is one of mine. How tragic and lovely. What do I owe for the pleasure of having this new toy gifted to me?¡± Para shook her head. ¡°Nothing, Shadowfell. Because the kill is still ours to have.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°My husband is out of the fight, is he not? I can decide for myself to be against you here. A corrupted Metatron would make for an interesting toy.¡± ¡°Yes, you can. But as long as someone who is ride-or-die with him is in the fight ¡­ he, too, is in the fight.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. Which leads me to asking this: have you had the pleasure of meeting Princess Bianca? Apparently, she is the purest and highest form of good, especially with Metatron losing his traditional good.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Para, that¡¯s brilliant.¡± Gilbert watched as Para smiled and spun about. She danced in a way that was too weird for him to watch, but he ended up watching anyway. Then Para used one of those void spells and brought Bianca down into the cavern with a flick of her hand. Slip was still up on topside, quelling unrest, which probably meant the Sleipnir was stomping and kicking rioters with a bit of excessive force. Half an hour later, Para and Bianca finished slaughtering the Corrupted Metatron, with Bianca looking brighter and shinier than usual. Gilbert sat back on the sidelines, throwing out some adrenaline support to the combatants while keeping Hannah company. ¡°I want to hold entire universes in the palms of my hands,¡± Hannah murmured, her arms wrapped around her knees tight. ¡°I want to look down on everything and dictate how all of them run to the tiniest details. I don¡¯t want to be just an in-universe deity. I want to be bigger. Bigger than a multiverse. Maybe as big as I can get beyond all of that.¡± Hannah lay her head on her knees. ¡°I¡¯m scared that it¡¯s impossible for us, and we¡¯ll be nothing but little pet bugs to the grand schemers. Or maybe we aren¡¯t even alive. Maybe we¡¯re NPCs for Zarian and his family¡¯s game. Once they finish playing their game, we¡¯ll get turned off and left in the darkness of inexistence. Forever.¡± Hannah¡¯s breathing sped up. She trembled. ¡°I don¡¯t want that, Gilbert. I don¡¯t want to disappear as an afterthought. I want to matter.¡± Hannah broke down and cried. Gilbert reached over and rubbed around her back. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He was the type of man to take it one step at a time, very unlike Hannah who thought far, far ahead. In his mind, if he could help redeem Zarian and Ariana, then Gilbert had done his duty for the Big G. Anything more than that was beyond him as a mortal man. ¡°Gilbert,¡± Para called. Gilbert swapped places with Bianca, who instantly broke down into tears to cry with Hannah. There were a bunch of notifications to look at, but none of that mattered now. Zarian needed him. Para explained how. ¡°Gilbert, you must use tranquilizer on me gradually. I will encourage Zarian to bring himself back together and depart from my consciousness. Then, when I call for adrenaline, you must direct that to Zarian¡¯s consciousness. Once there is more of a clear division between us, then you can heal the body to finish up. This way, my host will be returned fully to us.¡± Gilbert nodded. He said the first thing that came to mind. ¡°None of that sounds very scientific.¡± Para chuckled. Her eyeless sockets held a glint of mirth. ¡°We don¡¯t need a man of science. We need a man of faith to save us.¡± Gilbert nodded. That sounded about right to him. Before they got started, someone creepy walked barefoot out of the shadows. Everyone turned to Empress Ruvaria, who had a creepy smirk on her face. Gilbert prepared for a fight. The others might¡¯ve thought grandly of the elf, but she was way too old and crafty for Gilbert¡¯s liking. Para seemed like the smartest right now, so he followed her lead. However, he wasn¡¯t expecting the direction the conversation went. ¡°One would think this is the perfect opportunity to deal with Overwhelming Darkness,¡± Para said. ¡°Zarian is unraveled. I am the dominant personality. If we can¡¯t put Zarian back together mentally, I might consume him and make Overwhelming Darkness inert.¡± ¡°Why would you consume him?¡± the empress asked. Gilbert gulped. He looked at Para carefully. They all did. But he was also prepared to hit the empress with Tranquilizer Touch +2. Para chuckled. ¡°Because I was created to be an evil skill, a parasite, and the purpose of a parasite is to take advantage of the host, sometimes in small ways, and sometimes in ways that would end the host and give birth to a stronger form of the parasite. However, I don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ruvaria tilted her head. ¡°It is so. I¡¯ve shared some of my thoughts and feelings about this with Zarian already, but for you, I will say this. I have awareness. I am sapient. I can feel emotions. I care for my host and what he cares for. I may be born of evil, but I have learned to act beyond evil. I dare say that I am truly good. I dare say that I have more true goodness than you, Empress Ruvaria, the Chosen One.¡± Gilbert opened and closed his mouth. Bianca covered her mouth. Hannah watched the tense conversation with wide, watery eyes. Gilbert figured they all were probably thinking the same thing. When did Para become such a boss? The empress watched Para for a long while. Then the elf let out a small chuckle. ¡°I have killed, enslaved, and tormented countless lives for the greater good. I was born in the Reset Era, but I knew the era before the system reset as the Absolute Era. That old era was back in a time before the Alignment System renamed itself as the Star System, lessening the effects of the alignments.¡± ¡°God almighty, no,¡± Gilbert murmured. ¡°It used to be worse than this?¡± ¡°Indeed, it was,¡± the empress said. ¡°Puta madre,¡± Bianca cussed. ¡°Puta madre,¡± Gilbert repeated, because it was worth saying twice. Gilbert and everyone else knew of three eras so far. They were currently in the Dark Era. Before that was the Adventure Era. Before that was the Reset Era. Now Gilbert understood why the Reset Era had that name. It was a clear separation of whatever the hell was happening in the eras prior to that. Ruvaria chuckled again. ¡°Yes, the alignments were much worse back in the Absolute Era and the eras before then. They were much less tolerant compared to now. To be fair to me, the old ways from the Absolute Era had reached into the Reset Era, refusing to die off just yet, so I did what was considered absolute good while Infinita was still adjusting to the changes.¡± The empress sighed. ¡°Because I was raised on old absolute teachings, I have done things that would give you nightmares. I used to enjoy the tormented screams and shouts for mercy from those I deem my enemy, because they were slightly different and not good enough. I acted in service for what was absolute good many times, having spilled enough blood to drown these lands and make the savage gnolls look like kittens.¡± Gilbert could barely believe what he was hearing. He always knew this good and evil stuff was hogwash, but he had no idea by how much. The so-called Chosen One of Corma was truly a monster. Her good +4 meant nothing in the moral sense when she¡¯d done acts of horror like the fantasy version of freaking Nazis. The empress licked her lips. ¡°The evil alignment acted the same. Perhaps more so. So don¡¯t think ill of only the good alignment. To be honest, it was really all about whose side would win and hold dominance, which was all that mattered in the older eras, before the reset.¡± ¡°It all sounds terrible,¡± Para said boldly. ¡°It sounds unfair and cruel. You are truly evil, regardless of alignments.¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Gilbert added. The empress snorted softly, which was a strange and unrefined gesture coming from her. ¡°It¡¯s always nice to share the truth and histories from a life that goes back over ten thousand years. Only to receive condemnation from children with modern opinions.¡± ¡°Did your ten thousand years or whatever include anything like him?¡± Gilbert asked, waving at Para/Zarian, ignoring the weird stuff. The empress snorted again. ¡°Fair point, Gilbert, fair point. Now, let us proceed with the original matter. You are wondering if I will foul your chance to bring back Zarian. This is a unique opportunity where I can seal Para, which would seal Zarian, and perhaps that would stick for so long I would die before the seal is undone. But will I do that?¡± ¡°Yeah, that sounds like the gist of it. Will you?¡± Gilbert braced himself to fight an evil elf monster, regardless of alignments. He would lose, but he would give it his best shot. Empress Ruvaria turned away. ¡°Go on. Bring back my student. He is amusing, filled with talent, and driven. He has interested me in many unique ways. I would like to explore him at my leisure until it all comes crashing down.¡± ¡°Pause. Your phrasing there is weird,¡± Gilbert pointed out. The empress let loose a beautiful laugh that was charming and haunting before disappearing. Nobody did or said anything for a while, then Bianca broke the silence. ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t Abuela Ruvaria the best? She¡¯s got a lot of heartache to work on, but I think I¡¯m getting through to her a little. There are so many tears to shed in her future, I can¡¯t wait.¡± Bianca beamed a bright smile while hugging Hannah. Then the Light Princess turned to Para and kept saying more insane stuff. ¡°So, welcome to the girlie club. I¡¯m totally getting you your first bra, and by the look of them, we¡¯re going to have to shop big.¡± ¡°Having these front and back storage units is the best way to hold what I eat while maintaining an athletic shape, staying fueled without sacrificing form,¡± Para explained. Bianca giggled. ¡°Yes, exactly, everything you said is what all us girlies aspire for, mami.¡± ¡°Can we start now?¡± Gilbert begged, feeling highly disturbed. Para instructed Gilbert on what to do step by step. Hours later, Gilbert brought Zarian back to being himself, mentally and physically. Para returned to her original form as the Parasite Cloak +2, wrapping her host up with unfettered adoration and loyalty. A few more hours later, Gilbert was wandering in the hallways of the tower, unable to sleep. When he saw Bianca pay Zarian a visit at the doorway of his room, Gilbert stopped to watch. She came with a few large sets of bras, some other female undergarments, and more girly stuff such as dresses and ribbons for Para. Zarian accepted the gifts before slamming the door shut in Bianca¡¯s face. Gilbert finally cracked. He fell to the floor and howled with mad laughter. He even shed a few tears from laughing so hard. When he regained his composure, he noticed Bianca sitting next to him. She was laughing with full trails of tears dripping off her cheeks. Gilbert knew she wasn¡¯t laughing and crying because of the situation. She was doing it because of him, like some sort of emotional farmer. Gilbert burst out into more laughter. It couldn¡¯t be helped. It was hard to stay sane while surrounded by forsaken sinners, fallen angels, and arisen demons. He was getting older, too, having turned thirty this month. So letting himself crack up a little kept him from thinking too hard about his life before Zarian and the portal to Infinita. He was, after all, just another sinner trying to find salvation just like the rest of them. 138: B2: C38: Prioritizing Zarian hadn¡¯t done much of anything for a week. Sometimes he would lie in his big and comfortable bed for hours. Other times, he would look out his grand and tall windows and observe the village activity down below. Things were fine now with Metatron gone. There were fewer paladins than before, many having left after the hostilities and the destruction of a revered angel figure. The summoning of a Tier 4 Arch Cherub had cost them plenty of powerful paladins back in their home kingdom, apparently. It took a heavy sacrifice of quality humans who were willing, and those didn¡¯t grow on trees. It was safe to say the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom had taken their shot at Zarian and failed royally. Maybe they might try again with another enormous round of human self-sacrifices, but Zarian doubted they would get another high tier angel figure after losing Metatron forever. Well, that mattered little to Zarian. His mind was fixed on his experience of being unraveled and held in the hungering jaws of Para¡¯s consciousness. Most people would find that horrifying. But not Zarian. He looked back at the moment with Wonder. Despite how nice Para could be to those who weren¡¯t her food, she was still a monstrous entity summoned by a high quality and evil skill. So Para had done great at protecting him from herself. But Zarian still remembered the sensations of being at the mercy of that insatiable hunger. He remembered the central pillar of Para¡¯s inner nature, which wanted to eat him up and then eat more and more. It felt like he¡¯d gone on a spiritual journey that reached beyond the mechanical system runes attached to his profile. It had been a journey that delve into the essence of the Parasite Cloak +2 skill. What he¡¯d found was something akin to Overwhelming Darkness. An endless hunger. A threat to all things. A parasite that was made to eat and grow, eat and grow, until it could consume worlds, galaxies, and perhaps the universe and beyond. That was the truth of Para. She was designed to be a big, bad threat, just like Overwhelming Darkness, but on a smaller scale. Zarian should¡¯ve been turned into another meal while the parasite had the power to do whatever she wanted. Yet, she hadn¡¯t. She lived up to her words instead, turning toward a more idealistic attitude than a monstrous one. ¡°You really chose to be above your nature, Para,¡± Zarian said, hand pressed to the window. ¡°I think by studying you, I¡¯ll get closer to controlling Overwhelming Darkness. But damn it all, there¡¯s so much to study. The gravity spell needs more studying. Then there are all the other spells. And I have to prepare for more political crap flying my way.¡± The cloak fluttered and moved on her own, wrapping her leathery material around him for another comforting embrace. Para hadn¡¯t talked much for the past week, only using gestures and mental impressions. Zarian figured she wanted to give him time to sort himself out without injecting her own personality into the mix. He was thankful for that. Truly, she was the best parasite and article of clothing a man could have. So far, he felt alright and put back together thanks to Para and Gilbert for having healed him last week. He also had a better grip on his Unraveled Mind trait by feeding his Level 0 Tranquil Mind skill a larger supply of aura. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Para,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Come, I think I¡¯ve done enough brooding and being a hermit. Let¡¯s see if the others want to join us for breakfast.¡± Para was happy to hear that. Zarian smiled a little as he thought about the parasite and darkness connection. He should get back to darkness cultivation, especially now that he had a new epiphany. He still considered the gravity spell as a major part of his journey. In fact, it could be the biggest factor overall. Maybe he could go at his Overwhelming Darkness issue from multiple angles, especially with his parasite epiphany. Hm, I can feel that itch to study and progress, Zarian thought. I lost time taking a week off, but I needed to chill after what happened with the World Boss Event. Before he could lock himself away again and study, there was other stuff to do. He hadn¡¯t stayed a hermit for the past week without having some major ideas that would change the course of things. Hence, he needed a group meeting. ¡°I should learn to cultivate while staying conscious,¡± Zarian said, tapping into the nearest spiders close to his fellow Floridians. Lucky him that Gilbert, Bianca, and Hannah were in the tower, and so were some of their leading guild members. ¡°Hey, guys. I¡¯m heading over to the top kitchen. Come meet me there for breakfast and a chat. Fair warning, some of it will be serious, but not all of it.¡± Zarian received all positive confirmations they would show. Naomi was still in the Blood Prairies with Reiki, Ezda, and the gnolls. He imagined Naomi doing badass stuff in those savage lands, like any proper Marine. He was almost tempted to have Empress Ruvaria teleport Naomi back and forth for an update. But he figured he would go see her on the way to fulfill his next major idea. Zarian left his room wearing some comfortable shorts, his gauntlets, and soft-felt shoes. Beyond that, his cloak covered up everything else, now back to being attached to his back. They would save the battle kilt appearance for later fights. On the way to the top kitchen, Zarian finally looked over the notifications from the defeat of a World Boss. The rewards were heavy despite Metatron being Level 60 at first. This was prime proof that fighting something with higher levels wasn¡¯t the only factor in earning experience and other gains. Metatron¡¯s good +7 was the biggest factor. Leveling up was supposed to get harder at these levels, but Zarian and his fellow Floridians were still blazing their way up. After all, four levels in the Level 80s from one event was a pretty big jump there. Then again, it felt like they¡¯d made bigger strides beating a Master, so the temptation to hunt down more Masters remained. Now for the skill gains. He focused on the levels first. Wow, that was an impressive haul. No level ups for Overwhelming Darkness, which was to be expected. His advanced voidling grimoire was one level away from Level 10, which should grant him another void spell upgrade. Better yet, he had two new advanced skills, which led to his other grimoires evolving. Zarian had spent part of his week off considering which of his first spells he should upgrade. Each of them had their own merits and could help him greatly in their own unique ways. But after all the unrest and chaos from the World Boss Event, Zarian knew what to pick. To better secure Ride-or-Die Village, it was time for his skeletons to get an upgrade. Huh, that sounds badass, Zarian thought. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Zarian nodded in satisfaction. He wouldn¡¯t need to maintain the skeleton spell ever again. Each skeleton would come out Self Sufficient from the start and could advance and level up on their own. They still had to be humanoid, and each new skeleton was far more expensive now. He imagined turning advanced skeletons into experts would cost even more, maybe to a ridiculous degree. Granted, that was okay with him. He would rather pay a larger aura price for better and more badass undead than spend aura cheaply on weaker undead. Having skeleton expertise and supremacy was the way to go. ¡°Too bad we spent up all the skeletons we had in our pocket dimension,¡± Zarian said. Para gave him an apologetic impression. Zarian chuckled and said, ¡°We will have to get more. All that useless flesh will be yours for the taking when I reap up a fresh batch.¡± That cheered up Para real quick. Zarian had walked slowly at first to give him time to review stuff. The top kitchen wasn¡¯t far away, however. It was right on his floor, which contained all the rooms of the Floridians and special VIP guests. Before he finished reviewing the notifications, he reached the gourmet kitchen. Everyone working in the tower knew the Floridians had weird quirks. Because of that, the kitchen and dining area weren¡¯t separated. All the noisy and messy parts of turning large carcasses of beasts and monsters into delicious food became background noise while at the tables and booths. Zarian sat in the booth against the wall that was out of the way of the well-paid cooks from the Windy Strider Kingdom. Rhea Hemlock had vouched for each one and hired them herself. Nothing but Level 50s. All different types of rare adventurer cooks. None of them were Foodie¡¯s equal, but they were decent enough. Zarian watched as various adventure cooks wrestled with a creature with many tentacles that seemed to have revived itself while in the middle of being prepared as a meal. He chuckled as an invisible spectral spider spun an arcane web with stun blast runes close to the thrashing tentacle creature. The stun webbing erupted and struck the creature hard at its center, staggering it. The cooks chopped the creature dead for sure and thanked the spectral spider before the little guy spiraled out of view. ¡°Excuse us for making all this noise, my liege. As always, I hope we aren¡¯t a bother as we serve you the best food across all the Walled Continent!¡± said a greasy and sleazy looking strider man. He was the head cook, and Zarian had kept forgetting to get the man¡¯s name. He would always say the food here was the best across the continent. Zarian kept holding back from correcting the man, which made him forget to ask for the head cook¡¯s name. Zarian was about to ask when Bianca blitzed through the kitchen-diner area in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, she was sitting in Zarian¡¯s lap, her arms around his neck, her legs kicking off to the side, her feet still bare like an elf princess, while her colorful and glittery dress fluttered with her movements. Bianca took in a big breath. Zarian pressed a finger to her mouth. ¡°Wait.¡± Bianca huffed. Then she sucked in another big breath. This inhale was out of defiance. Again, Zarian interrupted her with a finger to her mouth. He pressed a little harder on her lips and rubbed from side to side. ¡°Waaaait, por favooooor,¡± Zarian said. He retracted his hand. Bianca batted her long eyelashes at him and screwed up her mouth. She pouted like a puppy. When that didn¡¯t work, she broke out into tears. Zarian ignored her crocodile tears. He had to stop Bianca before she got started, or she would distract him from reviewing the rest of his gains. Meanwhile, Gilbert swaggered in. Hannah came in next with Rhea following obediently at her heels. The normally proud Hemlock woman was like a shadow to her shorter boss. Then Roland, Amabel, and Lora came in with differing levels of reverence, since it wasn¡¯t everyday they could sit at the big kids¡¯ table. The booth Zarian had chosen filled up fast, and that was before Empress Ruvaria made her grand appearance. She stepped out of thin air in a new dress that was pale green, beige, and covered in highly expensive cerulean-colored jewels. She smiled directly at Zarian. He didn¡¯t know how to react. She had left him alone for an entire week. Hell, she made him a little nervous. He now knew how much of a naughty, naughty elf she was. I don¡¯t want to be the Adventurer King, Zarian thought. I should tell her that before her motivations become too rock solid to change. Ruvaria looked refined, regal, and in control, and mostly everyone felt that ¡­ until Bianca snatched up the elf. The princess held the empress in her lap while still sitting in Zarian¡¯s lap. Ruvaria lost all of her haughtiness, powerless against Bianca. Burdened by a needy princess and a naughty empress, Zarian ignored the stares from Roland and the cooks. He ignored Gilbert¡¯s snickers. A whirlwind of conversations spun around Zarian as he examined his last advanced skill. Zarian didn¡¯t think about this one for long. Huh, that is both cool and disappointing, Zarian thought. It seems like the legendary quality is fairly big, so even upgrading a spell within that quality doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll advance to mythical quality. Oh well. At least the new version of the hell gator should be interesting, on top of having four new folktales to add to the combo. Again, Zarian didn¡¯t mind paying big for the best high-quality spells. However, this was becoming a consistent pattern where his advancing spells and abilities were requiring more and more aura. Hell, even his gravity spell research had given him plenty of warning signs. The aura cost to use the real gravity spell was beyond what he was ready for as of now. That meant his next decisions mattered a lot more. Thankfully, the Star System didn¡¯t skimp out on the rewards for winning a worldwide event. So there was more to review. He hadn¡¯t used his free evil much the past week, but he imagined he was more cunning now. That would prove useful later when more political shenanigans come knocking on his door. Wow, that¡¯s a lot to examine and ponder over, Zarian thought, feeling somewhat thrilled. Although there was one spot that he found that wasn¡¯t thrilling. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve gained stats from effort instead of levels, and the stat gains aren¡¯t as high as they should be. It was harder to gain new stats through effort nowadays, not unless he did insane training like Naomi every freaking day. In fact, Zarian was pretty sure Naomi was hitting a wall, too. They needed a certain someone¡¯s help for more stats, which was very necessary. Zarian was thinking the road ahead was going to require more and more stat growth. The ultimate death of Metatron wouldn¡¯t stop the gods from going after him. They knew he could be sealed away. They just needed an opportunity and more leverage. If the power of traditional good could go beyond +7, then that meant the higher Zarian and his friends rose, the more exponentially powerful the enemies on the good side could become. It was almost ingenious in a way, which made Zarian wonder how could evil withstand the power of good when good had so many advantages in overall power? The only way he could see them surviving was through underhanded tricks, threats, and overwhelming numbers. Well, there was the case of The Dragon and Shadowfell, but those were mainly outliers. Most, if not all, monsters were evil, in fact. There were a lot of monsters. A lot, a lot, which could keep the good side occupied. Then there was Carrowmore, which existed as a dominant evil city nation on the Walled Continent somehow. Zarian didn¡¯t think Empress Ruvaria left them alone just because they were on different continents. She had a history with Ekri the Tailor, after all. Maybe the barons in Carrowmore had a way of keeping the empress off their backs, unless Empress Ruvaria truly didn¡¯t care. He had a lot of interesting political and historical lore to investigate once he had the time for it. I wish I didn¡¯t take a week off. But at least I can think clearer and see what needs prioritizing. He noticed some concerned glances from the others, which had nothing to do with the princess and empress on his lap. They were still worried about him. ¡°Sorry, everyone, I¡¯m just looking at my rewards now,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I know, I know, I should¡¯ve looked at them last week, but¡­¡± Zarian trailed off, not sure how to excuse being inactive for a week. He knew he¡¯d needed the break, but saying it aloud was weird. Gilbert filled in. ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain yourself. We understand, brother.¡± Zarian nodded. He appreciated the sentiment. So he tossed them a bone as the cooks hurriedly brought them food and drinks. ¡°You can fill me in on your changes and growth later. Chew on this for now. First, I want to celebrate Gilbert¡¯s birthday at a lake I found. Hannah already has the enchanted rods prepared.¡± Gilbert slammed his hands on the table. Thankfully, it was epic quality stuff. ¡°You¡¯re not pulling a fast one on me are you?¡± ¡°Kinda. I figure we can make a pit stop at the lake while on our way to the Blood Prairies. After the lake trip, we can check with Naomi, Reiki, and our gnolls. Then after that, I want to go to Grimrock.¡± Zarian waited as his fellow Floridians gasped, froze, or looked at him wide-eyed. He carried on after a few seconds of suspenseful silence. ¡°We¡¯ve held back on Grimrock for long enough. It¡¯s time to wipe out the Grimrock Warlock and her corrupted goblins. Foodie needs to be saved. And Jack needs to be put down for real this time. So, yeah, think about that as I finish up.¡± Zarian refocused on his gains. Everyone else either burst out into a loud argument or sat in silence over the big news. Obviously, the Floridians were the most animated, which included even Hannah. At long last, they were turning their attention back to Grimrock and all that they¡¯d left unfinished. Zarian was glad to see the passion, even if it led to some friction. Going back to Grimrock now could have them forfeit the Wolf Dragon Mythical Regional Event, which was still on pause. Zarian could explain his reasoning later. He had achievements to look over and a decision on which trait to upgrade. He already knew it would not be Unraveled Mind. That one had its time under the sun already. He wanted to choose something different that was also impactful. He had a strong number one pick already, but he held back to see what the achievements had in store for him. 139: B2: C39: Skill Combiner With everyone else occupied, Zarian opened his achievements. Let¡¯s see what we got. A heavy object slammed onto the table with a solid thunk. The conversation died down as Zarian squirmed and leaned out from under Bianca and Ruvaria while they were still stacked on his lap. He had to shoulder aside Roland a little who was to his left. The lad was doing his best to act appropriately in a very inappropriate setting. Zarian saw a thick and platinum flask with a bulging body, a long neck, and a cork at the top. When he pressed his open palm on the surface, he felt a powerful warmth radiating from within the flask. ¡°That is an excellent reward,¡± Empress Ruvaria commented. ¡°That is normally a reward for those on the last leg to their first ascension. The Level 90s, usually.¡± ¡°Well, when you¡¯re in the Level 70s and 80s, and you¡¯re dealing with Level 100s and Arch Cherubs, I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Zarian said, pulling the flask away before Bianca tried to get her grubby hands on it. She was being extra annoying today, as if she was desperate for his attention. He would have to check on her later. Hopefully she wouldn¡¯t try to press the girly lingerie stuff on him again. That joke had run its course for the time being. Food and drinks arrived at the table. Gilbert and Hannah settled down from their dispute to eat and drink. Everyone else did the same while acting like flies on the wall, listening in to the Floridians talk about the wolf dragons and Grimrock Warlock. Zarian read the flask¡¯s description with his Identify trait. Yeah, this is superb. The alchemy in this world, at least for a Lesser World, is weak in comparison. Zarian had checked around a couple apothecaries and alchemist shops to see what health potions would look like. He¡¯d ended up disappointed, but that was months ago. Things could¡¯ve changed since the last time he¡¯d wandered around his own village. This flask is going to be very useful for the times I have to pay up more than I can handle naturally. The Star System was being very generous. Or this was a warning that Zarian should feel concerned about. Zarian placed the flask in Para¡¯s pocket dimension. He checked the next achievement. ¡°Skill advancement? Skill combiner?¡± Zarian said aloud. ¡°I was waiting for you to get there,¡± Hannah commented in between spoonfuls of a fishy soup. ¡°Check out the next notification,¡± Gilbert advised. Zarian did as he was told. There was a new pop-up over the world boss achievement. ¡°Oh, wow, that¡¯s not what I expected whatsoever,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you guys got the world boss one. Did you already make your choice?¡± ¡°We were waiting for you!¡± Bianca shrilled. ¡°Oh,¡± Zarian said. He could see why Bianca was being extra annoying. He¡¯d been out of the loop lately. ¡°May I give advice?¡± the empress asked. Hannah looked sharply at the empress. Gilbert frowned. Bianca giggled. ¡°Of course you can!¡± Bianca hugged the empress even tighter. The empress sighed as she endured the extraverted torment of Bianca¡¯s attention. ¡°It¡¯s always better to combine skills, especially the Level 0s. I assume the skill runes in your profiles are skills a certain someone has copied from others.¡± Nobody said anything at first, which was a little silly. It made sense that the Sorceress Queen would have already checked them out without them knowing. It was interesting for Zarian to meet someone further down the magician path who could do the same things as him, but better. ¡°Yeah, you could say that,¡± Zarian said. Empress Ruvaria carried on. ¡°Well, if you smartly combine certain extra skills into different arrangements, you can have different combined skills among each other and then copy the differences. And if you need no more copies for now, then it¡¯s always best to declutter and streamline while making improvements.¡± Zarian frowned. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Very much so. Having extra abilities that don¡¯t serve you well enough or scale with you consistently is a drain on a profile¡¯s efficiency. The mere existence of that inefficient ability costs you aura, concentration, and can even cause slight delays while using multiple abilities.¡± ¡°It is notable how difficult it can be to juggle multiple abilities, especially the ones in our beta section, the Level 0s. In fact, I might¡¯ve pushed too hard on certain occasions with my Level 0s and caused mistakes. Though the fault still lies with me more than the abilities,¡± Hannah admitted, glancing guiltily at Gilbert. The big guy shrugged. Hannah carried on. ¡°We don¡¯t have a mind for it like Zarian or you, Empress Ruvaria, but we do our best anyway.¡± Zarian nodded along while still mostly hidden behind Bianca and the empress. He¡¯d heard from the others about the challenge of using beta skills and multitasking before. But he still thought they were selling themselves short. The others could push fairly hard even without having a fractured and unraveled mess of a mind like his. Maybe they couldn¡¯t push as hard as him, but they could certainly push. ¡°To be fair to you, I am quite impressed by how well you¡¯ve handled the inefficiency,¡± the empress said with surprising kindness. ¡°However, years of testing have shown having fewer abilities that are higher quality is better than having a lot unless you have ways to make the abundance an advantage, such as my case and Lord Zarian¡¯s.¡± The empress reached down for something leafy and green on the table. After a few small bites, she said, ¡°You should streamline for now, and if you need more, Zarian, you can copy more from the others again.¡± ¡°I can only copy one time from each profile,¡± Zarian said. Empress Ruvaria finished her snack before she wriggled around like a child. She sat up on her knees in Bianca¡¯s lap and looked over the princess¡¯s shoulder to look down at Zarian. Then, with a haughty tone that completely ignored her position on the lap of a princess, Empress Ruvaria said, ¡°If you get the advanced version of a certain trait, you can copy a little more along with having access to other interesting tricks. In fact, forget the copying. The new tricks are more important, especially with a fascinating mind like yours.¡± My mind is fascinating, huh? Zarian thought. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Zarian said aloud. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate Naomi missed out.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t for long,¡± the empress said. The atmosphere became tense suddenly. The kitchen darkened. With a neutral tone, Zarian asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Empress Ruvaria looked off to the side nonchalantly. ¡°You have the achievement for Lesser World Boss Killer, yes?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s where the whole thing with skill advancement or skill combiner came from.¡± ¡°What does it say about World Bosses?¡± Zarian sighed. The darkness in the kitchen lightened. He was regretting all the interest he¡¯d built up with the empress. She was fully committed to the mentor role even when Zarian wanted to hear direct answers. Beggars can¡¯t be choosers, and wouldn¡¯t I know that? ¡°It had something to say about how World Bosses wouldn¡¯t normally die unless a bigger authority, like you, puts them down.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°They can either fade or hibernate if nobody ¡­ kills them.¡± Zarian leaned back in his seat and sighed. ¡°There¡¯s a World Boss in the Blood Prairies who¡¯s hibernating right now, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°There are several in that infamous region, but only one of them is worth a decent battle. No worries, our dear Naomi is tracking the decent one, although it¡¯s weaker than Metatron. Still, she¡¯s uniquely suited to outlast it, even if she might not come out completely intact.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Well, what are we waiting for? We should head out and help her. Weaker or not, a damn World Boss is too much for one person without an overkill skill like Zarian¡¯s,¡± Gilbert said. The big and gallant blue-eyed blond readjusted his cowboy wizard hat. He looked about ready to ride off and help a friend. Zarian let out a dark sigh. The kitchen lights flickered ominously before returning to normal. ¡°No.¡± Zarian readjusted from under Bianca and Ruvaria while still acting as their seat. ¡°Leave Naomi for now. If she needs help, I will need you to let me know, Empress Ruvaria. Please. She¡¯s deep enough into the Blood Prairies where I am getting an unreliable network connection for some reason.¡± Naomi wouldn¡¯t be happy if we all came riding out to help her against a weak World Boss. It¡¯ll be better if it¡¯s only me. ¡°Hm. Okay. I won¡¯t be as harsh on her. You, on the other hand, need to have a formal sit down with me, Lord Zarian,¡± the empress demanded. ¡°You will let me know when. Now go on, children, and decide on what you will combine.¡± ¡°Yeah, we are definitely going to have a sit down, empress,¡± Zarian said before turning his attention to Hannah, Gilbert, and Bianca. As they discussed what to combine, Roland, Lora, Amabel, Rhea, and some cooks eavesdropped while trying not to make it too obvious. They dug into their meals, or if they were cooks, they found something to busy themselves with as the Floridians talked. Zarian learned more about how far the others had grown in the general sense without going into full details. While it wasn¡¯t ideal to share so much in a decently public setting like this, Zarian had spectral spiders following key personnel for this very reason. They had ways of dealing with spies, especially the ones who had a bad habit of wanting to reveal personal info to the highest bidder. Some of those spies had come from an evil human city called Cross-something, even. Zarian liked it when there were spies, especially when they were greedy and overreaching. Plenty of them had caused their own destruction and the fall of multiple cells of spy informants. ¡°Okay, I think I know what to do,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I¡¯m going to combine some skills, but they won¡¯t be physical. However, I have to ask this. What would happen if I combine my grimoires, Empress Ruvaria?¡± ¡°Are they all advanced and maxed out with spell upgrades pushed to their limit? If not, it will be a tremendous loss for you if you combine grimoires. Those skills are best kept as individuals.¡± Zarian nodded. For this case, he was very thankful for the empress¡¯s wise advice or he would¡¯ve made a huge mistake. Ruvaria was dangerous, but she was incredibly useful. ¡°So, I imagine that means we should combine Level 0s for certain,¡± Hannah said. ¡°If so, we¡¯ll go for the physical combinations while Zarian experiments with the more esoteric ones. Unfortunately, the combiner seems to only accept four of the Level 0s at once and no more. Pity, we will have inefficient leftovers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for now. The Star System has more upgrade opportunities waiting for us. Hell, I can always go shopping around for more skill copies to combine the next time,¡± Zarian said as he selected three Level 0 skills for a specific outcome. Zarian kept the Willful Might, Wondrous Speed, and Mystic Toughness Level 0 skills. They could scale with him when combined with his Basic Aura Manipulation and Aura Channeler traits. He also understood that having fewer skills, especially the ones in the beta section, made it easier to multitask. However, Zarian was indeed one of those few adventurers who could maximize the effective use of alpha and beta skills interchangeably. It was even more impressive that he could stack on spells as well, which was highly, highly rare. The only other person who could pull that off was the Sorceress Queen, Empress Ruvaria. So, it was definitely better for Hannah and the others to streamline and gain more high-quality spells. Although, Zarian wasn¡¯t against doing the same if he had the opportunity for more skill combiners. Zarian felt the skill runes in his profile finish combining and becoming something new. A skill appeared in his beta section. ¡°Oof, Hannah, I¡¯m sorry, but I think you might¡¯ve missed out big,¡± Zarian said, activating the new skill. His mind became more structured than ever before. His thoughts came out more crisp, clearer. Even the fractured parts were simpler to organize. The only sticky point was when he unraveled. The unraveled trait and the mindframe skill seemed at odds with each other, especially with High Rune Mindframe at Level 1. Still, the skill was amazing to have even as a Level 1. This could be the skill that helped him multitask even more than before, better than before. And it could only grow greater once it advanced and gained new abilities. ¡°What is it?¡± Hannah asked. Zarian told her. Hannah bit the edge of her bottom lip. ¡°Ugh. I know I should go physical for the sake of my survival, but that sounds so amazing.¡± Hannah sighed before saying what she got. Gilbert and Bianca said theirs as well. Leaving out Tranquil Mind, Hannah had combined Adrenaline Jolt, Willful Might, Wondrous Speed, and Mystic Toughness for a new skill called Mystic Rush Tank. It was a quirky skill that covered all the physical bases plus more, making Hannah fast and tanky while scaling with Mysticism. Gilbert had combined Tranquil Mind, Willful Might, Wondrous Speed, and Mystic Toughness for a new skill called Unified Monk Force. Again, it covered all the bases, but it acted as more of a controllable magic field. Gilbert could use it with some limited flexibility. The new skill scaled entirely with Willpower and Wonder both. Then there was Bianca¡¯s unique choice, combining Tranquil Mind, Adrenaline Jolt, Willful Might, and Mystic Toughness. She left out Wondrous Speed because it was still an effective skill for her even as a beta Level 0. Her experiment gave her a skill called Super Serene Rampage, which scaled with Wonder. Everybody observed Bianca out of curiosity, awe, or worry. Zarian imagined Bianca being even more cheerily powerful and insufferable than ever before. It was almost tempting to copy the new skills over as Level 0s, but that would lead to more unneeded clutter. Besides, Zarian still had his physical Level 0s for all the physical areas that his friends¡¯ new skills covered. He lacked the extra special pizazz that came with Mystic Rush Tank, Unified Monk Force, and Super Serene Rampage. But he had a good thing going with his Level 0s ¨C Willful Might, Wondrous Speed, and Mystic Toughness ¨C at least for now. Other than two odd skills remaining, the others kept their Level 0 Summon Wizard Hat for its minor but useful aura abilities. That and it was nice that they all had their own wizard hats to match with the crooked conical hat Zarian wore. Gilbert¡¯s cowboy version, Hannah¡¯s hard hat, and Bianca¡¯s feathery fedora were fun for Zarian to see. It was a little silly, maybe even childish, but who was going to criticize them for that and expect to come out okay against the Floridians? Now Zarian wondered what Naomi would get from combining her Level 0 skills. She would probably make the same choice Hannah made and hopefully get different results, or maybe she would try something more unique. ¡°Have you looked at the last stuff yet?¡± Bianca asked, bouncing on his lap. The empress let out an annoyed groan as Bianca made her bounce around, too. Before Zarian answered, Para formed a few arms from the cloak and reached around Bianca and Ruvaria. With utensils in hand, Para cut into the nearest slabs of meat and fed Zarian herself. A few bites later, Zarian realized he was very hungry. He held back from feasting and refocused on the last parts of the review. He had one more achievement. Zarian shook his head and leaned forward. He groaned against Bianca¡¯s back. Bianca chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I know, isn¡¯t that so annoying after what happened to us, papi?¡± ¡°Yeah, it really is, mami,¡± Zarian replied. Para grabbed the new item that appeared on the table. Disgruntled, Zarian glared at the new item and used his Identify trait. The orb was the size of a baseball. It was black with gold inlays that formed a demonic face on its surface. Half of the face smiled maliciously. The other half frowned contemptuously. ¡°You guys for this, too?¡± Zarian asked. Hannah, Gilbert, and Bianca said yes. Altogether, they had four Good Suppression Orbs. That was a few too many to have, in Zarian¡¯s opinion. Then again, they would probably need the extras down the road. ¡°Well, this thing is certainly nifty.¡± Zarian tossed the orb up and down in his hand. ¡°Ah, yes, one of the many tools and tricks evil loves to deploy,¡± the empress said moodily. She had a lot more to say. ¡°You may think that good is invincible because of our raw power. Unfortunately, that is normally our biggest weakness, an overreliance of those ridiculous power ups.¡± ¡°There has to be another version for evil, I imagine,¡± Hannah said. Zarian thought the same. The empress continued. ¡°There are suppression tools for both alignments, which are all high in quality, usually divine, and very hard to find. But the difference is that a dumber evil one is no less deadly, while a weaker good one could become less deadly. Besides, evil ones are quicker to use such items, which is one way of many that evil could outlive eradication.¡± The empress scoffed. ¡°Well, not all of them have avoided my absolute judgment. The orcs haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hm, well, as nice as it is to listen to you talk about the good old times when there were more indiscriminate genocides and the oppression of anyone who isn¡¯t as good as you, we have more modern issues to talk about,¡± Zarian said, knowing very well that the empress was making a rude, unladylike gesture as he spoke. He could see her through a spectral spider on the wall opposite of them. He placed the suppression orb in the pocket dimension and kept talking without a care. ¡°I think we¡¯ll need a few days to settle on a decision about the Wolf Dragons and Grimrock. So, first, get off of me, Bianca. Second, let¡¯s eat, because I¡¯m hungry as hell, and so is Para.¡± ¡°Wait! Did you decide on which trait you¡¯re upgrading next?¡± Hannah asked. ¡°I know what it will be. But I want to save the upgrade for a specific moment. Now let¡¯s eat and debate. Because I¡¯m going to Grimrock with you or without you. But that doesn¡¯t mean you have to come if you¡¯re worried about the village. I can go on my own and save Foodie if that¡¯s what it takes.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we ask the Star System about the event?¡± Gilbert suggested. ¡°Yes, but no,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I¡¯m not pushing things with the Star System right now. It¡¯s dealing with big cosmic stuff in the background because of me.¡± ¡°Once you leave, you will forfeit the event, regardless of you coming back in the middle. I know you know this, but it must be reiterated, since it will negatively affect the records on your Feats of Adventure,¡± the empress said. ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Zarian replied. Gilbert raised his hand. Zarian blinked. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Do I still get an enchanted rod and a birthday at the lake?¡± ¡°Yes, Gilbert, you do.¡± ¡°Sweet.¡± The morning turned into afternoon as the Floridians and their guests held dynamic conversations and debates. Princess Bianca and Empress Ruvaria finally squeezed into their own seat and off of Zarian. Roland, Amabel, Rhea, and the cooks continued to play their roles as silent or busy flies on the wall unless the Floridians needed them for something. Empress Ruvaria interjected herself whenever she pleased. She doled out some useful information now and then. But everyone had to suffer her moments of waxing about the good old days like an elven mega boomer. Later on, Zarian and Para left the gourmet top kitchen with their hunger satisfied. Behind them, Bianca trailed. Zarian glanced over his shoulder. ¡°I got some time to burn before I pay the empress a proper sit down visit tonight,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Hm?¡± Bianca looked at him closely. ¡°I need to make an appearance in the village. Do some community service. Show the people I¡¯m not a big, bad, evil guy who waits on his throne all day. Want to join me?¡± ¡°Yes, I would like that,¡± Bianca said politely. She was acting tense suddenly. Now Zarian was very sure Bianca had something wrong going on with her. Well, maybe messing around with the mortals in the village would get her to reveal what she was holding inside. They both knew she had a tendency to hide her real feelings. Whatever it is, I¡¯ll try to help somehow. He had ideas on how to fix the issues with Bianca from prior, which would work as a nice gift for her. But he would have to sacrifice some of his stubbornness. The things I do for others should be placed on a giant plaque somewhere. Truly, I am the greatest friend anyone can ever have ¡­ regardless of the moment I killed everyone that one time. Or two times, in Naomi¡¯s case. 140: B2: C40: Dragon Blood Zarian was standing in the ground floor lobby of the Central Library Artillery Tower. Looking around, he saw the floor and gilded furnishings were waxed and polished to a shiny mirror-like finish. The windows were big, thick, and spotless, letting in the unfiltered light of the twin suns on a cloudless, blue-sky day. The doorways were framed by the hardest high-quality material Hannah and her golems had dug up from below. That worked out great for showing off to visitors who thought themselves important or affluent. The centerpiece was a wolf dragon¡¯s skull, the same one Princess Bianca had slain. It took up a lot of space with fangs as large as a man was tall, but the lobby area was quite spacious, anyway. Zarian looked up at the giant skull as various visitors and villagers who had business at the tower gossipped while moving around the lobby. Most of their conversations had something to do with him. The treatment was interesting. It was very unlike how he was treated when he was once a homeless reject, a dropout from the Marine Corps. He was far removed from that now, and he had lots of new things to work on. Hell, he was even finding some joy in his political pursuits, such as growing the freedom alignment. Almost everyone in the lobby who wasn¡¯t in the guild was either neutral, good, or free. In fact, there were more free aligned folks than good and neutral combined, which was a first. The freedom recruitment drive had kicked up a notch because of the paladins¡¯ gross failure to ruin Ride-or-Die Village and seal away the Dark Lord. Their loss last week was Zarian¡¯s gain, because freedom was spreading, and that warmed his cold, free evil +4 heart. He liked the freedom alignment a lot. Although, it wasn¡¯t as strong as traditional evil and traditional good in certain areas. For Zarian, his ability to have more control over his sharp cunning held it back, keeping his evil genius from reaching its full potential. However, he had an easier time directing free evil instead of getting directed by evil. For Bianca, it was much, much harder to use the full power of free good. Theoretically, she could match the power of traditional good, but she needed to achieve the highest idealization of goodness. To do that, she needed a sense of selfless purity that went beyond being super good in the moral sense. That was hard. Yet, the princess was doing her best to make it work anyway. Zarian glanced at Bianca. He was still trying to get used to the new look. For the first time in a long time, she wore something else than her eternal garden dress. Now she wore a dark green and black dress that was billowy at the bottom. It was covered in gem-like leaves that rustled like a dark forest on a windy, stormy night. The most surprising part was that the new outfit came with roman-like sandals instead of leaving Bianca barefoot. The dark look even came with a quick redo on her nails, which were all painted black. The same went for her lipstick and mascara. Altogether, the effect was stunning. Zarian was dressed mostly black, from his shirt down to his trousers and loafers. The guild emblem was stitched in dark red on the left side of his chest. His dark red cloak twisted, flapped, and curled like living leather around him and Bianca. Para did a great job of making them look extra out of place and dynamic. They had no personal bodyguards or escorts. They didn¡¯t need them. Not when looks alone seemed killer already. Anyone who wanted to attempt an assassination was in for a world of hurt. It was obvious that some self-important visitors wanted to break the gap and speak with the two. But the double villainous appearance kept them at bay, at least for now. Zarian took a few seconds to come up with something to say. Then he found the perfect thing. ¡°You¡¯re looking a little dark, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°It¡¯s one of Abuela Ruvaria¡¯s epic outfits, and it¡¯s as old as the Dark Era and very pretty on me,¡± Bianca said, with a bright smile. That one smile from her emboldened the onlookers. No dark dress and villainess appearance could hold them back for long once the legendary Light Princess and her extroverted ways shone. It was like she had a spotlight following her everywhere. Zarian let out a dark sigh that made the magic lobby lights flicker ominously. He leaned on his scariest traits ¨C Dark Affinity, Uncanny Valley Effect, and the Dreaded One ¨C to hold back the tide of egoists. He was almost tempted to use Lore Eater to feast on their surface thoughts, but Zarian knew from experience there were some surface thoughts he would prefer to avoid. Some people, men and women, had some weird fantasies surrounding the Floridians, especially Princess Bianca. Out of everyone, she only became more beautiful, more glamorous, and more attractive from the past months of hard training and magical food eating. She had grown a little taller, too, and looked like a walking demigoddess. Next to the monstrous Dark Lord, the contrast between them was apparent even if they were dressed darkly together. Bianca was becoming more of a mythical figure compared to when she first started as a scared, teary-eyed rum promoter. Bianca stroked her elegant fingers through her long, amber hair. Her radiant amber eyes glanced back at the wolf dragon skull, with her pretty and plush lips pressed into a pout. Then she turned away and fixed a brilliant smile back on her face. ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful chica, Bianca,¡± Zarian said. ¡°You can really get yourself an elf husband if you convince the old lady hard enough. I¡¯m sure she has better sons, grandsons, and great grandsons lying around on that continent of hers. All for the picking.¡± Bianca didn¡¯t respond. She only smiled. She was still a hard nut to crack right now. Wow. I thought Naomi and Hannah were the hardest to get through when they were upset. But maybe Bianca is on a different level. How do you break past the walls of someone who is a master of making everything seem okay and happy? Granted, it was more obvious that Bianca was dealing with issues in the months prior. But they had avoided talking about it because of their own progression paths. Now that Empress Ruvaria was in the picture, Bianca seemed like she was back to her old self, but not quite. She¡¯s still on the fence about leaving behind the village and going to Grimrock. I wonder if anything will change if we talk things out. Maybe they would. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t. The time for pondering was over. The egoists were champing at the bit and pressing closer. These weren¡¯t the people Zarian wanted to deal with right now. They were delegates from different kingdoms, different privateer guilds, and unique self-interested nobles who existed on the peripherals. There were even a few humans who were part of the evil alignment, mostly representatives of criminal syndicates. They wanted to get closer to the universe-infamous Dark Lord for obvious benefits. Zarian reached around Bianca¡¯s waist. She leaned into him with a grace that was breathtaking for most of the onlookers. Zarian moved her around, leading as the man, as Bianca spiraled perfectly on beat with him. The end of her dress and Zarian¡¯s cloak fluttered and billowed together as Zarian cast Void Waltz. With two more steps, he took their dance from the lobby to the south district, which was taken over mainly by gardener refugees. Usually, Zarian avoided the area. He knew sentiment there was against him mainly for being the Dark Lord and the main blame for the civil war. Today, he didn¡¯t care. He wanted to check on the towers holding orphanages. While he did that, he let Bianca wander and follow any fancy she felt, talking to random people on the streets. Zarian did all he could to dim his scary factor, which was easier with Bianca shining like a beacon of hope next to him. This part of his community service tour was a light warmup, so he could also concentrate on other things in his head. As Bianca talked with random refugees, who were around Level 10 or below that, Zarian noted how scared they were in the presence of the princess and Dark Lord. But they couldn¡¯t escape even if they wanted to. Bianca¡¯s sheer personality and charming magic had them caught in a vice grip. It was almost one or two steps away from outright mind control. It would¡¯ve been worse if it wasn¡¯t for the system suppression that made it easier for Level 80s to interact with Level 10s and below. Or the Level 80s¡¯ sheer presence would¡¯ve crushed those who were far, far weaker. Zarian wondered if all the magical energies in his and Bianca¡¯s body were palpable enough to have a weight to it, which was a curious idea. The Level 10s had very low stats. They needed a decent amount in Wonder to feel the supernatural, at least. Yet, the Level 10s could feel the magnitudes of difference between them and the dark-light duo just fine. Zarian wondered if the Level 10s had the system nudging them, warning them, or at least the ones who had enough stats in Wonder. Most people were faithful folks, so maybe they had enough to feel nudges from the System. It was either that or Zarian and Bianca were really that scarily powerful even when they were trying to be casual under System Suppression. There were other little things Zarian found notable. Most of the refugees were close to Level 10 if they hadn¡¯t already passed it with a class. Even the young children were halfway to Level 10, some further along than others. After some thought, Zarian concluded that the journey to Ride-or-Die Village and living in this region was passively boosting experience gains and pushing everyone¡¯s levels to a more reasonable place, Level 10 and above.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. That might not seem like much compared to Zarian, his friends, and the guild members. But it was better than the low gains in the Eternal Garden Kingdom. That was nice to see. What wasn¡¯t nice was how sluggish they all looked, regardless of levels and stats. Zarian noticed many of the refugees had lost and uncertain looks in their eyes. They all had water, food, and shelter, but they still appeared sullen. ¡°They need work,¡± Zarian muttered, while somehow finding himself buried under a pile of children. They were out in a courtyard with a garden and some hedges. Bianca had convinced the children to pile up on top of Zarian. Nobody was going to tell her no, even if the worried adults desperately wanted to. The children seemed unaware of the danger, or they decided not to care about the subtle System nudges. Thus, the Level 84 Madness Wizard, the husband of Evil Goddess Shadowfell and Dark Lord of the Infinita Star System, ended up beneath a dog pile of reckless kids who were around Level 5 and classless. He looked quite defeated as the children cheered and shouted, making victorious sounds children liked to make. From his perspective, they seemed so fragile a part of him hoped the system¡¯s suppression remained rock solid for this situation to go without a hitch. Or the sentiment toward him in the south district would tank further. Another part of him realized the gardener¡¯s population was growing and becoming more permanent. The village was so efficient that it could meet many of the people¡¯s needs. That was nice for now, but Zarian could already see the signs of despondency, hence why he thought they needed work. The type of work that mattered, paid decently, and encouraged people to reinvest in their lives. That hadn¡¯t concerned him or the others because of the event against the wolf dragons. But the way things were now couldn¡¯t stay the same. They needed a more robust economy that wasn¡¯t centered on just entrepreneurial adventurers. They needed to encompass regular people in the low levels, which normally was the majority of people. I¡¯ll bring it to the attention of Hannah and Rhea. In fact, I¡¯m sure the Hemlock woman would be useful there, Zarian thought. As a part of Zarian considered the economics and societal progress of the village, a major part of him studied the Parasite Cloak +2. But doing so required him to unravel certain fractures in his mind to get into the essence of Para¡¯s designs. He did so gently and slowly, not wanting to disturb Para while she was playing with the little orphans. The cloak formed two dozen hands and tentacles, all gentle, as she playfully chased after shrieking kids and hoisted up the ones who she caught. She even went as far as patting the back of a crying little boy who had fallen over. The adults in charge of the orphans watched with wide-eyes while caught under Bianca¡¯s inescapable charm. A lot was happening at once, and Zarian wanted to work on multiple facets at the same time with the utmost of focus. Hence, him having High Rune Mindframe slotted in his alpha section, leaving all of his grimoires in the beta section with his Level 0 skills. Did it suck that his powerful wizard abilities had to be in the beta section? A little, yes. But the moment Zarian had slotted High Rune Mindframe into the alpha section, he felt its true power come to light. All the multitasking he was doing prior to having this amazing skill felt sloppy, dangerous, and inefficient. It turned out he was making it all work through sheer Willpower. Now he felt his fractured and unraveled thought processes happening under safer and more structured conditions. It really felt magical, hence why High Rune Mindframe scaled with Mysticism alone. It was almost like he had a cybernetic enhancement applied to his mind, but the mystical kind instead of a chip. Thus, Zarian could do multiple key things at once. He could play with a bunch of little orphans. He could use his free evil +4 to think up ideas to create productive villagers, because it looked like the refugees were going to stay for the long run. And he could use a large part of his mind to unravel and flow between the hard rune mechanics of Parasite Cloak +2. Nobody had a clue of how much mental work and madness it took to explore the depths of Para¡¯s essence and existence safely. How could they? On the outside, Zarian seemed focused on interacting with the mortals. On the inside, his mind was a hive of activity that would¡¯ve killed most people from the sheer mental workload. Yeah, that skill combiner outcome was clutch, Zarian thought with a different section of his partitioned mind. When do we get another skill combiner? We already have the Lesser World Boss Killer achievement. Maybe when we become Masters? Or maybe when we ascend? Do I have to kill a Greater World Boss? After an hour of playing with orphans, they were now walking around the south district. Most gardeners made themselves scarce to avoid them. Bianca turned to him. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Zarian was thinking about dealing with some passive aggressive hostilities from the striders who were targeting the remaining paladins in the village. Before he waltzed himself and Bianca over to an area between the central district and north district, he noticed someone on the street corner who he¡¯d seen back in Central Bramblevale. Zarian grinned and waved. ¡°Hey, old man! Still selling cabbages?¡± The old cabbage seller turned to the Dark Lord and smiled. ¡°Oh, milord, don¡¯t you concern yourself with me! The cabbage business hasn¡¯t been quite profitable for quite a while now. But I hear up here in these savage frontiers, there are much more interesting opportunities.¡± Zarian redirected his walk to the former cabbage seller. The old man had some friends hanging around. They looked like they wanted to flee as Zarian and Bianca moved their way. ¡°Hello! You all look so wonderful. I need to grow up like you.¡± Bianca was all over them before they could run. Now they were stuck, mesmerized by her extroverted power. Zarian chuckled as he patted the former cabbage seller on the shoulder to snap him free of Bianca¡¯s charm. The old man returned a smile that was both nervous and genuine. ¡°What opportunities?¡± Zarian asked. The old man looked around shiftily. Then he leaned closer and said, ¡°There is a mystical plant that has relaxing effects. Great for apothecary and alchemical purposes. And it can help promote the growth of other crops when you recycle certain parts for compost. But it is a dangerous plant to harvest. Hard to reproduce, too.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°It is said that it grows best in soil that is watered with dragon blood.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°It is true, milord. In fact, I heard word that you¡¯ve slain a dragon, yes? If you go back to the soil where its blood wet the land, you may find the Dragon Blood Cloud Flower. But be very gentle. The plant needs to be cared for in a delicate manner.¡± ¡°How do you know this?¡± The old man smiled, his face wrinkling deeply. ¡°I once heard it in the old stories, milord. And I once heard it from the people who had lived here when I was a young man looking for work.¡± Zarian nodded. He turned and called out. ¡°Empress Ruvaria? Is Dragon Blood Cloud Flower exactly like he described?¡± To the great shock and surprise of the old man, his friends, and other onlookers on the street, Empress Ruvaria made an appearance. She wore a very sleek white dress. The hem ending around her pale thighs. She also wore very thin sandals and little gloves. She scowled up at Zarian. ¡°It¡¯s more impressive than that. But there are more interesting plants and wild crops in this region that most humans cannot understand the significance of.¡± Corma¡¯s Chosen One, Ruler of the Promised Continent, turned to the former cabbage seller. She graced him with a gentle look that was youthful, beautiful, and kind. A look that didn¡¯t express how she was holding back the immensity of her power by many magnitudes with some help of System Suppression. The old man collapsed onto his knees in front of the empress¡¯s feet. He could barely talk while in the presence of a bonafide elf, the strongest of the Lesser Worlds. ¡°Child of cabbages, you prove to be wiser and more knowledgeable than most of your kind,¡± said the empress ¡°Thus, I will grant you a small boon for being enlightened enough to make me think well of you.¡± Empress Ruvaria waved her hand over the old man¡¯s head. Zarian barely caught the subtle enchantment she placed on the man. Somehow, she enchanted the person instead of an item. Zarian hadn¡¯t known that was possible until now. The former cabbage seller looked up in awe as the empress turned back to Zarian. ¡°Don¡¯t make it a habit to call me out whenever you want. You know how I feel about these public outings,¡± she scolded. ¡°Yes, yes, sorry, sorry. But thank you,¡± Zarian said. Bianca was creeping around to ambush the empress from behind. Ruvaria disappeared before Bianca could get a hold of her. The princess frowned, then she shrugged and went back to being her cheery self. Zarian and Bianca chatted up the elders, warming them up after the eventful appearance of an elf, a creature of myth they only heard about in stories. Zarian found it interesting how he could call up Empress Ruvaria, and she would respond right away for him. Most people would go their entire lives not knowing or ever seeing an elf, at least in the Walled Continent. At some point, it seemed like some of the gardener refugees could look past Zarian being the blame for their civil war and see that he wasn¡¯t much of a threat to them. Maybe that was because of Bianca playing up her role at his side. Or maybe he was doing a decent job improving sentiments by appearing on the street level. That way, the mortals could see and interact with him directly, making him less of a bogeyman. Either way, he left the south district feeling as if his approval ratings were going up a little. He was thankful there was no major system mechanic for transforming a village into an empire. That would occupy too much of his attention if there were clear rewards for that other than having a fortified home and some plebs to do with what he wanted, which was mainly to see things improve for everyone who played by his rules. After all, the reason Ride-or-Die Village existed was to leave something for the guild members to take care of and grow old in. Eventually, Zarian and his friends had to leave the village behind and let the people govern themselves. Zarian took Bianca¡¯s hand for another waltz. They stepped out from the void and landed outside of the wall near the northwest corner. They stood on a field of vibrant green grass and wildflowers. Amid the wildflower patches, Bianca turned sharply to a specific spot. Following her lead, Zarian noticed a few plants that gave off a lot of magical energy. Bianca had noticed them faster because of her investment in the Wonder stat. The specific plants that caught their interest were orange-red in the middle with black petals and a golden stem. It looked like a scaly sunflower in shape, honestly. Zarian used his Identify trait and told Bianca what he saw. ¡°Bianca?¡± Zarian called. ¡°Yes, Zarian.¡± ¡°Do you think Hannah would think of this as a very nice gift?¡± ¡°I think she will.¡± ¡°Great. I have some stuff to bring to her attention, but I can start with giving her dragon flowers.¡± Zarian sighed, looking at the cloudless day. ¡°I also have a gift in mind for you.¡± ¡°Oh, papi, you don¡¯t have to!¡± Zarian frowned. ¡°Bianca, I¡¯m going to ask my wife to get a message to Earth. You¡¯ll be the first to get a crack at communicating with your family. If it works, then I¡¯ll invite the others to try.¡± Bianca said nothing for the next half hour. Then, with a hoarse voice, she asked, ¡°You aren¡¯t going to order your wife, are you?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll make a trade with her. Hopefully, whatever Luciana wants isn¡¯t too out there. You know how over the top my wife is.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t, Zarian. Not for me. Not¡­¡± Bianca trailed off. ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain yourself. I just want to do this for you. I want you to know I do care, Bianca. And I am sorry.¡± Bianca fell silent again. She became dimmer and withdrawn. Zarian wasn¡¯t sure if that was a positive sign or a negative sign. He waited for her while they stood in a small patch of epic dragon flowers. Once Bianca was ready to move on, Zarian pulled her into a waltz so they could continue their tour around the city. He also left dozens of spectral spiders to watch over the dragon flowers until they figured out how to reap them. Now that they knew they could farm plants using dragon blood, Zarian wondered what other special goods hid in this region and beyond. They could make a hell of an industry here that would make Ride-or-Die Village more than just a pit stop and tourist destination for adventurers and foreigners. Zarian could imagine something incredible existing here for the guild after he and the others left. Foodie should be here to see it, Zarian thought. Maybe she can have a big impact here as well. 141: B2: C41: Shadowfell Temple Lord Zarian and Princess Bianca stepped out from the shadows of an alley as the setting suns reached the end of their arc. The shadows were especially dark around the pair with the shade turning deeper and the light phasing out to create more darkness. The effect was ghoulish, haunting, and eerily enchanting. Both Zarian and Bianca looked like the most magical beings who walked out of the darkest pages of fabled myth, at least compared to everyone else. The crowd of striders stirring up trouble against a pair of merchant paladins quieted down. Already on the scene was a unit of guild members in the middle. The teenage boys and girls were holding back from opening a can of whoop ass on the belligerent striders. With the arrival of the light-dark duo, the young ones locked up, like professionals awaiting orders. Everyone else shivered with nervousness. Zarian strode forward with Bianca close behind him until she placed her hand on his shoulder. He paused and glanced back. After reading her expression, he took a step aside. He smirked as Bianca sauntered forward with a spicy stride. ¡°What is the matter?¡± Bianca asked, coming to a stop in the middle of the commotion. ¡°Well, milady princess, the matter we are discussing is about how we good adventurers are offering our services to help these feather-suckers leave the premises of your wonderful village before they try to eradicate everyone again,¡± a male strider said at the front, leading a rabble of harassers and hecklers. ¡°We are not a part of the Brothers of Original Good. We don¡¯t support the current bishop regime in all of their policies, especially with who they promote as inquisitors. We are a more open chapter of paladins, and we¡¯ve been trying to explain this for days!¡± the paladin woman shouted, looking nervously at the Dark Lord. Zarian shook his head at her. He nodded toward the princess. ¡°Shut your feather-sucking mouth! Don¡¯t think of yourself as anything good compared to our beautiful and intelligent princess! All we¡¯re doing here is trying to make the village a safer place.¡± The leader of the hecklers smiled crookedly. Bianca didn¡¯t smile. She was much taller compared to the humans of this world. It was easy for her to look down upon the heckler leader. He and his companions shrank back as she watched them like a hawk for quite a while. ¡°Do you know why I follow the Dark Lord, pendejo?¡± Bianca asked. ¡°Pen day hole?¡± The leader said nervously. ¡°Excuse me, milady princess, but I don¡¯t speak the tongue from the World of Swamps and Princesses. I¡¯d love to learn, if you have a free evening to teach me over some beer.¡± ¡°Silence your foolishness, pendejo. Answer my question.¡± Bianca applied no magical pressure. Her voice was even and clear. But as she looked dead into the leader¡¯s face, her eyes shone with an intense light, like the twin suns before they set. ¡°Most folks say the Dark Lord, um, has a spell cast over you,¡± the leader said, finding himself singled out as his companions backed away slowly. Bianca took a single step forward, lording her height even more over the nervous strider. ¡°No, it¡¯s because it¡¯s very clear with him when he will kill and when he will help.¡± She took another step forward, closing the gap menacingly. ¡°It is gruesome when he kills. Many of his enemies are torn apart and fed to his cloak. Sometimes they are feasted upon while they are still alive. Yet, I have not seen him kill anyone who doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± ¡°Uh, well, I see,¡± the man replied dumbly. Bianca¡¯s eyes shone even brighter, like the judgment of the heavens was shining their wrathful light upon the leader of the heckling and harassment. But the strider couldn¡¯t flee while struck dumb by Bianca¡¯s intense beauty and charm. The man was in the early Level 40s, so the system suppression on Bianca was much weaker in this case, which allowed her to be more of her powerful self. She could, however, negate the system suppression altogether. That would be dangerous for everyone in the area, though. Both Zarian and Bianca were at a level with enough stats and abilities that made them walking weapons of mass destruction, Zarian especially. So the system suppression, even while around people between the Level 30s and 50s, was necessary. The leader of the bothersome strider mob struggled to speak his case, fumbling over his words. Bianca shook her head slowly until he fell silent. ¡°You and your friends do not see.¡± Bianca strolled around the petrified man. ¡°Look. That is the Dark Lord. See how he is standing there. Do you see him harming these two paladins?¡± ¡°He, um, isn¡¯t.¡± Bianca gripped the man by both shoulders, her long black nails stabbing into his leather pauldrons with ease. It was as if his armor was made of butter, while each of her nails were sharpened knives. She stopped short of drawing blood as she leaned down from behind him, her mouth close to his ear. ¡°If he¡¯s not turning his killer attention to these paladins, then what makes you think you can, pendejo? This makes me think you just want to bother these people for your own pleasure. This makes me feel I must step in and deliver some free good, because you are in the wrong. And if I judge you to be wrong with all my heart, I will not hold back.¡± Bianca let her free good +5 blast out from her body with some oomph. A powerful and wrathful wave of moral force knocked the mob of troublesome striders off their feet. The man Bianca held onto from behind cried in fear as Bianca¡¯s free good steamrolled over him. Even the paladin pair lost their footing and stumbled back, their faces going white with fear. Their traditional good alignment was no match compared to Bianca¡¯s free good. The only ones left unaffected were the guild members and the Dark Lord, of course. Then, just as soon as it appeared, Bianca¡¯s free good +5 receded back into her. She let go of the heckler leader, like dropping a dirty towel, and strode past the distraught man to return to Zarian¡¯s side. Zarian enjoyed Bianca¡¯s approach to this issue because it was happening in one of the busier market squares. Everybody there was watching, and Zarian liked to put on a show, so he very much appreciated Bianca warming up the crowd for him. ¡°You heard Princess Bianca. I kill people when it¡¯s necessary. And I do so in gruesome ways,¡± Zarian said. ¡°But if you see paladins still in the village, then they are fine to be here.¡± Zarian looked around slowly as his cloak fluttered about in strange and eerie ways. ¡°I like to deal with problems case by case instead of judging an entire people for the choices of the few. Call me evil all you want, but I think I¡¯m the most reasonable and pragmatic guy around ¡­ sometimes.¡± ¡°Thank you, milord,¡± the male paladin said, for himself and his female partner. Zarian nodded before glancing across the market place and spotting Bernard, the Battle Priest. The old man had remained in the village despite the hostile political climate. Bernard grimaced when his eyes met with Zarian¡¯s. Then the old priest lightened up and nodded in appreciation. Zarian chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to come out and police you troublemakers. So please listen to my guild members who are very well trained. Or Princess Bianca would show you what will happen when she judges you as a bad person worthy of her free good power.¡± Zarian turned to the kiddos. ¡°Keep up the good work.¡± ¡°As always, milord. But when will the cafe open up again?¡± asked a boy from the guild. ¡°We will see about that soon, Obert. There will be big news in a few days. Later, gators.¡± Zarian wrapped his arm around Bianca¡¯s waist, spun her into a small dance, and then waltzed through the void to reach the central square. Zarian and Bianca looked up at the temple devoted to Shadowfell as crowds of people moved back and forth around the large square surrounding the base of the central tower. A combination of Zarian¡¯s and Bianca¡¯s abilities rendered them mostly invisible and made people want to step around them in avoidance. ¡°Are you sure we don¡¯t have more to do?¡± Bianca asked, a hint of nervousness entering her voice. Zarian shook his head. They¡¯d checked on various spots of interests, positive and negative. The Dragon Blood Cloud Flowers were secured. The guild member units were all fine except for the lack of Reiki¡¯s chocolate and coffee. They¡¯d checked on skeleton units manning the walls or posted on standby. Zarian had sought the skeletons that could most likely become experts and saw none currently. Loner wasn¡¯t in the village. He was out on an adventure to power level a batch of skeletons in some decent hunting grounds to the north west. Out of all skeletons, Loner should be capable of becoming an expert. Zarian would see once they linked up before the trip back to Grimrock. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it now, we can save it in the bank. You get to go first as your gift. But I would appreciate it if you keep that to yourself for now,¡± Zarian said. A few passing pedestrians turned toward the source of Zarian¡¯s voice. They felt uncomfortable while unable to see Zarian and Bianca. They hurried away. Bianca let out a long and weary sigh. She shook her head at him. ¡°If this works, if Shadowfell can communicate with my family, then I shouldn¡¯t wait. I know Gilbert has some people he wants to contact. And the others would appreciate the offer.¡± Bianca reached out and gripped the cuff of Zarian¡¯s shirt sleeve. ¡°Let me pay the price, please. Not you.¡± Zarian placed his other hand on Bianca¡¯s. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I need to, Zarian. You¡¯ve already done more than I can appreciate. You¡¯ve done way too much for me, really.¡± Bianca shuddered. ¡°You killed yourself and destroyed universe after universe because of me. You hurt yourself because of me.¡± ¡°I did it to help a friend,¡± Zarian murmured, remembering his time fighting a useless battle against his own darkness for countless years. Most of the details were murky now. But he remembered how he felt as everything kept going wrong no matter how much he tried. He remembered the moments when he nearly let his darkness win. He still carried the memories of his refusal to lose and what that had also cost him.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Zarian, you¡¯re hurting me,¡± Bianca said. He jerked back, taking his hands off her. His body was tense, and so was his parasite. He¡¯d held her hand too hard by mistake. Para came around with little tendrils from the cloak and rubbed over Bianca¡¯s hand. Para also rubbed over Zarian¡¯s, a useless gesture. The gauntlets were in the way, but the sentiment was appreciated. Zarian shifted his mindframe and placed more of his attention on the current moment. He could multitask with his thoughts later. Things were tense right now. ¡°Sorry,¡± Zarian said. Bianca shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I lost myself to traditional good. I said things I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve told me about your family and stuff. I would¡¯ve listened.¡± ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve. But I thought I didn¡¯t want to burden you. Or the others. I didn¡¯t even share that much with the girls. They were moving on, so I thought I should, too. Then it all blew up.¡± Zarian and Bianca stood side by side for a while. Neither of them took a step toward the temple devoted to Shadowfell. Eventually, Zarian thought of the night appointment waiting for him and offered his arm to Bianca. She took it gracefully, and he escorted her into his wife¡¯s temple. Each temple at one of the four corners of the central square had a unique design and atmosphere. Serveserf¡¯s temple was bare, plain, and mainly a clean place for people to donate what they could give while others could take what they needed. There weren¡¯t many needs in the village, but the biggest donation drive surrounded children¡¯s toys for gardener orphans. A few paladins liked to visit this place the most. Hisscreep¡¯s temple had moist soil set across its floor. There was underbrush, fungi, and the smells of a wild, dark forest. Little creepers crawled around the wild floor, keeping the atmosphere an authentic one for the bug god. The few evil humans that came through the village would stop by to pay their respects to Hisscreep or make a request from one of the oldest surviving Evil Gods. Hisscreep, like Serveserf, wasn¡¯t that strong. But he was favored over other Evil Gods for his protection against evil critters out in the wilds. Then there was Lovewar¡¯s temple, which was more gaudy and attractive, with weapons on display and a palpable aura that was confident and alluring. Many visitors and villagers would come through to pray at her temple, hoping to receive favor from the goddess. Many gardeners prayed for her to end the civil war or have their side of the conflict come out victorious. Many of the guild members liked to spend some time at the temple, especially the ones who had started out as acolytes. Then there was the temple for Shadowfell. Its aesthetics fit her theme. It had a sharply peaked roof. There was an atmosphere of heavy somber and dread in the air. The brassieres were lit with shadowy flames. Across the barren and austere space inside, there was a goblet placed on a stone block. Inside that goblet was one of the most feared substances across the Infinita Star System, Shadowfell Tears. The dark ichor bubbled above the brim and spilled over the edges, making a small mess that wouldn¡¯t spread much further. There was one person already inside before Zarian and Bianca entered. That one person was the only person in the entire village who had consumed the Shadowfell Tears and came out stronger. ¡°Amabel,¡± Zarian called. ¡°Nice to see you again. We didn¡¯t get to talk much over breakfast today.¡± Amabel was kneeling and praying in front of the goblet filled with Shadowfell Tears. Once she finished, she stood smoothly and turned to smile. The young, green-eyed, and freckled-faced girl looked a little more mature now. Especially when she wore the dark, gothic robes of a Shadowfell Acolyte. Zarian was still a little hazy on how Amabel had transitioned from being a Lovewar Acolyte to being a Shadowfell Acolyte. But since the two goddesses of opposing alignments were still friends, somehow, the betrayal from good to evil, or free good to free evil in Amabel¡¯s case, hadn¡¯t blown out of proportion. Most importantly, Amabel was one of the few who embraced the free evil sub alignment, had the highest levels among the youngsters at Level 55, and was also sporting an epic class called Shadow Saboteur. To be the village¡¯s only Shadowfell Acolyte meant she truly believed in the Evil Goddess and was freely giving her devotion. Based on the results, things were working out well enough for Amabel. Yes, Zarian was well aware that certain parts of prior conversations would get fed to his divine wife because of Amabel. But that wasn¡¯t too big of a deal. Hannah had laid decent enough wards that should make it harder for Zarian¡¯s little sister and the gods to pry into their business inside the central tower. Zarian imagined Empress Ruvaria being there made things even harder for the gods. Amabel was their biggest leak, but a controllable one who remained well within expectations. Better yet, the Shadow Saboteur had shown some great discernment on what she¡¯d gossipped over with her patron goddess. Most of it was about Zarian and the mundane stuff he did, which was gravely boring for the spectral spider assigned to watching Amabel. Zarian appreciated the little guy¡¯s sacrifice, since it was sometimes better to give away crumbs to keep the real treats under cover until the time was right. ¡°Lord Zarian, Princess Bianca, the dear goddess has been expecting you on this day, and you¡¯ve arrived just as predicted in her nightmares,¡± Amabel said, smiling. Zarian reached over with his free hand and rubbed it over Amabel¡¯s head. ¡°Must I remind you each time you try to act all edgy that you are still a cute little brat?¡± Amabel let out a huff, breaking her shadowy character. She shifted away from Zarian¡¯s hand and looked at him crossly. ¡°I am a Shadowfell Acolyte, and one who has broken a piece of Lovewar¡¯s heart to earn this right. I can¡¯t be looked at as a mere girl anymore by you, milord.¡± ¡°Oh, damn, we have a real bad ass heartbreaker over here. Now I¡¯m really feeling the edge.¡± Amabel tried to keep from getting flustered. She half succeeded. ¡°I am a grown woman who is blessed to carry the burden of tragedy and much more. Please have some respect for that since I alone was invited to drink from her tears and grow stronger instead of being corrupted.¡± ¡°Hm, yeah, I suppose you have a point. Have you told Shadowfell some of our plans?¡± Amabel lowered her head, her face turning red. ¡°Only the more obvious points. Would you like me to serve as a divine conduit? Please say yes.¡± Zarian was going to say no, but Amabel rushed forward and practically crashed into him. ¡°Please, Lord Zarian. It would be an honor to be a conduit, and only I can do it,¡± Amabel pleaded. Zarian sighed. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s you, I guess I¡¯ll stay more focused on business. Are you okay with this, Bianca?¡± ¡°Si.¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you!¡± Amabel retreated and prepared herself to become a human flesh suit for an Evil Goddess. Zarian could¡¯ve gone with using the crystal ball, but the request felt like it would have more weight if done personally. He hadn¡¯t expected this type of personal outcome, but he imagined Amabel being chosen by Shadowfell meant the girl had a need for theatrics, just like his wife. Zarian nearly had a cursed thought of him and Luciana having a child. He banished it quickly. He watched as the shadowy flames flickered suddenly. Amabel knelt down, took the goblet by both hands, and sipped from its dark and bubbling surface. Then she placed it down and rose as Zarian¡¯s wife. Luciana smiled through Amabel¡¯s face. She spoke with a voice that was both somber and magnetic, like an enchanting song about the joys of death. ¡°It¡¯s quite interesting how the Star System allows us to commune in different ways. Certain cultures in various worlds have unique approaches to communicating with us major gods.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care, but I imagine you¡¯re going to tell me anyway.¡± ¡°Let me have my moments, husband. Now, in some worlds, they believe they must sacrifice their elderly or their children and speak to their gods through the intestines of their dead relatives. In some other worlds, they believe the gods could only be spoken to by climbing the peaks of the highest mountains for their level, and it must be a mountain that is heavily occupied by monsters or painful challenges, just to make the conversation with their gods more worthwhile.¡± ¡°I bet some of those tragic and painful direct messages to your goddess box have you feeling great in all your terrible ways, don¡¯t they, Luciana?¡± Zarian said. Luciana chuckled darkly. ¡°It does leave one quite thrilled once you decide to lean further into the lunacy of it all.¡± Zarian tried not to smile. ¡°Speaking of lunacy, your new corrupted toys are interesting. And your tears are enhanced to where a priest in the Level 50s can¡¯t cleanse it. That¡¯s going to cause a lot of trouble for people, you loon.¡± ¡°Luciana the Loon? Mm, I enjoy this pet name. Thank you. As for the spot of trouble, that¡¯s only for the would-be heroes who are strong enough.¡± Luciana sighed dreamily. ¡°I still remain under a pact imposed upon me by Lovewar, which has grown more complex as of late. I cannot disclose what that pact entails, since it is a secret Lovewar would prefer kept between us. Unless you order me to reveal the details as your slave wife, husband, then your will is my command.¡± Luciana used Amabel¡¯s hand to press against her chest. She gave Zarian flirty looks that were laughable. He tried not to laugh. He didn¡¯t want them to know how silly they looked, especially Amabel. The girl took the edge lady stuff seriously. ¡°Once again, Shadowfell, I will provide you with no orders under those ridiculous conditions. You are not my slave. And you are only a wife under unfair conditions that will be dealt with in the future,¡± Zarian said firmly. ¡°We are here to make a request. And to provide our services as a trade.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me that wants to offer my services,¡± Bianca said. ¡°Please don¡¯t include Zarian. He¡¯s done enough.¡± Zarian frowned, but he didn¡¯t interject. If Bianca felt she needed to make a few sacrifices instead of him, who was he to stop her? Well, he would stop her if those sacrifices were too big. Oh, that¡¯s a little hypocritical of me. Zarian struggled a little with that thought. He moved on quickly. ¡°Princess Bianca Garcia, a young woman who sheds her tears for the sake of joy and to comfort others. You are my opposite in ways that I find interesting,¡± Luciana said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can say the same about the interesting part,¡± Bianca said. ¡°I don¡¯t like how your tears are for corruption instead of comfort. And your marriage with Zarian is holding him hostage.¡± I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s the entire universe being held hostage, not me, Zarian thought, keeping his mouth shut. Luciana chuckled. ¡°I can go on and on about the wonders of my marriage with Zarian, but that¡¯s not your true concern tonight. You wish to contact your family, yes? I can do this for you. I can let them know you are okay and receive their messages in return. But that will cost you one death that you must deliver.¡± Zarian and Bianca shared a look. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°I am,¡± Bianca said before turning back to Amabel/Luciana. The Evil Goddess told them, which was unexpected but not surprising for Zarian to hear. The Prime Archbishop, the holy royal leader of the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom, had to die. Bianca would¡¯ve refused outright if it wasn¡¯t for one other factor. The Prime Archbishop had further plans to seal Zarian away regardless of the costs. ¡°Many think they can make such plans without the gods knowing as long as they have their little wards to turn away our attention,¡± Luciana explained smarmily. ¡°In most cases, this is true. For me, however, when those plans involve my husband, I can learn things here and there if they don¡¯t take extra precautions. And even with those extra precautions, I still have my ways.¡± Luciana let out a deep and satisfied breath. The air in the entire temple wobbled. The shadowy flames flickered. Zarian felt the presence of his wife surrounding them, holding them close, bearing the weight of a power that would crush lesser mortals to the floor. Yeah, she was really into her theatrics these days. ¡°Princess Bianca Garcia, what will you do for the sake of communicating with your family? Because the one you must kill is more than just a grave enemy of my husband. The Prime Archbishop is also a powerful ruler holding the paladin kingdom together. To take his life would cause immense strife. Are you willing to sacrifice the lives of others for your own heart?¡± Bianca looked down at her feet. Zarian sighed. ¡°This is a little too much, Luciana. We¡¯ve already broken one kingdom. And a trip to the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom is pretty far out of our way.¡± Luciana chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to their kingdom.¡± Zarian¡¯s heart rate sped up. ¡°Quit the suspense.¡± ¡°Your target will be at Grimrock around the time you¡¯ll get there. No need to rush, they will be entrenched for quite some time. You see, they are short on quality self-sacrificers, so why not a proper crusade to sharpen themselves and grow their ranks before making an even bigger request for some more holy aid.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Someone did tell me the paladins were going for Grimrock. Shit. This political stuff is a pain.¡± Zarian wondered if the village would be alright after he and the others were gone. How far would others go just to strike at him someway, somehow? The original plans of the paladin terrorists had included bringing sabotage and harm to the villagers and visitors, even at the cost of hurting innocent people. Things are getting complicated, Zarian thought. Do I have to make an example of an army or something? Bianca let out a long sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is out of free good or my selfish desires, but I won¡¯t turn this down. I agree. I will kill the Prime Archbishop.¡± For the next hour, Bianca made a list of names and messages for Shadowfell to deliver. Zarian tried to figure out how Shadowfell could contact their old world, but each time he tried, Shadowfell asked him if he wanted her to answer him as the slave wife. Zarian dropped the matter. By the time they left the temple, Bianca was pretty much done and called it a night. She hugged him and went off on her own to her room or wherever. Zarian stepped in and out of the void. He stopped in front of a door that wasn¡¯t his. He took a few seconds to straighten out his thoughts, putting aside political strife, Bianca¡¯s assassination job, and his marriage issues. None of that mattered now as he knocked on Ruvaria¡¯s door. Her voice reached out softly from the other side. ¡°Come in, Zarian. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± 142: B2: C42: Hide and Seek Zarian stepped into Ruvaria¡¯s room and felt a complex shift between dimensions. He reacted a split second too late and transitioned to a different realm of reality. His heart hammered in his chest. Adrenaline filled his veins. His body became hot, hungry, and ready for a fight. His cloak snapped out and sprouted dozens of deadly limbs. Zarian prepared to hand-sign and chant for One Percent Power. He looked around and saw he was in an old stone hallway. Ancient roots dangled from the cracks in the ceiling. There were rings upon rings of mushrooms that covered the floor, with a layer of thick, loamy, and moist dirt underneath. The doorway he used to get here was gone, replaced by a wall covered in thick roots behind him. Little motes of concentrated energy bobbed around in the air like blue glow flies. The air was rich with aura, more than he¡¯d ever felt before in one location. There were no immediate dangers he could sense. Zarian and Para remained at the ready as they finally addressed the gold notifications hovering in the air. Daughter of the Absolute King? Zarian thought in wonder. How much lore do you have packed in you, old lady? ¡°It¡¯s not what I expected, but I guess I can fit a game of hide and seek in my schedule.¡± Zarian lowered his hands. ¡°I have to admit, you are crafty as hell, empress. You set a whole teleportation trap I failed to spot and had it triggered before I could counter with my void magic. You really are the Sorceress Queen.¡± There was also a chance that Empress Ruvaria had grafted the entire dungeon into the VIP guest room right under Hannah¡¯s nose. Zarian wouldn¡¯t put it past the empress to achieve a complex, hairy-brain thing just so she could show off to the human whipper snappers. ¡°I think this is a game I can win, depending on if you¡¯re going to give me a fighting chance,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Ready to play, Para?¡± ¡°As long as we don¡¯t run out of food, I will be happy to play,¡± Para said. ¡°True that, true that.¡± Zarian studied the hallway with his best abilities. His High Rune Mindframe skill was growing, too, while facing a new challenge. The mystical structures partitioning his mind became sturdier. His thoughts moved faster and neater. Para benefitted as she safely merged with the same portion of his Unraveled Mind he¡¯d used to study the essence of her nature. The more of his messy mind he gave over to Para on a loan, the more she could empower his body. With High Rune Mindframe, Zarian and Para could share more of each other under safer conditions. They could avoid losing oneself to the other, especially in Zarian¡¯s case. The skill was definitely a high quality one. Zarian had used it from the morning to the night, and it had only leveled up once so far. Which was kind of sad because he was already excited about its first advancement. It will come to me in due time, Zarian thought as he summoned dozens of spectral spiders. As the spiders went forth to scout and explore, he squatted against the wall. Para dropped boxes of food and spare corpses in front of them from the cloak¡¯s pocket dimension. The Dark Lord and Parasite Cloak +2 enjoyed a pre-dungeon-crawl feast as Zarian patched himself and Para into various spiders to see things from their exploratory view. Some spiders crawled under the mushroom caps where little magical critters lurked. A few spiders couldn¡¯t help but snatch up the Level 8 or Level 9 insectoid beasts while on the move, which was an interesting experience for Zarian. He could acquire all the senses of a spectral spider when observing through them. But these days, he didn¡¯t shy away from experiencing the taste of whatever creatures the spectral spiders feasted on. He¡¯d grown quite used to it now. It was also a little interesting to think how just one bug that was the size of someone¡¯s thumb was possibly a danger to some Level 3 human teenager stuck behind the walls in the garden kingdom. ¡°Maybe this is a thing a nepo baby says, but I¡¯m really glad I got the head start in this universe,¡± Zarian said. ¡°How would the others feel if they compared their starts as Level 1s to the little bugs in a place like this?¡± Then again, levels didn¡¯t indicate how many stats and abilities certain creatures had. So a Level 9 bug might only have a small amount of attributes. Or it had enough to fly like a bullet and kill a Level 1 human in one shot. Zarian let himself muse about stats and levels using a small portion of his highly organized magic mindframe. Another part of his mindframe was still focused on what the spiders were seeing as they crawled around. The spiders found a split in the hallway. Some stayed behind and waited. One group of spiders went to the left. A different group went to the right. Zarian and Para enjoyed their delightful meal. They had plenty more in the cloak¡¯s pocket dimension, too, just in case this turned out to be a long crawl. By the time they finished, Zarian noticed their first complication. The group of spiders that went down the left path had disappeared. The connection with them had blinked out. The last thing Zarian was able to feel from them were the telltale signs of teleportation and warp magic. Zarian doubted the spiders had perished. They were probably placed somewhere else and cut off. Or the dungeon had ejected them from its personal dimension, which was a valid way to cut down Zarian¡¯s abilities to explore remotely. Not bad, not bad, Zarian thought. He almost wanted to bring Hannah down here for her to see. But he figured Empress Ruvaria wanted him to crawl the dungeon as part of her continuous evaluation of him. Or is this petty revenge for calling her out into public earlier? She was very introverted. He should take more care of that. The spiders that had gone down the right tunnel found another split. They stopped there and waited. Zarian stood up. Para used little tongue-like tendrils to lick off crumbs and clean him up. Then Zarian removed his shirt while Para slurped into his back. She appeared as ragged threads and numerous limbs from around his waist as Zarian went shirtless. With his shirt secured in the pocket dimension, Zarian rolled around his shoulders and felt his muscles loosen up. Then he headed forward at a steady pace. He looked around with his eyes, taking in the mystical sights of magic dungeon bugs, glowing blue motes of concentrated aura, and the combination of dangling roots around his head and rising mushrooms from the loam-covered floor. Meanwhile, Zarian pushed his Basic Aura Manipulation harder and harder at a gradual rise in intensity. He smiled when he felt some quirky resistance from the epic dungeon. Even though it was fourteen levels lower than the Madness Wizard, it was high in quality. Thus, the Enriched Faerie Dungeon had unique traits of its own. The dungeon pushed back heavily against his aura manipulation. Zarian felt suppressed while using a trait he prided himself on. Of course, he could hold his own. He had the Aura Channeler trait that made his aura manipulation highly efficient, while also making him resistant to aura disruptions. Then there was his wizard hat, with the skill advanced to +2 and up to Level 34.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Altogether, he had a frankly powerful combination of abilities supported by 536 Mysticism. The suppression should buckle against him once he applied enough force. Zarian kept pushing. The suppression didn¡¯t buckle. Huh! I¡¯m actually not getting my way for once, Zarian realized, feeling shocked after five minutes of difficult shoving. This dungeon has some powerful traits. Nothing has kept my aura manipulation under constant pressure before. So far, Zarian couldn¡¯t reliably observe things with his aura manipulation any further than a dozen feet in all directions. In fact, the aura suppression was worse coming from the walls. That left him a little more blind than usual. Was this all of Ruvaria¡¯s intention by having him put in the Enriched Faerie Dungeon? Was he supposed to have all his key aura abilities and scouting tricks removed from play, just so he had a more challenging crawl? No, that didn¡¯t seem right to him. The empress was known as the Sorceress Queen for a reason. Zarian wasn¡¯t here to crawl a dungeon in a mundane manner. He was here to use his magic while under more unique and challenging conditions. Undaunted, he kept going at a steady pace down the hallway and took the left at the T-junction. He summoned more spectral spiders to lead the way in the direction where a group had disappeared. Para had the bright idea to number the spectral spider groups, which entered Zarian¡¯s head as a thought he could analyze through his High Rune Mindframe. Things remained safe as he kept a portion of his mind unraveled for Para, and that led to unique mental exchanges between them. It might not seem like much, but the distinction came down to time and clarity. Before the new skill, Zarian had to feel out pulses and interpret them within a millisecond. Now it was down to almost a nanosecond for him to understand Para. That also meant his physical senses and the way the parasite enhanced his body was greater, sharper, and more unified than before. Zarian kept playing a shoving match against the dungeon¡¯s aura suppression shenanigans. Para helped check on their spider teams. Team 1 remained at the first T-junction. Team 2 waited at the junction down the other hallway, the one to the right. Team 4 was leading the way down the leftward hallway, going past the section where Team 3 had disappeared. Nothing seemed to happen, so they kept going. Team 4 kept searching for traps and using their acute observation and spectral qualities to scout as thoroughly as possible. Zarian used his Identify trait and found nothing too special other than uncommon and rare quality mushrooms. The roots were also uncommon and rare materials that were decent for crafting. The Level 8 and Level 9 bugs remained nonissues. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for a while. Then things suddenly changed when a spectral spider phased through some mushrooms that looked like any other. However, something very magical was triggered. Together! Zarian thought. Yes! Para replied in his head. The duo cast their own versions of Void Authority simultaneously. They had never done this exact spell cast together, but they had done double-casts before and saw how that could intensify an outcome. As an oval ring of mushrooms flashed with dimensional and warp-like effects, Zarian and Para used two sides of his brain to cast their two separate spells. They unified their casts by being perfectly in sync with their intentions and desired outcomes, which was made even smoother by the High Rune Mindframe skill, facilitating the timing to near perfection. Even then, the powerful and warped teleportation trap nearly overcame them. They were almost a hairbreadth too late for their double Void Authority to do anything. All teleportation magic used some part of the void to transition from place to place, which made it possible for Zarian to influence that. The problem was the addition of high quality warp magic, which made void magic weaker. Somehow, the Enriched Faerie Dungeon could layer warp magic over teleportation magic skillfully without one canceling out the other. Thankfully, Zarian and Para doubling up on one spell while nearly in perfect sync became the great equalizer against the trap. The warped teleportation stopped with a thunderous clap, like two storm fronts slamming bluntly in the atmosphere. The surrounding air warbled as Zarian and Para combined their willful and mystical might even further for a flourishing finish. They snapped the trap in half and dissipated all the teleportation and warp energy into useless kinetic force. The trap blasted outward. Roots ripped free from the ceiling. Mushrooms and dirt flew away in scattering waves down both ends of the hallway. Stone pieces from the wall tumbled as fast-moving rubble. The blast rolled over Zarian, and he stood his ground like he was facing a little breeze. Heavy darkness made by aura manipulation and his Dark Affinity covered his body. A tiny bit of the blast wave got past his darkness, but his parasite-enforced body barely felt anything. The destruction ended. A crater remained where Zarian and Para had blown up a teleportation trap, with them standing in the middle. Team 4 was gone, having been sent away before Zarian and Para stopped the trap. Then again, that was probably for the better, or they would¡¯ve gotten blown up. ¡°Heh heh heh,¡± Zarian chuckled. ¡°How much you bet that the old lady didn¡¯t have ¡®self-explosion in a teleportation trap on her¡¯ bingo cards?¡± Para formed a mouth and vocal chords from Zarian¡¯s bare shoulder. ¡°Bingo cards. I can see from your memories it is a type of game from your birth world in the other universe. This is you joking about coming up with surprising solutions while calling the empress old, I imagine. But as for a literal answer, I am not sure, because the empress has lived for ten thousand years. Maybe she has it on the cards. She has known Outsiders before us, after all.¡± ¡°Huh, you might be right in the literal sense.¡± Zarian nodded. ¡°Geeze, Para, you¡¯re becoming so smart. One day you¡¯ll be smarter than me, if you aren¡¯t already. Keep it up. You¡¯re making me feel proud of your growth every day.¡± Para¡¯s mouth curved into a toothy smile, sharp teeth glinting from Zarian¡¯s shoulder. Then her mouth faded away. Zarian could feel her happy afterglow from the compliment, which he allowed to bleed into him through a few carefully placed checkpoints in his High Rune Mindframe. Zarian summoned Team 5 and sent the spectral spiders forward. He kept one spider on the brim of his crooked wizard hat, for just in case purposes. He kept pushing against the aura suppression. He also turned toward other unique dungeon bugs scuttling or flying about. A distinct part of his partitioned mind had a strange thought that grew more and more reasonable as he unraveled a little. Zarian knelt down. The parasite kilt extended strands and hairs in all directions and poked at every mushroom along the way. Some strands went deeper into the dirt floor, deeper than the spectral spiders could go. Para used her magical touch to control some of Zarian¡¯s aura and push it down her strands. She had a hard time against the dungeon¡¯s aura suppression, so Zarian covered her experiments by pushing an even harder wall of aura against the dungeon¡¯s suppression. Dark blue and greenish blue sparks ignited in the air. Little strings of aura electricity crawled over the roots and mushrooms, leaving some smoky and blackened. The friction between Zarian¡¯s aura manipulation and the dungeon¡¯s aura suppression was like a mini-storm. It was hard work, and a part of Zarian¡¯s mind was burning up from the heavy aura shoving match. But this was why he had 424 Willpower and a Floridian Mindset, to help him push and endure these almost mental challenges. He couldn¡¯t stop the dungeon from doling out its powerful suppression. But he could certainly keep going no matter the difficulty and mental burn. Other than covering Para as she experimented with a side project, he focused on the bugs crawling around under mushroom caps and in the dirt. He gave his spiders an important order. He needed them to dance, so they broke down to boogie harder like never before. They even formed two rows of spiders. One spider danced down the lane in celebration before another did the same. Zarian could tell the spectral spiders had learned from their fellow spiders in the Dancing Librarian Dungeon that Reiki was boss over. Their studying of ancient moves showed with their rising dance progression. When Zarian thought they celebrated enough, he grabbed up a handful of moist earth, little mushrooms, and magic bugs. Then he spoke to the handful directly. ¡°Hello, hello, can you hear me, you old creepy crawler? It¡¯s your favorite apocalyptic, evil-doer of freedom. You know, Zarian Darkrun. I haven¡¯t been to your temple in a while, but since this place is almost part of your domain, I figured the empress can¡¯t keep you out entirely. Any chance you can deliver me some free aid by helping me find an old elf?¡± Zarian waited to see if anything would happen. After a while, he concluded that the message to Hisscreep had failed to reach or the Leggy Old Man couldn¡¯t help, at least not directly. That was part of the issue with being a leader of an entirely different alignment that prided itself on freedom. The gods couldn¡¯t provide boons as much as before, at least outside of their temples and altars. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t mess around and still find ways to influence events. Zarian¡¯s failed experiment was still worth a shot, just to see if Empress Ruvaria¡¯s controls were airtight. They seemed to be. Who else could mess with the gods as much as her while still in the Lesser Worlds? Well, the answer to that is me, but I¡¯m not fair whatsoever, Zarian thought. Moving on, Zarian felt Para¡¯s excitement, which made him thrilled. Instead of reading her thoughts as if they were his own, he waited until she formed a toothy mouth on his shoulder. ¡°The network beneath the mushroom rings differs from what we are seeing on the surface. When you use Identify on the surface, you are not seeing the complete picture,¡± Para explained. ¡°But you can see with your threads while digging down further than the spiders could go. You can use my Identify trait while I¡¯m unraveling for you,¡± Zarian said, connecting the dots. ¡°Yes, which is why I am quite confident about the nature of the traps. And we should prepare to hurry.¡± ¡°Oh, why is that?¡± ¡°The traps are set by a single fungi creature that is a Level 90 Faerie Guardian. Its best alpha skill is Dimensional Network. The creature is in the roots above, too, because those are more extensions from the creature. I concluded it could probably unleash its magic wherever it wants through its expanded and stealthy network of a dungeon-fused body,¡± Para explained. ¡°Oh.¡± Zarian and Team 5 moved with a hustle. The dungeon¡¯s mushrooms and roots wriggled and squirmed all around them, showing signs of aggression from a singular creature who was done with all false pretenses. Zarian and Para prepared to cast Void Authority together. They expected the same traps from before, warp-layered teleportation to the unknown. Instead of that, a portal opened at the far end of the hallway they were heading down. Zarian¡¯s eyes widened as dark and highly pressurized water rushed out of the portal and roared down straight at him. 143: B2: C43: Dimensional Traps Zarian was surprised. The heavy gushing water rushing down the hallway at him looked powerful enough to sweep him off his feet. Then Zarian felt a bonfire of ambitious hunger blazing from the middle of his parasitic core. He was unwilling to run away. Fuck it, let¡¯s ball, Zarian thought. Para matched his enthusiasm as they switched approaches on the fly. Zarian cast Void Authority with a section of his mind spiraling with a flash memory of maddening symbols and texts. He pushed the spell to the max. Meanwhile, Para formed dozens of parasite arms from the ragged battle kilt. She moved the extra limbs with a dancer¡¯s grace as she cast Void Waltz. The air darkened and flickered around them. Then the roaring water crashed into them with the weight of a tumbling giant. Under normal circumstances, the water would¡¯ve crushed them. It was water that came from the bottom of a high fantasy ocean. It was one that was deeper, more magical, and more hostile than any ocean from the old world. The pressure was immense. But Zarian felt none of it. The water entered and exited the void that darkened the air around Zarian. He stayed within the dungeon¡¯s reality instead of stepping out, choosing to hold his ground and manipulate the void into a makeshift barrier. Most of the water exited on the other side and flooded the hallway behind Zarian, but without the initial force or quantity. Some of the roaring water might¡¯ve gotten lost in transit. They were holding their own. But Zarian wasn¡¯t satisfied with that. He took one step to his right. Then another step to his left. He added a few more moves and matched the festive motions of Para¡¯s many arms. He danced within his bubble of safety as he paired his Void Authority with his own cast of Void Waltz. Meanwhile, Para paired her Void Waltz with her own cast of Void Authority. Even while casting spells from opposite orders, the two synced up brilliantly. The void barrier surrounding them grew stronger. The pressurized and roaring water was no match. Just like that, they danced their way forward as the water went in and out of the void, from the front to the back. Once they reached the portal, they turned their Void Authority on it and found some resistance. Portals worked differently than teleportation magic. They were probably far from the reach of void magic. Zarian messed with it anyway, and Para followed his lead. They combined the power of their double Void Authority and double Void Waltz to mess with the dimensional foundations of the portal. They moved with a fervor, dancing harder and harder. Instead of trying to summon rain, they summoned the madness of the void. They wielded the void like a bludgeoning instrument and bashed it against the portal again and again like the wizardly version of a caveman until it broke. And exploded. Since they were still dancing and keeping up the spells, the explosive force entered and exited the void bubble without hitting them. The explosion demolished the water-logged hallway behind them and tore up the living features and layers of dirt and stone down both ends of the next T-junction. Once things settled down, Zarian and Para ended their spells. They were successful, but the costs were mighty. That maneuver had used up more aura than Zarian predicted. And the Team 5 spectral spiders hadn¡¯t avoided the rushing water before Zarian and Para dealt with it. The spectral spiders were gone, swept away no doubt. At the very least, the perfect synchrony with High Rune Mindframe¡¯s help led to a new level up. There was no new level from the Advanced Grimoire of the Voidling Exile yet, keeping it at Level 9. One more level would lead to Zarian having a new choice for upgrading spells. However, he should probably gain a few new void spells before deciding on what to spend the next upgrade on. So much to do, Zarian thought as he summoned Spider Team 6. For some reason, these spiders came out more grizzled and ready for war. They led the way fearlessly, despite how so many of their comrades had fallen to the dungeon¡¯s tricks. Inspired by the brave spiders of Spider Team 6, Zarian moved faster and stayed on their little spider heels. The roots and mushrooms wriggled wrathfully. Zarian was almost tempted to combine Void Layer with Black Fire and burn everything up. He ultimately decided against that approach. He wanted to practice more creative maneuvers against these unique challenges instead of destroying everything all the time. Of course, he was still brute forcing some of his approaches. He even smiled as he kept smashing his aura manipulation against the dungeon¡¯s aura suppression. Their continuous clashes sent aura sparks flying everywhere. Little aura lightning bolts shot out from around Zarian as he followed his speedy Spider Team 6. After taking half a dozen left turns, a new trap appeared. This time, Spider Team 6 sensed it the moment it formed. They spun around while mid-run and aimed their abdomens at the growing phenomenon. They sprayed it with arcane webbing. By itself, the arcane webbing couldn¡¯t do much. But the moment the webbing touched the newest magical trap that formed, the spiders had a better idea of what they were facing. Consequently, that meant Zarian had a split-second heads up, too. Then the time for preparation was over. The dungeon shot a teleportation wave at him from the front. Instead of letting Spider Team 6 sacrifice themselves like previous teams, Zarian waltzed ahead. Para moved her arms in sync with him. Again, they used double casts of Void Waltz and Void Authority. They shaped a wall of dark void magic in front of them to block off the teleportation wave. That would¡¯ve worked out fine for them, but the dungeon revealed more tricks. Warp magic struck down from above, below, and from behind. Their void magic weakened, which raised the pressure on Zarian immensely. He was already under suppression. And his voidling grimoire was in the beta section. Most wizards would¡¯ve buckled at this point. With a great roar that was bestial and mad, Zarian danced fiercely. It became more of a savage and warlike dance in defiance of the wondrous powers of the dungeon. He met the teleportation wave head on regardless of the warp magic. Para followed his example, becoming even more enthusiastic as she swung and flourished her arms about. She cast her side of the void spells with more oomph. She applied some of her willful nature to push along with her host. Together, they dismantled the teleportation wave, endured the warp magic, and kept going as the hallway blew up again.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Mushrooms and roots scattered away as torn up pieces. Stone rubble and dirt tumbled and crashed from around them. They didn¡¯t know where they were going. But Spider Team 6 was the first spectral spider unit to make it this far and not get removed from play. Zarian felt that was important. He wanted to see this little team of spiders make it to the end with him. They went down a bunch more left turns. Zarian had no idea if they were going the correct way. He figured since they were moving fast they had to stick with a simple strategy. Either the dungeon would lead them to somewhere important, or they would backtrack. At the very least, the spiders had marked each junction they reached to help with backtracking, if it came down to that. Something¡¯s wrong, Zarian thought, as they made their fifteenth left turn at another junction that looked similar to the last ones. But there were no markings from the spiders. Nothing had interrupted them. No outrageous trap with teleportation or warp magic had revealed itself. Spider Team 6 kept scuttling forward, and Zarian kept following them. Yeah, something¡¯s definitely wrong, Zarian insisted. What do you think, Para? His friendly, body-sharing parasite chimed in. I believe the lack of obvious traps would mean we are facing a more subtle trap. It is highly unusual that nothing has struck at us, and that we¡¯ve been allowed to continue without interruption. Para hummed inside of her corner of Zarian¡¯s mind. In fact, I have very thin threads spread around us. I believe I¡¯ve touched the same roots and mushrooms multiple times so far. Please see deeper into my consciousness to verify my reasoning. Zarian did as requested. A portion of his mind unraveled and carefully merged with Para¡¯s consciousness. He gained memory imprints of her on-the-move experiments. He observed how she¡¯d tracked and recorded details from their environment with tiny, almost near-invisible threads. She recalled the same organisms by touch and magic that they had passed multiple times. ¡°We¡¯re in a freaking loop,¡± Zarian said, looking at a wall that should¡¯ve had spider webbing on it. He slid to a stop over some dirt and mushrooms. Spider Team 6 came to a stop and looked warily around Zarian. While the spiders searched around, Zarian wondered if the situation was a magical one or a mechanical one. Had the dungeon changed its hallway designs so the crawlers could end up running in circles? Should they take right turns instead? Zarian hustled forward and took some right turns instead of left. The spiders marked every turn. They kept going for a while. They ended up facing the same issue, going in loops. Were the loops physical in nature? No, that wouldn¡¯t fit the themes of the dungeon. Every dungeon had themes they wanted to follow, like design schemes of a game. Physical changes seemed too mundane for the Enriched Faerie Dungeon. Zarian concluded that the loop trap was highly magical. However, the trap was so subtle he, Para, and the spectral spiders hadn¡¯t sensed it. I¡¯m impressed. Nothing other than the walls Hannah had made from Glacial Air Stone had tricked me this much before, Zarian thought. He felt a little bewildered. He also felt excited. Every new game that challenged him was another chance for him to prove his worth. Although, those games and challenges could also lead to his downfall. He had decent measures of control and a doomsday device for whenever he needed to crash out, but the cost of doing so was too heavy for him. There was the jar with his name on it, yeah, but he was more concerned about his friends being able to survive his ridiculous power. In a world and universe that felt fragile, it was nice knowing there were ways for him to push himself without the risk of losing it all. He was honestly happy with Empress Ruvaria for tricking him into this dungeon, although he didn¡¯t want to admit that to her. Empress Ruvaria had a big enough ego as it was. ¡°Spider Team 6, I need you to run forward and follow the same routes we¡¯ve taken,¡± Zarian ordered. The spiders saluted him before dashing off bravely to test themselves against the ingenious trap. Zarian nodded and turned his attention to his best assistant. ¡°Para, is there anything else you¡¯ve noticed that¡¯s been strange about this loop?¡± Zarian asked. Para formed a mouth on his shoulder and let out a thoughtful hum. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed each time I¡¯ve tested the extensions of the Faerie Guardian, the creature itself has retreated too deeply for me to touch directly beyond its most external extremities. Thus, it made itself harder to read.¡± ¡°What else?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Well, during my investigations into the fungi, I noticed all the marks I¡¯ve left upon the mushrooms and roots have disappeared. I reasoned the marks disappeared from a rapid healing factor, returning the extremities to their former composition to avoid our immediate notice of the loop. But ¡­ there could be more to that.¡± Zarian listened carefully. He waited for Spider Team 6 to loop around and reach them. He could check on them through the network. Nothing seemed wrong. He could also patch into the senses of the other spiders that had remained behind. So far, the Faerie Guardian seemed more focused on Zarian¡¯s forward progress more than anything else. Zarian waited. He looked back. He checked on Spider Team 6 through the network. They were still scuttling around, taking left turns, leaving new marks. They hadn¡¯t looped around to him yet. After a long while of waiting, Zarian realized there must¡¯ve been a new layer to the trap. ¡°Para, you¡¯re able to notice the same fungi despite them healing over the marks, right?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m able.¡± ¡°I think I know what type of loop this is,¡± Zarian said. ¡°This might sound crazy, though.¡± ¡°Crazy or not, you will surpass these trials, my host. For you are brilliant and amazing,¡± Para complimented. Zarian tried not to smile. It wasn¡¯t easy. Para had struck a compliment back at him when he¡¯d least expected it. When did Para get so good at unexpected compliments? Who had she learned that from? ¡°Alright, so this is what I¡¯m thinking. It¡¯s a time loop,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not crazy. That makes sense,¡± Para said. ¡°If it¡¯s a time loop, then that would mean every time we reach a certain point, the entire dungeon resets itself in time around us. That would explain why it¡¯s avoiding our awareness, since it¡¯s not using dimensional magic now.¡± ¡°It could still be dimensional magic or it could be another set of skills and traits,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Does this mean Spider Team 6 is in another stream of time for departing from us?¡± Para asked. ¡°I believe so.¡± Zarian remembered how faeries in old myths and modern retellings had numerous powers dealing with high concepts. Dimensions. Space. Time. Spirit. And beyond. He hadn¡¯t thought he would get the chance to face such a tricky foe this early on his Infinita Star System journey, but he appreciated it. Now he and Para could apply some more of their research in gravity against this situation. ¡°Hey bud, we¡¯re going to need your help to throw down some arcane webbing for gravity runes,¡± Zarian said, flicking his finger at the brim of his hat. He still had one spider from Team 6 hanging out up there. The spider jumped down and landed in front of Zarian¡¯s boots and performed a spider salute. Zarian gave orders to the rest of Spider Team 6 for them to stop and wait for a change in the situation. Despite them being in another time stream, they were still connected. This was a very tricky but unique part of the dungeon¡¯s design. ¡°The Faerie Guardian is scary.¡± Zarian chuckled as he summoned his Advanced Grimoire of Black Magic. Seeing it phase out of his chest, Zarian noted how the grimoire appeared bigger, thicker, and darker. The spectral chains that bound it to Zarian¡¯s soul were heavier and harder. A ghoulish black light shone from the grimoire¡¯s cover as the spectral chains made deep rattling sounds that resonated with a demented echo. ¡°But we¡¯re scarier, aren¡¯t we, team?¡± Zarian asked, as he willed for the grimoire to flip its pages in front of him. The black light turned into a powerful violet and purple that seemed all-consuming and terrifying. Zarian grinned ear-to-ear as he released some controls from his High Rune Mindframe and let his Unraveled Mind dominate a little more. Once they started, Zarian had no idea how long it took. The tracking of time became more abstract when facing an opponent that could control time. Actual time magic was by far the most impressive thing Zarian could ever expect from any creature that was Level 90, especially in a dungeon that was supposedly epic in quality and Level 70. That had him wondering how more impressive a legendary dungeon that was higher in level could be. Then again, the Enriched Faerie dungeon lacked dungeon monsters, since it placed all its eggs in the basket of the Faerie Guardian. Maybe that was why it was both not that high in quality and level compared to Zarian, but still uniquely powerful. Zarian didn¡¯t muse about all that for long as he, Para, and Spider Team 6 built up a complex gravity array from two sides of the time loop streams. The further they went, the more Zarian felt his gravity lessons, despite them being incomplete, were king here. After all, gravity could affect both space and time at the most basic level. The spatial part was more clear about how objects and energies fell toward things with more importance. The time factor was less clear, because noticing the difference in time required more extreme measures when gravity was involved, but there was still an effect, even if it was a minutely subtle one. Zarian did what he did best. He worked on solving a fine-tuned problem by wielding the biggest hammer. He and Para were still far off from learning the gravity spell entirely, but the lessons were so massive that they could use parts of it. The spectral spiders wrote out specific gravity runes using their arcane webbing, covering the hallway¡¯s surfaces with dozens of runes at first, then over time, they were pushing toward over a hundred runes. The web of a complex gravity array, one that crossed two time streams, grew and grew under Zarian¡¯s watch. He chuckled like the madman he was. 144: B2: C44: Found You ¡°I think that should do it,¡± Zarian said, shutting the grimoire with an echoing thunk, the spectral chains rattling. ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± Para said, this time speaking from Zarian¡¯s stomach. She had formed a wide, sharp-tooth mouth there. Zarian blinked down at the mouth on his stomach. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s honestly one of the freakiest flesh transmutations I¡¯ve seen from you. I guess we should feed the beast.¡± ¡°I thought you would find this impressive,¡± Para said through the mouth-stomach. Looking over himself, Zarian noticed he¡¯d lost some muscle mass. This usually happened when they¡¯d gone days without eating. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure if it was because of his own ravenous hunger or if a small portion of Para was eating him alive to maintain herself. Unlike most people who would find that horrifying, Zarian took it all in stride. In fact, they should show this trick off to the others, especially Gilbert. Para stitched his stomach back to normal and dropped piles of food for them both from the pocket dimension. Zarian tore apart his boxed meals, especially the meaty ones. They were hot, steamy, and decently tasty. The cooks from the top gourmet kitchen were quite excellent as a temporary measure. Para used tentacles and clawing arms covered in mouths to ravage corpse after corpse of beasts, spies, and monsters. She enjoyed the spies the most, taking her time with the human flesh and bones. Zarian should find more high-quality humans to feed her. He sensed Para was still a little sad that she hadn¡¯t gotten to gorge on the terrorist paladins as much as she wanted. Once they finished eating, Zarian noticed he¡¯d regained his peak muscular form. He shouldn¡¯t let himself forget to eat and feed Para. But even his High Rune Mindframe couldn¡¯t stop him from being hyper focused on fun magic stuff. ¡°There may come a time when you should turn me off, Zarian,¡± Para said, speaking from the hand of a parasite limb made from the battle kilt. She had half a dozen of them encircling Zarian¡¯s waist. ¡°I¡¯m an obvious weakness for you if we¡¯re ever trapped somewhere without food.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll gladly bear that weakness,¡± Zarian said. ¡°But, Zarian¨C¡± ¡°Para, we¡¯re in this together.¡± Zarian rolled his shoulders and his neck around. ¡°What¡¯s a man who can¡¯t bear the burdens he¡¯s willing to carry? Is true power to be impervious to all things? Or is it to stand at the top even with your weaknesses?¡± Para chuckled through multiple parasite hands, all of them turned toward Zarian. The mouths in her many palms smiled. He smiled in return as he checked with everyone on Spider Team 6. They were ready to go. He turned and examined all the arcane web formations that spelled out over a hundred runes from his gravity studies. ¡°One last thing, you¡¯re not a weakness,¡± Zarian said. ¡°You¡¯re a part of me. And I¡¯m not weak. So you aren¡¯t weak either.¡± ¡°Hm, I see why Bianca likes to cry. To hear such words brings me wonderful joy that is also painful. You are the best host,¡± Para said with a strangled voice. ¡°I know I am, so don¡¯t you forget it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Shall we proceed?¡± ¡°Hell yeah.¡± Zarian nodded as he pushed his Basic Aura Manipulation harder, harder, and harder some more. He shoved the dungeon¡¯s aura suppression away with so much force, he might¡¯ve caught the dungeon off guard. The air cracked like miniature thunder claps. Thick strands of aura lightning shot across the space. Aura winds blew hard like hurricane gales, the glowing aura motes in the air caught in a flurry. Zarian roared as he threw back the dungeon¡¯s aura suppression like a giant of magic. The spider on his side of the time loop triggered the nearest gravity runes, activating one half of the webbed spell array. A bright purple flash appeared a dozen feet in front of Zarian. The purple flash expanded into a nearly blinding white-purple light. Then it suddenly collapsed inward and created a vacuum that nearly pulled Zarian forward. Para grew claws from her extra hands and latched onto the floor to keep Zarian rooted. The collapsing light contracted further and further into itself until it became the size of a molecule. The nearest roots, mushrooms, dirt, and stone ripped away from the hallway¡¯s surfaces and swirled around the contracting molecule. The air followed the same pattern and seemed to swirl around like going down a toilet. The same happened to the aura motes in the air, especially that from the dungeon. Finally, Zarian noticed a break in dimensional integrity. Space and time shifted out of place. His side of the time loop trap snapped apart. Then he instantly appeared in the other time loop that held the rest of Spider Team 6. Before the Faerie Guardian could enact a counter measure, Zarian shoved his aura manipulation outward even further. He wasn¡¯t alone. He¡¯d been unraveling himself gradually and lending more control to Para to where she could use his Basic Aura Manipulation, too.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Together, they suppressed the dungeon¡¯s aura in return. The little gravity molecule was about to wink out, having spent its energy to crush one time loop. But then the spiders triggered the other half of the gravity web spell array, which was focused on the opposite end of gravity ¨C entropy. The molecule expanded rapidly and burst apart with a roar. The eruption was more than Zarian had expected. He flew off his feet. Para¡¯s arms ripped apart, unable to hold her host down. Zarian tumbled as time and space tore up from around him. The entire dungeon shuddered. The Faerie Guardian made a bestial roar that resounded from every crack, corner, junction. The dungeon rumbled like it was about to break apart from having the reality of its pocket dimension challenged. Zarian tumbled and crashed and plowed through wall after wall as the chaotic gravity magic expanded outward and affected more than just the time loop trap. It was making him and other flying pieces of rubble denser and weightier while moving at inhuman speeds that would¡¯ve splattered a lesser person. Para covered him in bone armor to ease the pummeling as they crashed through many obstacles. Zarian clenched his jaw hard the whole time, his body rattling as he became an object of abuse, until finally it all came to a sudden end when someone caught him in a vice of magic. ¡°You are one of the most ridiculous and foolhardy young men I¡¯ve ever laid eyes on,¡± Empress Ruvaria said, floating in the air beside him, arms crossed. The bone armor peeled away from his face. Zarian gave her a bloody grin. ¡°But you have laid eyes on me, and kept them there, so that all counts for something,¡± he said, spitting aside some blood. He was a little dizzy. His entire sense of gravity was on the fritz. But he was recovering fast. Once he could see better, he glanced at his surroundings. He was in a hidden grove inside of a colossal cove. There was a tree-like entity with white leaves and green, wrinkled fruits standing on a grassy hill that was surrounded by a shining moat of water. Various mushrooms, some the size of children, covered the surrounding ground beyond the moat. The field of mushrooms extended well beneath him and the empress and toward the immense walls of the cove. The air was covered in aura motes that shone in different colors and bumbled around. It smelled sweet here. There was a peaceful feeling in the atmosphere. Zarian blinked as he noticed he was still being restrained by an invisible magical force from the Sorceress Queen. There was a shining purple layer of gravity magic that still clung to his armored body. When he reached over toward Ruvaria, the movement felt hard and weighty. He didn¡¯t let that stop him from booping the seemingly annoyed empress on the nose. ¡°Found you,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Young Hannah had described you as insufferable. She is right.¡± Ruvaria kept looking annoyed. But that soon faded, replaced by the hint of amusement that sparkled in her shining emerald eyes. ¡°But you continue to fascinate me, so I suppose that is part of your nature, to be insufferable and fascinating.¡± Zarian nodded before glancing at some new notifications. Nice gains, Zarian thought. I¡¯m fifteen levels away from Level 100 and reaching the Master Rank, if the system deems me worthy of being a Master. There was also the question of the First Ascension Star Trial, but that was something Zarian would get to later, after accomplishing some more immediate goals. The gravity magic finally faded off his body. To his surprise, the empress gently placed him down on the soles of his boots, squishing a few shin-high mushrooms. She continued to hover in front of him, which made him tilt his wizard hat back and look past the brim and up into her eyes. ¡°I lost Spider Team 6,¡± Zarian said. ¡°And the other teams. We have to honor their sacrifice somehow.¡± The empress snorted softly at him. ¡°There is no need. I saved them all.¡± She waved her hand, and all of his spectral spiders appeared, including the brave Spider Team 6. Strangely overjoyed, Zarian turned away and joined the spiders for a quick celebratory dance. Para joined in, waving about some newly formed parasite arms made from the battle kilt. Once they finished their celebration, Zarian left the dance party and returned to the empress. ¡°I know what bingo is, by the way,¡± the empress said. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot from my interactions with Outsiders.¡± ¡°Do you know how many people want to reach over and rub your ears like a cat?¡± Zarian asked. The empress looked at him flatly. She turned away, feet still hovering over the mushroom heavy ground. She was wearing a different outfit. One that was leafy and a little more revealing, almost like lingerie, but for someone who wanted to look like a wild forest nymph. She looked at the strange tree in the center. Zarian used Identify. ¡°Hm, no boss fight, huh?¡± Zarian said. ¡°Depending on how you set a dungeon, having a boss doesn¡¯t always lead to a boss fight at the end of a crawl,¡± Ruvaria explained. ¡°This one does his best work by trying to teleport dungeon crawlers into an inescapable prison and drain them of all of their energies. He¡¯s always been good at that, which I found vexing when I was much younger and more absolute in my beliefs.¡± Zarian thought of the lore surrounding Corma¡¯s Chosen One and connected a few dots. ¡°He was a former enemy of yours. Maybe a really solid one. As part of your revenge, you turned him into a dungeon boss with a dungeon, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Was it a fair punishment? Or was it for your pleasure?¡± ¡°I suppose it was a mix of both. To punish absolutely was to be absolute good, and to be absolute good was the highest pleasure. But all Edulis wanted to do was protect those I would hunt for not being good enough, and for his heroism, I made him into a monster and owned him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fucked up, Ruvaria.¡± Para spoke from one of her extra parasite hands. ¡°I understand the pleasure of tormenting an enemy while consuming him, but even I find your actions troubling, empress.¡± ¡°Now, now, Para, let¡¯s be fair,¡± Zarian said. ¡°We can do some cruel stuff, too. Let¡¯s not go too far into being the ones who are the kettle calling the pot black.¡± And there might be a day I want to turn someone into a dungeon boss, Zarian thought, with Para hearing it in his head. But we¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s someone who is truly, truly despicable. ¡°Hm, yes, you are wise as always, my host,¡± Para replied aloud. 145: B2: C45: Aura Master Ruvaria let out a long sigh. ¡°I think out of everyone in this universe, you may judge me as harshly as you want. This dungeon, this boss, is one of my greatest regrets. I needed you to see it. So you can understand that Para¡¯s right, I am quite terrible.¡± ¡°Mm, sure, maybe.¡± Zarian could throw a few pebbles. But he didn¡¯t cast any large stones from his glass castle. The empress lowered down from the air. She landed on her bare soles, her toes wiggling into the loamy and spongy floor. She inhaled deeply and looked up into Zarian¡¯s void-like eyes with her shining emerald eyes. ¡°I¡¯m serious. Para wasn¡¯t wrong when she said I was or am quite evil, regardless of alignments,¡± the empress insisted. ¡°You and your friends are well aware of how the alignments work. They are fractions first instead of truly moral forces, even if they intend to control how you act as you grow your alignment.¡± The empress shook her head. ¡°Nonetheless, before I awakened to the truth of things, I was very convinced that I was right, and in being convinced, I did many, many terrible things. I still benefit from those terrible things I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Do you still have slaves over at your empire?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°No, I¡¯ve abolished that quite some time ago, unless you count what I¡¯ve done with this dungeon.¡± ¡°You should probably fix that last bit. But other than that, I imagine you¡¯ve been working on redemption for a while.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve failed at being redeemable plenty of times.¡± ¡°Are you asking for me to forgive you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I won¡¯t ask for it. I still contain too much selfishness inside of me to truly atone for what I¡¯ve done. The fruits of the horrors I¡¯ve committed benefit my family and my people, after all, and I don¡¯t have it in me to tear that all down.¡± The empress lowered her head in shame. Zarian reached over and placed his palm on the top of her head. ¡°I forgive you.¡± The empress¡¯s ears lifted slightly. Her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°There, I did it. I can¡¯t, however, make you forgive yourself. You¡¯ll have to work on that,¡± Zarian explained. ¡°As someone who¡¯s an existential threat to everyone and everything in this universe and beyond, I¡¯ll admit forgiving yourself is tricky. I recommend taking small and positive steps that are actionable and grounded mainly in reality. The little things build up, I believe. I read that in a few books from Reiki¡¯s library, too, so it isn¡¯t all hot air from me.¡± Zarian rubbed his hand around the empress¡¯s head, frizzing up her bountiful strands of golden-silver hair. He was almost tempted to rub the elf ears, but held back. He would save that for later. The empress shuddered. Then she burst out into pleasant chuckles that were music to the ears. She accepted his head pats for a while before she reached up, grabbed his gauntlet-clad hand, and turned it over to look down at the uncovered palm. She smiled as she tapped her dainty fingers around his palm before tracing over the lines. ¡°Thank you, Lord Zarian,¡± she said. ¡°This moment of ours has been strange and illuminating. It is a moment I will cherish forever.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? I¡¯m your first redemption partner, aren¡¯t I? Score.¡± The empress giggled some more. ¡°It is much easier to take this from you, since you are a force of nature who is greater than this mere universe. Perhaps that is also foolish of me, but as much as I¡¯ve grown to rebel against my alignment, I still can¡¯t help but look up to certain authorities. And there are none who are greater than you in Infinita.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Maybe the ones who will be are still growing.¡± Empress Ruvaria smiled brilliantly at him, her eyes twinkling. She kept tracing her fingers over the lines in his palm, as if she was reading them. Then she slowly let go of his hand, and it fell back to his side. Ruvaria hugged herself and walked closer to him until there was barely any separation. She looked up at him with a tilt of her head. ¡°Putting aside false pretenses, I must say that I was nervous. I want to be your teacher. I worried you would reject me in the end because of what I¡¯ve done. But I sense you will accept me, and I¡¯m delighted by that.¡± ¡°Para has to agree to,¡± Zarian said. The empress shivered. She looked down from his eyes and at the living battle kilt. Ragged threads, multi-jointed arms, and tentacles wavered about around them. Then, all at once, the points of Para¡¯s extensions turned to the empress. Each of them formed mouths to speak with. ¡°Do not let your old nature win over you,¡± Para said. ¡°There are always times when nature will want to win. But we must be above nature if we want to have what matters most.¡± ¡°You are quite wise for a creature born of pure evil,¡± the empress said. All of Para¡¯s mouths smiled toothily. ¡°It is because I am evil that I can find joy in wisdom. And it¡¯s in my wisdom that I find it acceptable for you to teach my host.¡± The empress nodded in appreciation. She took a small step back to look at his face from a different angle. Her hand reached out and gripped the biceps of one arm. ¡°In return for your acceptance, I will do my best to make up for the things I¡¯ve done a little at a time with grounded and actionable steps. I will also teach you as much as you want. The lessons I can provide may also extend to your friends and some of your most talented followers, depending on what I have that¡¯s applicable to them.¡± Zarian was glad to see that Ruvaria was making a moral promise along with a business promise. That was a hell of a step forward, which was a lot more than what most people would attempt. ¡°What do you want in return?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°I know you¡¯re thrilled to be my teacher and all, but there¡¯s got to be more to it.¡± ¡°A simple answer to a question.¡± ¡°Hit me.¡± ¡°Will you take the Throne of the Adventurer King?¡± ¡°No.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I was afraid you would say that.¡± Ruvaria sighed. ¡°Then answer this for me. Why won¡¯t you?¡± Zarian shrugged. ¡°I think it should go to someone else. I have my way of living and doing things. I don¡¯t really need a throne for it. You can even say I¡¯m bigger than a throne, so it¡¯s unnecessary for me.¡± ¡°Yes, you are bigger than the throne, which makes you perfect for it. It is said the Adventurer King could make great sweeping changes to the universe. The Adventurer King is greater than most of the gods ¡­ except for one. The Dragon. If it¡¯s you, then the Infinita Star System could truly change once you take the throne and slay The Dragon.¡± Zarian chuckled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be me, though. It can be someone else. In fact, I think someone among my friends will be best suited for it. Maybe one of them will become the Adventurer King or Adventurer Queen.¡± Empress Ruvaria looked away for a second. Then she slowly nodded, her finger tapping on his arm. ¡°Perhaps you are right. They, too, show promise. Hannah¡¯s intelligent and ambitious. Gilbert is true to himself and gallant. Bianca is very talented and passionate. And Naomi is unreasonably determined to the point of insanity.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more, actually.¡± ¡°The one you call Foodie, the daughter of Grabber?¡± Zarian blinked in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s Foodie¡¯s dad?¡± ¡°Yes, I would know. He came back down to Corma as a secret regressor and paid me a visit first. Then he spent some years on break here,¡± the empress explained. ¡°Really?¡± She nodded. ¡°He met Wicky, the current Grimrock Warlock, and things went quite well for the Green Hop Explorers for a short time. They had many children, but chief among them is their strongest daughter, Foodie.¡± The empress let him go to comb through a few strands of her long hair. ¡°I recall Grabber speaking proudly about her before he went back to the Greater World. He¡¯s dead now, I believe. It¡¯s a shame. He was quite excited about the Champion Rank, and becoming a Champion killed him, the first goblin in quite some time to rise so high.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t involve yourself any further because it¡¯s beneath you?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°There are certain cases where I can interject myself. And there are cases where the Star System will treat me as an entire event, with limitations, if I overstep my bounds. I¡¯m too powerful for this world and the others of the Lesser Worlds, and so I have special privileges and restrictions.¡± ¡°Well, Foodie deserves some special attention after all she¡¯s been through,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s she, a little goblin, who¡¯ll sit on the Throne of the Adventurer King.¡± ¡°Quite a bold statement.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I nothing but bold? Besides, I¡¯ll find it amusing.¡± The empress threw her head back and laughed. Her voice was rich, singsong, and it made the entire cove brighten. The mushrooms glowed. The aura motes glowed even more. Then everything dimmed down once Ruvaria regained her composure. She wiped away a twinkling tear that was probably worth so much gold one could construct a kingdom from it. The kingdom-worth tear disappeared amid the mushrooms. Zarian regretted not collecting the tear for Bianca. Then he banished that cursed thought. ¡°Fine then, my request for you is to help me develop the one who will take the throne and lead this universe into a new direction,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°I think the Star System would appreciate this. Its reset failed. It hasn¡¯t changed away from being the Alignment System as it should. It needs someone on the throne to help it truly evolve. Someone worthy. Someone we can build together.¡± A notification appeared in gold above their heads. Then the notification disappeared. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s honestly a good request,¡± Zarian said. ¡°It¡¯ll be a good way to make up for the Darkrun Apocalypse. I like it.¡± Empress Ruvaria let out a song-like chirp and a few mystical elven words that came and went before Zarian had a chance to Identify. The effect of hearing those magical, unintelligible words was quite mesmerizing, leaving an impression of beauty and craft of the highest order. He watched as Empress Ruvaria twirled about, showing a more happy and classical elven version of herself that caught Zarian off guard. Before he knew it, she was back in front of him, hands on his chest, her face lit with an inner shine that held his attention with a vice grip. He barely noticed the spectral spiders forming multiple circles and dancing around them. ¡°Now that we are of accord, dear student, you must heed my next words,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m all yours, dear teacher,¡± he replied. ¡°Advance your Basic Aura Manipulation, please. You¡¯ve pushed it as far as it can go. And I¡¯m interested in what will happen when it¡¯s upgraded, for I think you will see an unexpected result.¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± ¡°The way you handled the Enriched Faerie Dungeon makes me believe it is so. Others who have been in your position, many of my progeny in fact, had failed similar tests. Where they have failed, you¡¯ve succeeded brilliantly. Now it¡¯s time to advance.¡± Zarian chuckled. This whole time, he could¡¯ve made his crawl through the Enriched Faerie Dungeon easier if he had upgraded his aura manipulation. He¡¯d held back because he liked the mix of creative and brute-force approaches he had to find while under pressure. He¡¯d even had Para lean more into her mystical side to use Basic Aura Manipulation along with him. They¡¯d learned a lot by sticking with the basics and pushing it as far as it could go. But Ruvaria was right. He¡¯d hit the end of the road with Basic Aura Manipulation. It was time for an upgrade. Zarian scrolled back up through his notifications and found the option. Zarian chose Basic Aura Manipulation. Immediately, he felt a profound change that was much, much greater than he¡¯d expected, just like Ruvaria had said. It was a change that seemed to fill his entire being with a profound and deep evolution. Pure aura shone from under his flesh and from the body of Para. Parasite tentacles and limbs wavered merrily from the battle kilt. Para made pleasant cooing and happy sounds, enjoying the evolution in a more novel way. Zarian trembled as his body felt like less of his own during the evolution. He stumbled around before collapsing to his knees in front of Ruvaria¡¯s feet. He could see how she clenched the loamy fungi floor with a lot of excitement. The empress bent down. She cupped his cheeks with her petite hands and lifted his face upward. Her emerald eyes looked deeply into his eyes. Then her eyes changed and sparkled with shining motes of pure aura blended with the usual emerald color. It was like he was looking into a starry green cosmos that existed inside of her eyes. Was his eyes going to look like hers? ¡°Yes, there it is,¡± she said with warmth and adoration. ¡°So beautiful. So wonderful. Just like my father. And just like me. Aura Mastery.¡± Zarian nodded dizzily before checking his notifications. Whoa, Zarian thought sluggishly. It skipped epic quality and went from rare to legendary! How the hell? Zarian kept reading. ¡°Fuck,¡± Zarian said woozily. ¡°This is almost too much for me. Is this what it feels like to master aura?¡± ¡°Yes, my dear student. You are what a few of us call an Aura Master.¡± ¡°Did you say Jedi Master?¡± ¡°No, I said Aura Master. Check your origins.¡± Zarian did. He had a lot going on in his origins these days. There were recent additions, too. The Star System didn¡¯t make a big deal whenever the origins changed, so the additions would go unnoticed if Zarian hadn¡¯t checked for a while. Origins: Zarian Darkrun, 22 yr-old Human, Born Late Winter, Dreaded Outsider, Dungeon Master, Freedom Leader, Dark Lord, Aura Master ¡°Huh, well would you look at that? I guess I can work with being an Aura Master.¡± Empress Ruvaria chuckled merrily as she traced her thumbs around his eyes. ¡°I find it thrilling that someone who is far above our universe can still appreciate the grounded journey of us mere mortals who deem ourselves masters. It must be an insult to you when compared to your origins.¡± Zarian chuckled as he slowly regained his composure, feeling more and more amazing. ¡°I like touching grass. Good for the soul. So don¡¯t worry about the ones I originate from. I bet they don¡¯t touch as much grass as I do and can¡¯t be grass-touching masters.¡± 146: B2: C46: Time Chamber 1 Zarian was on hands and knees in front of the shining moat, his shoulders squeezed between two large mushroom caps. He was trying to see how much he¡¯d changed with his own eyes first, but the water glowed with a bright pearly light. It was an unsuitable replacement for a mirror. His dear teacher, Empress Ruvaria, daintily skipped from mushroom cap to mushroom cap. She took a seat on a cap beside him, stretched out one leg, and tapped the shining water¡¯s surface with her foot. She turned a patch of it solid and mirror-like. Sweeping her bountiful hair behind her, she leaned down next to him while balanced on her seat, like some nymph of the mushroom wilds. She smiled warmly as they both looked at their reflections. Zarian¡¯s attention was on himself first, his amazement growing. He had little stars in his black, void-like eyes. The same shone from under his dark skin. That was a stunning sight for him, but Para looked even more otherworldly as she shifted back from being a battle kilt to her true form as the Parasite Cloak +2, blooming like a flower from his back. She already had a unique light show effect because she could partially scale with Mysticism. Prior to Aura Mastery, she looked like the red edge of the void as stars dimmed and fell into her hungering maw. Now she shone even more like she had engorged herself on countless nebulae clouds of starry red, orange, and dark yellow colors, which were all trapped within her parasitic limbs and ragged cloak strands. The many stars and cosmic clouds were her prisoners, her toys, her delicious meals. None could escape her all-devouring form as Zarian¡¯s greatest fashion apparel. When Zarian widened his observations, he noticed how Ruvaria had little starlights glowing from under her pale skin, too. Together, the teacher and student looked even more mystical and ethereal than usual. Together, they were Aura Masters. ¡°I can control these, right?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea that I¡¯m all sparkly all the time.¡± ¡°Yes, you can dim away the superficial effects,¡± she said, smirking. ¡°Still, I hope you like it, Zarian, Para?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, I like it very much. Very, very much,¡± Zarian said. Para spoke through the palm of a new hand. ¡°I can see further. I can see better. I can do more than before. I can really control the aura like its true extension of me.¡± Para extended another arm made from the cloak and released a pulse of aura. The aura flowed out bright and visible to Zarian, more visible than ever before. Prior to now, he seemed to have observed aura using old pixel screen technology. Now he was working with the latest supreme quality stuff. It was high definition, ultra 4K, the best. It was easy for him to see how Para¡¯s aura extension was partially pure, partially dark, and partially something else he didn¡¯t recognize. So, he paid closer attention. Para¡¯s aura nudged around the aura motes in the air with ease. Some of the aura motes winked away after some time spent under Para¡¯s manipulation. Zarian felt a tiny but very noticeable uptick in his aura recovery. He noticed more aura entering his system as Para swirled around the helpless aura motes and ate them with her own aura. Ruvaria was now laying belly down on a mushroom cap, her legs kicking idly behind her. She was propping up her face with her hands, smiling like a young and bright woman as she watched him and Para. ¡°You¡¯re looking happy. I almost miss how you would act in only a few settings, cold, haughty, and annoyed,¡± Zarian pointed out, as he moved some of his own aura about while still watching Para¡¯s playful but ravenous aura moves. ¡°Yes, I look happy because I am happy,¡± Ruvaria replied. ¡°It has been a long time since I¡¯ve felt such bliss. The way you are interacting with the world with Aura Mastery is like watching you walk for the first time. I also find this humorous because you are an elite being from beyond the Star System.¡± ¡°Well, as long as you treat me like your favorite student who is kinda masochist and lover of all training montages, I think I can live with how you view me,¡± Zarian said, standing up. Ruvaria giggled, sounding like elven bell chimes, all musical and magical. The more she acted like this, the more she caught Zarian off guard. With a big smile on his face, he wandered about the fields of mushrooms. He and Para conducted light experiments. There was a lot for him to go over. He wasn¡¯t even sure what he was doing. Aura Mastery was a game changer. Everything either felt different, louder, or more complex than before. Para was fixed on outside experiments. She swept her aura over mushrooms and feasted on the aura in the fungi, which raised Zarian¡¯s aura recovery. Zarian turned his attention inward. He nearly blinded himself. The system runes that combined Zarian¡¯s spirit with the integrated profile were so bright they were painful for his heightened aura perception. He heard Empress Ruvaria giggling with her musical, elven voice as he flailed around and struggled to dial down his aura perception. Then everything became much easier for him to examine. It was here that his Unraveled Mind and High Rune Mindframe worked brilliantly, because some of the deep complexities involved with runes specific to his profile became more understandable, less fuzzy. Then he looked past them and deep into his soul and saw a dense and horrifying bead of fathomless darkness waiting to be unleashed. As he looked into the bead of the abyss, the abyss looked back. Zarian felt truly acquainted with the entity that wanted to take over and consumed everything. He glared through his aura and didn¡¯t back down to his Overwhelming Darkness. He made another promise to himself to control it. He felt confident about it now that he had a grand power like Aura Mastery. After a while, he turned his attention to other interesting things inside of him. Such as his traits! He could see the profile runes more clearly for those. He saw how his traits were deeply grafted onto his soul. Or maybe it was the other way around? ¡°Why are traits and skills so different?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°It¡¯s like the skills are more surface level attachments or engravings. While traits seemed more like extensions of my soul.¡± Zarian looked over as some mushrooms lost their mystical glow, becoming dim and lackluster. Para was feasting on aura nonstop, letting her parasite nature go on a rampage. It seemed like she would keep consuming and consuming until all the mushrooms lost their aura. Then a great wave of new aura swept through, and Zarian¡¯s vision turned searing white from how bright it all was.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Dimming down his aura perception further, he looked with normal vision and saw that the mushrooms were looking brighter and more magical again. He had a hunch that the wave of intense aura came from his teacher, who was still laying on her belly and kicking her legs idly behind her. She had a knowing smirk on her face. Para laughed and waved about her extra limbs, her aura chasing after the remnants of their teacher¡¯s aura before it faded completely. Zarian waited for an answer from Ruvaria about traits and skills being different. Ruvaria humored him. ¡°Traits come from within, which the system enhances. Skills are more like tools delivered from the system based on what you should be able to handle or what¡¯s already inside of you.¡± Ruvaria rolled over onto her back, her hair spilling over the mushroom¡¯s edge like a golden-silver waterfall. She idly reached up and waved her hands around, attracting a few colorful aura motes that danced around her fingers as she explained further. ¡°While skills seem more like attachments, they are a more controllable medium for the Star System to evaluate as you grow with experience. Traits, however, aren¡¯t as simple for the Star System to evaluate other than to describe them with qualities. Traits have different factors that are more inherent to us.¡± ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, why is Overwhelming Darkness a skill instead of a trait?¡± Zarian asked, confused. ¡°If it was a trait, it would¡¯ve most likely consumed the entirety of your soul. I think there is a more intelligent architect who specifically had your darkness skill made that way to help you,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°Thus, its range of power is narrowed specifically to save you and all of us. That¡¯s my theory. It¡¯s quite fascinating to observe with my peripherals. I cannot look at it head on without flinching. It is horrifying.¡± Zarian was a little surprised to hear that from Ruvaria. It seemed like the Sorceress Queen could do anything, so she should have nothing to fear. She could technically seal him away for a long time. But even she was unnerved by Overwhelming Darkness and couldn¡¯t face it directly. ¡°I¡¯m going to control it,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I have to.¡± ¡°Yes, you have to,¡± she agreed. ¡°For now, continue your self-discovery of Aura Mastery.¡± Zarian did as he was told, following Para¡¯s example of pure aura maneuvers and exploration. He noticed how certain skills were still restrictive, designed to follow certain parameters, but he could pump more aura into them or use them more finely with a masterful approach. When he experimented with his traits, each one felt more flexible and uniquely influential for his Aura Mastery. He kept flipping between skills and traits to play with until he landed on Spectral Spider Network +2 and fed more aura into his spiders. Each of their pale blue and ghostly bodies lit up with mini twinkling stars. Each one admitted their own spheres of aura without him having to do much, making them all tiny Aura Masters. Their aura seemed sticky and stealthy, which represented them well. They blended with their environment even more than already. When they shot out some arcane webbing, they could manipulate it with a more masterful approach, making it all seem artful and mystical. Zarian looked down at the palm of his hand. He focused and gathered some aura into a ball. He noted how most of it was dark except for some little pinpricks of light, which were traces of pure aura. The dark ball felt weightier without costing him too much effort to create. Then he condensed the dark ball and gathered more from the nearby shadows. He kept condensing and condensing. Eventually, he had enough for him to aim and shoot a beam of darkness made from Aura Mastery and Dark Affinity. The two traits combined weren¡¯t much compared to his original straight darkness. They had a sliver of a fraction of power compared to Overwhelming Darkness. But Aura Mastery and Dark Affinity certainly had some push to them, and it wasn¡¯t hard or costly for him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t focus too much on attacking with that,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°For the meanwhile, focus on enhancing what you¡¯re already doing. Make more out of your current abilities.¡± ¡°Then I guess I should get going,¡± Zarian said. ¡°We¡¯ve been in the dungeon for a while. I need to address everyone and head out.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go yet. We still have plenty of time.¡± Ruvaria giggled again, her voice a musical pleasure. Zarian thought about it for a few seconds. Then instead of answering he turned his aura perception outward. He noticed the heavy flow of aura and the dungeon runes that made the Enriched Faerie Dungeon possible. His perception swept over the Faerie Guardian, which remained openly visible to him. He noticed some unique mystical traits that were fused with the entire dungeon. He couldn¡¯t quite understand what was happening until he thought back to his gravity studies. He compared his studies to what the Faerie Guardian and its dungeon were doing. ¡°The dungeon is speeding up time,¡± Zarian said. ¡°We¡¯re in a hyperbolic time chamber.¡± Zarian¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes widened. ¡°Oh, Gilbert¡¯s God, we¡¯re really in a time chamber. This is like a big bucket list item, and I¡¯m living it.¡± That was stunning for him to think about. Everything that was happening was stunning. Gobsmacked, Zarian stumbled over to his teacher. He fell to his knees in front of her mushroom seat and bowed his head to her. Para followed his example and lowered the cloak and parasite limbs to the ground humbly. For most of Zarian¡¯s time in the Infinita Star System, he played the role of the big man in charge. For this occasion, he surrendered himself to his teacher fully, releasing all false pretenses of control. There was no need for him to stroke his own ego. He was living his greatest dreams, after all. ¡°You truly are a dear student,¡± Ruvaria said, sounding honored by the respect he paid her. ¡°Now come, let us enjoy the splendors of learning.¡± Ruvaria released a powerful pulse of aura. Zarian and Para raised up sharply as a shiver passed through him and her both. Zarian watched the elf launch into the air. When he looked deeper into her being, Zarian noticed the system runes were so bright it was too blinding for him to examine. When he expanded his observations, he caught sight of powerful aura currents flowing about that responded to Ruvaria. Everyone had aura inside and outside of them, but Zarian hadn¡¯t grasped how much aura Ruvaria could truly control outside of herself naturally. From what he could tell, she had a lot going on for her. She was extremely powerful. Too powerful. ¡°Ruvaria, tell me the truth,¡± Zarian said. ¡°How strong are you?¡± ¡°Theoretically, I can defeat a low Paragon,¡± she answered. ¡°That¡¯s crazy,¡± he said. ¡°Paragon Rank starts at Level 300. You¡¯re Level 184.¡± ¡°I have advantages that others don¡¯t. Time and patience in a Lesser World. I have outlived many of the gods while experimenting and grinding consistently for ten thousand years. I am older than over half of the major gods, in fact.¡± ¡°When Lovewar addresses you, does she call you big sister?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Yes, she does.¡± ¡°Wow. Seriously?¡± ¡°I am very serious. If you wish to hear something practical, I¡¯ll say this. I once turned away two Champions in the mid 200s who hadn¡¯t nerfed themselves properly about two thousand years ago. And this was when I was weaker. Now and then you have regressors who slip past the rules of the Star System and try to have their fun without restraint in a Lesser World, especially one as famous as Corma. I¡¯ve done this frequently for this world and for other worlds across the universe.¡± Zarian nodded slowly, taking it all in. Every time he learned more lore from Ruvaria¡¯s perspective, his mind was blown. He remembered Arnold of Ambrose saying that nobody had defeated regressors in over three eras. Clearly, Arnold didn¡¯t know everything despite how wise, dignified, and truly good he was. There was always more to learn. There were more secret lore and hidden aspects out there. Even though Zarian was technically bigger than the Infinita Star System, being here was a feast for those with true explorative minds and adventurous hearts. Despite its flaws, Infinita was a very interesting place for him. ¡°Why is Corma so famous?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°There¡¯s me. There is also Carrowmore and their forsaken tournament.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Is that the reason you haven¡¯t wiped it off the map?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that for now, okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. There are plenty more amazing things. Like me. And you.¡± Zarian smiled. Yeah, his dear teacher was stupidly overpowered, which made him a little sad that she had no ambitions to ascend beyond a Lesser World. But her so-called cowardice had led to their meeting, which was a major gain for him. 147: B2: C47: Time Chamber 2 ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°You will learn to fly using Aura Mastery,¡± she said. ¡°Then we will go over how to apply Aura Mastery competently to all of your traits for unique results. I will leave you to self-discover the limits of your skills under Aura Mastery, though you will most likely find you have become much better at what you do already.¡± As Ruvaria explained, she flipped around in the air casually like she was a zero-g astronaut. ¡°Last, I will help you improve your sealing technique. Hannah would be done with the new sealing items I tasked her with making in secret. Those gauntlets of yours are too crude and rudimentary.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re legendary,¡± Zarian said. ¡°There are certain grades when dealing with qualities, especially when you go into the higher worlds. Those things on your arms are the lowest grade of legendary. We can do better than that, can¡¯t we?¡± Zarian nodded. It sounded like they had a lot to go over. But they were under a hyperbolic time chamber scenario, where the dungeon sped up time inside compared to time outside, so they could make it all work. Freaking time chamber, yo! I¡¯m in a freaking time chamber! Zarian thought thrillingly to himself, trying to maintain his cool on the outside. It was hard not to be excited. He could get a lot done for his personal growth. In fact, he added one more to the list, just to see if they could squeeze in a little more. ¡°Can you help me refine my cultivation for controlling Overwhelming Darkness?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°So far, I believe my gravity spell will help a lot in the future. I also believe that Para is a great example of restraint against one¡¯s inherent nature, so I¡¯ve been studying her for inspiration. Now that I have Aura Mastery, and you plan to help refine my sealing style, I think I¡¯ll be able to cultivate on the move after some guidance.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said simply. ¡°Oh, sweet.¡± Zarian blinked up at her. ¡°You¡¯re really different when you¡¯re nice.¡± Ruvaria zipped down from the air and circled around him. Then she stopped to a hover with her feet above the spongy ground, her sparkling emerald eyes looking into his starry cosmic eyes. ¡°Just like you have honored me with a show of fealty, it is a pleasure to be of service to you and help you with your growth. To serve you in return as your teacher in the arts of aura and magic is the highest degree of pleasure. Thus, you get a side of me I haven¡¯t shown to others in a long time,¡± Ruvaria explained. ¡°Now, let us get started. And do not worry about food. I will be happy to keep you and Para fed, dear student.¡± *** Inside the hyperbolic time dungeon, time was harder to track. Anywhere from days to full-on weeks could¡¯ve passed, and Zarian wouldn¡¯t know while following Ruvaria¡¯s lessons. He didn¡¯t care about time as long as they were on schedule. And he was having a lot of fun learning to be a mystical Aura Master. First, Ruvaria trained Zarian on how to fly with aura. It was easier for him under dark conditions because he could infuse his Dark Affinity with Aura Mastery. Then he could jettison around just like he would when he once had straight darkness. Under bright conditions, he had to rely more on shooting pure aura as a force for propulsion. Having Para helped a lot when she could transform into various forms. She wasn¡¯t as great at emitting aura under focused conditions for flight compared to Zarian, but her assistance was like adding on smaller thrusters that made flight even smoother and faster. Their practice sessions led to Zarian crashing into fields of spongy mushrooms multiple times. But eventually, Zarian learned to zip around the air under bright or dark conditions, with or without Para, and enter a hover smoothly. He felt special when he stabilized himself in the air with Aura Mastery alone, even if it wasn¡¯t the most efficient way to do it. Nonetheless, the way Ruvaria smiled as she hovered in the air in front of him made him feel warm and accomplished. Next, Ruvaria sat him down into a meditative pose. They went over his traits one by one. He explained them in detail. She told him how to experiment with them for more expansive effects. He lucked out by having Aura Channeler, since that helped make his experiments very efficient. Testing out how Aura Mastery changed when infused with different traits was interesting for Zarian. For example, when he specifically applied Frenzy Zone and Aura Mastery together, it felt like his aura was becoming more ferocious and frenzied. That made it harder to control, which sounded bad. But he still gained an incredible boost in vitality and toughness anyway, which he could feel a little. He didn¡¯t have to make his body go frenzied. He could trigger the buff by making his aura frenzied, or by making Para¡¯s aura frenzied. There were other examples of unique changes for traits merged with Aura Mastery, some scarier than others. For example, Lore Eater, when fused with Aura Mastery, could reach out so much farther than normal. It could most likely incapacitate others who didn¡¯t have enough Willpower to defend their minds and their memories. In fact, now that Para had more aura control, and was better at borrowing Zarian¡¯s traits for herself, Lore Eater was even scarier when used by her. Zarian theorized Para could consume minds in their entirety, especially if she is in contact with a victim. Then she would leave nothing for them to recover with. And this all was just the tip of the iceberg for them. Ruvaria kept encouraging these thought experiments and explorations. No matter how evil the results could be, she smiled as she watched her student discover more nuanced and powerful techniques he could deploy with Aura Mastery and his traits. ¡°I can beat people without my skills,¡± Zarian said in wonder. ¡°You should always try to use your skills for experience,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°And try to place self-imposed challenges on yourself to increase experience. The more, the better. But yes, dear student, you can look at the foolish weaklings who attempt to assault you and kill them on the spot.¡± Ruvaria laughed with a hint of maliciousness, as if she wasn¡¯t good +4. Then again, outside of certain system mechanics, the two of them were beyond the alignments. Zarian laughed with her, and so did Para. It was unfortunate that they didn¡¯t have the time to theorize how everything would change based on various combinations. Ruvaria had to keep them on schedule since the time chamber wasn¡¯t going to go any faster compared to the outside.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. At the very least, Zarian thoroughly understood that Aura Mastery was a great base for combination abilities. There was so much flexibility and depth, Zarian imagined most fights would become more experimental for him to see what new things he could discover. Granted, he would treat the bigger boss fights differently if they were worthwhile. I would¡¯ve lasted way longer and struck way harder if I had Aura Mastery while fighting the Arch Cherub, Zarian realized. But I don¡¯t think I was ready to get Aura Mastery before this point, so things worked out better this way. He was fortunate that he¡¯d chosen an upgrade that earned him Unraveled Mind first and remained patient with the next upgrade. He would¡¯ve missed out on Aura Mastery otherwise. They hadn¡¯t gone into depth with his skills, but Zarian could tell everything was more effective. His Summon Wizard Hat +2 played a larger role with Aura Mastery involved. The beta debuff on his grimoires might as well not exist, because Zarian could truly get past that now. Next up, Ruvaria removed his gauntlets herself. She had him merge his aura with her aura while using some of his Dark Affinity. She changed a portion of her aura into a dark aura similar to his. Then she took a seat across from him, her little hands on his, while going over his Bearer of the Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style. She corrected him on multiple parts of his process, especially the hand signs. She was very tough about that, which was excellent for him. Months prior, he had nobody truly qualified to help him when he¡¯d formed this technique and gained a legendary trait for it. Ruvaria was very attentive during this process, especially since the gauntlets were off. It felt like Overwhelming Darkness was waiting for its chance to break free, keeping even the Sorceress Queen wary. Despite the pressure, Ruvaria ensured Zarian¡¯s sealing style saw major improvements. As a temporary measure, Ruvaria taught him to use his Dark Affinity and Aura Mastery as basic locks for his sealing style. They bound his hands and arms in whorls, symbols, and geometric shapes painted black on his dark skin, almost like having two full sleeves of complicated tribal tattoos. ¡°You can cultivate with just this,¡± Ruvaria explained. ¡°Each time you cultivate, reform these seal marks as I taught you, even with the new sealing items Hannah will make you. Items can fail, but your technique must withhold.¡± ¡°Yes, dear teacher.¡± Zarian nodded. ¡°I gotta admit I¡¯m a little nervous.¡± ¡°I am, too. If I fail you, I fail the universe. I¡¯ve seen my fair share of extreme circumstances, but this is by far the biggest. I didn¡¯t think I was capable of this anymore.¡± ¡°Capable of what?¡± ¡°Bravery.¡± Zarian chuckled. ¡°I think you were always capable. Not because of the absolute teaching. But because you love magic so much you want to keep pushing it, even while on a Lesser World.¡± Ruvaria lowered her head. Her ears tilted down slightly. A soft blush colored her cheeks. ¡°Yes, well, thank you, my dear student. Now, let us proceed with your cultivation. I hope you find the results of my aid illuminating.¡± Zarian smiled as he looked through the eyes of a nearby spider. Para was back to using her battle kilt form. Meanwhile, Zarian¡¯s back was covered in various gravity runes formed by spider webbing. The mini gravity spell array looked well done to Zarian, the spiders¡¯ best work yet. Feeling satisfied, Zarian let a portion of his mind unravel, falling under Para¡¯s care. She drew him into the essence of her existence as the best skill he had in his profile. Then another portion of his mind, which was the biggest chunk, initiated the cultivation cycle for controlling Overwhelming Darkness. Zarian hand-signed and chanted. ¡°Overwhelming Darkness: Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style Technique. Unlock Dark Lock One. The Worm Lurks Buried Deep Under Fabled Myth. One Percent Power Unsealed. Cultivate.¡± The webbing flashed from arcane blue to bright purple on Zarian¡¯s back. He felt the conceptual weight of his activities increased tenfold. He felt Para nurture the unraveled extension of him. She acted as the perfect example of how to restrain himself against the hunger of his Overwhelming Darkness, which helped him to cycle the darkness more boldly. Most importantly, he kept one last part of him present outside of his cultivation. Zarian felt a slow and tough thread of darkness flowing through the channels of his spirit. It looped through the same channels and gateways in his body that helped connect everything in his profile with his soul. He felt his profile wobble, as if his system runes couldn¡¯t work properly while Overwhelming Darkness had so much of his attention for the sake of cultivation. Thankfully, he had Aura Mastery, which worked like a buffer that kept everything empowered, even if it lowered his aura recovery and efficiency by quite a lot. That was okay. Zarian could be present while cultivating this way. It was hard for him to do much other than the basics, sure, but that was better than zoning out for long periods of time. Slowly, Zarian stood up. He walked around. He jumped up and down. The background cultivation went on undisrupted. He hopped from side to side, threw out some punches, then formed a parasite nodachi and swung it around. Para formed an extra arm from the kilt and cast the Black Fire spell. She shot out a torrent of gray and black flames with no problem. Zarian followed her example. He could do it, too. However, his ability to multicast spells was severely reduced. He could only do one spell at a time while cultivating. That was okay. Para could cast more spells simultaneously. They could still use his other skills. They could still combine Aura Mastery with other traits, even if inefficiently. He was making some major progress. Things could only get better from here. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s working,¡± Zarian said, amazed at the notifications. ¡°Dear teacher, it¡¯s actually working. You did it.¡± Ruvaria nodded, looking quite pleased. She wasn¡¯t celebrating like she should. Maybe she was still nervous. Zarian ran over and hugged her. He tossed her up and down while the spectral spiders danced around them. Finally, his dear teacher let herself laugh with her elven musical voice and be truly merry. Afterward, they had a big celebratory meal with high-quality drinks. They lay about among the mushrooms as Zarian finally had a taste of something hard that wasn¡¯t beer. Apparently, the elves kept the lost secrets of magic wine to themselves. Ruvaria drank a lot more than Zarian and got a little tipsy, which led to an interesting aura game. She created a specific ball of aura inside of her and told Zarian what to do. He had to use an aura thread to insert into her body and chase after the ball without colliding with her runes. Normally, that would cause someone discomfort. Maybe even short-circuit their system runes. However, Ruvaria¡¯s profile was heavily guarded. Each mistake would cause him some painful feedback. Zarian, of course, was happy to play. So he entered her body with a tiny thread of his aura. She sent the little ball running just about everywhere, from the crown of her head to the tips of toes and back. Zarian chased and chased throughout her body. No matter where the little aura ball went, he followed as Ruvaria lay about, wriggling and laughing, ticklish from the entire ordeal. He ran into her profile runes a bunch of times and suffered the consequences. But he kept going with a relentless fervor, which tormented Ruvaria a little as she laughed so hard she was turning a shade of pink. In the end, he wasn¡¯t able to get the little aura ball. But he left Ruvaria breathless and disheveled from all the eager play inside of her body. He was pretty breathless too from how often her body repaid him as an actual challenge. They drank more high-quality elven wine. She taught him some ancient elven dance moves, which led to them twirling about even more drunkenly after draining some barrels of her stock. Ruvaria fell into the moat and couldn¡¯t quite get out. So Zarian went in and scooped her petite body into his arms. Then he slipped and fell. They gave up and floated in the shining waters of the moat until it was time to go. Ruvaria shared with him a drink that dimmed the effects of the high-quality wine, sobering them up. Then she dug out the core of the Enriched Faerie Dungeon from under the roots of the boss tree. She offered it to Zarian. He shook his head. Sighing, the empress nodded. She stroked her hand over the core¡¯s pearly surface. Then she drove a hard aura spike through the core, shattering it and giving her past victim his deserved freedom. The dungeon faded away forever and returned them to her room. It was a new morning, which heralded the start of a new adventure. It was time to leave Ride-or-Die Village for a while. 148: B2: C48: Willful Mini Game Floating in the sky above Ride-or-Die Village, Zarian ended his cultivation and sealed away his Overwhelming Darkness. He would return to cultivating once they left the village. He still maintained the dark seal patterns on his arms. They were for the safety of everyone in the universe and beyond. They also looked badass, like a pair of complicated and esoteric full-sleeve tattoos. He also felt warm looking at them, thinking back to how Ruvaria improved upon his sealing style. Sighing pleasantly, Zarian bumbled around in the air and enjoyed the full splendors of Aura Mastery. He let the aura he controlled outside his body unfold itself and expand further and further out, growing to his full and natural mystical reach. He could passively reach out further than before because of Aura Mastery, covering thousands of feet in all directions. Multiple village blocks under him were well within his aura range. He didn¡¯t, however, let his body sparkle. He even dimmed the little aura starlights in the black void that were his eyes. The last thing he needed was for someone to compare him to a certain vampire movie from many years ago. That would ruin his rep. He did, however, let Para sparkle as much as she wanted while she was back in her base form. It was like he wore a galaxy-eating cloak behind him. The ragged and mystical apparel wavered in the morning winds like a nightmarishly beautiful eldritch flag. Para wanted to fuse with the wizard hat and make it sparkle, too. But Zarian kept the hat and the rest of his Dark Lord outfit mostly black for the sake of being fashionably balanced. And to stop Para from getting too heavy-handed with the sparkles. Zarian breathed deeply and let out another pleasant sigh. Everything felt great. Like he was breathing fresh air for the first time when everything before was toxic. Like he had evolved from a weaker, blinder, and more foolish form to become greater. He had a lot to explore. The more he experimented, the more he realized he was climbing a great and endless mountain of magical mastery. In fact, all he had to do was look up and see his dear teacher floating even higher above. She was wearing a more modest green dress while weighed down by shiny gold jewelry and green gems on her neck, fingers, and toes. She even wore gold and emerald studs and rings on her ears with hoops on her wrists and ankles. There was a magic crown on her head that shone like liquid gold, especially under the light of the twin suns. And if all of that wasn¡¯t enough, her hair was braided with gold bands, too. It was on this morning that Empress Ruvaria embodied the full wonder and power of being Corma¡¯s Chosen One, the Ruler of the Promised Continent, the Sorceress Queen, and the Dear Teacher of the Dark Lord. She showed Zarian the full reach of her aura. The power of the empress went on for miles and miles beyond the village. Everyone was inside of her full aura extension, and nobody could see it other than Zarian, hence why she was showing off now. He was very much impressed. Awestruck really. Smirking, Ruvaria held herself proudly like a peacock as she showed off some more for him. She moved aura currents around effortlessly and conjured up strong hurricane winds in the atmosphere above. She made her aura rub together, creating thick strands of mystical lightning bolts and thunder claps under a mostly bright day. With another minor flex, she swatted away blocky clouds for dozens miles in all directions and made the sky all clear above the village. The villagers and visitors below were freaking out, deeply confused by the stormy air and lack of clouds. Zarian laughed. Ruvaria smiled. She showed him one more trick, something a little more on the dangerous side. She condensed her aura above the village and lowered the solid aura until it touched the top of the Central Library Artillery Tower, but no more. She dismissed the solid aura and let Zarian imagine what she could do at any moment if she wanted. Zarian figured she could slam her aura down and wipe out the entire village like snuffing out a bug under her foot. Some people might find that horrifying. But Zarian found it all nifty. He trusted her, and she adored him. So being inside of her aura range was not only safe, but it was another teaching experience. The power of Aura Mastery was grand and terrifying, which Ruvaria was showing him effectively and safely. Too bad he couldn¡¯t hang around and explore the depths of her aura some more. He had to hustle. He had a new adventure to embark on with his fellow Floridians. ¡°I¡¯ll round up everyone,¡± Zarian said, guiding his voice with aura. That way, he could speak directly to her ear without having to shout. ¡°Thank you for what you¡¯re about to do for me.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s anything reasonable and within my power, I will do it for you,¡± she said. ¡°I will even do things that are unreasonable for you, if it¡¯s worth it. Now go and take care of the Dragon Blood Cloud Flowers like I instructed, and prepare your younglings for me.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Zarian bowed in respect to her before zipping off. He didn¡¯t fly alone. Surfing the winds, little spectral spiders used the network to enjoy the splendors of Zarian¡¯s Aura Mastery. They rode on boards they¡¯d spun from their webbing and traveled via the air. Para transformed into four wide wings spread out from behind Zarian¡¯s back. She thrust out aura currents from behind them, helping Zarian fly under the suns and creating more drafts for the spiders to surf on. It was like the spiders were a small school of fish traveling with a big fish, but in the sky instead of the ocean. That came at the cost of stealth, but the spectral spiders were having too much fun to care. When the villagers and visitors looked up and saw them, Zarian found their reactions amusing. ¡°Good Gods! Is that the Dark Lord flying up there? Has he become a dragon now?¡± shouted a gardener man, who was working behind a street food stall.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°This is why I joined the freedom alignment. They have flying spiders! It is said his spiders steal away those who dare go against the Dark Lord and his alignment!¡± warned a strider woman amid an adventurer group. ¡°You all better join up and spread freedom, or the spiders might swoop in from the sky and carry you off!¡± ¡°Is that why he has a temple for Hisscreep? Flying spiders? What¡¯s next!? Will the spiders cast black magic and spread mass destruction?¡± questioned a paladin merchant on his way to a market. ¡°It¡¯s the Dark Lord, it¡¯s the Dark Lord! Wave for the Dark Lord or his cape will eat you!¡± shouted a wee child among the many orphans running around like wild packs of playful pups. They waved up with all of their low level Strength and Agility at Zarian. Zarian waved back as he soared around his village. He swooped past stone towers Hannah had built in the span of months. He flew over the restaurants, bars, brothels, and more that villagers and long-term visitors started up as part of the growing commerce and economy in this one hub on the frontier. Then he passed over their mighty walls and the powerful siege weaponry manned by untiring and watchful skeletons. Zarian and his flying spider squad landed in the dragon flower patch near the wall. The spiders who had remained here on guard saluted the flying spiders before scuttling off to do other stuff. Then the aura-mastering spiders staged themselves near each Dragon Blood Cloud Flower. Zarian watched as the spiders spun out intricate cages of arcane webbing around each of the flowers. He entered the air again and hovered with his cosmic-lit cloak spread out far to help stabilize him and make him look like he knew what he was doing. Once the spiders safely enshrouded the flowers in their arcane web cages, Zarian used a specific combination of traits: Aura Mastery + Identify. Zarian had used Identify for enemies and item qualities mainly. He had also used it to understand other languages when they moved away from the common English-like language of this world. He¡¯d never gone further than that until Ruvaria had taught him to combine it with Aura Mastery so he could see even deeper than before. Zarian concentrated. A new info box appeared, overlaying the last. Zarian jerked back in surprise. He lost some stabilization, but he was quick to correct himself and stay hovering above the dragon flowers. He tried not to look back because he knew Ruvaria was watching him. He imagined she was having some fun with him because she had mentioned nothing about there being a mini game. She also hadn¡¯t gone over how to work stats with Aura Mastery, which he imagined was on purpose. She must¡¯ve omitted that to have him struggle and learn it on his own. You¡¯re always so tricky, Ruvaria, you scoundrel teacher, Zarian thought quietly. He was worried Ruvaria could sense his thoughts if they were loud. Then he realized he was being dumb again. She can¡¯t sense my thoughts if I don¡¯t let her because of Floridian Mindset. She¡¯ll probably read me based on my reactions. Zarian relaxed and returned his focus to the mini game. He didn¡¯t play it himself. Instead, he used one aura-mastering spider as an avatar. The little spider raised up its front legs and waved them about as Zarian¡¯s aura expanded out from its body. Thinking about his Willpower, Zarian focused intently on dominating the Dragon Blood Cloud Flower as the game began. ¡­ Zarian jerked back again and retracted his aura. The harshly dominated flower crumbled as its aura dissipated quickly. Thinking back to the start of the game, Zarian recalled pressing forward aggressively for a quick win. He felt some resistance, then the resistance fell apart, and the game was over. ¡°Ah, yeah, I have a lot of Willpower and unique ways to enhance that Willpower,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Whoops.¡± He felt his teacher¡¯s annoyance. The aura currents around him kicked up some strong winds. There was thunder and lightning in the air without a cloud in sight. Ruvaria was a little less nice now that she was in a public area and visible to everyone. She was also a perfectionist, which Zarian had noted while in the time chamber dungeon. In that regard, Zarian and Ruvaria were opposites. He was quite messy and very imperfect. Sometimes, he learned best by failing upward or messing around. Ruvaria disliked that about him. She had said that multiple times, although not in a way that felt too harsh. Zarian shrugged, not letting his dear teacher¡¯s perfectionist nature weigh him down too much. He turned his attention to another Dragon Blood Cloud Flower. Prepared to serve, the next spider avatar waved its legs about in front of the stem. He began the mini game again and crushed the second flower despite being more gentle. The strong and angry winds kicked up again. More thunder and lightning roared above Ride-or-Die Village. He heard a few people screaming in terror. ¡°I¡¯m going to get the third one, I swear!¡± Zarian shouted behind him. ¡°Stop your nagging!¡± That didn¡¯t help much. Ruvaria kept on nagging him with all the unnecessary aura weather effects. ¡°You can do it, my host,¡± Para cheered from behind him. Zarian felt a little annoyed. He turned his attention to the third Dragon Blood Cloud Flower. He imagined the willful remnants of the dragon remaining in the flower. He also imagined that the dragon¡¯s ego was also fragile and needed nurturing when compelled to follow his lead. Zarian passed his aura and intent through the next spider avatar in front of the third flower. He carefully wrestled with the flower¡¯s Eternal Will and did all he could to act gently and make it submit. Even then, Zarian was sure he was on the cusp of failing again. The next notification surprised him. Zarian had succeeded. The stormy winds, thunder claps, and random lightning bolts faded away. Ruvaria was pleased. More importantly, Zarian figured applying stats with his Aura Mastery wasn¡¯t too complicated. Maybe there were more mini game scenarios across Infinita that acquired similar approaches. That¡¯s just one flower, Zarian thought with a sigh. Alright, let¡¯s get all of them. He went after the fourth. Once he won the willful mini game again, he tried two at the same time. It was a little more difficult, which made it easier to hold back and not crush the flowers completely. Next, he took on three at the same time. Then he took on more bunches until he had all the flowers looted. Para formed tentacles and plucked the flowers out of the ground by the top of their arcane web cages. The perfect amount of soil went along with the roots of the flower, as if winning the mini game preserved enough of what the flower needed to exist. Zarian decided not to put them in the pocket dimension. He flew with all nineteen toward the Central Library Artillery Tower. His squadron of aura-mastering spiders flew along with him like they were escorting a carrier plane filled with precious items and VIPs. Zarian swooped toward the top of the tower. A wide doorway revealed itself as the stone slid out of his way. He landed on a ledge with his spiders as Para contracted most of her form into a wavering cloak and nineteen tentacles that were holding the flower cages. He walked into the middle of a serious discussion where Hannah sat with legs crossed on her architect throne while Lady Rhea was kneeling on the floor in front of her. Hm, what¡¯s going on here? Zarian wondered. 149: B2: C49: Later, Gators Looking at the brain station of Ride-or-Die Village reminded Zarian why it was dangerous for engineers and scientists to get their hands on magic, especially when there was crafting involved. When the doorway closed behind him, sealing away the bright light of the twin suns, Hannah¡¯s lair looked like a proper place for an evil genius. It leaned more toward magic-futurism with dark blues, deep purples, and some aggressive reds that shone from her self-made equipment. She had runic displays that gave her visuals caught on her golem eyes. She had runic keyboard stations connected to various doors, hallways, artillery guns, and more. Everything that Hannah could do with a mystical whim, she made it so that others could manage without her. And if they needed extra help, there was Magi, Hannah¡¯s magical intelligence that she could summon from a skill. The slender-man blinked into appearance. He was a little fuzzy at first until his outline solidified in front of Zarian. ¡°Hello, Lord Zarian. Would you prefer if I had some golem assistants take those precious flowers from you and store them in a proper environment for analysis and nurturing?¡± Magi asked. ¡°Take eighteen,¡± Zarian said. ¡°As you wish, milord.¡± Magi bowed and stood aside. Para¡¯s tentacles passed off the flowers to cubic golems that walked like midget-sized lego men. Then Zarian walked up to Hannah¡¯s throne once it looked like Hannah had finished up her conversation with Lady Rhea. He took the remaining flower from Para¡¯s tentacle and offered it to Hannah directly. ¡°A gift to you, because I want you to feel better and I¡¯m still sorry for making you feel bad.¡± Hannah blinked her eyes rapidly from behind her round, runic glasses. She opened and closed her mouth. Lady Rhea remained knelt with a straight face. The woman had impeccable bearing. So far, she had served at hand and foot for Hannah and the other Floridians no matter the task. Ride-or-Die Village could function administratively because of Lady Rhea, who lifted some enormous paperwork burdens off the Floridian¡¯s shoulders. Basically, she made sure taxes were collected properly and almost everything was documented neatly. If not her directly, then her army of Hemlock relatives and servants made sure things were prompt and up to code. Zarian couldn¡¯t honestly say what the codes were exactly, to be honest. If everything looked alright to him, then he was a happy camper with Rhea¡¯s efforts. That and Rhea seemed to admire Hannah greatly, even if Hannah wasn¡¯t aware. Well, it was hard to notice when Rhea had a solid poker face. But Zarian didn¡¯t miss how the tension in Rhea¡¯s body relaxed as she remained in place on her knees. It was if she was happy that she could remain instead of being dismissed. Hannah took the flower by the bottom, sinking her fingers into the dirt-encased roots. ¡°Also, please come to Grimrock with me,¡± Zarian said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be right without you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± Hannah said stiffly. ¡°I only disagreed because I didn¡¯t think you needed me and I can serve you better here.¡± Zarian shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be that way, Hannah. Please. I mean, yes, I am what I am. But never think I¡¯ll just set you aside like that.¡± ¡°Am I good enough?¡± Hannah asked. ¡°I can¡¯t answer that for you. Because I already know you are more than good enough, but that doesn¡¯t matter coming from me.¡± Zarian turned sharply to Rhea. The noble woman straightened while remaining on her knees. Zarian snorted. ¡°Hey, I think Hannah trusts you even if she¡¯s a bit cold about it. I think I trust you too even though we haven¡¯t had much time to talk. You¡¯re going to be a key part in keeping Ride-or-Die Village running, and we both know serving us will benefit your family more than prior arrangements.¡± ¡°This is very much true, milord,¡± Rhea said. ¡°Yup. That¡¯s why you¡¯re getting trusted with a lot of power. You already know what will happen if you betray us, so there¡¯s no need to rehash that. Better yet, I have something positive in mind. I¡¯d like for you to get our villagers more involved with work and fair payment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already drafted such plans, milord,¡± Lady Rhea said. Zarian blinked down at the noble woman in open surprise. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, but you¡¯ve been quite busy. I¡¯ve kept them to myself while waiting for a better opportunity,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, well, sorry. I approve of your plans. Except for the ones that are dangerous. Those will need the approval of Empress Ruvaria, who is like a secondary leader while I¡¯m gone. If you need help, Lady Rhea, please ask for her. You can also rely on Roland and Lora. Oh, and Magi, too, if he¡¯s staying.¡± ¡°He¡¯s staying,¡± Hannah said. ¡° Boom, there, we have a plan going, right, Hannah?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± ¡°Okay, see you outside the north gate. Make an announcement to all the kiddos to get into formation out there for me, please. Send the skeletons on standby to fill in on patrol routes,¡± Zarian requested. ¡°I can do that for you, My Lady Hannah,¡± Lady Rhea said. ¡°I believe you have to attend to your next adventure.¡± ¡°Yes, I do. Um, yes, thank you.¡± Hannah remained seated on her throne with the pretty dragon flower in her lap. ¡°Let me just have a moment to recollect myself.¡± ¡°Can I wait here with you, my lady?¡± Rhea asked. ¡°While still on your knees? I guess if Zarian¡¯s saying he¡¯s trusting you this much, then there¡¯s no need for that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind being on my knees for you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, really.¡± ¡°Hm, sure, I guess I don¡¯t mind it either. It is a little nice for my ego.¡± ¡°Then all is well.¡± Zarian nodded at the two as he slowly backed out. ¡°Cool, cool, cool. Gilbert just got out of some new girl¡¯s house. I¡¯m going to pick him up now.¡± Para reached out with two tentacles and gave Hannah and Lady Rhea some head pats. Zarian waved farewell to Magi, and the slender magical intelligence waved back. The doorway leading out the side of the tower opened again. Zarian jumped off the ledge with his squadron of flying spiders. Wings spread wide, Zarian swooped around the village and found Gilbert strolling out of a building where striders lived. A random woman on the street blew a kiss at him. The Knighted Healer tipped his cowboy hat at her, failing to see the Dark Lord flying down from above. Zarian swept across the ground from behind Gilbert. Para created a pair of multi-jointed legs with big dull talons. Right before impact, Zarian used Aura Mastery to cancel as much noise as possible. They scooped Gilbert off the street like a hawk snatching up a bunny and ignored all of his cussing and fussing as they rose sharply. Thankfully, Gilbert didn¡¯t fight them too hard. Granted, they were going high up now. He probably didn¡¯t want to fall when they were far above the ground. ¡°Why can¡¯t we do things the normal way, dammit?!¡± Gilbert hollered. ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re going to a nice lake I¡¯ve picked out for you!¡± Zarian yelled back. ¡°You can¡¯t keep using that on me!¡± ¡°Do you want to bitch? Or do you want to fish?¡± Gilbert let the matter go and relaxed in Para¡¯s taloned grip. They kept flying up higher and higher. Gilbert stopped relaxing and tensed up as they soared past Empress Ruvaria and kept going upward. The air became a little crisper and colder. The sunshine felt brighter and a little more aggravating. There was less aura up in the higher altitudes and Zarian¡¯s flight upward struggled. The flying spiders had to latch on to Para¡¯s wings using strands of webbing to keep going with them. Then they finally reached their destination. They entered a hover where Bianca sat with legs crossed on a small plane of solidified sunlight. She was in the middle of her morning meditation. Before Zarian or Gilbert could interrupt, Bianca opened her shining amber eyes. She smiled warmly at them. ¡°Time to go?¡± she asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± Gilbert grumbled. Bianca giggled. ¡°Dale!¡± The sunlight platform winked out from under her. She waved her hand at them merrily as she entered freefall. ¡°I bet you one punch she will fly-tackle into Ruvaria,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I¡¯ll take it. I hope you know Bianca¡¯s chilled out lately. She¡¯s not that crazy anymore. She¡¯s matured, y¡¯know? She told me herself,¡± Gilbert said confidently.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Bianca tackled Empress Ruvaria midair and brought them plummeting down. Gilbert was gobsmacked. Zarian couldn¡¯t help but smile because of a few factors he knew and Gilbert didn¡¯t. Bianca could make herself semi-invisible even to surface-level aura senses. Zarian hypothesized Bianca was bending both light and aura around her when she went invisible. He also theorized having high amounts of Wonder increased luck to a ridiculous degree, making stealth easier, too. More importantly, Ruvaria had a weak spot for Bianca. Zarian was very sure of that weakness, because the old elf would let Bianca get away with loads of shenanigans more than anyone else without being her dear student. So even if Ruvaria had known Bianca was coming, the elf seemed to play along with the girl just because. ¡°Oh, look, Gilbert, all the kiddos are forming up outside of the village,¡± Zarian said, rotating his shoulder around. ¡°There goes Hannah with a big tank of a rune cart going outside as well. Looks like Bianca and Ruvaria are going to make a safe landing there, too.¡± Zarian spoke darkly. ¡°I bet you¡¯ll get down there before I do to herald my arrival.¡± ¡°Hey, Zarian, I need to tell you something,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°You want to bitch or fish?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°No, seriously, I just need to say this. Being up this high has given me a sort of epiphany. It¡¯s like I have to do this for the sake of my god-fearing soul, y¡¯know?¡± Gilbert blabbered. ¡°Okay, okay, say it.¡± ¡°You remember that bullet that was in your back shoulder from a while ago? You remember that, right? I do because it had stayed there for a long time until that fight with the bandits,¡± Gilbert said quickly. Zarian clenched his fist harder and harder. Multiple abilities poured into his physical power. Excess aura gathered around his fist and made the air wobble. Then the wobbling aura around his fist darkened and became heavier and heavier. The grin on Zarian¡¯s face widened as he spoke through clenched teeth. ¡°Yeah, I remember that bullet. I still have it in the pocket dimension. I¡¯m planning to toss it somewhere in Grimrock to remember it goodbye.¡± ¡°I think that was my bullet. Been a while. And a lot has happened since then. But, yeah, that bullet thing just came to me recently, and I never thought about it much, and I just let it be. But now it just came back to me and I have to come clean.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re basically saying you shot me and lodged a bullet in me. And if your aim wasn¡¯t shit, you could¡¯ve killed me.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s be thankful you¡¯re still with us after all that, right? We¡¯ve come a long way since then and started being like brothers from other mothers. So I bet the punch you¡¯re about to hit me with is only going to be a brotherly love tap.¡± Zarian landed a thunderous whopper of a punch on Gilbert and sent him down like a meteorite. The man hit the ground hard. While Gilbert dragged himself out of the crater he formed twenty feet into the ground, Zarian hit the ground with a crouch. He rolled his neck around and let out a big breath. Then he turned to the formation of kiddos and smiled at them. ¡°Hey, everyone, I guess you know what¡¯s about to happen,¡± Zarian said. ¡°The Floridians are heading out. We have unfinished business at Grimrock. That means it¡¯s up to you to hold things down for the day-to-day stuff here with our village. However, you aren¡¯t without some heavy guns and ways to improve even more.¡± Zarian waved his hand to Empress Ruvaria. She looked regal, shiny, and beautiful. There wasn¡¯t a strand of hair out of place despite Bianca¡¯s aerial roughhousing. The empress wore a tough mask on her face, however, as she scanned the youngsters like they were fleas at a flea circus. The kiddos were well trained because of Lady Instructor Washington¡¯s efforts. They kept their bearing and didn¡¯t budge while under the elf¡¯s evaluation. Zarian continued. ¡°That¡¯s right everyone, you¡¯re going to have Empress Ruvaria watch over you all. Better yet, I¡¯ve asked her to train you and help you grow even more! Isn¡¯t that all exciting? She says she has a way to help you all gain ten to fifteen levels pretty fast.¡± ¡°Every day, I will take half of you and play with you,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°You must do all you can to fight me. You will fail many, many times, because I will play roughly with you. I will hurt you, break you, and make you scream and cry until you¡¯ve grown enough and earned some measure of my respect. It might take some time, however.¡± The kiddos continued to keep their bearings. Zarian could tell some of them were struggling not to react. They did react when the Star System sent them all a notification. Zarian noticed a slight magical blip around the heads of each guild member, which was the telltale sign of a message from the System. He also noticed how their eyes slid out of focus to look at a new side quest meant for them. ¡°Any questions?¡± Zarian asked. Roland raised his hand. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The wolf dragons?¡± ¡°Officially, once we move far away enough, the event will be forfeited for us Floridians. But it won¡¯t be forfeited for you. If the wolf dragons attack while we¡¯re gone, fall back on your training and use everything that Ride-or-Die Village has prepared for you,¡± Zarian said. ¡°You cannot, however, lean on Empress Ruvaria too much. She has certain restrictions during these events. So, try not to die, and hold out until we get back. Or win the entire event on your own and make us proud.¡± The kiddoes looked at him wide-eyed and in disbelief. Zarian didn¡¯t blame them. The wolf dragons were scary for them still and they could only grow so fast compared to the Floridians. Still, Zarian figured having Empress Ruvaria might make a big enough difference. They had all the resources of the well-made village. They could make use of the adventurers in the village. That and they would have another army backing them soon. ¡°As for the good news, we¡¯re going to link up with Lady Instructor Washington and our bloody friends. The cafe will return to business soon. And I have four gifts for all of you. I just need you to give me your consent. Do so mentally.¡± He gave them a second to prepare before he focused his aura on all the guild members. His aura swam through each one carefully, focusing more on batches of two dozen or fewer before he copied over some skills. As he did so, he perceived numerous traits that were affinities or similar, along with many unique skills. He could copy into his profile a plethora of new skills as Level 0s if he wanted, but he refrained. He had so much going on he needed more simplicity in his profile and less clutter. The kiddos had plenty of room to mess around, hence why he gave them Willful Might, Wondrous Speed, Mystic Toughness, and Summon Wizard Hat as Level 0s. By the time he was done copying over four skills from his profile to two hundred eighty-nine guild members, he got to see all of their distinct wizard hats. Some were more like helmets. Others had elemental changes to them. Many were hats with or without conical shapes. There were dapper hats, pitiful hats, combat hats, or very flamboyant hats. Roland¡¯s hat had a lot of rose petals and thorns. Amabel¡¯s hat was all shadowy and oily. Lora¡¯s hat had fluff like cotton. They were part of the wizard hat gang now, and they could use the Level 0 skills at their lower level fairly well. Now they all had serious buffs that no small army should have, pushing them above the foreign adventurers even more. That didn¡¯t include their advanced gear and crafts that few people had ever seen on this continent. My little killers are growing up so fast, Zarian thought, grinning ear-to-ear. He loved seeing the shocked expression on their faces and how some of them broke their stance to touch their new hats. Originally, he wasn¡¯t going to do this. But recent events had changed Zarian¡¯s mind. He really wanted the kiddos to have the best he and his friends could offer, so they could survive whatever might come. Now he felt a lot better about leaving them on their own for a while. Zarian cheered. ¡°That¡¯s all, everyone! Now let me hear an Oorah!¡± ¡°OORAH!¡± The kids all shouted. Zarian nodded merrily, feeling happy tingles everywhere in his body. Then he turned away, his shiny cloak flapping behind him dramatically. He found Gilbert sitting on the edge of the crater. Zarian offered the big man his hand. Gilbert took his hand and got back to his feet. Bianca frolicked next to them. Hannah sat on the huge, tank-like rune cart as it rolled to their next destination. They left Ride-or-Die Village behind them without looking back. Three minutes didn¡¯t pass before they heard screams and shouts of alarm. They heard young men and women burst out into horrified cries. They heard roaring hurricane winds, crashing lightning, and other sounds like an entire mountain falling down from the sky. They heard desperate fighting, weapons clashing, magic crackling, and more horrors of a grueling and torturous battle against the unbeatable. Empress Ruvaria had begun her flea-crushing training with half of the youngsters. ¡°Don¡¯t look back,¡± Zarian said through the side of his mouth. ¡°Ruvaria will not be happy if we look back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pulling a fast one, right?¡± Gilbert asked. ¡°Based on what my ears are telling me, that elf is ready to chew on nails and spit out a barbed fence to keep those kids penned up for the slaughter.¡± ¡°Abuela Ruvaria is very introverted. So you have to give her time to settle in,¡± Bianca said. ¡°She¡¯s fantastic deep down, regardless of alignments. She¡¯s not as evil as she was before she was absolutely brainwashed, right, Zarian?¡± Zarian thought back to their creative discussions on how to torture and eliminate enemies with Aura Mastery techniques. He¡¯d seen a little absolute glee shine through his dear teacher¡¯s eyes and a creepy smile on her face during those unrestrained, brain-storming sessions of wicked mysticism and wizardry. ¡°Yeah, sure, she¡¯s totally getting better about that absolute stuff,¡± Zarian said aloud. They heard a sharp whistle followed by a bomb-like blast behind them. Someone shouted out about their leg among the many who screamed for mercy. Zarian kept walking without looking back, and so did the others. ¡°Are you going to wait until we link up with Naomi to tell us about your new changes, Zarian?¡± Hannah asked from on top of the rune cart. ¡°I¡¯m an Aura Master now,¡± Zarian said. ¡°A Jedi Master?¡± Gilbert asked. ¡°No, Aura Master,¡± Zarian repeated. ¡°Can I be Princess Leia?¡± Bianca asked. ¡°But instead of me being trapped in a cage with only a bikini on, let¡¯s put the bikini on Zarian while he comes to save me from the cage. I mean, I can wear a bikini too as long as it¡¯s not too tacky. We¡¯re going to a lake, right? Please tell me we¡¯ve all brought our swimwear. Hannah, there¡¯s swimwear in that cart, right?¡± ¡°Amid the armors, empty storage crates for loot, my golems, and everything else I can fit for a potential siege on Grimrock and return trip back, you think swimwear was a priority?¡± Hannah asked dryly. ¡°Of course it is! So, you have the swimwear? Si? Si?¡± Hannah sighed. ¡°It¡¯s next to the enchanted rods.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Bianca cheered. ¡°Hannah, you¡¯re a doll.¡± Gilbert pointed up at Hannah before turning back to Zarian. ¡°So, you¡¯re really not a Jedi Master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Aura Master, guys, Aura Master!¡± Zarian waved his arms in frustration. Hannah hummed. ¡°I guess Aura Master sounds impressive enough.¡± ¡°You are all fools,¡± Zarian hissed. ¡°The dear teacher hears all. Now she¡¯s going to be even more annoyed.¡± As if to prove the point of her dear student, Ruvaria turned up the terror and pain factor for the kids. There were the sounds of what could be a whole roaring tornado that was being raised behind them. Inside of that roaring tornado, the screaming of the kiddos resonated out. Of course, there was more thunder and lightning to go along with the monster tornado. ¡°By the time we get back, I think the kids are going to need a little extra kick added to their hot chocolate,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°Any chance we can loot some cellars filled with the magical good stuff along the way?¡± ¡°Gilbert, we just started, and you already want to drink?¡± Bianca complained. ¡°Well, I think we need to walk faster, anyway, hm? It¡¯s too tense around here and I want to breathe in that new adventure air before I have to smell Gilbert¡¯s beer farts.¡± Everyone agreed, even Gilbert, so they hurried away from Ride-or-Die Village. Zarian was feeling keen to face the new adventure head on, regardless of the horrible elf monster he¡¯d unleashed on the kiddos. I should probably bring Ruvaria something nice for making her do extroverted stuff for a while, Zarian thought as he picked up the pace until they were officially running away. When they reached the bend in the road, they found Loner walking back with a group of skeletons he¡¯d taken out hunting. He was Level 74 now, and he was clueless of what was happening. Zarian used his own hands to snatch up Loner and toss the skeleton onto his shoulder. All while he kept running with Gilbert and Bianca by his side and Hannah behind him on the self-driving rune cart. ¡°Later, gators!¡± Zarian waved back at the skeletons he¡¯d left behind. He made a mental note among many to make more skeletons along the way to Grimrock. Loner looked back with eyeless sockets and a shaky rictus grin, as if he was second-guessing his necromancer. Then the skeleton seemed to give up on thinking and just allowed himself to be hauled away on Zarian¡¯s shoulder. That would¡¯ve been just fine if Loner kept his eyes down. But he looked up and noticed something odd. There were spectral spiders riding on surfboards made of webbing. They were surfing strong wind drafts coming from the direction of the village. Loner seemed puzzled about the sight of the flying spiders. But once again, he seemed to give up on trying to understand whatever was happening. That was probably for the best. 150: B2: C50: Adventure Outfits Once they were far enough away from the village, it was easier for Zarian and his fellow Floridians to ignore the plight of the poor kiddos. They also ignored the growing rampage of an introverted elf monster being out in public among a bunch of weak normies. Hannah parked the rune cart on the side of the road and opened up the back. Loner held watch while everyone else changed into their latest adventure outfits. Zarian slipped into a new pair of trousers and boots, which were all black except for the dark red emblem and motto on his right thigh. He was going light on the armor and staying topless. At this point, Para served as his best armor. As for the enchantments, Hannah had designed the leggings and boots for darkness enhancements plus the adventure-necessary additions such as self-repair, self-cleaning, and high durability. Zarian liked how they made his legs look shadowy even under a bright spring day. Bianca was his opposite. She wore white and silver except for the dark red emblem and motto stamped on the midsection of her battle dress. Looking her up and down, Zarian was a little surprised that Bianca was wearing footwear instead of returning to being barefoot. The new shoes were a pair of high-heeled boots with enchantments for added agility plus the adventure-necessary stuff. ¡°No more of the old elven dress?¡± he asked. ¡°Hannah can make my dresses in specific ways that are better for me,¡± Bianca said. ¡°I still love the old one, but I want to be ahead of the seasonal trends and not get stuck on them.¡± ¡°This is less about enchantments and more about fashion, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Do not speak about what you don¡¯t know, Zarian Darkrun,¡± Bianca said mysteriously. ¡°A fashionista is like a wizard, you know?¡± ¡°Do I know? Or do I not know?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Those are the questions you must answer to truly understand,¡± Bianca said, trying to sound profound. ¡°Uh huh,¡± Zarian grunted. Gilbert chuckled before directing his words toward Hannah. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re not throwing the whole kitchen sink at us again, egghead.¡± He wore dark heavy armor like a proper paladin or knight. With a flick of his left arm, the brace on his forearm expanded into a large and boxy runic shield. He also had his own nifty and demonic-looking gauntlet on his right arm. The horned and wrathful face of a demon stood out on the back of the hand. Zarian narrowed his eyes and smiled at Gilbert¡¯s Repenting Gauntlet. Gilbert ignored him and the others when they looked at his gauntlet. Gilbert added to his original statement. ¡°I never used all those extra bells and whistles you¡¯ve given me, to be honest with you. I solved most issues with the classic solution of hitting the big bad thing more and more until it dropped.¡± Hannah sighed while sitting on a crate inside the rune cart. The interior of the self-driven vehicle was orderly and almost futuristic, with lines of runic blue and purple engravings from the enchantments on the surfaces. The cart matched Hannah very well, especially when her skin-tight, magic smart suit glowed in an array of enchanted colors that flowed down the seams and contours of her body. Six shrunken golem balls revolved around her, as if she was a planet and they were an array of moons. She readjusted her slim, smart gloves before looking down to examine her lightweight boots. She looked like she was the main entertainer at a lit up rave party. Zarian could see Hannah being a techno DJ in another life, one where she grew up with a dream to engineer the best music instead of engineering aerospace tech. ¡°I have so many enchantments and unique runes now,¡± Hannah said. ¡°I can almost do anything, even if not effectively. Yet, you all want nothing more than just the simplest layers stacked on top of each other, with self-repair and self-cleaning.¡± Hannah shook her head in disappointment at them. ¡°I can do so much more for you than just that.¡± Zarian shrugged. ¡°You know me. I¡¯m complex enough. And look at these two?¡± He stuck a thumb at Gilbert and Bianca. Gilbert was flexing randomly in his armor. Then he stooped down to jostle around the armor section that was covering his groin. Bianca looked up into the twin suns directly before randomly spiraling around in her battle dress, making the metallic skirt flare out. She stopped and kicked up each leg as if to show off her high-heeled boots to the world. Hannah sighed. ¡°Yes, point taken. I suppose I can¡¯t help but make my armor complex because it¡¯s my business to do so. Yours enhances darkness entirely, as requested. Bianca¡¯s dress enhances some of her Agility but focuses mainly on her aura recovery and providing extra light if she needs it. Gilbert¡¯s practically a walking fortress. I haven¡¯t remodeled Naomi¡¯s yet, but I assume she wants as many mental boosts as I can add to hers.¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re doing your best work yet,¡± Zarian said, smirking. Hannah huffed. ¡°Yes, well, I somehow made them legendary without the Star System¡¯s overt help.¡± Gilbert and Bianca froze. They slowly turned to Hannah. Zarian chuckled. ¡°Yes, you two, we¡¯re wearing true legendary outfits that Hannah made because she¡¯s so smart and talented and awesome.¡± ¡°Please, Zarian, stop,¡± Hannah pleaded. ¡°Sure, sure, maybe. Other than Hannah being the best, she used some advanced materials Ruvaria had given her, right, Hannah?¡± ¡°She handed them to me plus some extra because I needed to make these for you.¡± Hannah gestured behind her. One of her six revolving golems released pulses of blue and purple magic. Four half circle pieces that looked alike came flying out. Zarian used Aura Mastery to create a hardened cushion of air. He took the items from Hannah¡¯s runic control and had them hover in front of him. ¡°Hold up now,¡± Gilbert said, his eyes moving left and right shiftily. ¡°Y¡¯all are doing too much crazy mystical stuff now. This little hat on my head can¡¯t keep up, and now I¡¯m feeling left out.¡± ¡°Maybe you should join me in meditation instead of spending so much time with your girlfriends,¡± Bianca said, smiling behind her hand. ¡°Then you¡¯ll be all mystical like the rest of us.¡± Gilbert frowned at her. But he kept his mouth shut. Zarian examined the new items with Aura Mastery + Identify. Zarian concentrated. Zarian looked wide-eyed at the crazy lore before glancing up and meeting Hannah¡¯s eyes. From that look alone, Zarian imagined Hannah knew the significance behind the Corma Dwarf Adamantium. There was a strong chance that dwarven magic tech was connected to the golem tech of the Forgotten Kingdom. Maybe the Forgotten Kingdom descended from the old Promised Dwarven Empire from many years ago. Some sort of cataclysm, which was most likely caused by Empress Ruvaria, had buried the Forgotten Kingdom while wiping out the orcs during the Reset Era. Many years before that, in the old eras before the reset, Ruvaria¡¯s father, an Absolute King, had done the same to the dwarves. Like father, like daughter, the elven rulers had a huge effect on this world. But what would the Floridians gain in the end? At this point, Hannah has advanced so fast I can only wonder what more she would learn from the Forgotten Kingdom, Zarian wondered. There¡¯s a real chance that when we finally reach the Forgotten Kingdom, we¡¯ll be too OP for the setting. I hope Hannah doesn¡¯t get disappointed by that. Looking at the cuffs themselves, Zarian saw how they were black and split in halves. They were wider and thicker than regular handcuffs and had no chains tethering them to each other. They also had twenty little cubes along the edges, which were Hannah¡¯s defining signature and a necessary component for Zarian¡¯s sealing style technique. The others might notice it later, but there were little cube-shapes in all of their outfits. That was because Hannah had used a mix of traditional crafting and her Cube Maker Magic +2 to create her items in record time. Zarian hadn¡¯t seen it himself, but Hannah even had her own workshop and forge in the heart of the tower. Because of her traits, especially the ones that intensified her learning speed and memory, she could achieve more in crafting at a faster rate than what others could accomplish traditionally. Hannah, you¡¯re so OP on this world it¡¯s a disservice to you for you to think you aren¡¯t good enough. Even I can¡¯t really compare my wizard side to Overwhelming Darkness. Zarian shook his head and rid himself of his thoughts. He smiled at the hovering cuffs before he slowly panned his view around and looked straight at Gilbert. ¡°Well, officer. I¡¯m guilty as charged, I suppose,¡± Zarian said, his smile widening. The big man sighed before flicking his shield arm and making the armament fold into its brace. He grabbed the halves of one cuff and snapped them on Zarian¡¯s right arm between the wrist and the meat of the forearm. Gilbert did the same to the other arm.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Immediately, Zarian felt the pressure from his Overwhelming Darkness fade. He¡¯d grown so used to it he was nearly shocked to feel the dark tide being cast away. Zarian then felt a little sad that he couldn¡¯t remain this free for long. ¡°You don¡¯t have to cultivate the entire way,¡± Bianca blurted out. ¡°I should cultivate as much as I can,¡± Zarian said. ¡°It¡¯s my burden to bear.¡± Gilbert kept his opinions to himself. Hannah closed up the back of the cart with her runic Willpower and a pulse of magic. The double metal doors swung shut for her. Then the cart rolled forward gradually with no visible driver. It looked like one big metal trailer with six wheels that had the benefit of properly made spring suspensions and enchantments helping it get across any rough patches ahead. Zarian let the sealing patterns covering his arms fade. He shook his arms about to get used to the weight of the cuffs. They were much better than the gauntlets for sure. He quite liked them and appreciated having more of his flesh open for future parasite maneuvers. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this. All the way from the top,¡± Zarian said. Para shifted forms from a mystical and glimmering cloak to a super shiny and voracious battle kilt. The spiders swooped down from on top of their webbed boards, landed on Zarian, and applied a fresh layer of gravity runes to his back using their smartly woven arcane webbing. Zarian went through the sequence step by step. He reformed the dark seal patterns on his arms like full sleeve tattoos. He merged a portion of his consciousness with Para¡¯s consciousness. He completed the hand signs and chants as the spiders triggered the webbed gravity enchantment for intensifying the conceptual weight of his actions. Then he said, ¡°Cultivate.¡± Two-thirds of his concentration went to cycling around threads from Overwhelming Darkness through his spirit and body. He used Aura Mastery to keep his profile functional and to help him be present in the moment. When he felt the monstrous hunger of Overwhelming Darkness, Para¡¯s influence kept him human and focused. Once the cultivation was in full swing for a dozen loops, Zarian focused on adjusting to his overt weakness as if he was relearning to walk. He took a few steps forward, back, and from side to side. He rotated his arms around and threw a couple of punches. The world felt muted. Gray. He felt contained and stuffed. This was indeed a burden, but he wasn¡¯t completely defenseless. He could still push out Aura Mastery for hundreds of feet. He could still fight. Or at the very least, he could defend himself long enough to seal his Overwhelming Darkness and use full Aura Mastery. Zaria nodded, coming to terms with the situation. ¡°You all must be wondering if this sucks? Yes. But there¡¯s a bright side.¡± ¡°Oh, I love bright sides,¡± Bianca said. ¡°Other than facing another Lesser World Boss, my training is going to be legendary,¡± Zarian said. ¡°And the same for you guys. I believe we have some new skills to play with, so we might have to reshuffle our alpha and beta skills around.¡± Hannah sighed aloud as she continued walking on the ground with the others, the rune cart following behind them. She looked up at a mostly blue sky with a few blocky clouds. River moats and twisting streams babbled around them as fields, gardens, and hedge forests blossomed with new flowers between old courtyards of stone. Statues that were buried under snow and ice from the winter months were now wearing new growths of creeping vines as Early Spring prepared to shift to Mid Spring. ¡°I can¡¯t, Zarian,¡± Hannah said. ¡°All of my alpha skills are important. Enchantment +2, Rune Alteration +2, Rune Scan +2, Cube Magic Maker +2, and Summon Magical Intelligence +2. In fact, I can¡¯t even touch Summon Magical Intelligence +2 or I¡¯ll rip Magi away from the tower. So that must stay in the alpha section and I have a hard time imagining the others as beta.¡± ¡°Put Enchantment +2 in beta and let your Mystic Rush Tank have some fun under the sun,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Besides, you have enough abilities and stats to make Enchantment +2 very viable as a beta skill, even if it¡¯s harder. Maybe you might even find more insight from that if it¡¯s harder.¡± Hannah looked at him for a long while. Then she crossed her arms and let out a bratty huff before looking away. Zarian didn¡¯t have to ask if she made the change or not. He could tell by how tense she was that she was following his advice. Not my fault you cannot understand how strong you are, Zarian thought. I need to keep the pressure on you guys. One of you may become the Adventurer King or Queen. ¡°Mm, I have Searing Flash Array +2, Light Step +2, Refraction +2, Light Construction +2, and Shining Mark +2 in the alpha,¡± Bianca said. ¡°I guess I can learn to make Searing Flash Array +2 better with it in the beta, so I¡¯ll switch that with Super Serene Rampage.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not putting Healing Force +2 in beta,¡± Gilbert grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s hella irresponsible.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve packed up some health potions I bought from a decent alchemist,¡± Hannah said. ¡°You know that stuff ain¡¯t much good. You can¡¯t convince me to put something so life-saving in the beta.¡± Gilbert sounded adamant. ¡°I¡¯ll be extra careful and smart if you put it in the beta. And so will Bianca,¡± Zarian said. ¡°In fact, we¡¯ll share our thoughts with someone else before we have the inclination to go crazy. Right, Bianca?¡± The Light Princess smiled silently. ¡°Right, Bianca?!¡± Zarian insisted. She sighed. ¡°Yes, okay, si, fine, fine, papi. I will be much, much smarter.¡± Gilbert palmed his face. He groaned. ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯m holding you both to it. I guess I¡¯ll drink less just in case. There, I put Healing Force +2 in the beta section. Now I have Adrenaline Jolt +2, Tranquilizing Touch +2, Summon Spirit Steed +2, and Unified Monk Force in the alpha.¡± Zarian blinked. He opened his mouth, but Gilbert cut him off. ¡°Sacrificial Blow +2 is going in the beta section with Health Force +2. I figure I can work on being a more traditional tank this way without the extra oomph and crazy vitality sacrifice,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°Besides, the only person who makes the most out of Sacrificial Blow +2 isn¡¯t here right now, and even then she hits like a mountain on her own.¡± ¡°Still a bold move to go with only four alpha skills when you have a fifth slot,¡± Zarian admitted. Gilbert shrugged. ¡°Y¡¯all got way more mystical stuff going on. I do my best work to grow while out here in the wilds or doing stuff that actually helps people. Now, is it safe to assume we have to deal with anything nasty that comes our way before we reach this lake of yours?¡± Zarian smiled. He had spectral spiders already stationed along the route and scouting stuff out. There was nothing crazy like angels or world bosses on their way to the special lake. They still had some dangerous creatures moving about actively and patrols of aggressive kobolds scouting around. With winter gone, there was more of everything on the frontier in search of prey and bounty. ¡°Nothing crazy. It¡¯ll be a light and easy-going trip,¡± Zarian said. After several days and a dozen easy fights, Zarian, Gilbert, Hannah, Bianca, Loner, some new skeletons, and the rune cart made it to the perimeter of the big lake Zarian had found in Late Winter. It was Mid Spring when they parked the rune cart in a busted courtyard, leaving the new skeletons to guard it. They hopped to the top of some dilapidated towers and took in the view. Bianca let out a cheerful scream. Hannah observed the lake with silent awe. Gilbert was also stunned into silence. Loner didn¡¯t seem to make a big deal of the view. ¡°Zarian, this is one hell of a birthday gift,¡± Gilbert said. Zarian chuckled. The view was amazing. The surface of the lake was like a perfect mirror reflecting the vine-covered castles surrounding it. The reflection even included white blocky clouds and a blue sky, making it all look quite grand and pristine. Better yet, Zarian¡¯s consistent cultivation had borne more fruit while on the way here. Even Para benefits from the cultivation, Zarian thought. She¡¯s acting as my shield against the hunger of Overwhelming Darkness, and that¡¯s a pretty big deal. Zarian wasn¡¯t sure how much better he was at controlling Overwhelming Darkness, but he figured there would certainly be some improvements. Eventually, he would have to test those improvements on something that was worthy of his One Percent Power. There was one big issue with cultivating, however. It was hard to study his grimoires and learn new spells. Para had a similar issue, which disrupted her learning prowess. Certain mental abilities, such as Lore Eater, weren¡¯t as powerful while their attention was so drastically reduced because of the cultivation. In fact, Zarian imagined his Willpower was heavily impaired along with other stuff. I might have to stop cultivating now and then so Para and I can study properly, Zarian thought. I want to learn some new spells and then get back to working on the gravity spell. So much to do. So much to do. Before he said anything aloud to the others, Zarian felt something through the spider network. The others failed to notice, which wasn¡¯t their fault. They didn¡¯t have his Aura Mastery. Turning sharply to the source of the signal, Zarian gained impressions and feelings that were transmitting from far away. The signal came from the direction of the Blood Prairies, but further north than Zarian had gone. ¡°Guys, I have to go,¡± he said. Everyone looked at him sharply based on the tone of his voice. He didn¡¯t leave them in suspense for long. ¡°Naomi¡¯s calling for me.¡± They all grew tenser. But then they eased up when he smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s dying or anything. But it must be serious for her to reach out to me like this.¡± Zarian rolled his neck and shoulders around, feeling ready to head out and face some actual danger. ¡°Go ahead and set up here. I¡¯ll go see how Naomi¡¯s doing. Then once I come back with her, we¡¯ll have ourselves a lake day and do a ceremony for Loner¡¯s advancement as an expert.¡± Zarian glanced at the gold notification hovering over Loner. It¡¯ll be nice for Naomi to be here for it, Zarian thought. But first, I need to see what¡¯s happening with her. More importantly, he wanted to know how much Naomi had grown since they last talked. Zarian was very curious based on how things went before she¡¯d departed. Thinking about that made him feel thrilled and hungry. ¡°Go on, chief,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°We¡¯ll hold things down here while we wait for you two.¡± Bianca gave two thumbs up. Hannah nodded. Loner also nodded. ¡°Be back in a jiffy,¡± Zarian said. His personal squad of aura-mastering spiders rode on his battle kilt as he waltzed through the void. Before he knew it, he felt his heart hammering more and more in excitement at seeing Naomi again. He also gave his profile a quick scan to make sure he¡¯d distributed his Free Points and was properly prepared to fight. It could be another Lesser World Boss that Naomi was going after. If that was the case, then Zarian wanted everything ready before he sealed away Overwhelming Darkness and stopped cultivating. Then he could test the full might of his new aura abilities against a more appropriate challenge. The things lurking in the void fled away from him quickly. They could feel his growing hunger like a wild fire turning into a huge inferno. <> Origins: Zarian Darkrun, 22 yr-old Human, Born Late Winter, Dreaded Outsider, Dungeon Master, Freedom Leader, Dark Lord, Aura Master Level: 85 Class: Madness Wizard (Legendary) Alignment: Free Evil +4 Traits: Dark Affinity (Rare), Overpower (Epic), Identify (Rare), Aura Channeler (Rare), Frenzy Zone (Uncommon), Uncanny Valley Effect (Rare), Void Mysticism (Rare), Lore Eater (Epic), Thematic Law/Floridian Mindset (Divine), The Dreaded One (Epic), Bearer of the Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style (Legendary), Unraveled Mind (Rare), Aura Mastery (Legendary) Alpha Skills (5/5): Overwhelming Darkness (Level 5), Parasite Cloak +2 (Level 42), Spectral Spider Network +2 (Level 32), Summon Wizard Hat +2 (Level 36), High Rune Mindframe (Level 6) Beta Skills (6/15): Advanced Grimoire of the Voidling Exile (Level 9), Advanced Grimoire of Black Magic (Level 1), Advanced Grimoire of the Hell Gator (Level 1), Willful Might (Level 0), Wondrous Speed (Level 0), Mystic Toughness (Level 0) Stats Per Level: +2 Willpower, +2 Wonder, +3 Mysticism, +7 free Willpower: 426 Strength: 41 Agility: 43 Wonder: 349 Mysticism: 539 Free: 0 Achievements: Honored Outsider (Divine), SSS Dance with White Silk Reiki (Epic), Heroes of the Eternal Garden Kingdom (Legendary), Divine Knock Knock (Divine), Junior Manslaughterer (Uncommon), Initial Pacifist Gauntlet (Rare), First Human Gnoll Elder of Corma (Epic), SSS Genius Beyond the Lore Eater (Epic), Boon Wrecker (Divine), Befriending Gods (Divine), Rare Dungeon Master (Rare), Lizard Slayer (Uncommon), Divine Enemy (Divine), Dreaded Outsider (Divine), Freedom Leader (Divine), Master Breaker (Mythic), Attrition Warfare (Legendary), Lesser World Boss Killer (Divine), Arch Cherub Silencer (Divine) Spells: Bloody Lifesteal (Uncommon), Deploy Expert Skeletons (Epic), Black Fire (Rare), Quagmire Pit (Uncommon), Dread Mire Bite (Rare), Dread Mire Bellow (Epic), Dreadnought Hell Gator (Legendary), Void Authority (Epic), Void Layer (Legendary), Void Waltz (Legendary), Void Shout (Legendary) <> 151: B2: C51: Chimera Tyrant Lair 1 Before Zarian exited the void to reach his destination, he noticed something was weird on the other side. The journey was already a long one, having required multiple stops in and out of the void up to this point, but he hadn¡¯t felt something this troubling before. Zarian¡¯s excitement turned into sharpened wariness. Free evil +4 merged with his paranoia. He exited the void and dropped into a baseball slide, landing on his back as the sharp crimson grass of the Blood Prairies folded under him. A split second later, a crimson energy bolt that was the size of a grain silo flew over him. The bolt struck the ground a hundred feet behind him with immense explosive force. Zarian rolled with the shockwave. Smoky clods of dirt and grass covered in crimson flames rained down from everywhere. He located Naomi¡¯s exact position and was about to use the Void Waltz spell again, but a heavy field of warp energy slammed down on him and disrupted his spell. Zarian switched focuses, hand signing and chanting quickly. His battle kilt slipped into his body. Threads of the Parasite Cloak +2 pushed out of his flesh from all over. As Zarian worked his sealing style technique, Para covered his body quickly, fusing with his skin, the wizard hat, the shadow leggings, and his dark boots. He became an armored juggernaut as more giant crimson projectiles rained down on him. It was a bombardment of an epic degree, a great effort of annihilation that blasted him down. The assault kept him pinned and rattled while he couldn¡¯t escape through the void. Then everything changed when Zarian ended his cultivation and finished locking up Overwhelming Darkness despite the duress. From there, Zarian and Para unleashed the full might of Aura Mastery. Zarian reinforced his parasite armor with enhanced darkness. Then he applied his Void Authority and Void Layer spells to enhance his dark parasite armor even more. Now the crimson bombardment had less of an effect, destroying the nearby area around him while Zarian stood to his feet and shrugged off the wrathful attacks. Here, the beauty of Aura Mastery was on full display. Zarian had more nuanced control of the functionality and power output of his spells because of Aura Mastery. He could use the exact amount of aura that was necessary and empower his spells more efficiently. Additionally, he had an easier time keeping the spells going with Aura Mastery. His broadened sense of magic lessened the burden on his mind while using spells, even while in the middle of heated action. Thus, his High Rune Mindframe skill and Unraveled Mind trait had an easier time observing what was happening during the chaos. The two mental abilities gave him more battlefield awareness while enhancing his creative thinking. This was further augmented by the heightened intelligence of free evil +4. He could quickly predict Naomi¡¯s actions before she took them. She would want to run out of cover and help him like any fellow Marine would. He sent her a strong impression through the spider network for her to stay put. He hadn¡¯t meant to miss the mark and land further ahead of her, but mastery over the void was more of an art than an exact science. Nonetheless, he would soon come to her after Para finished with her part. Para was turning her ravenous hunger against the warp field itself by using her version of Aura Mastery. Tendrils of dark and hungry aura snapped out and carved into the warp field, eating at the strange and eerie magic in the air. She also formed a ferocious fanged mouth on the chest pieces of the parasite armor before casting the Void Shout spell. Para emitted an ear-piercing scream that hindered enemy magic. The warp field weakened, letting Zarian cast the Void Waltz spell at last. They moved through the void and ended up in a freshly made trench where Naomi sat with her legs crossed. ¡°Only you?¡± Zarian asked, his voice deepened behind the armor and darkness. He lightened up once he stopped channeling his spells. The parasite armor peeled away from around his face. ¡°Ezda¡¯s still alive, is she?¡± he asked, with a hint of concern. ¡°Am I not enough?¡± Naomi asked teasingly. Before he could respond, she continued. ¡°Ezda¡¯s alive. She¡¯s escorting the others out of the lair since things became a little too hot for them. You should¡¯ve seen the waves of minions we killed just for us to be here.¡± She smiled at him. That smile, along with the rest of her appearance, spoke a thousand worlds. Zarian could see that she was happy. Her happiness was deep and cemented. Nothing could shake that right now. Yeah, there was a powerful antagonist bombarding the area where their trench hid behind some fortress hillocks. They blasted up such a mess that they had a constant pitter patter of raining debris falling on their heads. But Zarian could tell Naomi wouldn¡¯t want to be anywhere but here. She had hundreds of little scars that covered her dark skin, which was mostly bare except for a savage leather top and loin cloth that covered the essentials. But no matter where those scars appeared on her dynamic body, Zarian found them fitting on her, like part of an illustration that made the depths of Naomi¡¯s person all the greater. Beyond that, there was an immensity of power that was raw and physical being held in check. There was also a consistent flow of force that was directed inward, locking her down like she was wearing a psychokinetic straight jacket. It took Zarian a few seconds and some help from free evil +4 to realize Naomi¡¯s psychic coating wasn¡¯t for her protection. She had turned her psychic power against herself to strap herself down, like wearing a weighted straightjacket placed all over her body. ¡°How long have you been doing that?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Since the day I left with Ezda and Reiki¡¯s core. On that day, when you called me out like that, I went a little insane,¡± Naomi said, still smiling.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Zarian noticed tiny scars across her full lips that seemed to look very good on her. They wouldn¡¯t stay there for long once Gilbert applied his Healing Force +2, but for now, they remained. ¡°You only went a little crazy?¡± Zarian looked up as a boulder covered in crimson flames and smoke fell toward him after getting blasted up and down from the bombardment. He raised his hand and caught it before throwing it far out of the trench. Naomi chuckled softly. ¡°Maybe more than a little. I changed up a few things. I made my training even harder. I even got killed one time.¡± Zarian nodded, acting unfazed even though he was quite affected to hear that. It was easy to assume the first copy of the Divine Revival Charm had served Naomi well. He still didn¡¯t like hearing how she¡¯d gotten herself killed while far away from him and their friends. He asked the only question that mattered. ¡°Was it worth it?¡± ¡°Want to hear about how much I¡¯ve grown?¡± Naomi asked. Zarian shook his head as more flaming debris bounced off him and Naomi. ¡°No, not yet. As long as it¡¯s nothing radical that¡¯ll change our tactics, I¡¯ll notice it as we fight together.¡± ¡°Mm, there¡¯s nothing too radical. I¡¯m just way better at what I do. And I can tell that you¡¯re different, too.¡± Naomi glanced left and right shiftily. ¡°It¡¯s in the surrounding air. The way it ¨C the aura ¨C is responding. I can¡¯t sense it or feel it as well because of how low my Wonder and Mysticism is compared to everyone else at our level. But I know there¡¯s something different.¡± She¡¯s probably using her psionic abilities and the spider network to sense Aura Mastery at work, Zarian thought. If she can¡¯t sense it directly, she can sense it through me even by accident. ¡°Your mind is more structured, too,¡± Naomi added. ¡°It¡¯s interesting. It¡¯s still a whirlwind of chaos, but way more focused. You¡¯ve really grown a lot, huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see the changes,¡± Zarian said. ¡°There are a couple radical things. But I¡¯m mostly better at what I do, too.¡± ¡°Mm. Well, while I have you here, I might as well burst your bubble.¡± ¡°Can I brace myself?¡± ¡°Nah, I want to give it to you raw. Ekri the Tailor has been here and there and everywhere while I¡¯ve been out and about in the Blood Prairies. I figure I might as well tell you now instead of later.¡± Zarian felt angry. He didn¡¯t let his anger override his senses. But the emotion caught him off guard and required some internal studying. He felt various parts of his mind and sharpened intellect hold a heated argument with each other. His Unraveled Mind trait wanted to feed into his anger. His High Rune Mindframe wanted to remain structured and objective. His free evil +4 wanted to know what Ekri the Tailor wanted. Why pester Naomi? Was this because Zarian had rudely turned his back on the infamous drider and kept Ekri out of Ride-or-Die Village? Para was no help here. She allowed her host to feel, think, and decide. Consequently, he realized the best approach was to go kill the Lesser World Boss and continue with his plans. He would deal with Ekri the Tailor eventually. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Zarian grunted. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Naomi said with a giggle. ¡°You wanted to piss me off, didn¡¯t you?¡± Zarian asked as they walked out of the trench. ¡°I like it when you¡¯re angry.¡± She sauntered barefoot through patches of razor-sharp blood grass with most of her body exposed. ¡°You¡¯re going to go harder this way. I want to go hard with you.¡± Before Zarian could reply, he noticed a significant shift from Naomi¡¯s body. First, she removed the psychokinetic straightjacket off her body, freeing herself from under immense pressure and force. Second, her entire body relaxed and moved with a fluidity and grace that was far from apparent moments prior. Zarian¡¯s Unraveled Mind and free evil +4 figured out the puzzle quickly before they walked out from behind their mostly destroyed cover. She¡¯s been tensing her body while using her psychic abilities to weigh herself down. If it¡¯s true that she went a little insane after leaving the village, then she¡¯s been doing this for several weeks, even when it got her killed. Zarian¡¯s anger simmered down as he felt amazement. He had thought himself as crazy as any iconic Florida Man. He was now seeing how far Naomi would push to be an iconic Florida Woman. There was only one problem that Zarian found a little too distracting. It shouldn¡¯t matter when engaging in a dangerous battle, especially when the once formidable hillocks of blackened fortresses were nearly all obliterated. Only some last few remnants remained as their cover, but he still acted on his whims while they still had some time. Using Aura Mastery, he gathered a wall of hardened air in front of Naomi. Then he used the wall to pull Naomi back behind cover and toward him. Naomi didn¡¯t resist him. She looked around at the aura construct and let out a curious hum. She twirled around with a graceful flourish and looked at him with even more interest glinting in her brown eyes. Zarian summoned some new spiders. The last ones had died from the bombardment, unfortunately. The new ones turned around quickly and followed their summoner¡¯s whim, spraying patterns of arcane webbing on Naomi¡¯s chest, hips, and groin area. They layered an intricate two-piece outfit on top of the ragged stuff she wore already. They also wrote out runes with their arcane webbing to reinforce and toughen up the new outfit. ¡°Well, that¡¯s mighty nice of you to spray all of that on me,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Did Bianca give you the idea for this?¡± ¡°We did have a conversation about fashion and wizardry,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I figured you shouldn¡¯t have to worry about a wardrobe malfunction. And if this fails later on, I¡¯ll spray more on you as we go.¡± ¡°Mm, well, I wasn¡¯t really worried too much about that. But I see where your mind¡¯s at. I can dig it.¡± Naomi bounced around, squatted up and down quickly, and flexed her body to get a feel for Zarian¡¯s web clothing. She seemed satisfied by the work of his spiders before she turned back toward incoming trouble. Their cover was practically gone by this point. ¡°Do I need to explain anything?¡± she asked. ¡°No, I¡¯ve been running some in-depth observations the whole time. I got the gist of what¡¯s going on.¡± When Zarian used the full capacity of his mental abilities, he could achieve a lot in little time. Using his Aura Mastery as a far-reaching bar, he¡¯d kept up a three-sixty scanner that passed over a few miles of land and fed to him the most pivotal information. He already knew a lot about the lair they were in after a portion of his mind concentrated on the expanded details. 152: B2: C52: Chimera Tyrant Lair 2 Zarian was almost tempted to bring in the full party after reading the expanded details. This was one hell of a lair crawl, and it connected to Corma¡¯s lore. Ruvaria was already a terrifying figure of history, but apparently there was always more to learn. Had she left this orc alone on purpose? Or had the Star System interjected to use the orc as a challenge? Nonetheless, Zarian figured Naomi wanted this lair mostly for herself since the others had already benefited from the fight against the Arch Cherub. Besides, despite the unique challenges, this was still a more manageable battle compared to Metatron. Ruvaria had set him up to face this before she officially became his dear teacher. The warp energy infused with the landscape that was messing with teleportation efforts was nothing new. He¡¯d faced warp energy while crawling Hannah¡¯s artificial dungeon. He¡¯d faced it again while crawling the hyperbolic time dungeon to prove his worth to Ruvaria officially. Ruvaria predicted this day would come and had me trained so I wouldn¡¯t be caught blindsided, Zarian thought. However, I think I¡¯m going to have an easier time than even my teacher would expect. Just like every other monstrous person with lots of power, I bet she underestimated how stupidly determined Naomi Washington can be. Finally, the bombardment wiped out the last dregs of their cover. Another crimson bolt the size of an intercontinental ballistic missile flew straight at them. Zarian and Para didn¡¯t bother defending themselves. They let Naomi take over in that aspect. With one step forward, the Rumble Psion became a human streak of power, both psychic and physical. She punched the crimson missile so hard that all the shockwave from the eruption moved away from her and Zarian. Then she kicked off the air using her Psychokinesis +2 and punched another crimson missile that tried to fly past her. The following eruption struck a third missile that came in behind the second missile. The third one blew up as Naomi kicked off the air again and played point air defense against the giant crimson energy projectiles. Zarian nodded in satisfaction at her efforts before turning his attention to the source of the heavy bombardment. He focused his Aura Mastery + Identify down one narrow direction, covering multiple miles, before he caught the missile launching creature from afar. He couldn¡¯t get a solid physical description of it other than it reminded him of a floating hot-air balloon, but he got the next best thing. He gained some in-depth info. The new information Zarian could pull from living targets of his Aura Mastery + Identify combo was fascinating. It would¡¯ve been too much info for the version of Zarian that was younger and less capable at the start of his Star System life. Now that he¡¯d built himself up, he could treat all of this info as pivotal pieces to hinge his plans on. Or he could just treat it all as nifty lore while his prime focus remained on the creative game plans he could come up with. No, he would not use Overwhelming Darkness. He really didn¡¯t need it this time. For the case of the godless watcher, he let Naomi get in a workout as she punched against a high level alpha skill that was nearly a +3. Meanwhile, Zarian invited Para to help him create a counter offensive that he could shoot from miles away. Zarian held his hands apart in front of his chest, palms facing each other. Para formed another pair of arms from behind Zaria¡¯s shoulders. Her claw-tipped bone hands hovered over Zarian¡¯s hands. Together, they combined Zarian¡¯s aura as a guide with Para¡¯s aura as the main weapon. This was because of Zarian having the best control and Para having an extra part of her aura that was directly tied to hunger and feasting on aura and magic. They poured their two distinct auras, one of mastery and one of hunger, into a tight ball. Then Zarian infused more and more darkness into the aura projectile using his Dark Affinity and the dark enchantments from his bottoms. Next up, the duo cast some spells together, starting with Black Fire, then Void Authority, then Void Layer. The hard part was keeping half of Black Fire free while the other half of Black Fire fused with Void Layer to create void fire. The original Black fire targeted vitality while void fire targeted aura directly, making them highly effective in suppressing and weakening targets. Zarian and Para¡¯s arms trembled from the powerful combination of auras and spells. Black, gray, and ghostly translucent flames licked out from between their hands. A deep and heavy darkness warped the sunlight and the crimson glow of the Blood Prairies from around them. It seemed like they were ready to shoot their combined conjuration, but wait, there was more. The spectral spiders had kept themselves busy around Zarian and Para. The spiders webbed up a set of gravity runes on all four arms and created a specific enchantment. Then the spiders triggered the gravity enchantment, which led to the conjuration glowing with a foreboding purple light while becoming many times denser. ¡°Naomi! Get behind me in three. Two. One,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Firing for effect.¡± Naomi kicked her feet forward and shot down from the air like a rocket. She landed with a heavy impact somewhere behind Zarian before he and Para pushed their hands forward. A split second before the payload left their mystical grasp, Zarian created a hard aura wall to shield himself and Naomi. The recoil destroyed the aura wall, blasted Zarian backward, and sent him slamming into Naomi, who caught him. Then with her mighty Strength, she held onto him while sliding backwards. A roaring back-blast of wind rolled over them, which left Zarian feeling like an armored meat shield, his limbs flopping in a rag doll manner. Naomi kept such a tight hug around his waist that she crushed portions of his torso and gave his ribs a few hairline fractures. Once the back-blast died down, Naomi gently placed Zarian on his feet. Para and his high vitality patched him up at a quick pace. He checked his notification and saw the effect before the sound wave from the distant impact reached them with a dull roar. ¡°That thing is called a Godless Watcher, Level 95 Wrathful Artillerist. It looks like a demon hot air-balloon and can shoot big explosive energy shots. There might be more of those,¡± Zarian said, as a cloak formed from behind his back armor. ¡°Heh, now you tell me after killing it,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Good shot, by the way.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Thanks.¡± With a flap of the cloak, Para dropped stacks of corpses and boxes of food. Zarian grabbed a few boxes and handed them to Naomi. She took them graciously, sat down, and gobbled down the warm food. Zarian powered through a bunch while Para ate in the background. ¡°Mm, thanks for the food. It helps my meditation skill a lot,¡± Naomi said. ¡°By the way, we didn¡¯t get to say hi, Para. You okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite fine, actually. Thank you for asking, Naomi,¡± Para said, speaking through a mouth on Zarian¡¯s chest plate. ¡°I¡¯m not actively speaking in these moments, since I¡¯m focused on observing our surroundings by multiple means. In fact, there will be an attack from below us in about two minutes. Chimera ghouls are burrowing up from underground.¡± Para could spread little hairs that could burrow just about anywhere. She kept aware of things from weird angles that even Zarian might overlook when he was focused on one particular direction, such as whatever was forward. Para even gave him some new info using Aura Mastery + Identify. This use of Aura Mastery + Identify was interesting. The system had given Para and him a sweep of multiple monsters, all of which were Chimera Ghouls burrowing below the surface. He saw where their levels ranged between. But it looked like the system gave him the best alpha skill of the bunch and its highest advancement and level. The same went for the best trait and best stat among the bunch. Even the lore spoke of how unusually high their Wonder stat was, although that was probably their third highest stat on average. That was still significant. They had a good amount of speed and strength paired with some decent luck on their side, making them more faithful and supernaturally sensitive. Zarian glanced at Naomi. ¡°Did a lot of your scars come from these guys?¡± ¡°About a third of them,¡± Naomi said. ¡°They keep getting a lucky hit here and there when they¡¯re fast enough. They also have this acidic energy stuff that can burn through armor both physical and magical. They came at us in huge waves in the beginning when Ezda, the other gnoll elders, and their best fighters were escorting me here. Eventually, it became too much when that godless watcher kept shooting at us.¡± Zarian nodded. ¡°I wish I was here earlier. I would¡¯ve made a difference, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, you would¡¯ve. But you¡¯re here now. So what are you going to do about them, hm?¡± Naomi waggled her eyebrows. ¡°You won¡¯t let them add more scars on me, would you?¡± Zarian finished wolfing down his share of food. Para finished her share of bodies before he summoned more spiders. Half of the spiders quickly sprayed down the initial framework of a large spell array. The other half sprayed arcane webbing at Zarian directly. He pushed his aura into the web strands and caught them mid air, which was made effortless by how well Aura Mastery worked with Spectral Spider Network +2. Thus, he held mastery over the spider webbing. How and when did he come up with that? He hadn¡¯t thought of it before until he felt especially motivated right now. He shot into the air using more Aura Mastery. Arcane webbing twirled mystically around him as a bright blue tapestry that clashed with the crimson glow of the Blood Prairies. He gestured with his hands like a mystical conductor and lay down the strands where he needed them. As half of his spectral spiders finished their part of the gravity spell array, Zarian did his part with the speed and accuracy of a well-learned wizard. Zarian laid down the last strand and made a quick landing outside of the trap seconds before the Chimera Ghoul broke through the surface. Naomi jogged to his side, and the spiders activated the gravity spell array. A small mountain¡¯s worth of dirt and rock flew upward along with over a hundred Chimera Ghouls. Each chimera was a fusion of undead gnolls, wulvers, raptors, and many other predatory pack creatures that called the Blood Prairies home. They flailed around with multiple limbs, multiple heads, and multiple legs that clawed and snapped about. When the spell array ended, the rapid ascent of the earth and chimeras slowed before reversing course. Zarian cast his Quagmire Pit spell on leveled ground that was next to the hole. It seemed like most of the descending debris and the chimeras would miss the pit and land back in the hole. That was until Naomi walked up under the raining mess and raised her hands. Instead of using her combined stats and abilities to punch her problems, she formed a solid psychic slope with her Psychokinesis +2. This, of course, was hard for her. Her profile focused on combat at the price of utility, so attempting a more creative approach came with growing pains. But that was okay, because Zarian was here. He had multiple ways to help. He used Aura Mastery to solidify the air under Naomi¡¯s slope, providing her with extra support. Then he used Aura Mastery to pump aura down the spider network, straight into Naomi¡¯s mind spider, down into her body, and into the specific profile runes that attached Psychokinesis +2 to her soul. From there, he provided a steady push that gave Naomi¡¯s skill more power without disrupting her. That last part was key. Without enough focus or care, Zarian could jam up Naomi¡¯s skill instead of boosting it. The results spoke for themselves. Tons and tons of rubble came crashing down on their combined slope conjuration and sent tumbling rocks and screeching chimeras into the Quagmire Pit. The quicksand-like bog swallowed up the rubble along with the thrashing chimeras. Some of the chimeras would¡¯ve delayed their sinking if it wasn¡¯t for all the rubble still crashing down on top of them, pushing them under the surface. Zarian waited until they caught everything in the Quagmire Pit. Then he did a trick he had never attempted before until now. He handed the spell cast of Quagmire Pit from his structured portion of his mind to the unraveled portion that was merged with Para. He took a step back and let Para cast the next part of the folktale combo, Dread Mire Bite. A massive maw that was mostly invisible came crashing up with tons of rock and chimeras caught in the wake. The jaws snapped together to demolish and rip apart everything between its teeth. Then, with no hesitation, Para cast Dread Mire Bellow as a follow up. The scaly maw of the mighty creature flashed into appearance before uttering an explosive roar with such volume, the noise resounded far and wide across the entire lair. The shockwave and terror factor curved around Zarian and Naomi, leaving them unaffected. The same couldn¡¯t be said for the chimeras. The Dread Mire Bellow thoroughly brutalized and traumatized the ones that still remained alive. Naomi shot out waves of psychic force to knock away debris and body parts. She stayed by Zarian¡¯s side until things settled down. Then she braced herself a little before emitting a small psychic explosion from her feet, launching high into the air. She hit the zenith of her launch, looked down, and sent her Mind Spike +2 down at the survivors for a quick finish. Multiple heads burst apart like they had small sticks of dynamite going off inside of their skulls. No level up, I see. We are truly facing the grind now, Zarian thought. I guess this is what you can expect on your way to Level 100. That was okay. The skill levels were growing. But he didn¡¯t want to look at them now. He would examine them at the end of the lair crawl. Naomi fell back down with her bare feet pointed toward a patch of crimson grass. With a twitch of her toes, she shot down a blast of psychic force that countered her fall. She made a soft landing and walked over to Zarian with a hand on her hip and a smirk on her face. ¡°I felt that,¡± Naomi said. ¡°The way you went inside of me and made my skill better. I felt all of that.¡± ¡°You like?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± She glanced toward the heart of the lair. More monsters, strange dark magic, and other foul things waited for them. ¡°That was crazy what we did.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you get that creative,¡± Zarian admitted, thinking back to the psychokinetic slope. She shrugged at him. ¡°I saw how you set that up. I felt the idea through the spider network. I went for it, and it worked. But if there¡¯s one thing I can criticize, big tactics like those remove the grind factor a lot.¡± Zarian reached out and flicked Naomi on the nose. She blinked in surprise before letting out a small growl. She waited for him to make his case. ¡°You¡¯re tough as hell, Naomi. Scary, too. You¡¯re so determined to keep rising it makes me feel like I¡¯m lazy. But don¡¯t get so one-track minded all the time, okay? There¡¯s more to the adventures than the grind.¡± Naomi shook her head. ¡°I like the grind. I like the impossible pursuit. I might not be as creative as you, but I¡¯ll grow stronger and stronger as I keep grinding. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°That stuff we just did was pretty cool. I don¡¯t mind you showing me more of that as long as we can mix in the grind with it.¡± ¡°Sure, I can work with that.¡± 153: B2: C53: Void Pit 1 Zarian could see how facing the monsters of the Infinita Star System would test an adventurer¡¯s power, discipline, and adaptability. It was also a test of game design and balance under the veneer of philosophy and morality. All monsters were evil except for special cases, which Zarian knew from having read a few bestiary books inside Reiki¡¯s library. Evil outnumbered good by a massive degree. That was why good aligned creatures and adventurers had power ups. The stereotypical ¡®good guys¡¯ needed the extra power to survive, and perhaps thrive, against overwhelming evil odds. This would sometimes lead to the evil alignment being mere fodder thrown against a meat grinder. That was an obvious consequence when quantity wasn¡¯t enough to overcome quality in a classical fight of good versus evil. However, things could change drastically when ancient evil grew smarter and figured out ways to really ruin an adventurer¡¯s day. Zarian and Naomi saw that for themselves as the monsters of the Chimera Tyrant Lair used more cunning tactics, turning up the difficulty for the Florida Man and Florida Woman. They can weaponize warp energy? Zarian thought with some surprise as he and Naomi ran deeper into the lair. Warp beams flew in from distant attackers that were well concealed from his senses. Since the duo were on the move, they prioritized forward progress instead of counter attacks, which left them in a hairy situation. I shouldn¡¯t be too shocked, honestly. I¡¯ve seen how Warper and the other skeletons with warp enchantments use it for unique maneuvers. But those maneuvers had always remained simple, mostly applied to a few short range teleportation tricks paired with melee tactics. This was the first time Zarian dealt with offensive torrents of warp energy on straight courses for him and Naomi. They dodged aside multiple beams, each one screeching like a thousand banshees getting pushed down a long and echoey pipe. Zarian felt the warp beams create insidious tears in reality on their way past the duo, messing with his link to the void and causing issues for his Aura Mastery, too. The damages to local reality didn¡¯t stick for long. Zarian could sense the Star System inserting itself to fix the dimensional damages quickly. But there were other consequences. Wild arcane magic seeped through the tears before they sealed up. The strange magic came from places unknown while invading an environment that was already wild enough. The dirt under the crimson ground bled with putrid blood and turned soggy under Zarian¡¯s shadowy boots and Naomi¡¯s bare feet. Multiple, blocky shaped thunderstorms and sudden dark magic tornadoes that were also blocky appeared in seconds. The stormy weather hurled out roaring mystic winds, cursed thunderbolts, and a downpour of foul rain that was highly poisonous for most people. In half a minute, the Madness Wizard and Rumble Psion found their patch of crimson grass and blackened fortress hillocks getting dumped on. These sorts of calamities would¡¯ve annihilated cities and killed anyone below Level 70 almost instantly. Zarian pushed his aura into a solid dome to defend against the horrific weather. Naomi encased herself in impenetrable psychic armor as she led the way toward the heart of the lair. ¡°Damn, this is wild!¡± Naomi yelled back over her shoulder. Zarian reasoned that was one hell of an understatement. He didn¡¯t have a verbal response because he and Para were making some calculative preparations for the outright clusterfuck that was about to crash upon them. There was a reason this lair remained undefeated for a long time, or the Lesser World Boss wouldn¡¯t be here anymore. Unlike Metatron, natural world bosses could only live once, so it was easy to think that many adventurers had died to this world boss. Zarian was starting to wonder if his dear teacher had lied to him about the lair¡¯s world boss being ¡®easier¡¯ than Metatron. I really shouldn¡¯t be surprised when Ruvaria lies, since her way of teaching is to push for perfection and toss mentees into the deep end of the shit. Hence why Zarian was preparing for the worst now, or at least he prepared as far as he could while Overwhelming Darkness remained sealed away. It was also too late to go back and get reinforcements, so they had to commit. Thankfully, there was no need to voice his preparations to Naomi since she could read his thoughts with the help of her Psionic Affinity and the spider network. She gave him the impression that she was ready to go no matter what. Her boldness made him smile a little. He dropped his smile as they triggered the main trap, which also triggered a big ambush.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Below! Zarian thought, keeping in sync with Para while Naomi responded with no lag. The psion followed his example even when he didn¡¯t evade. He didn¡¯t go up in the air either. As his heart hammered in his chest, Zarian slid to a stop in the middle of the trap. The heels of his shadowy boots dug ruts through blood, poisoned water, and mud. Naomi slid to a stop ahead of him as Zarian and Para aimed four arms down at the rising trouble. The muddy ground was bleeding more profusely, shooting up jettisons of blood like someone had stabbed multiple major arteries hidden under the surface. The blood glowed with a familiar crimson light that was ghastly and dangerous. Zarian knew this style of magic intimately. It was like the first spell he¡¯d cast when he began his adventure in the Infinita Star System ¨C Bloody Lifesteal. But this older version was at a larger scale stretched out for thousands of feet around them, and it was many times deadlier. Zarian could tell that the spell wouldn¡¯t need to draw blood from any wound. It would simply coat them with magic blood and drain their life energy directly from their bodies, which was a devious twist to Zarian¡¯s own Bloody Lifesteal. How could Zarian counter this? He mucked up the spell trap by casting an intensified Quagmire Pit that he and Para worked on together, increasing the reach of the spell. They covered most of the trap with a bubbling bog covered in orange infernal flames and noxious fumes that were harmless to him and Naomi. Zarian thought that should be enough until he felt a shift from the trap spell. He noticed the enemy spell was trying to take over his own quagmire spell and turn it bloody and against him. Hell no! Zarian slammed down his aura and shoved back the bloody takeover. But that was a temporary measure against something established in its own ancient territory. Still, he pushed and pushed. He gave the battle of spellcraft a lot of his attention, but not all of it. Zarian used a portion of his mind to scan their surroundings with Aura Mastery + Identify. He fed the information to Naomi¡¯s head as multiple enemies closed in. There were new godless watchers coming down from the stormy sky, three in total. His earlier descriptions of them were fitting. They really looked like hot air balloons, but covered in grotesque, patchy gray skin. They were armed with a single eye that was mostly black except for its angry crimson iris and eye veins that shone like lava cracks. Each eye glowed with a harmful red light as they charged up their artillery shot. Underneath the godless watchers, there was the seemingly endless army of chimera ghouls. They came to a stop outside of the giant Quagmire Pit and howled with their many heads like the twisted demons of Hidden Hell. The chimeras didn¡¯t move any further since they were aware of the effects of the Quagmire Pit. They were waiting for the bloody takeover before they rushed in as an angry and savage mob with acidic force oozing from their claws, fangs, and talons. These two monster types were known to Zarian, Para, and Naomi. But there were two more monster types that weren¡¯t known except for the briefest mentioning prior. The new ones were the giant serpents and warp fey, which Zarian examined quickly for key info. The giant serpents were twice as wide as train carts. They had heavy stone armor and ranged in length from five hundred to seven hundred feet. They moved with a persistent and heavy locomotion like someone had rolled up a small mountain and gave it the ability to slither. They were so big, Zarian almost thought the giant serpents would automatically sink into the quagmire. He knew that wouldn¡¯t happen based on the expanded details. He still felt a little disappointed when the giant serpents kept moving over the quagmire on a collision course for the puny humans who dared to challenge their master. Unfortunately, the serpents weren¡¯t his gravest concern. The description for the warp fey as flying midget-sized gremlins was fitting. They had wrinkly bodies like someone took their ancient grandparents and crunched them down. They had needle-like teeth and sharp claws on their hands and feet. They flew using wasp-like wings, and they had twisted horns on their heads like devils. They had no eyes. Instead, they had little orbs of ultraviolet warp energy spiraling crazily in the sockets. They were the reason for the lair being heavily drenched in warp energy. Now there were fifteen of them flying in close while charging warp beams to rip Zarian and Naomi apart. Out of all the present monsters, they were the deadliest. Naomi did a quick scan of the closing net of death and destruction. She gave it all a nonchalant shrug and turned her back on them. Her eyes landed on Zarian, expecting him to find a solution. Zarian felt a twinge of embarrassment because he didn¡¯t have a sophisticated solution. All he could do was brute force his way through and try something he¡¯d never done before. Might as well give it my all! With a mighty roar that was bestial and far-reaching, Zarian and Para put their all into their combined wizardry, casting the Void Authority and Void Layer spells on the Quagmire Pit. They shoved off the bloody takeover. They shoved away the warp energy that was dampening their void abilities. They pushed their mastery over aura to the max and raised their spellcraft to the umpteenth degree in greatness. They turned the Quagmire Pit into a void pit, making it a giant circle on the ground that was blacker than black. It was so dark, every flash of light, color, and ambient magic was sucked into it. Obviously, that was nowhere near enough to satisfy the void pit. 154: B2: C54: Void Pit 2 The first major obstacle to fall to the void pit was the bloody trap spell. The void pit dismantled the ancient spell array and sucked it into its endless depths. Then the void pit sucked in the chimera ghouls waiting on the edges. Zarian¡¯s spell devoured the chimeras before they could escape. The giant serpents were the next ones to fall. Their massive physique and enhanced ability to maneuver over difficult terrain was no use against the hungry, hungry void pit. By this point, the godless watchers were shooting down their explosive artillery blasts from high up. But many of the huge magic missiles curved away from Zarian and Naomi and fell into the depths of the void pit. The godless watchers kept trying, and they kept failing. Last but not least, the warp fey became the targets of the void pit. Unlike the others, they could defend against its hungering suction to the unknown with their faerie abilities and warp manipulation. They stayed hovering over the void pit, remaining airborne. But that was at the cost of speed and being able to attack. Naomi ran up on the warp fey, completely safe and sound from Zarian¡¯s void pit. She launched into flying punches that blew the fey monsters apart like popping old and wrinkly pimples. The warp fey could only scream and flail as Naomi rampaged through their ranks and slaughtered them one by one. When the fey tried to fight back with warp attacks, they lost their flight capabilities and dropped closer to the void pit. Fearing the void, they traded offense for survivability and came out losing. Naomi cleaned them out before they could escape. Once the last warp fey died, Zarian ended the massive spell and collapsed to a knee. The Star System returned all the monsters that fell to the void pit and made it rain cold, lifeless, void-ravaged corpses. None of the dead monsters landed on him even when massive snake bodies struck the ground like mini mountains. Zarian¡¯s entire body trembled with discomfort and stress after performing the biggest spell maneuver he ever used. Hell, he might¡¯ve exerted himself so much he¡¯d burned through the stamina portion of his vitality, so he really needed to catch his breath. Even with Aura Channeler and Summon Wizard Hat +2, which were two abilities that made channeling aura more efficient, the warp energy debuff hampered them greatly. That was the reason he had to brute force his way through and go about things inefficiently. Worse yet, all void abilities had high costs already, which made Zarian¡¯s effort to thwart both the blood trap and monster ambush a feat of legendary or mythic proportions. He supposed the records on his Feats of Adventure would love that if he didn¡¯t get any high-quality achievements. So, yeah, he needed a mini break. That didn¡¯t mean he was completely out of the fight and left defenseless. Not when he had Para flicking out long and sharp parasite whips to pop artillery shots before the landed flush. Thunderous shockwaves battered him from above, but Para had grown more armor over his body to keep him protected. While Para defended her host, Naomi flew like a psychic rocket and struck at each godless watcher with a punch or two. Once she killed them all, she landed with a heavy, psychic slam that shook the earth like a giant had come down from the sky. She jogged over to Zarian and stood at the ready by his side. With a big breath, Zarian stood to his feet. He looked around and noticed how the annoying warp energy was thinner in the air. The wild and alien weather was gone, too, having been sucked into the void pit. The Star System didn¡¯t care to bring back the invasive wild magic that hadn¡¯t belonged here. Zarian and Naomi looked up at the clear sky as the twin suns entered the last part of their arc, turning the western horizon orange and gold and bruised purple. ¡°You¡¯re incredible,¡± Naomi said, looking left and right at the field of corpses. ¡°I need to be,¡± Zarian said with a sigh. ¡°Because you¡¯re chasing after me.¡± ¡°Nice, nice. I like the thrill of the chase.¡± Zarian snorted at the crazy woman. After spending time to recover stamina and aura, he raised some new humanoid skeletons and stored them away in the cloak¡¯s pocket dimension along with spare food for Para. Then they moved onto the next challenge. This time around, Zarian noticed how the lairs¡¯ defenders and traps were less formidable than before. It was as if the lair had blown their load early on the big blood trap and monster ambush. There was a significant reduction of warp energy, too. Only a few warp beams would screech through the air and try to mess with them. ¡°Zarian, enhance my Overclock +2 and Mind Spike +2, please,¡± Naomi requested, hopping to the top of a smashed apart fortress. Zarian held off for a second as his Parasite Cloak +2 swung out heavy whips, blade-tipped tentacles, and scythes to hack apart another wave of chimera ghouls. He blasted them with his Black Fire spell to wipe out their vitality and ensure their deaths.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Then Zarian swooped into the air, dodged another warp beam attack from a concealed fey, and did as Naomi requested. He poured aura carefully into two sets of skill runes to empower her. He noticed this was probably the limit for him when targeting another person¡¯s skills for empowerment, at least for now. Naomi widened her eyes. She turned in a particular direction, her eyes twitching left and right, up and down rapidly. Then Zarian felt her send a volley of psychic attacks that covered the distance almost instantly. He soon noticed some new notifications that counted a dozen warp fey as defeated. Naomi had killed them all once she scouted them out, despite their concealment. ¡°They¡¯re good at hiding from the mystical stuff you use,¡± Naomi explained. ¡°But I¡¯m mainly Willpower and psychic shit, and those little warp bitches don¡¯t have much Willpower or vitality. So boosting my Overclock +2 helped me see further and truer so I can get the lock on. Then the rest was history once I used Mind Spike +2.¡± She raised her hands to the sides of her head and pantomimed an explosion. Zarian slowly nodded as he felt the warp energy lessen drastically around the lair. Now he and Para could use the Void Waltz spell more liberally. ¡°Damn good work, Marine,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Command better get my NAM ready,¡± Naomi said. Zarian fell from the sky and landed in a pile of dead monsters. He let out a few hard barks of laughter as he clutched his gut. The inside joke had caught him off guard. He remembered how some overachieving, boot-licking Marines would do everything they could to get a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and act like they were hot shit. None of that stuff mattered to him and Naomi now, especially with how the Marines had kicked Zarian out. Still funny as hell. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Zarian said between chuckles. ¡°I¡¯ll let the captain know to have that Letter of Appreciation signed and ready. Everybody¡¯s going to love waking up fifteen minutes before fifteen minutes before physical training just to hear how you¡¯re a stellar Marine.¡± ¡°Kill babies, eat crayons, motivate, motivate, motivate, rah,¡± Naomi said, playing into the bit of how random and stupid the Marines could be. She made Zarian laugh some more. After they finished joking around, Naomi hopped down from the top of the busted fortress and helped Zarian back to his feet. Para ate up all the nearest corpses and placed extra into the pocket dimension. The Marine Corps duo continued their venture deeper into the lair by land and air. Naomi ran through the crimson grass with powerful strides that rocked the earth as if she was a giantess of war. Zarian flew after her with his Parasite Cloak +2 fluttering behind him like a galaxy-consuming eldritch flag. They crushed the remaining waves of chimera ghouls that tried to stop them. They reached the heart of the lair. Naomi stood over a big and cavernous hole leading deep into a dark and rocky subterranean pit. She wriggled her toes over the edge and placed her fists on her hips. Zarian hovered in the air behind her. He looked down and scanned the things lurking below with his masterful abilities. ¡°Mm,¡± Zarian hummed. ¡°What¡¯s the SITREP?¡± Naomi asked. Zarian took a second to gather his thoughts about the situation report. Then he said, ¡°Five Blood Simulacrums. Three Flesh Golems. And one Deathless Warden. That¡¯s all that¡¯s in the way of reaching the world boss. I can¡¯t get an accurate bead on the world boss. But I know it¡¯s at the center of some dark and creepy citadel at the bottom.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all above Level 100, and the Deathless Warden is in the Master Rank. We can assume the world boss is above Level 100 and in the Master Rank as well.¡± Not all creatures who reached Level 100 entered the Master Rank. Some creatures might¡¯ve grown from age and time and had done nothing spectacular, so they didn¡¯t get the benefits of the rank ups. Zarian and his friends were on their way to hitting Level 100, where they would get their Second Class Advancement and become Master Rankers based on all the spectacular things they were doing. They were also on their way to having access to the First Star Ascension Trial, which would let them ascend to the Greater Worlds. Having adventures and fights against monstrous entities like these would make their rank up and ascension all the better. Hence why they were doing stuff that most people, especially the locals of this world, wouldn¡¯t do. Granted, fighting a handful of Level 100s and two Master Rankers was a challenge that could spell their doom on top of the other bad stuff waiting to trigger. Zarian continued with his SITREP. ¡°Also, the citadel has magic wards that work like a death puzzle you have to solve. Or some doomsday weapon would activate and most likely kill us.¡± ¡°You still have a life-saving charge with your divine medallion, right?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Yeah, I do. And you?¡± he asked with a serious tone. Naomi straightened, her head held high, her backside still facing him. ¡°I¡¯m good. I died eight days ago. We can risk it, sir.¡± Zarian slowly nodded and relaxed a little. There was the option to reverse course and Void Waltz to their party to gather reinforcements. Gilbert alone would be the biggest boon to keep them healthy and safe. But if they added Hannah? And Bianca? They would dominate without question. Zarian looked hard at Naomi¡¯s back while she continued to face away from him. He knew she could feel his stare. He was unsurprised when she started swaying her hips from side to side playfully. She kept wiggling her toes over the edge like an excited kid. She was teasing him, knowing what he was going to do. Zarian didn¡¯t bother trying to overthink it. ¡°I promised Gilbert I wouldn¡¯t be dumb,¡± Zarian muttered. ¡°So I will not be dumb. We¡¯ll go in carefully and get you the achievements for killing a Lesser World Boss. But after this, we¡¯re going to play things way, way smarter. This lair turned out harder than I expected.¡± Why do I keep wanting challenges, but I run into over the top challenges most adventurers would never face? Zarian wondered. Can I get challenges that are in the middle? Not super over the top. But not hella boring? Or am I lying to myself and trying to play off as the reasonable one next to this murderhobo woman. Zarian¡¯s thoughts weren¡¯t secured right now, but if Naomi had read them, his thoughts seemed to have no effect on her rising mood. Or maybe they only made her happier as she twirled around to give him a big, cheesy, and beautiful smile. The many little scars on her lips and face and the wild atmosphere surrounding her only seemed to enhance how full of life she looked out here in the most horrible lands of the Walled Continent. Zarian looked at her for a while. She kept smiling at him until he looked away with a frown. He hated how she was getting better at pushing his buttons. But he wasn¡¯t so wet behind the ears anymore, not after letting his mind unravel so much. He pushed her buttons in return, which he did literally by shoving her off the edge with some aura and condensed air. Then he flew after her, zipping through the air as she flipped around loosely, making no attempt to help herself. He came around from below and caught her gently, holding her to his chest. Naomi kept beaming an annoying and cheesy smile at him. Zarian furrowed his brow and frowned at her. Crazy woman. In fact, I think I¡¯m pretty damn sane compared to her right now. I bet Gilbert would be proud of how sane and reasonable I¡¯m being. Maybe that¡¯s my ultimate form, being the most sane Florida Man anyone would ever meet. 155: B2: C55: Research Spiders Jokes aside, I think I¡¯m missing something, Zarian thought, becoming more serious as they drew closer to deathly danger. I faced multiple challenges where warp energy was involved. It feels like there¡¯s a lesson I¡¯m supposed to learn, but I keep missing it. I bet Ruvaria is trying to teach me something in a very roundabout and brutal way, but I really can¡¯t see what it is yet. He¡¯d missed some opportunities to copy the High Warp Manipulation skill from the Warp Fey. There were bound to be a few still zipping around somewhere. But Zarian hadn¡¯t focused on that for two reasons. The Warp Fey were fairly decent at defending themselves from direct aura manipulation, at least while in combat. And it was easier to kill them than to capture them while he and Naomi had rushed toward the heart of the lair. To be fair to me, I¡¯m not in the mood for more Level 0 skill copies right now. I got a bunch of other stuff to work on first. He could also ask Hannah to help him. She was great at using warp runes and enchantments. That way, he could get in extra study without juggling more powers. Zarian kept unpacking the warp problem in one part of his mind while descending into an even denser field of warp energy. He landed at the start of a spacious bridge that was covered in layers and layers of ancient dark blood. After scanning the area with Aura Mastery + Identify multiple times, Zarian concluded they had to start from the beginning of the bridge. That way, they could avoid triggering the wards that were all over the place, even in the air. Each ward linked to something so devastating, it could wipe out a small country. This was the true danger of a world boss, a Tier 4 creature that was a threat to hundreds of thousands to millions of lives. Zarian placed Naomi down. As she settled her feet on the blood-caked bridge, the two scanned their surroundings with their eyes. The setting light of the twin suns could barely reach down here in the cavernous pit. When Zarian looked up, he noticed how all light dimmed down to near black because of the inherent dark magic of the black citadel. Other adventurers might find that horrifying. Zarian would¡¯ve found it cozy if it wasn¡¯t for the warp energy. To the sides, and behind him, there were churning blood pools filled with squirming corpses. Each body was humanoid or bestial, or something in between. Beyond the blood pools, Zarian saw rivulets and streams of dark blood pouring in from gaps and tunnels from the sides of the cavernous pit. The streams fed into the main blood river under the bridge, which contained other half-living wretches that were an amalgamation of oddly fitted bones, taffy-like flesh, and partially rotten organs. As for the source of the heavy warp energy and destructive wards, Zarian noted how the citadel looked like a shattered fortress that had a rounded dome at the center. The citadel was amid toppled walls, decrepit ramparts, and uneven courtyards filled with skeletons and cursed fungi. Multiple towers lay over the citadel¡¯s dome after falling over from an ancient calamity years ago. The more Zarian looked at the stronghold of the Chimera Tyrant, the more he believed the expanded details on how the citadel had once existed on the surface. Fourteen hundred years ago, some twisted wild magic happened here, collapsing the citadel from the surface to this pit. This was also when the boss evolved into a league that could threaten large populations if it was to leave its lair and roam about. Zarian dropped all verbal conversation and communicated with Naomi and Para directly through thoughts, feelings, and impressions. After some practice, Zarian realized he could invite Naomi closer into his mind because of her Psionic Affinity. It was an intimate proposition, almost risky, but this could help them sync up even better. After all, Naomi¡¯s psychic abilities could scan a scenario in a way that differed from Zarian, and she could gain a more direct benefit from how Zarian saw things. More importantly, when Naomi held a larger presence in his mind, Zarian felt more at ease. Maybe it was because Zarian had a high amount of Willpower and some powerful mental abilities that paired well with Naomi¡¯s profile. Or maybe it was because they had personalities that worked well with each other, finding strong compatibility. Nonetheless, Zarian was happy that they could merge consciousnesses a little with no drawbacks. Para was happy, too, because she liked Naomi and could share impressions more directly with her. Naomi even accepted Para¡¯s darker and more fiendish impressions that came with being a man-eating article of parasitic clothing. Naomi was awesome like that. Without a word, the militant woman knew where she was needed to help Zarian. She took a few steps forward and placed herself on guard. Para watched their flanks with a field of aura and countless thin strands that reached out to scout about. Nothing came out to meet them at the beginning of the bridge. Nothing came from the citadel to greet them. There was a rusted gate on the other side that was about to fall free from the crumbled edges of its stone frame. Other than that, there were no true obstacles, only the wards. With their defenses staged and no hostilities in sight, Zarian focused on tackling the wards first. There were multiple ways to go about that. If Hannah was here, she would¡¯ve challenged the wards directly, find their weaknesses, and break them down. Hell, Hannah would¡¯ve turned the wards around to her benefit and use them against the remaining monsters lurking down here in the sunken citadel. If Bianca was here, she would¡¯ve burned out the wards herself. That was not a scenario that would come up often, but Zarian had it in mind that Bianca¡¯s powerful abilities and free good +5 could cheat her way through challenges like these with enough laser beams and flashy sword princess maneuvers. That was, of course, a riskier tactic to take. The world boss would¡¯ve faced such adventurers like Bianca before and placed down some countermeasures. In fact, Zarian could sense some buried traps that were connected to the wards and concealed under heavy layers of warp energy. Because of those warp layers, Zarian couldn¡¯t get a clear scan of the enchantments and their runes.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. It was too risky to take a more brute force approach for now. Again, the warp energy problem stood in his way. But this time, the warp energy was more concentrated and debilitating than ever before. He experimented by casting his Void Authority spell and trying to manipulate the warp energy directly. He ran into a lot of difficulty. The warp energy functioned on a chaotic frequency that differed vastly from the void. Warp energy existed perpetually in a gap between three-dimensional reality and the vast reaches of the void. It was kind of wild to think how Hannah could use warp enchantments and apply them to skeletons as a simple element. Yet, for Zarian and other particular casters, warp energy was a major weakness on a larger scale. The fact that warp users could use teleportation made Zarian think it should fall under the power of his Void Authority. However, it kept slipping from his grasp, rebelling against him and staying unwieldy and wild. Zarian felt growing frustration as his Void Authority spell failed again and again. What is it I¡¯m missing here? Do I really need to copy another system skill? Or is it an actual ¡®skill issue¡¯ I¡¯m not grasping? Naomi¡¯s soothing psychic energy entered his head. She was sharing her Tranquil Mind +2 with him through their link. It helped a lot. A lot, a lot. After half a minute of Naomi soothing him, Zarian dropped his Void Authority spell. He entered a low hover over the bridge and crossed his legs, placing his hands on his knees. He meditated on the problem. Zarian carefully combined the powers of his Unraveled Mind, High Rune Mindframe, free evil +4, and Naomi¡¯s Tranquil Mind +2 during his meditation. Then Zarian took things a step further when he flipped his Overpower trait from boosting all his stats by 25% and focused on boosting one skill by 125%. Zarian had stopped using the Overpower trait for the one-skill boost because the increase in stats overall paid off more. He also needed a significant adjustment period when he lost the stat boost, which could screw him up in the middle of a heated battle. It wasn¡¯t a big deal when he had fewer stats in the lower levels. But now the stats were high enough where rapid changes were a hindrance most times. On this occasion, he raised the power of his High Rune Mindframe so much he felt his mind zoom like electricity down a cable. He made numerous calculations, like a computer, which helped him disregard the heavy drop in overall stats for now. Eventually, Zarian found a solution to the main issues. But the solution would require him to get really, really conceptual with the relativity of what existed in between separate dimensions. Zarian opened his eyes while remaining in his meditative hover. In a flash of black light, he summoned the Advanced Grimoire of Black Magic. The spectral chains on the covers rattled ghoulishly. The spell book spread open and flipped its pages rapidly in front of Zarian. Once the grimoire reached the gravity section, Zarian used the Aura Mastery + Lore Eater combo. He devoured the study material at a more rapid pace. Ironically, this might mess up his progress with learning the entire gravity spell. The gravity spell was a tricky, tricky beast that only got harder the further Zarian learned, especially if he tried to learn too fast. With a lot of things involving the gravity spell, time and speed and even the mass of knowledge he¡¯d gained was relative to its grand scheme. Still, Zarian sifted through the gravity pages quickly. He put together a series of runes and enchantments that would help him build a particular spell array. After a few minutes, he¡¯d gathered what he needed. He closed the grimoire and submerged it back into his soul before summoning three hundred spectral spiders. He passed the series of runes and enchantments to his spiders via the spider network. He watched them spin their webs and conduct tiny gravity experiments on the blood-caked floor in front of him. This went on for thirty minutes. By this point, all light from the setting suns outside disappeared. The Florida Man, the Florida Woman, and their spiders did their work in the deep darkness of the sunken citadel. The red glow of the foul blood pools and the blood river barely served as much light. That was perfectly okay. Zarian could see just fine, and through him Naomi could see decently, too. Amid the red glow, orange flickers appeared on the edges of powerful warp fields and warp vents pushed out from the center of the citadel. Sometimes, there were even warp pulses that could scramble delicate magic patterns. Thankfully, Zarian and his spiders had accounted for the high density of the warp field with their gravity experiments. When the warp energy collapsed an experiment, they adjusted their calculations and tried again with more experiments. Then Zarian noticed one little gravity experiment creating a tiny bead of gravity magic. Inside of that little bead, there were the captured particles of environmental aura and warp energy crushed together. Zarian directed his attention to the team of research spiders that had developed this successful model. He received a full briefing from them via the spider network and interpretive spider dances. Then Zarian shared the results with the other research spiders. They replicated the same warp-trapping model. They found a high amount of successes. That was the good news. The bad news was the scalability. Zarian didn¡¯t have enough aura to make a larger and more applicable gravity array that would completely wipe out the citadel¡¯s warp fields. So he went for a more conservative but daring approach after scanning the wards and making a few adjustments to the models. Then he summoned more and more and more spiders. He didn¡¯t stop until he had over two thousand of them. Knowing their assignment, the spiders saluted Zarian and Naomi before skittering out in all directions. There were so many of the pale blue and ghostly fellows that Naomi chanced a look away from guard duty. She watched them stream past her feet. She prodded at a few with her big toe and smiled a little. Then she wore her serious Marine-On-Guard face again and continued keeping watch at the front. There were still no enemies. Zarian appreciated the ethics of boss monsters and ancient evils who grew lazy over the years. He waited as his stealthy little guys maneuvered around traps, around trigger sections of the wards, and around billowing vents of warp energy that could blast them away. The spiders had to get creative to avoid the blood pools and blood river. They constructed web bridges and rope swings. They even put down tiny gravity arrays that would send them up into the air, then they would ride on some web boards to get past further obstacles. They reached the perimeter of the sunken citadel on all sides and began their highly detailed work. They webbed down the framework for a giant, interconnected network of runes and supportive enchantments for one big and costly gravity array. Despite how fast and highly leveled the spiders were, Zarian and Naomi were going to have to wait. Normally, they would¡¯ve filled it with jokes or teases. But the two settled into a comfortable silence while focused on their duties. Naomi stood like a powerful sentry who wouldn¡¯t let anything get past her and reach the wizard. Zarian kept his high-functioning brain running to coordinate with thousands of spiders that were constructing the biggest spell array he¡¯d ever drafted. The work took over an hour to finish the fundamental structures. The finishing touches were exhausting by this point for Zarian. He felt a crushing pressure on his mind for running it so hard for so long. He felt like he was about to burn out. Para comforted him from the back of his mind. Naomi remained as steady as bedrock for him because of her Tranquil Mind +2 and reliable personality. With these two helping him with their warming presence, Zarian felt like he could keep going. He was getting close to finishing the big gravity array. He smirked a little when he had a quick thought about achievements and his Feats of Adventure he would earn, but he didn¡¯t dwell on that for long. The rewards could wait for later. Things were going well. Then Ezda showed up and ruined things. ¡°My alpha! My sigma! I can smell you are close! I¡¯ve returned to help you!¡± 156: B2: C56: Best Nepo Wizard 1 Zarian caught sight of Ezda in her giant hyena form. She was running over the edge of the citadel pit with whirlwind speed, and the spider scouts up there weren¡¯t able to signal for her to stop in time. Descending into the cavernous pit, Ezda had on a big goofy smile as foul air and drafts of warp energy flowed past her. She was heading straight toward one of the ward triggers. The idiot, Zarian thought wearily. He was in too deep with the finishing touches for his massive spell array. He couldn¡¯t stop Ezda himself. Naomi tried to intervene, raising a hand and sending a careful pulse of psychic force to catch Ezda. Unfortunately, Naomi remained an example of why combat prowess at the sacrifice of flexibility and utility could sometimes be detrimental. Naomi couldn¡¯t get to Ezda in time. The gnoll elder¡¯s giant beast body collided with an invisible piece of the wards hovering in the air. The collision led to a moderate-sized but potent explosion of foul magic. Blood energy, warp energy, and necrotic energy tore at Ezda¡¯s body. The gnoll howled in surprise as her body redirected away from Naomi¡¯s psychic grab. Ezda hurtled down toward the blood river while the fiendish energies attacked her toughness, vitality, and life energy. Naomi was going to attempt another psychic grab, but a mental warning from Para turned her attention to something more dire. A deadly attack was flying straight at her back. Naomi spun around fast and swung her arm. The Rumble Psion deflected a giant spear that was twenty feet long. The impact rocked the bridge and forced Naomi to stumble backward. The giant spear flipped through the air, stopped, then flew back to its handler ¡­ the Deathless Warden. The solemn monster had appeared from nowhere on top of the rubble on the citadel¡¯s dome. He stood like a tall and mighty man encased in black, heavy armor. Red orbs looked out from the eye holes on the face of his big metal helmet. Meanwhile, multiple blood pools flashed with sinister red light behind Zarian and Naomi. Five nearly translucent Blood Simulacrums rose from the pools. On the other side of the bridge near the rusted gate, tons and tons of squirming, half-alive bodies rose out of the river. They combined into three towering Flesh Golems. Last, but not least, the magic doomsday device activated. The warp field grew more violent. The maze of wards lit up with green, orange, and black lights that flickered hauntingly. A caustic and wild cage settled over the sunken citadel, leaving no means of escape. In just a few minutes, the entire area would explode with such force it would kill Zarian, Naomi, and Ezda. Only the Floridians would come back alive because of the divine medallions in their souls. But Ezda would remain dead afterward. I won¡¯t allow it, Zarian thought wrathfully as the darkness inside of his soul quivered against the seals. Ezda¡¯s an idiot. But she¡¯s my idiot. Nobody will take what¡¯s MINE! The Overwhelming Darkness quivered again. Zarian felt very, very hungry suddenly. This hunger differed from the hunger he felt from the Parasite Cloak +2. This was cosmic hunger. The type of hunger that could eat worlds and galaxies, universes and multiverses. The seals struggled. The pools of darkness around the sunken citadel whirled. Zarian let out a heavy huff and leaned into Para¡¯s consciousness for her help. He stayed on task. ¡°Naomi,¡± Zarian grunted. ¡°I need another minute.¡± Zarian maintained his meditative hover and focused on his first task, eliminating the doomsday device. Naomi would have to fight eight Level 100s and a Master Ranker without him for the time being. ¡­ ¡­ Naomi knew what she was facing. Zarian had already informed her of the primary dangers that she should be wary of. Other adventurers would¡¯ve found all of this too shocking, but Naomi wasn¡¯t the type to turn down a challenge. ¡°Aye, sir,¡± Naomi said, triggering the First Stage of Aura Ignition. Naomi¡¯s body erupted with a large greenish blue bonfire. A thunderous shockwave blasted from her body and bounced off the walls from every direction, which nearly broke Zarian¡¯s concentration. Her first stage was vastly stronger and vastly crazier than before. It was to where the aura implosion and aura backwash disturbed everything highly magical. The doomsday device, the warded cage, and Zarian¡¯s giant gravity array got scrambled shortly by Naomi¡¯s Aura Ignition, which both horrified and intrigued Zarian.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Hell, the Blood Simulacrums lost their basic functions and moved about erratically. One simulacrum fired a blood beam down the length of the bridge and into a Flesh Golem, taking a chunk off its chest, even. Despite the brief ignition jamming, the enemy¡¯s ancient doomsday spell device remained active and running. Zarian refocused and kept building his countermeasure while under the clock. Naomi braced herself to brawl like a savage Super Saiyan, but the odds were still against her. Then the odds equalized a little more when Para hurled out three dozen skeletons from the pocket dimension and raised them to fight. Meanwhile, Ezda stood out of the blood river and looked brutally ravaged while also ¡­ larger. Way, way larger. And way angrier. A small part of Zarian wondered what was going through Ezda¡¯s head after her latest folly. Could she actually help for once? *** Ezda of the Blood Prairie Savages believed Zarian Darkrun was the One True God of Absolute Killing. She¡¯d convinced some of the other elders to follow her belief, change to the freedom alignment, and reject Evil God Killall, who was a stupid and puny god compared to the One True God. Zarian¡¯s godly power was hidden in the flesh of a dark human form. But even that human form was quite wild and impressive, so it was fitting to call him the alpha when he acted as a gnoll would, but more humanized. She wanted to lead him through the proper blood rites of the central clan, the original clan that took over all the others to form the Blood Prairie Savages many years ago. Ezda was a descendant of the first gnolls who stood above all gnolls on the Walled Continent. She knew the rites by heart. But how could she lead the rites for the One True God of Absolute Killing when she constantly made a fool of herself? It was hard to understand herself now that she was free evil +1. She could feel more emotions that traditional evil would¡¯ve suppressed. She regretted how she¡¯d disrespected her hidden god when he first appeared on a throne in the forest. Instead of killing her for her foolishness, he¡¯d disciplined her with his dark and mighty rod. That was the first time she¡¯d felt a hint of his true power before the Darkrun Apocalypse revealed the truth. She regretted how she¡¯d revealed more of her foolishness by having low Willpower while up against corrupted creatures, which had her petrified like a weakling. That had been an extremely embarrassing experience for her. Now down in the heart of the deadliest lair of the Blood Prairies, she felt embarrassed for having triggered a trap and making things harder for Alpha Elder Zarian and Sigma Elder Naomi. Ezda desperately wanted to impress her alpha. But now all Ezda could feel was hatred for herself. She wanted her alpha and sigma to flay the flesh and fur off her body to punish her for her constant foolishness. But they were kinder than most gnoll elders. She knew they would forgive her even if she couldn¡¯t forgive herself. Thus, Ezda did the next best thing that came to mind. She pushed past the pain of her fall. She ignored how patches of her flesh sloughed off her while her joints grew stiffer from necrosis. She engorged on the blood and flesh from the river. She empowered her class and abilities as a Level 92 and epic Blood Brute. She grew and grew until she was big and weighty, her shoulders eighty feet tall from leveled ground. And she still kept her bestial form going, which made her super strong and quick down a straight line, even at the cost of lateral nimbleness. Her giant head rose above the bridge. She towered over the smaller forms of her sigma, alpha, and their squad of skeletons. She dared not look down upon them without respect, for they were doing mighty work. The sigma was using her Aura Ignition, which was even more powerful than the last time Ezda had seen it. The sigma threw herself like a flaming comet at an armored undead and three fleshy giants standing at the other side of the bridge. The alpha was covering the cavern walls with giant arrays of spider webs and powerful runic spell craft. Maybe he was going to do something about the deadly traps of the lair. Nothing seemed to bother him while he sat in the air with his legs crossed like a wizened monk. Both the sigma and alpha were conducting themselves with great mystical power. Ezda could feel some of this vaguely because of her investment in one of her three favorite stats, Mysticism. But her abilities weren¡¯t magical, like a magician. She was more of a magic brawler. She needed to hit something directly to be effective. Ezda searched for a chance to help so she could finally atone for her many misdeeds. She hesitated a little when she felt the power of the monsters. They were above her level. Most likely in the Level 100s. Maybe even Master Ranked. It was better to fight many, many creatures that were close to an equal level or a little above for growth. Or it was better to fight weaklings for fun. Facing powerful challenges like these would¡¯ve normally scared Ezda into running away. But that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. Her Willpower was better now because of the sigma¡¯s brutal mental training from the past couple weeks. Ezda even had a new mental trait and a few achievements that added more stats to her Willpower. She was braver now. The horror and dread rolled off of her mostly. The pain and embarrassment were an afterthought. When she felt a little nervous, Ezda grew angrier and more motivated. There! I found where I can help! Ezda thought. The skeletons were struggling against the ghost-like blood monsters that were based vaguely on ancient humans. Many of the skeletons were kobolds, even, and they fought savagely with lightning strikes, flame strikes, and wind strikes. They swung enchanted swords and used other unique elemental abilities based on the runes placed on their bones. But the ghostly blood monsters howled and zipped around with dizzying speed and dodged the skeletons¡¯ attacks. The monsters struck back with beams, bolts, crescents, and even bombs of blood that smacked the skeletons down. As magician types, the monsters wanted to attack from afar, and their attacks were getting close to hitting the alpha in the back. Para, the mighty man-eating cloak, formed into a thick and heavy shield to defend the alpha¡¯s back. A powerful blood beam struck and tore off a piece from the starry and hard shield, damaging Para at the price of keeping the alpha safe. But that was still too close, and Ezda couldn¡¯t wait any longer for a perfect opportunity to strike. Then the Infinita Star System and the spirits of her ancestors blessed her when the monsters arranged themselves to where she had a perfect straight shot at them. Ezda lunged out of the blood river. The first blood monster swooped up while preparing a powerful blood beam meant for Ezda¡¯s head. She got to it just in time before the monster finished. Ezda slammed down her fore paw and used her Blood Hammer Blow +3, her years of practice and skill growth coming to fruition. The ghostly blood monster collapsed under the mega-sized hammerhead formed around her paw. The hammer blow shook the entire area. All the skeletons fell over. Many ended up crushed under her bulk as Ezda ran down the other blood monsters while using two other skills, Blood Drain +3 and Blood Dash +2. The first skill absorbed blood rapidly. Since the monsters were made of blood, the creatures ended up stuck to her paws while being drained. The second skill sped her up while it sacrificed excess blood inside and outside of her body. There was so much blood, Ezda could fly hard and fast while catching the other blood monsters off guard. They had mistakenly stayed in line for her, letting her slam down and snatch them up as she kept using Blood Hammer Blow +3 to brutalize them. Of course, the blood monsters resisted. They tried to reabsorb the blood back from her using their own magic. They were powerful, as Level 100s should be. But Ezda was angry and motivated, and she was a giant Blood Brute with little blood monsters stuck to her paws. They were at her mercy. Ezda slammed her bloody hammer paws down again and again. She used pure might and ferocity to crush the monsters. She demolished the rock shelf under her and created deep craters. Most creatures would¡¯ve died by now. The blood monsters, however, remained somewhat functional, even if they couldn¡¯t attack back. She was lucky she could hold them close. Otherwise, they would¡¯ve obliterated her from afar. Ezda kept hammering them. Blood Hammer Blow +3 was magical enough to deliver actual damage, hence why she invested in Mysticism. The Blood Prairies had many wild and magical monsters like these that were hard to hit without Wonder or Mysticism. Of course, Wonder did more damage. But Mysticism let Ezda¡¯s skills hit repeatedly and helped her recover aura faster. So she slammed and crushed the little Level 100 monsters again and again until she finally wiped them out for good. 157: B2: C57: Best Nepo Wizard 2 Ezda collapsed with a groan. Her body was dying after being horribly ravaged by the invisible trap and a short but intense battle with Level 100s. Her Shifter Form +2 and Blood Growth +2 could only do so much for her. Her toughness and vitality had run their course. Ezda knew she was going to die, but she hoped her One True God of Absolute Killing would think of her last moments as decent enough. ¡°Woo, done, finally,¡± the alpha said, setting his feet down. He turned to face her decrepit form, his great cloak flapping majestically behind him. He marched to her wretched face as she panted what could be her last breaths. Regardless of her declining condition, the alpha gave her a ruthless scolding. ¡°Ezda, you idiot. You are so incredibly stupid. You are like the stupidest creature ever.¡± Ezda wished she was dead. No amount of pain could replace the shame she felt. Unfortunately and fortunately, death hadn¡¯t claimed her yet. And the alpha had more to say. ¡°But it¡¯s going to be okay. I have enough power to account for your genuinely amazing levels of stupidity. Now tilt your head up a little and swallow all of this, you big dumb-dumb.¡± The alpha pulled out a mysterious platinum flask from his cloak¡¯s pocket dimension. Then he moved from view as he entered her mouth, which forced Ezda to tilt her head back as instructed. She tasted a sweet and reinvigorating liquid splash on her tongue. She automatically gulped it down while careful not to swallow her One True God of Absolute Killing. If that were to happen, Ezda would truly die of embarrassment! By the time the alpha exited Ezda¡¯s mouth, she felt a bonfire of warmth course through her veins and muscles. The damages healed away rapidly while she gained a surplus of vitality. Ezda¡¯s life energy was still shaky, but being a Blood Brute came with the benefit of more life energy through the absorption of blood. With her vitality secured, her life stopped leaking away. The alpha had saved her! Ezda was in disbelief. Then she heard the mighty crashing and destruction of fortifications. The noises came from the direction of the citadel. Sigma Elder Naomi moved about like a burning mountain falling from the starry cosmos. She splattered the final flesh giant. Then she turned her attention to the armored undead. The mighty monster turned his spear into a hammer and swung it. The hammer landed on the sigma and deflected off as the sigma smashed herself against the armored undead, catching the monster off guard. Every impact from the sigma smashing down on the armored undead resonated with a big, metallic, and crunchy noise. Ezda flattened her ears against her head because of how noisy it was when the sigma set her sights on destroying something. That fight was the least of their concerns, honestly, because a giant trap was going to blow. ¡°My alpha, the lair is going to kill us!¡± Ezda warned. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what the lair intends. So if you want to stop that from happening, dance with me!¡± The alpha ordered. The Blood Brute didn¡¯t question him. Dancing was important for the blood rites, so she got to her paws and frolicked around. It was still strange to move about in a festive manner at the heart of the deadly lair. It was even stranger when the alpha spiraled and danced under her, barely avoiding her giant paws from slamming down and crushing him. His cloak formed many arms to swing about and add to their dance. Looking between her legs, Ezda found the sight marvelous. She liked how each limb of the cloak glowed and glimmered as they moved gracefully between her paws. They danced and danced. On the other side of the bridge, Sigma Elder Naomi grabbed the armored undead by the helmet. She screamed wrathfully as she smashed her forehead to its armored face and crumpled it, keeping the creature staggered. Meanwhile, the deadly trap flashed with a blaring bright orange red all around the sunken citadel, about ready to blow. It seemed like the end was nigh, but then the alpha flipped into the air and stuck a dynamic landing on Ezda¡¯s snout. She froze in place as the alpha snapped his fingers above his head. The intricate, rune-heavy, and beautiful lacework of bluish webbing placed in spirals and whorls on the surrounding walls flashed an intense ultraviolet purple. Ezda saw a bright light. Then she saw darkness until her eyesight adjusted. She saw a single purple bead hovering in the air above. The strange energies and dangerous threat posed by the citadel were all gone. Then the little gravity bead folded away through a wrinkle in the air, and nothing much else happened. ¡°There,¡± the alpha said in weary satisfaction. ¡°I folded the warp energy and doomsday blast into a singularity before throwing all that and the enemy spell arrays into the void. Originally, I was only going to disrupt the warp energy, but then I realized it was actually easier to get both since they were interconnected here. Or in other words, gravity magic is the motherfucking king in this bitch! So suck on that, ancient evil!¡± The alpha pumped his fists up into the air. ¡°I¡¯m going to be the best nepo wizard ever!¡± ¡°Best nepo wizard!¡± Ezda barked gleefully, having no idea what the nepo part meant.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The alpha lost his balance and fell off her snout. Ezda caught his cloak with her mouth and set him down gently. A massive crashing sound and metallic hammering stole Ezda¡¯s attention. She looked up and saw the sigma landing a big flying stomp on the armored undead, driving him into a deep crater. The armored creature tried to get up anyway, so the sigma blasted upward then dove again. She struck another stomp even harder than the last. The entire sunken citadel shook and quaked, rubble falling loose everywhere. Finally, the armored undead stayed down, which was incredible. That creature was a Master Ranker, and the sigma had won despite the level and rank disparity. Sigma Elder Naomi, who Ezda had deemed to be the Chosen One of Absolute Killing, marched away from her defeated foe. She looked mighty and intimidating while covered in the green-blue flames of Aura Ignition. The remnants of old monsters lay dead behind her powerful body. She crossed the bridge with a confident stride, but then her Aura Ignition sputtered out. She collapsed on her knees next to the alpha, who was laying down wearily. They were exhausted, leaving Ezda sitting tall as a giant sentry over them both. Ezda was astounded that she was left okay despite causing quite a mess. She held back the urge to lick and nuzzle the small forms of her alpha and sigma. This was not the time for affection, especially when the dark and heavy doors to the center of the citadel swung open with a groan. A horrifying force and some great foul magic vented out from between the doors as they came to a loud and heavy stop once they were wide open. ¡°My alpha, my sigma, you are both too exhausted for this fight. Allow me to take you away so you can rest and return anew,¡± Ezda urged. ¡°No,¡± the alpha said. Ezda shut her mouth and prepared to throw her life away if the Lesser World Boss proved too much. The alpha had wasted a powerful vitality elixir on her. She was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice in return. Then a most unexpected thing happened. As the Lesser World Boss slowly stalked from the foul depths of his inner sanctum, he called out to her, the gnoll. ¡°You know, Ezda, our lovely and passionate friend, Killall, is deeply hurt by your people¡¯s betrayal? So hurt that Shadowfell came snooping around his place because she thought she could collect his tears. Can you believe that insanity? It¡¯s so ¡­ sinful.¡± That sickly sweet, effeminate, and horrid voice could only belong to one god. Ezda had heard it once when she was younger, and back then she wished to never hear it ever again. But there he was, the Evil God that was known as the Sinful Wolf and Twisted Bastard, and he was fully present inside of the immensely powerful world boss. Unbelievable. The Lesser World Boss, a creature that could threaten vast populations, had called for the boons of an Evil God. Worse yet, the world boss had given its body over to the god entirely, which could ultimately kill the world boss in the end. But that would grant the god even more means to unleash his power while acting in a Lesser World. Until the world boss lost all of its life energy and died from the heavy boons, the god could do whatever he pleased. All he would have to do was to defeat the adventurers that roused him. Then he could exit the lair and murder, pillage, and rape across all the tribes and kingdoms of the Walled Continent! Ezda was afraid again. In her heart, she believed this to be an impossible fight. Everyone was doomed. ¡°We should run!¡± Ezda shouted. She looked down and froze. She had to remember she was not addressing a mere mortal. There was a deadly and cold rage wafting off of the alpha as he and the sigma stood up. The alpha looked with the utmost contempt at a god that was wearing a world boss as a meat suit. ¡°SINFEAST!¡± The alpha roared like a primal and wrathful beast. His cloak flapped violently behind him. ¡°Darkrun, my dear, dear honey! Come to daddy and give me a hug! Trust me, I¡¯ll make it interesting for both of us!¡± The Evil God laughed, flapping his leathery wings and waving his giant scaly tail. The many bestial arms and heads of the original Chimera Tyrant moved about like the squirming appendages of a centipede. One head was more humanoid while dark red, bald, and armed with tusks jutting out from its thick jaw. This single head at the center of the patchwork body reminded Ezda of youngling stories about the long dead orcs. Most of those youngling stories warned about a mythical and terrifying elf monster of ruthless good, the one known as Ruvaria the Genocider. It cautioned gnolls not to anger her, because she¡¯d spared the gnoll race while making an example of the orcs many years ago. That was the root reason gnolls were considerate of their own population and would avoid heavy wars that would kill too many humans. Or Ruvaria the Genocider would do unto them what she had done unto the orcs. Yet one orc had survived. But at what cost? I¡¯m truly at the whims of mythical forces. Ancient elf monsters! The last orc! Chimera world bosses! Sinful gods! How can one face such madness in such a brief span of time?! Ezda felt overwhelmed. She froze as the powerful seduction and sickly sweetness of the Evil God permeated the surrounding air. She felt as if she wanted to be made one with Sinfeast, even if it meant she would get wolfed down as a fleshy and tormented delight. Ezda doubted the sinful god really cared about her, which led to a somewhat clever idea from her free evil +1. Was Sinfeast¡¯s true aim to consume the alpha? What would happen if the sinful god succeeded? Alpha Elder Zarian and Sigma Elder Naomi didn¡¯t give in to the sinful temptation. They didn¡¯t even flinch or seemed affected. Instead, they looked at each other, nodded, and attacked. Each other. The alpha plunged his hand into her chest, ripped out her heart, and crushed it in his fist. The sigma punched through his head and sent gory chunks flying all about, some of which splattered on Ezda¡¯s fore paws. As the alpha fell over, his cloak formed into a scythe and struck down one last attack. The tip pierced the top of the sigma¡¯s skull and ran straight through her head. Then the sigma fell over and landed dead on the alpha¡¯s headless corpse. The cloak lost its hard shape and luster, turning soft and pale white, no longer alive. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Sinfeast said from the middle of the bridge. Ezda felt the same as she blinked down at the bodies in front of her paws. But she assumed her lesser intelligence and the sinful god¡¯s foolishness couldn¡¯t comprehend the grand and complex plans of the One True God and the Chosen One. So Ezda nodded her big head as if everything were perfectly fine. For this once, she was right as the alpha and sigma revived in a flash of divine light. Their bodies came out intact and well rested with all their energies replenished. Ezda smiled, feeling bold. ¡°You should run, foolish god,¡± she said. ¡°For you are puny and stupid, and you will be crushed like a bug by my alpha and sigma.¡± ¡°No,¡± said the sigma, taking a step back. ¡°This is the alpha¡¯s fight. All I ask is for him to leave me some scraps to get the achievements.¡± Taking the correction with utmost grace, Ezda did the smartest thing she could. She shifted back to her regular gnoll form and dumped all the blood she¡¯d used to grow. Back to being ten feet tall, Ezda huddled behind the sigma and stayed out of the way. A second later, the One True God and Evil God Sinfeast struck at each other, and the sunken citadel became their victim as nothing but destruction came about. Wait, not just destruction, Ezda thought, looking at the shifting pools of darkness. Is the alpha ¡­ going to unseal his true power again? 158: B2: C58: Controlled Darkness 1 A few notifications appeared for the inhabitants of Corma and for many other concerned parties. Zarian cared little for the notifications while filled with nearly blinding anger. But many who thought themselves affluent and powerful cared deeply. Once again, they found themselves at the mercy of the Darkruns. There was one powerful being in this Lesser World who could step in and make a difference, and that being was Ruvaria. She gave the global notifications a curious glance. Then she ignored them in favor of terrorizing the human children left in her care. She was now in the middle of establishing some psychological games by using her aura to nudge them around at night and disturb them when they tried to rest, keeping them tense. She smirked as the children raged and nearly fought among themselves because of fear and confusion. As for the Ancient World Event, she supposed it was a good thing she left that one last orc alive. Facing this event could serve as a decent measuring tool for her dear student. *** High Rune Mindframe, Para¡¯s intelligent reassurances, and Naomi¡¯s Tranquil Mind +2 saved Zarian from going past the tipping point and being blinded by rage. Or he would¡¯ve unraveled too much and given Sinfeast what he wanted, a Madness Wizard who lost all sense of strategy. Then the Evil God would¡¯ve toyed with him. Or worse. Instead, Zarian delved deeper into his free evil +4 for all the cunning he could muster. Then he bolted down the bridge and went straight at the deplorable god, as if he was tossing all strategy aside. Zarian cocked his fist back and enshrouded it in heavy aura and darkness. He pumped his physical power up with multiple abilities. He moved in close to Sinfeast¡¯s revolting menagerie of an avatar body. Then, at the last split second, Zarian bailed out of the running punch and dodged Sinfeast¡¯s many limbs before they snatched him. He flipped up into the air and expanded his Aura Mastery as far as it could go. Sparks of concentrated starlight darted amid curving dark streams as Zarian¡¯s aura moved to his behest. His deep black eyes shone with flickering shards of tiny aura lights. He kept flipping and twisting up through the air like an acrobat who could disregard gravity. Para flapped gracefully from behind him as Zarian cast two spells, Void Authority and Void Waltz. Sinfeast blasted out a timely pulse of warp energy from his grotesque body. The warp pulse enveloped Zarian, deteriorating his link to the void, closing out any chances of him slipping away if he wanted to escape. With a collective and nasty smile on his many bestial faces, Sinfeast flapped his great wings and launched up after the Madness Wizard. He swung around multiple limbs that ended with claws, talons, and snake fangs. Worst yet, each monster limb lit up with an eerie and disgusting force. The force was milky white and had a sticky touch when it brushed over Zarian¡¯s expanded aura. The god reached desperately for Zarian like he was the greatest treasure anyone could have. If Sinfeast could catch the wizard, then he would probably make Zarian merge with his chimera body. Or make him a part of his sinful divinity. ¡°Don¡¯t be a tease, baby! Stop running!¡± Sinfeast screamed, sounding like a coked-up maniac. ¡°Who¡¯s running?¡± Zarian asked before hitting Sinfeast with an entire castle. Zarian¡¯s link to the void wasn¡¯t entirely gone while under the warp pulse. Not when he could double up on his spells with Para¡¯s help. Instead of slipping into the void and getting away from the revolting god, Zarian transported an entire black castle from somewhere on the surface. That wasn¡¯t much of a problem for an Evil God while wearing a world boss as a meat suit. Sinfeast could crash straight through a castle like it was made of sand. To prevent that, Zarian used his Dark Affinity and Void Layer on the entire castle as it exited the void and struck. It was like bringing down a twenty-pound hammer on a very hardy ant. Sinfeast and the castle flew down at an angle and crushed the citadel¡¯s dome roof and half the ancient building under their bulk. Zarian dropped the spells as the castle blew apart and hurtled rubble everywhere.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He turned his attention to himself and looked inward. Overwhelming Darkness wanted to come out, and Zarian wanted more power. Zarian began the unsealing process for One Percent Power. His arms moved in sync with the chant. As he went through the process, Para removed all parasite armoring from around him. She assumed her battle kilt form, leaving his muscular upper body bare. The inky dark geometries and runic whorls covering his arms dripped away and faded. The webbed gravity enchantment on his back lost its purple luster and disappeared. The darkness around the sunken citadel roiled and trembled. Then the darkness made haunting sounds that no darkness should ever make, like a collective groan of something vast that was awakening. ¡°Wow, this is the angriest I¡¯ve seen him,¡± Naomi said, still standing at the beginning of the bridge with Ezda. ¡°I got all these goosebumps all over me. Hot damn.¡± ¡°The Blood Prairie Savages are all your faithful servants, oh alpha, our One True God of Absolutely Killing! Let us worship you!¡± Ezda lowered down to prostrate. Zarian paid them little mind and kept going until Sinfeast ripped in and out of reality using a warp ability. He interrupted Zarian on the last part of the unsealing process and cast a volley of attacks and spells. The Evil God was pretty much panic-spamming. It was a somewhat effective move. Sinfeast unleashed a bloody sick energy that permeated the air like a putrid and crimson fog. Spreading as far as the edges of the sunken citadel, the cursed energy forced Naomi and Ezda to retreat into a hole with blood streaming out. Sinfeast also conjured burning red artillery shots similar to the attacks of the godless watchers, but at a much greater volume. He surrounded himself with a dozen and sent them flying at rapid speeds while creating more. Every artillery shot left hellish burn trails and noxious fumes behind them. They could burst apart midair with an awful and thunderous blast. It would take more effort to dodge them and avoid being in their proximity. Sinfeast also summoned a grimoire that looked like patches of beast and human flesh fused together to make the covers and pages. The deplorable god used the grimoire to conjure a crimson tornado that was filled with wild and carnivorous beasts in its roaring funnel. Many of those creatures were demonic sharks that gnashed their teeth at just about anything that drew too close. The suction from the monster tornado was mystically powerful, and when the tornado moved, it prowled like a predator. If all of that wasn¡¯t enough already, Sinfeast kept warping in and out of reality. He formed many dimensional breaks and cracks that the Star System had to fix. The Star System couldn¡¯t outright stop wild magic from leaking and funneling out from the breaks before they sealed up completely. Green and toxic lightning bolts. Hissing tongues of orange hell flames. Sparkling mist that froze anything upon contact. Many eerie and powerful elements escaped from the warped reality breaks. Sinfeast created more breaks as he maneuvered around like a chaotic portal maniac to keep Zarian boxed in. The unfair part was how each of these warping maneuvers blasted out more warp energy that would mess with Zarian¡¯s void spells. That would make it nearly impossible for him to teleport along with Sinfeast. This was all while Sinfeast kept up that milky white and sticky force around his body. The deplorable god wanted nothing more than to cling onto Zarian¡¯s flesh and have them merge. There was even an additional hint of something far more disgusting inside of that white and sticky force. It was as if Sinfeast¡¯s entire avatar body gave off an additional aphrodisiac element. The aphrodisiac wanted to allure Zarian and keep him compliant. Then Sinfeast would delight himself in their unholy union. In summary, the Evil God was throwing everything and the kitchen sink at Zarian to get to him. Sinfeast used more tactics and abilities in concert than Zarian had ever seen from an enemy before. The coordination of these many abilities and other little nuanced moves and techniques was masterful, in fact. If Zarian wasn¡¯t so angry and focused, he would¡¯ve been shocked, maybe even impressed. Instead, he committed to the best winning strategy ¨C he let Para takeover most of his body and a large portion of Aura Mastery. That allowed Zarian to focus on another tactic. Para did her best to protect her host against the malefic onslaught. Surrounded by the bloody sick energy, Para pushed her version of Aura Mastery, which she also dubbed hunger aura. She ate up the most dangerous parts of the surrounding energy and its foul crimson fog, keeping Zarian mostly intact, but not perfectly untouched. Some strands of the putrid red fog touched him, sapping some of his life energy and sickening his vitality in equal measure. Still, Para did her best against that problem. With her controlled takeover of Zarian¡¯s body, Para became far more creative than ever before. She extended spiny bones from his fingers. She created flaps of leathery skin that stretched out from between his sides and the tips of his lengthened finger bones. Para even combined the layers of the battle kilt into a single tail with a fin for better control and balance. Then, with some powerful flaps like a human-turned wyvern, Zarian¡¯s body propelled faster through the air using aerial locomotion and Aura Mastery. Para piloted him like an aircraft fighter. She guided his body into quick, tight, and fluid spirals and corkscrews. She dodged multiple artillery shots, even when the artillery shots exploded midair. Para dampened the blasts using her hungry Aura Mastery and Dark Affinity for shielding. Still, the flight around was a rocky one, especially with Sinfeast warping close and snatching at Zarian¡¯s body at every chance the god could get. Between the air-bursting artillery shots, Sinfeast¡¯s warp grab tactics, and the roaring and gnashing monster tornado trying to suck Zarian close, Para¡¯s defensive maneuvers were exemplary. She piloted Zarian¡¯s body like a thread going through the eyes of many moving needles, using the tiniest windows of opportunity she could find to stay out of reach. But this couldn¡¯t last. Sinfeast was closing the noose tighter and tighter. A few mistakes from Para quickened the inevitable conclusion. Some of the artillery blasts knocked Zarian¡¯s body off course from where Para intended. Strands from the bloody sick energy slowed him down significantly. Then a vicious wind torrent blew out from a warp crack before the Star System sealed it. The warped wind shoved Zarian¡¯s body even further off course while the monster tornado¡¯s suction yanked from the other side. Para overcorrected and drove Zarian straight toward where Sinfeast reappeared from another warp break. The Evil God spread all of his avatar¡¯s limbs for a big hug. The milky white force turned the middle of the avatar¡¯s body soft like clay, ready to accept and transmute Zarian. ¡°I have you now!¡± Sinfeast shrilled. ¡°You have what now?¡± Zarian asked, while ending up behind Sinfeast. There was a wrinkle in the air in front of the deplorable god where Zarian had used Void Waltz. Using that spell hadn¡¯t been possible because of the god¡¯s heavy warp interference ¡­ until now. 159: B2: C59: Controlled Darkness 2 ¡°No!¡± Sinfeast screamed, whirling around. He desperately struck at the spot where he last heard Zarian. But Zarian used Void Waltz once more. He stepped in and out of the void midair, ending up behind Sinfeast again. His arms and sides returned to normal as he took over his body. Para changed the tail into multiple tentacles with scythe-like ends, each one covered by hungry dark aura, Void Authority, and Void Layer. She whipped the tentacles out to pop artillery shots and make them pre-explode before they drew too close. Zarian pushed the sick red fog away with his own side of Aura Mastery, saving his body from further taint. He also gave the monster tornado a hard shove to keep it back. Sinfeast whirled around again. He moved even faster, with more rage. Again, he tried to snatch Zarian with his many claws and talons, each covered in more layers of sticky magic. The deplorable god even tried to hammer him with a hoof or two. He was growing truly mad, and his many bestial heads reflected that as they bellowed, shrilled, and cawed wildly. But his efforts were futile. Zarian slid out of the way of each attack with a backward swagger. He flickered in and out of the void rapidly, like he was a video game character with a very low frame rate. Further enraged, Sinfeast tried to use his warp ability. He struggled to make it work, as if reality firmed up against him. ¡°How?!¡± Sinfeast screamed. ¡°Warp energy beats void! Every bastard who thinks they can get void magic and dominate can never get around warp magic!¡± ¡°That¡¯s your problem,¡± Zarian said, moving his hands to finish the last part of the unsealing process. ¡°You think you can play rock, paper, scissors with a wizard.¡± The answer to the warp problem was profoundly simple, while also difficult to pull off. This was why Ruvaria had Zarian exposed to warp energy multiple times. Just so he could realize the problem wasn¡¯t as simple as warp magic being better than void. The problem was figuring out the particular aura frequency that a warp user emitted, which was based on how their aura moved while using warp magic. Zarian wouldn¡¯t have figured it out without Para and Sinfeast¡¯s help. While the god had kept trying to grab him up as Para piloted his body, Zarian kept studying Sinfeast¡¯s rapid use of warp energy and how it affected him, and more importantly, his Aura Mastery. It was then that Zarian had noticed there was a particular wavelength moving through his aura. Then, through multiple small tests using Void Authority + Aura Mastery, Zarian had kept searching for Sinfeast¡¯s particular warp energy frequency. The deplorable god was so focused on catching Zarian he hadn¡¯t noticed the little ways Zarian brushed his aura over him on purpose until Zarian finally had a match. This was specific to Sinfeast and his avatar, so Zarian would have to learn the frequency of the next warp energy case. But for now, Zarian had Sinfeast¡¯s number, and Zarian was going to abuse the hell out of that. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me!¡± Sinfeast shouted. ¡°I¡¯m a real god!¡± ¡°You¡¯re pathetic, that¡¯s what you are,¡± Zarian said. Sinfeast rushed him again. And Zarian welcomed him with some humble pie. The thousands of spiders minding their own business on a section of the cavern activated a few gravity spell arrays they¡¯d made. The spectral spiders hadn¡¯t gone away when Zarian died, because his divine revival was just quick enough to keep them going. So while the fight was happening, the spectral spiders had done their work to prepare something nifty. Sinfeast¡¯s many eyes widened as his body jerked toward the webbed spell arrays, as if a powerful gravity well had caught him in its wake. When he tried to use a warp dash to escape, he found even more difficulty. Zarian¡¯s Void Authority + the gravity well trap was heavily effective. They completely crushed Sinfeast¡¯s warp tactics. Angered, Sinfeast released a berserk roar. He changed his milky white force into a raging red force. His monstrous body buffed up with so much physical might, he could easily tear apart an entire range of castle mountains boulder by boulder until none remained.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He flapped his wings harder with great hurricane force. He resisted the gravity well and flew directly at Zarian. Meanwhile, the monster tornado made a mad, spiraling return toward Zarian¡¯s back. The wizard looked dead into the eyes of the orc head at the center of the chimera avatar. Zarian¡¯s hands picked up where he left off with unsealing One Percent Power. He had a few last words to say. Sinfeast roared with fury and was about to unleash a relentless slashing and smashing onslaught of attacks. But that wouldn¡¯t come to pass, because Zarian cheated. Aura Mastery, Overlock +2, Mind Spike +2, Void Authority, and Void Layer. The mind spider in Naomi¡¯s head was still good and alive after the divine revival. It was easy for Zarian to empower both of her skills while she was looking out from the far side of the sunken citadel. The tricky part was figuring out how much of Naomi¡¯s invisible psychic skill attack was a manipulatable element. In the end, Zarian made the attempt, urging Naomi to hit the single orc head specifically. Her super-charged, Overclocked Mind Spike +2 ended up layered by the void and landing perfectly fine. The orc screamed with horror and pain that differed from Sinfeast and the rest of the menagerie of creatures fused into one body. The original owner of the body rebelled as a psychic void spike ravaged his mind. Zarian wasn¡¯t sure of the exact damage or effect, but it was so distracting that Sinfeast lost control of his avatar. The sinful god veered off course, missing Zarian widely and smashing into his own monster tornado. Just like that, Zarian had all the time he needed to finish unsealing a small fraction of his true power. He even had a different ending piece for the chant. ¡°Controlled Darkness.¡± Sinfeast dismissed his monster tornado spell. He had a couple of scratches on his body while back in control of the avatar. But his situation was far, far worse than before. All of his wild and beastly parts lost their primal urgency when they saw Zarian and the whirlpool of unfathomably deep darkness surrounding him. There was nothing but darkness. It was above them. Below them. Everywhere. The sunken citadel was gone from sight. Only darkness existed, along with the two of them. But only Zarian existed as the center of the universe, with how the darkness spun around him like a massive and silent whirlpool. ¡°Interesting,¡± Zarian said coldly. ¡°Overwhelming Darkness is eager to merge with my Aura Mastery, and it¡¯s without my say-so. It¡¯s less of me being in control, honestly. It¡¯s more like I¡¯m barely able to steer this immense monster that wants to keep growing and spreading and consuming and consuming no matter what.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fair,¡± Sinfeast whined. ¡°I had to work for my power. I had to fight and hurt to keep my power. It¡¯s not fair that you¡¯re born with something you haven¡¯t earned!¡± Zarian cocked his head to the side before speaking in a dark and hollow tone. ¡°Your weakness is your fault alone. You¡¯ve kept living even though you¡¯re worthless. Instead of that, you should¡¯ve killed yourself.¡± Sinfeast opened and closed his mouth, barely able to respond. He turned his obvious fear into anger to speak out. ¡°You know nothing, Zarian Darkrun! You¡¯re only seeing a fraction of my real power! I would crush you like a bug with my real power!¡± Zarian slowly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to excuse you for your inability to understand that you should kill yourself. You¡¯re not speaking my language. And I don¡¯t speak whiny bitch.¡± Sinfeast screamed with all of his wrath and monstrous might. He flew with all his talons, claws, fangs, and hooves extended toward Zarian. The bloody sickly energy contracted around Sinfeast, turning up its deadly necrotic touch. The bright red rage energy fanned out like a roaring inferno. He even shot more hellish and explosive artillery shots ahead and directly at Zarian. The darkness rippled between Zarian and Sinfeast. The red artillery shots disappeared. There was no sound. No explosions. No light. Not even any trails of hellish flames and noxious fumes. They simply disappeared. Just gone. The same happened to Sinfeast¡¯s necrotic and rage energy. The darkness rippled close around his body and snuffed away all of his energy, like an ember disappearing under someone¡¯s boot. The god¡®s anger disappeared as well. The fear returned in full force. Sinfeast flapped his wings desperately and tried to reverse course. He even tried to use his warp dash again. He slipped out of reality and ended up somewhere far worse. He found himself surrounded by the void, and before the Star System could pull him back into the proper boundaries of the Infinita Universe, Zarian stepped out into the void with him. Sinfeast tried to speak. He couldn¡¯t. He turned about in fear as odd, eerie, and alien things lurked about in the void. More horrifying things looked up from the deep, deep abyss somewhere far and close in the void. Sinfeast tried to scream, but he had no voice to scream within the void. ¡°I know this is only a fraction of you,¡± Zarian said, able to speak in the void. ¡°But I like to think you¡¯re dying a little every time I cut you, no matter how small the cut. That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do to you, Sinfeast, as I make my way up to God Land. I will cut, cut, cut. A temple here. A follower there. Wherever you exist, I will cut. That way, you can keep track of my progress and based on how much I bleed you a little at a time.¡± Sinfeast tried to scream at him. It almost seemed like he was trying to beg for mercy. Zarian looked at him for a long time. ¡°I don¡¯t give mercy to naughty gods, Sinfeast. I won¡¯t even give you coals to keep you warm in the coldest corner of hell. Because I hate you. I really want you to suffer. That¡¯s just how it is.¡± Zarian took his time with the Greater Boon Avatar of Evil God Sinfeast. He stripped some of the divinity out of the avatar. He experimented with his unique combinations of traits, skills, and spells. He made sure each step of the way was painful for the avatar. Zarian took his time. 160: B2: C60: Controlled Darkness 3 Once Zarian finished with the avatar of Sinfeast, there wasn¡¯t much left of the body other than shreds of its life energy and a few scraps of divinity that remained inside. Zarian left the divine scraps to send a message to the version of Sinfeast that existed in God Land. He let the Star System drag the torn apart, close-to-dead body from the void and back into reality. The body landed on the middle of the bridge, which remained standing despite all the damages the sunken citadel had suffered. Zarian stood on top of the beaten avatar with his arms folded behind the small of his back, his head held straight. The deepest and blackest layers of darkness from the void draped his body. Even Para had unfathomable darkness all over her body while back to her cloak form, an eternal drip made from more of the void. The blackened cloak flapped from behind Zarian in an ominous silence. ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I am very, very hungry.¡± Zarian looked up. ¡°And the stars. They look tasty. Very, very tasty. I¡¯m practically going to drool.¡± ¡°Will Para survive?¡± Naomi said, making a slow and casual approach. ¡°I guess if she survives, things will be alright.¡± Zarian looked down and frowned. He didn¡¯t answer. Para didn¡¯t answer. She continued fluttering with a silent and darkened presence. Naomi smiled cheekily up at him, showing no fear. ¡°Hm, funny, no response. Hey, how about this? Why don¡¯t you turn that hunger toward something useful and eat me? Eh? Eh?¡± Ezda made a squawking sound while still prostrating herself. She looked up, gaped at Naomi, then put her snout back down and continued to worship and grovel. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying, Naomi,¡± Zarian muttered. ¡°I¡¯m on the verge of giving in. You should take this more seriously.¡± ¡°Maybe I will when I beat some sense in you.¡± The surrounding darkness rippled. The darkness deepened. The darkness drew closer and closer, like the jaws of a great and unfathomable monster. From all sides, the darkness trapped Naomi and left her with nowhere to go. ¡°Know your place, little mortal,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Where¡¯s my place exactly, huh? The kitchen? Ha, good luck with that. You shouldn¡¯t trust me with access to knives.¡± Zarian sighed heavily. ¡°Humility, Naomi. Know your place by finding humility.¡± ¡°Never heard of her, Zarian. She sounds boring. Not worth your time. Me, however? I¡¯m a Florida Woman. A Marine. A cocky bitch who doesn¡¯t give a fuck. That¡¯s just how it is, because I am what I am!¡± Naomi triggered the First Stage of Aura Ignition, becoming the center of a giant blue-green bonfire. She hammered her fists down with all of her might on the last remaining heads of the world boss. She finished the scraps of the Greater Boon Avatar with a splat and destroyed the bridge from under them with a massive explosion from the sheer force. With the world boss defeated officially, and the debris of the demolished bridge hurling everywhere, Naomi lunged forward with all her power and threw a punch at Zarian¡¯s chest. The darkness closed in on her from her flanks. The edges turned out dull. But the pressure was immense. Zarian gently but surely pinned her with a force that would¡¯ve crushed a lesser mortal into blood and giblets. Naomi, however, was just tough enough to survive while being pinned and held in front of him. Zarian shook his head at her and turned away slightly. He looked up again. The hunger was too much. It was taking over him. Para was practically a slave to the darkness now, all personality wiped out. He wanted to give in. He wanted to give in. He wanted to give in. He wanted to give in. He wanted to give in. Give in. Give in. Give in. Give in. Give in. Give in. Give in. Give in. Give. In. Zarian lowered his head, his body shaking a little. He felt like a crack fiend that needed his next fix, even if it would be his final one. He could hear a few dark whispers that nobody else could. They were familiar and alluring, dark and magnetic, inviting him to give in all the way and let himself fall. Then he would find beauty in the tragedy. The only thing stopping him was the cuffs on his arms. But those shouldn¡¯t be too hard to remove. Zarian focused on the cuffs. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He was going to give in. But the unexpected happened. A mighty and explosive power erupted like a volcano from near him. He shielded himself with his dark aura and turned to face Naomi. She was pushing apart the dark clamps that were holding her in place.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. He was almost certain she figured out the Second Stage. But that wasn¡¯t the case. She was still using the First Stage. It was wild. Out of control. She couldn¡¯t use her natural psychic abilities competently while the First Stage of Aura Ignition was activated. So she was pushing back Zarian¡¯s dark clamps with her own gusto and a more fired up version of her base ignition that was much greater than prior. That shouldn¡¯t be possible. Her First Stage was way too strong compared to all the past examples that Zarian and Naomi had gathered about the powerful aura ability. But somehow, Naomi was making it re-ignite again and again while still in the First Stage, making that base stage even stronger and stronger. Zarian applied more pressure through the dark clamps. Naomi¡¯s arms buckled a little. She should be at her limit. Zarian was sure of it. But then the unimaginable happened. She re-ignited again! She surged with renewed might! She pushed the dark clamps back some more, inch by inch, and was gradually freeing herself. Incredible. She was actually putting up a decent challenge. Zarian had to actually work against her. He felt a pressure like no other. Goosebumps covered his skin. His heart was hammering in his chest. It felt warm down here in the pit when it should¡¯ve been as cold as the void. That warmth felt scolding hot compared to the void. Zarian applied more pressure with the dark clamps, putting more and more effort. Naomi buckled again and again before re-igniting and re-igniting, like a giant engine hitting higher and higher RPMs, digging deeper and deeper into the depths of her First Stage. Zarian applied so much pressure he feared for her safety. But he couldn¡¯t stop now. He was too invested. He needed to see! How far could this unreasonably determined and wild woman take it?! Once more, Naomi found some new level of might and pushed the dark clamps off of her while screaming at the top of her lungs. She pushed and screamed, pushed and screamed, breaking her limits again and again with an ascending round of personal records. The bonfire of wild aura became an inferno that twisted upward and reached so far into the sky it exited from the top of the sunken citadel. The light of that raging blue-green aura shone so brightly the darkness receded some. Para flapped with more emotion, as if Naomi¡¯s struggle was reawakening the personality of the Parasite Cloak +2. Zarian looked in awe at the courageous and determined human spirit of a mortal woman. A woman without talent, without a special bloodline, with little of anything but pure grit. This was the perfect moment where any lowborn human could stand proud and shout ¡°Fuck Yeah!¡± This was the moment where one of their own resisted the power of a bloodline that came from ultra gods with nothing more than the unreasonable human spirit. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Zarian said. ¡°The most beautiful thing I¡¯ve ever seen in my life.¡± Finally, her Aura Ignition seemed on the verge of evolving and breaking into the Second Stage. He could tell by how the intense and giant gout was contracting inward and refining itself. It was shifting colors. Come on, Naomi! Come on, and hit the second stage, Zarian urged, forgetting about his hunger and his dark temptations. He wanted to see her succeed. He wanted to see the mortal spirit overcome what should be impossible. He wanted to see her grow, and then go see the rest of his friends and watch them grow, too. Just as he realized that, Naomi¡¯s Aura Ignition sputtered out. She failed to reach the Second Stage, and Zarian¡¯s heart nearly broke out of his chest. He stopped the dark clamps from crushing Naomi at the last split second. With a slow and shaky breath, Zarian released Naomi¡¯s slumped and battered body from between the dark clamps. He caught her with his dark aura gently and pulled her close in front of him. Zarian felt annoyed suddenly. Maybe even irritated. He looked crossly down at Naomi¡¯s slumped body as she floated weakly before him. ¡°You foolish, idiotic, suicidal, crazy woman. What the hell was that? I could¡¯ve crushed you. You could¡¯ve killed yourself. Your heart could¡¯ve exploded. That was so stupid. You¡¯re stupid. Like, really, really stupid.¡± Zarian huffed, feeling a little better after that rant. Naomi¡¯s reactions, of course, left much to be desired. Naomi coughed, sputtered, got her air back, and grinned at him. ¡°But did I die? No? Better yet, I bet I¡¯m even way stronger than before. So that¡¯s a win in my book.¡± Zarian snorted. He shook his head. He got a hold of himself and did what he truly wanted. He resisted his dark temptations and sealed up Overwhelming Darkness. Then everything returned to normal. Naomi dropped, and Zarian flung himself forward and caught her with his arms and pulled her into his chest. He ended up off balance with his body worn out and his aura mostly running on empty. Zarian dropped out of the air with Naomi in his arms. Ezda stopped prostrating and ran in quickly over the destroyed remains of the bridge. She caught both of them and held them easily because of her ten-foot height. ¡°My alpha! My sigma! You¡¯re hurt and tired again! But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep you safe and warm!¡± Ezda unleashed all of her affection, giving them gnoll licks and nuzzles, unable to hold herself back after all the wild things that had happened. Zarian and Naomi were both too weak to resist. Hence, they got their faces slobbered over, in between Ezda smearing the mess around with her furry cheeks. Zarian gave in and tried not to fight it. Naomi didn¡¯t seem to care whatsoever. And Para was back to normal, joining in with the cloak wrapping them all up adoringly. Using their mind spiders, Naomi messaged Zarian directly to his head: Did you wait to see all the gains compiled? If you did, I think the Star System rewarded us hard core. Zarian smiled at that, ignoring Ezda¡¯s slobbers and nuzzles. There was a growing theory that was becoming more and more prevalent at these later levels. It was better to wait on checking notifications until an entire encounter, crawl, or maybe even a campaign, finished. Because the Star System could withhold those rewards until they reached a critical point in their growth or they finished a major event or series of events. There was a theory that waiting granted more rewards, even if only a little extra. In the early levels, it was more important to check notifications as frequently as possible. The new power gains and stats could serve an adventurer right away. But at this late stage, it was becoming more important to grow overall. If it was possible to grow faster by letting the Star System withhold certain progression notifications after some heavy action, then that was the better course. The further along you go in the Infinita Star System, the more layers peel back. The more the Star System reveals its tricks and mechanisms. So how much more is there? Zarian snorted weakly. He figured now was the best time to check for himself. The moment he thought that, he mentally heard a deluge of soft ¡®dings¡¯ in the back of his head. He nearly had a stroke from the sheer shock of everything and the implications of some of his most important gains. Oh shit, I need to go find a few more skill copies. There were some treasure chests waiting under all the castle rubble in the demolished citadel, too. Zarian directed Ezda to go after the treasure chests. Naomi and Ezda convinced him to have all the rewards and decide what to do with them later. Then Ezda escorted them around the fallen lair to find whatever monsters that might¡¯ve remained. Zarian collected the skills he could get that he found useful without bloating up his beta section needlessly. Then they split away from Ezda, promising to see her back at the central home of the Blood Prairie Savages. Reiki was still there, after all, and Zarian needed to go through some blood rites for the official alpha status. Naomi had already done her own to be the official sigma. With that planned, Zarian and Naomi returned to the lake and finally got to relax. Zarian fell asleep right away, knowing he would review everything when he was well-rested and more clear headed. Then he would make some major decisions for his profile and among other things. 161: B2: C61: Morning Review 1 Zarian woke up ravenously hungry and had a panic attack. Prior to waking, he dreamed of looking down on a world covered in little castles with little caves under the surface. His friends were down there. The Ride-or-Die kiddos were down there. Ruvaria, Foodie, and Arnold of Ambrose were down there. Then, with no concern or mercy, he¡¯d eaten the entire world along with everyone on it. It had a nice crunch. An array of flavors popped and crackled as he chewed. Then the dream ended. After waking up from that, Zarian had to sit in his bed for the next five minutes. He had to get a feel for what was real and what wasn¡¯t. It was both interesting and annoying how someone could grow high in levels and stats, yet their personality remained. Their fears and joys remained. The only way to change those internal things was to grow as an actual person. The System and its profiles didn¡¯t affect those intrinsic stuff unless there was an overtly game-like or magical maneuver, like empathy or mood magic. Taking a deep breath in and out, Zarian felt his aura cycle around through him and for thousands and thousands of feet in all directions. Then he focused again on his surroundings. Zarian didn¡¯t find his enchanted bed as novel as he did months ago. Nor was he as immensely impressed by having a spacious apartment with full luxury amenities compared to when Hannah had finished up making one for him back at the Central Library Artillery Tower. She¡¯d ensured he had the largest and nicest room in honor of his status and origins, despite the issues from the Darkrun Apocalypse. His current room had its own mini kitchen and bar area. It had a sparkly bathroom with a shower and bathtub. There was an entertainment area in front of his bed set within a sunken floor, and there was an enchanted crystal display screen on the opposite wall. None of these things were novel for Zarian now. In fact, this room was smaller than his room back in Ride-or-Die Village. But this room was special on its own. On first glance, it was easy to miss how everything comprised tiny, tiny cubes. When he rubbed his hands over the comforter, it felt like a normal comforter. But in reality, it was woven from cubic meshing. The rugs on the floor were the same, all soft mini cube stuff. The same went for the sofa, the bathroom, the crystal display screen, the enchanted pipes in the walls that could make water flow and change temperatures, and even the medieval style refrigerator. Hannah had grown skillfully better with that cube ability of hers. It used to be more obvious before. The only thing Hannah didn¡¯t make was the actual view. But she constructed their hotel with all the rooms having lake-side views. The structure was also on top of the tallest castle that was part of a blocky ring around the beautiful, reflective lake. Zarian relaxed further as he looked beyond his wide and tall windows and the spacious balcony. Out there, he saw the lake under the pre-dawn, cobalt blue morning of a new day. Not even a single ripple disturbed the water for quite some time. Then Zarian spotted a brief splash, which was the telltale sign of something lurking beneath the pristine lake surface. Something to fish. Zarian had never thought much about outdoor enjoyment before coming to the Infinita Star System. But he had to admit that the World of Castles and Caverns had some naturally pretty views that went along with its fantastical themes. As Zarian enjoyed the view, he felt Para¡¯s threads pierce gently out of his skin from around his shoulders and his back. She extended herself until she became a simple dark red and leathery cloak without her glittery aura lights. For the sake of the peaceful morning, Para remained dimmed down. Zarian wouldn¡¯t have minded if she continued glimmering like she ate countless galaxies and wore them just beneath the skin of the cloak. But he did like how Para could appreciate the peaceful simplicity of waking up to a beautiful view. Then Para took things a step further by forming some tentacles from the ends of the cloak. The tentacles slithered over the edge of the bed and exited the apartment room, leaving the door slightly ajar. Zarian could follow along with his aura perception and Wonder, but he let Para do whatever she was doing to be a surprise. He stayed in bed. The pre-dawn morning was lightening up. Because their travel hotel was on top of the tallest castle while facing north, Zarian didn¡¯t have to concern himself over the direct sunbeams of the rising suns. He could take a peek around the corner if he wanted to see. But even with how strong he was now, he was still a dark-type at heart. He liked the pre-dawn morning a little more than the sunrise itself, honestly. He heard Bianca¡¯s voice resonating through the hotel and through the open door. She was letting out her typical morning scream, like a rooster crowing. By now, she would have the coffee finished. Zarian waited in bed. Para¡¯s tentacles returned with a giant mug of coffee wrapped up. The dark drink had some magical twists added to it, so it wasn¡¯t common quality coffee, it was uncommon quality, making it taste better while giving a buff to focus. Regardless of the extra magic perk, Zarian enjoyed drinking coffee in the morning, especially after what happened with the Chimera Tyrant Lair. Zarian took a deep sniff of his coffee. He let it sit in the palm of his hands and felt its warmth.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The coffee was actually scalding hot, but Zarian was too tough to feel bothered by that. Then he took his first sip and tasted all the textures, flavors, and slight magical highlights over his tongue. He felt a miniscule but welcoming buzz that gave him some extra perk from the first sip alone. He took a minute to enjoy the first sensations of the first sniff and taste of coffee. Then he took another sip and turned his focus elsewhere. He was still hungry. But the hunger was for actual food of the world, rather than to turn the world and its people into food. Still, he and Para agreed to wait a little longer before satisfying their hunger. It was time for Zarian to assess what happened last night and look over his gains with a more critical eye. He invited Para to speak if she wanted, but the Parasite Cloak +2 wanted to take the backseat on things for now. Zarian felt some concern over that. Did he do something that made Para more reclusive? He gave her some impressions of his concern. All he could get from his friendly parasite was that she was okay and she would speak when she was ready, or if necessary. Para didn¡¯t explain any further than that. Was Para becoming an introvert? Zarian was still a little worried, but he didn¡¯t press Para any further. For now, she acted as a silent and comforting presence, wrapping him up with the cloak while he held his mug with two hands and sat cross-legged on the giant enchanted bed. Zarian glanced over at the physical loot stacked on the wooden cube-made study desk. It was in the corner near the wide and tall windows. While his eyes were on the loot, his thoughts worked over the events from the lair crawl. He remembered how excited he was about a challenge before things turned out drastically tough from the start. He remembered seeing how wild Naomi looked while covered in temporary scars. He remembered the mentioning of Ekri the Tailor before marching out and leading a direct assault on the heart of the lair. Things had gone right and wrong from there. ¡°We should¡¯ve gone back and got the rest of the party before we jumped down to face the sunken citadel,¡± Zarian said with a sigh. ¡°I broke my promise to Gilbert. That was dumb. No amount of cunning and tactics I can get from free evil +4 can hide the fact that I got hella cocky again. I put myself in a position where I had to use Overwhelming Darkness in the worst way.¡± The results had spoken for themselves. Yes, things turned out fine in the end. But Zarian had nearly given in to his dark urges and become an apocalyptic and existential threat again. He¡¯d literally wanted to eat stars and worlds, cosmic systems of galactic and universal size, then work his way up to eating entire interconnected multiverses and their primordial protectors. The horrifying part was how he¡¯d felt closer to his darkness than ever before during that moment. That had given him more control, more power. An unbelievable amount of power, really. But the cost of all that power had come with the risk of changing him forever. Now Zarian had to question if cultivation was both a gift and a curse. Did having more control over his One Percent Power mean he would continue merging himself further and further with the dark and cosmic hunger that threatened all life? Was there a point where he could overcome these horrific urges and temptations? Then would he gain all the benefits without the consequences of his massive and terrifying power? One way or another, he still had to cultivate. He had to see things through. There might be a breaking point if he cultivated enough. But he also had to admit cultivation wasn¡¯t exactly a thrilling experience, and it came at the sacrifice of his wizardry studies. It made adventuring a little risky when so much of his focus was on cultivation, making his abilities overall weaker. There were a few solutions. One, he could cultivate at night and study wizardry during the day. He would be more connected with darkness at night. That should ease up the burden of cultivating his Overwhelming Darkness and make it so it was less miserable, and he was less vulnerable. Then, during the day, he could study his ass off. He could go a few weeks without sleep at this point. Maybe a little less while grinding away. He would just need to catch up on sleep now and then. As for the second solution, Zarian thought he should lean on the help of his powerful friends more. He should¡¯ve done that before he and Naomi entered the sunken citadel. Zarian spoke aloud, mostly for himself to hear. ¡°We risked our health too much when Gilbert could¡¯ve kept us healed. Hannah could¡¯ve crushed that doomsday spell device faster and more competently. And Bianca¡¯s Bianca, full of talent and always able to help or dominate. Looking back, we should¡¯ve gotten the full party.¡± Zarian took another sip of his coffee before continuing. ¡°Or hell, we should¡¯ve just bought them along as auxiliaries. If Naomi just wanted most of the lair for herself and me, the others could¡¯ve followed along in the back and stayed mostly inactive. Then, when shit gets real, they can jump in right away.¡± The more Zarian thought about it, the more he felt a little angry with himself. He¡¯d taken a lot of time to develop his party of Floridians. He¡¯d seen them grow from weak Level 1s to the mighty powerhouses they were today. He hadn¡¯t always been there for everything, especially not in the past couple of months when Zarian had to work on multiple disciplines of study. They¡¯d developed themselves on their own during that time and became all the greater for it. Still, he¡¯d chosen to live his adventurer life with others by his side. But when he had the option to bring along more, he¡¯d turned that down. He didn¡¯t blame Naomi. She was the only one who had an epic class among a bunch of legendary classes. She needed to push her limits constantly to avoid falling behind. But Zarian was pretty damn sure that Naomi was the second strongest of the party now. He hadn¡¯t learned the full details of her changes just yet. He was just sure Naomi had gotten something incredible based on how giddy and delirious she was by the time they went to sleep. He was glad for her. She¡¯d resisted his darkness for quite some time. She deserved whatever she¡¯d gained from that. However, her joy didn¡¯t take away from how Zarian felt like he had royally screwed up and made a major strategic mistake. ¡°Auxiliaries,¡± Zarian said. ¡°If I ever get the feeling that we¡¯re up against a dangerous situation like that again, I¡¯m calling in auxiliaries.¡± The idea was simple. There were the main crawlers. Then there were the auxiliaries who would only help during extreme emergencies. That way, the main crawlers could develop themselves as necessary without going into deadly situations half-cocked. Of course, this could still lead to situations where the auxiliaries had to crawl, too, but that was a necessary evil. Besides, this was for hypothetical situations. After Zarian and Naomi¡¯s explosive growth, everyone else would want to throw themselves into some crawls and catch up later. At the very least, Zarian could reference the auxiliary idea for the next time a situation like the Chimera Tyrant happened. Because at some point, even Zarian had to admit the challenges and rewards weren¡¯t worth the potential mayhem and existential end of all that he held dear. There was the threat of being trapped in a jar, too. Zarian didn¡¯t really care about that. He¡¯d happily accept the jar treatment if he fucked up again. ¡°Dealing with me is a hell of a problem, isn¡¯t it, Star System?¡± Zarian asked. A golden notification box appeared in front of Zarian¡¯s face. ¡°Sorry,¡± Zarian said. The notification box disappeared without another response. Zarian nodded to himself and took a few more sips of coffee. The pre-dawn morning was on the verge of ending and becoming true dawn. When Zarian saw the first golden ray of sunrise beaming past his windows, he turned his attention fully to his notifications. He rearranged them based on what he wanted to go over first while the fun stuff waited toward the end. 162: B2: C62: Morning Review 2 Zarian frowned at the defeat notification for the Greater Boon Avatar. He would¡¯ve preferred his enemy¡¯s true name to be displayed as Chimera Tyrant Ogrul, the Last Orc Shaman. Sinfeast didn¡¯t deserve any mention, but Zarian told himself to let it go for now. There would be more chances for him to deliver on his promises to Sinfeast and make the Evil God want to kill himself. Zarian turned his focus to something more dire. He scrolled through his notifications in his head. He looked back at the one about how Sinfeast had wanted to consume Zarian and take his power. Was that something only Sinfeast could do? Or could the other Evil Gods do the same? Could his wife eat him and take Overwhelming Darkness? Zarian was inclined to think that the other Evil Gods could indeed take power from others. That would make sense with the evil alignment and how cunning their side could be. ¡°So evil wants to eat me and steal my power, while good wants to seal me up for as long as possible, maybe even forever,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Okay, well, all of that is definitely a concern. I¡¯ll have to stay a little more wary when I¡¯m dealing with anyone from the big evil and big good side.¡± He was saying this even though he¡¯d played with fire multiple times already. He had his own overpowered elf mentor/monster back at home who had once been the fantasy equivalent of a Nazi. He was pretty sure Good Goddess Purehome was madder than she was already because Zarian had taken Corma¡¯s Chosen One for himself. ¡°In my ignorance, dumb shit happens,¡± Zarian said. ¡°But in my ignorance, cool shit happens. Thus, we have balance with this shit.¡± Nodding like a sage, Zarian moved on to his next notifications that were worth his attention. He had the notifications from all the physical treasure loot he examined using Aura Mastery + Identify. There were a lot of expanded details and lore. Some really interesting stuff. The details spoke about how Ogrul had searched desperately for a way to defeat the elves and hold their land. ¡°Wait, were the elves the invaders and not the orcs?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Man, that¡¯s a hell of a plot twist. Then again, the elves seemed fairly hardcore out here. Maybe they were expanding territory, and they ran up against Castle Grimrock. Then the orcs pushed back.¡± He also didn¡¯t believe that the orcs were innocent back then. Instead, he figured the elves had existed as the strongest, and the orcs were doing all they could to fight a losing battle. But it seemed like the orcs had found some measures of great success. Not only they¡¯d slaughtered many of their elven enemies, they¡¯d killed some powerful Level 100s using evil tricks and magic that could overcome the power of the elves. ¡°Oh, they killed a few of Ruvaria¡¯s children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.¡± Zarian winced. ¡°Ah, I see. So that was how it went. They used some magic tech from the Forgotten Kingdom, too.¡± The lore was all connecting now. The Forgotten Kingdom Dungeon had ended up buried because of Ruvaria in the Adventure Era. The orcs took some powerful weapons from that place back in the Reset Era, which meant Ruvaria had left it alone for a while until someone or something caused her to sink an advanced magitek civilization. The connection grew deeper because the stuff from the Forgotten Kingdom could¡¯ve come from the sophisticated magic crafts of the old dwarves, who were gone now. Fifteen thousand years ago, Ruvaria¡¯s father, an Absolute King, had wiped out the old dwarves. Why exactly? No idea. Many years later, Ruvaria had wiped out the orcs, probably for similar reasons. Or maybe not. Either way, the lore was crazy deep, which Zarian liked despite how grim it all was. The connection told a story. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with the elves,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Yet that¡¯s something I¡¯m doing right now. Prior to me, everybody who messed with them got curb stomped. So, yay me?¡± Shaking his head, Zarian scrolled up and down on the notifications about the items. They were all legendary and filled with intricate enchantments, some of which Zarian was pretty sure that Hannah hadn¡¯t found yet.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. There was a set of legendary armor, some legendary melee weapons, and even some magic flasks that contained highly dangerous alchemical draughts. One flask had necrotic poison. Another had a powerful paralysis. There was a third flask that contained flesh melting liquid that could transfuse two different creatures together who have weak aura and weak Willpower. Zarian wasn¡¯t sure what he would do with some of this stuff. He was already focused on his own complex strategies and he needed more simplicity. There were a few bright spots that were real game changes. Among the loot, Zarian came away with not one, not two, not three, not four, but five legendary satchels. Those and the scrolls were the best of the best amid the pile of loot. ¡°Sorry, gnomes, but I must find you and pick one off the floor. It can, um, help save the universe at the cost of your dignity and trauma,¡± Zarian said. The Star System went as far as supporting the achievement hunt with a side quest popping up.
Yeah, I cleared out some of the older side quests, but now I have new ones, Zarian thought. Either way, the rewards were pouring in heavily. The stats had gone up because of the Legendary Lair Conquest achievement. Zarian could feel the difference in Strength and Agility especially since those were low compared to everything else. However, Zarian was physically the second most capable person overall right now because of his Thematic Law/Floridian Mindset. That divine trait buffed Para by a lot, which buffed Zarian¡¯s body by a lot. Still, building up the base Strength and Agility without having to use Free points was always nice. Now onto the last achievement, which had given him a slightly ridiculous and troublesome reward. Zarian sighed. ¡°Oh, Christian God of Gilbert, damn it all. Isn¡¯t my plate full enough?¡± Zarian summoned the grimoire. He waited as something shifted around under the cloak from behind him. The grimoire crept out from under Para slowly while flat with the bed. Humanoid fingers and centipede legs extended from the back cover. Yellow-white patches of fur and horns covered the front cover. Beady eyes of different sizes and types blinked, clicked, and lolled about from the spine. Zarian blinked slowly at the thing. The grimoire was certainly weird as it moved skittishly across the bed. Then it turned to Zarian and emitted a gurgling screech before scurrying back under Para¡¯s cloak. Zarian sighed again. ¡°How am I supposed to learn spells when the grimoire is all timid? Am I supposed to force it?¡± Para formed a feminine hand, the palm splitting into a mouth. ¡°I can help there, Zarian. I know you are busy, but since this is a basic grimoire, I should be able to read its initial spells quickly and pass the knowledge to you.¡± ¡°Uh, sure, thanks.¡± Zarian hesitated, then asked, ¡°Is everything okay, Para?¡± ¡°I have been thinking about existence and choice and the meaning of life. I have been thinking of many things I haven¡¯t thought too deeply about outside of morality and what I am in the grand scheme of everything,¡± Para said. Zarian opened and closed his mouth. He didn¡¯t know what to say, so he nodded. Para turned her attention to the Grimoire of Weird Morphs. She gently caressed the bristly and horned top cover. The grimoire made phlegmy purring sounds that sounded like someone¡¯s clogged up drainage pipe. The grimoire seemed to like the parasite more than the actual host. I feel like summoning the other grimoires and letting them toughen this one up. Especially the hell gator grimoire, Zarian thought mischievously. That¡¯s bullying and hazing and hypocritical of you. Why not build trust first before we add pressure gradually? Para directed through their mental bond. Oof, damn, you are not holding back when you act like a mother. Fine, fine, use your gentle parenting and see how far that goes, Zarian returned. At the very least, Para would take a short time to learn the first two or three spells once she could get the weird morph grimoire to cooperate. It was a basic grimoire, too, so it had plenty of growing to do before it advanced like the others. Leaving Para to tame their new grimoire, Zarian moved on to the juicy stuff. Actual levels, advancements, and new gains. ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s that good, good stuff. I¡¯d snort it if I could,¡± Zarian said, chuckling. ¡°I¡¯m eight more levels away from the big Level 100 and all the cool stuff that comes with it.¡± More importantly, these advancements came with one skill upgrade and some new features that were unique to grimoires. High Rune Mindframe +1 was more incredible now. That includes the spiders and everyone who has a mind spider in their head, Zarian thought, amazed. This means everyone can have their brains structured and in sync like a bunch of computers on a network. Hannah would lose it once she heard about this. The only problem was that the aura cost would get heavy if he tried to boost and maintain too many mental workloads at once. It would probably work best when used against extreme problems. ¡°Still a very nice upgrade,¡± Zarian said. ¡°But wait, there¡¯s more.¡± There it is, Zarian thought. A new element to the game. Apparently, the advanced grimoires can do more than upgrade spells. They can turn skills into spells, which gives me more access to the runes and designs of those skills. Better yet, they¡¯ll grow stronger with the grimoires rather than individually, making it all more efficient for me as a wizard. This also played into Zarian¡¯s new theory. He should be able to advance spells on his own without the Star System¡¯s direct help. Ruvaria hadn¡¯t mentioned it, but Zarian was sure she left it as something for him to realize on his own. Bloody Lifesteal was the perfect candidate for a DIY upgrade. After all, Zarian had loads of new inspiration from all the bloody magic stuff he¡¯d experienced recently. Other than that, he had some choices to make for turning skills into spells. Hence why he had gone skill hunting before returning to the lake. Before Zarian made any permanent choices, he checked the new gains from waking up this morning. He was already smiling before he read it. ¡°About damn time,¡± Zarian said. 164: B2: C64: Skills and Spells Feeling hyped, Zarian couldn¡¯t stay in bed anymore. He drained the last dregs of his cool coffee and used Aura Mastery to send it flying out of his room. He guided it down to the kitchen on the ground floor, where Bianca took it and washed it super fast. He used more Aura Mastery to send a verbal thanks all the way to Bianca¡¯s ear. When she replied, he used Aura Mastery again and captured the sound of her words to bring it back to him. ¡°De nada,¡± said the air with Bianca¡¯s voice. He could¡¯ve spoken with her directly with the spider network or sent some impressions. But these little Aura Mastery tricks were both fun and great for practicing his fine tune control. Practicing control was important because he knew what he was going to do with his 74 Free points. He placed them all straight into Wonder, and he felt the change like he had bursting fireworks inside of him and his aura. Zarian whooped as he flipped off his bed and into the air. He entered a hover and rotated around like a zero-g astronaut. He closed his eyes and felt a significant expansion in his aura, his supernatural senses, his feeling for lucky encounters, and his sense of faith. That last attribute was interesting, because it didn¡¯t exactly mean all of his fears and worries were gone. It felt like he could have better access to divine circumstances, which might seem useless to him as a Freedom Leader. Maybe there were other ways that faith could play a part even if it wasn¡¯t overt. Maybe it might play more of a part with how the gnolls worshiped him like a god. Regardless of that, Zarian wanted his Wonder higher for its best attribute: aura power. Higher Wonder meant higher aura power. This way, he could strike with more weight while using Aura Mastery. This also had a huge effect on his void spells and hell gator spells. Honestly, most, if not all, of his spells would benefit because he could push them harder or craft them smartly with Aura Mastery itself, even if they didn¡¯t scale with Wonder. No, wait, a lot of my spells scale with Wonder and Mysticism. Zarian checked. Huh, I¡¯ve actually been hurting myself by not raising Wonder as much as I should¡¯ve. He should still focus on Mysticism. He really needed the aura recovery, after all. There were so many little tricks and nuanced ways to overlap stats and abilities as a wizard, Zarian could only imagine how perfected and complex Ruvaria¡¯s profile could be. His dear teacher was the type who would be the envy of god wizards up in God Land while she was still bound to the Lesser Worlds. Zarian stopped flipping around and remained floating upright. His cloak fluttered around the entire room. The weird morphs grimoire scrambled from one long wavering strand to another. Para formed multiple feminine hands and playfully chased and pinched at the grimoire. Zarian watched them play and bond before turning his attention to his total stats. Willpower: 453 Strength: 52 Agility: 54 Wonder: 450 Mysticism: 573 Free: 0 Everything looked nice to him. Wonder had finally caught up to Willpower. He planned to keep those two on par with each other and return more of his focus to Mysticism. Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t even have the highest Mysticism. If Hannah was still the same level and had gained nothing from a new side quest, she would be at 583 Mysticism. Her other stats were drastically lower, but that was perfectly fine for her specific build and abilities. Bianca had the highest Wonder at 683, which made perfect sense for her. That was the main reason her new legendary battle dress needed stacks of aura recovery enchantments. She could burn through aura pretty fast on her own. Gilbert fell behind everyone else in many small ways, but he didn¡¯t ¨C and shouldn¡¯t ¨C min-max much. For his role, Gilbert could mostly cruise his way up the levels and worlds and still be one of the most vital adventurers around. Naomi hadn¡¯t talked too much about her changes last night. She wanted to wait until this morning. He did a quick ping on the spider network, asking for her condition. She responded with an impression that she was feeling horrible. Zarian used Aura Mastery more directly and nudged her on the shoulder while she was buried under layers in her bed. He focused on the vibrations from her open mouth. It seemed like she was moaning in pain. Yup, that¡¯s what you get for screwing around so much yesterday, Zarian thought, ignoring the fact that he was being a hypocrite. He was curious about her gains, however. How much stronger had she gotten? Zarian would go see soon. He returned his focus to himself while Para and the weird morphs grimoire continued playing around. He smiled a little at their antics as he pulled up his profile. He checked on the three Level 0 skills he hunted for after the fall of the Chimera Tyrant Lair. Zarian had taken the best alpha skills from a godless watcher, a chimera ghoul, and a giant serpent. He couldn¡¯t find any warp fey last night. They must¡¯ve flown the coop when the lair was undone after the Chimera Tyrant died. I lost out on the High Warp Manipulation, but I think Warp Adaptation makes up for it, Zarian thought. Besides, I¡¯m pretty damn capable of beating warp users as a void user now. Before Zarian made some final decisions, he considered his other options. He could tell that the grimoires would refuse to turn other grimoire skills into spells. That would flat out fail. There were also his older Level 0 skills, such as Willful Might, Wondrous Speed, and Mystic Toughness.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I still want to keep them, Zarian thought. They scale decently and I can push them fairly harder with Aura Mastery. I also like how I have to focus on my aura and fill in the gaps that are missing because they are Level 0s. Making these three older Level 0 skills work for him was excellent practice for Aura Mastery. They helped with the day-to-day stuff. Or when he just wanted to show off as an impossibly strong, fast, and tough wizard. They worked very well with his body buffs from Para and Floridian Mindset. Zarian turned his attention to the balcony and floated over. He used his Aura Mastery to slide the Glacial Stone door out of his way. Out on the balcony, he took in the view as sunbeams from the east shone more on the castle structures in the west. The light drew closer to the edge of the lake. He didn¡¯t enjoy the view alone. The weird morphs grimoire scrambled onto the balcony¡¯s railing. It made gurgling sounds of wonder and amazement as Para¡¯s hands pet over its bristly white-yellow top. Zarian shook his head and smiled before he sent a heads up impression to the other Floridians. They gave him confirmation in return that they¡¯d gotten the heads up. He was good to go. Zarian extended his hand and used the Red Artillery Shot skill. He pumped aura into the profile skill runes attached to the perimeter of his soul. He filled the gaps where there were missing runes because it was Level 0 and incapable of growing. Fizzling red sparks gathered in front of his palm before rapidly merging and growing until it was the size of a bowling ball. He imagined Sinfeast. His anger ballooned. The Red Artillery Shot grew to the size of a beach ball. It shone a furious red over Zarian and the lakeside face of the hotel. ¡°Hey!¡± Gilbert stuck his head from over the side of his balcony while down below. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot that into the lake!¡± ¡°I want to shoot something,¡± Zarian grunted while trying to maintain both the skill and his anger. ¡°Not the lake!¡± Gilbert shouted back. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°And don¡¯t forget about the back-blast!¡± ¡°UGH!¡± Zarian lunged off of his balcony, which scared the weird morphs grimoire and sent it scrambling backward. Para rescued the timid grimoire and held it in five caring and maternal arms formed from the cloak. Zarian floated above the hotel until he located a spot far outside of the ring of castles and hills. He saw a lone fort hillock that was quite large. He turned, hardened his aura around into a large tube pointed forward, and released the Red Artillery Shot. He suffered the back-blast alone while the aura tube funneled most of the recoil forward and back. By the time he could see, he noticed the weird morphs grimoire was screaming and crying in Para¡¯s caring arms. Then he looked and saw that the formation of forts fused into one hillock was mostly gone. There was a big smoky cloud, a smoking crater, and some debris raining down from all over. Zarian breathed some slow and deep breaths to cool down. He put aside his absolute hatred for Sinfeast. Then he thought critically about where Red Artillery Shot would serve best as a spell. Once he came to a decent conclusion, he checked with Para to see if she would object. ¡°I do not object,¡± Para said from a single palm. ¡°I can already predict which goes where and approve.¡± Zarian followed the entire journey closely. He noticed how his skill decoupled from his soul. Then it winked away far too quickly for him to track. Before anything else happened, Zarian summoned the black magic grimoire from his soul. It appeared with a flash of black light and a rattle of spectral chains that covered the covers and kept it linked to him. He was right on time to feel a new spell forming in his grimoire at a near blinding speed. Runes. Geometric symbols. Strange and eerie text. Zarian flipped over to the pages just as the Star System finished jotting down a completely new spell. The pages glowed with a dangerous orange light. But he didn¡¯t know the spell. ¡°Oh, of course, I have to study it now.¡± Zarian chuckled. ¡°However, I can already tell this is far more advanced than the previous skill. And it¡¯s likely more flexible, too. Hm.¡± Interesting. Very interesting. Zarian pulled up his skill description for the black magic grimoire. ¡°It used to be three out of seven learned spells. Now it¡¯s three out of eight,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Yeah, I have to get to studying those new ones.¡± He¡¯d spent so much time on the gravity spell he let the other spells fall to the wayside. He went as far as he could go with the gravity spell right now. It felt like he¡¯d run into a natural roadblock after what he did in the Chimera Tyrant Lair to defeat the doomsday spell device. He needed to let the gravity spell sit for a little while. He would come back to it later, after he grew a little more powerful or gathered some new insight and epiphanies. Zarian dismissed the black magic grimoire. He traveled through the void and went out a few miles away from the lake. Then he used the Level 0 Wild Acid Force and observed how portions of his aura turned into frenzied radioactive neon green acid energy with a physical presence. The scary part was how Wild Acid Force could conjure just anywhere, as long as he had his aura present in the location. With some focus, he could specify where most of the Wild Acid Force formed. He found some Level 60 monsters that reminded him of wendigoes. They were chasing down a Level 65 sheep beast. He thought of making the frenzied energy fall on the monsters like acid rain. But Wild Acid Force didn¡¯t work that way. Instead, he gathered enough until he could fill a half-sized pool and shoved it down onto the monsters. The Wild Acid Force struck with a push while eating through the monsters¡¯ flesh rapidly. The force also burst, rippled, and twisted in weird ways that turned the melting monsters into slurries of their former selves. In a few seconds, Zarian cleaned off their bones, and even those were dissolving under the berserk press of the Wild Acid Force. Then there was nothing left. ¡°Void acid?¡± Zarian asked aloud. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it.¡± First, he summoned the voidling exile grimoire. Then he prompted the Star System to do its thing, and he observed as closely as possible. He paid attention to how the skill departed from his soul before disappearing and ending up printed with a more in-depth explanation of runes, non-Euclidean symbols, and raving texts on the metallic pages of the voidling exile grimoire. Zarian didn¡¯t bother testing the Level 0 Crushing Constriction skill. Nobody could confuse what that did. He was curious how the hell gator grimoire would take it as he dismissed Voidling and summoned the more predatory grimoire. Immediately, the weird morphs grimoire scrambled around in fright while surrounded by Para¡¯s caring arms. The hell gator grimoire hovered over Zarian¡¯s shoulder before turning the toothy edges of its covers toward the new grimoire. Gator could smell the weakness inside of Morph. I¡¯ve never considered giving them capitalized names before, Zarian thought. But now that there¡¯s four, I might as well. Black. Gator. Voidling. Morph. There, simple and easy to remember. With that in mind, he went through the motions for Gator. 165: B2: C65: Concepts and Religion 1 ¡°There,¡± Zarian said, checking the new folktale added to Gator¡¯s pages. Once he had a decent preview of it, he dismissed the mean and grumpy grimoire. He turned a stern eye to Morph. ¡°You need to toughen up. Gator is going to test you for sure when you¡¯re both out.¡± The timid grimoire shivered and cried. He scrambled deeper into Para¡¯s many arms as the cloak continued to mother the grimoire. ¡°He will,¡± Para said. ¡°Just give him time. He¡¯s a sweet and innocent grimoire. And he came from a divine achievement, so he must be very special and high in quality.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Zarian continued to act stern while trying not to laugh at this quirky nuclear family dynamic. There was not much else to do now that his review was complete. So he went off to bother someone else, specifically Naomi. After a quick jaunt through the void, Zarian landed with his legs crossed on Naomi¡¯s bed. Right away, he could feel a high-quality power flowing from Naomi¡¯s body. Her aura was more energetic and meaner than before, as if she was an intense psionic brain with lightning bolts running through her synapses. She had plenty of new stats to go along with the new level ups. Zarian could tell her new traits were superb based on how her soul shone while surrounded by her aura. He tried not to pry any further because he wanted Naomi to tell him about the new traits herself. He only knew about the new skill she¡¯d gained after combining multiple Level 0 skills last night. One of those Level 0s had come from Ezda, which Zarian had copied directly to Naomi without having to copy it into his profile. Sitting for a while next to her prone body, Zarian came to a fascinating conclusion. For the first time, he wasn¡¯t exactly certain how a fight between him and Naomi would go down. He still had some solid contingencies, but the mad woman might¡¯ve grown so tough, so strong, so dynamic, she could pressure him while his Overwhelming Darkness remained sealed. Zarian imagined he still had a few tricks to shut down Naomi. But he would have to work harder while she could throw herself around like a super rocket and strike directly with little thought, all instincts. It makes sense, Zarian thought with a calm rationale. She pushed herself to the brink and beyond with no breaks. Her combat-focused and body-centric build benefited from a snowball effect while growing in the Blood Prairies. Now she¡¯s the best warrior in the party after taking every avenue to get this far. There was no doubt Naomi was way stronger than Bianca now. Zarian found that strangely ironic and a little funny. He also found that comforting. Naomi would get to suffer the same issues he ran into when he was too strong for the setting. He could turn around and chase her for the sake of his wizardry if she proved to be powerful enough. They could work on helping the others with their growth instead of relying solely on him. Hell, maybe Naomi could handle the other three even better, letting Zarian focus more on his greatest concerns, daytime wizardry and nighttime cultivation. Honestly, Zarian was thankful. You pushed yourself so hard and went to hell and back to keep up with the rest of us. Well, congrats, Naomi, you are a super big dog now. Maybe a low Tier 4 at this point. Tiers helped measure the overall capabilities of adventurers. Tier 1 was standard. Tier 2 had some talent. Tier 3 was the best of the best and considered one-man armies ¨C this tier represented Bianca, Hannah, and Gilbert. Tier 4s were threats to large populations and pockets of civilization. Zarian¡¯s Overwhelming Darkness went beyond the tiers, of course. Putting that aside, Naomi was in a similar tier as him. She could hold a midsize city hostage by herself if Zarian¡¯s surface observations of her growth were accurate enough. She could confirm for herself. She was stirring awake as Zarian waited. ¡°Hey, sleeping crazy,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Ugh,¡± Naomi groaned. ¡°I feel like I went binge drinking some magic hard stuff with Gilbert before putting myself out there as a punching bag for a giant.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Zarian laughed. He stopped laughing when he heard Naomi¡¯s next words. ¡°I got a ton of badass shit,¡± Naomi grunted. ¡°But the best one is this divine quality trait. It¡¯s a Thematic Concept called Even Further Beyond.¡± Zarian flipped off her bed and crashed onto the floor. ¡°SAY WHAT?!¡± He shouted. She slowly pushed up out of bed and glared over the side where Zarian lay in an upside down heap. ¡°Thematic Concept. Even Further Beyond. And it makes me feel like shit afterward.¡± Zarian slowly recomposed himself. He shifted about and settled onto a single knee. He propped his elbow on his thigh, his chin on his knuckles. He held the thinking pose for a while as he took this change with Naomi seriously. He was pretty sure Naomi wasn¡¯t a true goddess. But she had a divine quality trait, which she might¡¯ve earned from sheer gut effort of resisting Zarian last night. Her new trait was thematic. But instead of it being a law, it was a concept which sounded flexible and powerful. But it came with a heavy drawback, apparently. Zarian thought about it and thought about it. Para continued cradling Morph and gave Naomi her congratulations and some interesting observations about yesterday¡¯s lair crawl. Providing some constructive criticism, Para pointed out how Naomi could sometimes act a little too one-dimensional and should stretch her abilities more creatively, just like how she¡¯d attempted to create a psychic ramp. Para wanted to see more of that, which Naomi took decently on the chin. Finally, Zarian found the right question that came to mind. ¡°Goku or Vegeta?¡± Zarian asked. Naomi blinked. ¡°Is that the kids¡¯ show?¡± Strike one. Zarian didn¡¯t let his disappointment show on his face. ¡°You must choose. Goku or Vegeta?¡± Naomi rolled her eyes. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re taking this seriously.¡± Strike two. ¡°Choose,¡± Zarian said with more emphasis. ¡°This is really serious. For me. Please.¡± Naomi sighed. ¡°Goku, I guess. He¡¯s the main guy, right? So let¡¯s go with him.¡± Zarian felt relieved. ¡°Bingo, bango, you get a mango.¡± Naomi blinked at him. ¡°Where the hell did you get that phrase from? I think I heard you say it when we first met.¡± Zarian shrugged. He didn¡¯t know either. It was a saying that stuck with him and came up once in a while. Either way, Naomi had passed the test. Before Naomi opened up more about her changes, Zarian scooped her out of bed with his own arms. She made no fuss and curled into him, acting quite dainty. That caught him off guard for a split second before he recomposed himself. He went flying out of her room through the balcony. They went down to the ground floor where Bianca cooked a breakfast feast. Hannah and Gilbert were already down there. Hannah had a stack of books she was flipping through while sitting around the big kitchen island. Gilbert was admiring his enchanted fishing rod a few stools down. The kitchen area was open and airy. It had high quality magical amenities Hannah had learned about from books in Reiki¡¯s library. She¡¯d improved on numerous things, of course. Nobody else could appreciate the craftsmanship of Hannah¡¯s work more than she and Zarian. Gilbert certainly didn¡¯t care about the specifics, as he smiled like a big bearded boy in love with his enchanted rod. He struggled to rip his eyes away from the rod to glance at Zarian and Naomi. ¡°Well, look what the cat dragged in!¡± Gilbert said boisterously. Naomi glared at him before using her new skill, Primal Huntress Form. She only shifted slightly to grow some fangs and claws while hissing loudly at Gilbert. Before she canceled the skill, Zarian caught sight of two dark and triangular shapes sprouting from the top of Naomi¡¯s head, her braids shifting out of the way. The triangular shapes disappeared soon after they appeared. ¡°Whoa there, girl, whoa there! Apparently, I got it wrong on who¡¯s dragging who,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°Hable en Espa?ol para el cocinero, por favor,¡± Bianca said, which translated to her wanting them to speak in Spanish while she cooked. The wafting scent of food filled the kitchen. Fresh fish from the lake. Fluffy scrambled eggs from a wild avian nest. Some fresh wild crops and berries, all chopped and mixed, unless they were blended as juice. Lastly, everything had some spices involved they¡¯d picked up from merchants and traders back at Ride-or-Die Village except for the seasoning and condiments Reiki could make from her dungeon. They had everything an adventurer could ask for while out in the wilds. And out of all of them, Bianca was the best cook. It seemed to come naturally to her. She still acted like a dainty and speedy princess while she cooked, too, zipping around and illuminating the way from the stove to the kitchen island and everywhere else. All while adorned in tall heels and a billowy sundress. Since she was the cook, and she was serving breakfast, her insistence on Spanish was practically law for these moments. Zarian switched to Spanish along with the others. ¡°Naomi¡¯s a big deal now,¡± he said. ¡°A definite Tier 4.¡± ¡°It hurts,¡± she groaned. Hannah looked at them sharply. ¡°I figured you two have grown much, much stronger. I was curious from last night, but I suppose you were going to tell us this morning.¡± ¡°Yeah, we definitely have some stuff to share,¡± Zarian said. ¡°But first, I need to say this.¡± He placed Naomi down on a comfy kitchen recliner against the wall, giving her a view of the lake and everyone else. Then he stepped through the void, returned to her room, grabbed her a weighted blanket, and went back to the kitchen to toss it over her. She mumbled thanks, and Zarian turned to look at everyone. ¡°I screwed up again,¡± Zarian said. 166: B2: C66: Concepts and Religion 2 ¡°We know,¡± Gilbert replied. ¡°I knew it the moment you faced down that Sinfeast false idol and didn¡¯t call on us.¡± Zarian swallowed his shame and kept speaking. ¡°I want to avoid that for the next time. Things got way out of hand. Again.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°The growth was great. Really, really great. But what it could¡¯ve cost us was too much. So I have ideas about an auxiliary SOP we should use. It¡¯s going to be important now, because we will attract even bigger and badder enemies the further along we go.¡± ¡°They want to eat you, Zarian,¡± Hannah said. ¡°I can tell that much from the worldwide notifications and speculate what this means with the evil side. It won¡¯t just be Sinfeast looking for a way to have your power. Maybe not just the major gods, either. Maybe the lesser divine beings would try, too. Maybe there are other mortals along our journey who can consume you and take Overwhelming Darkness.¡± ¡°And the fake good guys want to lock you up and throw away the key, regardless of how that can ruin the sanctity of redemption,¡± Gilbert said, looking out to the lake. ¡°It seems like we¡¯re entering the deeper waters, and out here there are a bunch of big critters swimming like they smelled blood.¡± ¡°Yeah, yup, everything you guys are saying is what I¡¯m thinking and feeling,¡± Zarian said. ¡°So I want to try being more careful. Not just because of our enemies, either. My Overwhelming Darkness is evolving as I cultivate it more. It¡¯s becoming different, and along the way, it¡¯s becoming more personal, and more dangerous.¡± Bianca stopped what she was doing to look at him. ¡°How can we help?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to cultivate at night, which will make things easier on me but also still leave me vulnerable. From now on, let¡¯s assume that one or two mistakes can lead to me getting eaten or sealed away for tens of thousands of years. The night time is the best time for our enemies to strike unless I have time to switch from cultivation to Controlled Darkness or get back to baseline.¡± ¡°Ah, then we¡¯ll have to rely on the good old fire watch,¡± Naomi drawled. Zarian snorted before continuing. ¡°During the day, I¡¯m going hard on my studies, and not just for gravity. I have a lot of new spells to learn, and many of them are unique and high quality. They could make a big difference going forward. I¡¯m also upgrading one of my spells on my own. I think that¡¯s something I can try now, DIY spell advancements.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Hannah said. ¡°If I¡¯m not busy, I¡¯d like to pick your brain and watch your process. Perhaps I can be your, um, wizard assistant when you go DIY on your spells.¡± ¡°No lie, that was a hella cute offer, Hannah. But, yeah, that¡¯s all fine with me,¡± Zarian said. Hannah nodded stiffly. Zarian felt a weird and aggressive pressure coming from Naomi¡¯s direction. He ignored it and carried on. ¡°I got some stuff upstairs you¡¯ll be interested in looking at,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Mostly legendary armors and weapons. But most importantly ¡­ bags of holding.¡± ¡°No!¡± Hannah said, jolting in her chair. ¡°Yes,¡± Zarian replied eagerly. ¡°We have an extra one. Maybe you can do experiments on the extra.¡± ¡°I need that pronto. If I can figure out its enchantments for spatial storage and match them with the notes on Para¡¯s pocket dimension, the possibilities would be ridiculous!¡± Hannah looked like she was about to jump across the kitchen and shake the bags out of Zarian. She was barely holding herself back, which was funny to see. ¡°So, during the day, you will be okay,¡± Naomi said with a slight snarl, circling back to the main topic. ¡°And at night, you¡¯ll need more protection.¡± ¡°When will you sleep, Zarian?¡± Bianca asked. ¡°We¡¯re at the point where we can go a couple of weeks without it,¡± Zarian said. ¡°But let¡¯s say I take a day off once a week. Going any longer without sleep would lead to exhaustion, lowering my vitality, and that¡¯s no good for anybody.¡± ¡°Amen to that.¡± Gilbert stood up and walked over with his fishing rod in one hand. He clapped his other hand on Zarian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, brother. You look like you¡¯ve grown up a little more.¡± Zarian gawked up at the big, blue-eyed blond. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to be perfect,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°Frankly, I¡¯m ready to meet my maker if things end tomorrow with a wave of darkness. But everyday I can still draw breath means we are still on course to follow our true purpose. And I can see you¡¯re trying, which is all I can pray for. Keep on trying, Zarian. Keep on trying.¡± ¡°Uh, um, okay, sure,¡± Zarian said, flustered, dropping the Spanish. Gilbert placed his rod on his shoulder and looked back, still speaking Spanish. ¡°Can you do me a favor and take my plate out with you, Bianca? Much appreciated.¡± ¡°Go on and fish, Gilbert.¡± Bianca waved him off. Gilbert sauntered out to the lake. Zarian watched him go. He felt Naomi staring hard at him. He turned and met her eyes before realizing his mistake. ¡°Gilbert, come back! We didn¡¯t even go over the new changes!¡± Zarian yelled. Gilbert didn¡¯t come back. He was zoned out to anything outside of fishing. Zarian sighed, powered up the network link to Gilbert¡¯s mind spider like he was putting him on ¡®speaker call,¡¯ and turned to the ladies. He, Para, and Naomi explained all the key points and events from the lair crawl yesterday, then they went over their growth. They both had some incredible changes, but Naomi¡¯s Thematic Concept/Even Further Beyond took the cake. Despite the debuff, Naomi sat straight with a smug look on her face. She sat straighter and looked even more smug as Zarian showered her with praise. Hannah looked on with some thinly veiled but understandable envy. Bianca was all sunshine and rainbows, doling out some congrats where they were due.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Gilbert mumbled some half-ass congrats as he looked out into the water and searched for the perfect spot. Slip the Sleipnir came trotting over to nip at Gilbert¡¯s shoulder, and the man waved off the stellar eight-legged creature. Zarian wondered when the inevitable one-on-one would happen between him and Naomi. As of now, Naomi was too severely debuffed to do much of anything, but knowing her, she was going to want to test herself. Hopefully, her debuff would end in the next day or two so Zarian could see how far she could push in a spar. Wait, doesn¡¯t that mean the other three would have to protect me and Naomi during our most vulnerable moments? Zarian thought. With great power comes great setbacks, I see. Well, if it¡¯s Bianca, Hannah, and Gilbert, I think we will be okay. ¡°That¡¯s not a spider,¡± Bianca said, handing Zarian a plate of fresh and delicious breakfast while looking past him. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s an entity that¡¯s alive while also serving as a book of spells,¡± Hannah explained, looking in the same direction as Bianca. Zarian glanced down at Morph. The grimoire shivered and made gurgling squeaks while scrambling around on the floor. ¡°He is a precious child and needs nurturing before I read his pages,¡± Para said. ¡°I would appreciate it if you help me care for Morph.¡± ¡°D¡¯aw! I love you, Morph!¡± Bianca squealed. Morph shivered in fear of the tall and glamorous princess who oozed radiant light and free good +5. ¡°I¡¯m not great with children, but I¡¯ll help,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Though it begs the question of how much is materialized with Morph. The other grimoires could avoid damage or any attempt at tampering most times, but this one seems more physical and present than the others.¡± ¡°Seems like a big weak link. I can toughen him up so he isn¡¯t such a weenie,¡± Naomi grunted. Para spent the next three minutes scolding Naomi. She did so in fluent Spanish, which made the scolding even worse. By the time Para finished, Naomi was saying, ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. No, ma¡¯am,¡± like she was a Boot Marine again. That knocked her down from her Even Further Beyond high horse. Hannah pretended not to enjoy that. Zarian tried not to laugh while eating his delicious breakfast. It wasn¡¯t as good as Foodie¡¯s, but Bianca had certainly put some measure of love into it. He perked up further when Bianca swept around and gave him seconds, thirds, and plenty more plates. Para reached into the cabin-sized fridge around the corner and ate the carcasses that were there for her. Zarian then turned his attention to some freshly squeezed magic juice and enjoyed its heightened sweet flavors as he thought about the rest of the day. Turning Loner into an expert was on the list, which Zarian imagined was a sunset affair. Fishing with Gilbert wasn¡¯t mandatory, but there was some heavy social pressure and expectations to go along with it for Gilbert¡¯s sake, so Zarian couldn¡¯t scurry away and study spells. Zarian felt annoyed. He felt a little irrational. He felt a little mischievous. Something had ticked him off and made him slightly jaded suddenly. And it was Gilbert¡¯s fault. Why? There didn¡¯t need to be a why. He made sure the spider network shut out Gilbert for a little while. Then Zarian submerged into his free evil +4 and recalled a joke he workshopped months ago. ¡°Zarian, I can sense your sub alignment,¡± Bianca said cheerily. ¡°Let me be, Bianca,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Gilbert¡¯s been too uppity and holier-than-thou. It¡¯s time to shake that up.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s in a good mood!¡± Bianca said with even more squeaky cheer. ¡°It¡¯s going to be funny,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Trust me.¡± ¡°Do it,¡± Naomi hissed. Bianca sighed dramatically. Hannah jumped out of her chair and seized Zarian by the arm. She looked hard into his eyes with a fervent fire. Zarian shivered. He slowly peeled Hannah off, performed a backward-stepping dance that took him out the clear doors, and dropped all the legendary gear on the floor between him and Hannah, the spatial bags on top. With the Runic Engineer sufficiently distracted, Zarian turned with a mean smile on his face and scurried over to Gilbert. Slip the Sleipnir kept nibbling at Gilbert¡¯s hair for his attention. The eight-legged horse seemed annoyed. Then Slip turned to Zarian, saw the look on the Madness Wizard¡¯s face, and decided to trot off to mess with the skeletons and spiders hanging out or patrolling all over the place. Loner was the only one relaxing while in the branches of a tree tower. Facing the pristine lake, the longest surviving skeleton sat coolly with his bony arms crossed over his ribcage. When Loner glanced over at Zarian, the skeleton saw the look on the Madness Wizard¡¯s face and already started shaking his head in disappointment. ¡°I know what you¡¯re here to do, Zarian,¡± Gilbert said calmly, his back still turned to the wizard. He practiced some motions for casting the enchanted hook and line. ¡°But I know in my spirit there is nothing you can do to disturb me unless you plan to destroy the lake.¡± ¡°Why would I when this is a bounty for one of my flock?¡± Zarian asked smoothly. Gilbert froze a little. He continued to face away. ¡°Now, now, I¡¯m your friend. And I call you a brother in the sense we are brothers of arms and magic out here on adventures. But I am not one of your flock. I am a helper sent by the Lord.¡± ¡°Indeed, you have been called here to serve as such. I know it¡¯s hard to believe, for you have prayed and waited on me for so long without knowing the truth.¡± Zarian took a few steps closer. ¡°But wait no longer, my child, for I am here. I have returned.¡± Gilbert¡¯s grip tensed around his enchanted rod. He jerked his arm up and down like he was about to throw it, but he stopped himself at the last second and took a deep breath. Finally, he turned to Zarian. ¡°Stop it,¡± Gilbert grunted. ¡°You are a fallen angel in need of redemption. Don¡¯t you dare try to play games that landed you in trouble in the first place!¡± Zarian turned away from Gilbert and looked out to the lake. ¡°It is Mid Spring, is it not?¡± ¡°Zarian, stop! I swear to God I will deck you with a mean one!¡± ¡°Oh, Gilbert, one can say that Mid Spring reflects a certain month back in the old world.¡± Gilbert dropped the rod and squared up. He sacrificed vitality to raise his hitting power. The process was interesting to observe because Zarian was mainly blind to vitality. He could only see it when there was a transference of one energy type to another that dealt with aura. With Gilbert sacrificing his vitality for more hitting power, Zarian perceived the intricate nature of vital energy as it became fuel for Gilbert¡¯s Sacrificial Blow +2. Then Gilbert powered up further with Adrenaline Jolt +2, making him look big and mean like a smaller version of the Red Hulk. But wait, there was more, such as Gilbert¡¯s Unified Monk Force. The skill formed a shifting field of colors around his outline, boosting his physicality even further. ¡°Quit it!¡± Gilbert growled. ¡°Not one more word! Let me just have this peace and joy!¡± Zarian frowned and nodded his head. He looked away, as if he was going to leave. Then he turned fully to Gilbert. ¡°I have returned, my son. All will be well again,¡± Zarian said, his face splitting into the biggest of grins. Gilbert decked him in the chest and sent him flying like a ball out of a cannon. Para secured Morph under layers of hard armor and soft cushions. She let Zarian earn himself some broken ribs and internal hemorrhaging. The Madness Wizard smashed into a corner of the surrounding ring of castles and forts and plowed through a bunch of stone structures nonstop. Then he hit some decently hard supports and had a huge tower collapse on him. Once everything quieted, Gilbert looked around at everyone else with a frenzied gaze. ¡°I had to do it! I had to! You all heard the nonsense he was saying! I can¡¯t just let that stand!¡± Gilbert shouted like a crazy man. ¡°I had to! I did it for the real J-man!¡± Nobody else said a thing. But there was a muffled voice they could all hear resounding around the lake. Rubble from the fallen towers, walls, and stone structures shifted out of the way as Zarian hovered upward. He extended both arms to the sides, his legs pointed straight down together. Some might consider this a T-pose. Others might see it as a cross. Both were correct as Zarian roared with bloody mad glee to the chagrin of Gilbert. ¡°REJOICE EVERYONE! ZOMBIE JESUS HAS RISEN ONCE AGAIN!¡± ¡°GOD DAMN YOU, ZARIAN DARKRUN! GOD DAMN YOU!¡± 167: B2: C67: Fun and Facts 1 Zarian had to go fishing on the other side of the lake away from Gilbert. The Knighted Healer was still steaming mad after the Zombie Jesus joke. He needed distance from the Madness Wizard before he could finally cool down. The others milled about near the hotel. Bianca helped carry Naomi out on the recliner chair and set her by the edge of the lake. Naomi was still heavily debuffed and wasn¡¯t in the mood to move much or do any fishing. Hannah sat on the edge of the lake beside Gilbert. She had a short wooden workbench she¡¯d made in front of her. Equipment in hand, she picked and prodded at the extra spatial bag to tease out its lace of intricate spatial enchantments and gnomish runes. One of her shrunken golem balls had some string wrapped around it with hook and bait while bobbing on the lake¡¯s surface. Then there was Bianca, who sat cross-legged on a platform made of sunlight. She held her fishing rod out with her eyes closed, going about her day basking in the sun and meditating while she fished. Gilbert flipped open the lid to a cooler and pulled out a small cask of beer. It was still morning, but who was going to tell that to Gilbert? He popped off the cork and chugged down some of the beer. That wasn¡¯t enough to ease away his anger as he sent a withering glare across the lake at Zarian. The Madness Wizard smiled and waved back until Gilbert looked away. Chuckling to himself, Zarian paid attention to the epic enchanted rod in his hand. The rod looked like a simple brown stick that was thicker around the portion where the hands were supposed to hold. The tip was thinner. The line was made of pure solidified aura, attaching the pole to the bobber and hook. The bait came from the leftover food they had or whatever little low-level insects that Para caught with a tendril and handed over. That was about it. The fishing rod¡¯s enchantments responded to aura and intentions. Casting and reeling were almost automatic. Zarian could even point and shoot the bobber and hook out there without having to wind up and cast. Zarian didn¡¯t really know much about fishing. Gilbert had given him some pointers prior to reaching the lake. The big man would¡¯ve taught him some more if it wasn¡¯t for the Zombie Jesus joke, but Zarian could infer the rest on his own. He could see the lake was teeming with a plethora of life with his aura perception. In fact, he could study the aura of the water itself, which had more magical properties than most bodies of water Zarian had seen so far. This lake was a precious place, and the aquatic creatures living in it reflected that. There was even one big eel-like fish that was in the Level 70s. It was all the way down at the bottom and reminded Zarian of the Loch Ness Monster. Zarian kept casting his bait into the open water above the big one. But it didn¡¯t seem interested in his bait and stayed lurking at the lake¡¯s bottom. Honestly, Zarian could go down there and try to get it himself. But that would break the spirit of what today was supposed to represent ¨C rest and relaxation. This is kind of hard, Zarian thought, feeling itchy and twitchy. There was a lot to do. Foodie was waiting for them. They were leaving their kiddos to fend for themselves. There were new spells to learn. He had to cultivate at night and face the deep depths of his Overwhelming Darkness. There were other little things on the horizon. The issues with his wife, Luciana. The issues with his little sister, Ariana. The issues with the Star System in the wake of what Zarian had done during the Darkrun Apocalypse. With all of this in mind, it felt wasteful to just sit here and fish. Zarian looked back and saw Para¡¯s many arms, tentacles, and other monstrous limbs playing with Morph. The grimoire scrambled back and forth while trying to dodge Para¡¯s grabs and pinches. The spellbook creature, the most lively and materialized of them all, sounded like he was having fun. Para wasn¡¯t in a rush to open his pages and gain mastery over his spells. Zarian turned back to the lake, letting the two enjoy themselves. He still felt guilty. I took a week off after the arch cherub fight, Zarian thought. Looking back, I guess I needed the time to sort myself out after nearly losing myself to Para. They hadn¡¯t talked about it much. But it was still a slightly sticky point in their relationship as host and parasite. He¡¯d gone too far in unraveling. She didn¡¯t betray him and made sure he came back alright. He¡¯d come away with some new understanding about hunger and about Para herself. But that didn¡¯t mean he came out completely alright. To be fair, he¡¯d never given himself time to check if he was alright with anything in his life. He¡¯d kept himself busy. He kept his eyes on the horizon. He¡¯d never truly settled except for that week after the arch cherub. Maybe there were more issues than just the big ones. He didn¡¯t want to think about the small stuff. He didn¡¯t even think about them when he took a week off. He¡¯d rarely given himself time to think and sort through his messy life. He was tempted to ignore it all. He wasn¡¯t a mortal, right? He was the son of ultra gods. All the crap he¡¯d gone through living like a mortal was behind him. Surely, he could stay on task and keep chugging ahead. Maybe he should crack open one of his grimoires and sneak in some studying. Or maybe he could just toss aside the rod and jump into the lake to go after the bigger prize at the bottom. Anything was better than just sitting here and doing nothing. He didn¡¯t feel like thinking too much about himself. Besides, the fishing day was mainly for Gilbert. He needed the time to unwind and enjoy his favorite hobby. That was great for him, but it really wasn¡¯t great for Zarian. Someone approached him before he summoned a grimoire to study. Out of everyone, Zarian expected this one the least. He looked up as Loner of all people came to a stop next to him and pointed at a piece of rock that could serve as a seat. Zarian nodded for the goblin skeleton to sit down. Loner did so with his hands on his knees and with a serene and eyeless expression turned toward the lake. Since Loner and the other skeletons were all bone, they didn¡¯t really have expressions in the traditional sense. But Zarian could kind of tell as a part-time necromancer.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Out of all the older skeletons, Loner, you¡¯ve survived the longest,¡± Zarian said. Para and Morph¡¯s play session quieted in the background as Zarian continued. ¡°I know I¡¯ve been a messy wizard and necromancer. A bunch of skeletons have fallen along the way, and some of that is my fault. But here you are, at my side. I wonder if relaxing days like these are enjoyable for you after all you¡¯ve been through.¡± Loner slowly turned his head to Zarian before giving him a single nod. The answer was yes. Loner enjoyed days like these. Zarian looked back at the lake. All the way on the other side, Gilbert caught something and was reeling it in. He was less mad now, and more excited about fishing. Bianca cheered for him. Naomi pumped her fist up and down lazily. Hannah was still working on the satchel¡¯s spatial enchantments, but she got a free pass since she was the one who¡¯d made their luxurious living quarters. Gilbert reeled up a Level 15 fish with a mirror-like appearance that held the tint of a rainbow on its scales. The fish thrashed about and even used some magic to throw a crescent of rainbow-colored water. The attack splashed harmlessly off Gilbert¡¯s chest. He hoisted the fish up proudly and jumped around in joy with his Sleipnir. The man truly loved his fishing. He was a simple man like that, even when in another world far from home. Zarian felt happy for Gilbert, even when he felt somber or down for himself. ¡°Things might get heavy and complicated in the future,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Maybe fishing isn¡¯t really for me. But if my friends like it, why not take a day off and let them enjoy it.¡± Zarian offered his fishing rod to Loner. The goblin skeleton looked at it for a while before gingerly accepting the epic instrument. He seemed genuinely happy. He even went as far as crossing his legs like Bianca as he sat and cast his fishing line out there into the water. Zarian lingered to watch Loner for a little while before standing up. The wizard went over to a small crop of stone-barked trees with large boughs and branches made of hardy leaves. There were a few hedges and blocks of natural stone benches under the arch of a bridge that was missing its other half. Zarian sat in the shade under the trees and broken bridge. Morph scrambled close to his foot and didn¡¯t seem so scared anymore. Para¡¯s many arms and hands looped around from behind Zarian and turned to his face, her palms splitting into a dozen mouths. ¡°I was wondering what you would do,¡± she said. ¡°I tried it for a bit. Not my thing. I have stuff I want to work on even on my days off,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Look at me. A workaholic. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get to this point before Infinita.¡± ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s unhealthy or if that¡¯s just how you are,¡± Para said. ¡°In comparison, Gilbert seems to enjoy these simple pleasures. Bianca does, too. And Naomi is actually resting for the first time in a long time. You and Hannah, however, wish to work on your projects that you have a vested interest in.¡± Zarian nodded, glancing past Para¡¯s many speaking-limbs. He looked at Loner as the goblin skeleton jerked up and started reeling something he¡¯d hooked. Loner ended up hoisting a Level 5 fish that looked like someone¡¯s waterlogged rug. It was an ugly thing, but Loner seemed proud to have caught it anyway. A bunch of spectral spiders appeared around Loner and performed a celebratory dance in spiraling circles. Loner stood proudly in the center. ¡°What about you, Para?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Do you like to rest and relax or do you want to keep grinding away at the projects that interest you?¡± ¡°I think I like both,¡± Para said. ¡°I want to like both. I am, essentially, a constant project who must grow greater and stronger. We are all projects of progression, in fact.¡± ¡°Yeah, this is true.¡± Zarian nodded. Para continued. ¡°But I do not have the traditional personhood that you have. So I must seek humane pleasures that go beyond my usual hunger for flesh and the pain I can inflict on those I consume alive. In other words, I wouldn¡¯t mind having more hobbies.¡± Zarian took his time to respond as he thought about Para¡¯s words and her existence. Then he asked, ¡°What would you like to do? Let me know, and we¡¯ll do it.¡± Para fell silent for a while. When she spoke, it was a whisper. ¡°You¡¯ve never asked me this before. Not in this way.¡± ¡°Yeah, I never have asked, have I?¡± Zarian nodded slowly. ¡°Today¡¯s the perfect day for it. So, what is it you want to do?¡± ¡°I want ¡­ to fish,¡± Para said. ¡°Just for the novelty of it. And to attempt new things.¡± They went to the other side to grab another fishing rod. Gilbert wasn¡¯t glaring at Zarian anymore, but he was still a little upset. Despite that, Gilbert offered a small cask of beer. Zarian took one and thanked him before flying back to his spot near Loner. For most of the day, Para and Loner fished. Para proved to be an exceptional fishing parasite, able to pull up a Level 35 fish. Loner only got as far as Level 20. Zarian ended up with Morph in his lap. He learned to scratch the timid grimoire on the belly between all his creepy finger-like and insectoid limbs. That was enough to win over the Grimoire of Weird Morphs officially and have him crack open its first pages for the wizard. Before Zarian delved in completely, Bianca called everyone over to change into swim trunks and go swimming. That turned out to be more fun for Zarian honestly, although he had to dismiss Morph when he refused to get into the water. Once Zarian had on his swim trunks, he dove in. Bianca ended up holding onto Naomi who was still as limp as a noodle. They dove under the surface in their enchanted bikinis. Everyone looked great. Bianca remained a flawless beauty. Naomi had a fit and dynamic appearance that was worthy of envy. Though, Zarian admitted to himself he missed how she looked when she was covered in scars. Those were all gone after Gilbert healed her up last night. Hannah stayed mostly on the surface while on a raft she¡¯d constructed. She was jotting down notes and looking through entries into her many journals. Gilbert floated around on the surface using a board of web and twigs the spectral spiders had made for him. Slip the Sleipnir swam around in circles while spectral spiders danced on his back. Various skeletons came and went in groups depending on shift rotations. The off-duty skeletons would join Loner once they raided the hotel for spare fishing rods. The skeletons seemed to enjoy fishing a lot. Zarian swam down to face the big eel beast at the bottom of the lake. He came to a stop in front of its snout as its large, beach ball-sized eyes opened to look at him. Then ¡­ nothing happened. The eel beast closed its eyes and just remained laying at the bottom. Feeling a little disappointed, Zarian shrugged and went about swimming and exploring the lake. He enjoyed the cool, aura-rich water flowing over his body. Then things became even more interesting when Para shifted into a tail-like form with fins extending from the base of Zarian¡¯s back. With a flick of the muscular tail, Para sent Zarian shooting through the water easily. They swam with various schools of fish and saw some that had elemental abilities. Some fish could twist and spin currents of water around them to fend away predators or catch prey. Zarian used the fish as examples for him to twist water and form currents using his Aura Mastery. After some trials and errors, Zarian learned some rudimentary but solid tricks for water bending. Eventually, Bianca and Naomi caught up to him and the three swam around without having to surface. Zarian and Naomi combined Aura Mastery and Psychokinesis to create funnels that drew air from the surface and down to them whenever they needed a breath. Zarian also pushed around rapid water currents from under the surface and to the top to send himself and the ladies shooting into the air. Then they let gravity take control as Zarian whooped, Bianca cheered, and Naomi groaned. They splashed back down under the surface and went current-riding and swimming some more. When sunset came around, everyone gathered in front of the hotel, including most of the skeletons and spiders. Zarian stood in front of everyone with Loner beside him. Looking at them all, it just occurred to Zarian that he actually had fun today. He didn¡¯t do too many productive things other than review his new gains, think, and plan for the future. The rest of his time was spent having a day out in the lake. Tomorrow, they would get going again to reach the center of the Blood Prairie Savages¡¯ territory. They would finally get to see Ezda¡¯s home and check on the changes with Reiki. But that was tomorrow, and tonight was tonight. ¡°Did everyone have fun?¡± Zarian asked. He received all affirmations. The skeletons rattled the most except for Loner who stood coolly. Zarian nodded. ¡°Good, because I honestly had some fun today ¨C outside of being Zombie Jesus.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to murder him when he¡¯s cultivating, I swear,¡± Gilbert grumbled before taking an elbow to the rib from Bianca to shut him up. Zarian chuckled. ¡°Jokes aside, I¡¯m glad you guys had some fun. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have some more fun going forward. But things will get serious, too. I can feel it. We might not be in a rush, because I think we¡¯ll be on time for whatever¡¯s coming, but whatever it is will test how powerful we truly are. And part of that test comes with being sure that we¡¯re prepared and we have all our ducks in a row.¡± Everybody nodded and agreed. He was speaking the right stuff. He didn¡¯t even have to lean on his free evil +4 or other intellect-boosting abilities. This was all coming from the gut. Zarian continued. ¡°We haven¡¯t been living the Star System life for long, but I think we¡¯re becoming experts, ain¡¯t that right, Loner?¡± Everyone looked at one of the first goblin skeletons. Loner shrugged at them. Zarian kept smiling as he reached out and patted Loner¡¯s bony shoulder. ¡°Thanks for all your help, Loner. Now, let¡¯s see you evolve and become even stronger.¡± 168: B2: C68: Fun and Facts 2 Loner buckled and dropped to one knee. Everyone except for Zarian was more or less open about their concern for their favorite skelly boy, but nobody stepped in. Zarian was already next to Loner and waiting as the goblin skeleton went through a metamorphosis. His bones blackened and thickened. He grew a few inches taller. Then a flash of white and blue symbols appeared all over his bones, contrasting the dark color. The blackened bones and new rune enchantments made the skeleton look more impressive. Strong waves of runic power flowed from out of his skeletal body. Loner stayed down for a little while before he shook his head as the changes finished. Then Loner rose back to his feet again. He stood as tall as Naomi, which was much taller than Hannah and most of the skeletons. He had broader shoulders, too. And he had a demanding presence that oozed authority. Zarian checked his golden notifications. ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I know what it means to be an expert. Loner is ranked now. He¡¯s like a mini Master Ranker while still Level 74.¡± The others burst out into cheer for Loner. The longest-living goblin skeleton looked down at himself and took in all the changes. Then he shrugged, acting nonchalant under all the praise before the other skeletons picked him up. They paraded around the goblin skeleton expert, all of their bones rattling the whole way. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of him! Look at our Loner! He¡¯s grown so much!¡± Bianca cried. ¡°It looks like he¡¯s taken the runes I¡¯ve set for him as his own. Interesting. He¡¯s his own runic marvel now, and I have little room to do more for him other than a few more supporting enchantments,¡± Hannah said. ¡°It¡¯s kind of crazy thinking how this guy helped us when we were weaklings in that spider dungeon way back.¡± Gilbert nodded before taking a swig from a small cask of beer. ¡°Look at us now. Look at him. It¡¯s like we¡¯re a Saturday morning cartoon, but on crack-cocaine.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what happens you put Floridians into the mix,¡± Naomi said, glancing over at Zarian with a smile. ¡°Ain¡¯t that right, sir?¡± Zarian smiled back. Later, they had a cookout and enjoyed most of the fish they¡¯d caught. Gilbert forgave Zarian, but on one condition. Zarian had to stop throwing around the Zombie Jesus joke. Or Gilbert was going to swing for the fences. Zarian accepted the condition while making plans to ensure his defenses remained up to par. Gilbert could hit harder than Zarian predicted prior. The Knighted Healer remained a unique member of the party. Zarian couldn¡¯t wait to mess with him again when the time was right. They got a little drunk. Naomi was still suffering from the debuff, but that didn¡¯t stop her from dancing near the fire with Bianca. Then they yanked Hannah to dance with them while they were still wearing their bikinis. It was a fun show to watch, especially when the spectral spiders joined in, dancing in circles on the ground or on the girls. There were even a few that danced around on Gilbert¡¯s head in secret, which gave Zarian a few solid chuckles. Naomi went to bed first. Then Zarian went off to walk around the lake and have some alone time. He found a dilapidated hallway through the castles and hills that took him outside of the lake area. He walked through the dark forest and flexed some of his power to scare off beasts that were too curious for their own good. The moons were out like the first night Zarian had seen them. The twinkling stars were plentiful. Zarian used the void to help him walk out a little further until he was far enough. He looked up at the sky some more until he mustered enough bravery. ¡°Para, I¡¯m going to need some privacy,¡± Zarian requested. ¡°Understood.¡± Para disappeared completely inside of his body, cloak and all. She shut her consciousness down without the skill turning off, which was a convenient loophole. That way, Zarian remained buffed up because of Para¡¯s physical boosts while she could go unconscious and give him privacy. Zarian let out a shaky breath. He looked around. Then, with a sigh, he looked straight into the deepest and darkest shadows in this section of the forest. ¡°Happy birthday,¡± Zarian said. ¡°You¡¯re eighteen now. How does it feel to be an official adult?¡± There was nothing at first. Then there was a scant white color glinting in the darkness. Zarian heard a small step on the loamy forest floor. Then he saw more of the white color billowing ominously as a short and childish figure approached. There she was. Ariana Darkrun. She still looked four-years-old while wearing a sparkly white dress and pearly white shoes, her Sunday best. She stood with the darkness framed around her, making her seem like a ray of hope in the night. For Zarian, that might be true. For anyone else, he imagined they would face something more horrifying than any nightmare they could ever have. But here and now, she looked like his bubbly and cute little sister. She hadn¡¯t changed or aged whatsoever for the past fourteen years. Zarian had turned twenty-two in Late Winter. Ariana¡¯s birthday month was Mid Spring. ¡°You¡¯re an adult now, Ariana,¡± Zarian said. ¡°So, it¡¯s time to look like one.¡± Ariana gave him an endearing smile that would melt most people¡¯s hearts. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to talk to me or see me for a while longer. And isn¡¯t it better that I¡¯m this way for you?¡± Zarian shook his head. ¡°I need to face facts. It¡¯s better if I do it now rather than later, especially after today.¡± ¡°Today?¡± Ariana cocked her head to the side. ¡°You and your pets had lots of fun today. Why ruin that?¡± ¡°Because I have problems,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I¡¯m probably loaded with so much crazy fucked up shit in me it¡¯s a miracle Para¡¯s sanity hadn¡¯t degenerated and she¡¯s still a great friend to me. That¡¯s part of the reason I¡¯m doing all of this crap. I want to make this life better than the past, so I need to acknowledge some things.¡± ¡°You wish to acknowledge your demons?¡± Ariana asked, still smiling, still being cute. ¡°Yes,¡± Zarian grunted. ¡°Interesting choice of words. Am I your demon? Yet, you wish to see my ideal representation,¡± Ariana said softly. ¡°Even if that¡¯ll hurt you?¡± ¡°Healing isn¡¯t always fun. It takes some pain. So let me see you for you, Ariana. Or at least let me see the projection that fits you more when ¡­ you¡¯re not awake yet,¡± Zarian said.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Okay, Big Bro. And ¡­ Thank you. You picked the perfect time for me to be more of what I really am.¡± Ariana transformed. She grew. Her pearly white dress turned to the color of ash and dark embers. Her pearly church shoes split and unraveled to accommodate her more ferocious and risque changes, such as the talons growing from her toes. Zarian watched as his little sister¡¯s projection became her more ideal self. He felt like he was dying inside as Ariana transformed. Ariana stopped being a cute little girl. She stopped being the one he went to when he wanted to feel safe and understood. She became her own entity, even at the cost of burning everything Zarian knew about her to ash. A tail grew from behind her and snapped around like a bull whip. She grew up faster. She lost all her bubbly cute youth. She became a dominating and attractive woman. One look from her could break most mortal men. Then she pushed it even further. Because why not? Ariana was the daughter of ultra gods, and Zarian could see she enjoyed the benefits that came with it. The women of their family had to wield their power and responsibility from the start, after all. Her eyes were like roiling flames. Her skin was dark and pristine. She wore a dress that looked like scales and sheets of dark metal woven together, which left little to the imagination outside the most important bits. Even her shoes had ended up large and tall, with spiked heels that could pierce a skull, let alone crush it under step. The surrounding temperature became hotter and hotter. The aura in the air became smoky, with flakes of ash seeming to appear from nowhere. The forest floor became scorched under her feet while spreading a black, burning ring of destruction in all directions, passing under Zarian. Ariana stopped changing and looked down at Zarian. Then, with a mouth filled with fangs, she said in a womanly tone, ¡°Hello, Big Bro. This is me. This is your little sister, Ariana Darkrun. And yes, I¡¯m eighteen now. And I¡¯m loving it.¡± She sounded like a true hellion. She sounded like destruction and devastation. She sounded bad to the bone. Yet, there was still a hint of his little sister in there. Zarian had to crane his neck back while looking up at Ariana¡¯s staggering stature. This form of hers was over eight feet tall without the heeled shoes. With the shoes, she pushed close to nine feet. The darkness and the shadows undulated behind her, as if they both feared her and worshiped her. The high heat made the air waver and steam from around her. It was like being close to an overheated furnace. Zarian¡¯s skin broke out into sweat. ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say I¡¯m ninety-nine percent sure of what you are,¡± Zarian said. ¡°But there¡¯s just this one issue. The lore doesn¡¯t match up. You¡¯re eighteen.¡± Ariana chuckled darkly as her tail snapped behind her like a thunder crack. Even her laughter demanded respect from everyone who wasn¡¯t family. For Zarian, she still spoke with a hint of adoration and love. ¡°Here, let me confirm it. Let us be done with the mystery. The issue you¡¯re having is that The Dragon, the First Evil King, the First Destroyer is known as the oldest of the gods. Unkillable. Immortal. The great big bad creature that the Star System, or the Alignment System, used to wipe out the old so it could usher in the new. Well, the truth is that I¡¯m not The Dragon.¡± She spread her arms and stroked at the air with her long claws. ¡°Come now, Big Bro. Think about it. What else can I be if I¡¯m not The Dragon?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say. You have to confirm it. But you¡¯re right,¡± Zarian said, with growing awe and horror. ¡°You¡¯re really not The Dragon.¡± Ariana closed the distance in two steps. She loomed over him as two mighty wings appeared from behind her back and flapped so hard they instantly blew out hurricane winds. Her eyes spun with frenzied flames. But there was more than just the fire in her gaze. Behind the embers in her eyes was darkness, cunning, vile, and ambitious. ¡°I¡¯m The Dragoness. The Ultimate Queen. The Greatest Destroyer!¡± Ariana boasted and laughed, her claws stroking at the air close to Zarian¡¯s face. ¡°Unlike you, Big Bro, I suffered the same treatment as Shadowfell, our ultra families casting the girls into Infinita as babies to fend for themselves.¡± ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Zarian mumbled. Ariana kept on with a wicked cheer. ¡°Luciana found her way two years before my arrival. I found mine by killing the old dragon. I ate his corpse. Every flesh. Every scale. Every bone. Then I went to sleep to grow. Since then, I¡¯ve slept and slept as my body developed.¡± Zarian tried to speak again, but couldn¡¯t. He was stunned. The Dragon, the original, had so much lore behind him, Zarian had always felt he was apex. For Ariana to kill the original dragon while she was a mere baby was astounding. Had she used the power of their dark bloodline to kill the Dragon? Had she tricked the old dragon or struck him when he was weak? Zarian wasn¡¯t sure, but in the end, Ariana had replaced the old dragon. Now The Dragoness reigned as the strongest of the Star System¡¯s gods. Ariana smirked as Zarian tried to process the revelation. His voice came out in a low whisper when he found it. ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt too many people, Ariana. You can control these ¡­ urges of yours, can¡¯t you? You were always kind to me.¡± Ariana softened her gaze as she towered directly over him. ¡°Big Bro, I don¡¯t care. My body will awaken sooner or later. I will feast and feast. I will destroy many worlds to satisfy myself. I will have my fun until we finally break free of this play pen and assume our true forms. The darkness within us is grander and greater than these mere universe-bound roles we play as, but until you decide to assume your true birthright, I will play as The Dragoness and reign supreme.¡± She combed her claws through his hair. The heat she emitted was scalding. How could this be? This was just an illusion. A projection from her mind. Yet a person who was weaker than him, maybe even around the Level 60s, would¡¯ve suffered horrible burns and lay dying in pain on the floor. There were so many things Zarian could say. So many things he should ask. But he couldn¡¯t speak. It was unfortunate, but Ariana had always been a weak spot for him. She¡¯d been there through the ups and downs of his life. She had a tight hold on him. This was why he needed to face facts. He needed to see her for what she was. He needed this to truly prepare himself and his friends. Because his little sister was a major enemy, and at any moment, she could wreak havoc in their direction. ¡°I love you, Big Bro,¡± Ariana said. ¡°I love you, too,¡± Zarian said hoarsely. She took one step back and fell into a crouch. Her mighty wings wrapped around her as she propped her head up on her palm. Her tail flicked back and forth behind her in lazy motions. Zarian stood from across from her, not moving. They looked at each other as if there were thousands and thousands of things for them to say. But they held their silence instead. There was no need to talk. They could understand each other quite fine this way, honestly. Ariana kept smiling her monstrous smile. Zarian wasn¡¯t sure what expression was on his face, but he felt waves of disappointment, hurt, uncertainty, and fear. Then, as a new morning peeked over the horizon, Zarian found some fire of his own. ¡°I will find a way,¡± Zarian said. Ariana tilted her head slightly in question. Zarian balled his hands into fists. ¡°I will save you, even if it means I have to stop you with force. But I¡¯m going to do that out of love. I can¡¯t abandon you. I refuse.¡± ¡°I will convince you,¡± Ariana said softly. ¡°I won¡¯t aim to kill you. I won¡¯t even do the most obvious thing and eat you for your power. No, no, no. That¡¯s not good enough for me.¡± Zarian chuckled darkly. He hadn¡¯t even thought of Ariana coming after him for his Overwhelming Darkness. It was a revolting idea. He could also see the same disgust written on Ariana¡¯s face. Despite their diverging moralities, Zarian trusted Ariana not to seek him out for the sake of power. Their relationship wouldn¡¯t dissolve that easily, which made this conversation hard. Well, for him. As for Ariana, she continued to chat with him like it was her favorite pastime. ¡°I want you to see things my way just like Luciana does,¡± she said with a rumbling purr. ¡°Then we can truly reign supreme once we have a better control of your darkness.¡± She slowly stood to her staggering height and cast an arrogant smile down at him. For a moment, Zarian saw himself in her face. He also saw the remnants of his little sister from when she was small and cute. But Ariana spoke on with power and dominance, the air shaking as if it feared her. ¡°The Darkruns took over this universe the moment I appeared. Everyone exists to amuse us or feed us, even the Star System. So ask yourself this. What¡¯s the point in caring for trillions and trillions of strangers you don¡¯t know? Why not focus on the ones who are truly your equals? Why not the few who truly understand you? That way, you can be your true self and nobody important can truly judge you for being you.¡± Ariana disappeared. Zarian slowly looked around him. For miles and miles in all directions, the forest had burnt down, with the ash blackened to the darkest degree. No wildfires had broken out, either. There was no need for that. This site represented destruction of the purest sense. This was what Ariana could achieve with a mere mental projection while she was still asleep in hell. Could she think of a world and burn it and all of its occupants to fine ash? Was the Star System truly in control? Or was it being held hostage by Zarian¡¯s little sister? Zarian knew the answer to that. He could extrapolate based on himself and Luciana, which led to a horrifying conclusion. Ariana wasn¡¯t wrong. The Darkruns ran the entire universe in the truest sense. The Star System was trying to survive while following its parameters. And everyone else was stuck between a cosmic rock and an existential hard place. ¡°Wow, okay, alright,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I¡¯m all sorts of screwy. My ultra god family is messed up. I have a weird-as-hell and submissive wife from an arranged marriage. And my evil little sister is scary as hell and has TWO WAYS of bringing about a universe-spanning apocalypse. What the fuck?¡± Overpowered Wizard Book 1 is now on Amazon and Audible! Well, the day has finally arrived. You must''ve seen these headlines and posts before. Either way, I do want to say I appreciate your support, especially if you''ve continued following me after Book 1. I haven''t talked much about this, but the reaction to the ending of Book 1 was quite harsh from some of the commenters and reviewers. But after some thought, I realized doing what I do isn''t familiar with them, and most stories won''t swing with a bang like that. On a site like Royal Road, steady, simple, grind-y progression is the norm. But I have a style that goes a bit against the grain that I find exciting, that helps me write the next chapter, and the next chapter after that. It is a little sad that I''ve gotten a lot of negativity these past six months, but at the same time, I deeply appreciate the readers and commenters who''ve followed along with the story and enjoyed themselves for what it is. That helped me keep going.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The premise is about an OP Wizard and his friends, and I''m going to stick with that premise, for good and bad. So I appreciate you all who understand that. Anywho, Book 1 is out. I''m going to take the weekend off and come back with the next chapter on Tuesday. The last third of Book 2 has some of my favorite training montages, power fantasy action, world building, and crawls! Again, thank you, and enjoy! Grab OP Wizard on Amazon or Audible! 169: B2: C69: Push Yourself 1 The lake view hotel was already gone when Zarian returned to tell the others how seriously bad his little sister was. Para regained consciousness by then. She was just learning about the truth, too. However, Zarian didn¡¯t give everything up at first. He started by alluding to the connection between Ariana and The Dragon, removing prior predictions of her being a demon or devil. He waited to see how the others would react. ¡°There¡¯s a bright side, guys!¡± Bianca said. ¡°We have a knight.¡± She waved at Gilbert. ¡°And the prettiest, most powerful, and prettiest princess in all the lands.¡± Bianca combed her gauntlet-clad fingers through her long amber hair and stood proudly. Gilbert tipped his hat up while sitting comfortably on Slip¡¯s back. He glanced at Bianca before looking back toward the lake. It was another pretty morning, and it was obvious Gilbert wanted to fish more. ¡°Demon. Devil. Dragon. It doesn¡¯t matter, right? We¡¯ll have to climb our way up and deal with these forces of evil while spreading freedom,¡± Gilbert said, as a strangely familiar bird cried out in the background. ¡°You¡¯re hiding something, Zarian,¡± Hannah called out flatly from on top of the rune cart. ¡°There¡¯s more going on than the possibility of Ariana being The Dragon. Because it doesn¡¯t match up with the lore. Unless Ariana is not your younger sister and is actually much, much older.¡± ¡°So how much stronger do I have to be to spank her?¡± Naomi grumbled. She was still suffering the debuff from Even Further Beyond, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as yesterday. She looked like she was ready to get back to the grind. Zarian took a moment to gather his thoughts as he reflected on everything from the moment his little sister appeared to the moment she left. Her transformation from a cute little girl to an immense and powerful monstress was still disturbing for him. It was like being subjected to the loss of innocence and trust all in one moment. He told them the full truth with a grave solemnity that he felt as the older brother. Ariana wasn¡¯t merely The Dragon. That guy with an old and powerful lore was dead. Zarian¡¯s little sister had killed the old dragon, ate his remains, and took his place as The Dragoness, the Ultimate Queen, the Greatest Destroyer. She could sleep comfortably in hell because she was the biggest bad guy across the entire universe. Then once she woke up, she would go on a rampage and trillions would die for her own hunger and amusement, because nobody could truly stop her. Gilbert took his hat off and held it to his chest. ¡°Mother of God.¡± ¡°Comepinga,¡± Bianca cussed softly. ¡°You never taught me that one,¡± Gilbert mumbled. ¡°Maybe later. I keep some Cuban stuff reserved just for these moments,¡± Bianca said listlessly. She turned away, her shining metal skirt swaying with each haunted stride as she came to a stop near the edge of the lake. ¡°Did she really transform like that in front of you?¡± Zarian grimaced. He said yes. Bianca took that the hardest. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Zarian. That must¡¯ve been terrible.¡± ¡°Does that part really matter?¡± Gilbert asked. ¡°Did you ever have anyone adorable in your life? A little niece? A young baby cousin? No? How about you imagine it being your future daughter?¡± Bianca jabbed her finger at Gilbert. The Knighted Healer held up his hands. Bianca kept going, passionate. ¡°Imagine someone who held you for years and was always cute and supportive. But then they become a monster right before your eyes. And with no modesty!¡± Bianca looked at the wizard. Zarian nodded solemnly. Bianca looked back at Gilbert. ¡°Think of how painful that stab to the heart would be. Lo entiendes?¡± ¡°Okay, yeah, I understand now,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°I asked to see her true self. I got to see it,¡± Zarian muttered, glancing over at Hannah and Naomi. Zarian could see both women were stewing away on some intense thoughts, but in intensely different ways. Zarian figured Naomi was focused on growing stronger and stronger to overcome Ariana. As for Hannah, Zarian predicted she was trying to overcome her insecurity and figure out a way to establish her own base of power that belonged to her, if she could survive long enough to reach that point. A universe where the Darkruns ran supreme was a dangerous one. Truly, they were in a Dark Era. ¡°She won¡¯t kill us,¡± Zarian said, trying to ease their concerns. ¡°She won¡¯t even aim to eat me. Just thinking that makes me sick, and Ariana feels the same way. Our familial bond will prevent that type of betrayal. But that¡¯s about it. Ariana¡¯s way out of our league, and everyone else is free game.¡± ¡°Is there a way to even get close to her without your Overwhelming Darkness?¡± Hannah asked. ¡°That¡¯s the only option, right? Once you¡¯re able to control that power, you¡¯ll be able to stop her. But until then, there is nothing we can do but let the Star System suffer Ariana¡¯s tyranny, isn¡¯t there?¡± Zarian let out a big breath. ¡°There is one other option one of you can take.¡± ¡°The Throne of the Adventurer King,¡± Hannah muttered. ¡°Or Adventurer Queen!¡± Bianca piped in. Hannah let out a mocking laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m being doubtful here, but based on the universal lore, none of the past Adventurer Kings or Queens could beat The Dragon of yesteryear. They either died or went off on some other adventure beyond the Star System. So, Zarian, can you tell me how that empty and unused throne is supposed to help anyone other than you?¡± Zarian opened and closed his mouth and thought about it before saying, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be me. It isn¡¯t fair.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as fairness in any of the situations we find ourselves in,¡± Hannah said, standing her ground. ¡°Let¡¯s be real, Zarian. Your little sister has taken the role of the most powerful evil force in this universe. There remains one way to overcome that, and nobody has ever used it to defeat the previous dragon. You are supposedly more powerful than Ariana once you can reach your full potential, but as of now, she has a huge head start while you still have to grow into your power. In fact, it¡¯s almost fitting. This is like any classical story of how a young man rises to power as a king.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°We¡¯re with a future king?¡± Bianca said in awe. ¡°Yes,¡± Hannah said firmly. ¡°No,¡± Zarian muttered. ¡°You were a Marine, Zarian. Regardless of what happened, you remembered what it¡¯s like to have a sense of duty, right?¡± Gilbert asked, patting Slip between the ears. ¡°Sometimes we don¡¯t ask to bear the weight of responsibility, but when it comes, it¡¯s better to be prepared than to let it blindside you.¡± ¡°There could be another.¡± Zarian tried not to glance at Naomi. He moved on quickly. ¡°But if nobody else can do it ¡­ I¡¯ll do it.¡± He felt awful about that. There were a lot of things Zarian could accept as his birthright for being a massive beneficiary of nepotism. But taking the Throne of the Adventurer King was a little too much, and Zarian wanted it to go to someone more deserving than him, man or woman. Which was why he took a deep breath and looked back at his friends with a determined gaze. His eyes spiraled with small aura lights and void-like darkness. Bianca turned sharply to face him. Gilbert shivered, and Slip stomped around in surprise. Hannah turned pale as she lost herself in Zarian¡¯s darkened gaze. Naomi didn¡¯t budge, move, or react whatsoever. ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯ve gotten some time off,¡± Zarian said coldly. ¡°Because I¡¯m going to need all of you to train even harder than ever before.¡± He turned to look in the direction they were going. There was a trail they could take, which led out of the surrounding ring of castles, forts, and hills that bordered the beautiful and tranquil lake. Zarian straightened up and said, ¡°The next break will come when we reach the Blood Prairie Savages¡¯ Stronghold. I¡¯m going to busy myself with studying grimoires and training my aura to grow my Mysticism naturally. I¡¯m letting Naomi do whatever she thinks is best to help you three.¡± ¡°Willpower,¡± Naomi said. ¡°I think that¡¯s the biggest weakness among you three, Bianca and Gilbert especially. We need to shore that up now before we get caught slipping.¡± ¡°My Strength is weaker, but I imagine my Willpower can use some raising,¡± Bianca said. ¡°I have my Unyielding Mentality trait and free for real +2,¡± Gilbert pointed out. ¡°Bianca has free good +5 and that meditation trait of hers. I think we¡¯re solid on the Willpower front.¡± Naomi shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. You all need more raw stat points in Willpower just in case. That can matter more than having extra points in Strength and Agility if we¡¯re going to be facing down gods, angels, demons, and Ariana Darkrun.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes,¡± Hannah said. ¡°I need to do whatever it takes. I don¡¯t want to get caught ¡®slipping,¡¯ as you say.¡± Hearing that from Hannah, Bianca gave in right away. Gilbert grumbled for a while before swearing himself to fall fully under Naomi¡¯s training regimen. Everyone knew how hard and crazy Naomi could get with training, so they were in for some pain. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have the gnolls to check on and Grimrock to conquer,¡± Zarian said, his mind rotating furiously on ways to become greater. He felt Para¡¯s eagerness to help. She also offered comfort through their mental link. She soothed Zarian¡¯s heartache over the deplorable evilness of his little sister. Zarian believed evil should be used as a tool. But Ariana looked at evil as something fun and casual she could play with. It didn¡¯t matter how many people she hurt as long as she reigned supreme. And because she had the most power and most control, that was unquestionable. Not exactly, Para sent through Zarian¡¯s head. Don¡¯t forget that Ariana can¡¯t break free from the Star System. She has immense power, but she¡¯s not as powerful as the whole of you. I see your point, Para, but I¡¯m not concerned about what she can¡¯t do, and more concerned that inside Infinita, Ariana can do a lot. We have to get stronger. We have to be better. We have to be the best, Zarian thought resolutely. He almost wanted to smile. Zarian imagined the climb up to the top was going to be a more casual affair after Grimrock. But his little sister had given him one gift from this terrible revelation. A reason to hustle a little more and push further beyond. And do some crazy, pedal-to-the-metal training. Since Naomi was still physically debuffed, she relaxed on the rune cart mostly as they set out to go northwest. She put a lot of focus on Gilbert and Bianca since they had the lowest Willpower among the Floridians. Hannah was given more grace so she could work on some of her projects, especially the one surrounding spatial enchantments and magic. However, that didn¡¯t mean she was free from pressure. ¡°Hannah,¡± Zarian called, floating beside the cart. ¡°Yes,¡± Hannah said sharply. ¡°I want to include you in the Mysticism training,¡± Zarian said. ¡°In fact, I think it¡¯s about time you get an aura-based trait. Maybe I can help with that.¡± Hannah readjusted her seat on the rune cart while having a spread of notes, journals, runic devices, and the Spatial Satchel in front of her. She looked intensely at Zarian before saying, ¡°That¡¯s going to be difficult when our Mysticism is among the highest in the party. It¡¯s hard to grow it naturally. It¡¯s also hard to gain new traits when we have so many already.¡± ¡°I hear you. I didn¡¯t have many plans on how to train it. But recent events motivated me to figure it the fuck out. I realized I just haven¡¯t been creative enough, and I shouldn¡¯t have to wait on Ruvaria to tell me. Would you like to have a sample?¡± Zarian asked. Hannah squinted. ¡°I said I¡¯ll do whatever it takes. I mean that.¡± Zarian used pure Aura Mastery to crush down on Hannah¡¯s aura. The moment it happened, he felt Hannah using decent aura control to defend against his aura pressure. She made the most out of her Level 0 Summon Wizard Hat, her 222 Willpower, her 583 Mysticism, and her innate talent as a legendary Runic Engineer. But Zarian was a legendary Madness Wizard, and he was better at controlling aura directly while having multiple high quality, high-level abilities that supported such. His crooked, conical wizard hat was Level 48, and Hannah¡¯s hard wizard hat could barely match that. The only thing that kept him from crushing Hannah down any further was her free for real +2 that prevented outright invasions. But that didn¡¯t last long, because Zarian was also in the freedom alignment with free evil +4, and he was too dominant, too powerful. Eventually, Zarian crashed through Hannah¡¯s defenses, invaded her profile with his aura, and blocked her skills. He couldn¡¯t affect the traits, since those were ingrained deeply with the soul. But the skills were his to affect once he put enough attention to them. It was an invasive and uncomfortable experience for anyone to go through. Zarian didn¡¯t hold back much, which shocked Hannah and set her tumbling onto her back. Hannah curled up near the edge of the rune cart, panting and grunting like a beaten dog. Zarian held back the other factors he could add while in this deep inside of Hannah. He could use a combination of The Dreaded One, Uncanny Valley Effect, and maybe even the Frenzy Zone with his Aura Mastery. He could throw Hannah into a horrible blender of confusion and domination. But that would take things too far ¡­ on the first day. ¡°I can¡¯t win against you,¡± Hannah said, gasping. ¡°A goddess doesn¡¯t believe in the word ¡®can¡¯t,¡¯ Hannah,¡± Zarian said. ¡°You better remove that word from your vocabulary by the time you can hold a universe in your hand.¡± Zarian was well aware of the type of person Hannah wanted to be in the end. If Naomi wanted to fight the gods, Hannah wanted to sit above gods and boss them around. Zarian would be happy to support that as long as Hannah would work hard for her dreams. Hannah didn¡¯t respond. She kept convulsing and shaking on top of the rune cart. Zarian landed next to her. ¡°Hannah, look at me. Look up and meet my eyes.¡± She turned and looked up. She was crying. Her face was red and puffy, her brown hair a messy spool around her head. Hatred burned in her eyes. Zarian smiled softly and soaked in being the object of Hannah¡¯s hatred. As long as she grew stronger, Zarian would merrily bear the burden of Hannah¡¯s spite. Maybe she would make an even worse artificial dungeon for him next time. Zarian crouched down and spoke in a low tone. ¡°I need you to push me out. Then I need you to withstand my pressure while you continue working on your projects.¡± ¡°Ugh,¡± Hannah grunted. Zarian chuckled. ¡°It won¡¯t always be as bad as this, but I will be a constant pressure in your life for a while. I will ease back when Naomi has you under her care. Between me and Naomi, you will work on the foundations to be a badass goddess.¡± Hannah nodded slowly. ¡°Also, happy birthday month. To you and Bianca. You got a flower. You got to fish. And you get to get your ass kicked,¡± Zarian sang. ¡°Now push yourself.¡± 170: B2: C70: Push Yourself 2 Hannah pushed her hands down on the rune cart¡¯s roof and sat up. She breathed hard and deep, eyes squeezed shut, before she committed her aura in what must¡¯ve felt like an impossible battle against an aura titan. Zarian stood over her the whole time, barely easing the pressure until he felt Hannah giving it her all. Only then did he pull back bit by bit, making her work to gain ground and find an equalizing point. After a long enough while, Zarian let Hannah overpower his invasive aura a little. She barely had much room to rest, and pushing Zarian out was slow going. Still, Hannah used all of her mystical abilities to scramble, claw, and shove at Zarian¡¯s aura to get him out. She was practically crying by the time Zarian was finally out of her. He eased the pressure back some more, but kept pouring a constant stream down on Hannah. He forced her to use her limited aura control to secure herself in a bubble. ¡°I¡¯ve never gone through something so horrible,¡± Hannah muttered. ¡°I think a few blood vessels burst. I might have a hernia or two, even, just from the strain.¡± ¡°Vitality will heal that right up,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Good job, though. I know that was tough, but I think you want it this way. Right?¡± Hannah glared at him before gulping loudly. She slowly nodded. ¡°Yes, please, I ¡­ I really want this. I want more power. I must ¡­ become a badass goddess.¡± Zarian nodded and floated away. He barely caught the last thing Hannah muttered under her breath. ¡°Whatever it takes, my insufferable king.¡± Zarian tried not to show how that bothered him. Hannah could be quite determined. Maybe not as much as Naomi, but once she had her mind set on something, whether it was an idea or her perception of someone, it became fixed in her head. Even when she hated him right now, she still thought of him as the future king of Infinita. Zarian hoped to prove her wrong with enough hardcore training. Maybe she would become the future queen instead. It¡¯s most likely Naomi, though. Zarian glanced at his fellow Marine as she sat calmly on the edge of the rune cart. She looked down at Gilbert and Bianca who were sparring harder than they usually would. The big, blue-eyed, blond raised his shield as Bianca dashed in and struck with a flurry of slashes with her sabers of light. Then she dashed away before Gilbert could respond with a shield bash or punch. She dashed back in and forced him to duck behind his shield again as she attacked with both her sword constructs and some laser beams. The force of her blows on Gilbert¡¯s shield created mini-shockwaves, left craters in the old weathered road they were taking between stony trees, and made the surrounding landscape quake as if they were a pair of dueling giants. Bianca had an easier time than Gilbert because of her build and how she could dip into a small portion of free good +5. But Gilbert had the right combination of abilities to hold his own just long enough until his tranquilizer skill slowed Bianca and evened the fight out. Neither of them were having much fun, though, not under Naomi¡¯s watch. The cruel Rumble Psion was throwing her psychic abilities into the mix. Tears of blood fell from Gilbert¡¯s and Bianca¡¯s eyes. Blood poured from their nostrils. They kept suffering psychic spikes to their minds whenever Naomi could land them after a cooldown. She also layered her Psychokinesis +2 on them, making them wear it like a superheavy weighted vest. This was worse on Bianca than it was on Gilbert. The fight evened out some more to where Bianca had to scramble around to avoid getting crushed by Gilbert. The man could last for a long while despite him being the ¡®least dynamic¡¯ on their party roster. It got to where Bianca flagged more than Gilbert after a few hours of straight battle training without rest. Of course, Naomi introduced another insidious element to her brutal training regimen. ¡°Heal her. Jolt her up. Keep going,¡± Naomi ordered. Gilbert healed Bianca and applied his Adrenaline Jolt +2. Bianca snapped awake. She used the extra juice to get back into the fight with another rapid flurry of strikes and lasers. Again, Gilbert dropped back into a bad position. He had to defend as best as he could and endure the powerful hits from Bianca that slipped through. Then Gilbert ran into a roadblock when he had to save up on aura to avoid bottoming out. He found himself less effective, which gave the Light Princess too much leeway. Bianca beat the shit out of him while he was low on aura, which was kind of ironic. It was a known issue for Bianca to run low on aura most of the time. But that was an issue she was always working on, too. It was rare for anything to push Gilbert to the point of wasting all his aura, so Naomi let him suffer for quite some time. Then she asked Zarian to pump more aura into Gilbert so he could hold his own better against Bianca¡¯s intense flow of attacks. Rapid flares and sparks of light showered the area as Bianca rampaged and Gilbert stood his ground behind his shield. Minor fires caught on the hedges and fields of flowers that were around them. Naomi snuffed out any potential wildfires using her psychic abilities. She kept flinging out her Mind Spike +2. She kept Bianca and Gilbert weighed down with Psychokinesis +2. She made them fight and fight even when they were past the point of exhaustion. Even Gilbert was straining, having taken enough abuse to hit his limits. Finally, Naomi let them rest. Bianca climbed onto the cart. Fell off. Landed in a heap. Then tried to climb back on and lay down like a living corpse. Gilbert rested on Slip¡¯s back. The Sleipnir had trotted close by the whole time, unless he caught sight of a monster. Then he¡¯d run off to stomp it dead under his hard hooves. With his rider on his back now, Sleipnir let Loner and the skeletons deal with the monster population. Naomi nodded at Bianca and Gilbert. Then she turned and said, ¡°Hannah, you¡¯re with me.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Hannah cussed. She looked miserable. She¡¯d been pushing away Zarian¡¯s aura the whole time while trying to work on her spatial research. She put everything away and jumped off the rune cart. Zarian peeled his aura pressure off of Hannah. She caught a break, free to stretch and recover while Naomi warmed up from across her. The Rumble Psion still suffered from her debuff, so maybe Hannah wouldn¡¯t get thrashed too much. It was doubtful, but there was still a chance Hannah would come out alright. Just like Gilbert and Bianca had earlier, Hannah and Naomi faced off while moving with the rune cart.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Anyone observing from a distance would see the metallic cart and its six wheels as odd. They would notice the eight-legged horse running about in the fields like a wild thing. Then there were the skeletons following from behind, with a black skeleton leading them. If there were observers, they wouldn¡¯t know about the spectral spiders that were spread so far out that most of them were beyond Zarian¡¯s aura perception range. Scouting beyond Zarian¡¯s range was their top priority outside of dancing and conducting webbed spell arrays. For miles and miles, Zarian had his party covered because of his spectral spiders. That way, Naomi could bully Hannah with little worry. The only monsters that drew close were the ones Zarian allowed in because the skeletons or Slip could handle them. The Runic Engineer threw herself into the offensive to make use of her newest skill, Mystic Rush Tank. She forwent her smart golems or any pre-made enchanted gear, as demanded by Naomi as they faced off. Instead, Hannah had to fight offensively while making things on the fly. She had to do it while Naomi liberally threw her Mind Spike +2 into her head and weighed Hannah down with a heavy coat from Psychokinesis +2. Consequently, Hannah¡¯s existence became nothing but pain and misery. More so than any training exercise they¡¯d done before. Hannah hit the dirt hard with her face after taking a kick from Naomi. When Hannah picked herself up and swung out her newly made cubic crafts, she watched them get obliterated by an unfazed and unstoppable Naomi. The debuff didn¡¯t seem to matter right now. Naomi was that scary strong compared to Hannah in this close-quarters challenge. Naomi¡¯s unrelenting nature despite the debuff was both a testament to how strong Naomi had become and how far out of her element Hannah was. The chance of Hannah having to do much upfront combat like this was low, too. But Hannah didn¡¯t quit. She seemed to recognize that this could only help her, especially in the off chance she was caught in melee situations. So she accepted getting her ass kicked and her face shoved into the dirt again and again. She got up again, and she got up again, and she pushed herself. Meanwhile, Zarian placed some aura pressure on Gilbert and Bianca while they were resting. But he didn¡¯t commit to it as much as he did with Hannah. Helping them grow their Mysticism wasn¡¯t a top priority compared to improving their Willpower. He maintained the pressure to keep them uncomfortable. He slowly introduced them to other traits: Uncanny Valley Effect, the Dreaded One, and Frenzy Zone. Bianca groaned and cried. Gilbert nearly fell off Slip¡¯s back. Zarian didn¡¯t stop there. He let Para introduce her hungry aura to nibble on their own and drive up the creepy factor. Yes, both Bianca and Gilbert had their own defenses against Zarian and Para. But with time and persistence, the Madness Wizard and his Parasite Cloak +2 reigned supreme. They made Bianca and Gilbert¡¯s momentary respite a horrendous one. What of Zarian¡¯s training? It was quite simple during the day. He selected one of his grimoires, specifically Black, and skipped past the gravity spell to work on the others. Para took care of Morph with some gentle reassurances despite the loud and semi-destructive training the others did. Eventually, she had Morph open up to her. Then she was tracing her fingers over the runes and symbols of Morph¡¯s first spell, using a combination of touch and aura perception to read. But that wasn¡¯t all. Zarian and Para were also playing a dynamic game against each other. Zarian had better control and more variable tricks with Aura Mastery. Para had an extra attribute when she used Aura Mastery, her hunger aura. They wrestled one aura against the other in a constant battle for supremacy. Surprisingly and unsurprisingly, Para had a slight advantage. The hunger attribute in her aura chipped away at Zarian¡¯s aura. Every bite of his aura made Para¡¯s aura stronger and more gluttonous. However, Zarian could bend the environment easier than Para could. With his aura, he conjured unique effects that Ruvaria had shown him. His Aura Mastery still didn¡¯t compare to Ruvaria¡¯s, but it was still grand and mystical. This was all while Zarian and Para studied separate grimoires and used their combined traits to pressure their party members. For the rest of the day, the land shook and roared from the impacts of Naomi and Hannah duking it out. The air around the top of the rune cart wavered nightmarishly while Bianca and Gilbert had to endure invasive and dreadful auras pressuring them and their sanity. Then there was the sky above where a wizard battled his own cloak as they studied from two dark and evil grimoires. Twisted and malevolent darkness covered the skies and feasted on the beaming light of the twin suns. The occasional clap of roaring thunder resounded. A mystical, dark bolt of lightning cracked through the air. Sparks of friction and crackling energy gathered around the darkness in the sky. Bolts of fire appeared from thin air and rained down like drizzling fireworks. A howling twister formed from out of nowhere and sucked up the sparks and smoke. A blaring impact, like a giant clapping their hands, reverberated for miles. The twister disappeared like the fingers of a titanic god snuffed it. These elemental aura tricks were not something Zarian would¡¯ve normally done in combat. It was a colossal waste of aura and highly, highly inefficient. But that was the point. So Zarian unleashed his dark and vengeful wizardry against Para¡¯s hungry, hungry aura while the two studied and pressured their friends. All the nearby beasts that were mostly harmless fled away from the intense activity. Even the braver and more dangerous beasts, and some of the lurking monsters, turned tail and ran. Anyone who was observing this from a distance would think a calamity or giant Tier 4 event was thumping its way toward the Blood Prairies. Loner and his fellow skeletons found themselves with nothing to do. After watching the Floridians train and cause immense chaos for a while, Loner turned and threw out blasts of runic force at his fellow skeletons, making them train, too. Slip and the spectral spiders were the ones left mostly on guard duty all the way from daytime to nighttime until Naomi ended the training day. Only then did things settle down. Zarian switched to cultivating while Bianca, Gilbert, and Hannah gathered on top of the rune cart to sleep. They were beat. Naomi held watch with Slip, the skeletons, and the spectral spiders lurking about. ¡°I got something for you,¡± Zarian said, floating in the air with his legs crossed, hands pressed together in front of his navel. Para had assumed the battle kilt form, leaving his torso bare. Inky, dark, and symbolic whorls of sealing runes covered his arms. An intricately laid spider web glowed bright violet with gravity magic on his muscular back. And the dark night seemed to ripple and twist around Zarian, as if he was the center of all things that went on in the night. Naomi looked up at him with her arms crossed, her feet set in a runic circle that drove the cart with intention and minor aura control. She glanced around in search of danger before paying attention to Zarian again. ¡°Will it help me grow?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that lately. I might¡¯ve overdone it in the Blood Prairies. Now I have to wait for a while for another solid grind.¡± ¡°Before I say what I have for you, I was honestly thinking you¡¯ll take a shot at me,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I thought about it. But maybe later. I¡¯m not strong enough, and even without Overwhelming Darkness, you have ways to shut me down.¡± She shot him a glinting white smile. ¡°Clever girl,¡± Zarian said, chuckling. ¡°But do note, the longer you wait, the more I¡¯ll build up my bag of tricks.¡± ¡°Fair. So what do you really have for me, or was that it?¡± Zarian didn¡¯t say right away. He let his spectral spiders go from invisible to visible around Naomi. There were a hundred of them. That was more than enough for Naomi¡¯s needs. ¡°Ever heard of a gravity chamber?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°No,¡± Naomi said, her smile widening. ¡°But it sounds badass and tough.¡± ¡°I will make you strong, Naomi Washington. I will make you so strong, even I will feel a little scared when I consider your limitless potential,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Just answer me this. Why go so hard for us? Most people want themselves to be the strongest. You¡¯re making me feel hella selfish compared to you.¡± Naomi softened, showing some rare vulnerability. ¡°You can just focus on yourself and deal with your sister on your own.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like my little sister¡¯s moral philosophy. There is no other way to beat it unless I show an example of something else or she¡¯ll be right. I can¡¯t allow that.¡± ¡°Damn, Zarian.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be all talk, Naomi. I gotta walk that walk. Or I might as well say nothing truly matters outside of my family¡¯s bullshit. I can¡¯t give in to that.¡± Naomi laughed softly. ¡°Yeah, I feel you. That¡¯s what I like about you. You act like a real king.¡± Zarian rolled his eyes. ¡°It won¡¯t be me.¡± Off to the corner of the rune cart, while curled up into a tight and tired ball, Hannah mumbled under her breath. ¡°Truly, an insufferable king.¡± ¡°King, king, king,¡± Bianca said tiredly, while curled up next to Hannah. And over in another corner by himself, Gilbert snored like a truck engine. 171: B2: C71: Bearing Gifts 1 Zarian noted it took four days for Naomi to fully recover from her debuff. Having her back to peak performance led to some interesting, brutal, and badass developments. They were on their third day journeying to the central stronghold of the Blood Prairie Savages. The stony forests and trees became sparser. Patches of crimson grass dominated more often, choking out the colorful wildflowers and wild hedges that were more prevalent further south of the Walled Continent. Their rune cart and possession of oddities traveled closer to the edge of the Blood Prairies, where the beasts became more cunning, and the monsters became more haunting. Yet, there were few creatures of the prairies as terrifying as Naomi. She took it upon herself to be the chief trainer and night guard, which she was a natural fit for. She was the least likely to get weary because of her high stat points in Strength and Agility, making her the most physically competent without buffs. Zarian rewarded her by dropping a big rock on her at night for her to lift and carry. Sometimes, the rock would be the size of a small barracks building or much larger. Loner would have to take over driving the rune cart while Naomi was on the ground with her latest training implement. Each of these wonderful gifts from Zarian had arcane webbing covering their surfaces that spelled out a runic array. When the spell array flashed bright violet purple, gravity magic raised the rock¡¯s weight until it was close to crushing her. Only then was it perfect for her. She only trained that way for half an hour straight, three to four times a night at random, while still keeping a lookout for Zarian as he cultivated during the night. Eventually, Loner learned to be the primary cart driver at night regardless of Naomi lifting something huge and incredibly heavy or not. Without fail, Naomi outlasted each big rock they found and came out a little disappointed. Then she sadistically took out some of her frustrations about being too strong on the other three Floridians after breakfast. The way she pressed her will upon Bianca, Gilbert, and Hannah would scare most adventurers or outright kill them, as if she was crushing bugs under her heel. But her fellow Floridians stayed committed all the way no matter the pain. Hell, some of them gave in to the insanity. They embraced the suck. Or, in other words, they completely snapped! ¡°Hit me, Bianca! Just hit me!¡± Gilbert roared. His legendary armor had deep scorch marks and cuts and half-melted breaks it struggled to self-repair. Even the shield, one of the most advanced defensive crafts Hannah had made, looked worse for wear. He looked bad, too. Red in the face. Bloodied and bruised. Gilbert had enough juice in the tank to heal himself quickly. But he learned through trial and error, through blood and sweat, that it was better to stay battered and bruised and maintain that state of suffering. This was optimal for strengthening his abilities with buffs. Suffering and sacrifice was Gilbert¡¯s nature, so he embraced that as he yelled at Bianca. ¡°I¡¯m God¡¯s realest soldier! I¡¯m out here with the villains and the false idols, with the dragons and the witches! I¡¯m out here putting in the work! So don¡¯t hold back on me! If you care for me, you will hit me with everything and watch me rise, rise, and motherfucking rise again!¡± Bianca came to a complete stop. Something unnatural and powerful rippled through the air. Something so unfathomably deep and shocking, it nearly matched the power of Metatron¡¯s good +7. It was hard to grasp. It was fleeting, almost coy. It was there and not there. But it was like the first crack of a bullet nobody expected, snapping Zarian out of his focused studying and aura training. Para froze up and turned rigid, with the Grimoire of Weird Morphs crying in the grasp of her many hands. Zarian felt a strange sensation. Uncanny nervousness. Naomi said it the best in a few words. ¡°Yo, Bianca, chill, don¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°I hear you, Gilbert. I feel you. We are connecting right now and it¡¯s beautiful. I won¡¯t turn away from what you are expressing. So I will give you everything with love.¡± The way Bianca spoke with a chilling and kind voice had Zarian covered in goosebumps. Para shivered all down the length of her cloak. Zarian, Para said through their mental link. I think our understanding of free good was wrong. What if it¡¯s not weaker than traditional good because it¡¯s more free and harder to grasp? What if it¡¯s stronger than traditional good because it¡¯s harder to grasp because free good must come from a place that¡¯s the pinnacle of goodness itself? ¡°That¡¯s fucked,¡± Zarian mumbled. Bianca became a supernova of power and light that blinded everyone. Most of that supercharged and explosive light flashed forward over Gilbert and burned his eyes out of his skull and dried up his exposed skin to the point of making it crack and flake. He barely had any time to heal when Bianca crossed the distance. With one sword strike, she sent him skipping across the ground like a stone across a lake¡¯s surface. By the time Gilbert somehow got his feet under him and landed with a heavy skid that drew too long furrows behind him, Bianca had already moved all the way behind him and struck him again, but this time twice. The first one sent him flying again, then she dashed after him and struck him again while he was already mid-flight and careening around. Zarian was tracking everything through his Aura Mastery, but even that was hard. Bianca¡¯s brightness and intense free good +5 power burned at his Aura Mastery and made it extremely difficult to perceive what was happening. This was more intense than when Zarian had fought her when she was traditionally good +5, but then again Bianca had grown and developed herself for half a year since then. She was way better now, and Gilbert had done the dumbest and bravest thing of getting Bianca to truly tap into the power of free good +5 all the way.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Fuck, does that mean she¡¯s like itty bitty Tier 4, maybe just behind Naomi, but only when she can reliably get good +5 to work for her? Zarian thought, trying to keep track of the hurricane and destructive beat down that Bianca dished out on poor, poor Gilbert. At some point, Bianca became more creative and did something she hadn¡¯t shown before. She conjured a solid light wall to stop Gilbert from flying off. The man had one saving grace. He struck the wall back first, allowing him to hold up his battered shield toward trouble. Bianca reappeared in front of him with another flashy supernova step. Her intense solar swords brightened and warped the air with so much heat and power, little electrical charges crawled over her arms from the mystical high energy friction from their sheer intense existence. Bianca brought her swords up. Zarian looked at Naomi. She braced herself. Zarian held back from intervening and winced. Para gave him an impression of worry for Gilbert, but she held back as well. ¡°Damn,¡± Hannah mumbled, as she stopped in the middle of her project and stood to watch Bianca unleash a torrent of strikes like a minigun. Bianca attacked with so much speed, so much intensity, so much power that for a second Zarian wondered if Gilbert was dead. Zarian knew Gilbert wasn¡¯t. He could perceive that. But the shock factor was as high as the blinding light and shooting sparks rising like a geyser into the sky from Bianca¡¯s rampage. And she was smiling. With affection and love. As if she was giving her best family member a gift that came purely from the heart. Finally, Naomi jumped in. She swung her arm and sent a massive pulse of psychic force down at Bianca. Naomi¡¯s eyes widened as Bianca turned and sliced straight through the psychic wave before it landed with a huge, earth-rumbling slam like a giant¡¯s hand had struck down. Bianca stood serene and unaffected. Naomi engaged all the way and threw a punch at Bianca¡¯s chest, but then the darndest thing happened. Bianca¡¯s free good +5 disappeared with a wink. It was by the grace of something divine, most likely Bianca¡¯s high Wonder, that Naomi pulled back at the last second. She only struck Bianca hard enough to send her skipping through red grass patches, sparse fields of wildflowers, a few wild hedges, and into some wild statues covered in vines. Naomi let out a huff. She turned to Gilbert. ¡°You good?¡± she asked. ¡°I already told you. I¡¯m God¡¯s realest soldier.¡± Gilbert struggled to push back to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m good. I¡¯m hella good. And I can keep doing this shit all day.¡± He looked terrible. But he was alive. He still had some fight in him. ¡°Nice.¡± Naomi kicked Gilbert in the same direction where she punched Bianca toward. Gilbert crashed and rolled and tumbled. He thrashed to a stop in a miserable heap, staggered back to his feet, and turned to see Bianca dragging her feet toward him. ¡°Continue,¡± Naomi said. Bianca moved around again at a much, much slower speed to take Gilbert¡¯s flank. Gilbert moved even slower as he tried to turn and raise his screwed up and tarnished shield to intercept Bianca. Naomi jumped in and caught Bianca off guard with a punch to her side. She kicked Gilbert behind his leg. Then she pushed her foot against his back and sent him flying once more, but this time straight into Bianca. The both of them crashed into a dilapidated tower in a wide courtyard covered in red grass blades. It came tumbling down on top of them in a roaring heap. ¡°Don¡¯t stop, keep fighting,¡± Naomi ordered. There was no movement at first. Then Gilbert rose out of the rubble with a roar. He held Bianca by the collar of her breastplate and jumped into the air before swinging her around overhead for a slam that formed a crater beneath them. Naomi threw a spike into Gilbert¡¯s head, but that didn¡¯t stop him from raging. He lifted Bianca up again and slammed her down. Then he did it again and again to return some of the many hits he¡¯d taken. Bianca flagged, Gilbert kept slamming her into the crater, making it deeper, and Naomi held back, allowing Gilbert to get his revenge. When he finally lifted Bianca out of the crater, he shield-bashed and punched Bianca through low-lying walls, wild hedges, and patches of red grass. He took her from field to courtyard, from castle walls to stony treelines, and back. Then, if that wasn¡¯t enough, Naomi allowed Gilbert to have an even bigger advantage by letting Slip jump in. That saddened the Sleipnir a little. He liked Bianca. But the eight-legged horse and his rider still jumped the shit out of the Light Princess. Bianca took it all with a bloody smile and a serene spirit. Her free good +5 had dimmed again, acting unreliably as usual, but what she¡¯d shown when fighting at peak power had left a mark on the rest of the party, especially Gilbert. Zarian let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding. Para relaxed a little at a time. That was the scariest version of Bianca they¡¯d seen yet. It was much scarier than Bianca when she had good +5. Bianca with free good +5 at its peak felt like facing serenity, love, and nirvana forged together into the sharpest and fastest blade. What would happen if Bianca could do that with free good +6? Free good +7? Or beyond? Scary. And awesome. Zarian felt giddy. He adjusted his assessment of Bianca. She was the definition of a wild card. Her baseline was high Tier 3. That could change to baby Tier 4 with the right trigger. Now let¡¯s get back to where we left off, Para, Zarian thought. Yes, Zarian! Para thought in return. Above the brutal sparring, the sky turned dark, violent, twisting into turmoil. Angry mystic lighting forked with dark flashes. Sudden thunder claps blared above like bombs going off. Water vapors condensed and formed blocky dark clouds. Hurricane winds blew about like banshees on the prowl. Hail fell, some as big as softballs and melons, which added to the troublesome training down below. Zarian and Para battled each other constantly with their diverging auras. Zarian leaned more and more into his dark mystic aura and conjurations. Para leaned more and more into her devouring aura and predatory tactics. Zarian bent the elements faster and faster. He formed more lightning bolts. He blasted out more thunder claps. He sent howling twisters. One, two, three, sometimes even four at once. Yet, Para kept hounding him like a determined huntress, an apex predator, a monster of hunger and super intelligence. She snuffed the lightning. She quieted the thunder. She unraveled the twisters. As Zarian created, Para destroyed. As Zarian bent the elements to his Aura Mastery creativity, Para wiped away the elements with her Aura Mastery hunger. Then Para took a bite out of his aura before getting shoved back and having to work for her food again. The game turned even more chaotic. The sky twisted with a malevolent and dark fury that most wizards or adventurers couldn¡¯t truly appreciate. Then things got ¡­ freaky. Zarian¡¯s thunderbolts came out more wild, with dark sparks of flame spitting across the sky like fireworks. He turned the storm above into multiple high category storms that roared as a dozen funnels formed around him. More flames spat out of nowhere, sometimes joining with the wind vortexes from the sheer friction and magical chaos Zarian caused just to hold back Para¡¯s monstrous nature. It was a hell of an intense game. But it didn¡¯t seem that way when looking closely at the two at the center of all the mystical chaos and wild weather phenomena. Zarian and Para held grimoires in their hands, the wizard using his natural own limbs while the cloak had formed multiple from her material. They were studying and learning from the spell pages while causing mini cataclysms that would¡¯ve wiped out the city of Central Bramblevale with enough time and a couple of sweeps around. Even more astounding was how they battled against each other¡¯s auras, studied complex wizardry from their grimoires, AND kept Hannah under constant pressure while in terror of having her profile invaded and her aura eaten from the inside out. 172: B2: C72: Bearing Gifts 2 Zarian noted how Hannah was done with studying the Spatial Satchels now. She¡¯d turned her attention to crafting on the fly by turning mundane earth and stone into enchanted objects made of numerous cubes. She made spears. She made swords. She made axes of all kinds. Then she pushed herself to make near-instant cannons with a cannon ball already loaded that would get shot by layers of explosive enchantments. She worked on perfecting her designs to the most miniscule detail. It was nearly impossible for anyone without powerful perception abilities to tell that everything came from tiny, tiny cubes. She used enchantments to smooth over the issues with that so her blades would come out super sharp and her cannons could shoot smoothly. She practiced hard while defending against Zarian and Para¡¯s divergent uses of Aura Mastery. But it didn¡¯t seem to matter much when Hannah faced off against Naomi, who was Hannah¡¯s main sparring partner. Naomi was Hannah¡¯s biggest weakness outside of facing Zarian. Naomi¡¯s Mind Spike +2 scrambled Hannah¡¯s focus before she could create something, and because Hannah had to move offensively to make use of her major body-enhancing skill, she had to run straight into the punches and kicks from the Rumble Psion while still trying to craft and enchant on the fly. It almost seemed like Naomi was the hardest on Hannah, which even made Bianca and Gilbert uncomfortable. The two sat on the rune cart, trying to recover from their beat down of each other while enduring Zarian and Para¡¯s divergent auras bearing down on them. ¡°Whoa, whoa, Naomi. This is going too far!¡± Gilbert shouted. ¡°Hannah, are you okay?¡± Bianca asked. Naomi waited while standing over the crater she had body-slammed Hannah into. The tough-as-hell Rumble Psion said nothing, ignoring the healer and princess. The once Alabamian and now proud Floridian woman lay curled up and battered at the bottom of the crater. Their legendary gear could take a huge amount of abuse and divert most of the damage. But Naomi¡¯s training required them to break past those defenses and rend flesh and turn bones to powder before they could really lean into pushing themselves. The gear had the self-repair and self-cleaning enchantments, and their bodies would recover because of Gilbert being a powerful healer. But the psychological damage could be immense from such harsh and soul-crushing training. Hannah shivered. She straightened her body and slowly staggered to her feet. She was so badly beaten it was hard to look at her. Even Zarian felt bad and wanted to ask Naomi to lighten up, but that would be a mistake. Naomi knew what she was doing. And Hannah could decide for herself. ¡°I can keep going,¡± Hannah said. ¡°I have to keep going. I want more power. I want more control. I want it all.¡± Naomi grinned from ear to ear. ¡°I know. You¡¯re like me in your own way.¡± They continued training, but Naomi lightened up a little. She gave Hannah just enough room and time to fully craft some hasty weapons and put them to use. Hannah thrust forth two spears with tips that burst out with bolts of lightning. Naomi punched each lightning bolt and snapped the spears with karate chops. Hannah swung an enormous axe with a mighty and heavy blade that could hurl out a freezing and sharp crescent. Naomi snapped her head forward. She gave the frigid ice crescent a headbutt that smashed it into mystical smithereens that fell as glittery shards or dispersed into the aether. Then she kicked the axe out of Hannah¡¯s hand and snapped the head off from the haft. Hannah fell back, dropping the buffs from her rush tank skill. She made cannons in the background with their ball shots. Then she had them blast their load as quickly as she could. Naomi slapped each cannonball out of the air. Naomi crashed through everything Hannah could craft on short notice. No matter what Hannah threw at the Rumble Psion, Naomi proved unstoppable. Naomi only gave a little ground for Hannah to pick up momentum offensively and show off her stuff with her rush tank skill. That was all the grace Hannah would get. Then Naomi crushed Hannah into the ground again and again. She let Hannah up. She had Gilbert heal her up. Then they continued, letting Hannah practice and try out new things before getting her ass beaten again and again. Hannah didn¡¯t quit. Naomi smiled as she eventually reached a point where she took more care and evaded some crafts that came out far sharper or would strike with more damaging force. Things looked up for Hannah until the Runic Engineer collapsed, her stamina depleted, her body unable to keep going. Naomi grabbed her and beat her around. The Rumble Psion even threw her into random walls a few times, doing some outdoor remodeling, until there were no more walls nearby. She taught Hannah a powerful lesson about what would happen if she let exhaustion overcome her. No mercy. No second chances. Just absolute pain, hoping for the end. Once it was night time, Naomi finally let Hannah return to the rune cart. Gilbert healed up everyone before the three had some light dinner. Then they went to sleep, knowing they would suffer more of the same or worse tomorrow, and the next day after that, and the next day after that.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Zarian looked proudly from the sky as he slowly switched from wizardry to cultivation. Para shifted from her cloak form to her kilt form. Shadowy whorls of geometric patterns covered his arms. Spider webbing spelling out runes for gravity magic flashed a bright purple from his back. Para¡¯s consciousness invested more of herself as an anchor for Zarian to ride out the rough and bottomless ocean that was his dark hunger. Zarian sighed before conducting the chant and hand signs. The night spiraled around him, bent to his whims, honoring him despite his dreadful nature as the greatest source of darkness in the Infinita Star System. He cultivated. Threads of darkness cycled through his channels and gates, through his spirit and body, merging the monster inside his soul with the mortal container a little at a time. It was slow going and burdensome, but it was going, that was for sure. After getting established into his nightly routine, he turned his attention to Naomi. He asked, ¡°Can you imagine how many stat points we would¡¯ve gotten if Foodie was here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought about that a lot lately,¡± Naomi said from on the ground while Loner took over cart driving duty as usual. She was balancing another giant rock overhead. ¡°I¡¯m hitting a plateau. The gravity rock idea is good, but I¡¯m still too strong to get the solid gains from before. I¡¯m even back to weighing myself down with Psychokinesis +2 and tensing up my body to keep it strained, but it¡¯s still not enough.¡± She sounded sad. Zarian chuckled. ¡°Be patient. You¡¯re overpowered now. You gotta bear the burden of that. But trust me when I say there are more challenges waiting for us. Gods, angels, demons, dragons, plenty more. That¡¯s why we¡¯re working hard to help all of us grow more. I think it¡¯ll be badass if each of us can solo a Lesser World Boss if it comes down to it.¡± Zarian smiled brightly. ¡°I want to do that without Overwhelming Darkness.¡± Naomi did forward lunges with her giant, gravity enchanted boulder. It took her a while to gather her thoughts before she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get to be OP like this. I have an epic class while the rest of you have legendary. Hell, even Jack is rocking a mythical class. That¡¯s two divisions above me, right?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s what made you so strong,¡± Zarian said. ¡°You could¡¯ve fallen behind. But you refused to let that happen.¡± Naomi licked her lips. ¡°I was afraid of being deadweight.¡± ¡°Fear¡¯s a hell of a motivator.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, regardless of all that, I need something to help me push to Second Stage,¡± she said awkwardly. ¡°My Aura Ignition/First Stage is as good as it gets.¡± Zarian accepted the change of subjects with grace. ¡°Second Stage isn¡¯t about more power. It¡¯s the merging of Aura Ignition with your profile¡¯s abilities, creating new techniques while burning like a wild bonfire. Sometimes, you can use ignition techniques while still in First Stage. I saw that from a guy I killed who thought he was unbeatable, but in hindsight his Aura Ignition was kind of weak even if he had some decent control.¡± ¡°What a lame-o,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Yeah, I agree,¡± Zarian said. ¡°You aren¡¯t lame. You have a lot of power, more than even Foodie¡¯s Aura Ignition, I think. But now you need to temper that some for the Second Stage. It¡¯s a technical stage, so you can¡¯t grind your way to it like you did with First Stage. But don¡¯t fret, you nearly had it the last time. I think it¡¯s going to be as simple as flipping a switch once you find the right switch.¡± ¡°Thanks, Zarian. I needed to hear that,¡± Naomi said. ¡°I¡¯m glad to help,¡± Zarian said. ¡°You helped when I had nothing. I will repay you with all I can and more.¡± They didn¡¯t talk any further that night. A few night monsters tried to attack, but the spectral spiders saw them first. The spiders either dealt with them or directed Slip or some other skeletons to the problem if they were decent enough threats. Only once did the spiders have to get Naomi to jump in and kick a monster into oblivion. She did it while still holding her gravity boulder and restricted by her own abilities. There were still no adequate threats compared to what they had fought in the Chimera Tyrant Lair. Still, they remained as vigilant as they could be while on the grind. Some time later, Late Spring arrived, and so did Empress Ruvaria. Zarian couldn¡¯t contain his own excitement when the petite and elven woman appeared. He used Void Waltz to get ahead of Bianca and swept Ruvaria into a big, whirling hug. Bianca grabbed him up from behind. She used her newfound Strength from Super Serene Rampage and squeezed both Zarian and Ruvaria with a tight embrace. Once they finally let go of each other, Ruvaria looked a little miffed at how her waterfall of platinum gold hair came out in slight disarray. Her shining emerald eyes narrowed as she glowered at the giddy Madness Wizard and Light Princess duo. Then Ruvaria let out a puff of air and gave them a faint smile. ¡°Well, it is a pleasure to see you as well,¡± Ruvaria said, floating in the air above their rune cart. Naomi, Hannah, and Gilbert gathered behind the wizard and the princess, everyone looking up to the empress while she wore a simple brown and green gown, her feet left bare. She held her hands behind the small of her back as she gazed down at them. ¡°I found myself with some time off and thought of paying a direct visit,¡± Ruvaria said. Zarian crossed his arms and gave the elf empress a cocky smile. ¡°You sure it¡¯s not because you missed your dear student?¡± ¡°Well, yes, I miss you and our secluded sessions,¡± Ruvaria said. Bianca let out a shriek of glee. Gilbert coughed into his fist while mentioning something about slaying gilfs or some nonsense like that. Naomi smacked Gilbert on the side of the head before laying upon Zarian¡¯s back a glare that he could feel. He ignored them for now, because he sensed the visit from Ruvaria had a purpose. ¡°I also needed a break from the village and the children you¡¯ve placed me in charge of,¡± Ruvaria said wearily. ¡°I will return to them soon, since I¡¯m not one to forgo my duties, especially if it¡¯s helping with something that my dear student finds precious. But I must admit it is draining being so ¡­ active in public settings. I¡¯ve been mostly a recluse for nearly a thousand years, you know?¡± Zarian floated up and placed his hand on Ruvaria¡¯s head. He gave her a few head pats and combed through her long hair. ¡°I appreciate it a lot,¡± Zarian said kindly. ¡°I know you¡¯re exerting yourself for my sake and for the sake of those I care about. You don¡¯t have to. But you are. So please understand I am eternally graceful and I owe you a lot, perhaps forever.¡± Ruvaria was tense while accepting Zarian¡¯s adoration. A bit of color painted her cheeks. Then she relaxed as she looked down at her feet. ¡°Stop it,¡± she mumbled. ¡°You keep reminding me of my father.¡± ¡°Oof,¡± Bianca said. Zarian retracted his hand. Ruvaria combed through her hair and took a moment to recompose herself. Then she floated a little higher so she could look down upon Zarian again. He gladly floated down and returned the focus to her. ¡°Before I was interrupted, I had more to say.¡± Ruvaria sniffed. ¡°I¡¯ve come to you all bearing gifts.¡± 173: B2: C73: Cursed Items 1 With a wave of her hand, Ruvaria summoned five objects that floated around her. ¡°These are cursed items of great power. With these five, you will either succumb to their curse and suffer horrible fates that will bring your adventures together to an end. Or you all will become far greater, far deadlier, far scarier. Woe be unto your enemies.¡± ¡°Amen,¡± Gilbert said, taking his cowboy hat down from his head and pressing it to his chest. The first cursed item was an ominous goblet made of crimson and black roots. The second cursed item was a big, thick, and tarnished golden book with nefarious energy surrounding it. The third cursed item was a small, intricately carved black and bronze box covered in highly advanced, runic symbols and numerous parts that clicked and shifted rapidly. The fourth cursed item was a hand-sized mirror made of polished steel that reflected no light or any image. Then there was the fifth cursed item, a thorny crown that snapped out with aura tendrils that were even hungrier than Para¡¯s. Ruvaria delivered them one by one to each Floridian. Once they had them all in hand, Ruvaria spoke about the power and lore behind the cursed gifts. For Gilbert, Ruvaria said, ¡°This is the Bloodroot Chalice, Mythical Quality. Notice how a mere touch is painful and cold. It is always hungry for vitality, specifically the part that helps your wounds heal. ¡°After it takes your vital health, it will also go after your vital stamina. After it takes your vital stamina, it will start draining your life energy. Once it drains all of your life, the Bloodroot Chalice would hunger for more. Nothing could satisfy it. Thus, it would attack those nearby without them having to touch it. ¡°This used to belong to one of my aunts from a long time ago, Ravoxia the Breaker. It was a trophy she¡¯d taken off the corpse of one of her long-time rivals of an ancient race that used to live on this world before they, too, met their end by the powers of my family. ¡°Unlike most elves, Ravoxia trained to be a warrior-first. She was a wrathful one, a berserker of grand Strength and Mysticism. She is long gone now, so please have a toast to her memory with the Bloodroot Chalice, for Ravoxia was one who took on two Tier 4 regressors by herself. She was already dead by the time she beat them bloody and defended her favorite drinking tavern in a small corner of the world.¡± Gilbert looked wide-eyed at the evil, mythical goblet in his hand. ¡°Whoa, uh, thanks. Like, God almighty, thank you. I¡¯ll drink deep in Ravoxia the Breaker¡¯s memory and send a prayer in her direction.¡± ¡°Yes, pray to your Christian God for Ravoxia and yourself, because the Bloodroot Chalice is relentless. Have fun.¡± Ruvaria nodded as Gilbert fought off the power of the vitality-hungry goblet. She turned to the next down the list. For Bianca, Ruvaria said, ¡°The Tarnished Tome of Maledictions, Mythical Quality. You can already feel it, can¡¯t you, from merely touching it. The book has a corruptive power of pure evil. Though it doesn¡¯t match up to Shadowfell¡¯s power, it still aims to darken and taint and apply evil to all of those who are close, especially the one in contact with the tarnished tome. ¡°To open its pages and look upon the horrors written in that book is vastly more gruesome for the spirit, for it has records of the many evil acts that were done in the Absolute Era. To read it without the proper endurance or power of your alignment will destroy your mind and drive you to lunacy. ¡°The book used to belong to my grandmother, the one you know as Good Goddess Purehome. When others have failed to overcome the evil of the book, when others had their minds ravaged by the text on its pages, their souls twisted to where they were forever debuffed, Purehome withstood the book. She used it to grow her goodness to such a degree it was the bedrock of her rise as one of the greater goddesses at the top. ¡°This is my gift to you, Bianca, my cheerful child. Test your free good +5 against this book, withstand its evil, and perhaps your sub-alignment will grow to such heights that even I will be in awe of your goodness.¡± Bianca held the tarnished golden book shakily in front of her. Her eyes trembled. Her breath came out rushed. Then she crushed the book against her metallic breastplate with a tight hug as she smiled tearfully up at Ruvaria. ¡°Gracias, abuela!¡± Bianca cheered. Ruvaria nodded. She turned to the next. For Hannah, Ruvaria explained, ¡°The Labyrinthine Box, Mythical Quality. I know what you¡¯re trying to do, Hannah, and I applaud you for the effort. But this cursed artifact is unsolvable up to a great extent. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to solve it until I was well beyond Level 100 and was five thousand years old. But you may give it your best attempt.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°You must use some rudimentary aura control to shift its pieces while tracking the runic sequences, which it will scramble constantly at speeds that will make you dizzy. With every attempt to solve it, even when trying to move its pieces into their proper place, it will attack your mind with torturous pain and rip out the knowledge you¡¯ve gained from solving its demented puzzle. ¡°My great grandfather, the father of Purehome, created the Labyrinthine Box. He was the most genius inventor of the Forgotten Era, a time before the Absolute Era. I cannot tell you what happened in the Forgotten Era. It is mostly forgotten.¡± ¡°What era?¡± Gilbert grunted, strained by the Bloodroot Chalice. ¡°I forgot,¡± Bianca said, with a shaky breath, tears streaming from her eyes as she hugged the Tarnished Tome of Malediction. ¡°Forgotten Era,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Yes, I still have it in my head, the Forgotten Era,¡± Hannah said. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the Forgotten Era has an automatic universal effect that wipes memories about it unless you have the right mental abilities,¡± Zarian said, finding that fascinating. What happened in the Forgotten Era that made the Infinita Star System use an ongoing memory wipe? ¡°What era?¡± Gilbert asked again. ¡°Maybe the gibberish era,¡± Bianca added. Ruvaria nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, that is the point. The Forgotten Era is to be forgotten. However, it was from that era the Absolute Era was born. This was when certain powerful factions that still exist to this day first cemented themselves on one of two sides. ¡°Grand creations from many thousands of years ago came to bear with results that were nearly world shattering. We are missing entire continents because of weapons from that time. ¡°The knowledge of those old world-rocking weapons and many other highly sophisticated secret works are in the Labyrinthine Box and can make the most determined inventor the most dangerous across the Lesser Worlds and perhaps some world above in the Greater World. I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Hannah asked sharply between gritted teeth, suffering some painful effects from holding the Labyrinthine Box. Ruvaria shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Once I¡¯ve solved the Labyrinthine Box, I forwent the knowledge. It was too destructive for me to have, and I¡¯ve already done enough damage. Perhaps it would suit you better, for you have a hunger and determination that is like my great grandfather.¡± Hannah used rudimentary aura control to make the box hover in front of her. She was already straining as the item of stone and bronze shifted in countless miniscule ways while its symbols flashed with ruddy brown light. Looking away from the mythical treasure, Hannah met Ruvaria¡¯s eyes. ¡°I will solve it before Level 100,¡± Hannah promised. Ruvaria smiled. ¡°I knew you would say that. You have vast potential ready to burst free and rearrange the cosmos to your liking. That is what I find commendable about you and the young woman who¡¯s devoting herself as your assistant.¡± ¡°Oh, Rhea, you mean?¡± Hannah said, surprised. ¡°Hm, I should probably help her level up when I get back to the village. She would make for a better assistant that way¡­¡± Hannah trailed off as she became absorbed with her gift. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the box tore at her mind and made it a struggle to solve and gain its world-shaking secrets. Ruvaria nodded before turning to the next. For Naomi, Ruvaria explained, ¡°The Echoing Mirror of Self Destruction, Mythical Quality. For one hour, it will be a complete doppelganger. It would even copy Aura Ignition and other great traits to an extent. It will try to kill you. ¡°My children, children¡¯s children, and children¡¯s children¡¯s children who went down the magic warrior path have all fought this thing. It was a trophy of mine that I¡¯ve taken from some particular creatures who like to stay hidden.¡± ¡°Gnomes!¡± Zarian blurted out. ¡°Yes, gnomes. They would prefer it if you didn¡¯t know about them. I know where they are, though,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°I¡¯ll find them on my own,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Wait, we¡¯re looking for gnomes now?¡± Gilbert grunted, still wrestling with the vitality-eating Bloodroot Chalice. ¡°Search the lawns. Find their homes. AND DESTROY THEM ALL! DEATH TO THE GNOMES!¡± Bianca screamed, before shutting the Tarnished Tome of Maledictions and shaking her head. ¡°Ah, no, no, let¡¯s not do that to the gnomes. We will not destroy them. We won¡¯t. Maybe they can give me very nice shoes. I¡¯ll even give them pictures of my footsies as payment.¡± Pause. ¡°Pero que co?o, Bianca?!¡± Gilbert shouted. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! It was the book that made me say that! And what if the gnomes say yes and I get the shoes just like that? Then I¡¯d look smart!¡± Gilbert gawked at her. ¡°We literally have so much money back home we don¡¯t even know what to do with most of it!¡± ¡°Dale! Leave me alone! I¡¯m not weird! It¡¯s the book¡¯s fault! And I have pretty feet that are worth more than all the gold coins! Just saying!¡± To Bianca¡¯s chagrin, Gilbert shook his head in shame at her. ¡°Mm, yeah, sure,¡± Hannah mumbled, veins bulging on her forehead as she glared at the Labyrinthine Box that floated across from her face. ¡°Yo, what the hell?! I didn¡¯t interrupt you all when you guys had a badass explanation about your gift!¡± Naomi grouched, waving around the hand sized and unreflective mirror. ¡°Let me have my moment!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say about it,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°Activate it and beat yourself up with yourself. Maybe you¡¯ll gain some new insight. Try not to let it kill you, then it will exist for longer than an hour and aim to kill everyone you care about until it¡¯s destroyed.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Naomi grunted. Ruvaria let out a small sigh before smiling down at the final receiver of her gifts. Zarian smiled back as he held the thorny circlet in his hands. 174: B2: C74: Cursed Items 2 He didn¡¯t bother using Aura Mastery + Identify on his cursed item. He wanted to hear Ruvaria talk about her gift for him, which he prompted with a nod. For Zarian, Ruvaria said, ¡°The Barbed Crown of Ravthar the Absolute King, Mythical Quality.¡± Zarian stiffened. This thorny and hungry thing in his hands had once belonged to Ruvaria¡¯s father. The smile on Ruvaria¡¯s face brightened beautifully. They both knew fully well the importance of this gift and why she was passing it down to Zarian. She continued: ¡°It is an aura-hungering monstrosity and possibly the worst of the grand cursed items from my family¡¯s treasury. My father left it behind before ascending into the First Star Ascension Trial and dying. It was how he became a powerful wizard of such immense might, the dwarves couldn¡¯t survive him. ¡°It was how I grew my Aura Mastery when nobody else was capable of Aura Mastery like me and my father. I have outgrown the crown thousands of years ago, so it pleases me to find someone else who can use it and grow from it.¡± ¡°Ruvaria, this is a lot,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I haven¡¯t nearly given you enough for all that you¡¯ve given me and my friends.¡± ¡°Your allegiance to me and the purity of your joy for learning magic is payment enough,¡± Ruvaria said. ¡°You are a source of great trouble, Zarian Darkrun. But deep down, you have a rare innocence at heart, and the truth of you is that you love to adventure and you love to learn and explore magic.¡± ¡°Yeah, but still¡­¡± Zarian trailed off, not sure what to say. Ruvaria giggled, making a pleasant and heavenly sound. The others relaxed from hearing the musical nature of Ruvaria¡¯s true elvish voice. Her next words were less musical, but it was still stirring and lovely. ¡°You even love challenges when they are quite risky. You¡¯ve shown time and time again how you would go beyond and not rest on your laurels. I see a reflection of you in your friends as well. So do not fret over how much I give to you. I give with joy. I give with trust. I give with love. And to give like this is plenty of payment already.¡± She lowered down and gave him a few head pats. ¡°This is what it means to be your dear teacher.¡± Zarian froze under her adoration. He even felt his neck and cheeks heat up. It was weird being on the receiving end of this, but he accepted with a slight bow. Then something inside of him snapped. Before he could stop himself, he collapsed to his knees in front of Ruvaria. She gracefully lowered down and continued to pat his head with a small and adoring smile on her face. He¡¯d grown a lot since leaving the old world behind. But some things hadn¡¯t left him just yet. With this so-called loop his family had put him in, he had to grow up like a mortal wretch. Maybe that was necessary to humble him and make him what he was now. But it was still hurtful to have lived that way, as a wretch, a bottom feeder of society. Thus, Ruvaria¡¯s open love as his dear teacher was almost too much for him. Zarian took some time off to recover. Hannah, Bianca, and Gilbert fooled around with their cursed items. When they couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, Ruvaria summoned mythical boxes they could store the items in before storing those away in their Spatial Satchels. Naomi had waited until the others finished before she went thousands of feet away in the red and tall sea of grass that was widespread across the Blood Prairies. She activated the Echoing Mirror of Self Destruction. She looked dead into the eyes of her steely doppelganger who was many times meaner than her. The two traded their first explosive and thunderous punches. Naomi took two steps back. The doppelganger only took one step back. By the time an hour was up, Naomi looked like she was the oldest chew toy of a feisty bulldog. The Knighted Healer, Runic Engineer, and Light Princess tried not to look smug as Gilbert healed the Rumble Psion. Finally, Zarian placed the Barbed Crown of Ravthar the Absolute King on his head. The thorns sunk into his scalp and drew thick streams of blood. Para instantly hated it as the hungering aura of the crown tried to out-hunger the parasite. The crown broke through her defenses and feasted on Zarian¡¯s aura, suppressing him drastically. They did all they could to fight it, but the crown was mythical and powerful, dominating them thoroughly. They did all they could for an hour before having to rip the crown off their head, scalping Zarian terribly. As Para and Gilbert repaired the damage, Zarian tossed the crown in its mythical container and placed the box inside Para¡¯s pocket dimension. Better now, the Madness Wizard told everyone to take tonight off and rest up. The next week was going to be intense before arriving at the Blood Prairie Savages¡¯ stronghold.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. As the others rested, Zarian flew through the night sky with Ruvaria. The two were mostly silent, his cloak wavering behind them like a flag. Then Zarian opened up about his sister, the depths of her evilness, and what had befallen The Dragon to give rise to The Dragoness. He lowered his head, feeling ashamed that he couldn¡¯t do anything about his evil little sister, the Ultimate Queen of the Infinita Star System. As a mortal and adventurous wizard, he didn¡¯t have enough power. As the son of ultra gods, he had way too much power that he couldn¡¯t control. He was stuck while his little sister promised to feast and destroy and ruined the lives of countless many. Ruvaria hummed. ¡°Hm. The Dragon is dead. The greatest and most fearsome villain I knew for all my life and in all my histories is dead. Killed and eaten by a child of all things, who now deems herself the great sovereigness of the Star System and the ultimate decider of our lives. And she, too, contains an even greater apocalyptic power that threatens the cosmos beyond our universe. This is what you¡¯re telling me?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. It¡¯s pretty screwed up, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zarian cringed. ¡°Then so be it.¡±. Zarian flinched in shock. ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡± Ruvaria shook her head. ¡°The Dragon. The Dragoness. No matter who it is, they bring about suffering, and suffering is a well-known factor. Do you know how many times I¡¯ve heard news of great doom and horror in this world and in the many worlds across Infinita? ¡°I¡¯m part of a network of Lesser World Leaders who can speak and travel from world to world. I¡¯ve known many friends and rivals who rose to prominence before they befallen to terrible fates. I¡¯ve known of worlds who suffered such grave catastrophes there was nothing that can be done and nothing that remains. ¡°The Infinita Star System continues to exist, even if it is a temperamental existence, even if it means we¡¯re fodder in the grand scheme of existence. If our universe is to play its part as a cradle to ultra gods such as you, your little sister, and your wife. Perhaps that is our ultimate purpose.¡± Zarian huffed. ¡°You are not fodder, Ruvaria.¡± She gave him a small smile. ¡°One day I will die. Perhaps I will even be forgotten. It is not a sad thing. It is meant to be. Just like how many little lives will perish to your sister and be forgotten in the shadow of her existence. Regardless of good or evil, it is her right via power to exercise her dominion of domination if none, not even the Star System, can truly challenge her.¡± Zarian balled his hands into tight fists. ¡°One of these days we need to talk about that doomer attitude of yours that comes up sometimes. But today, I just want to say somewhere out there, in some world I don¡¯t know, there¡¯s a guy who was like me. Down on his luck. Looking for a break. But reality beats down on him and won¡¯t let him up. Maybe I can¡¯t save that guy. Maybe I can¡¯t save many people. I¡¯m idealistic, but I¡¯m not crazy enough to think I can save everyone.¡± Zarian took a deep and calming breath. He opened his fists into open hands. ¡°But I want to do what I can to teach my sister to respect the little people. So, yes, trillions will die, but if I can prevent a few trillion more somehow, someway. And I can have her change her ways and make up for all of that ¡­ then we¡¯re really cooking with fire.¡± ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t change?¡± Ruvaria stopped and looked deep into Zarian¡¯s eyes. ¡°What if there is no redemption for her?¡± ¡°If push comes to shove, I¡¯ll try to beseech my family to stick Ariana in a jar for a while. But I think they aren¡¯t willing and want me to solve this problem as her big brother,¡± Zarian said. ¡°If so, then I¡¯d have to take Gilbert¡¯s advice. Leave the rest up to Christian God and good ol¡¯ Zombie Jesus and do all I can.¡± Ruvaria studied him under the starry night sky and above the red glow of the Blood Prairies. Her eyes shone a powerful and arresting green on her pale and youthful face. Zarian slowly reached over and hugged Ruvaria into him. He whispered into her long ear. ¡°Thanks for coming here. And thanks for trying to atone. I bet it¡¯s hard. But you¡¯re doing the best you can, and even if you screw up, you can try again.¡± ¡°My family will be very upset,¡± Ruvaria whispered back into his ear. ¡°If it comes down to it, I will have to make a choice I can¡¯t take back. Are you sure you can trust me to truly make amends and find redemption? What if I¡¯m like your little sister? What if I¡¯m irredeemable?¡± Zarian thought long and hard. Then he slowly pulled back while keeping his hands on Ruvaria¡¯s small and slender hands. ¡°I believe in you all the way. When you can¡¯t believe in yourself, believe in me and my belief in you,¡± he said resolutely. ¡°My belief is enough for the both of us.¡± Ruvaria¡¯s eyes trembled slightly. She chuckled a little. ¡°My dear student. You are so foolish. And truly good. Gooder than me, regardless of alignments.¡± Ruvaria pulled away slightly. She wiped at the corner of her eyes. ¡°Fine then. I think I can be braver because of you and your beliefs. I should be long dead, really. But I¡¯m not, and you are here now.¡± Zarian raised an eyebrow and tapped her on the nose. ¡°Long dead? You¡¯re still a growing elf, Ruvaria. You still have plenty more to learn. Plenty more to see and do. Now fulfill your duty to me. And don¡¯t forget, I appreciate every effort, every strive, and every attempt to do better.¡± She looked frankly surprised by that. Zarian took advantage and moved in close again. He gave her a head pat. Combed through her hair. Then he traced his fingers behind her long ears. That last gesture sent Ruvaria listing off to the side drunkenly. Then she finally disappeared from view and returned to Ride-or-Die Village. Zarian stayed hovering in the air for some time before he mumbled, ¡°Naomi¡¯s going to kill me, isn¡¯t she? How did this happen? I didn¡¯t intend for this. But it¡¯s happening anyway.¡± Zarian returned to the others. There was a creepy smile on Naomi¡¯s face as she looked at him with intense, wide-open eyes. Her fangs and claws glinted under the light of the three moons and starry sky. ¡°Hey, Zarian, want to help me with something?¡± she growled. ¡°What exactly?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t seem to sleep. Wanna wrestle to burn off energy? Three. Two. Go.¡± Naomi pounced. She took Zarian right off the rune cart. For the next half hour, Naomi wrestled-smashed Zarian into the dirt. The Madness Wizard didn¡¯t mind, despite the body slams and crushing mounts. Naomi wasn¡¯t acting as angry as he¡¯d first dreaded. She was being softer with him than she normally would¡¯ve. She still battered him around a little as everyone watched like it was their favorite nighttime show. Then they chilled out while sitting on the edge of the rune cart, legs kicking idly as they traded stories about funny stuff that happened in Miami. Further into Late Spring, the Floridians reached the stronghold of the Blood Prairie Savages. Ezda and her fellow elder gnolls were waiting for them. In Ezda¡¯s hands, Reiki¡¯s core gleamed. The core was in the process of something ¡­ extraordinary. Whatever was going on with Reiki¡¯s core quickly became a nonissue, however. Because the initial reception of the Floridians was a shocking one for the gnolls. The power, deadliness, and intensified confidence wafting off the Floridians were more palpable than ever before. There was no doubt that Zarian and his friends had grown greater ¡­ and scarier. 175: B2: C75: Alpha Elder God 1 Before the Floridians arrived, Ezda was taking stock of changes and improvements while waiting at the entrance of the stronghold. She recalled how she went from Level 94 to being a Level 96 Blood Brute after surviving the Chimera Tyrant Lair. She¡¯d gained a new trait and new skill levels. She¡¯d even come out with a few new achievements, adding more raw stats to her Willpower, Strength, and Agility, which was huge for her even if her build prioritized the physical stats with Mysticism. Having more Willpower was a must after enduring Sigma Elder Naomi¡¯s hellish Willpower training. In result, Ezda was more powerful than ever before, and she was proud of that. There hadn¡¯t been a gnoll elder who reached this far in a long time. But Ezda was also afraid of her growth. Normally, the gnoll poachers from Carrowmore would¡¯ve come down and stripped her of her fur coat by now. She still remembered how Ekri the Tailor had stripped a gnoll elder of her fur and flesh from when Ezda was a pup. Having seen that had inspired Ezda to get the shifter skill in case she could hide from poachers using her humanoid form. She was one of the few among the gnolls to have that skill. The others would¡¯ve looked down at that if it wasn¡¯t for how she could also shift into a more giant bestial form. Many gnolls found that form impressive. But poachers from Carrowmore weren¡¯t the point of why Ezda was really afraid of her growth. She was afraid because it was normally tradition for the strongest gnoll elder to sacrifice herself to Killall once they drew close to becoming a Master Ranker and having access to the First Star Ascension Trial. Becoming a Master Ranker wasn¡¯t guaranteed, but after the Chimera Tyrant Lair, Ezda sensed she would get to rank up when she reached Level 100. Thus, she was a prime candidate for sacrifice. But that was unlikely to happen for the sake of Killall. Because Ezda had convinced most of her gnolls to turn away from Killall and submit themselves to Zarian Darkrun and his party of powerful adventurers. Ezda believed Zarian, the Dark Lord and husband of Evil Goddess Shadowfell, was the One True God of Absolute Killing. She believed all of his party members from the World of Swamps and Princesses were the Chosen Ones of Absolute Killing. They were far greater than all the gods except for maybe Evil Goddess Shadowfell and Evil God The Dragon, who was still a scary force and potential rival of Zarian. Thus, Ezda had nearly driven her gnolls mad in preparations for the arrival of their alpha elder god and his chosen ones. They had a few weeks from when Ezda returned from the defeated Chimera Tyrant Lair. That should¡¯ve been enough time. But nothing seemed to have gone perfectly right to Ezda. Her gnolls had failed to hunt enough silver wulvers, a rare type of wulver in the Level 60s. Their fur reflected light like silver coins under the sunlight. Those would¡¯ve been pretty to have as decorations. So the gnolls had to seek silver hawks, who were in Level 80s and the natural predators of silver wulvers. Those were more dangerous hunts, and some gnolls had lost their lives in the pursuit of the silver feathers. But look! The main road leading to the Blood Prairie Savages¡¯ stronghold had the pelts of silver wulvers and the feathers of silver hawks glinting brilliantly on tall posts made of prairie mammoth bones. Ezda would¡¯ve preferred all silver fur pelts or all silver feathers for everything to match, though. But there were other issues she¡¯d scrambled around to fix, so Ezda forced herself to let it go. After seeing the cleanliness of Ride-or-Die Village, Ezda had attempted to make her gnolls clean up their ancient ancestral home. Despite their high population, despite the high levels of the elders and their best warriors, trying to wipe away a few thousand years of stains had turned out impossible! The most Ezda could do was get everyone to clean up after themselves. She¡¯d taught them to pick up bones and trash wherever they found some on the floor. They now had a designated area for wastes further outside of the stronghold. Then she¡¯d taught them to bathe and wash off more regularly once every few days, which was a hassle since there weren¡¯t any nearby river-moats. They¡¯d fixed that issue by digging up one for themselves and redirecting water from a nearby lake to flow closer to their stronghold. Ezda had done all she could to teach her gnolls many new and hard-to-understand concepts within a very short time. She¡¯d mostly failed a lot. But not everything had ended up in disaster. There were some changes that came about within the last few days and were successful. Then the humans made their approach well within view of the gnoll scouts. Now Ezda stood at the open entrance of the stronghold. She was in her human form, which made her weaker and smaller compared to the other gnolls of the main greeting party, which comprised elders and their best warriors. In Ezda¡¯s hands was Reiki¡¯s shiny, pearly core. It still wouldn¡¯t turn back into a dungeon even when Ezda had planted it in the ground in multiple areas. One elder who had an appraisal skill kept saying the core was going through a development period. It hadn¡¯t stopped developing since Ezda, Naomi, and Reiki conquered the Fortress Bear Dungeon over a month ago. Why was it taking so long for Reiki to finish developing after consuming the Fortress Bear Dungeon Core?If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Had Ezda done something wrong to upset Reiki? Had Reiki forsaken the gnolls? What would Alpha Elder God Zarian think? Ezda figured it wouldn¡¯t matter in the end. The Alpha Elder Blood Rites would fix everything, and Ezda would show her new god her complete devotion. She was afraid. But regardless of her fear, she would commit herself to Zarian the best way she knew how, just like how it was passed to her by her mother and her mother¡¯s mother and her mother¡¯s mother¡¯s mother and the ancestors of many years before. ¡°This is foolish, Elder Ezda,¡± hissed MagMag. She was the only elder leading the defiant minority among the Blood Prairie Savages. There were ten gnoll elders, all female per their tradition. Ezda¡¯s tenure of leading as the alpha elder and her bloodline from the original clan who conquered and united the other gnoll clans of the Walled Continent gave her a lot of social standing. But MagMag¡¯s minor group contained some of their best seers, shamans, and utility-focused gnolls. MagMag¡¯s group wasn¡¯t very strong. But they were many times smarter than Ezda and the majority. They were highly valued for abilities outside of fighting. They helped keep their savage empire functional and handled issues that brute force couldn¡¯t solve. Thus, Ezda found it ironic that MagMag¡¯s tiny rebellious faction was certain of their position against leaving Killall. They refused to worship Zarian and his chosen ones. During the clean up, they¡¯d looked with distrust of all the changes that seemed beneficial for a society that wanted to progress and be more than what their savage name presented. They¡¯d also got uppity at the most inopportune times, such as moments before the arrival of the true god and his chosen ones. Ezda shifted the core to one hand and turned to smack Elder MagMag in the belly. The elder grunted in pain and annoyance while towering over Ezda¡¯s human form. But even in her human form, Ezda was still dominant in the hierarchy and MagMag had to look away first. ¡°Killall will punish us, Elder Ezda,¡± MagMag grouched. ¡°And you haven¡¯t addressed the issue with Ekri the Tailor loping around our territory!¡± The other elders shifted uncomfortably from hearing the name of that abhorrent drider. Even the best warriors could barely hide their fear and discomfort at the tailor¡¯s mentioning. Ezda remained calm on the outside, exuding nothing but Strength through her human form even though she was truly scared of the drider, too. What if the tailor disliked how Ezda presented herself? Ezda wore materials that the humans would consider ¡®cute¡¯, with her locks of furry hair braided with silver ribbons tied into them. She even wore a silver dress that reached down to her knees, which Bianca had given her. The dress seemed nice on her dark human skin. It also matched the decorations along the road leading to the front of their stronghold. Bianca had explained that ¡®cuteness¡¯ was its own source of power, and Ezda believed herself to be cute and powerful. So she bore her gnoll fangs and grouched up at MagMag. ¡°Even if Killall tries to punish us, our new Alpha Elder God will stop him! And Ekri the Tailor won¡¯t touch us! He¡¯s been on his best behavior because he, too, recognizes the greatness of Zarian!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I recognize his greatness as much as you do, my lovely gnolls. But I definitely recognize he¡¯s quite useful,¡± said the tailor, appearing from thin air beside Ezda. He¡¯d done this multiple times the past month, so Ezda was prepared to stand firmly and composed on the outside despite her heart hammering like speeding prey trying to escape her. No matter how the monstrous drider smiled, how he wore his well-tailored suits, or how he folded his six hands behind his back, the tailor was the most monstrous of evil aligned creatures. MagMag, the other gnoll elders, and their best warriors shuddered. They took a few quick and cowardly steps back. Ezda turned to the tailor and faced him down. She used her new mental growth to endure the tailor¡¯s predatory and high-leveled presence. ¡°You must be on your best behavior, Ekri the Tailor,¡± Ezda said with confidence that she didn¡¯t truly feel. It helped that she stood seven feet tall even in her human form and easily towered over the drider who was around the average male human height. She placed her free fist on her hip, cradled the core in the crook of her other arm, and raised her head high. ¡°No poaching us for our furs. No attacks upon us. Or you risk angering our sigma and our true god.¡± Ezda puffed out her chest while the other gnolls gawked at her like she¡¯d lost her mind. The tailor seemed to have an attachment toward Sigma Elder Naomi, which was a risky arrangement, in Ezda¡¯s opinion. It was clear to Ezda that her new god favored Naomi as the best of his chosen ones. Any foolish male who dared interject themselves in the bond between the One True God of Absolute Killing and Naomi would find themselves hunted and destroyed, no doubt! So the tailor better watch himself, though Ezda would love to be there to see the foul drider¡¯s destruction if he ever did trespass too far where he didn¡¯t belong. ¡°Oh, no, no, no, I wouldn¡¯t dare! I appreciate the rugged and solid nature of your pelts, truly I do, but I¡¯ve come here not as Ekri the Tailor. I¡¯m here as Baron Ekri of Carrowmore,¡± said the Carrowmore Baron. The other gnoll elders and their best warriors gasped or let out a frightened whine. They took a few more nervous steps back except for Ezda. She held her ground as she clenched her clawed toes and nearly risked the destruction of her silver sandals. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from tensing up. Everybody in this region of the Walled Continent knew the massive power the Carrowmore Barons held. They were involved in many evil enterprises. Even Ezda had to answer to the Carrowmore Barons when they wanted her to do work for them. She had to ignore the fact that poachers from Carrowmore would hunt her kin instead of hunting actual monsters or beasts. The Carrowmore Barons held so much power that even Ruvaria the Genocider couldn¡¯t touch them! Still, Ezda held her ground. ¡°Even Carrowmore will know their place when Alpha Elder God Zarian reaches them.¡± The baron laughed, sounding both melodious and sinister. He deepened Ezda¡¯s fear, forcing her to squeeze out every ounce of Willpower and mental bravery she had to stay put. Then the baron surprised her with a flourishing wave of his three right hands and a bow. ¡°Of course, Elder Ezda, of course.¡± The baron disappeared from sight. His scent was gone, too. It was as if he had never been there. Ezda allowed herself to shudder a little. Then the scouts came running in and yapping over each other. Ezda snapped at them and the smaller gnolls corrected themselves. They prostrated themselves before her as one pointed back. He said the words that made her feel joyful and terrified all at once. ¡°They are here! The One True God of Absolute Killing and His Chosen Ones of Absolute Killing! They are here! They are here!¡± MagMag emitted an annoyed whine. It was quiet enough that Ezda allowed her to have that one small cry of dissidence. But if MagMag didn¡¯t correct herself in front of the Floridians, then Ezda would have to make an example of her. Ezda put away such murderous thoughts. She recalled the ¡®cuteness¡¯ factor she¡¯d learned from observing Bianca. Ezda made herself feel and act softer, which surprised the many gnolls who were watching her. Then Ezda pranced forward with a weird gait while hugging the core to her chest. She exited out from the gap between the front teeth of the stronghold and stood in the light. She waved daintily and bounced around. Be cute! Be powerful! Just like Bianca said! 176: B2: C76: Alpha Elder God 2 The Blood Prairie Savages¡¯ strong hold and ancestral home centered on an immense skull that dwarfed the nearest castle mountains and fortress hillocks. It was wedged between four such low-lying mountain structures while resting upright on its upper jaw. Each eye socket had bone scaffolding where their main defensive force lived. There was more scaffolding around the bleached-white cranium of the immense skull-home. More defenders looked out in all directions of the stronghold. There were mainly two ways in and out while ancient blocks of the hardiest black stone covered the back and sides. There was a winding road leading to the gap between the front teeth. And there was the secret underground passage hidden in the caverns down below. Down in those caverns, a majority of their gnoll population lived, either resting or serving their people in some way. The blood pits were down there too where their young killed off the weak and left only the strong. Ezda had hoped Reiki would help with that by getting them a homebound dungeon, but that seemed less likely now. At least the road leading to the front of the stronghold looked nice where mammoth-bone posts and silver decorations reflected the few sun rays beaming past the mountainous castle tops surrounding the skull home. On the mountain towers and elevated ramparts, gnoll scouts and warriors peeked down at the divine visitors. Ezda knew right away that things were different based on the reaction of her scouts and archers. They were hesitant to have their arrows in hand. Ezda would kill any fool who aimed directly at their very important guests, but it wasn¡¯t foolish not to have weapons out. But she saw all the archers put them away for some reason. She saw how they looked away from the Floridians, as if they couldn¡¯t stand to gaze upon them. Then she looked directly at the Floridians and felt ¡­ uneasy ¡­ like she was looking at monstrous predators instead of human adventurers. First, Ezda examined Naomi, Hannah, and Bianca. They rode on top of a magical metal wagon with six wheels that rolled forward without the need of a work-animal to pull it. Naomi seemed even more formidable and mighty, like a massive giant shrunk into a human woman¡¯s body, losing none of her true physical might. Hannah had a cold and dark look in her eyes that made Ezda feel like something to be dissected. Bianca, who had taught Ezda about fashion, cuteness, kindness, and human sensibilities, smiled in a manner that made Ezda feel deeply afraid of upsetting the princess. Looking down to the ground, Ezda saw how Gilbert rode on his mighty and fabled steed like they could dash forward and crush anyone in their way. Then Ezda landed her eyes on her new god and saw how he made the world make less sense. His cloak, Para, wavered about him in dark red and ragged streams that shone with thousands of little lights like she¡¯d eaten many stars out of the night. The surrounding atmosphere was dark and tense. Sparks appeared from nowhere. Miniature cyclones spun to existence and died with little noise within a few heartbeats. Thick strings of electricity crawled over the wizard¡¯s body. The pressure in the air grew heavier and heavier. It was like having a storm pass over them. And within the eye of the storm was a calamity of the highest degree instead of salvation. The scary part was how Ezda could tell this wasn¡¯t from the powerful darkness inside of her new god. This was from his mortal powers, which he had improved immensely from when she¡¯d last seen him. Ezda could almost believe that the current Zarian could defeat the Greater Boon Avatar without his unstoppable darkness. And yet, she could see that her god was hungry for something. As if he was hungry to grow more and more powerful. And this reflected in his chosen ones. They all were hungry for more and more power. It was almost too much to bear. Ezda felt unworthy. So she looked at someone more unworthy than her. ¡°Do you see now, MagMag? This is why we must leave Killall!¡± Ezda hissed before her new god and his chosen ones stopped in front of her. MagMag opened and closed her snout. Then she looked past Ezda. She looked past their new overlords and overladies. MagMag looked into the distance above. Ezda turned to follow MagMag¡¯s gaze and saw a vengeful reckoning only Evil God Killall could throw down from God Land. ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done, Ezda, you fool,¡± MagMag hissed. ¡°Now Evil God Killall will KILL US ALL!¡± There was a burning rock falling upon them that was large enough to demolish the skull, strike underground, and kill everyone within the caverns below. Many more gnolls would survive, but they would lose their leadership and become easy pickings for their greatest rivals and the monsters of the Blood Prairies. Killall was truly mad to do this with his boons. Even with divine attack still a distance away, Ezda felt the heat of the flaming mountain of reckoning. She felt the pressure of evil divinity that could only belong to Killall. She remembered how that bloody and edgy pressure cut her every time she led worship at the altar of the Murdersome Ravager, the Unrelenting Killer, Evil God Killall. She remembered how she would leave rituals covered in her own blood, her vitality struggling to heal her, leaving her in pain for hours or sometimes days, all to please the Evil God. Zarian had never done that to her. He had only wanted to help her and make her grow stronger. He even wanted to help her gnolls and make their lives better than before. Could he help them again? Ezda turned to her new god. ¡°Help us, my alpha!¡± ¡°No prob,¡± he said with a casual shrug. Then he disappeared from view and reappeared higher above the stronghold. The chosen ones didn¡¯t panic. They only looked up to watch. Ezda followed their example as many of her gnolls lost their nerves and acted in ways unbefitting of their reputation. Even MagMag fell to the ground, crying, afraid of death. Ezda walked past them all and stood with the chosen ones. She still held the core to her chest as she looked up. The burning rock wasn¡¯t too, too large. It was only the size of a small mountain. But the speed and power it contained with its angled descent would cause immense damage to the stronghold and kill many. The One True God of Absolute Killing looked like a speck while floating in the path of the burning rock of destruction. ¡°What if he causes the apocalypse again and there is no coming back?¡± MagMag cried. ¡°Killall is mad! He would rather us all be destroyed than to accept the power of the Dark Lord! A power that is unstable and too dangerous!¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°He won¡¯t use the darkness,¡± Ezda said calmly. ¡°This is nothing to him.¡± Ezda caught Naomi¡¯s intense gaze. The Rumble Psion rewarded her with a small smile and a head nod before looking back up. Ezda¡¯s confidence bloomed as her new god seemed to hone his focus and grand powers before ¡­ doing something Ezda couldn¡¯t quite grasp even with high stat points in Mysticism. The best way she could describe it was that her new god was yelling something silently, and it came out as a gushing river of sky-tearing darkness that expanded widely like a cone. By the time the front of the dark, void cone struck the front of the burning rock of destruction, Ezda felt like her flesh was scalding and splitting at the same time because of the divine rage of Killall. But that was mostly it. The burning rock of destruction gradually faded away from the front to the back as Zarian¡¯s grand wizardry washed over it. It was an incredible, never before seen sight. But the timing wasn¡¯t perfect. There was still some leftover that nearly ran into Zarian. But the destructive attack of Killall seemed much more trivial now. The true god lashed out with massive tentacles formed from his cloak. They snapped forward with giant whips covered in dark and powerful magic. The cloak¡¯s tentacles cracked apart the remains of the falling rock. Fragments hurtled in different directions, sent careening off course. They crashed all over the Blood Prairies. The earth shuddered and bucked and quaked from the barrage of broken divinity raining from the sky. None touched the gnoll stronghold. Ezda felt the heat of elation and adoration burning in her chest. She reminded herself not to shower him with affection for his mighty work. She also heard the gripes of the chosen ones, which was shocking. ¡°He forgot to use the scroll,¡± Gilbert muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not wrong here, right? I remember he had a scroll for this situation. He forgot to use it.¡± ¡°If he was a second too late, this could¡¯ve turned out as a travesty,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Hmmmm. I think I could¡¯ve split that in half when I hit my peak,¡± Bianca said. ¡°But that¡¯s about it. I should train for that, right? Naomi, let¡¯s add that to the training list. Let¡¯s call it Bianca¡¯s Meteor Split Practice.¡± ¡°Terrible name. But sure, I¡¯ll keep it noted,¡± Naomi grunted. Ezda looked at them in confusion. The other gnolls who were overhearing this were even more confused than Ezda. After some thought, Ezda concluded this was normal for the Floridians. She¡¯d overhead them act nonchalantly before, after all. Yet, it still felt shocking after Zarian had used his mortal abilities to defeat a double-boon from a major Evil God. All while in a territory that Killall had once ruled over supremely. The One True God of Absolute Killing fell from the sky and performed a majestic landing. His cloak returned to a more reasonable form and flapped merrily behind him. ¡°Well?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°I give it a seven out of ten because there wasn¡¯t enough fabulous dancing,¡± Bianca said. ¡°Five out of ten. Should¡¯ve used the scroll to stop that ball of fake-revelations,¡± Gilbert grouched. ¡°Six out of ten. You took a little too long against the dino-slayer,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Seven out of ten. I would¡¯ve scored higher if you punched it,¡± Naomi criticized. There was a tense few seconds where Ezda thought the alpha elder god would rampage in a rage. But then the Floridians all burst into chuckles and laughter, as if they hadn¡¯t besmirched the reputation of the One True God of Absolute Killing and everything was in jest. Evil God Killall would¡¯ve taken all of their heads and hearts for anything he perceived was disrespectful. The other gnolls looked in confusion at the Floridians. They slowly turned to Ezda, looking for her leadership, unsure how to proceed with this highly unusual and frightening first impression. Ezda thought about groveling, but she used her limited and more humanized intellect to discover that maybe she didn¡¯t have to crawl around in the dirt for the Floridians. She still avoided being untoward as she addressed them as casually as possible. ¡°Very good showing, my ¡­ friends! I knew that Killall¡¯s double-boon power was no match against you,¡± Ezda said, trying to copy some of the showmanship and enthusiasm she¡¯d seen from Baron Ekri. She felt nervous and a little sweaty when the Floridians looked at her strangely. Then her alpha elder god and Bianca broke out into a cheer. ¡°Sorry if we caused some trouble with our arrival, Elder Ezda,¡± Zarian said. He grinned at her in a way that was both mischievous and welcoming. He was a naughty god in human form, but he treated her kindly even when she acted foolishly many times before. ¡°You look so cute! That¡¯s the dress we picked out from the market, right? I love it. I also love the silver thingies you¡¯ve hung up. Was that all for us?¡± Bianca waved at the road decorations, looking soft and less fearsome, almost as if she could cause no harm. Ezda felt like she was in a dance she¡¯d never known she could dance. She tried her best to act like them by being casual in the presence of absolute power. ¡°No apologies needed, my alpha. And thank you for your kind words, Bianca. There aren¡¯t many gnolls with my shifting power, and our home is made for the living of gnolls,¡± Ezda said. ¡°But I hope your stay here will be a great one. I¡¯m most excited about the blood rites for all of you, especially the Alpha Blood Rite for Elder Zarian.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already done it,¡± Naomi said. ¡°It¡¯s pretty badass. I got to be a sigma elder.¡± ¡°There can only be one alpha and one sigma,¡± Ezda said, trying to hide her nervousness behind her smile. ¡°But the rest of you will be official elders of the Blood Prairie Savages nonetheless, after the blood rites.¡± ¡°Hm, yes, I see, but first, Reiki.¡± Hannah jumped down and landed with a heavy, ground-smashing thump. She moved so aggressively, Ezda feared she¡¯d made a colossal mistake again and earned Hannah¡¯s wrath. It was too late to do anything when Hannah stopped suddenly and her aggressive approach disappeared. She moved so fast! But isn¡¯t she the crafter of their party? Why did she feel so strong and fast and dangerous when she approached me? Ezda feared she was acting too casual. Maybe she should fall and grovel before Hannah. The other gnolls were still holding their heads down. Some were even on their knees, looking in awe and fear of the Floridians. Then Naomi released a blast of intimidation that made a chill pass down Ezda¡¯s spine. The sigma barked, ¡°We¡¯re in a civilized setting, Hannah, not the training field. Ease back on that body skill of yours or I¡¯ll teach you how to do it the hard way.¡± Civilized? Ezda questioned. But the name of our unified clans has savages in it. Hannah looked back in annoyance. Then, with a sigh, she looked up to Ezda with a softer gaze. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m still getting used to some new changes in my ¡­ approach to adventuring. It¡¯s been illuminating for me. I might be a little harsher than normal.¡± She took the core from Ezda and turned away, becoming absorbed with the pearly head-sized orb. Ezda almost wanted to ask what was happening with Reiki but decided not to interrupt the intense and cold woman, who could be much stronger and scarier than a mere crafter should be. ¡°I hope everything is okay with Reiki,¡± Ezda said, glancing at Naomi. ¡°She¡¯s stayed this way since the Fortress Bear Dungeon.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the one you recommended to me before, huh?¡± Zarian flew inches above the ground and stopped to hover in front of Ezda. He didn¡¯t bother raising himself up to have their eyes on level or his above hers. He allowed Ezda to look down upon him, as if the stature of one¡¯s height meant nothing to him, even if he was the smaller man. Truly, the wisdom of the alpha elder god was beyond reproach. ¡°Yes, it was that dungeon. I told Sigma Elder Naomi about it, and she insisted on going there. After we finished, Reiki ate the dungeon core. I was quite confused by that, but Sima Elder Naomi insisted Reiki knew what she was doing,¡± Ezda explained. ¡°Yup, I stand by that. Reiki knows what she¡¯s doing.¡± The sigma nodded. ¡°Well, before Hannah over here gets too far in doing her egghead things just like any nerd who doesn¡¯t get out enough, she needs a shower. Oh, I guess I need a shower as well, but don¡¯t mind me. God only knows I smell like roses compared to these heathens,¡± Gilbert drawled, speaking in funny and sacrilegious ways that tempted the anger of the Infinita Gods, good and evil. But that was the nature of the freedom alignment, and Ezda was part of that alignment as free evil +1. So were a large majority of the gnolls. She suspected many more would turn over to free evil soon after the annihilation of the burning rock of destruction, a double-boon that had gone to waste for Killall. ¡°Excuse my, uh, manners. We have rooms prepared for you based on human accommodations. We even have baths! They are very new and clean baths! Very good for humans!¡± Ezda waved them toward the gap between the front teeth of their giant skull home. ¡°How long will you stay?¡± ¡°One night,¡± the alpha elder god said. ¡°We have to keep pressing forward. We have more training to do. And we have a critical asset to save from Grimrock.¡± Ezda sharpened her wits as best she could. ¡°I remember our original arrangements spoke of an offensive against Grimrock with my gnolls. However, I was not absolutely forthcoming about all the complications.¡± ¡°Oh? More lore? Do tell, Ezda,¡± the alpha elder god insisted, as she led them and their strange magic metal cart into the stronghold. 177: B2: C77: Alpha Elder God 3 Ezda felt excited by her new god¡¯s interest in local lore. ¡°There is, of course, the fear of corruption by tangling with the corrupted goblins at Grimrock. There is also the evil human city between us and the foot of the Grimrock Castle Mountains. This city is a favored servant of Carrowmore and known as Crossdeath.¡± ¡°Oh, ho, ho, ho! This sounds like fun! I think I¡¯ve read up on Crossdeath a little. We even tangled with some of their spies and whatnot. But I didn¡¯t delve too deep.¡± The alpha elder god smiled sharply, like a gnoll in human form. ¡°Now my friends can see what it¡¯s like to be more among my side of the alignments.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all in the freedom alignment, darn it,¡± Gilbert drawled. ¡°Just saying. It can be a solid practice run for Carrowmore.¡± The alpha elder god shrugged before waving for Ezda to continue. ¡°It is indeed a great meeting point for many evil aligned beings other than humans, and it is untouchable to us Blood Prairie Savages,¡± Ezda said. ¡°Perhaps if we can maneuver wisely around Crossdeath, and you can somehow convince Shadowfell to spare us from corruption, my gnolls can accompany you to Castle Grimrock.¡± The alpha elder god shook his head. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Only the five of us and our summons will head into Grimrock. I don¡¯t want you tangled up with the issues we¡¯re going to face over there.¡± Ezda felt sad suddenly. Her new god reached out and gripped her shoulder. He looked deep into her eyes and made her feel like the center of his great attention. ¡°I need you, Ezda, and your best gnolls staged near Ride-or-Die Village. We still have our Mythical Regional Event on pause there, and that can start at any moment.¡± ¡°But if you go too far, your event would end with forfeiture,¡± Ezda said, stuck on the spot by the intensity of Zarian¡¯s look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We got that covered now,¡± he said. Ezda nodded. She enjoyed the hold he had on her shoulder until he pulled back. Then she looked up at the porous holes filled with bone scaffoldings and ropes made of woven grass that made up the upper levels in the cavernous section of the skull stronghold. She led them toward the manual lift where some of their strongest laborers waited by the wheel. A gnoll crafter had already done maintenance on the rope pulleys. A sturdy elevator platform waited on the ground for them already. Along the way, they passed by large holes where the voices of hundreds of thousands of gnolls and their many, many pups resonated up from the caverns far below. There were many more gnolls than just this spread out across more territories the Blood Prairies Savages held. The alpha elder god stopped to look down into the dark hole. ¡°Damn, there¡¯s a lot of you,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I guess I see why the Eternal Garden Kingdom was so afraid to upset you. At any moment, you could¡¯ve wiped them out.¡± Ezda looked around at the wide-eyed and nervous gnolls following on the flanks. MagMag seemed to behave herself, but she still had a look of defiance in her eyes. Ezda decided to divulge some secret knowledge long passed down her ancestral line to her. ¡°My alpha, it is unwise to do such a thing against the humans regardless of our power over them. Or we would enrage your mentor.¡± The frankness of his open shock and curiosity spurned Ezda to explain more. ¡°Ruvaria the Genocider killed all the orcs except for Ogrul, who she left for reasons we don¡¯t understand. It would¡¯ve been simple for her to do the same to our ancestors. Instead, she spared us under the condition we will not commit genocide. The human kingdoms were never under the threat of total annihilation.¡± After some silence, the alpha elder god burst out into loud laughter. Ezda grew curious and dared to ask, ¡°Why laugh, my alpha?¡± ¡°Whenever I seem to think I grasp the depths of my dear teacher¡¯s wickedness, I learn she can go further and further.¡± The alpha elder god laughed and laughed some more. Eventually, he recomposed himself and explained further. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are to blame for the kingdom¡¯s misfortunes. In fact, I think you¡¯re a tool of Ruvaria to keep humans from being annoying and uppity.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ezda said, breathless. ¡°Yup!¡± he cheered. ¡°She could¡¯ve threatened you to stay out of human lands. She didn¡¯t. She just wanted you to avoid outright genocide. In my head, that means she doesn¡¯t mind you culling the humans with your raids as long as you don¡¯t push too hard.¡± ¡°It sounds like she used the gnolls to conduct population control on the humans,¡± Hannah said, piecing it all together. Ezda was flabbergasted. Looking around, she saw the same surprise on the faces of the other gnolls. It was almost heartbreaking. If this was all true, then it would mean they were mere tools of Ruvaria the Genocider, and her grip upon them was greater than anyone could predict. ¡°Oh woe, Carrowmore,¡± an elder said. ¡°Ruvaria the Genocider is too cunning and powerful to let that wicked city out of her sight if she truly has control over us after so many years.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve actually thought about that. She¡¯s like the most good aligned villainess anyone could ever meet in the Lesser Worlds, right?¡± The alpha elder god said. ¡°I was thinking Carrowmore was untouchable, but maybe it isn¡¯t. Then again, she¡¯s working on redemption, so maybe she¡¯ll move on.¡± Ezda doubted that. What did it mean for a good-aligned elf villain to find redemption? Nonetheless, Ezda tried to steer the conversation to matters that dealt with the Blood Prairie Savages. ¡°Down there at the bottommost caverns amid the blood pits and birthing sanctuaries, we shall hold the blood rites.¡± Ezda smiled softly. ¡°And in honor of you, Alpha Elder Zarian, I will sacrifice myself so my blood will be of the highest quality for your blood rites.¡± ¡°Yeah, no.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t sacrifice yourself. Just get blood from some powerful monster or whatever.¡± Ezda was stunned. MagMag took advantage. ¡°I denounce you! You are not my new god! I refuse to join the freedom alignment! You are all heretics and heathens for turning your back on Evil God Killall!¡± Ezda¡¯s shock sparked into a rage like no other. MagMag, you wretch! You dare embarrass us in front of our new god and his chosen ones! Ezda didn¡¯t care if her human form was weaker. She would strike MagMag dead! But the alpha elder god had already crossed the distance before Ezda could act upon her murderous inclinations. He stood in front of MagMag, and for a moment, Ezda thought MagMag would become the sacrifice for their new god¡¯s blood rites. ¡°There. There. Change is hard. And you are scared. But I bet Killall never did this.¡± The alpha elder god hovered up and gave MagMag pats to her head. Everyone froze. Even Ezda. She felt extremely jealous suddenly. Elders didn¡¯t get pats to the head often. Showing such affection was an intimate and private affair given to those who were worthy followers and the best of the best. It was many steps above reproductive acts! All the gnolls, male and female, watched with keen interest and desperation as MagMag took the pats to her head before crumpling to the floor. Just like that, the alpha elder god broke the proud and rebellious elder. And like any opportunistic god, the alpha elder extended his hand to her. ¡°Come now. Join freedom. Spread freedom. I¡¯ll even give you more head pats,¡± he said. A bird cried out from somewhere nobody could see. Ezda felt something warm and bold and mighty swell inside of her. She stood straighter and felt prouder. MagMag joined the freedom alignment. All resistance was crushed. The transition from evil alignment to freedom alignment went on without a hitch henceforth. The only downside was that Ezda had to go out with some of her best hunters to find powerful beasts that were worthy of tonight¡¯s blood rites. They barely made it back in time to bring the Floridians to the prepared pits and conduct the ritual to make them proper elders of the Blood Prairie Savages. ¡°So, Las Vegas rules?¡± Alpha Elder God Zarian asked his fellow newly anointed elders after they finished with the ritual. They were all thoroughly covered in blood. They were all honorary gnolls now. The gnoll ancestors would be with them forever. Ezda felt quite satisfied by how the blood rites had gone. But the Floridians seemed disturbed for some reason. When Ezda looked at Naomi, there was a big and mean smile on her face. Had the sigma not told them what would occur in the blood rites?Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Las Vegas rules? Who cares about Las Vegas? What have I done? Why did I do that? Oh my God,¡± Elder Gilbert said. ¡°I¡¯m going to need a lot of prayer and repentance after that.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t so bad,¡± the alpha elder god said lightly. ¡°You know how it is? Gnoll stronghold. You¡¯re with the homies. We get into some fun hijinks and unholy, savage blood rites. But it¡¯s all fine when it¡¯s with the homies.¡± ¡°I wonder if my familia would recognize me if I ever get back home?¡± Elder Bianca said, eyes wide. ¡°Would anybody recognize me? Am I still Bianca Garcia? Or am I someone else? Whoa! These are hard questions, guys. I think I¡¯m having that existential thing. Does that mean I¡¯m no longer Bianca? Must I call myself something else? Like, like, Vianka?! But I don¡¯t want to be Vianka. She sounds way too bad and goth, and won¡¯t allow bright colors and pink and fluffy little cakes to exist in her life. Poor, Vianka.¡± Elder Hannah combed her hand through her blood-soaked hair. ¡°Can I go back to looking at Reiki¡¯s core now?¡± ¡°Oh, sweet, it¡¯s finally in my origins. It says Alpha Gnoll Elder.¡± The alpha elder god flipped into the air. His cloak wavered and extended multiple tendrils that lapped blood off their bodies like monstrous tongues. Later on, Ezda stirred restlessly from her bed. She ended up wandering around the stronghold. She found Alpha Elder God Zarian out and about with some gnolls. She recognized the gnolls as the ones who delved into the blood path and classes. Ezda joined them. The gnolls were showing off their blood abilities. Be that Ezda was the best with her blood abilities, she showed off as well. Zarian studied them all for a few hours. Then he gave them head pats and dismissed them back to bed. Ezda slept better after that. The next morning, Ezda was desperate to make sure their very important guests had a big and wonderful breakfast. She knew that her new god¡¯s appetite was a mighty one, so they prepared the biggest creatures they had. When breakfast was prepared in a dining hall that also served as a throne room, Ezda directed the alpha elder god to take his seat at the head of the table. ¡°Hm, I got a better idea,¡± he said, as tentacles from the cloak whipped out and grabbed a spare chair. ¡°Sit with me, Ezda, since you¡¯re still the head of the Blood Prairie Savages when I¡¯m not around. Also, thanks for the food. I see you provided some decent-size carcasses.¡± Ezda tried not to blush. It was hard with her human form. She sat next to the alpha elder god at the head of the long table in the dining hall. She was proud of the mammoth carcasses they¡¯d cooked to appease his grand appetite. Surely, he wouldn¡¯t find a better feast than this! ¡°Hm, let me add a little more,¡± Zarian said. His cloak extended to an immense size before dropping an even bigger carcass that belonged to a Blood Prairie Rex. The massive animal was three times the size of the mammoths and had terrorized many rising gnolls before. Ezda gawked at the giant beast. She couldn¡¯t imagine anyone eating that whole thing. There would certainly be leftovers after breakfast! Twenty minutes later, the alpha elder god sat back. He had a satisfied smile and a full belly. His cloak rested all around him, fluffed up and very satisfied. The rex was gone, and so were several mammoth carcasses. Ezda and the other gnolls were doing their best not to gawk like imbeciles. Ezda wondered if the key to becoming very, very strong was to eat lots and lots. Maybe she would one day become a demigoddess with a fraction of the alpha elder god¡¯s power. I must eat more and become mightier! ¡°I know I said we won¡¯t be staying the night,¡± he said, ¡°but I need most of the day to accomplish an important task.¡± ¡°What such task, my alpha?¡± Ezda asked, leaning over her armrest in his direction. ¡°I¡¯m going to give all of your gnolls pats on their heads,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t do it physically. But I can certainly do my best with Aura Mastery.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± MagMag blurted out from far down the table. The alpha elder god waved his hand. A magical force pressed down on MagMag¡¯s head and silenced her. Before Ezda could feel jealous, a divinely pleasant pressure patted down on her head and made her shiver and wriggle in her seat. Such affection! Just because! This was worth everything! ¡°Here you go. All of you! Head pats! A head pat for you! And a head pat for you! All gnolls get head pats!¡± The alpha elder god cheered! All the gnolls in the dining hall cheered. They all received magical pats to their heads, many having never enjoyed such pleasure before. It didn¡¯t last for long, because the alpha elder had to go about and give magical pats to all the gnolls at the stronghold. But for those sweet few seconds, Ezda and the others in the dining hall felt at peace. They felt ¡­ adored. Zarian is the best, best god! ¡°Look at them. They¡¯re so cute when you show them a little love. Maybe that¡¯s how we¡¯ll beat Ariana. By showing her love, which only Bianca can do, not Vianka,¡± Elder Bianca said. ¡°Highly doubt that,¡± Elder Hannah said, still studying the core in her lap. ¡°I can give her love taps,¡± Sigma Elder Naomi offered. ¡°One. Two. Hook. There. Love taps.¡± ¡°Y¡¯all don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to hell, do you?¡± Elder Gilbert asked. ¡°I think I¡¯ve gone too far into the red. And all of this really started getting weird for me ever since that witch. Bianca, how could you let me sleep with a witch?¡± ¡°Ahhhh! Don¡¯t blame me! I was trying to be a good friend! I really, really was trying!¡± Elder Bianca screamed. Elder Gilbert shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to hell. I should¡¯ve seen the signs. I¡¯m damned. But what else can I do but continue the course? I¡¯m too committed. Maybe I can still make up for it somehow. I¡¯ll go celibate! Yeah, that¡¯s it! I¡¯ll make amends through genuine sacrifice!¡± Based on the doubtful looks from the female chosen ones, Ezda concluded Gilbert would fail in his quest to not mate with witches. Ezda didn¡¯t understand why Gilbert thought himself doomed to go to hell. If he went to hell, he could ask the alpha elder god to get him out. ¡°Oh, would you look at that?¡± Elder Hannah held up Reiki¡¯s core as it shone with a brilliant light. ¡°Oh, oh, oh! Is she evolving again?¡± Elder Bianca asked. ¡°Huh, I hope not,¡± Sigma Elder Naomi said. ¡°We still need a domesticated dungeon for the gnolls.¡± ¡°Not an evolution,¡± Elder Hannah said. ¡°It¡¯s another miracle of the Star System.¡± The core¡¯s light brightened and brightened until there was a minor flare. After the light went away, Ezda quickly blinked her eyes and saw there were now two pearly head-sized cores in Hannah¡¯s hands. ¡°What?¡± Elder Gilbert said. ¡°Hahahahaha, nice!¡± Elder Naomi laughed. ¡°OH EM GEE!¡± Elder Bianca shrilled. ¡°What?¡± Elder Gilbert asked again. ¡°She made another version of herself? Now we have two Reikis?¡± ¡°No,¡± Elder Hannah said, raising one core in her left hand. ¡°This is Reiki.¡± Hannah lowered her left hand and raised the other core in her right. ¡°This is the result of her consuming the Fortress Bear Dungeon. Now it¡¯s the Spider Bear Dungeon.¡± ¡°What?¡± Elder Gilbert asked. Elder Bianca blurted it out. ¡°Reiki¡¯s a madre!¡± Ezda didn¡¯t understand the strange and flowery language the Floridians called Spanish. But she assumed madre meant mother, and that was a joyous thing to learn. Ezda ordered for more food to be brought to the long dining table and to throw a celebration in honor of Reiki¡¯s great accomplishment. It was around sunset that the alpha elder god finished his grand quest to deliver head pats for all the gnolls at the stronghold. He looked tired by then. But he wasn¡¯t given much time to rest when the baby core of Reiki¡¯s grand accomplishment was passed into his arms. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked. ¡°Your godchild core. This is Reiki¡¯s child, Reiki Junior, the Bear Spider Dungeon,¡± Bianca said. ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± He grinned warmly. ¡°Well, welcome to the world, Reiki Junior. You¡¯re going to be the most frightening and hideous thing anyone is ever going to face, aren¡¯t you? Yes, you are. Yes, you are, you beautiful and wonderful baby mass murderer.¡± Ezda watched the display with a strange smile on her face. The other Floridian women seemed to watch this with smiles as well. Even Hannah had lost her coldness and smiled warmly at the love between newborn core and the alpha elder god. Then the moment was ruined by raging drunk Gilbert. One of the gnolls had unwisely given him access to their beer cellar and let him on the loose to stomp around with his fabled eight-legged steed. Ezda felt embarrassed for the Floridians, but they looked even more embarrassed in return. Soon after, they said their goodbyes and went on their way east to Crossdeath, dragging Gilbert with them while the suns were setting behind them. Ezda waved them goodbye while holding Reiki¡¯s core. She¡¯d made ironclad promises to return Reiki to the Central Library Artillery Tower and staging a war band of gnolls nearby Ride-or-Die Village. The Star System had even given her multiple quests as extra incentives. Reiki Junior would stay with the Blood Prairie Savages, but Ezda already had it in mind to plant the newborn dungeon and explore it with the mother before they had to depart. With the Alpha Elder God and his chosen ones gone, Ezda started turning to do a hundred things as the chosen head leader of the gnolls. But, with a strange whimsy she felt, Ezda stopped herself and looked around. There was nobody else around but her and her scouts. She sniffed once or twice. She smelled nothing. But she suspected he was near. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you show yourself, baron?¡± Ezda asked. She waited as the Carrowmore Baron appeared from thin air, six hands folded behind his back. He smiled up at her with his many eyes and fanged mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten bold, Elder Ezda, oh so bold.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I like it. As for your question, I was more curious to see how the Floridians conducted themselves here. It says a lot about who they are, how they operate, and what they¡¯ll do under predictable conditions.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ezda asked. The baron nodded. ¡°Very much so. Do you know the job of a tailor isn¡¯t very creative but actually quite mechanical, rote, and predictable? It¡¯s really more of a craft like any other instead of an art. And like any craft, you need to make your measurements before you execute the job.¡± The baron chuckled. ¡°But the measurements I¡¯m taking keep changing in radical ways. So I must measure and measure to get things exact. That¡¯s important in my business, you know?¡± Ezda pushed herself to be bolder and ask a question that could get her killed. ¡°Are you going to be a threat to them?¡± The baron laughed, his many hands pressed to his chest. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know? Maybe I won¡¯t. Maybe the other barons don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll really do. Hell, I¡¯m not even sure. But I think I¡¯m getting an idea. A fun one. Now I must be off, dear Elder Ezda. But before I go, I must insist that you keep me in mind for your tailoring when you come to Carrowmore.¡± He passed his card into her hand. His hands were smaller and more slender compared to her bigger hands. She found that interesting as she felt over the card. He turned away and walked down the road, speaking aloud for her to hear him as he went. ¡°Your human form is lovely, by the way. Seven feet looks great on you. But you¡¯re going to need a bit more pizazz to really take advantage of your frame than just a simple slip-on dress. Especially when you end up in Carrowmore.¡± The baron disappeared. Ezda stood there for a long while, blinking slowly. She looked down at Reiki¡¯s core. Then she glanced at the baron¡¯s card again. Ekri the Tailor Silk Felt Delights - Tailor Shop White Silk District - Carrowmore ¡®Look your best for every adventure. It could be your last.¡¯ ¡°Why would I go to Carrowmore if I could avoid it?¡± Ezda snorted. ¡°Silly, drider. You¡¯ll never see me there again. I serve a greater god who¡¯ll have you destroyed if you dare threaten his gnolls.¡± She turned back to conduct her business for the gnolls and for her alpha elder god. 178: B2: C78: Not Wally 1 Wallenberg couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing as five strangers jogged through the fog and forest surrounding the Crossdeath Region. The five strangers were singing ¡­ loudly ¡­ without respect or fear of the Death Lords and the cruel men and women on their payroll. Wallenberg¡¯s thoughts raced: These foreigners will get themselves destroyed by acting like this! Don¡¯t they know the unbeatable Death Lords and their Crossdeath Militia will kill for less! Wallenberg stayed hidden amid thorny brambles, sharpened hedges, and a few worn down statues that were prevalent in the Old Goblin Forest. The forest existed like the most stubborn weed between the Blood Prairies and the Grimrock Castle Mountains. It was here that Wallenberg¡¯s wicked birth home, Crossdeath, set its roots as the chief territory for evil aligned humans and other evil sapiens on the continent. Many evil or criminal organizations lurking in the underbellies of the human kingdoms had ties with Crossdeath. Many had to pay up tithes to the Death Lords to keep them happy. Of course, a functional city couldn¡¯t rely wholly on evil humans. There were common serfs or uncommon merchants of the neutral alignment who made up most of the population. They lived in constant fear of the Death Lords, however. But that was a price many had to pay when in bed with evil, which was the same case with Wallenberg. There were powerful resources, amazing treasures, and endless streams of riches passing through Crossdeath. It was an open secret only known to those who lived there. Or to those who conducted their business there with enough status to come and go regardless of alignments. Evil, villainy, and organized chaos could lead to opportunities most people couldn¡¯t ever imagine. One just had to ignore the horrors and downright inhumane things that happened as a byproduct. That was why Wallenberg was doing everything he could to prepare for the perfect heist. He planned to rob a minor family member of a Petty Lord, who were lesser nobles of Crossdeath. Then he would flee for his life to the only place that could protect him, the infamous yet secretive Ride-or-Die Village! Not much was known about Ride-or-Die other than it being ruled by the Dark Lord. In fact, the lack of sizable info was the most curious part for Wallenberg, who had sources he could rely on for irresistible crumbs of gossip. There should be a massive treasure trove of info on Ride-or-Die Village. Instead, most of the information surrounding Ride-or-Die came from unreliable adventurers from the Windy Strider Kingdom and a few crime syndicates who were acting strangely bold or unresponsive. All the Crossdeath spies and thieves the Death Lords and Petty Lords had sent to Ride-or-Die Village hadn¡¯t come back. Or if they had come back, the Death Lords had silenced them personally. Wallenberg had even eavesdropped on complaints from young nobles that crystal ball transmissions had failed when connecting to another corresponding crystal ball in Ride-or-Die Village. The only things known by the nobles and Death Lords came from either Central Bramblevale or from the four patron gods of Crossdeath ¨C Sickspread, Goldhound, Killall, and Sinfeast. But even that had failed to give a decent enough full picture of the Dark Lord, his party, and their Ride-or-Die Village. In fact, from what Wallenberg had heard through certain sources he should never name, the four patron gods were acting strange and unreliable. Perhaps even unresponsive. Maybe the Darkrun Apocalypse had scared them all. Or maybe the Death Lords hoarded the information to themselves. There were even rumors that one of the Death Lords was actually the true Dark Lord and that Ride-or-Die Village was fake! Wallenberg had his doubts about that. Evil Goddess Shadowfell had deemed the Dark Lord worthy of being her husband, and that was somehow known to everyone as if it came to them through a dark and murky dream. Nonetheless, Wallenberg had plans to take advantage of the confusion and see Ride-or-Die Village for himself. He was a rare Level 41 Bug Alchemist and follower of Hisscreep, who helped him with keeping his growth undiscovered. He had three traits, one rare and two uncommon. And he had four whole skills, which was a lot at his level. All of his skills helped him with insect-type creatures and using them for alchemy. He was only plain evil, but that was okay. Being a little evil gave him enough edge to pursue his ambitions without falling into being a depraved psycho. For a long time, his ambitions had led him to hunting and fighting in secret in the Old Goblin Forest. He¡¯d used the safest tricks he could pull off. He¡¯d grown a lot from the moment he became Level 10 four years ago. He considered himself powerful at eighteen, but he still had to be careful and avoid the attention of the Death Lords, Petty Lords, and the Crossdeath Militia. Thus, Wallenberg found himself rightfully pissed off as the strangers sang without fear. They spooked off the latest beast Wallenberg sought for experience. He had half a mind to stalk the strangers until they make camp and lace their food in secret with stomach-hurting poisons. Wallenberg had plenty of unique alchemies made from the insects based on his studies and skills and the boon-shaped alchemy book Hisscreep gifted to him years ago. Maybe he could paralyze the idiotic strangers and give them a proper scare, letting them know how much worse things could¡¯ve been if the Crossdeath Militia had found them first. Then Wallenberg would rightfully take the strangers¡¯ best gear and let them fend for themselves as part of the lesson. I have a rare class! That means I¡¯m finally powerful enough to stand for myself. I¡¯m not some loser son of dead loser hunters anymore! Wallenberg felt his heart clench at the thought of his parents, but he ignored that feeling with the help of the evil alignment. His parents had died because they were too weak and unambitious. As Wallenberg schemed to exact some petty revenge on the strangers, he listened up when he heard their change of song. They had more than one, apparently, and they still refused to quiet themselves or fear for their lives. Wallenberg grew angrier as he crept past thorny brambles, around vine-covered and weathered statues, and slid behind ancient columns standing between gnarled, stone-barked trees. He looked through a gap in the ruins and foliage. A section of the fog cleared up. His vision of the five strangers improved even further, allowing him to see the smallest details. His heart skipped a beat in shock. He nearly sent himself reeling back. He froze instead, unnerved by the sight of them as he finally paid more attention to the words of their song. The words came out as a call-and-response cadence of sorts. One highly strange man with eerie dark skin, a big wizard hat, and a monstrous cloak sang first while jogging at the front. Following behind the eerie black man, a giant of a man and three foreign and extremely beautiful women sang second as a united chorus.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I left my home!¡± ¡°I LEFT MY HOME!¡± ¡°To go adventure!¡± ¡°TO GO ADVENTURE!¡± ¡°I left my home!¡± ¡°I LEFT MY HOME!¡± ¡°To slay monsters!¡± ¡°TO SLAY MONSTERS!¡± ¡°The day I left!¡± ¡°THE DAY I LEFT!¡± ¡°My momma cried!¡± ¡°MY MOMMA CRIED!¡± ¡°She surely thought!¡± ¡°SHE SURELY THOUGHT!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t strong enough!¡± ¡°I WASN¡¯T STRONG ENOUGH!¡± ¡°I left my lover!¡± ¡°I LEFT MY LOVER!¡± ¡°Standing at the guild!¡± ¡°STANDING AT THE GUILD!¡± ¡°They thought for sure!¡± ¡°THEY THOUGHT FOR SURE!¡± ¡°I would die in shame!¡± ¡°I WOULD DIE IN SHAME!¡± ¡°The day I left!¡± ¡°THE DAY I LEFT!¡± ¡°A wizard shook my hand!¡± ¡°A WIZARD SHOOK MY HAND!¡± ¡°They were certain!¡± ¡°THEY WERE CERTAIN!¡± ¡°I will become OP!¡± ¡°I WILL BECOME OP!¡± ¡°Ooooh we ooooh we!¡± ¡°OOOOOH WE OOOOOH WE!¡± ¡°Ohh wee ohh wee!¡± ¡°OHH WEE OHH WEE!¡± ¡°Ooooh we ooooh we!¡± ¡°OOOOH WE OOOOH WE!¡± ¡°Go adventure!¡± ¡°GO ADVENTURE!¡± Now that Wallenberg was listening, he found himself stunned by the genius lyricism and bravado of the song. He felt a fire blaze inside of him. He remembered every horror and near death experience of the past four years. He remembered how he felt terrified every night because he worried the Crossdeath Militia would take him away in his sleep for not reporting his growth and levels. Everyday back in the outskirts of the city, he¡¯d forced himself to pretend to be nothing more than a reliable hunter who was always a little hungry because most of his game had to go to his Petty Lord. He could¡¯ve eaten more. He could¡¯ve paid more in taxes and tribute and had leftovers. But he held back to keep up the ruse. He had to keep Petty Lord Julius unaware of his rise in power and how far west he¡¯d gone to grow so strong. Yes, Wallenberg was evil, but even he could admit these brave and foolish strangers were talented in more ways than one. Because their appearance spoke of profound power and battle expertise that even the Crossdeath Militia might find intimidating at first glance. The strange man who led the singing and jogging was on the tall side. Most men across the Walled Continent were like Wallenberg, about five feet and seven inches. Most men were wiry and pale skinned , and they had brown or black hair with dark brown eyes. But the leading man was not only eerily black of skin color, but he was hugely muscular, with broad shoulders and a well-defined torso that was visible down the middle of his cloak. If it wasn¡¯t for his strange black skin, Wallenberg would¡¯ve thought of the strange man with the large wizard hat as some blessed hero who was fabled by most, if not all, of the Good Gods. But he was surely an evil creature, perhaps some sort of experiment of black magic, which would explain why he seemed more like a devil or demon of sorts. Still, despite his strangeness, he looked human enough, and through that humanity it was easy to tell he was an impressive specimen. But that paled compared to the others following behind him. The other man was a monster of a man. He had noble features that Wallenberg had only known from ancient fables and stories about heroes and villains from long ago. Wallenberg even suspected the giant man was born with elf blood running through his veins, but his bulging muscles and immense size made Wallenberg also think he was raised by bears. Nonetheless, the blond and blue-eyed giant man would stand out too much in Central Crossdeath. He would surely attract the wrong type of attention. Wallenberg knew enough insecure noble lads who would want the giant man to bend the knees and bow his head for being too big and too impressive in physique. Then there were the women. Wallenberg gulped dryly, his body heating up from the sight of them. He¡¯d never seen such exotic, beautiful, and openly courageous women like these before. There were plenty of women who worked hard jobs or joined the Crossdeath Militia, but they¡¯d seemed to lose spirit or become no different from men. The evil aligned noble women were untouchable and as deranged as they were pretty, taking full advantage of their statuses and privileges without working hard. Wallenberg had tried his hand at courting women of his status. He¡¯d even talked to a merchant woman once, who was above him in the hierarchy of statuses in Crossdeath. Each attempt ended with him being cruelly toyed with. These women could be the same! Evil. Fake. Deceitful. Cruel. But Wallenberg wasn¡¯t sure the longer he ¡­ studied them. They exhibited a confidence, directness, and liveliness he¡¯d never seen before! Among the three, a woman with dark skin just like the leading man had a form and air about her that made Wallenberg think she would step on him and crush him. Her body was unbelievable. It oozed power while pushing the limits of femininity that Wallenberg hadn¡¯t known was possible. Her dynamic shape and extremely impressive physique had to result from black magic, which must¡¯ve tainted her skin just like the leading man. For whatever reason they¡¯d committed to such black magic, even Wallenberg had to admit the extreme exoticness of the black woman made him feel weak and perhaps a little too willing to fall to her dominance. Thankfully, there were the other two women. The smallest of them, who was an obvious brunette and more akin to the women of this land, made Wallenberg think maybe ¡­ just maybe ¡­ she differed from the women of his home city. The brunette was still exotic in her ways. Her shape wasn¡¯t as dynamic as the black woman, but she was clearly more powerfully built and full-figured in a way that was stunning for someone so small and similar to the women of these lands. Then Wallenberg saw the coldness on her face and shied away from ever thinking he had a chance with such a woman similar to him. There was an intensity in her eyes that was so sharp, so calculative, so determined, that Wallenberg was certain she was far higher in the evil alignment than him and would turn him into minced meat. It was probably best he dropped any fanciful imaginations with that one. Then there was the last woman¡­ Wallenberg lost his train of thought when a sudden flare of light appeared next to him. Then the blinding light turned into a towering woman standing over his crouched and creeping form. Turning to face her and prepare for a fight for his life, Wallenberg froze. He looked up and up while still bent over and looking like a dirty peeper. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to stand to his full height. There was no point. He was already far, far, far beneath the presence and status of such a woman. The towering woman seemed like she stepped out of the pages of fabled myth. She seemed like she came from the most intricate and detailed illustration depicting the angels and gods of the Ascended Heavens. She seemed like a goddess placed on this world to masquerade as a human woman. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Bianca!¡± She extended her hand down to him. Wallenberg gaped at the hand. She wore an expensive and intricate gauntlet of such high quality he could feel the heavy buzz of magic coming off of it. He couldn¡¯t even appreciate the quality of her entire armored dress. Even one of her tall heeled shoes was possibly so expensive that it would take several dozen copies of Wallenberg to hunt for a year to purchase one such piece of fashionable armor. No noble, low or high, would ever risk dirtying such an expensive and powerful piece of gear. No noble, low or high, would even let a creature like Wallenberg around them when wearing such without spilling his blood as payment or for their amusement. Run, damn it! Run! She¡¯s going to bleed you like a pig and laugh! Wallenberg screamed in his head. That wasn¡¯t enough to get him going. A charming compulsion kept him in place. Feeling like a desperate animal, Wallenberg bit the tip of his tongue to shock him out of the compulsion. It worked. He was in control of himself again. He turned away and scrambled for dear life to escape the beautiful monstress. He had to get lost or she would reap his life with a shining smile. 179: B2: C79: Not Wally 2 As Wallenberg ran with all his heart, he dug into his alchemy belt. He grabbed a rounded vial that contained a cloudy stink bomb he¡¯d used to escape from powerful beasts or monsters. He snatched up one of his spare spears he had lying nearby as he dashed down a small game trail. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t run! I feel like we were meant to meet!¡± Why does her voice sound like she¡¯s right behind me? Wallenberg told himself not to look back. He rarely looked back during these life-and-death runs. He¡¯d escaped from danger by always looking forward and trusting on the points invested in Wonder. But for some reason, he couldn¡¯t help but look over his shoulder and see a sight that turned his blood cold. She really was right behind him. And she looked like she was walking. Her strides covered plenty of ground without her having to run. With one step forward, she matched his many racing steps. No matter how hard and fast he ran, she kept up effortlessly. Wallenberg also felt compelled to listen to her, but he had just enough fear inside of him to disregard that. He tried to juke to the side as he pulled the cork off the vial and threw the stinky cloud bomb at the ground behind him. An intense beam of light struck the vial, eradicating the container and its contents all at once. Nothing remained other than a round black scorch mark and wafting smoke rising from the impact. Seeing that horrifying power, Wallenberg¡¯s legs gave out as his Willpower failed him. He tripped on a root for the first time in a long time. He careened through prickly shrubs and flipped into a tumble that led to him smashing at the base of an old and wide tree trunk. Wallenberg twisted about to sit up before freezing as he saw the expensive and beautiful heeled shoes of the monstrous goddess in front of him. Wallenberg trembled as he looked all the way up, up, and upward a little more. Straight blond hair. Slightly tanned and unblemished skin. Golden eyes that shone like magic lights. And an aura that crushed the air out of Wallenberg¡¯s chest. She was beyond pretty. Beyond any woman Wallenberg had ever seen. There was no doubt she was the most beautiful evil demoness he would ever come across, because he would surely die like the bug he was. She could zap him like she¡¯d done his stinky cloud bomb. Or maybe she would take her time roasting him alive. Wallenberg bit the edge of his bottom lip. He thrust upward while still in a low position, aiming his spear for a gap in the skirt of her armored dress. She reached down and caught the weapon by the spear point. With a flick of her fingers, she snapped the spear head off and tossed it aside despite how much that spearhead had cost Wallenberg. It didn¡¯t matter to her. Wallenberg dropped the broken staff and remained kneeling as he accepted his fate. I guess this is the end of me, Wallenberg thought sadly. Foiled by a beautiful and deadly woman. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll join the ranks of many men who¡¯ve fallen prey to such cruel and horrifying devils. ¡°Please let me die without too much pain, oh beautiful one,¡± Wallenberg begged, groveling before her. ¡°Que? Oh, are you saying I¡¯m so beautiful it¡¯s painful? Ha! Gracias!¡± She laughed like a beautiful demoness would, with a voice of poisoned honey. She even sprinkled in some phrases from another language, which was surely a demonic tongue. Wallenberg felt more miserable, because he was quite curious about the strange language, but he would surely die before learning it. Once she stopped laughing, she said, ¡°Zarian told me your name is Wallenberg. But you really look like Wally. I think this is meant to be, so you should come with me now.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not Wally,¡± he mumbled dumbly. ¡°I¡¯m Wallenberg.¡± Again, she laughed with that poisoned honey voice of hers. Then she plucked him up by the back of his ratty tunic like she was picking a little toy off the floor. Before he could truly understand what was happening, Wallenberg ended up with his body wavering like a flag caught in a storm wind. The Old Goblin Forest and heavy fog blurred by him in a rush that disorientated him. Before he could recompose himself and get a better grasp of his situation, he landed back on his feet. But he wasn¡¯t allowed to collapse to his knees again. The beautiful demoness, Bianca, kept a firm hold of his arm by the triceps. Her grip stopped short of causing pain. But he could tell she wouldn¡¯t let him escape, even if he tried with all of his might. She could easily snap the bone in his arm and turn the muscles into a pulp if she wanted. Worse yet, Wallenberg found his heart racing even more from her touch and nearness. Accursed body! This isn¡¯t the time to fall weak to her guile! Wallenberg felt ashamed of himself. He was also a little dizzy still from the rapid trip. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. His Agility helped him recover from disorientation. Once he was more composed, he looked up and saw he was among them. The black man. The giant man. The black woman. The cold woman. And the cruel and monstrous Bianca. They had Wallenberg surrounded with no way to escape them. Wallenberg now realized they might be far, far stronger than he¡¯d initially thought. He should¡¯ve noticed it before this point, but maybe the distance and fog disrupted his supernatural senses. Now that he was in the middle of their party, he felt like a bug among demigods. They oozed such power that made it hard for Wallenberg not to fall to his knees and grovel for his life. ¡°Look guys, it¡¯s Wally!¡± Bianca cheered, waving her free hand over him like showing off a new pet. How horrifying, Wallenberg thought. She¡¯s going to stretch this out for her amusement before she grows bored with me and tosses me to the wolves. ¡°Fucking, Wally.¡± The black woman cussed without limit. Her anger struck Wallenberg like a boulder. It almost felt like he was being crushed under her heel by her anger alone as she muttered, ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have died like he did.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t Wally,¡± said the cold woman, deadpanned. ¡°And we¡¯re not in the business of picking up strays right now. If he¡¯s a threat, then just kill him and move on.¡± ¡°That depends,¡± said the giant man, stretching his massive arms wide with a yawn. ¡°What were you doing in the forest, young man?¡± ¡°Hunting for experience,¡± Wallenberg spilled out. ¡°I¡¯ve leveled up in secret for the past four years. I plan to steal from a Petty Lord and flee to Ride-or-Die Village. Now that you know the truth, please kill me without hurting me too much, please.¡± ¡°Yeah, Hannah, please kill the poor kid without hurting him too much,¡± the giant man said, directed toward the cold woman. ¡°I suppose he¡¯s not a threat or nuisance then,¡± Hannah said, still cold and unfriendly. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that stops Naomi from feeling angry.¡± ¡°Fucking Wally,¡± said the black woman, who was most likely Naomi. ¡°I really am still pissed about that.¡± ¡°Maybe you won¡¯t be angry about that if we take this Wally with us!¡± Bianca said. No, don¡¯t take me with you. Please don¡¯t take me with you, Wallenberg fretted. ¡°Yeah, I think this is the best thing. It¡¯s meant to be. Wally wasn¡¯t supposed to die like that. But now this Wally is here. How about it, Zarian? Can we take him with us?¡± Bianca pleaded, using her poisonous charm. ¡°Fine, fine. We¡¯ll take him with us. He really does look like Wally,¡± said the leader, the black man, the one known as Zarian. ¡°Heal him up, Gilbert. The kid looks like he¡¯d suffered some awful crap.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯m not Wally,¡± Wallenberg said. ¡°And I¡¯m an adult, not a kid.¡± ¡°Just shut it,¡± grouched Naomi. Wallenberg sealed his lips. He accepted the free healing even though he knew they were doing this to prolong his torment before they got bored and killed him. Nonetheless, many lingering injuries that his vitality failed to clear up disappeared. All his scars went away. He felt a few out-of-place bones shift back to their proper position. Then Bianca released him, allowing Wallenberg to stand on his own. He held his head down and stayed stooped over, but Naomi slapped him on the back and forced him to straighten fully. He was considerably taller than Hannah. He was only an inch taller than Naomi, but her dynamic body had more weight on her than him. Compared to Zarian, Wallenberg was shorter by two inches. Wallenberg had to crane his neck considerably to look up at the giant Gilbert and the glamorously statuesque Bianca. It was unfair that they had such powerful physiques to go with their golden looks and grand height. He felt the power rolling off of their bodies and concluded that they must be in the Level 70s with rare quality classes. That would explain why they were so confident with their loud singing. They must¡¯ve been talented adventurers from wherever they came from. Maybe they were the best of the best from the Windy Strider Kingdom based on how unconventional they looked. Wallenberg knew striders didn¡¯t mind having many sorts amid their alignments. Other than Gilbert who was probably a very strong neutral man, the other four were clearly evil aligned. It wasn¡¯t easy to sense the energy from their alignments, but Wallenberg didn¡¯t sense his opposite. There was nobody with the good alignment among this party of powerful and physically gifted adventurers. That meant he could still attempt to save them and himself. He could try to appeal to their evil intelligence. ¡°May I assist you milords and miladies with useful knowledge of the place you intend to visit?¡± Wallenberg offered politely. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not a lady. I¡¯m a princess,¡± Bianca said. Wallenberg choked on the air. An evil princess?! She could be lying. But the way she said that so boldly and openly might mean she didn¡¯t care to lie. Wallenberg didn¡¯t know what that meant among the nobility, but he¡¯d only heard of the good alignment having princesses. If it was possible for evil to have princesses, that would certainly challenge the female power structure in Crossdeath. ¡°Princess Bianca,¡± Wallenberg said, his voice quivering, ¡°you mustn¡¯t say that at Central Crossdeath. The noble ladies are vicious, territorial, and easily offended. I know it¡¯s not my place, but I stress you must enter Crossdeath with more ¡­ subtleness. No doubt, a Petty Lord will attempt to invite you to their manor. Or maybe since you all are rare Level 70s, you would have the honor of meeting a Death Lord directly.¡± ¡°You think we can take on the Death Lords if it comes down to it?¡± Lord Zarian asked with a small smile. ¡°Also, you¡¯re a sharp kid, aren¡¯t you? Good guess on our levels and qualities. I bet you invest a good amount in Wonder.¡± Wallenberg¡¯s neck heated up from the compliment. He was expecting them to correct him. But apparently he had guessed correctly, which was troubling. They were not strong enough to face the Death Lords. ¡°Milord, you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Wallenberg urged carefully, keeping his head down. ¡°Central Crossdeath is the great dark jewel of the Walled Continent for a reason. It is said that the fearsome Carrowmore favors Central Crossdeath. And the Death Lords are said to be epic and in the Level 80s!¡± ¡°Oh, wow, that sure does sound scary,¡± drawled the giant Lord Gilbert. ¡°Maybe, just maybe, we¡¯ll just pass through without causing much trouble. In fact, I¡¯m so confident we¡¯ll cause no trouble whatsoever I¡¯m going to start drinking.¡± The bear-sized man reached into a satchel at his side. He pulled out an entire cask that was bigger than Wallenberg¡¯s torso. The Bug Alchemist¡¯s eyes flew wide open at the sight of that mystical move. How did the giant lord pull off such magic? Wasn¡¯t he a warrior? His immense size suggested such. Maybe this is the reason they aren¡¯t traveling with a wagon or beast to carry supplies. There¡¯s nothing else but them and what they wear, Wallenberg thought, feeling the itch to get his hands on one of those satchels and all the hidden treasures they contained. He snapped back to reality when he heard the change in the conversation. ¡°We need rules,¡± said the intimidating Lady Naomi. ¡°Oh, I know! I thought about this a few training days back! Wanna hear?¡± Princess Bianca clapped in excitement. Yes, yes, they¡¯re listening. They¡¯re going to practice care and not upset the Death Lords. Then maybe if everything works out, they¡¯ll let me die a painless death. Wallenberg felt his heart fill up with poisonous hope. Good Goddess Hopeland was the most nefarious of the gods for a reason. ¡°Hit us, Bianca.¡± The mysterious and magnetic Lord Zarian waved her on. Princess Bianca clapped some more, jumping up and down. ¡°Ha ha yay! So, here are the rules. ¡°One: Naomi, you can only fight ¡­ with a psychic blade and lightning bolts! You never do that. So that¡¯s your rule. ¡°Two: Hannah fights aggressively with only magic axes and her body. I figure Hannah can get some more work on her berserk crafter style. ¡°Three: Gilbert ¡­ cannot use shields! And before he hits someone, he jolts them up first and makes the fight harder for himself! ¡°Four: I¡¯m going to punch and kick! ¡°Five: Zarian and Para can only use pure Aura Mastery. No spells. No traits either! And no wizard hat! ¡°Six: Wildcard Wally! Don¡¯t die this time! We have a scroll for that now, so if you do die, we¡¯ll revive you. Then we¡¯ll have to give you some tough love to teach you why you shouldn¡¯t break our hearts again! Bueno? Bueno!¡± Wallenberg¡¯s mind felt as slow as molasses. What was happening? What type of rules were that? Who the Hidden Hell was Para? He looked around at the others, because surely they would see that Princess Bianca was insane. ¡°No way. She¡¯s right. I really haven¡¯t worked on using a psychic blade before,¡± Lady Naomi muttered, looking ¡­ embarrassed?! ¡°How did I not think of that? Damn it.¡± Lady Hannah lifted her face from a thick and voluminous book that must¡¯ve cost a small fortune. Wallenberg didn¡¯t know when she¡¯d pulled that out, but she slipped it into the satchel on her side that was like the others worn by Lord Gilbert, Lady Naomi, and Princess Bianca. ¡°Yeah, sure, I can work with that,¡± Lady Hannah said plainly. ¡°Uh. Yup. Sure.¡± Lord Gilbert drained from the cask and looked rosy in the face. One sniff nearly sent Wallenberg falling back from the high quality beer in that cask. ¡°That¡¯s screwed up, Bianca,¡± Lord Zarian complained. ¡°You know how long Para and I¡¯ve been looking forward to playing with Aura Mastery and our traits with some human dummies.¡± ¡°If you want to use your other traits, no giant offensive moves are allowed! Be tricky and fun and clever,¡± Princess Bianca said, amending her rules. Lord Zarian nodded. ¡°Okay, nice, much appreciated. Those are some solid rules. We¡¯ve been sharpening our Aura Mastery anyway, so I guess we can make that work. The lack of a wizard hat is going to hurt like hell, though. Ugh. That part is screwy.¡± ¡°We got this, guys!¡± Princess Bianca raised a fist. Then she hopped around and threw some light and playful punches that looked dainty and unthreatening. ¡°I¡¯m going to go bop, bop, bop this time. Like a punchy baddie!¡± ¡°Yup! I¡¯m saving that one in the bank. Punchy baddie. That¡¯s what you are, huh, Naomi?¡± Lord Gilbert laughed uproariously. Lady Naomi growled as she warped the air in strange ways above her upturned palms. Lord Zarian opened his mouth with a big smile. ¡°Zombie¨C¡± Lord Gilbert cut him off. ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Let¡¯s get going!¡± Wallenberg made a run for it. With Lord Gilbert clearly impaired, Wallenberg tried to slip past the giant and drunken man. Princess Bianca caught Wallenberg like catching a slow-moving bug. She pranced along with her crazy and outrageous party of suicidal fools while dragging Wallenberg along with them. She held him by the back of his neck with an unbreakable grip without hurting him, so he couldn¡¯t rip free or die from choking. He almost wished she would squeeze and break his neck to end his suffering, but Princess Bianca was as cruel as she was beautiful and insane. Wallenberg could try using his alchemy and abilities against them, but there was no point. Clearly, he had no power here. No choice. No chance. It was insane how they were all rare in quality, but the level difference was too big for Wallenberg to overcome. The Death Lords are epic and in the Level 80s, a way bigger league. These strange and foreign lords, foreign ladies, and their foreign princess are going to get humbled and brutalized. The Death Lords will sacrifice them to our city¡¯s patron gods. I imagine Sinfeast would enjoy the black ones the most for being exotic. And I¡¯m going to suffer along with them. Wallenberg felt sullen. Then he felt fear when Lord Zarian¡¯s cloak flicked a ragged strand in his direction. The strands of the cloak transitioned from being a monstrous and starry material to something else. Slender and feminine arms formed from the mystical material, some so eerily designed they were outrageously long or had multiple elbow joints. One patted his head soothingly. A few others had their palms split open, forming mouths with supple lips and straight teeth. ¡°Hello, Wallenberg,¡± greeted the hands of the shiny monster cloak. ¡°Excuse my friends, for they seemed to have a traumatic attachment to you. They lost someone precious in their earliest adventures and now they seem to seek redemption through you for being a surrogate of sorts. Please play your part as our Wally and enjoy the show.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Wallenberg¡¯s mind was shutting down on him. He couldn¡¯t come up with an appropriate response. ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°Oh, excuse me. I¡¯m Para. You may call me Lady Para, in fact. I think it sounds quite nice to me. Now be a good Wally and give us a proper tour of Crossdeath. We won¡¯t stay for long since we have important business beyond this little city. But as we tour through, your information can help us do what we do best,¡± Lady Para insisted. ¡°What is it you do best?¡± Wallenberg asked, feeling compelled to do so despite his confusion and horror. Lady Para chortled, sounding like a beautiful and cheery woman, with a hint of her true monstrous nature lurking underneath. She kept providing her comforting pats to his head, reminding him of his late mother before snapping him back to reality with her words of savagery and challenge. ¡°Well, my dear Wally, we are the best at spreading freedom and seeing who likes to fuck around and find out.¡± Before Wallenberg could respond, the most unexpected circumstance on top of many unexpected circumstances happened. He gained a level. He was now a Level 42 Bug Alchemist. How?! Why?! He had no quests! He had hunted nothing. He had accomplished nothing. He had no apparent reason for the new level. Was this a premonition of bad things to come? An omen of doom? Hisscreep, help me, please, Wallenberg prayed. His god gave no response. No sign. No comfort. Wallenberg was on his own. 180: B2: C80: Evil City Lore It would usually take a day and a half to travel safely from the edges of the Old Goblin Forest that bordered the Blood Prairies to the center of the Crossdeath Region. But Wallenberg¡¯s new associates cut the travel down to only half a day while dragging him along. They arrived with the constant gloom turning from miserable gray to unsettling dark around them. Will o¡¯ Wisps appeared, some as small as the tip of Wallenberg¡¯s pinkie, others as large as a man¡¯s head. They emitted a purplish-blue light and made soft murmuring sounds from the many crying souls stuck inside them. Wallenberg had stopped listening closely to every Will o¡¯ Wisp he saw a year ago. He assumed his parents had moved on somehow instead of getting trapped here to fuel the land¡¯s eerie illumination outside of the walls. Purple-flamed torches and braziers lit up the city¡¯s skyline and fortifications up ahead. Militia men and women patrolled while dressed in fierce armor that had thick metallic plates, spikes, demonic visages, and powerful enchantments. The Crossdeath Militia Captains had purple plumes on top of their heads, signifying their importance. They also rode on drake raptors, which were the most savage of domesticated mounts. Wallenberg had seen the captains send their drake raptors forward to eat a man and his family just for a minor offense. One such captain rode nearby with his squad of hard-edged warriors. They oversaw the procession of travelers heading toward the main western gate. Wallenberg lowered his head while passing the militia before looking back up at the city. Central Crossdeath was larger than most capital human cities. It was one of the grandest, even while in the shadow of the Grimrock Castle Mountains further east. Because of Crossdeath¡¯s strategic location, it was a prime trade route with bounties ready for the taking. Good-aligned paladins from the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom avoided it like the plague unless they were on another doomed crusade. But many other adventurers, such as those from the Windy Strider Kingdom, came through, since it was a large and civilized hub with modern amenities and sophisticated crafts. Wallenberg could already see new visitors marveling at the sight of the grand towers and castles of black and purple coloration. All the city was made block by block, and featured an impressive and wide surrounding wall that was one hundred feet in height. The city even had many projectile towers behind the walls that were one hundred fifty feet tall. They served as strategic watchtowers and places for archers and extra siege weapons to shoot from. The Crossdeath Militia even had grand wizards and infamous war sorcerers, too, since the intelligence boost from the evil alignment led to having the best magicians. It was because of that huge magical advantage on top of having impressive defenses that Crossdeath remained undefeated. Wallenberg explained to the foreign lords, ladies, and their princess how Central Crossdeath had faced numerous challenges from good-aligned kingdoms. The Stalwart Paladin Kingdom had come across the Stone Sea River and lay sieges on the city plenty of times, and yet Crossdeath stayed standing. ¡°We are walking on grounds that have feasted on the blood and flesh of hundreds of thousands of paladins. Maybe even millions. Over the centuries, most of their souls make up the Will o¡¯ Wisps you see right now as a price for their failed crusades against us. One of recent histories was led by the Mightiest Child of Good, Prime Archbishop Gladius Maximus, in the Crossdeath and Stalwart War of 1488 D.E.,¡± Wallenberg said with his best scholarly tone he¡¯d copied from nobles. ¡°Oh, goodie, this new lore has action and tragedy and siege battle things! You go, Wally, yay!¡± Princess Bianca clapped and cheered for him. Wallenberg stifled a shudder. One shouldn¡¯t be so cheery in Crossdeath. Instead of scolding her, he reminded himself that she could rip his head from between his shoulders whenever she wanted. Be careful. She¡¯s trying to soften you up. Don¡¯t give in. It¡¯s all a trap with that one. Still, he continued with some smugness, his head raised a little higher. ¡°The Crossdeath and Stalwart War of 1488 D.E. was a minor event during the Sixth Divine War, but it was quite large for us back then. The lords profited greatly from war and success. If you didn¡¯t know, the skull of Prime Archbishop Gladius Maximus is still being used as a goblet by the current Blood Death Lord, who is said to be the strongest Death Lord we ever had. There are even some rumors that the new Ride-or-Die Village is a creation of the Death Lords and that the Blood Death Lord is the true Dark Lord and reason behind the Darkrun Apocalypse.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Isn¡¯t that kind of crazy?¡± Lord Zarian asked. Wallenberg nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t match up to what is known about the Blood Death Lord. He has no associations with Evil Goddess Shadowfell, and he is not named Darkrun. However, he is the most powerful of the Death Lords and our information on the so-called new evil village and the villains who caused the civil war of the Eternal Garden Kingdom hasn¡¯t been very reliable.¡± Wallenberg sighed. ¡°I have my own opinions, which is part of why I want to go see Ride-or-Die Village myself. But if it¡¯s true that it¡¯s a ruse, then between the Blood Death Lord, the Ghost Death Lord, the Poison Death Lord, and the Berserk Death Lord, it could be the Ghost Death Lord who is the true Dark Lord. Nobody knows their identity.¡± ¡°Sounds like you need to call someone to deal with the ghost guy, like a buster of ghosts or something.¡± Lord Zarian chuckled. ¡°Then again, if he is the Dark Lord, good luck with that. Sounds scary, if that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°How amusing,¡± Lady Para said from somewhere within Lord Zarian¡¯s cloak. Wallenberg wasn¡¯t sure where exactly. The foreigners were behind him. Wallenberg paused when he realized he¡¯d somehow ended up in the front. He tried to fall back behind the foreigners as he continued laying out the lore. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not speak too much of the Death Lords or they may hear of this and summon us for their wicked amusement. If I may direct your attention beyond the Will o¡¯ Wisps, you may have noticed the unusual darkness in the air and that there is no sky you can see that you¡¯re familiar with, I¡¯m sure. If you look around you even, you can see how the fog and mists surround us and refuse to let us go. Great and evil magic from centuries past still lingers in these lands, and the effects of such remain. Sometimes, we¡¯ll even have acid rain, so always be ready!¡± ¡°Oh my. Much evil. Very yes,¡± Princess Bianca added merrily. Wallenberg tried not to look annoyed. He kept his bearings. He kept going. ¡°Well, with our evil magic and our impenetrable fortifications, and our strong connections to Carrowmore and four major Evil Gods, this single evil city could withstand the many other good cities no matter their crusades or the divine boons of their Good Gods,¡± Wallenberg said resolutely. ¡°Surely, you now understand why we must humble ourselves and tread carefully to avoid being slaughtered. You don¡¯t want to, as you say, ¡®fuck around and find out¡¯ against the Death Lords, especially the Blood Death Lord or the Ghost Death Lord.¡± Wallenberg looked around, expecting the foreigners to regard his words with the seriousness and gravitas they deserve. While the information about Ride-or-Die Village was highly incomplete, suppressed, or filled with falsehood, Wallenberg knew his specific evil city very well. He knew its history. He knew its culture. He knew its people. He knew his place as an ant crawling around the boots of the Death Lords and their subservient Petty Lords and Crossdeath Militia. Many had tried to overcome that. Nobody had succeeded. These foreign lords, foreign ladies, and their foreign princess would soon come to realize that. They would bend their knees and crawl along the floor in fear, just like Wallenberg and his parents, and everyone else who lived to serve here. That should be the way of things, but then Wallenberg¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw Lord Zarian drift off the main gate road. Lord Zarian walked onto a rarely used trail surrounded by short, gnarled trees and the occasional hedge bush with spiky thorns. Fingers of mist grasped at him with murmuring purple Will o¡¯ Wisps bobbing close. His cloak fluttered with no wind blowing, as if in defiance of the dead, humid air. Before Wallenberg lost the exotic lord, he redirected himself and the party to go after him. ¡°Milord, milord, what are you doing?¡± Wallenberg asked. ¡°Going for that side gate that¡¯s way less busy,¡± Lord Zarian said innocently, striding like a man with no fear, no concerns. Exasperated, Wallenberg turned to the others. He disregarded the princess instantly. It was clear that she didn¡¯t think too deeply except for making strange rules for strange games. She was merely a smiling monstress.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Surely, the last three had more sense. ¡°The lore is okay. But these walls. These towers. Very small. Very weak. I¡¯m not impressed,¡± Lady Hannah said, speaking like a primal human woman. Wallenberg was stunned by her assessment and her choice of words. But the cold and unemotional expression on her face gave him too many chills to challenge her. ¡°Huh? What? Are you saying I have more of a reason to drink more? Sure. I just finished this one, anyway.¡± Lord Gilbert tossed away his empty cask and pulled out another cask from his magical satchel, but this cask was twice as big! Wallenberg nearly gagged at the grotesque littering in the land of the Death Lords. He gaped at the giant man¡¯s disregard for sobriety in the face of death! Lady Naomi wasn¡¯t even paying much attention, only following along. She kept folding the air weirdly above her palms and shooting out little sparks. Wallenberg could see she was struggling, maybe even failing. But instead of staying wary of the challenges ahead, she buckled down on whatever manner of magic blade she tried to conjure. Wallenberg would¡¯ve loved to ask about her abilities. He¡¯d never heard of psychic magic. What could it do? He felt the same curiosity toward the others, but he was deathly afraid. He was focused on survival. He was focused on the strange and eerier leader, Lord Zarian, who was leading them to certain doom! ¡°Milord, we aren¡¯t allowed. Only nobles of Crossdeath can use this private gate,¡± Wallenberg insisted, almost to the point of hissing. ¡°Please listen, milord, before you get yourself killed!¡± And me! You¡¯ll get me killed! Lord Zarian laughed. ¡°Things are going to be a-okay. In fact, they¡¯re going to be more than okay. By the time this is all over, you¡¯re going to say to yourself, ¡®Wow, I¡¯m so glad I met Lord Zarian and his friends. They¡¯re the most amazing people ever. When I grow gray and old, I will talk fondly about how I became their Wally and even got to go on adventures with them and see them do great things.¡¯ Or something like that. I¡¯m still cooking up ideas for your future story while you¡¯re the POV Character.¡± ¡°POV Character?¡± Wallenberg asked, confused. He turned to the others, although he half-expected them not to pay much attention. However, he saw they were, which surprised him. ¡°This Wally replacement is the POV Character?¡± Lady Hannah asked in disbelief. ¡°What is the basis for that, Zarian? You¡¯ve never talked about that weird side of you very much. I¡¯ve made note of it from time to time, but this case is more blatant.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think it comes with my ultra bloodline,¡± Lord Zarian said. ¡°But yeah, our Wally here gets to be important for now. So he¡¯s likely to survive this mini arc. So no worries. Just watch the show and enjoy, Wally.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lord Gilbert tossed the second empty cask aside and pulled out another one, which was even bigger than the last two! ¡°It sounds like I¡¯m not drinking enough. Let me hit the harder stuff while I¡¯m at it.¡± ¡°We need to talk more about these meta moments of yours, Zarian, after this little ¡®mini arc,¡¯ as you say,¡± Lady Hannah said, with more life, with more sparks of interest and hunger in her eyes. ¡°Now I¡¯m curious if this happened when you gave me control during Operation Library. Does this shift reality so our importance is based on your perception of us? Or is it because we¡¯re important enough that you lay your omnipotence upon us and grant us more presence on your stage? And this has nothing to do with the mind spiders, right? No, Wally doesn¡¯t have one in his head. Interesting. I¡¯m more engaged with this little jaunt now because of our new Wally.¡± ¡°I may be drunk, but please never say ¡®lay your omnipotence upon us¡¯ in that way ever again, Hannah,¡± Lord Gilbert drawled. ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Lady Naomi muttered. ¡°Lay all of that omnipotence on me instead of Gilbert. He¡¯s a weak punk. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s God¡¯s realest out here. Hit me with that dang!¡± ¡°Shut it, Punchy Baddie!¡± Lord Gilbert roared. Princess Bianca laughed and laughed, wiping at the corners of her eyes. Lady Hannah ignored her party members and looked at Wallenberg like she was going to dissect him. Wallenberg was completely lost. The wild turn of conversation took him out of his focus on survival. He kept failing to convince the foreigners to act appropriately because everything about them exuded inappropriateness. Then he realized too late they had arrived at the private gate for nobles. Everything that could go wrong happened, because they had come up behind some nobles on their way inside the private gate. A Crossdeath Militia Captain and a dozen men and women guarding the gate were there. They all turned to see Wallenberg and his new associates. Wallenberg nearly pissed himself. ¡°Is that Stinky Wallen?!¡± shouted the son of the Petty Lord who Wallenberg must pay his game to. The Petty Lord¡¯s son, Johnathan. ¡°Ew, Stinky Wallen. What¡¯s he doing here? My maids tell me how he grew up trashier than the trashiest commoner,¡± said the daughter of the Petty Lord. Jessica wore a bright purple dress that matched her deep layers of makeup. ¡°Wallenberg,¡± said Petty Lord Julius, a foreboding man as tall as Lord Zarian. Petty Lord Julius had steely gray hair and hard dark eyes, with a powerful frame dressed in a noble suit. Despite his commanding appearance, he was a servant of the Death Lords like all others. He had done nothing when Wallenberg¡¯s parents died a horrible death for the amusement of the Death Lords. In fact, the Petty Lord charged Wallenberg to maintain the same amount of hunting output as his parents. Or he would be sacrificed just the same to the Death Lords. ¡°Milord,¡± Wallenberg said with a whimper that was half real, half fake. ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like.¡± ¡°Stinky Wallen¡¯s trying to get some coins on the side from these foreigners!¡± Young Lord Jonathan pointed and laughed. ¡°You really think you can get past us like that, Stinky Wallen? My father has connections with everyone important on this side of the city. These guards would¡¯ve told him everything even if you bribed them, idiot! Now you¡¯re going to die just like your stupid, piss-poor parents!¡± ¡°No, no, I swear that¡¯s not it,¡± Wallenberg mumbled. ¡°Oh, Father-dearest, look at that half giant man! And look! Those two are so dark, they could be cavern monsters! Maybe they¡¯re half breeds! We should take them to the Death Lord Ball tonight and show them off to everyone! I bet the other ladies will get so mad!¡± Jessica tugged on the sleeve of her father¡¯s coat. ¡°Hm. Perhaps this can lead to a fruitful opportunity.¡± Petty Lord Julius drank in the sight of Princess Bianca, which made Wallenberg¡¯s chest feel tight and itchy. Of course, the Petty Lord didn¡¯t care. ¡°You, oh beautiful miss, and the other four. As newcomers, you are most likely unaware of the culture and customs in our great city. I can provide you some aid for the right price. After this cretin is removed.¡± Wallenberg figured he would get a quick death from this. Someone else had different ideas. ¡°Hit him,¡± a disattached voice that sounded like Lord Zarian whispered into Wallenberg¡¯s ear. ¡°Do it now. What else do you have to lose? Go get your hit back.¡± Wallenberg knew he shouldn¡¯t. He knew he couldn¡¯t. He was a cretin. He would soon be removed. Jonathan blabbered on. ¡°Father, when you¡¯re done with that tall, pretty woman, let me have her! I bet Stinky Wallen was hoping for some! But he¡¯s just another stupid dead bug like his parents!¡± Jessica shrieked with laughter. The militia men and women smirked. Petty Lord Julius kept looking lecherously at the princess. And Lord Zarian pushed Wallenberg over the edge with another disattached whisper in his ear. ¡°Are you really going to let them treat Bianca that way?¡± Wallenberg broke. He knew he was going to die. He also knew Lord Zarian was making everything worse. But Wallenberg didn¡¯t care anymore. Lord Zarian¡¯s words were too compelling to deny, and Princess Bianca deserved more respect. Wallenberg reached into his alchemy belt and quickly chucked a vial with the topper removed. It burst at Petty Lord Julius¡¯s feet and released a bright flash. The mixture came from insects that used powerful light to defend against predators. While that went off, Wallenberg drank the contents of another bug-based potion made from certain beetles known for their Strength. He ran in and punched Petty Lord Julius, who was blinded by the flash along with his children and the militia at the private gate. The hit knocked the Petty Lord to the ground and bruised Wallenberg¡¯s hand, but he didn¡¯t care. Wallenberg turned and punched Johnathan even when the militia had their weapons and magic raised now. Wallenberg knew his death was coming, but he got the satisfaction of smashing Jonathan¡¯s lower face into bloody smithereens, teeth and spittle flying. Jonathan dropped hard. Wallenberg closed his eyes and smiled. He could die happy and be with his parents in their special place in Hidden Hell. After some time passed, Wallenberg felt no further pain and realized he remained unharmed. He opened his eyes and looked around. The militia men and women lay strewn across the ground of the noble gate. They convulsed and struggled to get up. The few who staggered to their feet had wide-open eyes filled with absolute fright. They screamed like terrified animals and fell back to the ground again. Their eyes rolled up into their heads. They squirmed about, all of them pissing and shitting themselves. ¡°What¡¯s happening?! Johnathan?! Father?!¡± Jessica screamed. ¡°Father, you must stop them! They¡¯re making you look bad! And that¡¯s making me look bad!¡± Wallenberg looked down and saw that Pretty Lord Julius was incapacitated. The noble man had pissed and shat his expensive trousers, too. Wallenberg looked up and blinked at Jessica. Jessica had tears of anger on her face. She looked hatefully at Wallenberg, raised her arms, and charged up some wicked magic that lit her hands with purple flames. ¡°You sniveling ingrate!¡± Jessica screamed. ¡°Loser! Worthless garbage! Scum of the world! You are nothing compared to my bloodline, yet you dare stand up to us?! Know your place, you bug! Suffer and die!¡± She thrust her purple-flaming hands toward Wallenberg with all her evil power. Wallenberg expected pain and death. He expected to find his parents in Hidden Hell. He didn¡¯t expect Princess Bianca to stride in and punch Jessica¡¯s face with a shining fist. Jessica¡¯s head exploded in a burst of forceful light and flying chunks of gore. The purple flames sputtered out before they touched Wallenberg, leaving him alive and gobsmacked. Jessica¡¯s headless body hit the ground in front of her jaw-broken brother and shit-covered father. Seeing the death of his sister, Jonathan screamed hoarsely and scrambled to get away. The young lord ran through the undefended noble gate and into the city. ¡°Whoopsies!¡± Princess Bianca turned to Wallenberg, her eyes gleaming with golden delight. She seemed mightier, deadlier, and scarier while standing as a glamorous and statuesque demigoddess over Wallenberg and the corpse of a noble lady. ¡°I might¡¯ve bopped her too hard. But she was going to hurt our Wally! And we won¡¯t let that happen ever again!¡± Reality hit Wallenberg hard, snapping him out of his fugue in the presence of the monstrous princess. Young Lord Jonathan had gotten away. The damn noble son would alarm the militia and the Death Lords. They would know of Wallenberg¡¯s transgression. Wallenberg turned to run, but Lord Gilbert scooped him up with one massive arm. In the other arm of the bear-sized lord, he held his giant beer cask and kept draining from it. ¡°Doopity, doopity, doop! Spreading freedom and finding out! Doopity, doopity, doop!¡± Lord Zarian sang as he swaggered into the city. His cloak fluttered merrily behind him. Princess Bianca pranced behind the black lord, twirled around, and shot a smile at Wallenberg¡¯s precarious situation of being a human sack on Lord Gilbert¡¯s shoulder. Lady Hannah kept studying Wallenberg with great intensity. And Lady Naomi still hadn¡¯t looked away from her attempts to forge a blade with her psychic magic. Wallenberg looked back at Jessica¡¯s headless corpse amid puddles of piss, shit, and traumatized men and women. The foreigners gave it no second consideration, as if they¡¯d merely stepped on bugs while on a casual walk. Once again, Wallenberg prayed to Hisscreep. His god sent him no response. Wallenberg was still on his own, and his sense of doom and gloom was mounting. 181: B2: C81: Evil City Tour Wallenberg looked up as acid rain appeared in a flash above them. He was back on his feet after promising he wouldn¡¯t run away and would answer some questions later for Lady Hannah. Wallenberg was deeply scared of Lady Hannah¡¯s intense curiosity, but the acid rain concerned him more. He tried to point it out, but then he noticed how the first few acid drops hurtled away at weird angles. As all other citizens and visitors sought for cover, the foreign lords, foreign ladies, and their foreign princess walked on merrily, Wallenberg in tow. The acid rain parted from above them like a curtain pulling apart. Acid puddles and rivulets removed themselves from their path as if an acidic magician compelled them. They made rules that would restrict such abilities, Wallenberg thought, reminding himself of the foreigner¡¯s impossible game. He looked back to Lord Zarian and noticed the black lord really had his wizard hat put away, which had seemed like a great item of immense power. The others kept their strange hats, even Princess Bianca. Without the hat, Wallenberg noticed Lord Zarian¡¯s full volume of highly curly black hair. It was like Lady Naomi¡¯s more voluminous hair that she adorned with a crooked witch hat. The black lord and black lady¡¯s hair made Wallenberg think that came about from the black magic they¡¯d used to become what they were. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, and unfortunately you can¡¯t normally get an awesome and deep tan like mine. This is all natural.¡± Lord Zarian grinned toothily at Wallenberg as the acid downpour continued to twist and flow out of their way. Wallenberg stumbled slightly. Embarrassed, his neck heated up. Then he noticed Lady Naomi looking from her psychic blade forging and giving him the side eye. Wallenberg¡¯s shame grew, his face feeling flushed with more heat under the black woman¡¯s intimidating glare. He tried to think of something to say to separate himself from the crass words of the nobles, but then he thought about the horrible events that occurred just moments ago. Wallenberg rubbed around his face and tried to refocus on what truly mattered. ¡°Milord, we must flee the city. The militia men and women on the nearest tower and on the ramparts above would¡¯ve surely noticed the commotion at the noble gate. The fact that they aren¡¯t hounding us this instant only means they are coordinating for a bigger attack that will come down on our heads soon!¡± Wallenberg was panting and covered in sweat. He felt the magic of his Willpower going up and down unpredictably. The Willpower stat was the most fickle of them all. It still relied on the core qualities of the person to make the most out of it. Right now, Wallenberg felt too shaken to keep his Willpower steady, so he made use of it in short bursts. Then, when it collapsed again, he finally let out some of his primal fear. ¡°You killed a young noble lady! And it was Young Lady Jessica, at that. She¡¯s well connected, too! She¡¯s even in the circle among the Death Lord¡¯s children. And Young Lord Johnathan escaped! The Death Lords will know. The Death Lords will surely give you the worst of deaths!¡± Wallenberg cried out. ¡°Nah, we will be a-okay,¡± Lord Zarian said merrily. ¡°How?!¡± Wallenberg was losing control of himself. He hadn¡¯t acted out like this since the days after the Darkrun Apocalypse. But everyone had acted out of sorts after such a horrid, universe-shattering event. But he was far removed from the Darkrun Apocalypse now, so he shouldn¡¯t act this way. Surely, the foreign nobles would hate him from this display. Then they would kill him for being a nuisance after Lady Hannah had her questions answered. But Lord Zarian merely laughed it off. He reached over to pat Wallenberg on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m being serious. It¡¯s going to be okay, kid. We got you.¡± Wallenberg didn¡¯t want to be soothed into a false sense of belief. But Lord Zarian was almost too compelling to deny. Then Princess Bianca suddenly appeared from behind Wallenberg. She scooped him up from under his shoulders and spun around with him like he was a mere child. He had to stop himself from kicking wildly, or he might mistakenly hit the princess. Eventually, the strange and embarrassing whirl-around gesture ended. However, the princess didn¡¯t leave him alone just yet. She poked him in the cheek and drew his full attention with her undeniable charm. He turned to her slightly and looked up. Instead of seeing some silly, idiotic expression that was still unfairly beautiful on her, he saw a smile that shone gallantly, removing almost all of his fear. The takeover of his emotions happened suddenly, too. It would¡¯ve been shocking if Wallenberg¡¯s Willpower hadn¡¯t quickly buffed up and become steady. While still taken aback somewhat, Wallenberg did feel better. He could focus on more than just the animalistic terror that was groomed into him from all his years living in Crossdeath. He could focus on the strange circumstances that had happened at the private noble gate and were happening now. ¡°Lord Zarian, are you doing this?¡± Wallenberg waved up at the acid rain that kept removing itself from above them and from in front of them. ¡°And was it you who put down the militia men and women, and kept them and Petty Lord Julius down?¡± The black lord merely smiled. The statuesque and glamorous princess pressed her pretty lips into a frown. She pointed at Lord Zarian. ¡°You and Para are too overpowered. I should take away the extra traits and make it only aura!¡± ¡°Hey, now, it did take some effort to pull that all off without the wizard hat, you know? Para and I make it look easy because we¡¯re badass like that, so please let us play with our traits some more,¡± Lord Zarian said in defense of himself and his cloak. Wallenberg¡¯s eyes flew open. Are they truly serious when they say only traits and aura for Lord Zarian?! Did he really take down the militia with just that? I didn¡¯t take that seriously when they came up with those rules, but now I must! But how?! Traits were passive abilities. They were supposed to enhance and buff. Sometimes they would activate based on certain conditions being met. There were probably a few that could engage with the world like a skill, but in a limited fashion. Wallenberg had a lot more to learn and didn¡¯t know everything, but he was very sure that the basics of the Star System were hard rules. But the wizard and his living cloak could bend the rules, apparently. Could all wizards do that? Maybe I should¡¯ve been a wizard, Wallenberg thought. Unfortunately, he only knew about wild bugs and the history and culture surrounding Crossdeath. The rare Bug Alchemist class had turned out as his best option during his First Class Advancement. Maybe what Lord Zarian could do is special to him. Princess Bianca was glaring at the black lord and his living cloak for quite some time before shrugging her shoulders. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s too late. Dale! We¡¯re in a new city! Give us the tour, Wally! Show us the sites! Oh, and make sure to take us to the ball, too. We need to see that. Maybe we can make our own balls back home, si, si?¡± ¡°The ball? You mean the Death Lord Ball? That ball?¡± Wallenberg blinked.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Hm, do you feel a drop in your intelligence compared to before? Is that forcing you to ask obvious questions more often than not?¡± Lady Hannah drilled, moving uncomfortably close to Wallenberg. ¡°What is your purpose as the POV Character? Was I this way when I was a POV Character? I can recall all the details for myself based on my perspective, but I can¡¯t exactly imagine it from outside of my perspective during the dungeon raid. You seem intelligent enough while also a little slow, Wally. Hm, hm. Zarian, was I like this from your view?¡± ¡°You were definitely going through some hardcore character growth back then, but I think Wally is a different type of POV Character,¡± Lord Zarian said. ¡°Shuddup, shuddup! Just drop this meta crap! Give us the city tour before I lose my shit from hearing these two geek-out again!¡± Gilbert roared, red in the face, and looking on the verge of going on a drunken rampage. He¡¯d finished the last cask, but it looked like he could still drink more somehow. He could barely fit in his high-quality armor. ¡°Yeah! Woo! City tour!¡± Princess Bianca cheered. ¡°Mm, yes, I wouldn¡¯t mind more lore about the city as we tour,¡± Lady Para said from within the folds of Lord Zarian¡¯s cloak. ¡°This sword will be the greatest sword that ever swords. It will be the sharpest and strongest sword to ever sword. It will be so badass I¡¯ll make Hannah look like less of a crafter compared to me. Heh heh heh heh heh.¡± Lady Naomi laughed while off to the side. The folding air above her upturned palms turned more solid and had an eerily erratic outline of a blade with static along the edges. Stranger yet, the weight of that conjured weapon was scarily palpable on Wallenberg¡¯s mind. The others paid it no attention even though Lady Naomi was acting quite out of sorts. ¡°Yup, that sounds like doing a tour first, and thinking of meta crap later,¡± Lord Gilbert insisted. Lady Hannah groaned in a manner that was almost too childish for someone like her and caught Wallenberg off guard. She gave him a glare, as if pinning the blame on him for everyone else not having her intense curiosity. Thankfully, Princess Bianca¡¯s encouraging smile helped Wallenberg accept Hannah¡¯s brusque nature as something harmless. For now. Lord Zarian didn¡¯t seem to mind either way. If he was right that everything would be ¡®a-okay,¡¯ then Wallenberg could try focusing on providing a decent tour. He could also direct them away from the Death Lord Ball and toward another main gate to exit the city if he was subtle enough. Besides, the acid rain had stopped. The populace left their stone shelters and returned to the streets. The city became lively again, as it should be in the night hours. Despite the gruesome parts of living in Crossdeath, there were some unique qualities that nobody would usually see outside of an evil human city. For example, not all the residents were human. ¡°Is that an actual goblin?¡± Lady Hannah pointed out, her intense curiosity turning toward someone else for once. ¡°And he¡¯s not corrupted.¡± Wallenberg took over from there. ¡°While humans are the dominant populace in Crossdeath, that is only in status. Crossdeath is mainly made up of goblins. You won¡¯t see many of them on the surface because they live deep below in the sewer system and the caverns. They have their own society and culture down there, and they are mostly a part of a big gathering under a single tribe called the Old Death Crawlers.¡± ¡°Oh, I can already guess how this all started. First, the goblins lived here. Then humans took over. Old Death Crawlers stayed. Other goblins went elsewhere. Am I right or wrong?¡± Lord Zarian asked. Wallenberg opened and closed his mouth. He actually didn¡¯t know who was here first. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± They stopped at the corner of a busy market square as a gaggle of green-skinned, four-foot goblins scurried between throngs of humans. The goblins melted in and out of the shadows, the flickering purple firelight and occasional glow of Will O¡¯ Wisps seemed to slide off their slick forms and movements. Wallenberg always found goblins to be fascinating creatures. Although he held his fascination from a distance and with his most treasured items tucked away in his most secured spots on his person. When he looked back at the foreigners, they all seemed absorbed by the sight of the goblins. More so than Wallenberg would expect from them. ¡°Just wait a little longer, Foodie,¡± Lord Zarian said. The others let out a grunt or some sort of verbal affirmation in response to the black lord. Wallenberg had no idea who or what this Foodie was, but they seemed very important to the foreigners. Once Lord Zarian finished observing the scurrying goblins, he turned to Wallenberg. ¡°Got anymore for us?¡± Thus, Wallenberg served further as a tour guide while also engaged in a covert battle of directing the foreigners to an escape route. But the more Wallenberg tried to move them toward an exit, the more Lord Zarian would thwart his plans by pointing out something else of interest. Nonetheless, Wallenberg showed them a tour like no other. He took them to the Volcanic Gardens at the center of Crossdeath. None of the exhibits there held actual plants. Instead, the power of a past ruler, the Lava Death Lord, had left a mark there during a failed assassination attempt in the year of 1242 D.E. The razor sharp spires, rippling waves of frozen earth, petrified obsidian structures, and the remaining bodies that died and became fossilized remained after three centuries passed. It was all a stark reminder of the ironclad power belonging to the Death Lords of past, present, and future. Wallenberg took them to the Gilded Maw, veering closer than he liked toward the Death Lord Mega Manor. He ushered the foreigners through narrow street alleys and into tunnels that led underground. They swept past cloaked figures and more goblins hurrying through the shadows. After dozens of dizzying turns, they found the infamous auction house that was built against the wall of a massive chasm. A yawning pit of darkness waited below them, ready to accept auctioneers who failed to meet certain obligations. Wallenberg pointed above how the auction house had no ceiling or roof, granting them the view of many skulls that they¡¯d held as trophies from past conquests and victories. More purple torches and braziers lit the dark and cavernous chasm as masked nobles, all Petty Lords or ranking officers of the Crossdeath Militia, made bids on nefarious items that most black markets in other kingdoms couldn¡¯t fathom themselves having. Taking them down here nearly led to a grave mistake when Princess Bianca saw a pair of tall and spiky heeled shoes covered in glistening black and red gems. Thankfully, Wallenberg figured out a way to keep her from committing a grave folly by promising to take her to a more appropriate marketplace. They went to the Violet Market, which was a sprawling and chaotic bazaar where even goblins would plant themselves in one spot for interested buyers who might want whatever depraved thing they dug up from deep below. Purple torches, braziers, and even floating magic skulls lit up the bazaar as many peoples from across the Walled Continent and perhaps even further beyond hawked and bartered. Wallenberg felt some pride swell inside of him as Princess Bianca let loose a shriek of joy and dragged him and the other foreigners into a shopping spree. Lady Hannah kept sneaking in questions about being the mysterious ¡®POV Character.¡¯ Lord Gilbert sampled many foreign beers from around the World of Castles and Caverns. Lord Zarian hovered around Lady Naomi as she continued working on her sword. Wallenberg found himself yanked away from Lady Hannah and forced into assisting Princess Bianca in picking out dresses, perfumes, jewelry, and many more trinkets that were far beyond his ability to earn as a mere hunter¡¯s son. Yet, Princess Bianca bought him things anyway, despite him begging her not to. She stuffed it all down into her mystical satchel, which made Wallenberg very, very self-conscious when many others in the market noticed the specialness of the satchel. He somehow urged Princess Bianca and the others out of the Violet Market before things took a turn for the worst. After that, Wallenberg led them to the Slag River, which led them closer to one of the exit gates. The Slag River was also an interesting phenomenon to see since it was a giant opening in the city where a hot metallic river from underground flowed in full view of the tectonic vent. Crossdeath wasn¡¯t just a strategic city because of its placement, it was also a city well known for its magically conductive metal exports and creations because of the Slag River. Lady Hannah was the most impressed by this site and admitted to having temptations to take samples from the river even though that wasn¡¯t allowed. Somehow, Wallenberg steered her and the others away from such mischief. But in doing so, they moved away from an exit and ended up deeper in the city. Wallenberg felt his vitality flagging, at least regarding stamina. He hadn¡¯t had time to rest much for a couple of days now. He looked back at the relentless and energetic foreigners in his charge. They didn¡¯t tire. They thought little of the consequences of their insane requests. If Wallenberg wasn¡¯t so insistent on steering them away from trouble, they would surely cause a civil war! Unfortunately, because of his growing weariness, Wallenberg wasn¡¯t quite paying attention to where he was taking them now. He missed the ominous signs even when they were clear enough, such as wild growths of black-stoned trees with crisscrossing and thorny branches extending up like crown tips. The cobblestone street turned muddy beneath them. The more classical structures made block-by-block either faded from view or merged with the woodsy district. Then Wallenberg finally snapped to attention. He realized he¡¯d brought the foreigners into another area that contained a different species of intelligent evil beings. The trolls. These were specifically from a tribe called the Death Forested Marchers, who were the most battle-tested among the troll tribes. The Troll District of Crossdeath mirrored more of the dark and twisted forests further north of the city. While the goblins lived below ground and were quite small, the trolls liked to exist above the surface among the stone-barked trees and had lengthy bodies that stood anywhere from twelve to fifteen feet in height. The Troll District was normally too dangerous for the likes of Wallenberg. Trolls liked to show off their dominance and abuse their size. In fact, Wallenberg was doubly sure things were more dangerous when his current company was the type to cause trouble if he wasn¡¯t able to steer them safely from such. Too bad Wallenberg was too slow to act this time. Lord Gilbert had already moved ahead of the group. He stopped in front of a mighty male troll standing on a street corner. Behind the troll was a massive drinking den made of multiple thick-trunk trees. More trolls sat on large and heavy benches made for their size and bulk while slamming giant mugs on reinforced boxes that were as tall as the benches. Lord Gilbert looked inside, paying no mind to the massive troll already standing in his way. The troll huffed down with a big and mean smile on his face. It¡¯s too late, Wallenberg thought. We¡¯ve drawn the full attention of the trolls. 182: B2: C82: Evil City Scrap ¡°You looking red there, puny human,¡± grunted the massive troll as he towered over Lord Gilbert. Wallenberg shrank backward, becoming deathly afraid. The troll was fifteen feet tall and the most muscular troll around. He made Lord Gilbert look truly puny, and Lord Gilbert was relatively a large specimen of a man. But there was no overcoming the mighty height and physique of a troll. The immense and muscular troll standing over them, just like all trolls, had huge ram horns spiraling out from the sides of his head. His skin was grayish. His face was big, squarish, with a wide flat nose, sharpened teeth, and drooping earlobes that touched his shoulders. Like all trolls, he was bald up top, but he had a mighty beard that dangled from his chin to his chest in braids with metallic ornaments or the bones of his enemies. All males had beards, whether long or short, while the females remained bare around their faces and heads. A more obvious way to tell males and females apart was as simple as looking at their chests. There was no mistaking the heavy endowment of the troll females that they barely held back using canvasses or tarps the size of whole blankets. Other than that, they wore loincloths and sometimes belts holding their personal items and weapons. That was about it. Trolls looked, dressed, and acted as wild as an uncivilized creature could while existing in a city like Crossdeath. Worse yet, they believed in acting in groups. Now that Lord Gilbert acquired attention of the biggest and mightiest troll there, the other trolls ventured from their drinking den and came outside. Full-bearded males and large-chested females smiled meanly down at the humans who¡¯d stumbled too close to their more exclusive establishment. Wallenberg truly felt like a bug, yet the foreigners held their ground still. ¡°Yeah, red like blood.¡± The leading troll chuckled deeply, and his kin chuckled the same behind him. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, my kin will crush you just to make you redder. They¡¯ll send all your red blood flying. Heh heh heh.¡± The trolls laughed some more. ¡°Maybe we should leave?¡± Wallenberg insisted with a hiss. ¡°Nah, nah, wait a bit. I want to see where this goes.¡± Lord Zarian waved him down. Wallenberg wanted to yell. Then he noticed the looks coming from a few trolls. The females looked at him in ways that made him feel like prey. Wallenberg was tongue-tied, and the situation only grew worse. ¡°I¡¯m all red in the face because I¡¯m angry,¡± Lord Gilbert said boldly, completely undaunted in the presence of such immense and mighty creatures. ¡°Oh! Is that so?¡± The muscular troll laughed down at Lord Gilbert again. The other trolls laughed some more. ¡°Why so angry, puny red human? Did a troll take away something from you? Are you here to cry? Don¡¯t you know there¡¯s a troll tax? If it¡¯s not your life, then it¡¯s your stuff. And if you want your stuff, then it¡¯ll be your life.¡± The trolls laughed even louder, thunderously so! Wallenberg felt their meanspirited merrymaking in his chest. He really needed to leave. He needed to escape. Nobody would save him or miss him if he ended up as a troll¡¯s play thing. But Lord Gilbert remained undaunted as he looked up at the trolls with a steely blue gaze. ¡°Nobody took nothing from me! I¡¯m angry because I¡¯m still thirsty, and I don¡¯t think this place has anything that can hit the spot.¡± The trolls stopped laughing. The leading troll looked down at Lord Gilbert seriously. ¡°You know not what you¡¯re saying, puny red human.¡± Lord Gilbert snorted. ¡°Oh, I know what I¡¯m saying. I know it very well. I¡¯ve been drinking and drinking all around this city. I¡¯ve even had beers the people here claim to come from around the world. But ain¡¯t nothing here that hits the spot. I¡¯m getting to where I¡¯ll have to use up my last stock of beer from the Blood Prairie Savages.¡± Blood Prairie Savages?! Wallenberg nearly screamed. Why does Lord Gilbert have beer from the Blood Prairie Savages? I once heard that even the Death Lords are wary of those creatures! Now the trolls looked angry. The males growled in the back. The females reached down for the weapons on their primitive leather belts. No, no, no, what have you done, Lord Gilbert? To bring up the likes of the Blood Prairies Savages in front of the Death Forested Marchers is asking for war! Wallenberg didn¡¯t think he would die a troll fun toy anymore. He would merely die as a squashed human on the street if things went any further south than this. The leading troll roared down at Lord Gilbert, spittle flying in big ropes. ¡°Are you trying to scare me, puny human?! I¡¯m Hoodah the Hulk Meister!¡± Hoodah straightened and flexed his mighty muscles as Wallenberg gagged on air. Hoodah turned his baleful glare on Wallenberg and pointed at him. ¡°You! You look like you¡¯re from here! Tell them what it means to face Hoodah the Hulk Meister!¡± Wallenberg took that as his cue to explain. ¡°Forgive me, Lord Hoodah, I didn¡¯t recognize you. It seems you¡¯ve grown even larger with greater Strength! Yes, well, Lord Hoodah the Hulk Meister is one of the Berserk Death Lord¡¯s favored sparring partners and a trusted warrior of the Crossdeath Militia Commander.¡± ¡°Is that it, small human child?!¡± Lord Hoodah roared. ¡°Ah! No, of course not!¡± Wallenberg wracked his brain quickly for more lore. ¡°Ah, of course, forgive me, milord, for I¡¯m doing my best to explain your magnificence. So, yes, Lord Hoodah is undefeated in most skirmishes along the foothills of the Grimrock Castle Mountains, especially when there are challenge bouts between Crossdeath and Stalwart. Hoodah has defeated some of the strongest paladins!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing! What else am I known for?¡± Lord Hoodah demanded. ¡°And he¡¯s the greatest drinker of these lands! Nobody can out-drink Lord Hoodah the Hulk Meister!¡± Wallenberg shouted quickly for dear life. ¡°So, maybe we should just continue our tour somewhere else and leave Lord Hoodah alone.¡± Wallenberg tried to urge the foreign lords, foreign ladies, and their foreign princess elsewhere. But they continued to stand their ground. All of them. The foreign humans had an intensity about them that frightened Wallenberg. Lady Naomi kept her focus on her psychic sword crafting, and Lady Hannah seemed more focused on examining the trolls for the specimen they were. But Lord Gilbert, Lord Zarian, and Princess Bianca looked up in defiance of Lord Hoodah and his entourage. ¡°Hey, Gilbert, are you going to take that?¡± Lord Zarian asked. ¡°He¡¯s claiming he¡¯s the greatest drinker of these lands. Is that something you¡¯re going to let go?¡± No, no, no! You¡¯re doing that thing you did to make me punch nobles! Stop that, Lord Zarian, please! Wallenberg tried to think quickly about what to say to avert the oncoming disaster. But Princess Bianca pressed her gauntlet-clad hand over Wallenberg¡¯s mouth and spoke in his stead. ¡°I bet Wally¡¯s just being nice. He doesn¡¯t want to hurt Lord Hoodah¡¯s feelings by telling him the truth.¡± Princess Bianca pointed up at the trolls with her free hand. ¡°Gilbert¡¯s the best drinker! Better than Lord Hoodah! Better than all of you, COMBINED!¡± Lord Hoodah and the other trolls looked flabbergasted by this claim. Then things became irreparably bad as Lord Gilbert knelt down and clasped his hands together. ¡°Dear God, forgive me for what I¡¯m going to do. For I¡¯m going to embarrass the hell out of these sonuvabitches and let them know they ain¡¯t got what you gave me. In His Name I pray ¡­ Amen.¡± Gilbert rose back to his feet. The steely focus in his bright blue eyes sharpened to a deadly point. ¡°Now, are we here to have a tea party and some biscuits? Or are we here to FUCKING DRINK?!¡± The trolls went ballistic! They roared so loudly the noise became like a flying wall and nearly thrown Wallenberg off his feet. He staggered backwards woozily and took a few seconds to recollect himself before he caught sight of the trolls acting out in anger. The trolls turned to each other and smashed their heads together. The female trolls bashed their own weapons against their giant ram horns. The male trolls beat on their chests like war drums. Then they ran about and shook up the street as they kept roaring. Lord Gilbert, Lord Zarian, and Princess Bianca roared in return. Lady Hannah stood back and watched. Lady Naomi kept working on her psychic sword. Everyone else who wasn¡¯t a troll and was passing on the edges of the Troll District turned and ran away. It was too late for Wallenberg to escape with them. The trolls were big and fast. They would catch him if he tried to run. They would twist off his limbs one by one, being especially cruel to those they deemed cowards. Wallenberg hoped for a quick death. To his ever-growing surprise, Wallenberg remained unharmed and alive. Instead of getting yanked apart by trolls, he watched the trolls grab benches and boxes from the drinking den and slam them boldly outside on the street. Wallenberg didn¡¯t quite understand what was truly happening when he found himself plucked off the floor by a female troll who grabbed him roughly like one would a detestable baby. Then Wallenberg ended up slammed down onto a bench so hard he felt his spine crinkle a little. A few tears clouded his vision. He wiped them away quickly. He felt panicky, flinching at every fast and large movement around him. He even felt dizzy, confused, and out of his element. More crashing sounded off around him. More immense bodies moved wrathfully close by, the floor constantly quaking, which shook up the bench under him. Only when things finally settled down some, Wallenberg found a smaller than average troll woman sitting across from him. But small for them was still ten feet tall to Wallenberg. The troll woman smiled at him nastily before barking orders. ¡°Drink, puny little boy. Or I will crush you.¡± Massive mugs made for trolls slammed down from across Wallenberg and the shorter-than-average troll female in front of him. Wallenberg looked wide-eyed at his troll mug. It was the size of a beer cask. He looked to his left and found the others. Lord Gilbert sat across from Lord Hoodah the Hulk Meister. Lord Zarian sat across from another mighty male troll. Princess Bianca sat across from a troll shaman woman wearing a traditional headdress with feathers, beads, and skulls.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Then there was Wallenberg himself who sat across from his own drinking foe. ¡°I¡¯m only eighteen,¡± Wallenberg mumbled. The troll woman grinned, baring her flesh-ripping teeth. ¡°I¡¯m only seventeen! We are meant to be, oh puny boy. I will drink you to death. But if you survive, I will play with you to death! Heh heh heh!¡± Wallenberg¡¯s mouth opened and closed. The event carried on with no concern for his well being. ¡°This is the troll beer of the Death Forested Marchers!¡± Lord Hoodah boasted, raising his mug. ¡°It is a mighty drink that will destroy your vitality if you aren¡¯t tough enough like trolls are! You will find no greater drink, for this will prove how better we are than the Blood Prairie Savages and you foreigners!¡± The trolls sitting on Lord Hoodah¡¯s side along with the trolls surrounding the contestants and serving as audience cheered, roared, and clapped thunderously. Many bashed each other¡¯s heads together or drummed their own weapons against their ram horns. Ever-opportunistic goblins appeared from the shadows. They scurried beneath the trolls and conducted bets with trinkets that could represent any sort of currency or value only known to certain groups within their Old Death Crawlers tribe. Wallenberg shook his head and took stock of the situation. The benches were tall enough for a troll to sit on, which placed the humans about six feet off the floor. The boxes were at the same height and placed close enough to the human side so they didn¡¯t have to reach far. Wallenberg could look over and see the foul, fizzling green sludge that hissed and croaked at the brim of his troll mug. He didn¡¯t think this would be the way he died, choking on poisonous troll beer. At the very least, he would go out in a blaze of glory before he reunited with his parents in Hidden Hell. The young troll woman across from him kept looking at him in a mean and nasty way. She kept muttering, ¡°Gonna crush you and play with you, puny boy.¡± Wallenberg sighed. He endured the onslaught of threats and readied himself for a most excruciating death. ¡°Wait,¡± Lord Gilbert said. ¡°There¡¯s no backing out now, little human!¡± Lord Hoodah roared. Lord Gilbert didn¡¯t back out. He grabbed his mug with both hands and knocked it back. He drained its contents so fast, Wallenberg wondered if Lord Gilbert somehow had void magic. The vitality-damaging drink smeared some of itself on his golden beard by the time he finished, but he barely wasted much more of the foul troll drink. He slammed the mug down and let out a small burp. Then he looked up with a steely blue-eye glare into Lord Hoodah¡¯s baleful eyes and said some words that Wallenberg would remember for the rest of his life. ¡°Mm, okay, it¡¯ll do,¡± Lord Gilbert said. ¡°Now fill me up again and let¡¯s get going. You¡¯re going to need the head start. Trust me.¡± The game was quite simple. The ones who kept drinking without falling out would win. Every time a drinker emptied their mug they would receive a point, but the points mattered less. The spirit of the game relied on drinking nonstop every round. The drinkers could use the restroom and even vomit if they must. But they had to keep drinking or give up. The game ended when there was only one left. If nobody remained upright, then the points would get tallied to decide a winner. Since trolls were some of the rowdiest of intelligent beings, they liked to sing and shout in between rounds of drinking. It was said that trolls who sang and drank invited the power of their ancestors, which made their drinking prowess even stronger. Thus, it was no wonder why it was highly offensive of Lord Gilbert and his foreign friends to think they could stand against Lord Hoodah the Hulk Meister and his fellow trolls of the Death Forested Marchers in a game that trolls always dominated. Lord Hoodah led the song with four lines. Everyone ¨C even the foreigners ¨C followed his lines with the traditional troll¡¯s response. ¡°There¡¯s a corrupted mountain to our backs! ¡°Our true lords are spiders and want their snacks! ¡°The paladins cry for heavenly crap! ¡°Trolls don¡¯t care! We fuck! We drink! We nap or scrap!¡± ¡°SCRAP!¡± The contestants knocked back their mugs, which included Wallenberg. The foul drink flowed like chunky, bubbly slime over his tongue and felt like a congealed mess down his throat. He gulped and gulped, filling up fast, and feeling sicker even faster. By the time he finished his drink, everyone was already done and getting refills. His opponent licked her lips and laughed meanly at him. The young troll woman had finished her drink in a fraction of the time it took him to finish. A troll tavern woman moved about with surprising grace and filled up the mugs of the contestants with supernatural speed. She¡¯d prepared the next round of drinks while Wallenberg still reeled after the first round. Lord Hoodah carried on with four more lyrical lines. Everyone else prepared to respond. ¡°The battlefield is filled with blood and broken skulls! ¡°My mother¡¯s father¡¯s uncle¡¯s axe broke on the walls! ¡°The paladins cry to the angels¡¯ ball sack! ¡°Trolls don¡¯t care! We fuck! We drink! We nap or scrap!¡± ¡°SCRAP!¡± Wallenberg felt his stomach somersault and turn into jelly as he looked down at the foul drink that filled his troll mug to the top. His misery only grew more profound as the others drank rapidly. Even Princess Bianca powered her way through the drink with such gusto, Wallenberg felt weak and infantile seeing that. I cannot dishonor myself in front of a princess. Wallenberg picked up the mug and powered through. He felt a part of his spirit leave his body. The vitality he¡¯d grown from years of hard hunting could only withstand so much. By the time he finished the second round of the horrifying drink, everyone already had their mugs refilled. The troll tavern woman was looking down impatiently at him. His young troll opponent continued to laugh and jeer at him. Wallenberg wished he would die already. He watched his mug get refilled speedily. Lord Hoodah carried on with the last part of the singsong ceremony before the drinking contest turned even more awful. ¡°Trolls are first ones in and last ones out! ¡°Trolls must face all calvary and mean mounts! ¡°The paladins cry to their goddess¡¯s fun sack! ¡°Trolls don¡¯t care! We fuck! We drink! We nap or scrap!¡± ¡°SCRAP!¡± Now it was a free-for-all. Wallenberg drained his mug as fast as he could. He didn¡¯t know how he finished it, but he got it down somehow. He held back from barfing and looked around in a daze. The massive troll tavern woman moved about at a brisk pace with extraordinary grace. She poured and poured and poured as mugs rose and the contestants yelled, ¡°SCRAP!¡± It was incredible how the tavern woman could keep track of who called for her attention and in what order as she went around in a frenzy. The audience kept yelling, ¡°SCRAP! SCRAP! SCRAP!¡± in the background to add to the cacophony and chaos. The contestants drank as soon as they had their mugs refilled with more of the hellish and awful drink. Wallenberg truly believed himself to be at the gates of Hidden Hell. Perhaps that was why he hadn¡¯t fallen from his seat and expired. Perhaps he had to endure both the troll drink and the nasty and cruel nature of the trolls themselves. The looks he¡¯d received from his opponent were harrowing. If he didn¡¯t die from the troll beer, she would surely make him regret it. Based on the stories Wallenberg knew about troll women, he wouldn¡¯t make it out alive. Eventually, Wallenberg couldn¡¯t help but barf. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from running to the nearest toilet, which was a horrid venture, and running back to the table. He was behind in points. He was still alive somehow. The troll tavern woman had refilled his mug. He drank again. When it came around to being his turn, he was still alive, so he drank again. Eventually, he had to empty his bladder again, but he didn¡¯t vomit anymore. He went back and forth, slowly keeping along with the game. He drank. He emptied his bladder. He tried not to slide and fall on the floor of the troll toilet. Even Hisscreep¡¯s many creepers and crawlers wouldn¡¯t exist on the floor of a troll toilet. Wallenberg drank. He cried. He drank. He remained alive. He listened to the young troll woman speak in damning ways about how she wanted to add his tears into her drink and savor it in the morning after she finished playing with him. Wallenberg used the toilet. He drank some more. Then the damndest thing happened. His opponent fell out. ¡°You¡¯re tough for a puny ¡­ man,¡± the troll girl mumbled, falling unconscious on the floor. Wallenberg couldn¡¯t believe it. He kept drinking. Later on, another troll fell. This one was the second troll warrior who sat across from Lord Zarian. Wallenberg kept drinking. Then the troll shaman woman fell, making Princess Bianca the clear victor between them. The princess jumped to her feet on the bench, cheering and laughing, and she still drunk from her mug. Wallenberg drank some more. He kept going at a slow but consistent pace somehow. He should be dead, but his vitality hadn¡¯t run out yet. In fact, his vitality felt charged up and energetic. More amazingly, none of the foreigners had fallen out. Princess Bianca kept drinking like she was a troll herself. Lord Zarian was a monster of a drinker. And then there was Lord Gilbert. He was a behemoth of a drinker. With only a few breaks, Lord Gilbert kept up with Lord Hoodah, downing drink after drink. The two roared and yelled at each other, like two mighty and monstrous men who were in the throes of the most primal of matches. But they weren¡¯t angry anymore. Instead, they seemed invigorated with the utmost of masculine passion that only men like them could ever understand. They cussed at each other. They swore in ways that Wallenberg found artistic. And they drank and drank and drank! Eventually, the clear winners came ahead after another loser dropped out. Lord Hoodah. The Hulk Meister. Fell. Wallenberg quickly stopped drinking from there. Princess Bianca bowed out. Lord Zarian finished up. Lord Gilbert remained as the sole survivor of the contest. He stood at the pinnacle of humanity after overcoming a mighty troll in a game that humans weren¡¯t meant to win. ¡°I AM THE MAN OF FAITH! I AM THE SHIELD OF GOD! I AM THE LORD OF BEER!¡± roared Lord Gilbert, standing on Lord Hoodah¡¯s chest, the unconscious troll unable to do anything but lay there beneath the triumphant man¡¯s boots. To Wallenberg¡¯s surprise, the other trolls only cheered along with Lord Gilbert. The goblins scurrying about cried aloud and even went on tantrums, having lost bets that most shouldn¡¯t have lost at all. Only a few goblins cheered and repeated the same lines Lord Gilbert had said in their fit of zany excitement. Those few winners might not make it back to their dwelling in decent health based on how the others scowled at them. The trolls didn¡¯t care about the losses. They swept Lord Gilbert up, hoisting him far off the ground. Then the trolls hauled him away to celebrate deeper in their district. Many of the female trolls cheered in sharper and more feminine tones for Lord Gilbert¡¯s attention, which left Wallenberg somewhat concerned. Thankfully, someone else voiced the question Wallenberg struggled to ask. ¡°Are we sure we should let Gilbert get taken by them?¡± Lady Hannah asked, looking up from a book. ¡°He¡¯s going to miss out on my sword being the best sword, that loser,¡± Lady Naomi grumbled, still working on her insane weapon. Wallenberg looked drunkenly at the princess and the black lord. ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t know. What if he blames me?¡± Princess Bianca asked. ¡°Nah. Let him have his fun.¡± Lord Zarian waved it off. Princess Bianca shook her head at him. ¡°First a witch. Now a troll woman?¡± ¡°Could be more than just one.¡± ¡°You just want to hold this over him for a big bad joke, don¡¯t you?¡± Lord Zarian¡¯s expression was flat at first. Then it twisted into a nefarious smile before he let loose a dark and evil laugh. Wallenberg was too drunk to think much about the meaning of all this. He was too drunk for much of anything except for one question. ¡°How?¡± Wallenberg asked. ¡°We totally cheated because of Gilbert healing us. That stuff was hella nasty otherwise,¡± whispered the disattached voice of Lord Zarian to Wallenberg¡¯s ear. ¡°If you go join Gilbert now, he could probably keep you alive if you want to take your shot with that troll girl of yours. I bet they live by a rule that if you defeat them, they¡¯ll be submissive.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Wallenberg said. ¡°Great!¡± Lord Zarian clapped his hands as he spoke aloud and in the open. ¡°We¡¯re not too late to catch the tail end of the ball. Let¡¯s get going shall we?¡± Wallenberg started to change his mind. He thought hard if he wanted to take his chances with the troll girl who was a year younger and decently small for trolls. She was getting off the floor and walking about in a daze right now. Her current state and his more victorious status might mean he was more likely to survive her. But she was still ten feet tall and incredibly mighty. And she lacked the refined features of human girls. The ball or the troll? Wallenberg thought questioningly. Unfortunately, he ran out of time to think. Princess Bianca scooped him up and tossed him over her shoulder like a human sack. He did everything he could not to vomit. Somehow, he held everything in, but he was quickly carried away toward the Death Lord Ball. There¡¯s nothing I can do. We¡¯re meant to go there, aren¡¯t we? Wallenberg thought dizzily. Well, at least I got to beat a troll in a drinking game. That¡¯s certainly an unexpected turn of events before the expected would happen. Wallenberg smiled, preparing his spirit for certain death. He expected the Death Lords would surely put down the foreign black lord, the foreign ladies, and their foreign princess along with Wallenberg himself. Then they would find Lord Gilbert, who Wallenberg wished a most fortunate time, before the bear-sized lord met his end at the cruel hands and dark magic of the Death Lords. There was no way they could avoid such an ending now. I think that¡¯s why Hisscreep isn¡¯t responding. He knows I¡¯m a lost cause. Oh well. At least I¡¯ll die with the most interesting company. 183: B2: C83: Evil City Knights Wallenberg had to beg Princess Bianca to let him down from her shoulder to avoid the horror of emptying his stomach on her person. Once back on his feet, he remained steady with the help of Princess Bianca. Someone else passed him a cup that could fit well in human hands instead of handing him another troll mug. He smelled water and drained the entire cup to quench his ravaging thirst, then a smooth and red hand took the cup from him and refilled it with a waterskin. Only then did Wallenberg recognize the hands belonging to Para. The living cloak helped hydrate him, which cleared his head with every draught. As he drank cup after cup of water, he still couldn¡¯t believe what had just transpired. Four humans had defeated four immense and hardy trolls in their own game, in which nobody should be able to do while drinking the foul troll beer. And he¡¯d ended up being one of those humans! He¡¯d survived when he should¡¯ve died or fallen out. He avoided the fate of becoming a squishy, fun toy for some giant troll girl. He¡¯d ended up on the winners¡¯ side, which was humanity¡¯s side. And he had new notifications from the Star System waiting for him. ¡°Don¡¯t check!¡± Princess Bianca shouted at him. The power of her charm and compulsion hit him like a flying wall. Wallenberg froze like a prey animal who feared the coming of a predator. ¡°Chill, Bianca, or you¡¯ll scare out all of his life energy,¡± Lord Zarian said, chuckling. The black lord was leaning against Lady Naomi¡¯s side, who seemed to not mind his untoward manner on her person. Lady Naomi still occupied herself with her psychic sword. Lady Hannah had taken the point position, leading them toward their next catastrophe in waiting. They were on the main street that would take them to the Death Lord Mega Manor. When Wallenberg felt it was okay to move again, he drew in a deep breath and found the Willpower to speak despite the quiver in his voice. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I check my notifications?¡± Princess Bianca shot him an apologetic look, which surprised Wallenberg, before she answered his question. ¡°It¡¯s because you might gain more if you wait a little longer. We haven¡¯t checked our notifications for weeks, so the Star System has our gains and rewards stocked up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s compounding with a little extra interest, too,¡± Lord Zarian added. ¡°Of course, there will come a point when the Star System is going to want us to check or it might reduce extra gains or stop delivering completely. So the best solution is to check before and after major events.¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t matter too much for you, Wally,¡± Lady Hannah said. ¡°You¡¯re still at a level where every update and reward matters. But we¡¯re further ahead and we need to take more extreme measures to maintain an aggressive growth plan.¡± ¡°Still, he can try it out with us before we part ways,¡± Princess Bianca said. ¡°Especially after the ball!¡± Wallenberg felt his heart drop into his stomach at the thought of parting ways with the foreigners. He was still under the influence of troll beer, so he wasn¡¯t thinking as clearly as he should, but he suddenly found himself attached to them. The foreign lords, foreign ladies, and their foreign princess had come into his life like a storm, uprooted everything, and now they were saying they would simply leave him to fend for himself in the end. But how would he exist after everything that happened? ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be sad.¡± Princess Bianca touched Wallenberg on the cheek, which made him freeze up again. ¡°Everything is going to be a-okay, right, Zarian?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Princess Bianca nodded before beaming a bright smile down at Wallenberg. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re going to have some last bit of fun. You have seen nothing crazy yet. You¡¯re going to enjoy this.¡± The princess gave him a wink and a soft pat on the shoulder. Wallenberg tried not to feel smitten. But he was under the influence, quite weary, and emotionally drained. He didn¡¯t have enough Willpower to endure Princess Bianca¡¯s charm, although he suspected she was playing softly with him or she would¡¯ve easily turned him into a loyal dog. Instead, Wallenberg glanced down, only feeling a little shy while slightly under her spell. ¡°Wally! You¡¯re blushing! That¡¯s so cute.¡± Princess Bianca was both kind and cruel, as she patted him some more on the shoulder. Yet, she didn¡¯t separate herself from his person. Instead, she gently looped her arm around his and pulled him along at a quick, but manageable, pace. Her longer strides required some work on his part to keep up with, so Wallenberg entered an awkward jog where he stepped twice for every one of her steps. To help distract himself from being bound by the arm with a literal princess, Wallenberg thought back to a new revelation about the Star System. You could stock up and compound gains by not checking your notifications? And the Star System can become more involved with this? I didn¡¯t know that was an option. Wallenberg found the information shocking and intriguing. It makes little sense to do such a thing when you need every advantage to survive. Well, at my level, I suppose we can¡¯t afford to skip notifications much. But I imagine for those higher in the levels they need every edge they can get for growth. Wallenberg was still struggling to come to terms with such a tactic. How did anyone have the self-discipline to not check their gains when they freely could? Such discipline was beyond most people. Such discipline required an elite or powerful mindset. Or it required a mindset that was so crazily determined, nobody should ever wrong the people who came equipped with such determination. Still, wouldn¡¯t such major events they speak about happen every year or couple of years? How often do they face such monumental events where they can avoid upsetting the Star System with their hoarding of notifications and rewards? ¡°How much longer will you wait?¡± Wallenberg mumbled. ¡°Hm? Oh? Do you mean when we will check our stuff?¡± Princess Bianca asked. ¡°Before we take down the Prime Archbishop and the Grimrock Warlock. Oh, and a bad, bad adventurer who¡¯s a big hater. Maybe the biggest hater.¡± ¡°Nah! No way! I¡¯m the biggest hater,¡± Lord Zarian grouched. ¡°But I suppose that bad, bad adventurer has some decent hatred that might be second to mine.¡± Wallenberg tripped over his own feet. The princess was kind enough to help him stay upright instead of letting him fall flat on his face. Continuing his jog beside her long strides, Wallenberg¡¯s sluggish mind pushed harder to consider what he¡¯d just learned. He wanted to say such ambitions were foolish. Despite being a goblin, the Grimrock Warlock was under Shadowfell¡¯s protection, and nobody had ever come close to defeating her. The current Prime Archbishop was said to be the strongest the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom ever had to lead their regime. Then there were the rumors Wallenberg had heard from passing travelers and adventurers of a murderous and furious man of unstoppable power. A man who used his good aligned abilities over starlight to hunt other men, beast, and monsters in equal measure and annihilate them without mercy. This man was so murderous that even evil aligned adventurers found his actions heinous and extreme! The Grimrock Warlock, the Prime Archbishop, and the furious man were three powerhouses said to be the equivalent of the Death Lords, and that it was by the grace of higher divine powers they hadn¡¯t come down from Grimrock and attacked Crossdeath just yet. Or the resulting battles would be so terrific and tragic that nothing in the long and dark history of Crossdeath would ever compare. Wallenberg tried to explain this to the foreigners as best he could despite his drunkenness. ¡°Mm, nah, you got it wrong,¡± Lord Zarian said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wallenberg asked. ¡°The Death Lords are far weaker,¡± the black lord said. ¡°This city is mostly reliant on their connection to Carrowmore. Or I would¡¯ve been more concerned about Crossdeath prior to reaching it. It is still a useful city, even if a little too cartoonishly evil for my taste. I bet it would get much better once it gets spruced up and made more modern with some freedom.¡± Wallenberg decided there was nothing much he could say anymore. There was no convincing a man who would call the Death Lords ¡®far weaker¡¯ in any capacity and talk about some fantastical thing called ¡®freedom.¡¯ The black lord was truly mad. Instead of arguing with Lord Zarian, Wallenberg took a risk and leaned into the princess. He still felt shameful and doubtful of his position, but instead of getting thrown aside like a dirty rag, Princess Bianca entertained him. She accepted his leaning as if they were ¡­ a pair! She giggled, of course, which made Wallenberg¡¯s embarrassment feel nearly unbearable. But he wasn¡¯t one who would normally be arm-in-arm with a princess every day. So if a little ribbing was the sacrifice he had to accept to enjoy the ultimate attention a young man like him could have from a woman of absolute royalty, then so be it. Besides, the road leading to the mega manor was a beautiful sight despite taking them to the last stop on their tour and in life. The vast wealth of the nobles was on full display. The streets were made of checker patterned cobblestone of black metal and solid gold. Magical lamp posts of sophisticated designs ran on each side of the street and lit up the area with a bright whitish violet glow. Metallic gardens with obsidian and fossilized plants situated themselves every few blocks. Between the gardens rose massive cottage-style homes made of hard stone and even harder wood sourced from high-quality trees far north. Manors of all sorts sat on man-made hills, some with tall stone walls or tall thorny hedges surrounding their grounds. Petty Lords of high social and economic standings laughed, danced, and listened to bardic music openly. They held delightful events on their manicured lawns or within their home-built ballrooms with their windows open. They had their lavish and rich holdings on full display, having nothing to fear from those who were barred from such enlightenment. Even the street elevation rose gradually toward the mega manor, placing them above the districts that were lower and considered less valuable. The district where nobles and rulers lived and lorded their power over everyone else stood the highest in the city. Wallenberg looked back occasionally and could spot the dark, patchy, and haphazardly clustered district where he had to share a small shack with three other young men around his age. His living space was a dingy shanty place near the wall. It was a place that didn¡¯t stick out to nobles of high esteem who lived grand lives close to the mega manor. Wallenberg remembered the lean months where the fort farms surrounding the central city had failed to produce adequate food. He¡¯d remembered young boys trying to find scraps to eat and risking their lives by crossing an invisible line between the haves and the have-nots. It was during those times the highest ranking officers of the Crossdeath Militia would strike. Many of those hungry and desperate urchins hadn¡¯t returned alive. ¡°Oh, would you look at that? They¡¯ve finally caught a clue,¡± Lord Zarian said. Wallenberg looked ahead. His soul would¡¯ve left his body if it wasn¡¯t for Princess Bianca¡¯s undaunted confidence. Barring the way to the mega manor, fifty men and women stood. All of them had the purple plumes on their helmets, marking them as officers. Worse yet, these plume-wearing officers had gold and black crosses on their breastplates. These fifty were the Crossdeath Knights, placing them in a higher echelon above the captains. They were some of the strongest martial human fighters who would sometimes benefit from the personal tutelage of the Berserk Death Lord.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°The militia had done nothing up to this point,¡± Wallenberg said shakily. ¡°Why now? Is it for the ball? Maybe they¡¯re just a show of force.¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re looking directly at us. Oh, now they¡¯re heading straight to us with swords and axes drawn. And they look like they really mean business, as in the murdering and blood-shedding business,¡± Lord Zarian narrated with a smile. ¡°We¡¯re dead,¡± Wallenberg said. ¡°Nah, we¡¯re Floridian,¡± the black lord replied. ¡°Now go on ahead, Hannah. Go release some steam.¡± Wallenberg¡¯s eyes grew wide. They couldn¡¯t be serious! Lord Gilbert should be the one leading the charge, even if it was a foolhardy one. But the trolls had taken Lord Gilbert away for further merriment that would kill most mortal men, leaving the foreigners without their most obvious upfront warrior. How could the smallest of the foreigners lead the way? She was an intellectual, wasn¡¯t she? A woman of the craft! This was far outside of her element! Yet Lady Hannah didn¡¯t seem to share Wallenberg¡¯s opinions. She twisted about as if to relieve some kink in her neck and prepare for battle. ¡°Finally.¡± Lady Hannah stalked forward like a demented warrior. ¡°I saw that look on your face, Wally. I know what you¡¯re thinking. But I didn¡¯t use to be like this.¡± Lady Hannah shook her head as she closed the distance. ¡°I had to be this way. All for the sake of more power.¡± ¡°More power!¡± Lord Zarian cheered. ¡°Go, Hannah, go!¡± Princess Bianca cheered. ¡°It¡¯s almost ready,¡± Lady Naomi said cryptically from the back while still focused on her psychic sword forging and not on anything else. ¡°The greatest sword to ever sword. A sword that¡¯ll go Even Further Beyond! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!¡± Wallenberg wanted to call out this madness, but in the next few moments, he saw such violence that was so shocking his evil alignment was not nearly high enough to help him understand the barbarity Lady Hannah could dish out. The Crossdeath Knight at the front of the formation demanded for the surrender of the foreigners. Or they would face a most painful death instead of a quick death. Ignoring those orders, Lady Hannah jogged forward, whirling her arm back, and then slinging her arm forward. An oblong object that was as long as she was tall somehow appeared in her hand. To Wallenberg, it materialized from almost nowhere and whirled forward faster than a crossbow bolt. Then the fighting truly began when an immense explosion blasted the black and gold cobblestones at the front of the Crossdeath Knights. The explosion would¡¯ve sent Wallenberg falling backward if Princess Bianca hadn¡¯t wrapped him up in her arms and stood to his defense by placing herself in front of him. Instead of feeling embarrassed or emasculated, Wallenberg looked around Princess Bianca and watched Lady Hannah persist with her direct and explosive attack. Axes. She really is fighting at the front with axes! Wallenberg was gobsmacked. And Lady Hannah was mad. Amid the smoke and raining debris from the first explosion, Lady Hannah bulldozed straight into the mess. On her path, a female Crossdeath Knight screamed for help while crawling in the rubble, her legs blown off, blood pouring profusely down her face. The knighted woman reached up for help. She found an axe blade lopping off the top half of her face and helmet. Lady Hannah¡¯s axe swing came down so hard it struck the demolished street and cleaved ever deeper past the dead female knight. But the mad woman didn¡¯t even bother yanking it out to carry with her. Instead, she flipped over the axe handle and left it behind. She careened toward the next Crossdeath Knight who was staggering to his feet. Another axe materialized into Lady Hannah¡¯s hand. Icy enchantments glowed brightly along the edges of the sharpened crescent blade. The mad woman swung down and hewed deep into her latest victim. Wallenberg choked on the air as he watched the newly created axe disregard protective enchantments. The axe even disregarded hardy metal plates made from the enriched and heavy molten metal from the Slag River. The only reason the Crossdeath Knight remained upright was because of his high vitality. But even that seemed like a trivial issue to Lady Hannah. The axe glimmered with icy light while inside the demolished torso of the nearly hacked-in-half knight. The poor man staggered in horror before becoming the center of a large glacial mound of ice. The timing of that icy magic was either tactically remarkable or pure luck, because the glacial mound blocked a thunderous volley of retaliation magic from the knights. The knights who stayed further back or recovered themselves the fastest after the explosion used powerful ranged skills that added a deadly adaptability to their martial classes. Wallenberg felt every massive impact as the street shook violently. It was like having shockwave after shockwave roll over him as the barrage persisted. Through the noise, Wallenberg heard nobles cry out in alarm from within their homes. The violent bombardments and resulting quakes dislodged delicate wares from their placement around their lavish lodgings and sent them tumbling down, shattering in some cases. Wallenberg felt the most shaken and dislodged from everything he knew. Princess Bianca continued to protect him with her body while they remained out on the street. It was almost tempting to close his eyes and wait out the battle. But Wallenberg couldn¡¯t bring himself to look away. Lady Hannah¡¯s madness only grew greater and angrier! Before her temporary glacial cover disintegrated completely, Lady Hannah thrust her hands back down the street toward her fellow company. A twenty-foot long and rectangular ditch that was ten feet deep appeared suddenly along the cobblestone street between her and her companions. Wallenberg gawked as dust-like particles swirled above the ditch and in front of Lady Hannah¡¯s hands. The particles combined into an immense axe that was larger than the biggest troll. Giant axe made, Lady Hannah wasted no time in turning toward the knights. But her glacial cover had met its end by then! She took half a dozen aggressive steps forward and soaked numerous ranged attacks. Cruel black lightning, soul-ripping purple flames, flesh-ripping gray winds, orange-hot magma balls, and many, many more attacks battered the front of her person. That should¡¯ve been the end of her. But with a war scream that was uncharacteristic of such a woman, Lady Hannah blitzed through the elemental barrage. Her charge remained undaunted. Her grit remained indomitable. She moved with such might, such toughness, and such speed that Wallenberg felt as if she was cheating somehow. Then she topped off her unbreakable charge by chucking the giant axe sideways and sending it whirling parallel with the street with only three feet of clearance. The Crossdeath Knights standing in the path of the spinning axe lunged into the air. That would¡¯ve been a sound tactic on most occasions. Somehow, Wallenberg knew that was a grave mistake before the enchantments on the axe head glowed with a powerful purple light. Just like that, the axe spelled doom for the aerial knights. An uncanny force reached out with so much power, Wallenberg found himself nearly yanked away. Princess Bianca¡¯s grip on him remained unbroken. But nobody helped secure the aerial knights like the princess secured Wallenberg. The mighty purple force yanked many of the knights straight onto the axe blade. The giant weapon had already chopped into the street at an angle, but the pull of its purple magic remained nearly undeniable. Male and female knights screamed. They smashed together at full tilt speeds. Their armor clamored heavily. More and more smashed into each other and held fast, becoming a ball of plates, leather, and squirming limbs. The other knights who remained free of the purple force couldn¡¯t dare help their colleagues. They placed their own wellbeing above the trapped ones, their weapons stabbed into the street as they rooted down for dear life. Lady Hannah¡¯s merciless approach only spelled further doom than this. She materialized and chucked more axes similar to the first. Each one erupted at the end with a thunderous effect. The street rocked. Windows shattered. Limbs and debris flew far and hard. The nearest noble homes had their walls, roofs, and ramparts tested and failed. Rooftops and foundations crumbled and collapsed. The nearest nobles screamed as they ended up under the falling deluge of stone and lavish holdings. More and more debris rained up and down as Lady Hannah kept making and throwing explosive axes. She did so while walking forward, always pressing her advantage. At some point, she turned her attention to the remaining knights who avoided the pull of the purple force magic. She attacked them like a miniature but deadly siege weapon and threw more explosive axes at them. She struck some of them dead on, a few dying outright. Others had the misfortune of remaining alive, trying to overcome their egregious damage and attempt some measly counteroffensive. A few more explosive axes completely crushed the hardiest survivors. Then three Crossdeath Knights remained out of the fifty who had once stood as the cream of the crop of the city¡¯s vanguards. One knight turned and fled. The other two used their heightened Agility to reposition out of Lady Hannah¡¯s direct field of fire. They attacked her from behind, one with a rapier and the other with a mace. Lady Hannah held an axe above her head. The enchantment buzzed with the crackling, high whiny energy. A blast of lightning released in all directions with Lady Hannah at the center. The lightning field caught the two ambushers and thwarted their attempt to put down Lady Hannah. They screamed in pain and fear, becoming paralyzed as they suffered a lengthy and unbreaking electrocution. Wallenberg could only imagine their horror and hoped to never experience such suffering. The mad woman turned about and refaced her remaining targets as they remained paralyzed and burnt up. She formed two new axes and inserted them with quick chops into their chests, nevermind the armor. Despite everything, the knights still lived. Their vitality kept them going even with axe blades sheathed into their armored torsos. But that stopped being the case as both axes exploded. The upper torsos of the remaining knights flew in meaty and smoke splatters. Then what remained turned out as kneeling flowers of torn flesh and metal in bloom. ¡°I used to listen to a lot of rock and metal growing up on the farm,¡± Lady Hannah said, placing a new axe on her shoulder. The blood, gore, and smoke that covered her person seemed fitting on her now. ¡°I feel the old goth version of me rising from the depths again. It¡¯s a little cringey, but I guess that¡¯s just how it is.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lord Zarian hissed, strolling smoothly across the devastation and horror. ¡°Let the edginess flow through you, Hannah. But not too much edginess. We only really have room for maybe one or two super edgy types in our party.¡± Lady Hannah snorted. ¡°You can¡¯t just open Pandora¡¯s Box and then expect to put all the evils back into it, Zarian. Look at what I¡¯ve become. You and Naomi are at fault for a lot of this. You, especially.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll take the blame. Throw all the blame on me. I can handle it. But hey, riddle me this.¡± Lord Zarian placed his hand on Lady Hannah¡¯s head and combed through her hair. ¡°Why Pandora¡¯s Box? Why not Pandora¡¯s Home? Sometimes, we let our evils go home and get tucked into bed and let them sleep. And sometimes we let them come out and play. Yeah?¡± ¡°You are too ridiculous, you know that?¡± Lady Hannah huffed. ¡°Did I at least get to be the POV Character for that?¡± ¡°No, I think our Wally was the better POV Character for that axe-crazy moment,¡± Lord Zarian answered. ¡°You can¡¯t just force it, you know? It has to happen when it makes sense.¡± The berserk axe woman glanced away. ¡°I wonder what Rhea would think about this. Maybe she will see something I¡¯m missing.¡± Wallenberg had no idea who this Rhea person was, but Lady Hannah must hold her in high regard to mention her. Still, Lady Hannah looked upset over this strange business about being a character despite her gruesome and one-sided success against the city¡¯s best knights. ¡°Let¡¯s go see what the hubbub is about with this ball,¡± Lady Hannah said. ¡°Sure, sure, let¡¯s just make sure the kid can catch his breath.¡± Lord Zarian turned to Wallenberg expectantly. As the lonesome son of late hunters and now a tag-along of the shockingly powerful foreigners, Wallenberg found himself unsure of what to say or how to react any further. He reasoned that the way he existed prior to this day had too much of a hold over him for his mind to adapt adequately to what was happening. He was also drunk, and he was also being held closely by a beautiful and statuesque princess. Wallenberg knew he was certainly in shock, but he was still aware enough to know he shouldn¡¯t slow down the foreigners. Or should he call them Floridians? Lord Zarian had mentioned that, hadn¡¯t he? ¡°Please, go on,¡± Wallenberg said shakily. ¡°Leave me, if you must.¡± They didn¡¯t leave him. Instead, they continued to act in unforeseen ways. Princess Bianca scooped Wallenberg up and held him like a maiden against her armored chest. Wallenberg had never felt such shame until now. It was also kind of nice to be held this way. He didn¡¯t know what to make of this. He did know if he was to survive beyond the ball, he would forever be changed. ¡°Hm?¡± Princess Bianca stopped suddenly. ¡°Are you going to deal with that or me, Zarian?¡± ¡°I got it.¡± Lord Zarian turned about sharply. His cloak snapping behind him with a loud flap. Wallenberg focused as best he could despite his drunkenness, weariness, emotional distress, and shock. He focused with all of his Willpower, Wonder, and even Mysticism. He noticed a thick, powerful, vibrant energy in the air surrounding him and the Floridians. He first thought that Lord Zarian and Lady Para¡¯s aura and traits would reveal themselves in truth. Instead, he realized the strangeness came from above. Far above. Storm clouds twisted, forming from nowhere in the forever gloom that blocked out the celestial light of the natural night sky. Then, with the warning of thunder and calamity, a massive lightning bolt came crashing down with pinpoint accuracy aimed upon the Floridians and Wallenberg. Held in Princess Bianca¡¯s arms, the Bug Alchemist looked up in preparation to face death under a power so mighty it seemed divine. This must¡¯ve been a godly reckoning. Yet, the reckoning slowed. The mighty lightning bolt became slower and slower. Then it went as far as dwindling. The stormy attack broke apart into scattered streams, each part still a destructive threat, but much less so than before. Before impact, the separate lightning streams faded a little more. Then they landed in a spread volley around them. The broken forks of lightning bolts crashed through the rooftops of noble homes that remained standing. They scattered the features of the obsidian gardens made for only noble children and ladies. Multiple noble structures smoldered and lit on fire. But nothing struck Wallenberg and the Floridians. ¡°What happened?¡± Wallenberg mumbled. ¡°Aura Masters Zarian and Para happened,¡± the princess answered. ¡°Woo! Damn! This is a workout, isn¡¯t it, Para?¡± The black lord whirled one arm around. ¡°No wizard hat. No spells. Hell, we¡¯re not even using our other helpful skills very much. Bianca¡¯s so tough on us, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It is quite satisfying to push ourselves in unique ways. I suppose the morsel who offers himself to us so boldly is of a kindred mind,¡± Lady Para said from the folds of the cloak. ¡°Let us have our challenge and our cake.¡± ¡°When you say cake, you mean human cake? And when you say ¡®our cake,¡¯ you mean your human cake, right?¡± Lord Zarian asked. ¡°I said what I said and I mean what I mean,¡± Lady Para replied. The black lord chuckled at his monstrous cloak. Then he looked up the street, ignoring the cries of horror and pain from the nobles caught in the crossfire. ¡°What says you, old man?¡± Lord Zarian asked. ¡°Do you have any more powerful spells? Or are you a one-shot wizard?¡± Wallenberg didn¡¯t think he had enough Willpower to still be disagreeable. But he did, apparently, because the elderly man who walked out from the shadows of a side street on fire was unmistakable. Wallenberg moaned aloud, wanting to cry, as he hung lamely in Princess Bianca¡¯s arms. ¡°No, we can¡¯t fight him,¡± Wallenberg warned in a hoarse voice. ¡°That¡¯s the only man in the city who is the Death Lords¡¯ equal, known as both the Crossdeath Militia Commander and epic Destruction Wizard, War Lord Isaac Demantes!¡± ¡°You see, Hannah! That¡¯s why Wallenberg gets to be the POV Character right now. He¡¯s committed to his role. You gotta commit all the way if you want my ultra god bloodline giving you the stage,¡± the black lord claimed, speaking utter madness in the face of the unbeatable Destruction Wizard. 184: B2: C84: Evil City Sky Wallenberg and many other young men had once gone through selection tests as children. The Crossdeath Captains would call them out of their shanty homes and have them report their stats and conduct some exercises. These events would usually happen for those between the ages of eight and twelve, who were usually Level 1s. Anyone who was a Level 2 at that early age would¡¯ve already ended up in the militia¡¯s young cadet program. One time, there had been a Level 3 ten-year-old, and he ended up as a direct servant to a Death Lord¡¯s child. But such cases were rare exceptions to the norm. For the most part, the lowest of commoners stayed at Level 1 and might rise as far as Level 9 over their lifetime before dying. Joining the Crossdeath Militia would usually guarantee them a chance at more levels, stats, power, and status. Having all of that would lead to better treatment and having their needs met more consistently. Thus, those occasional visits from the Crossdeath Captains turned a bunch of poor Level 1 children into animals. Wallenberg always hated seeing that, which was why he¡¯d taken advantage of his parents¡¯ decent work as hunters when they were still alive. They were among the few commoners who were in the Level 20s. Because of them, he¡¯d once had a measure of safety that he wouldn¡¯t get drawn into the militia. But he¡¯d still ended up in those vicious exercises as a practice partner even though they always turned into brutal fist fights, sometimes to the death. Wallenberg was still Level 1 when he¡¯d nearly had his head caved in by a rock from a bigger and beefier boy who had more points in Strength. Missing the rock blow, Big Piggy Pete had jumped on Wallenberg and went for the neck choke as they grappled in the mud. The children with more physical stats back then had the biggest advantage, since nobody had skills or magic while under Level 10. The other three stats that weren¡¯t physical ¨C Willpower, Wonder, and Mysticism ¨C had seemed useless in those times, especially in wild melees and grapples amid desperate children Wallenberg himself had low Strength but an abnormally high Wonder stat back then, which he¡¯d lied about just like his parents told him to. The lie hadn¡¯t protected him much from nearly dying to Big Piggy Pete. The hammy boy had locked a neck choke while staying heavy on Wallenberg¡¯s chest. When everything had nearly gone black, the situation changed drastically. The Destruction Wizard, Commander of the Crossdeath Militia, War Lord Isaac Dementes had appeared from nowhere. He¡¯d sent a magic bolt into Big Piggy Pete¡¯s head and blasted it open like a hammer hitting a melon. The commander had paid Wallenberg no mind after the death of a child. Instead, he¡¯d turned to scolding his captains. Nobody had helped Wallenberg as he struggled to keep from crying and pissing and drowning in mud, not when his parents were busy hunting outside the wall. He¡¯d pushed and squirmed and pushed and squirmed to get from under Peter¡¯s bulky body. When Wallenberg had finally gotten free of the dead child, he looked up and up into the sky as it rained on a rare day where it wasn¡¯t acidic. He¡¯d beheld the same gloomy and darkened sky that had covered his home for countless years. He¡¯d wondered if there would ever come a day when he would see the suns, the moons, the stars, and such instead of hearing about it from passing travelers. He¡¯d wondered for the first time what it would be like to escape Crossdeath and become a new person. Finally, he¡¯d looked down at the dead child at his feet for a few seconds before glancing across the mud pit and over the brawling between desperate children. He¡¯d paid proper attention to the War Lord¡¯s appearance for the first time. Nearly a decade later, Wallenberg still felt like he was that shaken child who had mud, blood, and the brain bits of Big Piggy Pete all over him. He still felt like a child who wondered about the world outside of Crossdeath and what the real sky looked like. Then he crushed those wandering thoughts and reminded himself of the true nature of old and harsh reality. He ignored the fact that he was held in a princess¡¯s caring arms. He looked straight ahead at the scarecrow of an old and harsh man who ran the Crossdeath Militia with a cold iron fist for the past two hundred years. The commander hadn¡¯t killed Peter to save Wallenberg. He¡¯d only killed Peter to make an example of any child who disregarded his rules. Peter hadn¡¯t stopped when he should¡¯ve. Peter had wanted to impress the captains and elevate his family to a higher status like most common children and was desperate to do so. Wallenberg was pretty sure all of Peter¡¯s family was dead now. Wallenberg was also sure that the War Lord had remained the same since ten years ago, like a fossilized relic of the past who refused to die because of blood magic or pure and utter spite. The War Lord was older than the current Death Lords. The War Lord had so many myths and fables surrounding him that Wallenberg could barely believe himself capable of describing the overall mountain of lore representing the War Lord. It was easier to say that War Lord Isaac was unbeatable. ¡°He¡¯s unbeatable,¡± Wallenberg got out with a strangled cry. ¡°We cannot win this!¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± said the War Lord, his voice a raspy, hard thing, like steel sharpening steel. He walked with a black wooden staff that was as hard as metal and struck the street with a ghoulish and echoing clack. He had on a heavy black and purple robe with leather shoulder pads that curved at sharp angles with his boney frame. On his chest dangled numerous rows of medals that overlapped each other tightly, barely finding space to fit. On his head was a grand, sharp, and conical wizard hat with dark bird feathers circling around the wide brim. From under the darkness of his wizard hat, the War Lord¡¯s eyes glowed a murderous red. The faint light of a nearby fire from Lady Hannah¡¯s explosive barrages revealed his scarred, thin, and corpse-like visage that was surrounded by shadows. He was a walking nightmare. He was too old, too powerful, too deadly. Wallenberg thought about breaking free of the princess and escaping. But he knew there was no point. They were doomed. Yet, there was one man and his talking cloak who hadn¡¯t realized that. ¡°Wow, I have to admit, the guy has that scary old man swagger on lock,¡± Lord Zarian said, still speaking utter madness in the face of certain destruction. ¡°He¡¯s just staring me down, wizard fingers twitching like it¡¯s a standoff. I think this might end up being perfect for me.¡± ¡°If presentation was the winning factor, then we are certainly at a loss,¡± Lady Para ascertained. ¡°I, too, am impressed.¡± Wallenberg gawked at the ridiculous black lord and his cloak. He looked up at Princess Bianca and saw her face pinched with dangerous focus. Surely she understood the gravity of the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare let him beat you in fashion! You are associated with me. And when I¡¯m glamorous, all my friends are glamorous!¡± Princess Bianca shouted. Growing more desperate, Wallenberg turned to Lady Hannah, who was splitting her attention from observing the standoff between wizards and Wallenberg himself. Then there was Lady Naomi, still busying herself with her ridiculous sword project. Wallenberg wanted to explode. They aren¡¯t taking this seriously! Why aren¡¯t these Floridians ever serious?! Wallenberg nearly yanked at his hair. Instead of self-harm, he watched Lord Zarian act out even more with his utter madness. The black lord walked casually toward the War Lord. ¡°Most would run,¡± said the War Lord, all rasp and steel. ¡°Thank you, young man, for making this easier.¡± ¡°I just remembered I can¡¯t punch you, so I honestly started walking your way for no reason other than it makes me look cool,¡± Lord Zarian said merrily. ¡°Perhaps my flapping would raise our glamorous approval under Bianca¡¯s eye. Let none dare think I lack prestigious flair!¡± Lady Para said boastfully. Wallenberg wriggled to test the Strength of the princess. He found he was too tired, and she was too strong. He was stuck in her hold. Lord Zarian continued his ridiculous death march with Lady Para flapping with more gusto than prior. In return, War Lord Isaac summoned his hideous and infamous destruction grimoire, a giant book of spells with covers made from small knives and arrowheads welded together. Embers and smoke wafted off the spine. Blood poured from the pages and flowed onto the floor like a miniature waterfall. The horrifying grimoire hovered next to its wizard. Almost predictably, Lord Zarian remarked in favor of his foe with the word ¡°Badass¡± before the Destruction Wizard gave the wizard duel a proper start. War Lord Isaac conjured a green fireball that was as big as Lord Hoodah. Then the War Lord hurled it down the street and into Lord Zarian¡¯s face. Wallenberg and the others were in the direct path behind the black lord and his talking cloak. Wanting to scream in warning, Wallenberg froze as another unbelievable sight came to be, making him a passive observer in truth. Lord Zarian reached forward and caught the giant green fireball with his hands and some sparks of elusive and supernatural energy that Wallenberg couldn¡¯t quite see. However, he could somehow sense the flashing and shifty energy through his Wonder stat. Whatever that energy was, Lord Zarian used it with physical motions to stop the attack. Meanwhile, Lady Para turned strips of the cloak into arms and aimed her palms at the immense fireball. From there, the fireball of the Destruction Wizard shrank away until nothing remained but a few trails of smoke. Then even that ended up crushed by the quickly fading energy used by the black lord and his living cloak. ¡°What?¡± Wallenberg asked, still in disbelief. ¡°What item are you using?¡± asked War Lord Isaac. Lord Zarian chuckled. ¡°No item. Only aura.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± With that, the Destruction Wizard unleashed even more spells of such deadly and horrific intent that the nobles in their homes began screaming in terror again. They had walls and enchantments to defend them, however, leaving Wallenberg to endure while out in the open street with only the body of a princess protecting him.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. He soon realized he was better off in the arms of the princess when Lord Zarian swung his arms, whipped out that elusive energy, and deflected a giant orange and black fireball off to the side. The destructive spell plowed through half a dozen walls and three noble homes before erupting with hellish heat and torturous afflictions that certainly killed all caught in the wake. The shockwaves and aftershocks would¡¯ve floored Wallenberg if it wasn¡¯t for Princess Bianca shifting around. She used her body to protect him, letting him continue as a witness to a wizard duel of epic proportions. War Lord Isaac thrust one hand forward and emitted a stream of screaming ghost skulls that flew straight at Lord Zarian. In the War Lord¡¯s other hand, he gathered a ball of yellow hurricane winds compacted into his palm, channeling two destructive spells at the same time. At the peak of the hurricane¡¯s charge, War Lord Isaac pushed the yellow spell forward while maintaining the streaming skull torrent. Lord Zarian spiraled the air and translucent energy in front of him. He tore up the streaming skull heads like they were paper. Meanwhile, Lady Para reached over the black lord with half a dozen arms. She slammed her own version of the powerful energy against the yellow hurricane spell and diffused it so fast that Lord Zarian could stand his ground against both the blistering fast winds and screaming skulls. Watching all of this, Wallenberg had a hard time believing Lord Zarian and Lady Para were using only aura and traits. The way they bent a source of power so fluidly and effectively should be impossible. It had to be another force or energy. But then Wallenberg realized he didn¡¯t know everything, and these foreigners were acting as if they had powers far beyond anyone else in Crossdeath. Aura and traits. That¡¯s all he¡¯s using. And so is his cloak. Wallenberg was flabbergasted. Eventually, both spells died down, pulling Wallenberg¡¯s attention back to the fight. The War Lord turned to his grimoire as its bloody and fiery pages flipped rapidly for him. Lord Zarian dashed forward with an explosive burst, now flying over the ground. War Lord Isaac¡¯s eyes widened, looking quite pressed for time. He seemed to form a hasty spell. A bolt of lightning appeared from his open hand with a thunderous clap before solidifying into a large sword. Then the War Lord raised the lightning sword and his dark staff and blocked a shadowy blade that Lord Zarian had formed from his aura somehow. The impact emitted a resounding wave of magical thunder. Wallenberg was constantly feeling gobsmacked with each exchange until something finally went in a more expected direction. War Lord Isaac got the upper hand with his powerful lightning sword. The War Lord swiped quickly through Lord Zarian¡¯s shadow of a sword and demolished it. The black lord had to retreat, his feet returning to the street, as the War Lord revealed his expertise in swordsmanship. Forcing Lord Zarian to evade backward, the War Lord pushed even harder when his dark staff emitted more lightning that shaped itself into a spearhead at the top. With these two elemental melee weapons, War Lord Isaac attacked relentlessly with two hundred years of grand military experience that the black lord surely couldn¡¯t hope to overcome. Yet, Lord Zarian did the damndest thing. He laughed in the face of destruction and yelled out, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lord Zarian quickly formed two more shadow swords. He smashed them against War Lord Isaac¡¯s lightning sword and lightning spear staff. The shadow swords didn¡¯t last long, but Zarian formed two more and smashed those against the lightning weapons as well. When those shadow swords broke, he formed another pair of shadow swords, and then another pair of shadow swords, and then another and another and another. Lord Zarian kept forming shadow swords, never running out as the two wizards clashed at melee range. They moved at blurring speeds or stopped temporarily in climatic clashes. Every impact released shockwaves, lightning bolts, lines of sharpened darkness in all directions. They fought on the demolished street. They clashed in the melted gardens. They slammed together through the neighboring homes of the nobles. They brought about more epic destruction, slaying nobles as a byproduct of their wizard duel. Nobles perished even while praying to their evil gods for vengeance or guidance. They found neither and ended up slaughtered as mere casualties, a fate normally reserved to commoners. Neither wizard cared for the crying nobles and their demolished homes. All that mattered was the fight and supremacy of combat magic. Then things changed again when one broke away from the other. War Lord Isaac created space with a teleportation spell and quickly dropped his melee lightning magic for more ranged destruction magic. He was preparing three spells at once. But as Wallenberg watched with a clear view of the old man, the War Lord seemed haggard, stressed, and in disarray. All of his medals were gone. And his outfit had suffered many rips and burns. Still, the old and determined Destruction Wizard raised three mighty spells: one spell gathered the blood of nobles into a deadly crimson ball, another turned the sky stormy with thunderclaps and thick coils of lightning, and the third split the ground with numerous magma-orange fissures that sent deadly tremors far in all directions. Based on how the spells reached over and under and beyond Wallenberg and the Floridians, the Destruction Wizard was going to do more than attack Lord Zarian and Lady Para. The Destruction Wizard was going to unleash unparalleled ruin that would obliterate all of them and a vast swath of the city. ¡°I won¡¯t lose to you!¡± shouted War Lord Isaac. ¡°I am the greatest wizard alive!¡± ¡°No, you are not.¡± Lord Zarian moved at a breakneck speed. War Lord Issac smiled crookedly as a fourth spell that was a trap in waiting flashed under Lord Zarian and his wavering cloak. Giant green chains reached up with spectral hooks that aimed to latch onto the black lord and bind him. But they missed when Lord Zarian went even faster, disappearing from view while creating a shockwave that rattled the green trap chains. He reappeared in a hover beyond the failed trap spell and in front of the surprised War Lord. A shockwave blasted into the War Lord¡¯s face and forced him into a stumble. Then Lord Zarian spoke in a deathly serious tone that was nearly too traumatizing for even Wallenberg to hear as a mere witness. ¡°You are an insignificant mortal who will fade from memory and be forgotten forever. To speak as if you are the greatest is in disrespect to my dear teacher, and I cannot stand that.¡± Lord Zarian wasn¡¯t standing indeed. He was hovering over the War Lord, looking down upon him like one would look at a disgusting bug despite the growing danger of the immense spells charging up. Wallenberg soon learned why Lord Zarian paid no mind to the War Lord¡¯s spells. They stopped charging. Their progress reversed. They faltered, going still and cooling off. Even more shocking, the destruction grimoire seemed to flicker in and out of view, struggling to stay materialized for the sake of its master. The War Lord screamed hoarsely, staggering backward, twisting back and forth as he clawed at his chest with his free hand. Then he collapsed to his knees, dropping his staff, as his spells went inert. The blood ball splashed uselessly on the floor. The stormy clouds and coils of lightning faded. The ground firmed up, cooled off, and stopped shaking. The War Lord was shouting like a man in torment. His grimoire continued to blinker in and out of reality. ¡°Who is it? Who gave you such power?¡± the War Lord begged. ¡°Why are you so strong?¡± ¡°My family gave me power when I was born. I got the ultimate nepo start point despite all the trouble it comes with, so yay, me,¡± Lord Zarian said. ¡°But if you want to know who taught me mastery over aura and pushed me to be a real wizard, I will not say. Her name is not yours to know, because you won¡¯t know much of anything anymore.¡± ¡°Is it her?¡± the War Lord begged. ¡°Is it the Chosen One who taught you? Please! I¡¯ve called and reached for her for all my life, and she has refused me an audience! Give me a chance!¡± ¡°No,¡± Lord Zarian said. ¡°Please!¡± the War Lord pleaded again. Lord Zarian didn¡¯t answer anymore. He merely turned away, letting someone else take over. ¡°Shush, feeble morsel, and welcome your destiny,¡± Lady Para said in a monstrous voice. Tentacles and lengthy arms reached out from the cloak and stroked over the humbled War Lord. ¡°Now ¡­ feed me all you know!¡± The War Lord screamed and screamed despite no injury being done physically to his person. He fell backward and squirmed on the ground while under Lady Para¡¯s cruelly gentle touches. His destruction grimoire blinked away. The War Lord fell silent, pissing and shitting himself as his eyes rolled into his head. Just like that, the battle between wizards ended. Lord Zarian remained hovering in the air. Lady Para returned to being wholly a cloak flapping behind the black lord. Wallenberg gawked at the defeated commander. The old man was still alive, but Wallenberg suspected he¡¯d suffered a fate worse than death. Lady Hannah confirmed it with a casual question. ¡°How much did you gain from eating his mind, Para?¡± ¡°Quite a lot. There are some enchantments and uniquely written runes you don¡¯t even know. Once I categorize what¡¯s useful and do away with the rest, I shall write you reports for your reading.¡± ¡°Gracias, Para. I appreciate that a lot.¡± Lady Hannah turned toward Wallenberg. ¡°As for you, child ¡­ have you still not figured out who we are? Don¡¯t you know who Zarian is?¡± Before Wallenberg could try to figure out anything, everyone became tense suddenly and turned in the direction further up the street ¨C except for Lady Naomi. Her sword project kept her occupied still, which could be a grave mistake. Through the smoke and haze, a strange and well-dressed man walked alone in their direction. Wallenberg wondered who else would meet their doom at the hands of the unstoppable Floridians. But it turned out the World of Castles and Caverns hadn¡¯t finished destroying Wallenberg¡¯s expectations. The lone figure was a drider, and everyone knew driders were the most unbeatable across the entire continent. ¡°Hello, I am Han the Realtor, also known as Baron Han. I¡¯m the owner of the Crossdeath Region and other flourishing cities,¡± the drider greeted. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t exactly say if it¡¯s a pleasure or not to meet you. The city has its unique quirks, but the people can be a little meh. With that said, I¡¯m going to give you a chance to talk since you¡¯re not Ekri,¡± Lord Zarian said. ¡°Do note, if you become too much of an annoyance, then I will act shamelessly and call in the big bad elf.¡± The Carrowmore Baron laughed. ¡°Normally, we would prefer a more reasonable approach to have you pay us an audience. And we would prefer the big bad elf to stay in her lonesome retirement and out of our business. But Baron Ekri has gone rogue as per usual and your actions are becoming too great a concern for Carrowmore and our many business interests.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the unreasonable approach?¡± Lord Zarian rolled his neck around as well as his shoulders, prepared for another fight. ¡°We convince you to come straight to Carrowmore and have you chat with us.¡± The drider disappeared. Lord Zarian yelled, ¡°Naomi!¡± Wallenberg somehow kept from becoming a human splatter in Princess Bianca¡¯s arms as everyone turned toward their most vulnerable companion who remained in the back. Before anyone could do anything, the drider hovered behind Lady Naomi and reached down with six grasping hands to snatch her away. Lady Naomi spun one-eighty and intervened for herself. She swung her sword of mental magic and static upward. She cut the sky in half. Wallenberg heard a distant groan of a vast and dying monster. Two halves of the forever darkness split further and further apart. Then the cover that hid the moons and the stars for all of Wallenberg¡¯s life and for the past thousand years disappeared completely. The city of Crossdeath and the surrounding lands saw the Infinita Universe and all its cosmic glory for the first time in a long time. The entire city stopped. Everyone looked up and beheld the impossible sight that a single black woman carved into the sky. Wallenberg felt tears fall down his cheeks. Lady Hannah interjected herself gently and said, ¡°You missed killing Baron Han by a split second. A mythical device on his person activated and sent him home before I could stop it.¡± Lady Naomi turned toward the others slowly, stiffly. The sword was gone. The expression on Lady Naomi¡¯s face was tight and shaky. Then she fell over and shouted in pain. ¡°Aaaahhhhhh! My back! I freaking pulled my back! Dammit! What the hell?!!!¡± With an expressionless mask, Lady Hannah looked down at the fallen woman and said, ¡°You made the sharpest sword ever to sword. You won with the literal showing of mind over matter. You split the heavens in half. Be glad.¡± ¡°My baaaaaack!¡± ¡°Go ahead Wally. It¡¯s okay to cry,¡± Princess Bianca encouraged. ¡°That ugly, bad magic pollution must¡¯ve been blocking your sky for way too long. Let the tears flow. Let them be free just like the pretty sky!¡± ¡°Fuck the sky, what about my back?!¡± Landing next to the howling Lady Naomi, Lord Zarian chuckled. ¡°Nice work! That was a whole ass secret monster that was half alive and half a curse up there. For a long, long time, it fed on people¡¯s life energy by keeping the air gloomy and depressive over the city. And it tossed in the occasional acid rain here and there, too. But you did the bravest thing, sacrificing your back for the sake of everyone¡¯s freedom!¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± ¡°Ha! Fine then. One of these days, you¡¯ll get your backshots of freedom. But I think we dilly dallied long enough. Let¡¯s go finish up at the ball, and if it¡¯s cool with you, Bianca, I think we should call the game finished.¡± Princess Bianca nodded. ¡°Yeah. I agree. Time to be all fully powered and OP. Dale! Let¡¯s go and spread more freedom!¡± Lord Zarian summoned his wizard hat back on his head and scooped the miserable Lady Naomi off the devastated floor, the living cloak wrapped in a reassuring manner around them. They floated toward the Death Lord Mega Manor. Princess Bianca stepped on platforms made of light from the moons and stars. She moved at a brisk, breezy pace next to the black lord and black lady. Hannah pulled out from her satchel some round, fist-sized orbs that orbited around her. Then she flew off along with the others while pulling out a journal and a feathered ink pen to jot down some notes. Wallenberg still had tears in his eyes. He remained safe in Princess Bianca¡¯s arms. The starry sky and three moons remained above them. The city of his birth rolled far under him. It was colder and windier in the sky. Wallenberg barely knew what to think. He was truly along for the ride until it finally came to a stop. Then the Floridians would decide his fate. Then again, Wallenberg could safely assume the Floridians would first decide the fate of the Death Lords. 185: B2: C85: Call Me Wallen Wallenberg took in the views as they drew closer to the Death Lord Mega Mansion, up from the sky of all things. He looked behind Princess Bianca and saw the opening in the city where gray fumes and orange sparks from the Slag River rose into the air. He saw the sprawling and maze-like bazaar that was the Violet Market, teeming with locals, goblins, and people from around the World of Castles and Caverns. He saw the hardy dark trees and rugged structures of the troll district where Lord Gilbert continued his mad jubilee with the trolls. Looking forward, Wallenberg saw a strange light and eerie bright blueness peeking above the massive and intimidating ridgelines and highland crenelations on top of the Grimrock Castle Mountains. Three dominant moons, one pale, one orange, and one blue, led the stars and other celestial lights toward the west as the east brightened more and more with the light blue color and the edge of something even more radiant. Then when the Floridians slowed to a hover over the mega manor, Wallenberg shivered in the princess¡¯s arms as a light he¡¯d never seen before climbed over the top of the castle mountains. It was yellow like honey and gold, warm to touch, and unlike anything he¡¯d ever known in his life. Even the stories from travelers about the pure and unblocked morning light could hardly do justice to seeing and feeling it for the first time in his life. ¡°Look Wally, there go the suns. The Corma Star and the Star Core,¡± Princess Bianca pointed out as the region and central city of Crossdeath saw their first sunrise in over a thousand years. ¡°Wallen,¡± he said. ¡°How about you call me Wallen?¡± ¡°Huh ¡­ yeah, I can see you being a ¡®Wallen,¡¯ and it¡¯s a tough name, almost like a bad boy. Wallen it is!¡± Princess Bianca smiled, her face lighting up with approval. Just like that, Wallen felt like he became a new person. He wasn¡¯t yet sure of the practicality behind this newness. He still hadn¡¯t checked the notifications from the Star System, after all. But he felt different enough to where the change was like a rebirth of sorts. Perhaps Wallen could even make some bolder decisions and act on them in ways he had only fantasized and dreamed before. ¡°There it is,¡± Lord Zarian said, floating close by with Lady Naomi tucked into his arms and wrapped up by Lady Para¡¯s cloak body. The black lord chuckled as he narrowed his gaze and seemed to look through Wallen. ¡°You look like you truly don¡¯t give a fuck anymore. Almost like a proper Floridian, Wallen.¡± ¡°Oh em gee, Wallen¡¯s becoming hot right before my eyes,¡± Princess Bianca claimed. ¡°He¡¯s going to get all the girls and forget about me.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t changed that much. And I am not on fire,¡± Wallen said dryly. ¡°Hmm,¡± Lady Hannah hummed, examining Wallen closely. ¡°This Wallen persona is interesting.¡± ¡°I want a back massage,¡± Lady Naomi mumbled from under the cloak. ¡°Gimme a back massage.¡± Lord Zarian tore his gaze from Wallen to the sky-cutting woman in his arms. Then, with surprising gentleness, he asked, ¡°Can you wait a little longer for me? I promise I¡¯ll take care of you myself, okay, Naomi?¡± ¡°Mm, okay. I¡¯m going to nap now. Don¡¯t let me go.¡± Lady Naomi wriggled around in Lord Zarian¡¯s arms and under Lady Para¡¯s folds until she was comfortable, going straight to sleep somehow. ¡°Alright, so here¡¯s the plan,¡± Lord Zarian said softly to Wallen and the others. ¡°I need to fulfill my obligation of hatred, but I can¡¯t do that effectively with Naomi sleeping in my arms. So we¡¯re going to kill two stones with one bird.¡± ¡°You mean kill two birds with one stone,¡± Lady Hannah corrected. ¡°I said what I said and I mean what I mean,¡± Lord Zarian replied smarmily. Lady Hannah reached up and rubbed along the bridge of her nose. ¡°Just carry on, Zarian.¡± ¡°So, as I was saying before someone doubted my eloquently put words, we are going to kill two stones with one bird. My spiders are going to dance their spider butts off so I can deliver upon my obligation of hatred. Meanwhile, Wallen gets to feel like a main character at the ball. Just know, Wallen, you have four Floridians at your immediate disposal. But you probably only need Princess Bianca to drive the point home, to be honest with you.¡± ¡°I can wear my tough princess face if you want, but I rather not,¡± the princess said. ¡°Let¡¯s dominate with a smile!¡± Wallen nodded, taking everything at face value now. He asked a question he should¡¯ve asked a while ago. ¡°What will happen to me when you are done here?¡± ¡°Oh! I can answer that,¡± the princess chirped. ¡°We can see if you want to join the freedom alignment then ask Abuela Ruvaria to bring you all the way to Ride-or-Die Village.¡± Wallen¡¯s new attitude was powerful and dangerous, but even that had its limits when Princess Bianca mentioned the one place that seemed so impossibly out of reach and incredibly mysterious. Wallen froze in the princess¡¯s arms, trying to process the revelation and the logical conclusions he could come to from this breaking news, but in doing so, he ran out of time. Surprisingly, it was Lady Hannah who acted in a rush. She did so with a smirk. ¡°Ah, Wallen¡¯s catching on now. Quick, let¡¯s throw him into the fire again and get more meta results out of this.¡± Before Wallen could ask further questions, they dove fast toward the mega manor, forcing his heart to race again. He felt some of the old panic, but he gathered as much of his limited Willpower as possible. He looked into Princess Bianca¡¯s beautiful face for inspiration as strands of her long golden hair whipped in the wind and caught rays of the sunrise. Feeling more confident, he took in the home of the Death Lords with a more critical eye that was dry of tears. The rugged and hilly land the mega manor sat on was known as Grim Trap, since it looked like a bear trap that a beast or man could lose their foot, too, depending on if they were vast like a titan. Wallen never understood the name until he saw things from the sky. His vantage point made the sharp and jagged spires grown from the closest edges of the Grimrock foothills look more akin to the teeth or prongs of a trap that was closing around the manor. The mega manor itself had multiple high and thin peaked rooftops. It had long and narrow windows stained with mosaic colors depicting the bloody victories of the Death Lords and the torment of their enemies. It also had a dark air about it that gave those who were common and a weak a feeling of dread when looking toward the manor. The gold and black crosses, the emblem of Crossdeath, gleamed on the flags wavering in the wind or on towering statues in the many sprawling black gardens spread about on the immense grounds of the mega manor. Multiple paths curved like trails through darkened gardens, through narrow pathways between prickly hedges, and around the edges of stony tree patches that spruced up the grounds with evil and poisonous flora. Blood rivers and moats curved and twisted beside walking trails or under arched bridges decorated with flayed victims who remained alive because of foul magic and for the amusement of the Death Lords. And on both sides of the main fortress-like structure itself, the temples of the four divine patrons stood on the tastefully ruined hillocks of dead fortresses. On the far right, the bloody and murderous temple of Evil God Killall glowed with a hateful red light from its open windows and entrance. On the near right, the buzzing and putrid decay oozing on the steps and along the foundations of the temple for Evil Goddess Sickspread had sacrificial humans left dying there with sores filled with blood and pus, as they suffered many horrible afflictions. On the near left, the temple of Evil God Goldhound remained bare and with little of any feature other than solid, cheap stone with a weathered treasure chest in front of the steps. Then on the far left, the cries and screams of human sacrifices and followers reached out in horror and ecstasy from the temple of Evil God Sinfeast. Nobody paid respect to Hisscreep in Crossdeath despite the entire city being owned by a drider. The Death Lords might¡¯ve had some say. Or maybe their more powerful patrons made themselves the most dominant. But Wallen knew Hisscreep used to be more popular until two decades ago, after the Sixth Divine War concluded. Wallen found his belief in an old and forgotten shrine in the forest that was dedicated to Hisscreep. He knew since then that Hisscreep was a practical sort, even if a weak one. Hisscreep was not a fan of the use of evil for evil¡¯s sake. It was here, while on their way to the ground and hearing the horrible pain of many common people put to torturous sacrifice at the whims of the Death Lords and their gods, Wallen made his first request to wield the Floridians. ¡°Princess Bianca, can you put them out of their misery? They have suffered long enough,¡± Wallen asked. ¡°You don¡¯t want to try healing?¡± she asked. Wallen shook his head. ¡°They are too far gone. I would know. The Blood Death Lord tore my parents apart until they were broken wretches before killing them. The Death Lords are very good at making commoners too far broken where healing them physically is only prolonging their suffering.¡± Wallen prepared for the princess to disregard his request and instill her values. He would try to debate her, but he wouldn¡¯t put much force into it. He had a feeling she was not of the evil alignment, which was a nightmarish idea while in her arms, but he suspected if his hunch was a correct one, then she would not bend regardless of his understanding of his home and people. Yet Princess Bianca surprised him once again with her response. ¡°Okay! I won¡¯t let them feel any more pain.¡± The princess erupted in a flash that bent around Wallen and contained him in its center without harming him. It was like he was in the center of a star for a brief time before the flash faded. With an effortless and powerful show of magic, Princess Bianca put to rest all the suffering wretches across the entire compound. Somehow, she had sent her light of deliverance through the open doorways and reached the sufferers that were even out of direct sight. ¡°There are still a few behind closed doors,¡± Lord Zarian said. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m not made for killing without some pain, so Bianca¡¯s going to get to them when she¡¯s able.¡± Wallen thought it over as the Floridians made a graceful landing in the courtyard where black and gold nuggets rolled softly under their boots. Princess Bianca set him down, and Wallen offered his arm. She gladly bound herself to his side before Wallen looked up at the gathering of Death Lords and their richest and most well-connected guests from the highest social circle in Crossdeath and beyond. Wallen even sensed a few good-aligned visitors who had political or economic interests in Crossdeath and could ignore the horrors here to further their own plots. ¡°Who are you and what makes you think you¡¯ll leave these grounds alive?!¡± cried out the proud and easily offended Blood Death Lord at the front of the gathering. The tall and magically handsome man was in love with his own pale-skinned beauty as much as he loved blood. He was also born from a human and a vampire, coming from a line that always produced a new Blood Death Lord every few centuries. He¡¯d tortured and killed Wallen¡¯s parents because the Blood Death Lord was on a random walk through the poorer districts and he didn¡¯t like how slow they were to acknowledge his rarely seen presence. Strangely, Wallen wasn¡¯t concerned with the vampire man right now and had his focus elsewhere. ¡°Lord Vladek Bloodgold, I am Wallen Huntsmen of common birth, and these powerful nobles behind me and the fair princess on my arm are touring visitors from Ride-or-Die Village,¡± Wallen said, letting his hunch guide his words. ¡°In fact, I believe the smiling man with the crooked wizard hat is the Dark Lord, the reason for the apocalypse, and his cohort are the most powerful adventurers to come to our evil city.¡± ¡°Foolish worm! I am the Dark Lord, and the Death Lords are the most powerful!¡± Death Lord Vladek shouted.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The other Death Lords gathered behind him. Their guests reacted in ways that were faintly predictable. The Petty Lords looked to agree with Death Lord Vladek. The foreign nobles and delegates looked unsure. Then there were a few wealthy visitors who looked at Dark Lord Zarian with recognition and fear. Those few quickly distanced themselves from the others who hadn¡¯t caught on quickly enough. Death Lord Vladek took to having a majority of opinions backing him as a sign that he was the correct authority. He looked at Wallen with a bloody death glare, his eyes pulsing with a heinous red light. Wallen knew something was about to strike him. He didn¡¯t try to run. He stood his ground, ready to face his fate. Before anything struck Wallen, Princess Bianca emitted a bright flash directly into Death Lord Vladek¡¯s eyes. She burned out his eyes and stopped him from harming or killing Wallen, which had the Blood Death Lord screaming as he dropped back on the steps and clawed at his face. ¡°Silly vampire boy,¡± Princess Bianca chided, ¡°I¡¯m a legendary Light Princess. You¡¯re, like, super weak compared to me.¡± Wallen nodded, appreciating the timely revelation, because that stopped the other Death Lords from jumping into a battle they would certainly lose. In fact, things only got better and better as the princess talked. ¡°And it¡¯s all sunny now! You guys don¡¯t get enough sun here, so I bet you get some bad sun burns or whatever. So you better watch it, because us Floridians really like our sunshine,¡± Princess Bianca said. ¡°Not me, but I have the whole dark theme going on,¡± added the Dark Lord. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be sunlight here!¡± shouted a Petty Lord, making himself heard over the screaming and scrambling Blood Death Lord. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s no bueno! So we cut the sky and gave you sunshine!¡± Princess Bianca beamed a bright smile, both figuratively and literally. ¡°This is true. The Floridians cut open the sky after defeating the Crossdeath Knights, the Crossdeath Commander, and Baron Han the Realtor,¡± Wallen listed. Everyone on the side of the Death Lords fell silent. Many of the Petty Lords and even the Berserk Death Lord beheld the shining sky with its two solar stars and wide blue sky for the first time in their lives. Wallen noticed many of them suffer some sort of emotional affliction that was like what he¡¯d felt prior. It was almost disturbing how the woman who had given them the stars, moons, and suns only did so as a byproduct of her zealous pursuit to create an extremely sharp sword of the most potent psychic magic and static. That same woman was napping now, not caring about how she single-handedly changed a city more than anyone had in a thousand years other than the Dark Lord and his Darkrun Apocalypse. ¡°Perhaps, Lord Vladek is mistaken,¡± suggested one of the good-aligned delegates. ¡°I have ears, scum!¡± shouted Lord Vladek. ¡°I am not mistaken!¡± ¡°And I hate Sinfeast!¡± Lord Zarian boasted suddenly. ¡°I know that¡¯s random, but I am that much of a hater. So I want to interrupt our currently scheduled program of Wallen being his own little boss to direct all of your attention to the Sinfeast temple!¡± Everyone turned to look except for the blinded Lord Vladek and sleeping Lady Naomi. Wallen turned to look as well. Someone responded quicker than him. ¡°The temple is gone,¡± said the Ghost Death Lord, a floating wraith of a person. ¡°Yeah, exactly. It¡¯s gone to the void. Because I sent it there with the help of my dancing spiders,¡± Lord Zarian said. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! The divine magic of Evil God Sinfeast should¡¯ve stopped you! My god is too powerful to let such a transgression pass!¡± Vladek squealed, reminding Wallen of a well-dressed and underfed pig. Dark Lord Zarian laughed like a true villain. ¡°I don¡¯t care! Besides, the moment Sinfeast felt me, his bitch ass left the city. Your god abandoned you, and I¡¯m only letting the other three temples stand to bear witness while the Dark Lord ¨C me ¨C and his friends do whatever the fuck we want!¡± The wealthy and powerful lords and ladies did nothing to challenge the Dark Lord and the other Floridians. For the first time, Wallen looked at the Death Lords and their social circle as pathetic. Wallen felt emboldened. ¡°Excuse me, Lord Zarian, but I must continue driving the ¡­ ¡®program,¡¯ as you say ¡­ and free more poor souls from their torment,¡± Wallen said, in which he received a nod from the Dark Lord. Then Wallen addressed the glamorous and statuesque women attached to his side. ¡°Princess Bianca, would you know how to find them?¡± ¡°Zarian¡¯s spiders can lead us. Just look ahead,¡± she directed. Wallen looked past the pathetic nobles and saw a semi-translucent blue arachnid the size of his hand standing on top of the entrance door frame. The supernatural spider waved its front legs in greeting before making a human-like gesture for them to follow, in which Wallen gladly did. Vladek lunged from the floor with terrible blood magic unfolding from his body. He flew directly for the weakest person, as if his cowardice and pride needed an easy outlet. Somehow, Wallen felt no fear. He kept walking into the face of a man whose bloodline had tormented and slaughtered millions, which included his parents. But what was one mere vampire compared to a royal demigoddess of light? Princess Bianca stopped Vladek short with an unbreaking wall of light. Then she shifted ahead by a full step while still keeping one hand on Wallen¡¯s arm. Her other hand grabbed Vladek by the neck. Her light burned with the intensity of the suns, making Vladek choke and claw fearfully at her gauntlet to no avail. She was too powerful, and she was too strong. Her body glowed with a growing light and intensity that made the air hum around Wallen and her. More and more power poured out of her rapidly, so much so it would¡¯ve crushed Wallen if it wasn¡¯t for her meticulous control and care for him. But the same wasn¡¯t extended to the Death Lords and their guests, enabling Wallen to watch the people who would usually step on his corpse get smashed aside or flattened into the ground. Some of the good-aligned guests squirmed and screamed, as if they were being tormented even worse by Princess Bianca¡¯s power. Then, to Wallen¡¯s surprise, he noticed Lord Zarian drifting back carefully from the geyser of power blasting out of the princess. That might mean most of her attention was on protecting Wallen and punishing the vampire caught in her steely grasp. ¡°Wallen didn¡¯t ask for me to deal with you even though you murdered his parents. He¡¯s more focused on helping the people you¡¯re torturing. But I can¡¯t standby and let you keep thinking you¡¯re in control and can do no wrong. So I¡¯m doing this for Wallen while doing a little good,¡± Princess Bianca said with celestial steel in her voice, making Wallen shiver and feel a healthy dose of fear. His evil alignment could only brave the power and authority of a demigoddess of strange goodness so much without cowering a little. Wallen even felt a little bad for the Blood Death Lord. Better him than me, Wallen thought as Princess Bianca erased Vladek with a power as bright and glorious as a new sunrise on a cloudless day. Nothing remained. Not even ash. She stood slightly higher on the steps, her good energy folding back into her, leaving the other Death Lords and their guests somewhat alive but crumpled near the entrance and around the courtyard. It was as if a giant goddess had stepped on them lightly to establish dominance without killing them. Wallen remained upright and untouched, doing all he could to calm his nerves as the monstrous princess turned and looked down upon him. Then she broke the tension with her goofiness. ¡°Whoopsies! I got a little too serious. The scary me, Vianka, came out! She¡¯s kinda a baddie.¡± Wallen wanted to palm his face and groan at her ridiculousness. He looked back at the other Floridians. ¡°Yes, we have to deal with that every day,¡± Lady Hannah said, standing far back with arms crossed. Dark Lord Zarian nodded up and down rapidly. With a sigh, Wallen glanced at the spot where Vladek had faced eradication. Then Wallen walked over the Death Lord¡¯s grave and led the princess by the arm into the manor. They found more helpful and jovial spiders before getting both a tour of the manor and a chance to free people from their torment with a painless and merciful death. Wallenberg watched each person Princess Bianca freed with rays of purifying light. He found their ends to be beautiful and peaceful. Some even smiled with relief. ¡°I think I¡¯ve reached my limits,¡± Wallen said after the last tormented person was put to rest. They ended up in the throne room of the Death Lords. Somehow, Wallen found himself on the red and gold seat of the late Vladek. The cushion was velvety. Princess Bianca flicked her metal skirt around to the side and sat on the armrest to Wallen¡¯s left. ¡°Well then, I guess it¡¯s time for you to go to a new place and live a new life,¡± the princess said, speaking in a mature tone that highlighted her exotic accent. Wallen felt weak from hearing that, especially as she looked down at him in a deep and profound way. Was that why she had to act silly? To save others from being broken by her natural beauty and her immense charm? ¡°Is this real? Is this not a dream?¡± Wallen asked shakily. ¡°It¡¯s all real. I am real, and so are you,¡± the princess confirmed kindly. ¡°Can I ¡­ kiss you?¡± Wallen asked, his heart hammering. ¡°No,¡± she answered, breaking his heart into a hundred pieces. Then she fused the pieces back together into something new. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a kiss instead.¡± She bent down and planted her lips on his cheek. It wasn¡¯t a short or chaste thing. It was a long, caring, and memorable kiss that would leave him tormented for the rest of his days. It was a kiss that was more than he deserved, but it was a kiss that told him he wasn¡¯t chosen by her. Maybe not in this instance. Or maybe not ever. But Wallen took in that moment for all it was worth until it ended and she drew away, leaving half his face in ecstasy and torment. He could almost understand the nature of Sinfeast a little more now. ¡°Take my hand,¡± ordered the princess. Wallen did as he was told automatically. He had no control anymore. The charm and power of Princess Bianca was absolute. It was almost scary, because he was aware of it just enough to feel the hijacking of his body and senses, but he was too emotionally and psychologically taken to do anything about it. Ah, I am too weak, Wallen realized. And I don¡¯t think I can catch up to her or her friends. They are true monsters. Wallen found some solace in that. Then the princess made things even better. ¡°You¡¯re going to join the best guild ever. You¡¯re going to be part of freedom and help spread it. And I gave you a kiss on the cheek. So promise me you¡¯ll be confident in yourself and live your best life. Or I¡¯ll be mad at you!¡± Princess Bianca puffed her cheeks and glowered down at him in a silly way. Wallen gawked up at her. He found some measure of control again. He squeezed her hand and smiled. ¡°Your will is my command, my princess.¡± He kissed the back of her gauntlet, a quick and chaste show of affection, and focused on what mattered. He ran through a deluge of notifications, some of which were shocking and amazing as a rare Bug Alchemist and for his new start in life. As he came across the freedom alignment notification and offer of change, he heard the cry of a bird. He looked up and couldn¡¯t find any such avian in the room. Turning back to the freedom option, he accepted the change in alignments as free evil and felt a cloud over his mind leave him. He felt more than he¡¯d felt in a long time and didn¡¯t know what to make of that. Before he could fall into deep introspection, Princess Bianca ushered him to the next points of interest. She pulled him up to his feet. She told him to wait before running off in a flash of light particles. The moment she disappeared, a short woman appeared from thin air. She had long platinum gold hair that fell like a shimmering waterfall, long pointed ears, and glowing emerald eyes. She wore a simple green dress and walked barefoot as she looked up at Wallen with a glare. ¡°You¡¯re weak,¡± she said. ¡°I ¡­ apologize.¡± Wallen lowered his head to the mysterious woman with the long, sharp ears. Was this the big, bad elf? Her gaze softened. She nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve passed my first test with your apology for being weak. I suppose I will treat you a bit more gently than the rest until you are caught up. But you must work hard and be ready to face painful challenges almost every other day.¡± Wallen imagined a place that was called Ride-or-Die Village had some extreme eccentricities about it. For a second, he feared he would face the same cruel treatment of the militia examinations. ¡°No,¡± the scary elf woman said, as if she was reading his mind. ¡°You will have your own room and amenities. You will be fed as many meals as you want every day and have full healing every day. I am hard, so you will become stronger than the usual humans, but I will not hurt you just to hurt you even if I do hurt you now and then.¡± ¡°Oh, well, I suppose I will do my best.¡± ¡°You better, little human.¡± Wallen thought about how she was in fact little, but she could have any manner of spell that changed that reality, perhaps making her big and imposing. He decided it was best to stay silent. The scary elf nodded. ¡°Hm, not bad. You passed my second test by not making unnecessary noises. My perception of you as a little human has advanced. Now you are a little human +1.¡± With grace, Wallenberg accepted the advancement and kept his mouth shut to keep her great approval of him. Eventually, Princess Bianca returned with a large pile of items. She dropped them in a clatter, swept the elf into an embrace, and spoke in that romantic and exotic language of hers that the elf could somehow understand. Then Princess Bianca pointed at the pile of things. ¡°Hannah¡¯s done studying these legendary items. So, can you feed some of these to Reiki¡¯s dungeon when you have the chance? Also, those flasks and vials are filled with some crazy alchemy stuff. Gilbert doesn¡¯t care for them, and since Wallen will be our first alchemist in the guild, maybe he can study those with your help. Oh, and the other stuff are gifts for the guild members and some stuff for Wallen. And this is for you.¡± The princess inserted some very expensive and high-quality purple earrings into the elf¡¯s ears, ignoring the elf¡¯s weak attempts to dissuade such actions. Wallen noticed how the big, bad elf was very overwhelmed and powerless as Princess Bianca¡¯s force of personality was like a barreling whirlwind. Suddenly, Wallen realized many items in the pile, heaped together like mere junk, were indeed legendary. He could feel their powerful and overwhelming magic hitting him in waves and making him feel unworthy to be in their presence. Before Wallen could even examine them, yet another realization hit him. They have their own dungeon in Ride-or-Die Village? And they feed LEGENDARY ITEMS to it? Wallen did his best not to be entirely gobsmacked, but it wasn¡¯t easy. The elf, Abuela Ruvaria, nodded along to the princess¡¯s waterfall of words and actions before getting swept into another tight embrace. Then the princess caught hold of Wallen and hugged him tightly, squeezing the air out of his weaker body. After they exchanged farewells for now, the princess ran out of the room. She made quite the scene with outlandish sobs and tears that the other Floridians would have to deal with. ¡°She¡¯s a lot to handle,¡± Wallen said in the wake of the Floridian Princess. ¡°She reminds me of someone I cherished long ago. I feel very powerless around her.¡± Abuela Ruvaria touched her new earrings gingerly. ¡°Well, you can always feel powerful by showing me the error of my ways. Though I must warn you, I will make a fuss. I am a little human +1,¡± Wallen jested. ¡°Hm, hm. You¡¯ve passed a third test. You made an effective joke that amused me,¡± she said plainly. ¡°Now let us be off. My dear student is busy right now, and while that annoys me, I can await his attention and grant you a portion of mine in Ride-or-Die Village. I will also present you your first chocolate drink and some time to adjust as a reward for passing three tests. Cherish this good fortune, because few have the chance of an excellent new beginning.¡± Raising his hand to his cheek, where a legendary princess had blessed him with a kiss, Wallen smiled rakishly. ¡°I suppose it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m a new man these days. A free man. I¡¯ll enjoy making the most out of this.¡± 186: B2: C86: Pre-Grimrock Review ¡°Everyone, I think that¡¯s it for training. It¡¯s time we hunker down and review our notifications,¡± Zarian said. It was Early Summer, and he was standing on a giant skull-shaped crenulation on a massive rampart ridgeline. They still had some ways to go before reaching the top of the mountainous terrain where the actual Castle Grimrock stood. When he turned back the way his party had come, he saw portions of the Walled Continent stretched out before him like a wild, mystical, patchwork quilt. Down below him, where bundles of minor fortresses, castles, stone forests, and more flowed in dips and rises along the sides of the castle mountains, he saw the tiny gray patch of the Old Goblin Forest. In that forest at the foot of the Grimrock Castle Mountains, the reforming Crossdeath Region teemed with people going about their lives in new and unforeseen ways. Crossdeath belonged to Zarian and his friends now, and there was little that Baron Han the Realtor could do about it. The drider could attempt to reclaim his city, but Zarian imagined he would be deathly afraid of crossing paths ¨C or swords ¨C with Lady Naomi the Sky Bringer, which was how many in Crossdeath referred to her. Hell, even the others had nicknames, such as Lady Hannah the Knight Destroyer and Princess Bianca the Sunshine Heraldess. Zarian had heard the name Wizard Hunter given to him. If that showed up in his origins, then he would fully own it. With all of that infamy, it was fairly easy for Zarian to make his case for total city domination with the aristocracy. Especially after he¡¯d gotten rid of the Berserk Death Lord and the Poison Death Lord along with the temples of Sickspread and Killall. They¡¯d acted a little too slow on adapting to the change in management. Zarian hadn¡¯t seen why they should stick around among the mortals and the living, especially when he learned the Bramblevale Bandits and Drax the Unbeatable were underlings of the Berserk Death Lord, who was supposed to put Zarian in his place, apparently, for messing up operations down in the Eternal Garden Kingdom. Hell, the Berserk Death Lord had even shown off his Aura Ignition. Zarian had laughed and laughed at the man¡¯s weak and pathetic version of Aura Ignition. Once Zarian had gotten ridden both Death Lords and their associated temples, it almost felt like he was tying a loose end or two. The completionist in him had felt great about that. As for the Goldhound Temple and the Ghost Death Lord, Zarian had cut a deal. Evil God Goldhound was still a bastard, and still on the naughty list, but Goldhound was a simple god to work with as long as he¡¯d gained riches. Maybe one day the god could redeem himself and get off the naughty list, but Zarian wouldn¡¯t hope for it. The Ghost Death Lord was the most practical and least torture happy noble. Zarian had found him decent enough to work with, placing the ghost guy as a surrogate ruler in place of the Dark Lord and his friends. What did all of this mean for Ride-or-Die Village, the Blood Prairie Savages, and Crossdeath itself? Zarian had no freaking clue. Things had gotten out of hand compared to the original plan. The Floridians had gotten sucked into Wallen¡¯s story just as much as Wallen had gotten swept up by the freewheeling attitude of the Floridians. Zarian had originally planned to tour Crossdeath and move on, honestly. He hadn¡¯t planned to rock the boat whatsoever. But the moment he¡¯d felt Wallen become important, everything shifted into a crazier and dynamic flow of events. Then, suddenly, Zarian and his fellow Floridians had become owners of an entire evil civilization filled with over a thousand years of lore as part of their growing hoard, somehow. It had happened like being on a mega drunk bender. The crazy part was how there had been little special about Wallen other than him being a rare alchemist. If it wasn¡¯t for how he looked like poor Wally and felt important, Zarian would¡¯ve overlooked Wallen. Though, Zarian also had to admit Wallen was a smart enough guy and decently moral for someone who¡¯d grown up in an evil city. Zarian also had to admit Wallen had reacted greatly to events with the Floridians, making everything extra fun while teaching them a lot as they went. It had become quite easy for mostly everyone, especially Bianca, to get invested in the kid. The whole mini arc ending with Wallen starting fresh and living a better life back in Ride-or-Die Village had left a positive impression on everyone before they had to get serious again. It felt like being part of a feel-good power fantasy arc, Zarian thought. Too bad I forgot to give Wallen some Level 0 skills, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll adapt on his own in the village. He¡¯s scrappy enough. After leaving behind Crossdeath and all the chaos and changes happening there, Zarian and the others picked up with their hardcore training with each other or with their mythical cursed items. They¡¯d practiced more caution compared to before, because Jack could appear at any moment while they scaled to the top of the castle mountains. Zarian believed his people had the upper hand in straight up power. But he didn¡¯t want to underestimate a hateful and angry man like Jack. The dude was so messed up he¡¯d snapped Gilbert¡¯s neck just because the healer wanted to join up with Zarian and the others. Such a man could accomplish miraculous things out of pure spite and hate. Zarian figured the Good Gods would also get involved if they could somehow get past this being Shadowfell territory. Then again, the Prime Archbishop and an army of Paladins were somewhere raging war right now. It was to where Zarian could hear distant clashes of heavy magic riding on the winds across the peaks and ridges of the castle mountains. Wherever they were, Zarian imagined they had certain obstacles keeping them from completing their crusade. That had Zarian curious about what awaited him and his friends. Zarian could feel it in the air. They were in for one hell of a time with their return to Grimrock. More importantly, he could feel the insistent ¡®ding, ding, ding¡¯ from the Star System in his head. The Star System had reached its withholding limits. Zarian could tell the others were getting the same ¡®ding, ding, ding¡¯ in their heads based on the annoyed looks on Gilbert¡¯s and Bianca¡¯s faces.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Yeah, it was time to review their notifications and acknowledge their gains. Some of their growth had already become a part of them, even if they hadn¡¯t reviewed it themselves. Other gains needed their direct attention to come into effect, such as rewards from any achievements they¡¯d earned. Zarian glanced down at the thing he held in his hands. It was the mythical box containing his cursed item: the Barbed Crown of Ravthar the Absolute King. He¡¯d worked with this thing for nearly two months and he had yet to overcome it fully. Para could handle it better, but it was still an ass kicker for her as well. Mythical items were a big deal, no doubt, and he and Para weren¡¯t alone with their struggles to fully master the cursed items. Everybody more or less had struggled with these things, but the pain of fighting off the curses would definitely yield some rewards. I really need to do some nice things for Ruvaria when I get the chance, Zarian thought. She¡¯s been a big help to us, and it¡¯s really out of the kindness of her heart. Zarian placed the box in Para¡¯s pocket dimension. He turned back and glanced over the edge of the fifty-foot skull-shaped crenelation. He saw the others milling about on the rugged, blocky rampart floor except Hannah. The Runic Engineer was searching for the right spot to dig and build a comfortable hideout so they could have some privacy for their overdue notifications and status review. Gilbert had taken up a spot near a swirling pond made from dozens of little streams. He had his enchanted fishing rod out while sipping slowly on an uncommon beer, which was fairly soft for him these days. Zarian ignored the ¡®ding, ding, ding¡¯ in his head and smiled a small but mischievous smile. He heard Para let out a little sigh from the folds of the cloak before he skipped off the crenelation and dropped next to Gilbert. ¡°Hello,¡± Zarian greeted. Gilbert took another slow sip from his drink and squinted at Zarian. When he lowered the barrel-shaped container, he took his time before responding. ¡°You¡¯re acting weird,¡± Gilbert grumbled. ¡°What do you mean, dear Gilbert?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Ugh, there it goes. You keep doing that. Being creepy and not hitting me with some jacked up punchline. What is it, Zarian? Just spit it out!¡± Gilbert shouted, shaking his drink and fishing rod. ¡°I have nothing to spit out. Is there something wrong?¡± Zarian tilted his head, keeping the small and creepy smile on his face. ¡°Hannah, can you please find us somewhere to camp down so this guy can get off my case! I swear if we¡¯re not training he¡¯s acting like my demented shadow!¡± Gilbert yelled. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be an issue if I take my time to find the perfect location,¡± Hannah said flatly. ¡°If Zarian had done nothing wrong, and you have done nothing, then you can just hang around like brothers, dear Gilbert.¡± The Knighted Healer was gobsmacked from Hannah¡¯s response. He turned desperately to Bianca and Naomi who were doing slow and meditational martial dances with each other. Bianca would swing a sword of light and Naomi would meet it with a punch or kick, clashing a little, before twisting into another part of their flowing drill. Ever since making the sharpest sword to ever sword, Naomi had incorporated more sharpness techniques into her psychic abilities. She¡¯d gotten better at making her hands and feet into sharp blades that could meet Bianca¡¯s blades of light edge-to-edge. Both women seemed to enjoy themselves while going back and forth with their meditative training, sometimes striking soft, or sometimes striking hard enough to send sparks flying. Gilbert interrupted them with a yell. ¡°Why is Zarian doing this?! He¡¯s been at this for weeks!¡± Bianca pirouetted and swung her sword of light again before replying in a calm and neutral tone. ¡°Perhaps you did something bad, dear Gilbert.¡± Naomi shifted gracefully on her bare feet before kicking up. She clashed the edge of her foot lightly with the shining sword. ¡°If you did nothing wrong, then there¡¯s no reason to be bothered, dear Gilbert.¡± The poor Knighted Healer looked betrayed by the ladies. He shivered as he turned and noticed Zarian drawing closer. The cloak wavered around both men monstrously. ¡°Para?!¡± Gilbert cried out desperately, throwing down his rod and beer. ¡°Make them stop!¡± ¡°I believe there is a ritual from your old world where confessing can ease your burdens, but to withhold will only make the burdens grow heavier until they become a hell of your own making,¡± Para said in a scholarly tone. ¡°If there is something you wish to say, then free yourself of your burdens, dear Gilbert!¡± ¡°Gaaaaah!¡± Gilbert snapped, and Zarian let out an evil laugh as the poor man confessed what they all knew. ¡°I slept with the dagnabbit troll women! Okay? Okay?! I don¡¯t know how it happened! I can¡¯t say why it happened! But it happened! I woke up under a pile of them, and now you all know! God help me!¡± Gilbert breathed hard and deep. He wiped the sweat prickling on his brow. He looked down, then he looked up at Zarian. ¡°My son,¡± Zarian said, ¡°all will be forgiven in my house of the faith, the shield, and the holy beer. You must only believe in me, your Zombie Jesus.¡± Gilbert balled his fist and shook it with silent fury at Zarian. That was all he could do, just fume silently and shake his fist at the Madness Wizard. He¡¯d done whatever inhuman and ungodly acts that came with bedding thirteen-foot tall troll women. He had no moral leg to stand on right now, and maybe not for a long while. It was to where the troll women had called Gilbert the Troll Slayer. Or was it the Troll Layer? Naturally, Zarian saved the trump card for the next time Gilbert thought he could get uppity or holier-than-thou. Especially when it might show in his origins. For now, Gilbert sat and took the ribbing like a decent lad. They eventually moved on once Hannah found the perfect spot under the surface. She dug down and created a hotel-style bunker with luxurious amenities, flowing water, and the other nifty bells and whistles. It didn¡¯t take her much time at all. Once everyone had gone down, Hannah sealed the main entrance with a legendary door. She reinforced the entire bunker with layers of enchantments. There were no worries of running out of air. The bunker came with magic air vents. Zarian, Naomi, Bianca, Gilbert, and Hannah gathered in a triple tiered sunken room with large mounds of bean bags filled with the softest monster fur. Each bean bag came with enchantments that made them supernaturally comfy. Bianca let out little shrills and one long scream as she thrashed and luxuriated on Hannah¡¯s enchanted bean bag chair. Zarian doubled up with Para transforming into soft folds stacked on top of his beanbag. Naomi looked over. She shook her hand toward Zarian and Para. ¡°Gimme, please,¡± she demanded. The Parasite Cloak +2 (or +3?) extended thick ropes and tendrils of material over to Naomi and piled up under her, adding more folds stacked on her beanbag. Thus, Naomi got to enjoy the same treatment as Zarian. Bianca looked over in envy but didn¡¯t demand the same from Para. Ever since leaving Crossdeath, she¡¯d acted more reserved around Zarian. Granted, Zarian had a hunch of why that was. Gilbert wasn¡¯t the only one getting scrutinized. Zarian had said some bold things he probably shouldn¡¯t have said back in Crossdeath. Bianca remembered everything. She squinted at Zarian with a little knowing smirk. Zarian sighed. Not important right now. The review is. ¡°Before we get started, I just want to say this.¡± Zarian sat up in his seat. He looked into everyone¡¯s eyes as they focused on him. Then he spoke his piece: ¡°We went hard. Like, really, really hard, and pushed ourselves in ways that¡¯s so insane and tough I know we¡¯ve made some great strides in our power. With that said, we might not get crazy explosive growth just because we worked hard. ¡°We¡¯re doing this because we are committed to the grind and to make our way to the top to do what we want. Whether it¡¯s providing a lot of help to people in need or to achieve a personal level of power where we can control whatever we want or it¡¯s being so strong we can fight whatever we want. Whatever have you here along for the ride, you are doing the hard work. And doing that hard work is part of who we are now. ¡°So let¡¯s reap what we sow and keep in mind it¡¯s going to get even better once we free our goblin cook and get to eat her delicious meals whenever we want!¡± Zarian finished with a sigh, releasing some built up tension from his body. The anticipation was killing him, and he could sense the same from the others as they cheered and clapped. Naomi put the cherry on top. ¡°Fucking finally,¡± she growled, baring fangs and crawls from her huntress skill. ¡°No more damn dinging! Let¡¯s see those stats and gains! And let¡¯s go free Foodie!¡± Everybody opened up their notifications and dove straight in. Zarian opened his eyes wide and beheld all the new additions after a long stretch of not checking for two months. It wasn¡¯t too crazy, but it was still quite glorious for him. For the others in his party who were on the weaker side, such as Hannah, their gains were immense, maybe even OP, bringing them up closer to Zarian and Naomi. Then again, even Overwhelming Darkness had grown. 187: B2: C87: Pre-Grimrock Favor Practically speaking, the deluge of notifications had a lot of fluff. There were messages about the many creatures Zarian had killed over the course of two months. A lot of those had fallen to his skeletons or died when they ran into stormy and destructive aura clashes between him and Para. Zarian focused on the notifications that mattered the most. The Star System acted to his whims and trimmed the fat, making the review more streamline. The first notifications dealt with an issue that would¡¯ve given Zarian and his friends negative marks on their Feats of Adventure after leaving the Blood Prairies. Zarian checked with the others to see if they¡¯d gotten the same notifications about the Mythical Regional Event. He received all confirmations from everyone. Nobody had to worry about bad marks on their Feats of Adventure. Better yet, the alteration to the event could be the perfect test to see how self-reliant the village had become. ¡°Does Magi count?¡± Hannah asked. Magi, the magical intelligence skill, was still hooked to the runic network at the Central Library Artillery Tower in Ride-or-Die Village. Hannah¡¯s question was a curious one, but the Star System gave no reply. ¡°Maybe, just maybe, I think the Star System will let that one go,¡± Zarian said. ¡°It¡¯s like another loophole, but on purpose. We just can¡¯t go full-on hero for them.¡± ¡°Understood. Much appreciated, Star System,¡± Hannah said. the Star System replied with a public blue box. Then it winked away. ¡°I think out of everyone, you¡¯re the Star System¡¯s favorite, Hannah,¡± Zarian said. Hannah didn¡¯t reply. Zarian let his thoughts drift to another curious point. He wondered how many regional, continental, and world events were on pause all across Infinita. The Star System didn¡¯t dole out these favors often, right? There were probably a lot of adventurers and leaders getting held back from moving about as they wanted. Or they risked getting bad marks on their Feats of Adventure, if they were aware of that hidden mechanic. I broke things so badly I¡¯m like a cosmic-version of I95 when an accident happens, Zarian thought with some grim humor. There could be a case that all the major events getting held up were to his advantage. Anyone involved with large events would be the types that might want to hunt him down to either seal him away or consume his power. Eventually, after all events continue where they left off, the Infinita Star System will get even crazier. Ariana is a big concern, but there are many people or things within this one universe who are going to want a piece of me somehow, someway. That also begged the question of why the System was still keeping major events on pause. The last time Zarian checked in with the Star System about monumental issues, it had mentioned there were problems with other Systems outside of Infinita. Systems with their own universes. There was also supposed to be an increase of Outsiders, but Zarian hadn¡¯t come across others like him and his friends so far. Getting close to the origin point of where all our adventures started is making me all thoughtful. Maybe even a little sentimental. Zarian felt encouraging impressions from Para that were wordless but easy to understand. She was making it known she was available to help him if he needed it. Zarian appreciated that. I chose you over a staff for the cool factor and nifty pocket space. If that ever makes you feel troubled about your existence, I¡¯m here for you, too. Para replied with her own worded thoughts. Thank you, Zarian. With a subtle nod, Zarian checked his achievements again. He hadn¡¯t exactly counted them during the notification deluge. Now that everything was more organized, he could see for himself how outrageous his gains truly were. His heart skipped a beat. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Zarian exclaimed. ¡°I got six achievements! What about you guys?¡± They went in a circle, starting on Zarian¡¯s left where Naomi sat on layers of Para¡¯s folds on top of her bean bag chair. After Naomi, next up was Bianca, then Gilbert, and finally Hannah. Naomi brought up having six achievements as well, which had her acting like a preening peacock. Sweeping in with a shining smile, Bianca revealed she had seven achievements! Not one to fall behind so easily these days, Gilbert had a solid six achievements that were noteworthy. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Then there was Hannah, who said nothing for a little while and held everyone in suspense. Finally, she revealed the truth. She had eight achievements! When examining the names of all thirty-three achievements, Zarian noticed three of the rewards related to having drank with trolls, with Gilbert having the best version. Part of Zarian¡¯s min-max nature ¨C at least regarding the team ¨C wished they all had joined the contest to drink with the trolls. At the very least, Zarian imagined Wallen had gotten Troll Drinker and some other achievements that would help him out in Ride-or-Die Village. ¡°This is more than I expected,¡± Hannah admitted, dumbfounded by her gains. ¡°Don¡¯t you think there are others out there who do insane training and collect a bunch of achievements?¡± Gilbert asked. ¡°We aren¡¯t the firsts, right? I mean ¡­ we got Mister Apocalypse over here who can snap his fingers and make the Star System do dog tricks. But we ain¡¯t too particular about relying on that ¡­ so I¡¯m not the only one thinking we ain¡¯t alone out here with these rewards.¡± ¡°We literally have the most OP elf across all the Lesser Worlds in our village,¡± Zarian said. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know how many achievements she¡¯d stacked over ten thousand years. What makes you think there aren¡¯t others running around the Lesser Worlds with at least ten percent of what she¡¯s achieved?¡± ¡°Ten percent of what she¡¯s achieved would be ¡­ eh ¡­ eh¡­¡± Bianca stuck her tongue out to think. Her eyes widened when she found an answer. ¡°A lot! Ten percent of Abuela Ruvaria is a lot!¡± ¡°You can always overwhelm the other achievement heavy crazies with your darkness,¡± Naomi said teasingly toward Zarian. ¡°Maybe I will. Maybe I won¡¯t. I hope after all the work Para and I have done we can just plainly overwhelm them as a wizard.¡± Zarian went back to reviewing his gains and rewards. The others did the same. They were going deep into their notifications now, so Zarian figured they could summarize and theorize in the end. However, he ended up pausing when he and Para sensed sudden bursts or spikes of aura growth and changes coming from his friends. Some changes were more profound than others, while other changes were subtle and would¡¯ve gone unnoticed if it wasn¡¯t for the sensitivity of Aura Mastery. Excitement rising, Zarian refocused on his own stuff. Feeling giddy as hell, Zarian couldn¡¯t help but look up at the others in wonder of their own achievements. Scrolls rained down, appearing from thin air. Naomi fidgeted around with a big grin on her face. Bianca had gotten off her bean bag chair and danced on one of the elevated tiers to their sunken floor forum. Gilbert nodded in satisfaction with a small cask of beer in hand. Hannah was breathing deeply, her aura blazing vibrantly with a surcharge of extra energy that stuffed her to the brim. She felt more like a blazing puzzle, both powerful and highly complicated, with humming pieces rearranging and slotting around to solve mysteries and engineer solutions. Para, our gains are immense. Based on what I can feel, I think the others have gained a lot of new stats and changes, especially Hannah, Zarian thought. We did put a lot of pressure on Hannah. We threw her into harsh situations that¡¯s outside of her normal role. And all she had to rely on was her crafting and her one body enhancing ability, Para replied via thoughts. Zarian had plenty of advantages that allowed him to switch from fighting upfront to fighting from afar. That wasn¡¯t normally the case for Hannah, who relied on crafts and kept herself out of harm¡¯s way. Most people with Hannah¡¯s abilities would¡¯ve stuck to their traditional role as support or crafter. But Hannah wanted to go beyond the heavens, go beyond the universal System, and get closer to the ultra gods. She had no choice but to push herself to become more OP. She had to become a terror that could handle herself from close or afar. In fact, Zarian could see that three out of five members of their party could fight with flexible ranges. Himself. Bianca. And Hannah. Despite Naomi¡¯s incredible mightiness and accomplishments, Zarian couldn¡¯t say if she was truly effective from afar unless it was a big and easy target. Then there was Gilbert who had no abilities that could strike from afar. I think that¡¯s okay. Gilbert has shown how powerful his build could be in ways that I can¡¯t reproduce, Zarian thought. Shall we look at the other updates? Para thought. Nodding, Zarian put aside his curiosities about the others and focused on himself again. The new scrolls, the Scroll of Increased Life (Legendary) and the Scroll of Bestial Transformation (Epic), had niche uses and temporary effects. He had four more from prior, including the Scroll of Godly Banishment (Legendary), the Scroll of Mountainous Castle Fusion (Legendary), the Scroll of Death Blight (Legendary), and the Scroll of Friendship Revival (Epic). Altogether, he had six scrolls he could use onetime each. These are some powerful items, and I¡¯m already powerful enough, and my party is filled with powerhouses large and small. Zarian felt a nervous shiver crawl up his spine. He took stock of the other items he had that applied well in combat or serious scenarios. His inventory included the Lesser Star Shard Flask (Legendary) and the Good Suppression Orb (Divine). He also had his Divine Revival Charm (Divine) inside of his soul, his Ride-or-Die Darkness Adventurer Bottoms (Legendary) covering his lower half, and his Greater Cuffs of the Twenty Dark Locks Style (Legendary) on his wrists. He had more items, of course, but those eleven were the most important as of now. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to need all these powerful items, right? Zarian thought. I doubt that we¡¯ll face any worrisome challenges, Para transmitted via their mind. We are too strong for such unless we are facing an army of divine beings. We are only facing the mortal leadership from the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom and the remains of the Grimrock Warlock¡¯s forces. Ariana warned us a while ago that the Grimrock Warlock was making preparations that were hastened by the Darkrun Apocalypse, Zarian thought. Yet, I still believe we will be fine, especially if we stick together and attack each objective as a complete party. Then the chance of anything going wrong will be reduced, Para argued. Forgive me for being tough, but I know what¡¯s wrong. You¡¯re worried that another Darkrun Apocalypse will happen. It won¡¯t. Now in the words of the glamorous Bianca: ¡®Dale! Let¡¯s go!¡¯ Zarian let out a long breath. He appreciated Para¡¯s tough approach. Sometimes she could fall silent and exist in the background. Sometimes, she became a powerful personality that could push to the forefront. But as someone who was his cloak, battle kilt, parasite, and closest companion, it was easy to recognize she had come a long way. She had reasons to feel confident. Zarian refreshed himself on his scrolls. He swept his aura perception around the room and identified the other scrolls. Naomi had the Scroll of the Intense Gravity Field (Legendary). Bianca had the Scroll of the Shining Stage (Legendary). Again, because of how strong they all were, Zarian had a hard time imagining anything pressing them to use those scrolls. But whatever tried to make the attempt against the Floridians would be in for a hell of a surprise. Moving on, Zarian checked on his alignment to see if it had grown. That wasn¡¯t surprising. He would probably need to conquer a good aligned kingdom to make his free evil grow further. Or maybe he would have to face something scarier than a good +7 arch cherub. What if I can grow it by using evil politics? Zarian mused. That would be a hilarious way to do it. I bet it would work even better with free evil. Can I do politics? Para wondered. Why not? Zarian replied. Both the wizard and the cloak wondered about taking over a good kingdom with evil politics. They imagined Para doing most of the tackling while trying not to demand for tasty sacrifices and playing up being a benevolent evil. The thought was so funny, Zarian couldn¡¯t stop himself from cracking up and laughing like a maniacal villain. The others didn¡¯t bat an eye except for Gilbert who just shook his head at the Madness Wizard. Before Zarian decided on his trait upgrade, he jumped into looking at his skills. All of his training and studying with Para had paid off big there. His nightly cultivation had paid off as well, which would explain the achievement for it. However, there was some concern about his cultivation growth and the effects of that between him and his darkness. Worry later, enjoy the gains now! 188: B2: C88: Pre-Grimrock Growth Zarian¡¯s heart and brain were racing. Seeing all the numbers go up and coming to terms with the growth and changes gave him a pleasant buzz. Lowkey, he knew that the skills had gone up and advanced in the background. However, the changes felt dull without acknowledging them fully, as if they were stuck in purgatory until he finally looked and accepted them. Now Para felt way stronger. His spiders felt way stronger. A lot of him felt way stronger, especially Overwhelming Darkness. Zarian was certain he had better control over the apocalyptic power. But when he looked inside of himself, he also noticed the tiny bead that represented his darkness was ¡­ larger. Or more of his soul had become stained by the darkness. As of this point, it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal. But he wouldn¡¯t know how much his darkness could affect him until the next time he used one percent. Other than that, there were no advancements for Overwhelming Darkness. Not only was it the leading alpha in his profile, it didn¡¯t need advancements. It was the apex of powers. The rise in levels merely measured his control over it. Or could the rise in levels mean how much it¡¯s corrupting me in return? Zarian shook his head. He focused on the nice stuff. There was lots of nice stuff from his skill advancements. Hell, Zarian had felt disconnected with the advancements just like the skill levels. Without acknowledging the System¡¯s notifications, the updated abilities felt like they were there and not there. It was the same case for the new spells he and Para had learned. There was even a chance that the spells could fail if he¡¯d tried to cast new ones without acknowledging them through the System, which was an interesting limitation. It wasn¡¯t necessarily something he wanted to break, either. The point was to withhold as much as he could for increased interests compounding on the gains. Now he was reaping the rewards for being patient, such as what he¡¯d gotten from his newly advanced skills: Zarian had to pause and soak in the changes. He¡¯d already seen examples of +3 advancements from the monsters he fought at the former Chimera Tyrant Lair. Now he had them, too. Next up was Level 100 and the possibility of +4 advancements or a total evolutionary skill reset. But that was far ahead. Zarian wanted to focus on the current progression. Only one skill advancement came out simple enough, which was the case with Summon Wizard Hat +3. But even that had a profound change. Zarian¡¯s aura range extended outward from thousands of feet to over two miles in all directions.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Anything within that range was his to affect and screw with as naturally as it was for him to breathe. If he narrowed his aura in one direction, his range increased much further. As for the other advancements ¡­ Para, are you okay? Zarian asked through their mental bond. I once thought myself a person through logic and by examining you and others, Para answered cryptically. She went on a rant from there: Oh, how wrong I was. I was not a person. I was a construct who thought of itself as a person. So I must wonder if even now I¡¯m not quite a person. Will I ever truly be a person? Or will I ever only be a skill who thinks and dreams and crafts facsimiles of feelings that are not natural to what is essentially a parasitic monster of an ability? Or maybe I am taking those first correct steps toward personhood now, stripped from what I thought I knew, like a baby who hadn¡¯t learned to crawl before they tried to run. I do not know where this journey will take me, and I do not know how this will change us, but there is power in this process, perhaps for good and for bad. Once Para finished her rant, she faded to the background. Naomi looked in Zarian¡¯s direction a few times, her brow arched in question. When he said nothing, she didn¡¯t press him for answers. She went back to her own review. Zarian didn¡¯t know what to think about all that Para had thought and questioned. She seemed like a person to him. She¡¯d acted in ways that made her a better person than most people. Yet, there was still more to her path of personhood that Zarian couldn¡¯t truly hope to grasp without a risky dive. Even his Unraveled Mind was a little stumped. He probably shouldn¡¯t let his mind unravel too much during this time. Para sounded like she¡¯d submerged deep in her own madness. Any attempt to weave himself into that would mess them both up. Nonetheless, her philosophical issues seemed to grant her existence more power, not less. She also scaled with Wonder now, which made Zarian think the Parasite Cloak +3 was truly the most powerful skill second to Overwhelming Darkness. Zarian¡¯s highest three traits were Willpower, Wonder, and Mysticism, with the latter being chief among them. Para drew power from all three now, which made Zarian¡¯s body even greater in result, which also increased his appetite by a lot, too. Sooner or later, Para and I will need to eat titanic meals to satisfy our hunger. Foodie could cook mythically delicious dishes out of titans, couldn¡¯t she? We need her so much. I¡¯m drooling just thinking about what she can cook and how great it¡¯ll be. She was the Indomitable Cook for a reason. Turning his attention to the other changes, he wasn¡¯t sure how useful the jamming option from High Rune Mindframe +2 would be. Its original purpose and +1 advancement seemed more helpful for him and the party. Besides, he and Para could already do things with their aura that could screw up most people. Thus, out of all the advancements, he favored the +2 for High Rune Mindframe the least and felt a little disappointed. He would¡¯ve preferred a simple aura cost reduction, honestly, to make the skill easier. But that was the only disappointment. One of the other big winners that thrilled Zarian was Spectral Spider Network +3, which had its description streamlined. Better yet, the +3 advancement for the spiders could be the most impactful upgrade ever seen from the sheer potential alone. I can summon more of them. Much more. And they¡¯ll be more self-sufficient now. They won¡¯t need me for aura anymore, won¡¯t they? Zarian was stunned. The sheer potential was immense. After he slowly recomposed himself, he looked down at a spider on his lap and saw the mini wizard hat on its head. The spider went as far as grasping the hat with the tip of its front leg and waving it around. A few more spectral spiders appeared on Zarian¡¯s body. They waved around their new wizard hats, released pulses of little aura bubbles they could better control, and had a wizard hat dance party. It was an astounding sight, and Zarian wasn¡¯t seeing it alone. From across the other side of the room, Bianca noticed the party and the spider¡¯s little wizard hats. She squealed. She bum-rushed Zarian, snatched up a bunch of spiders, and danced around on the tiered elevations. Zarian glowered in her direction, remembering how she used to fear the spiders. Now Bianca danced around with them as if they were her own, the spiders waving around their little wizard hats. ¡°Okay, I have to admit that is cute,¡± Hannah said, breaking her concentration on her review. Zarian sighed. ¡°Yeah, they are. But Bianca stole them away.¡± Hannah shrugged one shoulder. ¡°You know how Bianca is.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Zarian conceded and let Bianca be Bianca. At the very least, Zarian had one more upgrade he could feel happy about. The Grimoire of Weird Freaky Morphs was bolder and freakier now, although Zarian didn¡¯t exactly know what that meant. The grimoire¡¯s prior cowardice had made it hard for Zarian to take it seriously despite it having some useful spells. But Para¡¯s two months of consistent mothering and gentle parenting had resulted in twenty levels, an advancement, Morph having a better attitude, and new spells. Way to go Madre Para. Speaking of spells, it¡¯s time to check those new ones next! I know Para¡¯s in her own world right now, but we did tag team to learn eleven spells the past two months! Zarian was brimming with enthusiasm as he finally checked the spell descriptions provided by the System. He started with the least badass and gradually climbed the badass tree to the top. He was so hyped he was bouncing up and down in his bean bag chair, almost ready to rocket off with a push of aura. This was the reason he chose the evil wizard class. Because the spells came out fucking awesome. 189: B2: C89: Pre-Grimrock Hype Let¡¯s go! Zarian cheered inwardly. Four from Morph: Three from Gator: Three from Black: Three from Voidling: At long last, Zarian acknowledged all the hard studying and patience of the past two months. The grind had turned out enormous, even with their study-enhancing abilities and the intellectual boost from free evil +4. Some of these spells should¡¯ve taken years for wizards to learn. Maybe even decades. But Zarian and Para had crunched the time down to two months. There were still some incredibly hard spells waiting for them in the future. Voidling had one spell that seemed as impossible as the gravity spell. Black had the gravity spell and another seemingly impossible spell. Gator¡¯s folktale-style spells had exploded in complexity and grew into sprawling epics that Zarian and/or Para had to remember perfectly to reach the next part of the lengthening combo spell. Morph¡¯s four spells came out the easiest even though they were the strangest. Morph¡¯s catalog of spells were a broken, haphazardly written, and utter messes. Para not only had to mother the grimoire, she had to connect the discordant pieces and scraps together while learning the spells. Somehow, Para related to Morph better than Zarian and figured out how to learn the messy spells. The results spoke for themselves. I have so many spells! Zarian felt like a little kid on Christmas day. I have so many options of how to play wizard! Zarian looked at all twenty-four spells with some slight adjustments to their arrangement. Voidling came first before Black, Gator, and lastly Morph. Spells: Void Authority (Epic), Void Layer (Legendary), Void Waltz (Legendary), Void Shout (Legendary), Void Madness (Rare), Void Acid (Epic), Minor Void Portal (Legendary), Bloody Lifesteal (Uncommon), Deploy Expert Skeletons (Epic), Black Fire (Rare), Torturous Lightning (Epic), Graven Glacial Tomb (Epic), Arcane Artillery Platform (Legendary), Quagmire Pit (Uncommon), Dread Mire Bite (Rare), Dread Mire Bellow (Epic), Dreadnought Hell Gator (Legendary), Hell Gator Quake (Epic), Hell Gator Crush (Epic), Hellish Breath (Legendary), No Hard Walls (Uncommon), Water to Slime (Rare), Animate The Thing (Epic), Bad Polymorph (Legendary) Zarian¡¯s enthusiasm dimmed a little when he noticed he still lacked direct damaging abilities. His Arcane Artillery Platform spell facilitated a way for Zarian to strike directly once a day, but other than that, none of his spells were point, click, and die spells.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He had spells that drained life energy from their victims. He even had a torture spell. But those would still act with indirect means to kill someone. Twenty-four spells in total. And none of them deal damage directly without some setup. Is this the great joke about my wizard path? Without Overwhelming Darkness, I have to find creative ways to kill people? Granted, he was so uber powerful and ridiculous, he could snuff someone¡¯s life with a solidified press of his aura. He could invade someone¡¯s profile, block their skills, and consume knowledge from their minds, leaving them mostly lame. Or he could let Para do that aura invasion stuff. She was better at being an aura devourer and profile destroyer once she could get her hooks in and dominate. He was better at bending the elements, solidifying his aura, and empowering himself and his friends with Aura Mastery. You know what? All this sets me up as a scarily effective support wizard to a party of badass adventurers, Zarian realized. In the end, I¡¯m kind of like Gilbert, and I didn¡¯t even realize it. He would need to get drunk before he would admit that to Gilbert. Knowing that guy, Gilbert would hold on to it and use it to thump Zarian over the head with his holier-than-thou attitude. Is it the people around us who help us define our personhood, regardless of their faults? This is the basis of what I thought made me who I want to be. Should I question that? Should I tear it down and start anew? Para asked via mind. Yes, question, but don¡¯t take what you have for granted, Zarian thought in answer. I like people. Maybe others don¡¯t, but I do. Some people are assholes. But the ones who aren¡¯t can be really awesome and helpful. So don¡¯t throw that away. Thank you, Para said. You should finish up, by the way. Everyone is waiting for you now. Well, could they blame him? He had a lot to look over. At least he finished with his skill advancements and spells. The next things were small matters. He had a new Level 0 skill. Zarian didn¡¯t blame Para for getting a little overeager when she¡¯d devoured the mind and knowledge of the Destruction Wizard. She¡¯d gone as far as copying his destructive grimoire into Zarian¡¯s profile, which had led to this Level 0 skill. It was practically useless except for serving as extra study material with a ton of holes in it. The most unfortunate part was the considerable aura drain from having a broken Level 0 grimoire in his profile. It was a gas guzzling thing, burning through Zarian¡¯s aura for no clear reason other than for existing in his profile, like a cancerous tumor. Zarian and Para had attempted to get rid of it, but couldn¡¯t. It was stuck there. Like a tumor. I apologize, Para said via mind. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. But we¡¯ve never copied a grimoire before, and so far, Level 0 skills have been great boons. Whatever aura inefficiency they cause has been little trouble. Clearly, that isn¡¯t the case with all Level 0 skills. Zarian took his time to answer. Honestly, consider it a lesson learned. I¡¯ve mentioned before how I wanted to avoid getting too many Level 0 skills, and now we get to see what happens when we think we can copy whatever we want. Let¡¯s be more choosy next time. Para gave him an impression of deep sorrow and sadness. Zarian sent an impression of him hugging her and giving her head pats. He tried to withhold himself from doing it where the others could see in case Para wanted to keep her issues to herself right now. At the very least, Zarian knew how they could deal with the cancerous skill and flip a negative into a positive. But that was for later. He did a quick scan of his natural growth and saw he¡¯d earned 40 stat points from sheer effort. He called out to the others to share his natural stat growth and hear about theirs. The biggest reason they¡¯d withheld their reviews was to help promote growth through effort and training. This was especially important with achievements, since they needed to be opened before they dished out their rewards. Naomi had earned a little less than 30 extra stats. Bianca had earned 50 extra stats. Gilbert had earned about 90 extra stats. And Hannah had leveled up twice, from 84 to 86, and earned a whopping 110 extra stats. If that wasn¡¯t incredible enough, she also had a new trait, Aura Mechanic. Her struggles and efforts from the past two months, especially when she placed herself in situations most crafters would¡¯ve avoided, were well rewarded. Naomi didn¡¯t hide the look of disappointment that struck her. Two months of work hadn¡¯t produced as much as Naomi would¡¯ve preferred. To be fair to the others, they didn¡¯t have her and Zarian¡¯s immense OP-ness. Or that was how Zarian thought of it until Bianca opened her mouth and mentioned something hugely important. And stupidly OP. ¡°I leveled up from 79 to 80 and I¡¯m free good +6 now,¡± said the legendary Light Princess. Everyone, even the envious Naomi, celebrated for Bianca and Hannah. Naomi couldn¡¯t get too mad. Zarian had overheard she¡¯d gotten a trait upgrade from her achievements. Bianca had gotten the same. The spiders danced and waved their little wizard hats around. Gilbert busted out some strong beers. Naomi grabbed one and downed it fast. The hype was real. They had a lot of workshopping and theorizing to do to figure out how everyone could best serve the team and each other. Before that, Zarian turned his attention to his traits to decide which one to upgrade. I think it¡¯s time to push my overpowered nature even further, Zarian thought. He selected the Overpower trait. Oh, that¡¯s disappointing. Hm. Okay, let¡¯s try this. He chose his first trait, Dark Affinity. Wow! What the heck! What should I choose then? Zarian pondered for a bit before picking one of his most helpful abilities, Aura Channel. You know what? That¡¯s awesome. That¡¯s hella awesome. The Level 0 cancer skill was less of an issue now. They could bear that minor mishap until it was time to make their skill section more refined, more efficient. Zarian chuckled. He threw himself into the air and flexed his magic to float around like an astronaut. He checked his origins. It¡¯s there. He had Wizard Hunter in his origins now. He still had no idea what the titles meant when added to his origins. The Star System made no mention of them, and Zarian wasn¡¯t going to beg or force an answer. Maybe it¡¯s attached to our Feats of Adventure? I¡¯ll ask Ruvaria about it later. With his review finished, he joined the others for a fun and critical brainstorm session to meta-game their places in the party. As they did so, Zarian jotted down notes by hand with some inked quill and paper. He put together journal entries for the other profiles with his own thoughts. He liked what he was hearing as everybody theorized. A big grin crossed his face. When we rescue Foodie, it¡¯s going to be like someone sent the hypermagical version of the A-Team. 190: B2: C90: Pre-Grimrock Party Notes (Gilbert) 1 Zarian¡¯s Journal Entry Party Notes (Gilbert) ¨C Early Summer, 1533 D.E: <> Gilbert McDonald: Age 30, Born Early Spring, Outsider, Freedom Leader, Gnoll Elder, Troll Dominator, Free For Real +2, Legendary Knighted Healer, Level 80. Traits (12 Total): Shield Mastery (Uncommon), Health Affinity (Rare), Berserk Vitality (Rare), Knighted Rider (Rare), Stalwart Defender (Rare), Battle Supporter (Rare), Intoxicated Brawler (Uncommon), The Sacrificer (Epic), Unyielding Mentality (Rare), Life Wellspring (Epic), True Grit (Rare), Unbelievable Constitution (Epic). Alpha Skills (5/5): Unified Monk Force +2 (Level 29), Healing Force +2 (Level 49), Adrenaline Jolt +2 (Level 43), Tranquilizer Touch +2 (Level 40), Summon Spirit Steed +2 (Level 39). Beta Skills (2/15): Sacrificial Blow +2 (Level 47), Summon Wizard Hat (Level 0). Stats Per Level: +3 Strength, +1 Agility, +3 Wonder, +6 Free. Stats (1,539 Total): 176 Willpower, 470 Strength, 200 Agility, 400 Wonder, 293 Mysticism, 0 Free. Achievements (18 Total): Reliable Tank (Rare), Mass Healer (Epic), Siege Rider (Rare), Constant Siege Support (Epic), Freedom Leader (Divine), Adventurer Rescuer (Uncommon), Unyielding Hope (Rare), The Sacrificer (Epic), Master Breaker (Mythic), Lesser World Boss Killer (Divine), Arch Cherub Silencer (Divine), Angel Puncher (Divine), You Are The Shield (Epic), True Grit (Rare), Unwavering Belief Despite Evidence (Epic), Unbelievable Constitution (Epic), Troll Drinking Dominator (Legendary), Mighty Troll Wrestler (Epic). Thoughts: Gilbert has come a long, long way. If you think about where he started and how far he¡¯s come, it¡¯s honestly inspiring. We¡¯re returning to the origin point, and I know the events that transpired a year ago still affect him, but he seems to look forward to settling those demons. I¡¯m proud of him. As for his profile, I got it wrong about seeing troll slayer in his origins. He has Troll Dominator instead. I¡¯m not even going to pluck that low hanging fruit. I¡¯ll just leave it be. Let¡¯s move on to traits. I like to think of them in combinations now or groups that synergize the most. Since he has twelve, there should be groups with three or four traits that work amazingly together. Gilbert has a lot of traits that synergize with his skills, too. The first grouping has Shield Mastery, Stalwart Defender, The Sacrificer, and True Grit. With these four traits, Gilbert can stand in his legendary armor with his legendary shield and throw himself around to defend others, soaking hits and staying strong. The second grouping has Health Affinity, Berserk Vitality, Battle Supporter, Life Wellspring, and Unbelievable Constitution. With these five traits, Gilbert is the best healer and physical battle augmenter around. This leads to a strategy where the first grouping makes him a living bulwark that protects others and the second grouping makes it so that none of the damage he takes goes to waste, making him physically stronger while increasing the effectiveness of his healing and other supportive abilities.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The third grouping has Knighted Rider, Intoxicated Brawler, and Unyielding Mentality. With these three traits together, I deem Gilbert the cowboy of the Floridians, granting him that Yee-Haw and Yippee-Ki-Yay factor. I also think of these traits as the unconventional and fun part of Gilbert¡¯s profile and role as tank, support, and bruiser. Now onto his skills. Five in alpha. Two in beta. Only one Level 0 skill, which is his cowboy wizard hat. There isn¡¯t much that needs to be said about the cowboy hat other than it being stylish and helpful for aura manipulation, so let¡¯s focus on the other six. Unified Monk Force +2 stacks well with all of Gilbert¡¯s physical boosts, able to affect his calm, might, toughness, speed, and/or supernatural senses. It¡¯s a great skill for him, pushing him in the direction that keeps him rock steady at the front. Healing Force +2 is the reason I probably haven¡¯t died as much as I should¡¯ve. His range reaches out further than before. He can heal multiple targets. He can slow and prevent the healing of multiple enemies. Better yet, he can overcharge the vitality of others, which can bleed into stamina even if it¡¯s mostly for health. Adrenaline Jolt +2 does what it suggests with none of the negative side effects. It only works on one person for a time and has a hidden cooldown, though. But whoever gets that arcane adrenaline is going to feel like they can fly up to a moon and punch it. Tranquilizer Touch +2 seemed lame at first until Gilbert showed how it can slow down a super-fast and skilled late-game enemy. My entire opinion about this improved, especially since it can extend as a field that affects multiple targets. Summon Spirit Seed +2 brings in our great pal Slip the Sleipnir with spirit armor and sometimes even a helmet with a bladed horn on his head. His battle prowess is fairly high for an eight-legged horse, and he lends Gilbert that needed speed to keep up with the action. Sacrificial Blow +2 is the wild factor that makes Gilbert a lot more dangerous than he seems for a tank. This stacks hugely with the traits in grouping one and grouping two because Gilbert could sacrifice his vitality at will to empower his next physical hit to immense degrees OR empower the next melee strike of an ally. When used on Naomi ¡­ the damage is so horrific I would step my ass into the void before I let that hit me. All of that sounds great, really, but there are some negatives. We weren¡¯t able to get any of Gilbert¡¯s skills to +3 just yet. So we might miss out on even more powerful abilities to go along with his main ones before going into Castle Grimrock. He¡¯s also heavily reliant on being upfront and close to the action with no true ranged attacks. Despite that, we don¡¯t really need Gilbert to do much else than be his upfront self, which comes with two optional roles. One, Fighter Gilbert. Two, Sacrificer Gilbert. Fighter Gilbert would have all of his leveling skills in alpha except Sacrificial Blow +2, which would stay in beta. This would make Gilbert¡¯s style more fight capable because Unified Monk Force +2 would lead the way as he plays bruiser, healer, and support. The other option would be Sacrificer Gilbert, who would have all of his leveling skills in alpha except Unified Monk Force +2, which would go in beta. This version of Gilbert would sacrifice his own health a bunch of times to increase his healing power, overcharge the vitality of others, and pass the sacrificial empowerment to anyone who wants to hit really hard, which would be Naomi. Personally, I like the Fighter role more than the Sacrificer role for Gilbert. The fighter version feels more balanced and more fair to Gilbert. And we shouldn¡¯t be taking so much damage in the first place where we need super mega healing or overcharged vitality. On top of that, the Sacrificial Blow +2 melee empowerment can still hit hard even with a debuff from the beta section. Unless we¡¯re in a desperate fight against something enormously tough, Fighter Gilbert is the most optimal version of him. I explained all of that to Gilbert and Naomi. Naomi doesn¡¯t mind, and Gilbert seems happy that nobody¡¯s going to force him to sacrifice himself all the time for min-maxing purposes. Only sometimes. <> 191: B2: C91: Pre-Grimrock Party Notes (Hannah) 2 Zarian¡¯s Journal Entry Party Notes (Hannah) ¨C Early Summer, 1533 D.E: <> Hannah Townhouse: Age 31, Born Mid Spring, Outsider, Freedom Leader, Gnoll Elder, Knight Destroyer, Free For Real +2, Legendary Runic Engineer, Level 86. Traits (12 Total): Weakness Sensor (Uncommon), Rune Affinity (Rare), Lore Eater (Epic), Runic Mystic Intensity (Epic), Runic Inventive Genius (Epic), True Architect (Epic), Side Quest Rich (Rare), Unstoppable Research (Epic), Warcraft Master (Legendary), Armor Wrecker (Rare), Aura Generator (Epic), Aura Mechanic (Epic). Alpha Skills (5/5): Cube Maker Magic +3 (Level 52), Enchantment +3 (Level 50), Rune Alteration +2 (Level 49), Rune Scan +2 (Level 46), Summon Magical Intelligence +2 (Level 33). Beta Skills (3/15): Mystic Rush Tank +2 (Level 33), Tranquil Mind (Level 0), Summon Wizard Hat (Level 0). Stats Per Level: +2 Willpower, +1 Agility, +1 Wonder, +3 Mysticism, +6 Free. Stats (1,753 Total): 396 Willpower, 90 Strength, 197 Agility, 365 Wonder, 705 Mysticism, 0 Free. Achievements (21 Total): Rune Seeker of the Forgotten Kingdom (Epic), SSS Genius Beyond the Lore Eater (Epic), Enchantment Jammer (Rare), Rapid Fortress Builder (Epic), Freedom Leader (Divine), True Architect (Epic), People Manager (Epic), Runic Intellectual (Epic), Side Quest Windfall (Rare), Master Breaker (Mythic), Lesser World Boss Killer (Divine), Arch Cherub Silencer (Divine), Angel Blaster (Divine), Intellectual Punching Bag (Epic), The Smartest Little Tank (Epic), Limit Pusher (Epic), Aura Generator (Legendary), Berserk Crafter (Epic), Knightly Destroyer (Rare), Unearthing The Forgotten (Epic), Intensely Expedient Builder (Epic). Thoughts: Daaaaaamn, Hannah, you¡¯ve been on the grind! Look at you go, killer! And here we thought only Naomi had unreasonable amounts of determination. It turns out if you give an Alabamian-turned-Floridian a glimpse of having absolute power and godly control, she¡¯ll sink her teeth into it and won¡¯t let go. Granted, I think Hannah is going to want to take a break from the hardcore training and give herself some time to feel human again, which is understandable. I think we can all use some reprieve once we secure Foodie and make sure she¡¯s safe and sound. Hannah got the Knight Destroyer in her origins now. Honestly, isn¡¯t the reason plate armor and knights went out of fashion because of technological advances? Huh ¡­ that feels thematic with Hannah, really. As for the traits, let¡¯s group them up. There¡¯s twelve of them, but they might not be so evenly numbered. The first grouping has Lore Eater, Side Quest Rich, and Unstoppable Research. Why these three together? Because it¡¯s Hannah¡¯s low key cheat traits. Now that I¡¯m grouping traits together, I can better see how members of my party are growing into their OP-ness and this is Hannah¡¯s way of doing it by wolfing down large amounts of applicable knowledge and acquiring a deluge of side quests from the Star System. If it wasn¡¯t for Hannah¡¯s bravery and tough mentality, she could¡¯ve trapped herself in the village and try to grow herself through knowledge and side quests. But we both know that would¡¯ve made her too fragile. The second grouping has Weakness Sensor, Rune Affinity, Runic Mystic Intensity, Runic Inventive Genius, True Architect, Warcraft Master, and Armor Wrecker. The reason this grouping of traits is so large is because it¡¯s the central pillar of who and what Hannah is. Since traits are born more from the soul, regardless of how they are rewarded, they are tied heavily to the core essence of our being. And the second grouping covers all how Hannah is amazing in a workshop, on a construction site, on the battlefield, or even in the enemy¡¯s face. She can build. She can destroy what others have built. She can do it all at once. The third grouping is Aura Generator and Aura Mechanic. These two are new for Hannah and incredibly useful. Aura Generator pushes Hannah¡¯s aura recovery so high it¡¯s shocking, and it improves the aura recovery of others nearby. Aura Mechanic is a more articulate, precise, and powerful version of my former Basic Aura Manipulation while less flexible and less wide reaching than my current Aura Mastery. Nonetheless, Hannah is for sure a Tier 4 with these two traits on top of everything else. When it comes down to her skills, the scalability of what they can achieve and her potential keeps skyrocketing. Cube Maker Magic +3 is the bullshit Minecraft power on super steroids. It¡¯s cheap, easy, magically malleable and conductive, and comes with high production speeds while maintaining high quality. Even I think this skill is cheating! Enchantment +3 makes me nostalgic for when Hannah only had Basic Enchantment and could only enchant a few things. I was so excited for her before she realized how awesome she will become. Now she¡¯s striding forward and upward with more confidence, with more knowledge of runes, with more complex enchantments under her belt, and with a hunger to learn more and more. Anyway, the best way to describe this is that most legendary items we find on our adventures are best served feeding our dungeon because Hannah can make us better gear.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Rune Alteration +2 lets Hannah change enchantments on the fly or change the enchantments of something else. She missed out on getting the +3 advancement, but that¡¯s fine. This skill is still stupid busted with how capable Hannah is and how defenseless most people are with protecting their own enchantments. Rune Scanner +2 is going to do amazing things now that Hannah has Aura Mechanic. She won¡¯t need to rely on her eyes anymore. I almost want to feel bad for others who are reliant on their enchantments if they get within the range of Hannah¡¯s aura and this skill¡¯s magic. Summon Magical Intelligence +2 is a helpful skill that produces a helpful guy named Magi who looks like a well-dressed slender man. Too bad we left him in Ride-or-Die Village to help over there. The skill seems unable to level up right now as a trade-off for having Magi elsewhere. Mystic Rush Tank +2 is one of my top favorite skills of all our skills because it wants Hannah to throw herself face first into combat for the full benefits of this skill. Now, that might seem dumb because even with one skill, Hannah shouldn¡¯t be able to outright tank and overcome more physical fighters. Well, that¡¯s why the SECOND GROUPING matters so much because Hannah can actually turn herself into a ridiculously strong and tanky fighter by inventing, enchanting, and doing crafty stuff in the heat of a fight, which boosts her Mysticism, which boosts Mystic Rush Tank +2 by a lot, and the skill is already very high in quality, so it¡¯s powerful on its own either way. So, yeah, I like this skill. I even like how the +1 advancement allows Hannah to coast in the midrange and attack while receiving a more moderate boost. The +2 advancement comes with the glass cannon feature and ¡­ well ¡­ Hannah needs to promise to be very safe and careful if she uses the glass cannon feature. She has two Level 0 skills, Tranquil Mind, and her hard wizard hat. Nothing much to say there. Now, what¡¯s the downsides to Hannah¡¯s build? There aren¡¯t many other than that she needs to build or break down things constantly and be aggressive. Maybe if someone can impede her process and disrupt her concentration, they can royally screw her up. Thankfully, her Willpower has grown a lot, so her mind is more secure, and she has free for real +2, so it¡¯s harder for others to go in and mess with her. But that¡¯s still a weakness if Hannah faces someone similar to Naomi who is great at disruption. But the chances of that are low. So that leaves Hannah with three optional roles to play in our party. One, Artillery Hannah. Two, Berserk Hannah. Three, Gunner Hannah. Artillery Hannah keeps Mystic Rush Tank +2 in the beta section and sits back. She sips on a fruity beer and lets her biggest magic guns fire from afar. She can safely use the glass cannon option even for extra oomph. And she can create magic artillery rounds live to buff herself before she shoots all her guns. This is also the reason Hannah¡¯s a Tier 4, a destroyer of civilizations. She can build magic artillery guns from the land at a rapid pace and have them rain destruction and fire down on a city, leveling it without the action costing her too much. Berserk Hannah is the opposite. She¡¯s rushing forward. She¡¯s aggressive. Mystic Rush Tank +2 is definitely going to stay in the alpha section while Rune Scan +2 goes into the beta section. Thanks to having Aura Mechanic, Hannah can still scan runes efficiently regardless of the debuff. This way, Hannah¡¯s Cube Maker Magic +3, Enchantment +3, and Rune Alteration +2 can work together with Mystic Rush Tank +2 to make her a creator and destroyer, a crafting battlefield berserker. However, this version of Hannah¡¯s quite risky and leaves her open to getting thrashed or killed by more powerful melee opponents or those who can disrupt her process. Gunner Hannah is my favorite version. It bridges the qualities of Artillery Hannah with Berserk Hannah without putting Hannah too far into the frontline. Basically, Hannah hauls a personal cannon or two with her that¡¯s more human-sized. She makes rounds on the fly, shoots from the midrange, applies other enchantments and mystical powers and crafts, and can call in arty support from the artillery battery she¡¯ll leave in a secured location. This, of course, requires my help with the spectral spiders ¨C who we will deem Team Arty ¨C being established on site of the artillery battery. She¡¯ll have to pre-create various rounds and establish simple and automated golems that can load these rounds with Team Arty directing them, but the pre-work would lead to absolute domination of most operations. After doing some workshopping, and gushing over the idea of Gunner Hannah, I think Hannah agrees with me. She doesn¡¯t want to be far from the action, but she doesn¡¯t need to throw her face into it. The biggest problem is deciding on which skill should go in the beta section, and after some back-and-forth debating, Mystic Rush Tank +2 is better off in the beta section with the option of switching it with Rune Scan +2 if Hannah needs the glass cannon feature to set up for a big, big hit. Since she¡¯ll stay in the midrange, she should have opportunities to switch the two skills around from alpha to beta and back for different situations, making Gunner Hannah even more flexible. Also, having Hannah on site makes it easier for her to see things more directly along with me. Her Aura Mechanic and Aura Generator with my Aura Mastery and Aura Magnificence are powerful together and very helpful for the party overall. Hannah looks happy hearing all of that. She¡¯s smiling more, even. I think ¡­ she¡¯s forgiven me for sure. She¡¯s definitely glowing after all she¡¯d achieved. There¡¯s genuine excitement blazing out of Hannah¡¯s puzzle-like aura as she pokes and prods at my aura. I poke and prod at her aura and tease her into little aura contests where we push and pull. I¡¯m kind enough to let her think she can beat me before I gently crush her. She laughs it off and challenges my aura once again. Para doesn¡¯t join in, but she shares some impressions of joy and pride in Hannah¡¯s growth and accomplishments. <> 192: B2: C92: Pre-Grimrock Party Notes (Bianca) 3 Zarian¡¯s Journal Entry Party Notes (Bianca) ¨C Early Summer, 1533 D.E: <> Bianca Garcia: Age 20, Born Mid Spring, Royal Outsider, Freedom Leader, Gnoll Elder, Sunshine Heraldess, Free Good +6, Legendary Light Princess, Level 80. Traits (11 Total): Light Affinity (Rare), Aura Charge (Rare), Wondrous Princess Regality (Epic), Feathery Grace (Uncommon), Overcomer (Epic), Hellish Endurance (Rare), Shining Hope (Rare), Great Meditation (Epic), Evil Hunter (Rare), Six Step Dancing Princess Sword Style (Epic), Sainted Smite (Legendary). Alpha Skills (5/5): Super Serene Rampage +2 (Level 25), Searing Flash Array +3 (Level 50), Refraction +2 (Level 46), Light Construction +2 (Level 47), Light Step +2 (Level 45). Beta Skills (3/15): Shining Mark +2 (Level 39), Wondrous Speed (Level 0), Summon Wizard Hat (Level 0). Stats Per Level: +1 Agility, +5 Wonder, +1 Mysticism, +6 Free. Stats (1,461 Total): 188 Willpower, 61 Strength, 198 Agility, 738 Wonder, 276 Mysticism, 0 Free. Achievements (20 Total): Heroes of the Eternal Garden Kingdom (Legendary), Junior Manslaughterer (Uncommon), Crusader Annihilation (Rare), First Corma Dragon Slayer in Many Years (Legendary), Lizard Slayer (Uncommon), Hell Slayer (Rare), Freedom Leader (Divine), Goodness Philosopher (Legendary), Good Meditation (Rare), Master Breaker (Mythic), Lesser World Boss Killer (Divine), Arch Cherub Silencer (Divine), Corrupted Hunter (Mythic), Sword Dancer (Epic), Attacking With The Power of Love (Epic), Trauma Overcomer (Rare), Troll Drinker (Uncommon), Royal Vampire Slayer (Rare), Princess Domination (Legendary), Pinnacle Goodness of the Lesser Worlds (Mythical). Thoughts: Is it weird to admit that Bianca¡¯s the third strongest in our party? Also, I hope Naomi doesn¡¯t find this, but there¡¯s a chance that Bianca could catch her off guard and beat her. It¡¯s a very slim chance, but it¡¯s hard to measure the power of motherfucking free good +6 when you can¡¯t really pin down Bianca because of how her mood can swing dramatically. Regardless of that, let¡¯s bring attention to her origins. She has the Sunshine Heraldess title there, which isn¡¯t unexpected. What¡¯s a total surprise is the Royal Outsider title. That wasn¡¯t there before. Now it¡¯s there. I¡¯m starting to wonder if Bianca Garcia has a hidden bloodline deep inside of her. What if she¡¯s actually a minor goddess or something else mythical? How much of her talent comes from her specifically? Or is there something inside of her that¡¯s emerging? Gilbert had his own little magic coming from the old world, right? That¡¯s how he survived having his neck broken by Jack. But Bianca didn¡¯t stat with anything extra other than her stupidly bright and high-quality flash skill. Hm. Interesting. If there¡¯s one thing of note that I must put down before moving on to traits ¡­ It¡¯s that free good +6 can be stronger than traditional good +7, but I think it¡¯s much harder for Bianca to summon that level of OP goodness out of her. I¡¯ll talk about that more later. Let¡¯s group up those traits! The first grouping involves Light Affinity, Aura Charge, Evil Hunter, and the newly upgraded Sainted Smite. With these four traits and Bianca¡¯s goodness, she can make herself a demigoddess of laser beams and erase most of her problems, especially if they¡¯re evil! Dang, writing about this unnerves me a little, and we¡¯re both under the freedom alignment. The second grouping involves Wondrous Princess Regality, Feathery Grace, Shining Hope, Great Meditation, and Six Step Dancing Princess Sword Style. The latter came from an achievement that gives her knowledge of some epic killer dance sword technique that can supposedly destroy an opponent in six steps while keeping her royal bearing. I think of this grouping of traits as the connective tissue that keeps Bianca¡¯s madness structured. When looked at this way, you can see how her ability to destroy with light and free goodness is wrapped in a princess persona that makes her both welcoming, glamorous, and deadly. It sells a story, in fact, where Bianca¡¯s both charming and killer, both beautiful and battle ready. And the more I describe this, the more I find a spot of empathy in my black heart for the fools who stand in her way, such as myself that one time. The third grouping joins Overcomer and Hellish Endurance. I found these two traits a little out of place at first glance, but I know deep down Bianca has more grit and scrappiness to her than it seems on the surface. I think this grouping is the most dangerous, because it¡¯s not apparent that Bianca can take a punch, get back up, and come at you again and again like a terminator. That¡¯s why the second grouping matters, because it hides Bianca¡¯s hidden grittiness while combining with her power to smite foes.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. When it comes down to her skills, it¡¯s a little troubling that I can see areas where she can be more flexible and cunning. But it¡¯s possible that isn¡¯t suitable for Bianca. Unlike me, she can point, click, and kill. So, why not do more of that? Super Serene Rampage +2 has found itself in the forefront of Bianca¡¯s shifting style because it¡¯s really great at making Bianca a juggernaut off the power of her Wonder stat alone. Of course, the aura cost is heinous, so Bianca can only play She-Hulk only every now and then, and not when against a real She-Hulk like Naomi. Searing Flash Array +3 is the end all be all when Bianca wants to get serious, especially when its advancements grant it huge damage potential, reduced cost, and an enhancement for when the alignment is in effect, generating more power out of free good +6. So ¡­ yeah, point, click, die. Refraction +2 is the type of skill that makes me think Bianca doesn¡¯t care for tricks as much anymore. She¡¯s more direct now. Sure, she can still do illusions proficiently. She can go invisible or make others go invisible. She can do a lot of clever tactics with this if the enemy is reliant on vision mainly. But Bianca likes this skill more for supporting Searing Flash Array +3 or for when she mixes it up with Light Construction +2. Light Construction +2 is by far the most comic book part of Bianca¡¯s profile. If anyone hasn¡¯t figured it out, this skill basically makes Bianca a Green Lantern. Of course, she enjoys using it for conjuring swords of light that make her look like a Jedi. But now and then, when the heat is dialed up, I see Bianca getting more creative with this skill ¨C I love it when she forms copies of herself using Refraction +2, since they can strike with hard light swords because of Light Construction +2. Light Step +2 has seen less use as of late, and that¡¯s not a bad thing. Bianca¡¯s becoming more proficient at moving with her own two solid feet. She can use this skill to turn into a bunch of lights more sparingly to catch enemies off guard instead of relying on it. But if she wants to be scary, she can also use this skill for offensive purposes and burn through a mob like apocalyptic death locusts sent by the heavens. Shining Mark +2 hasn¡¯t seen its fair share of use, to be honest, and is most likely going to stay in the beta section. There¡¯s been a few missed opportunities to make it shine for real, pun intended. I remember how annoying it was to have this applied to me when Bianca and I had that fight before the Dark Apocalypse. The fact that it hinders the focus of the victim, reduces evil powers, and increases the accuracy of allies on a marked target makes it a nice skill to have in Bianca¡¯s back pocket for when she does use it effectively. There¡¯s also her Level 0 Wonderous Speed, which is still effective on her, and her feathery fedora wizard hat, another Level 0. Looking back at what I¡¯ve written so far, it seems like I¡¯ve been overly negative towards Bianca¡¯s way of doing things. That¡¯s not fair to her. But I think I¡¯m writing this down because she¡¯s in a weird position that puts her in Tier 4 even though there is a possibility that she can¡¯t muster that Tier 4 destructiveness when she¡¯s on a downward spiral. That and looking at how she¡¯s progressed herself so far has revealed a few holes in her game that can use some tightening up. The biggest issue is she¡¯s still an aura guzzler, maybe more so now than ever. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that her attacks can come out extremely powerful, she would be more reliant on others to keep her going. Regardless of all of that, I¡¯m proud of her. She didn¡¯t let what happened with traditional good +5 bring her down completely. She looks brighter and ready for action. She truly overcame that setback. She can iron out the kinks in her tactics with more time and growth. Besides, her potential is so powerful she is still ahead of Hannah and Gilbert, and she¡¯s a low key threat to Naomi. Maybe not even low key since I¡¯m still unsure of how far free good +6 can push things. Maybe she can skip past Naomi and threaten me. Wouldn¡¯t that be a shocker? So what roles of Bianca can we see in our party? None. None that are solid, really. Bianca is going to be Bianca. I think it¡¯s safe to give up on putting her in a box. She will still attempt to fulfill anyone¡¯s requests, but then she might quickly redirect depending on something she can sense that we can¡¯t. Having 738 Wonder is significant. Bianca can perceive things that¡¯s different from what Hannah and I can sense with our aura abilities. I trust that Hannah and I can sense 99% of problems. Bianca can sense the 1% thing that we can¡¯t. With that said, if I was to construct two or three roles for Bianca, I can see her as Sword Princess Bianca or Demigoddess Bianca. Neither would have a change in which skills were alpha or beta. That doesn¡¯t matter as much. It¡¯s the philosophy of her approach that matters. Will Bianca strut forward and defeat an enemy in six dancing steps? That¡¯s Sword Princess Bianca. Or will Bianca point, click, and smite without even having to lift a finger? That¡¯s Demigoddess Bianca. Since Bianca¡¯s going to be Bianca, I imagine she¡¯ll shift from one version to another. And if she¡¯s feeling really helpful, we might even get the rare version of her that¡¯s Bright Support Bianca. So yeah, that¡¯s the three possibilities of Bianca we can see from her at any time: Sword Princess, Demigoddess, and Bright Support. I wish I could pin her down better for party optimization and forewarning. But she is free good +6, so I¡¯m going to let Bianca¡¯s mood take the wheel there on how she fits. Even if she does surprising stuff, it¡¯s going to be for the better. <> 193: B2: C93: Pre-Grimrock Party Notes (Naomi) 4 Zarian¡¯s Journal Entry Party Notes (Naomi) ¨C Early Summer, 1533 D.E: <> Naomi Washington: Age 27, Born Early Summer, Super Outsider, Freedom Leader, Sigma Gnoll Elder, Lady Instructor, Sky Bringer, Free For Real +3, Epic Rumble Psion, Level 90. Traits (15 Total): Psionic Affinity (Rare), High Intimidation (Uncommon), Juggernaut Hitter (Rare), Little Giant (Rare), Battle Maniac (Rare), Power Seeker (Epic), Aura Ignition/First Stage (Epic), Physical Freak (Rare), Truly A Savage (Rare), Fatal Finisher (Rare), Thematic Concept/Even Further Beyond (Divine), Vitality Monster (Epic), Adventurous Breaker (Epic), Mental Sharpness (Rare), Barehanded Sage (Epic). Alpha Skills (5/5): Primal Huntress Form +2 (Level 26), Psychokinesis +3 (Level 54), Overclock +3 (Level 53), Earth-Sky Meditation +3 (Level 50), Mind Spike +2 (Level 49). Beta Skills (3/15): Tranquil Mind +3 (Level 53), Willful Might (Level 0), Summon Wizard Hat (Level 0). Stats Per Level: +3 Willpower, +1 Strength, +1 Agility, +7 Free. Stats (1,789 Total): 710 Willpower, 508 Strength, 450 Agility, 60 Wonder, 61 Mysticism, 0 Free. Achievements (25 Total): Junior Manslaughterer (Uncommon), Barehanded Enthusiast (Rare), Perfected First Stage Aura Ignition (Legendary), Cannon Arm (Rare), Lizard Slayer (Uncommon), Freedom Leader (Divine), Battle Maniac (Rare), One Who Seeks Power Relentlessly (Epic), Smiling Masochist (Rare), Mentally Insane (Rare), Half Ignition Discovery (Legendary), Master Breaker (Mythical), Truly A Savage (Epic), Fatal Finisher (Epic), Wear Your War Wounds (Epic), One Punch Woman (Epic), Lesser World Boss Killer (Divine), Legendary Lair Conqueror (Legendary), Even Further Beyond (Divine), Insane Martial Instructor (Rare), You Would Break Most Adventurers (Epic), Gravity Chamber Lifter (Legendary), Blood Rites Enthusiast (Rare), Literal Mind Over Matter Sword Maker (Epic), She Who Frees The Sky (Mythical). Thoughts: There¡¯s a lot I can say about Naomi. Some of which aren¡¯t objective. She just turned 27 this month. We hadn¡¯t celebrated it yet, but I¡¯m wondering what would be the best time. Before Operation Save The Cook or afterward? Maybe before. The tension between us is pretty high. And I¡¯m not clueless. I know what¡¯s going on. Regardless of the personal stuff, I¡¯ve noticed several changes in her origins. There¡¯s the Super Outsider title, which makes sense. She did a super thing resisting my Overwhelming Darkness two months ago. Then there¡¯s the addition of Lady Instructor and Sky Bringer, which are known factors, but it¡¯s interesting to see Lady Instructor getting applied so late. I wonder if there¡¯s a delay for some reason, or if there needs to be certain requirements met before more is added to the origins. It¡¯s almost to where growing your origins is harder than collecting achievements. No, wait, it¡¯s definitely harder. Moving on, we can see that Naomi has the highest amount of traits in the party. The first grouping has Power Seeker, First Ignition, and Thematic Concept/Even Further Beyond. Aura Ignition and a Thematic Concept are in a league of their own for how much potential Naomi has when she pushes so stupidly hard she can break her own immensely powerful and dynamic body to do things mortals shouldn¡¯t be able to do. Power Seeker encourages Naomi to seek those who are more powerful than her by a large degree, which then boosts her abilities even higher. These three traits together are a perfect representation of her dogged and dumb-as-a-brick determination that a proper Marine should have. I¡¯m proud of her for this. The second grouping includes Juggernaut Hitter, Little Giant, Battle Maniac, Truly A Savage, Fatal Finisher, Vitality Monster, Adventurous Breaker, and her newly upgraded Barehanded Sage. This grouping synergies strongly together because it¡¯s pretty much about Naomi going cave woman crazy against her foe with her bare hands, feet, and even her forehead. It¡¯s really that simple, but it¡¯s quite devastating. The last grouping includes Psionic Affinity, High Intimidation, and Mental Sharpness. With this, she has some inherent buffs for her psychic stuff and can intimidate most of her enemies into hesitating or making mistakes. It doesn¡¯t really seem like a big deal when she¡¯s running around trying to punch or kick things, but every bit helps leverage how stupid powerful of a melee fighter she is. When it comes down to her skills, I like how they synergize together with the rest of her profile.Stolen story; please report. Primal Huntress Form +2 is Naomi¡¯s dirty secret of a skill that¡¯s not really a secret. She still gets embarrassed when she uses it, and she tries to only use it when she¡¯s sure the others aren¡¯t looking. But everyone has seen glimpses of it so far. Somehow, Naomi leveled it up to having two advancements. With this skill, she can shift her form to something close to a predatory beast, making her faster, tougher, sharper, and more of a killer. She can even grow for more Strength or shrink for more Agility. But all of this comes with a high aura cost. Psychokinesis +3 is Naomi¡¯s bread and butter skill. She doesn¡¯t use the option to manipulate her surroundings often, since it¡¯s stronger the closer it is to her body. But when Naomi uses it for hitting stuff or lifting things with her hands, it¡¯s scary, scary strong on her. Now that it¡¯s +3, the skill has become more efficient and cost effective, which means Naomi can use the feature that builds static and dishes out lightning and thunder. She was avoiding those because of the high aura cost, but that isn¡¯t much of a problem anymore. Overclock +3 is a cheat skill about breaking limits of the mind and the body and empowering both for physical and psionic purposes. So not only does Naomi already have a bunch of limit-breaker buffs from her traits, she has it in this skill, too. No wonder she¡¯s struggling to grow her stats. How can she when she has these crazy limit-breaking stuff? What are the limits for her, really? Earth-Sky Meditation +3 is another cheat skill. Everyone else has major points in Wonder or Mysticism. Hell, even Bianca has points dedicated to Mysticism even though she loves Wonder a lot more. Because of this skill, Naomi can avoid that. She can meditate and boost her Wonder and Mysticism significantly enough to recover aura faster. She can also boost her vitality and self-healing, too. It¡¯s nowhere near as effective as having Gilbert to heal her, and her aura recovery won¡¯t be as great as mine or Hannah¡¯s, but Naomi has her bases covered. Mind Spike +2 has fallen a little out of favor for Naomi these past two months as she worked on improving her body and battle prowess. But this is still a powerful skill. If the targets have low Willpower and vitality, then Naomi¡¯s psychic spike sent straight to their mind will disrupt their focus and cause major brain hemorrhaging at the very least. Sometimes, with the right set up, it can straight up kill enemies with a single look. Tranquil Mind +3 has also fallen a little out of favor. It¡¯s still useful to have even if Naomi¡¯s so powerful and high on Willpower. She can use it to help the others and keep their minds clear of debuffs and negative effects. Last, there are the Level 0 skills, such as Willful Might, which Naomi can use very well because of her abilities and stats, and the pointy witch hat that sits at an angle on her head. With all of that said, If there¡¯s one obvious weakness with Naomi it¡¯s that she¡¯s the least flexible person in the party. Even Gilbert is more flexible than her. Her best qualities in combat are hitting something really hard or making herself so strong and tough her body refuses death. Outside of that, she lacks utility most of the time. The sad part is that I¡¯ve seen glimpses of Naomi being creative with her psychic powers, but I can tell that¡¯s not how she prefers things. She¡¯s all about being in the middle of the fight and going hard, to where that can lead to tunnel vision sometimes. That¡¯s what makes her special, too. And I know she¡¯s been more considerate of others and how to place herself. It also helps that we¡¯ve been at this for a year now. The time and hard work has smoothened out many of our wrinkles compared to our early days. On top of that, we have my Spectral Spider Network +3 and High Rune Mindframe +2, which Naomi vibes with very well because of her psychic abilities. So everyone is more capable of staying on the same page like brain-enhanced super soldiers, which should free up Naomi from having to deal with lack of coordination while she serves as the point woman, the tip of the spear. She¡¯s the first one to go in and maybe even the last one to leave depending on the situation. Sometimes it would be better for Gilbert to go first, but nine times out of ten, I see us leading with Naomi for the first close-up attack. Which may happen before or after Hannah and I bombard the area and throw down some wicked and effective magic. With that said, there are minor variations in Naomi we can see from her. There¡¯s Reckless Naomi or Tactical Naomi. Reckless Naomi is something I would let off the leash if I¡¯m too busy to pay attention to the fight. However, Tactical Naomi is better for the party overall and may even show some flexibility. Either way, I can only imagine how terrified our enemies will be to see an unstoppable woman covered in psychic energy and thunderbolts as she charges straight through them. Gilbert will be close at Naomi¡¯s heels. Bianca will be somewhere active either at the front or the midrange. Hannah will be at the midrange or next to me in the back. And I¡¯ll be playing more into my specific role for once, battlefield wizard. ¡­ I guess with all of that theorizing and meta-gaming over with and my thoughts written, it¡¯s time to catch some shuteye and start Operation Save The Cook in the morning. See you soon, Foodie, we¡¯re almost there. Maybe you can help me bake a birthday cake for Naomi¡­ Huh. Speak of the devil. Naomi¡¯s right outside of my bunker room. She¡¯s not wearing much. Be right back, journal. Okay. I¡¯m back. So. She told me what she wants for her birthday. It¡¯s quite simple. And it can happen after Grimrock. First, she wants a cake from Foodie once the little goblin is safe and sound. I guessed right on that. Second, she wants to go somewhere private with only the two of us. <> 194: B2: C94: Pre-Grimrock Bonus Notes (Zarian) 5 Para¡¯s Journal Entry Party Notes (Zarian) ¨C Early Summer, 1533 D.E: <> Zarian Darkrun: Age 22, Born Late Winter, Dreaded Outsider, Dungeon Master, Freedom Leader, Dark Lord, Aura Master, Alpha Gnoll Elder, Wizard Hunter, Free Evil +4, Legendary Madness Wizard, Level 92. Traits (14 Total): Dark Affinity (Rare), Overpower (Epic), Identify (Rare), Frenzy Zone (Uncommon), Uncanny Valley Effect (Rare), Void Mysticism (Rare), Lore Eater (Epic), Thematic Law/Floridian Mindset (Divine), The Dreaded One (Epic), Bearer of the Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style (Legendary), Unraveled Mind (Rare), Aura Mastery (Legendary), Warp Adaptation (Epic), Aura Magnificence (Epic). Alpha Skills (5/5): Overwhelming Darkness (Level 15), Parasite Cloak +3 (Level 54), Spectral Spider Network +3 (Level 50), Summon Wizard Hat +3 (Level 54), High Rune Mindframe +2 (Level 28). Beta Skills (7/15): Advanced Grimoire of the Voidling Exile +1 (Level 22), Advanced Grimoire of Black Magic +1 (Level 19), Advanced Grimoire of the Hell Gator +1 (Level 12), Grimoire of Weird Freaky Morphs (Level 20), Willful Might (Level 0), Wondrous Speed (Level 0), Mystic Toughness (Level 0), Shredded Grimoire of Battlefield Destruction (Level 0). Stats Per Level: +2 Willpower, +2 Wonder, +3 Mysticism, +7 free. Stats (1,772 Total): 508 Willpower, 62 Strength, 54 Agility, 515 Wonder, 633 Mysticism, 0 Free. Achievements (30 Total): Honored Outsider (Divine), SSS Dance with White Silk Reiki (Epic), Heroes of the Eternal Garden Kingdom (Legendary), Divine Knock Knock (Divine), Junior Manslaughterer (Uncommon), Initial Pacifist Gauntlet (Rare), First Human Gnoll Elder of Corma (Epic), SSS Genius Beyond the Lore Eater (Epic), Boon Wrecker (Divine), Befriending Gods (Divine), Rare Dungeon Master (Rare), Lizard Slayer (Uncommon), Divine Enemy (Divine), Dreaded Outsider (Divine), Freedom Leader (Divine), Master Breaker (Mythical), Attrition Warfare (Legendary), Lesser World Boss Killer (Divine), Arch Cherub Silencer (Divine), You Got a Friend in Me (Epic), Make a God Cry (Divine), Keep Infinita Safe (Divine), Legendary Lair Conquest (Legendary), Greater Boon Avatar Domination (Divine), Foundational Cultivator (Rare), Head Pats for Gnolls (Epic), Immense Training Obstacle (Epic), Troll Drinker (Uncommon), Bringing Aura to a Wizard Duel (Epic), Crossdeath Conqueror (Mythical). Thoughts: Hello! This isn¡¯t you. You¡¯re asleep right now. It¡¯s me, Para! I¡¯m using our aura to see while I write with a hand made from our cloak. I figured it¡¯ll be interesting to write my thoughts on your profile and how it stands to serve you and our friends. I hope you don¡¯t mind. It feels nice to get out of my confused thoughts about personhood and put attention elsewhere, such as towards my host. I think your origins are missing a few things, specifically something to address how you¡¯re Shadowfell¡¯s husband. That has been mentioned many times so far, becoming part of the lore of the world, and lore and history seem to matter in Infinita. I like how that matters, because it makes everything around us more meaningful. Dreaded Outsider is yours because many dread you, which fits you better than the old Honorable Outsider. Dungeon Master is yours because Reiki wants you to be her master, which is smart of her, because she gets to eat lots of yummy legendary items while growing stronger and stronger as our dungeon. Freedom Leader is yours because you were the first, and we must spread it! Dark Lord has many meanings, some literal, and some more nuanced, and I like all of those meanings. Becoming an Aura Master under Teacher Ruvaria¡¯s guidance was a beautiful moment, and I enjoyed feeling how you felt, both amazed and humble, both filled with joy and ambition. I like Teacher Ruvaria a lot, even if she¡¯s done a lot of bad things.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. I also like Ezda, who really sees you as a god and is honored that you did the blood rites to become a true Alpha Gnoll Elder. The gnolls seemed much happier after we gave them head pats. Then there¡¯s Wizard Hunter ¡­ which I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s for you. It might be more for me ¡­ I like the idea of hunting wizards who think they are better when they are not. Is that wrong? Perhaps it is, but strangely enough, I¡¯m okay with this wrongness. I will try to reserve this part of me for those who think they are above you or Teacher Ruvaria. Moving on to traits, I think I¡¯m going to use your grouping idea, but maybe more liberally. Grouping one only has one trait, Overpower. Why is that? It¡¯s because this trait is the only one that buffs all of your stats without needing a reason to activate. Naomi and Bianca have similar traits like this one, but those have special conditions. Technically, your total stats are 2,215, although this can fluctuate if you use Overpower to boost one skill. Grouping two involves Identify, Lore Eater, Unraveled Mind, and Thematic Law/Floridian Mindset. I like these together because it helps you learn quickly and see hidden details about the world that others wouldn¡¯t know. It¡¯s quite advantageous for a wizard, especially if you¡¯re sneaky about it. Or not. You are powerful enough where sneakiness is usually unnecessary, leading to direct confrontations you will win before devouring what¡¯s yours by the right of might. Also, the Thematic Law empowers me greatly, which makes me a very strong skill and helpful companion who can cast spells with you. Grouping three has Frenzy Zone, Uncanny Valley Effect, and the Dreaded One. This group is simple in its purpose but quite useful when we want to make others fear us by acting unreasonably determined or by giving them a glimpse of our mighty nature. Our enemies taste better when they are afraid, although that¡¯s more of my opinion than yours. Grouping four includes Dark Affinity, Void Mysticism, and Warp Adaptation. I like to think of this as the elemental enhancers. We should probably get more of these when we get a chance. The last one, warp, is very nice to have after all we¡¯ve gone through when up against warp magic. Grouping five has only one trait, which is Bearer of the Twenty Dark Locks Sealing Style. Without this, Overwhelming Darkness will break free every time we try to use it. Last, there¡¯s grouping six, which is Aura Mastery and Aura Magnificence. These aura abilities are high in quality for a reason, especially Aura Mastery. Teacher Ruvaria said she had met no other who had this trait outside of her and her father. Its rarity is so high, I can¡¯t help but revel in that. I know you want to be more of a wizard than someone who relies on a power passed down to you by your family, so I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve achieved this using your ingenuity. There is still plenty to learn, but our training for the past two months has helped us become better Aura Masters. I say ¡®us¡¯ because it is notable how I can use this trait differently from you because of our parasitic/symbiotic bond. I will not go over the skills very much. We know those. I will say this, though. I appreciate how you keep me, Parasite Cloak +3, in the alpha skill section. I also think it¡¯s smart that Spectral Spider Network +3, Summon Wizard Hat +3, and High Rune Mindframe +2 are in the alpha section as well. It is a shame that we can¡¯t remove Overwhelming Darkness from the alpha section, which locks up one of our five options there, but I¡¯ve noticed how we¡¯ve both adapted to the beta debuff for the grimoires well enough, anyway. I find the nature of our four grimoires quite telling. It¡¯s an arrangement of creativity instead of a reliance on outright destruction. I like that we have to think intelligently to make the best of our spells, and because of that, I think we will become all the better for it. I don¡¯t think there really is a more effective role for us right now than to use our Aura Mastery and spells to leverage our stats and abilities for different scenarios. While I am considerably stronger than before, and we are quite capable in a melee scenario, I¡¯ve noticed how that is becoming more unfitting for us when the others can do melee better than us now. Instead, we should keep melee as an option to surprise our enemies. We should play up our role as a battlefield wizard further, and I think you know that. After all, we can cast many spells now, up to six for you and five for me simultaneously, or we can unify our efforts to make our spells even bigger and more impressive. We can also enhance our spells with Aura Mastery. Thus, there is less of a need for us to fight using melee tactics. Better yet, all of your patience has borne fruit. You¡¯ve cared for your friends and developed them. They are closer to you as equals than ever before. They may not have your overwhelming bloodline and your ultra god heritage, but I think that doesn¡¯t matter to you. In the end, you want to go on full-fledged adventures with those you trust to look out for you as you look out for them. You can be the wizard and leave the rest to the others. I hope you find this writing to be satisfactory. I will find something else to do while I watch you and the others sleep. I see Loner is walking by himself while Slip is dismissed currently. I shall extend myself and keep him company. Goodnight, Zarian, my host. And as always, thank you. <> 195: B2: C95: Grimrock Morning Zarian looked at his last journal notes from the night before. ¡®She told me what she wants for her birthday. It¡¯s quite simple. And it can happen after Grimrock¡­¡¯ He stopped reading that section and flipped over to the notes Para had written for him. Smiling a little, he reread Para¡¯s notes before he put the leather-covered journal into the pocket dimension. Naomi¡¯s words from last night still lingered a little. But after a moment of peaceful contemplation, he set it aside. All of that personal stuff could wait until later. The main quest to save Foodie mattered more. Zarian floated above a flat castle courtyard. It was near the top of a sturdy mountain made of fortresses stacked over each other with verdant plantlife weaved between the gaps. The courtyard wasn¡¯t flat earlier. Hannah had repaved it with a wave of her hand, like a renovating demigoddess. She floated in the air next to him, half using aura, and half using the help of her twelve baseball-shaped golems. The little enchanted constructs orbited around her as if she was the center of their world, each one emitting pulses of force and energy that showed a hint of their true capabilities. Despite their size, each little golem was legendary and chock-full of high quality runes and powerful enchantments. As her twelve little round golems spiraled casually around her, Hannah committed the finishing touches on the magic artillery battery. At the same time, she fed information from her mind to the spiders of Team Arty on how to operate the artillery battery and respond to calls for arty support. Zarian smiled at the six tubular guns. Each one was fifty feet long and had a simple but heavy rectangular base to keep them grounded when firing. With a few runic inputs through its enchanted display boards on their sides, the arty guns could turn to the left or right and angle up as far as eighty degrees. Each arty gun could fit a 250mm elemental ball round, which was the only shape Hannah could work with best. Her enchantments wouldn¡¯t work well with bullet-shaped rounds, at least not to her standards, which meant they had to accept a larger degree of inaccuracy than anyone would prefer. However, Hannah had implemented more layers of enchantments to mitigate chances of any magic artillery round hitting too far out of the box. Or right on top of their heads. Sometimes, the action and growth is so fast I can forget to appreciate the simple things, like magic arty rounds, Zarian thought amusingly. Hannah¡¯s magical industrial revolution really boomed because of those books from Reiki¡¯s library. There was a reason the Dancing Librarian Dungeon usually stayed in the most secured and guarded location in Ride-or-Die Village, at least when Reiki wasn¡¯t busy leading dungeon crawls or giving birth to another dungeon. With Reiki back home, the magical knowledge inside her books was probably some of the most immensely influential reading material in this medieval-based world. A lot of those books contained forgotten knowledge, such as how to source and make coffee. Zarian peeked over at Hannah as she tinkered a little more with her crafts and enchantments. She was also making more magic arty rounds and piling them inside their dumpster-sized containers. From inside a gaping hollow pit further behind them, streams of high-quality metals and minerals flowed out under Hannah¡¯s precise aura control. She didn¡¯t tire even though she¡¯d been at this for hours. Her aura continued to run with the power of a tremendous generator. There seemed to be no end to her aura recovery. Despite having all of this power and control, Hannah wasn¡¯t one to waste anything. She had repurposed the materials from the enchanted cart they¡¯d first used on their way here. The cart had ended up obsolete after Hannah made adjustments to the spatial satchels and increased their holding capacity. Zarian had quite the laugh earlier when he saw Hannah pull out an entire cart the size of a truck trailer from her satchel. She¡¯d turned it into parts for the artillery battery and the initial rounds. Thankfully, Zarian¡¯s six hundred spiders and their little wizard hats didn¡¯t have to concern themselves with lifting the rounds as part of Team Arty. They had Hannah¡¯s other golems for that, some of which were block-shaped golem men, and others were nothing much but automated golem limbs with big, wide clamps. Each helpful golem had decent enough magic intelligence to follow rudimentary commands, even without Magi being here. However, having the spiders involved ensured any unpredictable problem that cropped up would get handled as creatively as needed, especially since Zarian had given the spiders free reins to use gravity spell arrays and enchantments as they saw fit. And as an extra security measure, three hundred advanced skeletons held guard around the artillery site. Zarian had noted various monster types lurking in these castle mountains. He doubted many would come running at the source of the explosive noises, but if any did, the advanced skeletons would meet them with an array of battle abilities and enchantments. Zarian and Hannah wanted this merger of summons and crafts to work well together, setting up the combined arms and abilities of Team Arty for success. This was doubly important, since the artillery rounds were some of the most powerful Hannah had created yet. ¡°I feel like I can actually call myself OP now,¡± Hannah said. Zarian chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hannah shook her head in disbelief. ¡°We should¡¯ve given ourselves longer than a day, Zarian. I¡¯m barely grasping at all that I can do now. Aura Generator? Aura Mechanic? The skill advancements? I can craft and enchant so fast it¡¯s dizzying even for me. I have to slow myself down to better understand my own radical power. It¡¯s so different compared to before. I¡¯m so different compared to before. It¡¯s ¡­ amazing.¡± Her face was flush with heat. She even seemed out of breath. Zarian nodded. ¡°I miss this version of you.¡± Hannah bit the edge of her lip. She gave Zarian a few furtive, sidelong glances. Then, with a huff, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I ¡­ treated you so harshly when you¡¯ve done nothing but your best. And you took the best route you saw fit to save Bianca.¡± ¡°I wish what happened had happened differently,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve killed that dragon instead of letting Bianca do it. Or maybe I could¡¯ve waited instead of going all crazy dark. In the end, I was just confident that I would have a handle on everything until it turned out I didn¡¯t.¡± Hannah nodded. ¡°Overconfidence can get anyone. I nearly killed myself with my own creation once, and that had left an impression on me for a little while. I just hope I can meet your expectations and be good enough.¡± ¡°You should already know you¡¯ve exceeded my expectations. Besides, we¡¯re doing so well I think we can take things slow-and-easy and still be OP.¡± He turned in the air toward her and held his arms open. ¡°How about it, Hannah? Want to push around little mortals and have a taste of that sweet power fantasy ambrosia?¡± Hannah tried to hold herself back. Then she smiled crookedly and flew into his arms for a tight embrace. She hugged as hard and aggressively as she could while still constructing things in the background, boosting her physicality by a lot. The average Level 70 warrior would¡¯ve ended up crushed into bloody mush inside of Hannah¡¯s embrace. Thankfully, Zarian was more than tough enough to handle her awkward but heartfelt affection. He squeezed her back, showing his adoration for her, which hadn¡¯t gone away despite the hard times. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to hurt many people,¡± Hannah mumbled against his chest. ¡°But I will admit I don¡¯t mind wielding my power and enjoying the results of my power for reasons I see as reasonable. So, sure, let me see more of what it¡¯s like to step on foolish, er, mortals who dare get in my, um, way.¡± ¡°There it goes. A future major goddess to be.¡± Zarian gave Hannah a few pats on her hard wizard hat before they broke the embrace. Hannah looked back at her artillery guns, spiders, and golems. ¡°It¡¯s funny. We¡¯re all the way over here, and other than wishing Magi could be here, I wish Rhea was here. She¡¯s been a lot of help during those hard months. I can only imagine what her reactions would be if she saw how much has changed with me.¡± ¡°Maybe the next time you see her you can do something nice for her. It¡¯ll make you look less arrogant as you casually flex how powerful you are. She¡¯ll look up to you and think you¡¯re all humble and kind. Trust me. It gets them every time.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Hm. Well. I should do that. Thank you for letting me know. Once we get back to the village, she will have a lot more to look up to, really. Granted, she will have to be kneeling or she¡¯ll literally look down at me.¡± I don¡¯t think Rhea minds that at all, Zarian thought before bursting into more laughter. After he recomposed himself, he gave Hannah a once over and noted that she looked great and ready for battle. She kept the lightweight bodysuit design but added some more padding around the torso, shoulders, elbows, and knees. Her gauntlets and boots were a little thicker. Her hard wizard hat was fused with a smart-looking magitek helmet that covered the sides of her face and had a clear visor in front of her eyes. The entire outfit was all black except for the dark red motto and cursive writing on her back and the little myriad elemental colors glowing along the seams. The entire material hugged her well-fed super body fittingly, and it was all legendary in quality. The others had a few changes to their adventure outfits, but the schemes largely stayed the same. Gilbert had heavy armor and his massively tough and boxy shield that could fold in and out of a vambrace. Naomi had a slick suit similar to Hannah¡¯s, but Naomi¡¯s outfit had no gloves, no shoes, leaving her bare at the end of her limbs. Bianca dressed in the fashion of a glamorous and armored princess, but a darkly clad one this time around, forgoing her previous light version. Zarian stuck with his shadowy bottoms and boots, staying bare up top except for the Parasite Cloak +3 draping around his shoulders and down his back. Little shining starlight, like crystal dewdrops, glowed across the cloak¡¯s dark red and leathery material. With his muscles and unique style, Zarian¡¯s current appearance worked well for him as an overpowered wizard. But he could push it further, and he might want to do that once they got going. Before making any final fashion decisions, he looked down at Bianca, Gilbert, and Naomi. They were enjoying breakfast and coffee around a small campfire Bianca had made. Loner leaned against a lone block nearby. Slip the Sleipnir feasted from a box of fruits and nuts. Other spider teams stayed close by, numbering up to a thousand that would stick close to Zarian¡¯s party. Beyond that, nearly ten thousand spiders scouted around the castle mountains and further beyond Zarian¡¯s aura range. The network link to each spider remained strong, responsive, and easy to maintain because of the wizard hats. Crisp and clear updates and impressions streamed through him, which he could handle well enough with the help of multiple mental-enhancing abilities, High Rune Mindframe +2 being chief among them. It looks like there might be a few challenges here and there. Nothing crazy yet, but it¡¯s not going to be as simple as stepping on ants when we get deeper into Operation Save The Cook. He was also doubly glad for choosing to leave advanced skeletons to defend the arty site. I¡¯m almost tempted to leave Loner here just in case, but it feels important to bring him back to Grimrock. Even if it¡¯s for sentimental reasons. Loner looked up and met his necromancer¡¯s gaze. The expert goblin skeleton nodded silently before looking off elsewhere. Zarian nodded as well, feeling his decision was the right one. But he could do one more thing to ensure the safety of the artillery site. ¡°Let¡¯s get coffee and breakfast before we head off,¡± Zarian told Hannah. ¡°Oh, right, food, caffeine, that¡¯s still a thing. I¡¯ll be right there. Just doing a last check and making a few more 250mm.¡± Shaking his head amusingly at the stereotypical engineer, Zarian floated away. He glanced up and examined the windy and dark weather above, which had gotten worse fairly fast. Zarian felt heavy magic and unusual aura activities up there. It was subtle enough where he couldn¡¯t trace the source. But it was overt enough for him to know a powerful person was getting involved. Para gave him an impression that she would keep track of the strange weather and supernatural activities. Zarian appreciated that as he moved over to a few spectral spiders waiting on the fringes of the artillery battery. He handed over the Scroll of Mountainous Castle Fusion and the Scroll of Death Blight. He gave them specific instructions to only activate the legendary onetime use items to stop anything that tried to overrun the artillery site. The dutiful spiders saluted and held onto the scrolls. Zarian nodded and turned his attention to his other scrolls before pulling out the Scroll of Bestial Transformation. Zarian examined the rolled up thing curiously as he floated over to the campfire hangout. Hannah was still tinkering some stuff for no reason other than to satisfy her perfectionism. With a flex of his power, Zarian gently pulled Hannah over, forcing her to complete the last touches and leave the artillery battery well enough alone. They should be fine. Hopefully. ¡°Anyone want the beast transformation scroll?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°I¡¯m already enough of a beast, honestly.¡± ¡°How long did it take you to come up with that brilliant line?¡± Gilbert asked. ¡°The same time I needed to decide if troll sex was for me or not,¡± Zarian clapped back casually before noticing Bianca¡¯s intense gaze from the other side of the fire. ¡°You, Bianca? Beast scroll?¡± ¡°Do you think I can be a pretty princess and beast? Like a pretty princess beast?¡± she asked, before shooting a glance at Naomi. The Rumble Psion ignored everyone. Zarian smirked a little before saying, ¡°Yeah, I think you can be. Here ya go.¡± He tossed Bianca the scroll, and she stuffed it into her satchel. Zarian settled down into a spot next to Naomi. Hannah fell in between Bianca and Gilbert. The Runic Engineer fidgeted constantly, deconstructing and reconstructing stuff around them at a cyclic rate. Cubic chunks of the floor turned into random enchanted shapes and simple items with simple magic effects before getting deconstructed and remade with different runes applied. ¡°You really can¡¯t turn yourself off, can you?¡± Gilbert asked in between long sips of his coffee. ¡°Well, um, yes and no. I don¡¯t really want to turn anything off right now.¡± Hannah twirled a lock of her brown hair with a finger. ¡°You know, I have so much to say that I get tongue tied? Well, I¡¯ll just say this. I¡¯m just happy to be here with all of you. Thank you.¡± ¡°Not now. Save that for after the operation,¡± Naomi grunted. ¡°And, Bianca, don¡¯t start crying. Don¡¯t you there.¡± ¡°Yes, you are right. No tears. Must be fierce. Then the cry fest afterward. That¡¯ll feel amazing.¡± Bianca¡¯s eyes shone with glee for all the after-op tears in the future. Zarian snorted. Para dumped a small hill of corpses and piles of fresh, bloody meat behind him. She turned the cloak into snapping jaws and slender feminine arms. The parasite jaws feasted on the fresh and warm meat. The parasite arms handed boxed meal after boxed meal to Zarian. It¡¯s barely enough, Zarian thought hungrily, chowing through dozens and dozens of boxes. The endless pit in his stomach found no satisfaction. Will I need to eat fresh meat like Para? They ran out of boxed meals. Zarian turned and picked the most appealing corpse that was far from human. He paused, thinking of his humanity. Fuck it. He went all in. He became less human. More of Para¡¯s nature revealed itself through Zarian, but with structure and purpose. Zarian¡¯s jaws shifted. He grew great and sharpened teeth. His body became more muscular, more powerful. Claws extended from his fingers. Dark red plates of hard bone appeared in segments over his torso with tough and flexible meshing in the gaps. He soon became an armored and monstrous juggernaut, the parasite threads weaving with his shadowy bottoms and wizard hat, turning those into something similar to the rest of him. Para pushed the boundaries further by shifting the cloak into mantis scythes, bone-tipped tentacles, and alien-like arms. Around the shoulders, three serpentine heads that wound and waved and flexed from behind Zarian. The monstrous and toothy wizard hat on his head was barely much of a signifier to his role as wizard. Fully transformed, he looked like a boss monster from some hellish dungeon. He looked like a nightmarish chimera man, with an impenetrable darkness under the hat¡¯s brim, draping over his face. The darkness only pulled away to reveal his monstrous jaws as he sank face first into meat and bone. The three serpentine heads slithered over his shoulders and lunged forth into the meal with him. After a few minutes, the massive pile of food was all gone. Zarian crunched down the last few spinal bones that remained before he finally felt satisfied. He slowly turned to the others, his jaw shifting back to human with a crunch and snap. Then, with a dark voice, he asked, ¡°Do you think me and Para make for pretty beasts?¡± Nobody said anything, still at a loss for words. Then Para spoke through her serpent mouths. ¡°I should be above disapproval, but I think it will hurt now, especially with me merging further with my host for this temporary form of ours. I will not push you for your approval, of course. This is part of the process of achieving true personhood, even if it means rejection.¡± Bianca broke first, and the others followed with a rain of compliments. Loner even joined in and clapped his skeletal hands together. In no time, everyone around the artillery site gave their approval with open applause. Clearly, Zarian and Para won the hidden contest for who was the most fashionable going into the operation. Para tried not to let it get to her, but Zarian felt her relief. After he had some coffee, they went off and began Operation Save The Cook. Tactical Naomi and Fighter Gilbert strode at the front with Loner and Slip next to them. Bianca remained an unknown factor as she meandered in the middle. Gunner Hannah floated near the back with two man-sized cannons and a dozen little round golems orbiting her. And Zarian, playing as a traditional wizard, stayed next to Hannah with a thousand spiders following to cover their immediate rear. ¡°Are we really just going to walk to the middle of the paladins¡¯ camp?¡± Gilbert asked behind him. ¡°Yes,¡± Bianca answered merrily. ¡°And then you¡¯re gonna just kill the Prime Archbishop and that¡¯s that for the paladins?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Very serious. I even have a phrase for the moment. I¡¯ve been working on it even before you got in bed with the trolls!¡± Bianca cheered. Hannah barked out a laugh, sounding quite merry. Slip let out a horsey laugh at his rider¡¯s expense. And Loner shook his head at all of them for being silly. ¡°God Almighty, I¡¯m really getting stoned here,¡± Gilbert muttered. ¡°You did the crime, so learn to suffer for some time,¡± Naomi quipped. ¡°What¡¯s the phrase?¡± Zarian asked Bianca. ¡°Ahem, ahem.¡± Bianca tilted her chin up. ¡°Hello, my name is Princess Bianca Garcia. I must kill you for my familia. Prepare to die!¡± ¡°I really like those words, Bianca. Truly, you are the most creative of geniuses. I wonder if I can ever be as creative,¡± Para said from her serpent mouths. Bianca tilted her chin up even higher and smiled smarmily. 196: B2: C96: Grimrock Dogma The stormy weather worsened far faster than it should¡¯ve. Bowling ball-sized blocks of hail hurtled down. Twisting winds roared with hurricane force. Lightning and thunder clamored above their heads. The calamitous storm reared its ugly side to a supernatural level, as if the heavens wanted to come down with a fraction of the power Zarian¡¯s darkness could achieve. Zarian imagined Team Arty would have to get creative to deal with the storminess. Or he would have to clear out the storm somehow. Regardless of the weather, the Floridians traveled through twisted fortress hallways and over immense rampart ridgelines and along the sides of leaning towers or sometimes inside of them. They had equal chances to brave the weather or get out of it as they took the best land-based route the spectral spiders had scouted for them. They¡¯d decided earlier to go by ground instead of air to keep a low profile, and that was turning out to be the right choice because of the storm. Now Zarian had no doubts that other grand forces were involved. He thought about calling his wife again, but she hadn¡¯t responded when he tried earlier in the morning. It wouldn¡¯t shock him if Shadowfell stood in opposition of her husband and the paladins, injecting herself to support the Grimrock Warlock despite who was truly at stake. It was in Shadowfell¡¯s nature to promote evil and tragedy. More importantly, she would ensure she had something prepared to challenge her husband and his friends upon their arrival. Regardless of all that, Zarian only cared about Bianca assassinating the Prime Archbishop, dealing with Jack, and saving Foodie. Whatever came their way, Zarian and his fellow Floridians would smash through, which they were doing right now, really. The Floridians could¡¯ve faced blue skies and sunshine with how they remained unbothered, because the roaring storms could do nothing to them. Para pushed her aura out as a force field, shoving aside hail, breaking hurricane winds, and absorbing the aura out of lightning strikes. The wizard and his parasite had done this plenty of times the past two months. Nobody batted an eye as the massive storm raged and raged and flailed uselessly against the Floridians while they were safe in the aura bubble Para provided. They soon came across some dead monsters that had suffered under the crushing fall of large boulders inside of an eroded mountain keep. The entire structure groaned as the storm winds battered its walls and filled its halls, whisking away the smell of blood. Zarian recognized the telltale blue webbing that marked the spots where monsters had ended crushed under big rocks. This was the spider scouts¡¯ work. They had cleared the way of any potential nuisances that weren¡¯t worth the Floridians¡¯ time. Zarian and his friends continued forward at a solid pace. Even with the front line walking, that was still faster than a speeding car. They were making way to their first objective in great time, despite some sudden obstructions. The storm couldn¡¯t get in their way directly, but it could affect the castle mountains, such as shoving a giant spire from a neighboring mountain onto their rampart ridge. Hannah turned, looked, and dissolved most of the spire within a few seconds. Her body absorbed the stone material as one coursing stream like some pint-sized devourer. The speed was so impressive that even Gilbert and Naomi slowed to watch as an entire giant spire got eaten up. Of course, they all knew the spire material was in a pocket space connected to Hannah¡¯s Cube Maker Magic +3, which had plenty of room for more. A few more structures broke in their way and faced the same fate, each one streaming and disappearing into Hannah¡¯s body like the last. When an entire bridge collapsed in front of them, instead of taking to the air, Hannah built them a new one. She didn¡¯t miss a beat, regardless of the newly built bridge being large enough for giants to stride over. It happened so smoothly and seamlessly, Slip strutted boldly on the suddenly appearing edge, as if to see if he would fall. Hannah allowed no such fate to befall the Sleipnir, and Zarian found it nifty with how godly Hannah looked with no true divine abilities. Maybe this is the true power of an engineering nerd given practical magic, usable knowledge, and an amazing group of buffs, Zarian thought, impressed with Hannah¡¯s new level of craftiness. Eventually, they journeyed past enough windy hallways, crumbling atriums, tilting castles, and walled ridgelines where they entered a ravine between castle walls and found other humans struggling to brave the elements. The other humans were also struggling against one lesser aberration despite having thirty men and women. The lesser aberration was Level 85, while the paladins were in the Level 70s. The aberration was making easy work of the paladins regardless of the numbers, plated armor, blessed skills, and magic weapons. Like a bodybuilder in a fight against toddlers, the aberration knocked around the paladins without facing too much resistance. Nearly ten paladins slammed horribly against the walls and tumbled down to the floor, one coming short of dying. With a third of the unit crumpled to the floor, the monstrous amalgamation of screeching goblin bodies fused into a ten-foot-tall freak raised its arms. It was preparing to slam down again and crush the injured paladins. Bolts, crescents, holy fireballs, piercing streams of holy water, and many other ranged attacks from the paladins splashed off the great toughness and vitality of Shadowfell¡¯s corrupted toys. The paladins lacked enough power to stop the creature on their own, as the corrupted committed to a killing blow that would surely lead to a full wipe out of the paladin unit. Bianca stepped in and slashed the lesser aberration in half with one quick and shiny hard light cut. Before the two dying halves hit the watery stone floor, Naomi caught the separated aberration with her mind. She then tossed the remains along with the blood in Zarian¡¯s direction. Acting in an efficient and orderly fashion, Zarian held watch as Para devoured the aberration and its corrupted blood. Gilbert healed the injured paladins. Hannah built cover high above their heads to block out the stormy elements. She even set some walled partitions behind them to break up the howling wind.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. All of that came about in less than ten seconds, leaving Bianca shining some light on the paladins as she stood among them. ¡°Hola! You¡¯ve been rescued! Isn¡¯t that bueno?¡± Bianca cheered, her beaming smile raising the mood. The paladins not only seemed to appreciate the help, but they marveled at the fast-acting magic happening at once. Zarian and his party didn¡¯t even have to verbalize their next moves for most cases at this point. High Rune Mindframe +2 and Spectral Spider Network +3 from Zarian combined with Naomi¡¯s subtle mental buffs made them the most coordinated and on-the-ball party around. That should be met with admiration. That should be met with celebration and grand interest. And that would¡¯ve been the case with the rescued paladins until they turned and noticed two antithetical details. They saw the black and upright goblin skeleton that was Loner standing near Slip. Then a paladin pointed a shaky finger toward the back of their saviors¡¯ party, directing the attention of all thirty men and women to something more horrifying to them than a skeleton. They noticed an armored form covered in coiling darkness, snakes, and monstrous limbs flowing from behind his back. ¡°Hello,¡± Zarian said politely from the darkness under his beastly wizard hat. ¡°I¡¯m the Dark Lord. And these are my friends. We¡¯re from the World of Swamps and Princesses. How do you do?¡± ¡°ATTACK!¡± roared a paladin who had recovered completely after the free healing provided by the Knighted Healer. ¡°Stop resisting,¡± Gilbert muttered as he chopped his hand behind the paladin¡¯s neck and knocked him out. Gilbert turned and took a spiked mace to the face that made him bleed a little. With a casual grunt, the large and blond healer returned a backhanded slap that floored the attacker before turning toward other would-be fighters. Bianca struck one paladin on the helmet with a baton of light, which ended up as a knock-out blow. Doing the same to five others, Bianca fought in a quick, graceful, and fluid fashion that sent paladins falling to the ground. Naomi walked forward and punched grown men and women into the walls, leaving their breastplates crushed while breaking a few ribs. Loner battered some paladins with compact but potent bursts of force, and Slip the Sleipnir trampled over some other unruly paladins under his armored hooves. Hannah didn¡¯t know what to do, so she remained floating next to Zarian. She watched the melee finish up as three Floridians, a goblin skeleton expert, and an eight-legged horse smacked down thirty men and women without too much effort. ¡°Why do I feel disappointed?¡± Hannah asked, looking down upon the weak and easily beaten paladins. ¡°Welcome to my world.¡± Zarian floated forward, with Hannah following at his side. They seemed like two deities who didn¡¯t want to place their feet down on the same floor as weak mortals. Granted, in Zarian¡¯s case, he really was a deity, specifically a son of ultra gods. Zarian stopped to hover over the toughest and most senior paladin of the unit. The man spat blood and spittle, his breath coming out hoarse after enduring two light punches from Naomi instead of one. ¡°You should warn your people to leave Grimrock,¡± Zarian said darkly, with only a hint of his dreadful nature. ¡°You are too weak. You are too far behind in power tiers. The only reason you remain alive is because my wife is toying with you for her amusement. Hell, she probably sees you as a tragic audience for her newfound game of active evil. So trust me when I say you should vamoose, scram, get the fuck out.¡± Other than them being zealots and terrorists, Zarian didn¡¯t care about the paladins overall. But he still wanted them to return home except for the Prime Archbishop. The paladins at Grimrock were their most trained fighting force. If they all fell here along with the Prime Archbishop, then who knew how screwed up their entire kingdom would become. I don¡¯t feel like getting more refugees from another busted kingdom, Zarian thought. Granted, he was helping Bianca with her assassination for Shadowfell, so evil was definitely afoot to some degree. I can¡¯t wait to see how the assassination bites me in the ass somehow. Maybe he could mitigate the predictable outcome by getting the paladins to leave. But the chances of that were low. ¡°Foul evil! Oh, ye of tarnished heart and apocalyptic darkness! We are all committed to the crusade, to the last man and woman! After the Grimrock Warlock is felled, then you, too, shall face the raw anger of our holy mission!¡± shouted the man kneeling before Zarian. The paladin kept yelling and spitting blood. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the day we burn your evil village to the ground. We will put every evil man, evil woman, and evil child to the sword! And then we will have you under the unbreaking hold of the Good Gods forever!¡± Zarian sighed. He wondered if he should scare this man close to death or something. However, he didn¡¯t have too much time to ponder before someone jumped in. ¡°You dogmatic, poorly educated, ignoramus. It¡¯s people like you who will lead us to another apocalypse!¡± Hannah interjected. One of her orbiting little golems shot a magic laser. She blasted the paladin¡¯s head and left nothing above the neck, ending the man as easily as she could breathe. ¡°Hannah, you could¡¯ve said retard for an insult. And that man was subdued,¡± Gilbert said. ¡°I will not discuss the use of that word. And I¡¯m not apologizing,¡± Hannah said stiffly. ¡°I¡¯ve given Zarian quite a hard time. What makes you think I won¡¯t give others twice or thrice a hard time for threatening him?¡± ¡°Fine then. I¡¯m tranquilizing them and anyone else we subdue. It doesn¡¯t sit right with me to kill when it¡¯s like dealing with children. They can¡¯t put up much of a fight.¡± Gilbert shrugged and turned about to pacify any further resistance with Tranquilizer Touch +2. As he did that, Naomi raised both thumbs up to Hannah. Of course, the Rumble Psion didn¡¯t mind killing zealots, radicals, and terrorists. Loner nodded his skull, and Slip neighed in support of Hannah. Gilbert shook his head in mild disappointment. Is Hannah right or Gilbert right? Para asked in Zarian¡¯s head. About retard? Zarian returned. No, about killing or subduing? Neither, because we can let the paladins become fodder for the kiddos if they are so insistent on delivering us a misguided crusade, Zarian answered privately. Anyway, no point in sweating the small stuff now. There will be plenty of chances to talk morality while dominating whoever puts up a fight. Hm, yes, I see what you¡¯re saying, Zarian. Now I must ask this. Can I eat? Zarian let her eat. After Para devoured the dead paladin, they moved on. The Floridians already knew where to find the Prime Archbishop. They owed their thanks to the many spider scouts that kept them updated on the crusade. The Prime Archbishop would be nowhere near as pitiful as these grunts in the trenches. In fact, the leader of an entire kingdom might give Bianca a hard fight depending on if she could muster enough power from her free good +6. Zarian glanced over at Bianca. She was performing pirouettes and graceful ballerina steps in the corner. He hoped she could pull through alright. He also wondered if this was the right time to tell the others WHY they were truly doing the assassination in the first place. I really appreciate the blind faith, Zarian thought. Faith is a fickle thing, so it must be cherished when it is genuinely expressed, but beware, for it can be built on stacks of deceit and wrongness, paving way to damnation, Para thought. Nodding to Para¡¯s wise philosophy, Zarian told the others the main reason they were doing the assassination for Shadowfell ¨C which had everything to do with Shadowfell¡¯s ability to access their old world, even to the point of delivering messages. Bianca listened silently while making her own internal preparations. 197: B2: C97: Grimrock Wave ¡°What is stopping Shadowfell or Ariana from doing whatever they like in our old world or in other worlds like ours?¡± Hannah asked after Zarian finished explaining what led to the assassination job for Luciana and how she wouldn¡¯t explain herself much past promising to deliver messages. Hannah¡¯s reaction was both surprising and unsurprising as she continued her rant. ¡°Ariana has affected Zarian for years while he was in our old world. Shadowfell has shown how she could grab a brand named coffee. Now she can even deliver messages to our families. I don¡¯t really need a favor like that, but I would like to know what rules they are playing by. Perhaps through that we can find windows of opportunity to return home and settle any lingering affairs.¡± The whole party slowed down, Loner rattling and Slip clomping to a stop. There were a few castle chambers and dilapidated walls between them and where the actual Castle Grimrock stood at the center of the mountain range. The calamitous storm howled and raged outside, its hurricane winds and stone-cracking hail pounding down hard. Through all that noise, Zarian heard quaking thumps of immense magic. He could feel the power of good and divinity despite the walls in the way and some measure of distance. But he could also hear the haunted cries of nightmarish creatures set loose to ravage those who had the misfortune of facing them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Bianca said, barely audible over the fighting, screaming, and stormy weather. Thankfully, the spider network ensured all of their words would come out crystal clear when talking with each other. ¡°This assassination is selfish. What I¡¯m doing really is for my familia. But it¡¯s a little easier to do against someone who wants to seal away Zarian and attack our village.¡± ¡°We can go over this later,¡± Naomi said. ¡°No matter what, we still have a job to do before we get to Foodie, and we are going to see that through for you, Bianca.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but I appreciate it,¡± Bianca said. ¡°Dale,¡± Gilbert said, flicking his left arm to the side. His dark, boxy, and legendary shield unfolded from the bracer on his arm. ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of things out there. Hell and damnation, our little spider friends can barely see much more in this cats-and-dogs weather!¡± ¡°Yes, we can shelve the conversation for now,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure Zarian¡¯s wife doesn¡¯t pull a fast one on us.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Zarian said, following behind the others as they charged past the last few structures in their way. His thoughts and concerns over the technical aspects of Shadowfell¡¯s deal could wait, especially when it felt like the end of the world was coming down on them. For this once, it wasn¡¯t Zarian¡¯s fault. Everybody could tap into the spider network and update themselves with live visuals from spiders already staged ahead. That way, it was less likely for anything to surprise them. Things, however, had certainly gotten worse compared to earlier, even at the last minute. Their last situation report from the forward spider scouts became obsolete. Exiting a stone tunnel filled with howling wind, Zarian and the others looked up as the top of a tower flew above their heads. The Floridians watched in awe as the flying tower smashed into a radiant barrier placed above the heart of the paladin¡¯s camp. Para¡¯s aura barrier kept the stormy weather off the Floridians as they walked up to the edge of a drop off. Everyone took in the chaos inside a sloping basin surrounding Castle Grimrock. The central stronghold of the former orcs was a sturdy and fortified structure that was fit for giants to live in. Even after so many years have passed since the death of the orcs, their remaining castle still stood as a testament of their former might, with rugged skull-shaped crenelations along the ramparts and unbending spikes thrusting up from the rooftops. The castle even had giant statues on the corners of the main wall that looked like frenzied beasts that wanted to lunge down and bite any who dared to enter the castle. Beyond the sturdy and ferocious designs, there were no working siege weapons or humanoid defenders. There were no goblin-sized foes in sight, which had remained the case no matter how much the spider scouts searched on the outside. Instead of actual goblins, the entire castle had nothing but corrupted monstrosities covering most surfaces. The twisted and terrifying chimera-like creatures crawled out from the open front doorway, the stone windows, and the gaps where weathered patches of the main wall had collapsed. The aberrations stumbled forth from the top of towers, giant crenelations, rooftops, and ramparts. They came out of the castle like a geyser of squirming, screaming, insane abominations. It was as if the entire castle was an egg sac ripping open to spill countless fresh horrors to darken and corrupt the world further in an era that was already very dark. ¡°God Almighty,¡± Gilbert said, shocked. ¡°Your wife¡¯s been busy, Zarian,¡± Naomi grunted.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Is there even a Grimlock Warlock left behind all of that?¡± Hannah asked. ¡°Foodie is still okay, right?¡± ¡°She has to be,¡± Bianca said. ¡°She¡¯s very important and wonderful. I have faith in that.¡± Despite Bianca having 738 Wonder, which made her faith the strongest in the party, there was no knowing what exactly waited deeper inside of Castle Grimrock. The spider scouts hadn¡¯t delved that far into the castle itself. Zarian had tried to scan the castle grounds and found his vision blocked by a powerful and unyielding magic that wasn¡¯t divine. It was something else. Something more nefarious and vile. Something new that he might¡¯ve only read about but hadn¡¯t yet the displeasure of facing in the Infinita Star System. Despite that, he was still confident of securing their goals. ¡°Bianca¡¯s right. Foodie¡¯s too important. I can¡¯t say much about the Grimrock Warlock just yet, but I bet Jack¡¯s still kicking behind all of that.¡± Zarian sounded confident to his own ears even if he wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure. ¡°He better be,¡± Naomi grunted. ¡°Some of us need closure with that Jack guy.¡± No kidding. Zarian would like closure, too. Unfortunately, they first had to deal with a seemingly endless corrupted legion surging forth in one continuous and aggressive wave. Nothing seemed capable of stopping the aberrations, either. Not when the storm twisted and curved out of the way of the corrupted while sending monstrous winds, broken towers, heavy hail, and thunderbolts down at the paladin camp. It was obvious at this point the storm was a boon from Shadowfell, and an overtly powerful one at that. Under all of that stormy assault, the paladins hid behind the divine barrier that was another boom from the Good Gods. It was as if the paladins were under heavy siege themselves instead of throwing a siege against the object of their hatred, the forces of the Grimrock Warlock. Seeing the basin with his own eyes, Zarian noted the miles of uneven rocks and boulders separating the paladins from the front of the main castle. Coursing rivers and flooded moats drowned out the rocky battlefield and made the very ground a hazard to cross. Looking up, Zarian confirmed the spider scout reports of how the stone slopes surrounding the battlefield funneled the worst of the calamitous storm down into the basin instead of walling it away. The storm acted with aggression and purpose, creating one hell of a dark trap for slaying adventurers and crusaders. Seeing all of this himself made Zarian wonder why it was still better to invade from the top than going through the subterranean floors from down below. If the Grimrock Warlock still existed behind all of this, what more did she have inside of the heart of the castle? ¡°I think I have a grasp of the situation,¡± Hannah said, breaking the Floridians out of their momentary awe and stupor. ¡°Shadowfell, and perhaps the Grimrock Warlock, have made some seriously heavy preparations. They hadn¡¯t sat idle while we prepared to come here. This is the result.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured. Now that we¡¯re here for real, my wife is going to throw her toys at the paladins and try to kill the Prime Archbishop herself,¡± Zarian said, giving everyone an impression to get ready to fight. ¡°I know that sounds screwy, but Shadowfell really likes to make things harder on everyone just for the tragic fun of it.¡± ¡°Game on?¡± Naomi asked. ¡°Through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,¡± Gilbert prayed. ¡°Game on.¡± Zarian reached over and grabbed Hannah¡¯s hand. He spun her around into a small dance before he cast the spell, Void Waltz. He took Hannah and the rest of his party on a quick trip through the void. They landed down on the uneven, rocky, and flooded floor between the paladin camp and the rushing wave of aberrations. The area Zarian had chosen was also a section where the slope walls narrowed, drawing within a few miles of each other. This formed a valley-like feature in the basin that should naturally guide the corrupted aberrations more straight on. The moment they touched down, everyone acted without having to talk. Gilbert, Naomi, Slip, Loner, and Hannah surged forth. They had little time to act against the rolling, tumbling, insane tide of corrupted aberrations, especially Hannah. Thankfully, the creatures¡¯ numbers and overeagerness to destroy and corrupt worked against them. They kept smashing into each other and slowing each other¡¯s progress like crabs in a massive bucket. The uneven, watery terrain also worked against them, making their progress a struggle of overcoming trip hazards while moving too fast and crazily to cross the battlefield competently. But they had so many rushing forward, they could lay over each other¡¯s own bodies and build bridges of flesh to cross the uneven grounds. Hannah still worked up a miracle anyway, starting work to build new defenses and a trap. She bulleted through the wrathfully stormy air, leaving behind Para¡¯s protective aura. Her little golems activated their enchantments, and a humming barrier surrounded Hannah, protecting her from the powerful boon-made storm of Shadowfell. She started on the far, far right, reaching the nearest side of the basin before returning toward the center where the others waited. Then she shot at a gradual angle toward the other side of the basin on the far, far left. She was crossing as much as five miles quickly to get from one side to the other. It was the fastest and hardest Zarian had witnessed Hannah worked. Once again, she impressed him as she dug two massive ditches that were three hundred feet deep and fifty feet wide, while she also built two giant walls that were three hundred feet tall and twenty-five feet wide. One wall and ditch to the right. And one wall and ditch to the left. Each side of the barricade extended at gradual angles from the narrowest section of the basin and toward the center. And instead of closing off the gap completely, Hannah left a thin opening that was no bigger than a one-way street back. Something like this should¡¯ve taken weeks if average humans between the Level 50s and 70s were working on it. It would¡¯ve taken months or maybe a few years for average humans far below that. Hannah did it in a few minutes. And she layered each wall with enchantments to reinforce them to an extreme degree. Even then, her efforts alone weren¡¯t enough to stop the corrupted tide. Because they had the freaking power to teleport through the shadows when they were smart enough to do so. Zarian would¡¯ve applauded Hannah if he wasn¡¯t feeling a little pressed to use his biggest weapon. He had to make a snap judgment call. And he had to rely on the others heavily, specifically his closest companion. Para, I need to deal with the storm so we can call in artillery fire, Zarian thought. I understand what I must do, but I will admit this will be the biggest working of magic I¡¯ve ever done. What if I fail? Para asked privately. You won¡¯t fail, Para. You got this. Zarian left it at that. 198: B2: C98: Grimrock Darkness The corrupted creatures ran into the giant ditches and the walls Hannah had shortly made. The ones at the center ran into Gilbert and Naomi who waited at the end of a narrow killing corridor. Gilbert yelled, ¡°Come get some!¡± while Naomi screamed, ¡°OORAH!¡± as the roaring, gnashing, and clawing corrupted aberrations slammed into them. The impact was like a torrent of meat hitting an impenetrable wall before getting pulverized by a rapid-moving piston of fists and thunderbolts. Gilbert stood his ground behind his legendary tower shield. He had solid traction under his feet after Hannah had paved and enchanted the floor at the choke point. Despite him being Level 80 and facing a tide of powerful abominations that had more levels than him, some reaching as far as the early Level 90s, all of Gilbert¡¯s hard work and growth leading to this point were on full display. He didn¡¯t retreat. He didn¡¯t back up. The roaring tide of corrupted abominations couldn¡¯t push him back. Gilbert held his ground like an immovable giant. His traits and stats synergized together as he stood in the defense of others. This lent him the power he needed to work some real magic with his skills. He used Adrenaline Jolt +2 on himself to grow his physicality and remain immovable and strong. He used Tranquilizer Touch +2 as a spreading field to slow and weaken the aberrations. Unified Monk Force +2 shone around him in a myriad array of colors that shifted and glowed magnificently, upping his physicality in the face of an endless stream of horror. He was going to need every buff he could get. The corrupted creatures were an unstopping legion, and even Naomi couldn¡¯t punch them fast enough before more came charging and screaming into the choke point between the slanted walls. Despite their enormous numbers, the corrupted couldn¡¯t move Gilbert back. He kept holding his ground. Better yet, the corrupted couldn¡¯t stop Naomi from fighting. She did the work she loved doing best, crushing all enemies in her way, like the equivalent of a machine gun nest, but from up close. Her punches, kicks, hand chops, and many other melee techniques came out in a rapid stream. She pulverized, hacked, and pulped aberrations into minced meat as soon as they appeared in front of her. She swept from right to left, left to right, and back. She cleared the choke point of challengers and lightened the load on Gilbert. Every now and then, after Naomi built up enough static, she unleashed a powerful blast of thunder and lightning, demolishing dozens of aberrations at once. Then a measure of calm settled into the choke point, easing the pressure. At that moment, Naomi used her Psychokinesis +3 to lift the bodies. She threw them back at the charging tide to prevent a pileup. It was a smart move. A pileup of bodies could lead to the corrupted monsters lunging over their heads and trying to get over Gilbert. Some were trying to do that already, but Loner blasted them down while riding on Slip¡¯s back. The Runic Enforcer Expert and the Sleipnir stayed mobile by bouncing about above Gilbert¡¯s head. Once the split second of calm ended, the corrupted creatures closed in again, and Naomi went back to being a human meat grinder. It wasn¡¯t particularly hard for her. She was so strong she could one-punch each of the aberrations and kill them despite their toughness and vitality But their numbers were too plentiful for this to remain a completely leisurely activity for Naomi. Eventually, she had to push herself a little more to trim them away and clear the choke point as more and more corrupted threw themselves at Naomi, Gilbert, or the bounding duo of Loner and Slip. Things improved a little more once Hannah set herself a few hundred feet behind the choke point and switched Mystic Rush Tank +2 into alpha with Rune Scan +2 going into beta. With Mystic Rush Tank +2 becoming alpha, Hannah used the glass cannon advancement with the two hovering cannons at her sides. She specifically aimed for aberrations that found a hole through Naomi, Gilbert, Loner, and Slip at the choke point. The aberrations couldn¡¯t, however, make it past Hannah. One shot. One kill. Her dual cannons blasted aberrations out of the air, punching straight through them and leaving a massive hole in their bodies. She struck with so much force and thunder, she sometimes popped aberrations like they were dark and oily pimples. She made their bodies rain in a splatter that got whisked away by the wrathful winds of the storm.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The moment she shot one cannon, she created a new magical round to insert into the chamber at the back while aiming and firing her other cannon. Then she switched to the freshly loaded one while creating a new round to load into the second cannon. This was while Hannah¡¯s little orbital golems shot powerful elemental lasers as another layer to the choke point defense. The duality of construction and destruction worked well for Hannah as long as she stayed further back from the front line the others established. Better yet, her combination of Aura Generator and Aura Mechanic made it so that she could improve everyone¡¯s aura recovery from her position, which helped Naomi most of all. Meanwhile, Gilbert used his Healing Force +2 to overcharge everyone¡¯s vitality, which bled into their stamina and kept them energized. They could¡¯ve held for hours if things remained like this. The problem with that was the aberrations¡¯ ability to teleport through the shadows. The aberrations were so dumb and berserk they didn¡¯t do the obvious thing right away. Hell, they funneled themselves toward the choke point even after falling into the massive ditches or lunging face-first into the enchanted walls. But it became a numbers game from there. The few out of the many tried to use their shadow teleport to get around the problem and rampage freely past the Floridian line. Para couldn¡¯t stop all of them, especially the ones that teleported far on the fringes. But she could stop most of them, especially the ones closest to the choke point. With all the grimoires manifested, Para¡¯s many arms unfolded from behind Zarian and grabbed each of the spell books regardless of their feistiness, which was the case for Morph. The metallic pages and nearly nonsensical text of Voidling yielded to Para as she flipped through. She cast the spell that mattered most against teleportation. ¡°Void Authority,¡± she growled, stopping a plethora of aberrations from slipping into the shadows and reappearing on the other side of the ditches and walls. Then she stopped even more than the last. Then she stopped another group of aberrations, some that were new, and some that were making repeat attempts to teleport across. The sheer number of them was so immense, Para had to put all of her attention on this one spell to deny as many teleportation attempts as possible. Para¡¯s efforts reduced the risk of aberrations attacking from behind. A few still broke through, which Hannah dealt with quickly and efficiently with cannon shots and elemental beams. The defense held. The divine and wrathful storm howled and raged above them. The paladins remained behind their divine barrier, catching their breath and taking stock of the situation. Bianca remained inactive, standing on a platform of light beside Zarian and Para. Nobody questioned her. She was where she needed to be, even if Zarian and the others didn¡¯t exactly know why she was inactive and waiting. They had the situation in control, at least for now. Zarian let himself concentrate on unsealing a power that could doom them all if he screwed this up. After spending some time mentally preparing and getting into the zone, Zarian signed and chanted to unseal his One Percent Darkness. He did so at a slower pace than usual, deliberately so, as he tracked how his darkness acted as he summoned it forth. Everything seemed to flow easily for him, and the stained darkness inside of his soul didn¡¯t revolt or try to pull a fast one on him. Then, at the end of the unsealing sequence, Zarian chanted the words, ¡°Controlled Darkness.¡± From there, he felt the full truth behind his changes. A cosmic hunger appeared inside of him. The lust for domination and consuming entire universes flashed through his mind. He salivated as the darkness of the storm twisted and flowed in his direction. Every shade, shadow, and spot of darkness gave themselves over for him to command and bend and use. It was as if the deepest shades were begging for his rulership, all so they could become one with his unending darkness that wanted to spread and feast forever. The darkest of shadows remembered. The darkness of the world remembered. Shadowfell remembered. The storm changed. The howling winds laughed and cried in equal measure. The storms clamored and raged with the lunacy of a divine woman fully engulfed by her madness. The wild and destructive boon concentrated to a point, becoming a thunderous and dark storm funnel boring down on the paladins. It seemed like Zarian¡¯s evil goddess of a wife was pressing down her finger to crush the crusaders. The barrier screamed. Cracks formed. The boon of a Good God couldn¡¯t resist Evil Goddess Shadowfell, not while at the heart of her territory, not when she had prepared for them for all this time. Maybe even without all of that, the Good Gods weren¡¯t strong enough. She was the wife of the Dark Lord for a reason. Zarian could let her have her way and do away with everything. His cosmic hunger seemed more important than anything. His darkness seemed more important than anything. But he took a glance at Bianca who waited at his side. Her presence reminded him of something simple and profound. He wasn¡¯t a punk bitch. He refused to fail again and let his darkness beat him. He buckled down, commanded his darkness intentionally and with purpose. He conjured rising dark towers from around the basin that were thousands of feet long and hundreds of feet thick. The dark towers bent and flexed like tentacles. They wrapped around the funneling storm finger of Zarian¡¯s evil wife. A struggle broke out, and for the first time in a while, Zarian¡¯s darkness met an equal. Shadowfell¡¯s power resisted him. ¡°You¡¯re going to force me to show off a little more, huh?¡± Zarian asked, his voice reverberating from every place where darkness existed. It seemed like the entire basin and the mountain range beyond contained his voice. His words resounded with the power of a behemoth hidden under the earth. It was the only way to be heard when dealing with a shadowy goddess who can wear an entire calamitous storm as an accessory. A goddess who bent the thunder and the winds and made them flow with her words so it was just as loud and clear. ¡°Of course, dear husband. Show us more. Or order me to stop like one who orders a slave. Unleash yourself of all restraints. Let yourself be corrupt. Demand whatever you want. Nothing else matters but your whims, oh master of mine.¡± ¡°Yes, but no.¡± Zarian moved his hands into a more advanced technique he had prepared for just this moment. ¡°Two Percent Power Unsealed. Growing Darkness.¡± 199: B2: C99: Grimrock Temptation He stood on the precipice. Everywhere was darkness. All the noise of battle seemed distant and dull. He felt more alone than ever before. He could feel the temptation of the fall. The temptation was everything wonderful and horrible blended together. The temptation of Shadowfell made everything about Sinfeast look incompetent and cheap. Luciana, his wife, awaited him in the abyss. In this place, her charm was magnetic and irresistible, more corrupting than the tears she could shed. She was the perfect wife. An enabler of his most depraved and darkest desires, a gateway to his baser instincts and never rising above. She truly was the incarnate of corruption. Through her, tragedy would truly be wrought on others. And in that tragedy, there would be pure and utter ecstasy. Yet Zarian didn¡¯t give in. ¡°I alone am the Dreaded Outsider,¡± Zarian said, stilling the darkness and the corruption. ¡°I do what I want.¡± ¡°And what is it you want?¡± Luciana said, her darkly charming voice reverberating from every shadowed place outside of him and somewhere within him. ¡°What do you truly desire in the darkness of your heart? What savage, primal instinctual thing comes to mind? Whatever it is, be it vicious, animalistic, bestial, depraved, let your wish come to the forefront and dominate all that you can reach.¡± ¡°I want to see Foodie and have her make a birthday cake. And we¡¯re going to have a birthday party for Naomi. Then I¡¯m going to let Naomi have me as a gift, and I¡¯ll have her for the fun of it,¡± Zarian said, clamping down on all the hunger and madness of his own power. He pulled himself out of blinding darkness that tried to cloud his mind. He ripped away from the powerful grip his wife had on him. He saw he was still in the air with the divine storm raging above. His friends were still fighting the corrupted. Para was pushing herself to do more wizardry than ever before, holding back the teleporting aberrations. Bianca remained by his side, smiling at him. She said, ¡°You were there for me when I lost myself. So I thought it¡¯ll be nice if I¡¯m here for you.¡± Zarian appreciated that a lot as he looked up and saw how much more powerful his darkness became. The curving and towering dark tentacles had greatly thickened where one could swat down on an entire mountain and crush it. The stormy finger caught within their embrace struggled to move forward or back. ¡°Only in Infinita, I have to beat my wife to save a bunch of zealots so my friend can kill the zealot leader herself,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Then again, I¡¯m from Florida. So it is what it is.¡± His darkness broke the stormy funnel that tried to crush the paladins. Instead of a cry of pain or shock, Zarian¡¯s wife released a loud sigh of pleasure. Her voluminous voice filled the basin and rolled across the mountain range. Before the storm had a chance to re-surge or turn into anything more nonsensical, Zarian¡¯s darkness reached up further. Dark tentacles whipped through the tumultuous clouds and tore up whatever divine workings made it all possible. The storm¡¯s magic and power faded, but Luciana¡¯s voice carried on a little longer. Her sighs of pleasures turned into inappropriate gasps, hearty panting, and rumbling moans that shook the air around them and inside of Zarian¡¯s chest. ¡°Yo, Zarian, your wife is a bigger freak than me,¡± Naomi said on the spider network as she punched and kicked aberrations to death. ¡°That sounds like defeat in your voice. Why not train and become a stronger freak?¡± Hannah said, still shooting cannon shots and elemental beams. ¡°Shut up, Hannah,¡± Naomi grouched. Zarian ignored them as the storm finally abated and Luciana¡¯s presence seemed to disappear, at least for now. Right on time, too, because Zarian¡¯s cosmic hunger had nearly become too much. He quickly signed and chanted, struggling with himself throughout to seal away his Two Percent Darkness. But as always, nothing could go so simply for him, especially when he was standing on the edge. ¡°Big Bro!¡± Ariana appeared like an opportunistic scoundrel. She projected all nine feet of her humanoid form as a skimpily dressed dragon woman with no shame. ¡°This is our chance! Break free and unleash the darkness again!¡± Interrupted, Zarian said the first thing that came to mind. ¡°Go back and put on proper clothes, young lady!¡± He knew that was the wrong thing to say or do right now. He still had to finish the sealing of his Two Percent Darkness, but Ariana projecting herself without shame was too distracting. He should¡¯ve scolded her the first time it happened. Regardless of her being the ultimate power inside Infinita, Zarian was still the big brother, and he couldn¡¯t help but act like it this time. ¡°You¡¯ll have to make me!¡± Ariana said, smiling with viciously sharp teeth. ¡°And you can¡¯t do that unless you become the darkness again! Then clothes will stop mattering once you free me and I become darkness, too!¡± Zarian felt annoyed. His hunger grew. The temptation was nearly too much. Ariana knew what she was doing. She was striking while her brother was at his most vulnerable. Truly, she was the evilest little sister anyone could have. Even if he became the darkness and punished her, it wouldn¡¯t be much more than a slap on the wrist. They were family, and they had a genuine love for each other, but that could come at the cost of countless lives. Thankfully, Zarian had friends! ¡°I get it. When I turned eighteen, I wanted to show off and do whatever I wanted, too,¡± Bianca said, stepping on small platforms of light to get between Zarian and Ariana. ¡°But there¡¯s power in dressing tastefully, and there¡¯s power in being a nice little sister for your big brother. Now you need to leave, because you¡¯re being a bad influence on Zarian, and you need to think about being better than that.¡± Bianca sounded reasonable and mature, holding herself with impeccable bearing, as if she really was royalty. Ariana, almost like her big brother, didn¡¯t give a damn. ¡°Get out of my way. This is between me and my brother, and you are nothing but a pet, you blonde idiot,¡± Ariana growled. ¡°I see. You wish to find out. Dale.¡± Suddenly, Bianca became a neutron star of light so bright Zarian¡¯s entire being revolted in surprise. Zarian would¡¯ve feared for himself if it wasn¡¯t for how Bianca directed the light straight at Ariana¡¯s projected form. That didn¡¯t seem to stop the darkness inside and outside of Zarian from shying away some. For that moment, the cosmic hunger abated, as if the darkness became uncertain if it should come out fully just yet. It was then, while the darkness showed weakness, that Zarian found his opportunity to finish sealing his Two Percent Power, ending the chant with, ¡°Full Control.¡± The titanic dark towers swinging and flexing above them stopped. They broke apart into rapidly fading motes as the storm above rumbled softly with no divine essence to power it anymore. Zarian felt wrung and worn out for the first time in a while. But he hadn¡¯t failed himself, and he hadn¡¯t failed his friends. Better yet, all his nights cultivating didn¡¯t go to waste and his friends had come through for him, Bianca especially.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. When Zarian searched around after Bianca dimmed down, he saw Ariana was gone. ¡°What the hell was all that light behind us?!¡± Gilbert shouted through the spider network. ¡°I lost track of everything because of these howling bastards in my face and the giant black tentacles in the air doing UnChristian things.¡± ¡°That was me!¡± Bianca admitted. ¡°Zarian¡¯s little sister was being a bad girl! So I flashed her!¡± ¡°Ariana¡¯s eighteen, right?¡± Gilbert asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Hannah answered. ¡°Okay, no pause,¡± Gilbert grunted. ¡°Is Ariana gone, gone? I mean the projection of her, not her sleeping body,¡± Naomi questioned. The others waited for Zarian to answer, and he tried to think back on the flow of events when Bianca had used her brightest flash yet on Ariana. Sealing his darkness had distracted him, but he could¡¯ve sworn that Bianca violently wiped away Ariana¡¯s projected image. He wasn¡¯t sure how much of that would affect Ariana directly, but it seemed like Bianca had defeated yet another dragon. And not just a dragon. Bianca had rejected The Dragoness, even if it was only a mental projection. Ariana wasn¡¯t showing up again, so the defeat might stick for the meantime. ¡°I think Bianca won,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Oh, Gilbert¡¯s Christian fucking God,¡± Naomi muttered. ¡°Hey, now! Watch it!¡± Gilbert warned. Naomi didn¡¯t care. ¡°We¡¯re not checking notifications until after Operation Save The Cook is done, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Zarian answered. ¡°Fuck! I need to know if Bianca got a win on Ariana or not!¡± Naomi grouched. ¡°I¡¯m not looking! So I can¡¯t tell you! You must wait,¡± Bianca sang. ¡°Ugh, dammit!¡± Naomi took her frustrations out on the aberrations, punching and kicking some into the sky. ¡°Perhaps the sooner we take care of our work here, the sooner we can see the notifications,¡± Para said, joining in on the spider network. ¡°Bianca, dear, would this be the right time for you to take care of the Prime Archbishop?¡± ¡°All I have to do is wait,¡± Bianca said. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Para inquired. ¡°Because he¡¯s going to come to me. I¡¯m standing next to the Dark Lord. And the Dark Lord did Dark Lord things that a hater like the Prime Archbishop won¡¯t like,¡± Bianca answered. Nobody questioned Bianca anymore, because she was right, which was almost unfair. Bianca could come to the right conclusions through the sheer power of her high Wonder stat without having to think much at all. That had led to Bianca being in the right place at the right time when Luciana and Ariana both tried to push Zarian over the edge. Yeah, it really is best to let Bianca be herself and not question it too much, Zarian thought, as he transitioned into helping Para with spell casts of Void Authority. With him involved in stopping teleportations, the burden became much easier for Para. Together, they could stop a thousand teleportation attempts every few seconds. The cost to stop all of that would¡¯ve been mind-melting and too much on their aura if it wasn¡¯t for Zarian¡¯s Aura Magnificence and Hannah¡¯s Aura Generator. For the first time since they¡¯d known each other, Zarian had to rely on Hannah¡¯s nearly limitless aura supply and rapid aura recovery through the spider network. This was while Hannah helped him recover aura after he nearly wrung himself dry from using Two Percent Darkness. The extra aura from Hannah was also a relief for Para, who¡¯d stayed locked in on teleportation defense the whole time. Better yet, the Parasite Cloak +3 had kept a spark of herself from falling to Zarian¡¯s darkness because of her latest advancement and its founding of her personhood. She¡¯d pulled through just like Zarian thought she would, and that was wonderful for both him and Para. Things only improved from there. ¡°Skies are manageable now. Payload being delivered,¡± Hannah said on the spider network. ¡°In three. Two. One.¡± A streaking red comet punched down from the dark clouds above. Without the calamitous and wrathful winds of Luciana¡¯s boon-raised storm, the shining red artillery round found no issues landing somewhere close to its mark. Both Zarian and Naomi shouted ¡°KILL!!¡± when the 250mm magic artillery struck with a fiery and explosive result that filled the basin with a bright red light. Tons of rubble, smashed aberration, hissing steam, and black smoke rose upward in a rising and blooming mushroom. Smoldering debris rained in all directions, reaching as far as the paladin camp behind Zarian and the castle itself on the other side. Then a few seconds later, another red comet of an artillery round streaked down from the sky and led to the same explosive and mushrooming result. Then, after a few seconds, another came down and did the same. Then another. And then another. None of them landed in the same spot. They moved up and down the field, sometimes going side to side. But they fell accurately enough between the castle and the angled walls and ditches. Hannah was showing her genius here. She could coordinate with the spiders at the artillery battery site. She could shoot from the midrange to help clear out aberrations that get past the choke point or beyond the wall. She could control the battlefield and knock down the horrid aberration waves with enough time. The aberration attack slowed significantly, and the Floridians found themselves cruising a little more. ¡°Fucking damn,¡± Naomi said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you can dish it out like that, Hannah.¡± ¡°Thank Reiki and her library,¡± Hannah said. ¡°The amount of technical information kept in those books is staggering. It took a lot of extrapolating and my engineering experience, but I found ways to bridge the gap between what I could do with enchantments and modern warfare.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget your Minecraft cheat,¡± Zarian said, unbothered by the fiery light glowing over the walls. He loved the wrath and destruction of magic artillery regardless of how much light it produced. ¡°Yes, well, my cheat abilities are indeed great factors,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Are we fine with flame explosives for now? It seems effective enough. I don¡¯t wish to obstruct our path with ice magic and I¡¯m a little unsure of lightning magic while all of us are wet.¡± ¡°I bet the fire would hurt them more if it wasn¡¯t so wet out there,¡± Naomi said. ¡°Let me solve that,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Para, hand me the feisty boy.¡± ¡°Be careful with him.¡± Para passed over the growling and kicking grimoire to Zarian¡¯s outstretched hand. Once he got a hold of Morph, the Madness Wizard clamped down firmly. The squirming and hissing grimoire rebelled more than any grimoire, like a spoiled teenager. Since Para had already used the gentle mother route, Zarian played his role as the tough father. ¡°Hey, kid, I know you think you¡¯re your own grimoire. So I¡¯m going to give you a choice. Either you cast spells for me based on when and how I tell you to do it. Or you let me do the casting of spells. Or I will force you to follow orders, and you will not like it when I do.¡± Zarian didn¡¯t mince words, letting his Uncanny Valley Effect and The Dreaded One unfold through his aura and his voice. He bore down on the feisty grimoire, and while it acted boldly in its rebellion, Zarian¡¯s traits and his Willpower became too crushing for the weird and freaky grimoire to deny. Becoming pliant, the covers spread and the pages flipped to show what he¡¯d desired. Zarian shook his head. ¡°Man, you are a messy thing, but whatever. A little tough love will certainly set you straight.¡± Zarian went in and out of the void to reach a spot above the battlefield. Smoke, steam, roiling flames, and aberrations raged down below. Most of the flames didn¡¯t last for long because of the flooded battlefield. Zarian fixed that with his next spell cast, chanting, ¡°Water to Slime.¡± For thousands of feet in all directions, Zarian turned water into a thick, oily, jelly-like substance that had a tendency to cling heavily. By the time the spell was complete, Zarian returned to the other side of the defenses before the inevitable whoosh of roaring flames took place on the battlefield. Another glaring red artillery round fell. The resulting explosion sent flying debris that burned far more wrathfully now because of the napalm-like slime Zarian had made from water. He went back and forth between falling artillery rounds to cast Water to Slime again and again. He stopped once the battlefield beyond the defenses became a burning hellscape that the aberrations had to run through if the artillery hadn¡¯t blasted them to smithereens. ¡°You do know I have to stand here and soak their hits, right? It was okay before, but now I have to take them on while they¡¯re covered in magic napalm,¡± Gilbert grumbled. ¡°I bet you¡¯ll come out smelling like roses,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Sorry to break in, my friends, but I think the paladins are coming out now,¡± Bianca informed. ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s this strong old man at the front with a big shiny sword. He looks angry, and he¡¯s glaring straight at you, Zarian.¡± ¡°Want to go say hi to him for me?¡± Zarian asked. ¡°Hell, you can go tell them that eloquent phrase of yours.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Bianca chirped before going off on her own to face the Prime Archbishop and a hundred of his Battle Bishops. Zarian kept an eye on her, of course, ready to jump in just in case. He also had a thousand spectral spiders that could help lay traps on the water-logged ground. If it came down to it, he would even use his Good Suppression Orb and Scroll of Godly Banishment. He doubted Bianca could dominate with the full power of her free good +6. She¡¯d admitted how she felt selfish for coming here to assassinate the Prime Archbishop for her own aims, which would put her at a disadvantage. Thus, Zarian felt some concern, but that quickly faded when Bianca reached into her satchel. She pulled out two legendary items. First, the Scroll of the Shining Stage. Then, the Scroll of Bestial Transformation. Going down to meet the greatest fighters of the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom, Bianca untied the strings from around both scrolls and activated them. Immediately, a tower of light blasted through the dark clouds and shone down on Bianca. With a spotlight on her transformation, she attempted to say her well-rehearsed phrase: ¡°Hello, my name is Princess Bianca Garcia. I must kill you for my familia. Prepare to ¡­ FACE JUDGMENT FOR BEING TOO UGLY!¡± 200: B2: C100: Grimrock Eradication Back when Zarian was in the Marines, he¡¯d taken every opportunity to consume as much anime and fantasy as possible. Prior to that, the foster care homes he bounced between had been a crap shoot in how lucky he could get. He¡¯d faced different styles of abusive foster parents, from insanely religious fanatics to the downright criminal drug dealers. He hadn¡¯t gotten comfortable as a kid growing up because he was under a lot of pressure to survive with his only support coming from Ariana. He hadn¡¯t gotten to nerd out as much during his foster care times. So, despite having gotten kicked out of the Marines because they thought he was being insubordinate for not letting them haze him ¨C he¡¯d been through enough hazing before the Marines, so no thanks ¨C he still appreciated some aspects of the Marines. He¡¯d appreciated Naomi for being a stellar recruiter. He¡¯d appreciated getting to eat as much as he wanted and viewing his favorite media to where he even knew obscure and niche things from times long past. ¡°I think Bianca¡¯s becoming a Digimon,¡± Zarian said on the spider network. ¡°Do you actually know what a Digimon is?¡± Hannah asked. ¡°I may not be an engineer, but my nerd status is top-notch,¡± Zarian replied. ¡°What¡¯s a Digimon?¡± Gilbert asked, for himself and Naomi. Hannah took the time to explain while casually shooting aberrations and calling down some more artillery strikes. The fight with the aberrations slowed down considerably, enabling everyone to split their attention more. Zarian felt multiple viewers were looking through his eyes as the paladin leaders faced one mad Latina with a legendary spotlight and a bodily shift into something otherworldly. On the side of the paladins, Prime Archbishop Orin Ignatius was the fiery and crusading heart of his regime. Zarian had read some reports from the Hemlocks about Orin being an old, zealous, hardcore man. He¡¯d clawed power free from the last regime in a bloody coup ten years ago when the paladins were weaker. He had the strict belief that the paladins should spread dominion across all the Walled Continent. He wanted all of humanity to serve the will of the Good Gods and the Ascended Heavens under strict, dogmatic doctrines. Orin¡¯s Battle Bishops were all yes men, but they were well-trained yes men with epic classes in the high Level 80s or low Level 90s. The Prime Archbishop himself was Level 101 and a Master Ranker. Now, that might not seem like much of an issue. The Floridians could fight above their weight and beat Master Rankers and overcome numerical disadvantages. So, there wouldn¡¯t have been much concern if it wasn¡¯t for how the Battle Bishops felt like they were good +3 while Orin was most likely good +4. If their high goodness wasn¡¯t problem enough, all the Battle Bishops had god-given boons woven into their heavy silver armor and the poleaxes they wielded. Orin¡¯s heavy gold armor and legendary greatsword shone the brightest. It had a combination of boons that felt familiar to Zarian. Lovewar and Purehome? Zarian realized with some shock. Lovewar¡¯s boon being involved surprised him. He had to remember the Good Goddess still stood in opposition to the Evil Goddess despite their weird but friendly relationship. Lovewar and Shadowfell were bound to have followers and pawns from their camps of good and evil come to head and clash with each other. Zarian also had to recognize he and his friends were the few humans who knew the truth behind the game the gods played. They were the few who knew how the game had come from times long before the Reset Era. Back when the Star System was called the Alignment System. Despite Orin being seasoned and powerful for his position, he was just another piece on the board. Then again, he¡¯s so fanatic he might¡¯ve already seen the truth and threw that aside in favor of being a tool for the gods. Knowing this, Zarian had to admit he was glad Gilbert was so ridiculously stubborn with his Christianity. The big man¡¯s beliefs looped around to keeping him safe from becoming a zealot in the Infinita Star System. Zarian was also glad that despite the heavy advantages Orin and his bishops had with their gods and their high goodness on their side, Bianca still found a way to one-up them under a towering spotlight that followed her everywhere. All fifty feet of her transformed body came swooping down on Orin¡¯s regime. She struck as a spiraling dervish of shining swords, amber feathers, ivory talons, and six long tanned arms blown up to giant proportions like the rest of her. ¡°No, wait, she¡¯s more like a Digimon inside a Dark Souls game,¡± Zarian said, seeing how Bianca moved to incorporate her size. He also enjoyed her trash talk. ¡°YOUR UGLINESS IS DEEPER THAN SKIN, AND YOU ALREADY NEED A SKIN CARE ROUTINE!¡± Bianca¡¯s voice reached every nook and cranny in the basin, drowning out the artillery fire while resounding across the mountain range. Her voice was so voluminous, it snuffed out the roaring and shouting from the bishops as Bianca rampaged. Her taloned feet trampled and ripped into a few men caught under her. While she crouched down amid the bishops, she swept into a flurry of spiraling strikes, all six of her radiant swords carving and slashing, adding to her giant dance. It was because of the legendary spotlight shining down on her that Bianca could arm herself with powerful sabers of light. She could also fire powerful laser beams, too. And as the cherry on top, the spotlight buffed her already high Wonder stat even higher. Her transformation made her a giant and bestial version of herself, which was an angel-like monster with a blinding light beaming from her face, making it impossible for anyone to see her true visage. Despite the many changes, Bianca¡¯s giant beast of a body still carried itself with the glamor and beauty of the woman it was based on. That made the big female monster aspect kind of scandalous. She was completely naked while crushing and slashing down crusaders. Thankfully, more blinding light beamed from the sensitive areas just like her face. Any untoward onlookers who tried to take a direct peek at places where they shouldn¡¯t couldn¡¯t see anything. I hope Ariana¡¯s not watching this after Bianca helped me scold her, Zarian thought, letting himself become a passive observer. The fight was sordid, violent, and fairly badass. The paladins didn¡¯t keel over and die easily. Strangely enough, Zarian could appreciate the paladins showing some high vitality and toughness. Because it made the fight more interesting. The bishops who¡¯d ended up trampled or slashed by Bianca¡¯s taloned feet didn¡¯t die instantly. The bishops who took a strike from Bianca¡¯s radiant swords blocked with their poleaxes and remained alive. Many, however, had the misfortune of getting sent flying from one sword slash or kick from giant Bianca. The airborne paladins skipped across the waterlogged and uneven rock field, bouncing like skipping stones. But even these paladins remained alive when they came to a stop. Others dodged around her steps and radiant sword swings. Then they lunged to strike at her with their supercharged poleaxe swings. In Orin¡¯s case, the Prime Archbishop unleashed a white hot and divine flame strike from his greatsword and the boons of two Good Goddesses. The paladin¡¯s retaliatory attacks came out as divine-enhanced energy crescents. Orin¡¯s attack appeared as a sharpened tower of white-hot wrath that was nearly taller than Bianca¡¯s giant form. Yet, they all missed their mark. Bianca became a giant cloud of lights. The shining spotlight broke apart into thousands of mini spotlights that followed every glowing bulb. After curving swiftly around every strike, Bianca recombined on the side of the bishops.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. They couldn¡¯t reposition and respond fast enough. Bianca retook the momentum, the spotlight back to shining as one great tower on her dominant form. She stooped down low enough for all of her six radiant swords to hit targets near the ground. She moved in spirals and pirouettes with graceful but killer steps. Zarian was pretty sure she was still using many of her princess-related traits, especially the Six Step Dancing Princess Sword Style. As she danced, she killed between three to five bishops within six steps. Then she reset for another round of her epic fighting style. Each Battle Bishop could survive maybe one hit. Maybe two or three! But that was it. There was no way they could survive multiple giant attacks. They were up against the power of her legendary trait, Sainted Smite, which pushed Bianca¡¯s Wonder stat even higher as she fought. Then there was her Super Serene Rampage +2, which made Bianca¡¯s physical attacks so much stronger while scaling with Wonder. Because of her Wonder being extremely high under the legendary spotlight and her many other buffs, Bianca could hit like a juggernaut despite her having a low investment in Strength. So many parts of what made Bianca¡¯s profile quirky and unusual synchronized as she put on a massive show. Zarian could even feel it through his own Wonder stat. He sensed how Bianca bent the supernatural and faithful powers of the world around her. He sensed how her presence disregarded the powers of the Good Gods and the power-ups they provided their servants. Better yet, he sensed how her presence was vengeance. They¡¯d robbed her of her agency. They¡¯d made her fight a friend against her will. They¡¯d traumatized her. Now she was destroying their most faithful servants. And dancing on their crushed bodies. The Battle Bishops died steadily. Every time Orin tried to carve the power of his faith and boons into Bianca¡¯s body, she evaded him and killed more Battle Bishops. If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, she added insults as she rampaged, her voice booming like an angry demigoddess: ¡°I SEE WHY YOU MUST BE CELIBATE. BEING AROUND YOU MAKES ME WANT TO BE CELIBATE, TOO!¡± ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Gilbert said on the spider network. ¡°This monster version of Bianca is hella mean for no reason.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s Bianca letting out the stuff she doesn¡¯t say around you boys,¡± Hannah said. ¡°You don¡¯t have what it takes to handle what we say when it¡¯s just us girls,¡± Naomi said. ¡°It¡¯s not just cry fests, you know?¡± ¡°Wait, Naomi, you can actually cry?¡± Gilbert asked. ¡°Shut up, Gilbert.¡± Zarian ignored the others. He paid attention to the paladins still inside the barrier. They looked like they were preparing to join the fight. They still had a few thousand in their numbers. That might¡¯ve seemed significant, but Zarian knew Bianca would crush the weaker paladins like they were mere bugs. However, they weren¡¯t bugs to the people back in their kingdom. Zarian still wanted to see them leave instead of dying. He didn¡¯t want another broken kingdom making the Dark Era anymore darker. It was plenty dark already. Before they had the chance to charge out of the barrier and throw their lives away, Zarian cast Quagmire Pit. He formed the spell as a long blockade in front of the paladins. Infernal orange flames and noxious fumes rose above the boiling bog. That stopped the suicidal zealots in their track. The bog also blocked their vision of the fight as Bianca tore the bishops apart until the last dozen remained. Orin and his remaining bishops regrouped as a tight and battered unit. The Prime Archbishop looked just fine. Hell, maybe more than fine. He glowed brighter. His movements became crisper. His swings came out faster and stronger. He swung out a towering flame projection that extended from his greatsword and forced Bianca to block it for the first time. The clash forced her to misstep and break her fighting style. Only then did a bishop finally land a blow on her calf and leave a cut that bled some. ¡°If the monster can bleed, then she can die!¡± roared Orin. ¡°Remove the false idol of the Dark Lord, then we shall seal the Dark Lord himself!¡± Orin surged with newfound power and confidence. His body, encased in golden armor and the divine glow of multiple boons, flew like a man-shaped comet. He slashed again and again with his shining greatsword and projections of giant flaming strikes. His size was like an action figure compared to Bianca¡¯s towering form. But he was a dogged and determined figure who forced Bianca onto the back foot. Then, when Bianca used her Light Step +2 to dodge away as a flurry of lights, Orin unleashed a new tactic! He thrust his legendary weapon upward. He released a flaming air burst that caught Bianca¡¯s flurry of lights and forced her to recombine when she wasn¡¯t ready. The remaining Battle Bishops pounced. They hacked and cut at Bianca¡¯s feet and calves. Some jumped high into the air daringly. The ones who went airborne struck at Bianca¡¯s upper legs. A few went even higher. The highest risers dared to strike at her chest and face. And they succeeded. They landed hits that would¡¯ve knocked down castle walls or cut giant monsters in half. Bianca soaked loads of damage that would¡¯ve killed most adventurers many times over. A plethora of cuts covered her. Some light. Some heavy. From these wounds, blood poured in thick red streams down her fifty-foot body. Zarian watched this and thought to himself, I guess that¡¯s that. Bianca had won. The paladins didn¡¯t know it yet. Even though Bianca couldn¡¯t muster all the power from her free good +6, she didn¡¯t need to. She still had more impressive advantages. Using two legendary scrolls to transform and enhance gave her a big edge, but none of that would work without a powerful profile. Bianca had aspects that only came to light when something or someone pushed her hard. Then her epic Overcomer trait kicked in, enhancing Bianca when she faced a difficult challenge. An overconfident bishop soared through the air at Bianca¡¯s eye level. He held his poleaxe high for a hard downward strike aimed for the middle of her face. Bianca turned to the flying bishop. With no warning, she released a beam of pure and utter eradication from her entire face and erased the man. Then Bianca flapped her wings and launched into the air. She entered a hover as the legendary spotlight seemed to shine on her even brighter. She dismissed her radiant swords and pointed all six hands down at her enemies. After a quick charge time, she shot down a volley of eradication beams and wiped out three bishops while the others dodged. Bianca charged up six more beams from her hands, and six more beams that hovered around her body, and shot down another volley of pure and utter eradication. She killed all but the Prime Archbishop and one of his followers. ¡°How can this be?!¡± shouted the last Battle Bishop. ¡°We have the power of the Good Gods and the Ascended Heavens on our side! But we are dying, brother!¡± ¡°Then let our deaths serve the will of the Good Gods and Ascended Heavens!¡± Orin roared. ¡°Let our sacrifice be known all across the universe, so one day the faithful servants of good will triumph over evil and seal the Dark Lord forever!¡± Bianca paused her next attack volley. She remained hovering over the air as she examined Orin and his last major follower. Then, in a voice that was lower in volume but still powerful, she said, ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that to Zarian. He sacrificed himself to save me. I¡¯m here because he continues to care for me. I can¡¯t let you have your way with someone who¡¯s like familia to me.¡± Bianca¡¯s free good +6 peeked out. Zarian turned away at the last second. Para formed a leathery shield over him and used Dark Affinity to coat him in darkness. He could still feel the blinding light of Bianca going supernova outside. While she directed it elsewhere, her light and alignment were still unnerving. Once it was over, Para peeled away the leather shield from over him. Zarian opened his own eyes and saw where Bianca had last struck. A melted cut in the basin floor extended from beneath Bianca and all the way past the paladin camp and further beyond. Her attack had slashed through the slope and continued further into the mountains. The cut was deep enough to be a ravine, its bottom filled with pooling slag. And laying a few feet to the side of the cut, beneath Bianca¡¯s hovering form, Orin barely remained alive with his golden armor melted and fused with his flesh. His last bishop had fallen to eradication. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like killing you anymore,¡± Bianca said. ¡°I think I want to talk to my family myself instead of having Shadowfell pass messages between us. I know this may look bad in the eyes of an Evil Goddess, but the assassination is being done for the wrong reasons. So I¡¯m not going to do it anymore. You may live now.¡± With that, Bianca flapped her wings and turned away from Orin. Zarian didn¡¯t know what to make of this, at least at first. After some thought, he could almost see some logic to Bianca¡¯s madness. This actually might throw a wrench into whatever nefarious plans his wife had concocted in the event of Orin¡¯s death. Thinking even further, Zarian¡¯s free evil +4 and Unraveled Mind concluded that the Stalwart Paladin Kingdom would end up crippled without the experience of the one hundred epic and old bishops. But the kingdom wouldn¡¯t fall apart completely and become easy prey, since Orin remained alive. This ¡­ actually works out. The kingdom will be too weak to be a threat to Ride-or-Die Village. But it won¡¯t be so weak that evil forces can sweep in, corrupt, and make it a bigger problem in the future. Zarian ended his spell, removing the quagmire blockade and letting the paladins run out to collect their defeated leader. Once it looked like the paladins were retreating, Zarian turned more of his attention toward the aberration wave and saw that it was mostly over. Thousands of corrupted corpses and roaring magic napalm flames covered the way between the Floridians and Castle Grimrock. The artillery bombardment was a resounding success. Though, that might come with some sacrifice in experience. The ease and impersonal nature of earning the victory via artillery would deduct from their leveling gains. Zarian didn¡¯t mind that. Hannah¡¯s potential would grow even scarier going forward. It would be too unfair to the Star System to reward major experience to battles won by artillery or advanced magitek. Still, as long as the experience earned wasn¡¯t zero, the gains would be significant enough. Turning back to Bianca, Zarian saw her legendary spotlight dimming away. Her bestial transformation would last for a while until she rested, then she would return to human again. For now, she remained as a fifty-foot tall, celestial-like creature with shining lights covering her face and sensitive parts. She came to a hovering stop next to him. Her shining face was on level with his body. As quietly as she could, which still came out booming, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t finish the job.¡± ¡°Not all jobs are worth finishing,¡± Zarian said. ¡°Now, come on, Angewomon. We¡¯re going to raid the castle of an evil warlock and bust our friend free.¡± Bianca roared. ¡°BUENO!¡± 201: B2: C101: Grimrock Hell Gate ¡°You okay, Bianca? You seem a little sluggish? Did Gilbert screw up healing you?¡± Zarian asked as he, Bianca, Naomi, Hannah, and Gilbert gathered on top of the left wall. Bianca didn¡¯t respond with words, being mindful of her voluminous voice while still shifted. She used the spider network to exchange accurate impressions of how she felt. There was something wrong about Bianca¡¯s free good that Gilbert¡¯s vitality overcharge couldn¡¯t quite fix. It wasn¡¯t anything bad compared to Naomi¡¯s bodily debuffs. Instead, Bianca might¡¯ve overtaxed her sub alignment. Now she had to suffer a hidden debuff of sorts. ¡°So your free good +6 will be weaker, huh? Yeah, I get that. I won¡¯t be able to use Overwhelming Darkness for a while. Pushing up to Two Percent Darkness nearly did me in.¡± Zarian looked up while standing next to her perched form. Bianca had herself covered with her golden wings like a resting bird, her taloned feet gripping deep into the top of the wall. Glancing behind him, he saw the others marveling at her transformation except for Naomi, who seemed unimpressed. ¡°I hate leaving an objective undone,¡± Naomi grouched. ¡°I think it¡¯s best to trust Bianca¡¯s Wonder stat for this,¡± Zarian said. ¡°That, and my wife won¡¯t get what she wants from the death of the Prime Archbishop ¡­ so it still works out.¡± ¡°Regardless of if the decision was a right one or not, the paladins are retreating and this series of events will throw off everyone¡¯s plans,¡± Hannah said. ¡°I also like the idea that we will rely on ourselves for contacting our home and dealing with our affairs back there. I can get behind that.¡± Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking, Zarian thought. I have so many questions, Para thought. Bianca¡¯s decision is puzzling to me because I don¡¯t exactly understand where it comes from. What went through her mind that led to her sparing the Prime Archbishop right before total victory? Or is it really because of her Wonder stat? I find the apparent unknown both extraordinary and frustrating, since it is illogical while having the possibility of being right. You can always ask questions, Zarian encouraged privately. Perhaps later, after the operation, Para replied. ¡°I for one am a huge fan of Monster Bianca¡¯s decision and will sing praise in her direction once she¡¯s back to being her old self,¡± Gilbert said, turning his attention away from Bianca¡¯s giant, stooped over form. He looked over the edge of the wall. ¡°Now let me have y¡¯all attention, because I¡¯m going to show you something you intellectual types might be interested in.¡± ¡°Oh? Is Gilbert going to lecture me?¡± Hannah turned sharply to the man. ¡°This is going to make my day.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it, big guy,¡± Zarian encouraged. ¡°Those things down there, the lesser aberrations. They stopped being made from goblins after the beginning of the rush,¡± Gilbert explained. ¡°Most of them are something else, I reckon.¡± Immediately, Zarian used his aura to sweep over the aberration corpses. He felt Hannah doing the same thing, but her aura control was less sensitive compared to his. It was Para, who was doing her own aura sweep, that noticed the design shift in aberrations first. That made sense. Para was inherently interested in the anatomy of other creatures. ¡°Gilbert is right,¡± Para said, speaking through the three snake heads winding over Zarian¡¯s armored shoulders. She moved about her many clawed hands and scythe blades from behind Zarian¡¯s back as she spoke. ¡°The start of the aberrations featured corrupted goblins fused into singular masses. They are, in fact, similar to the goblins we once faced at the subterranean floors far, far below us.¡± Para hissed thoughtfully before she continued. ¡°But after that ¡­ the aberrations seemed to come from similar creatures that are short and spry like goblins. But they have horns on their heads, and small leathery wings behind their backs, and spaded tails.¡± Zarian used Aura Mastery + Identify for an in-depth review on a corpse similar to how Para described it. He told the others what he saw from the notification.